All Together Again: With Tender Hilarity and Serious Nature, the Seven Members of the Black Foxes
~Beginning of Part 2~
It was not too long after the team returned to Le Renard Noir that night. They were presently celebrating as they usually did, but this time, it was in favor of Mitsuki's return to Ginza.
"It feels like it's been a long time since Mitsuki was here," Atsumu smiled widely, letting out a happy breath, while still standing behind the counter. "And at last, it gives such a lasting effect on someone as kind as myself. Wowzers!"
Takuto narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Looks like a certain middle-aged, bearded man just stole Hiro's thunder. Can we replace him with someone who's actually suitable enough to run the bar?"
Atsumu's eyes popped open at hearing Takuto's sarcasm. "Gee, Takkun. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to kill me off with your wonderful words." He, too, was irritated at the other. However, it was more of a tactic to follow along with Takuto's offence. On the contrary, it didn't seem like a big deal to him, so he let Takuto's words off the hook and beamed himself up. "But to think we finally have our second female member back with us. It must have been a miracle to see such a magnificent woman here once again."
Hiro smiled at Mitsuki and asked as if to slightly change the subject, "By the way, how were you able to come back so early, Mitsuki? I thought you were supposed to be in Europe for another few days or a week before going back to Tokyo."
Mitsuki glanced at Hiro and reciprocated the smile the youth had given her. "Hiro, the answer is simple: I was going to take a flight back, anyway, and surprise you all when you returned to the bar from work, but when I did arrive at Le Renard Noir, you and the others were already on another mission. Or so, Atsumu told me. I immediately went to rescue you guys once I heard the details of your recklessness; I also happened to see the light, so I felt as though I had to follow it. My instincts led me to the newly formed spring, and that's also how I came to save Rina and Takuto after the incident had occurred on the mountain." She paused for a few seconds before continuing with a look that braced her for the words she would hear from the others once she finished. "But… The light we all perceived—I sensed a strong source of magic from it before it disappeared. Perhaps something happened by the time it was released into the night sky."
Hiro's eyes widened lightly with a perplexed expression on his face before he blinked. "? Now that you've mentioned it, the light we observed earlier instantaneously shot up after Takkun went to save Rina from falling down into the ocean." An uncertain frown took the place of his bewilderment. "I wonder why, though. I'd never thought this would happen during a mission, so it was pretty much a first time for any of us to see it."
Kenshi looked down with a thoughtful appearance. "True. We haven't experienced anything like that until now. But as you said, Hiro, it just came up out of nowhere. Why in the world did the light discharge itself from the sea? Could something have caused it to do so in the first place? If so, what was the purpose of it?" He let out a short sigh. "I don't get this at all."
Seeing the diverse expressions she saw on Mitsuki, Hiro, and Kenshi's faces, Rina's eyes permitted themselves to fall right before elaborating on the topic at hand. "…It might have been because of Sayuri. She must have dropped the orbs from the mountain into the water before we came and fused them together in order to nullify their exact location, as well as to deceive the sensors in the basement, along with Takuto's laptop, to lure us to the peak. Since my powers were beginning to fade away, I could only sense the orbs' presence close by, but not where they were located." Rina glanced at the other members and smiled in a strained manner. "I believe, more than anything, her intentions were for the purpose of restoring all of the magic belonging to the magicians living in the Human World. Most of the magicians stationed on Earth—particularly in Japan and the United States, have taken a mission in order to change this world in their own ways by making the lives of the human population much more peaceful, and give everyone here a better chance at life. It may take several years, but this is what they're here for. Back to the topic at hand… You guys might not think Sayuri's trying to do something for another person, but it's only her pride and sense of justice that make her the way she appears to be. She's neither completely used to this world, nor is any other magician. No matter how long we stay in another place, we won't be. We're all different here, after all. This world is not where we came from, but it'll slowly come to be like another home to us, even though it may only be a small one in our hearts."
"…That's not all there is to it, though," Takuto proclaimed with a serious expression on his visage.
Hearing those words caught Mitsuki's immediate attention. "What do you mean, Takuto?"
"There was a night where we previously went on a mission that was also related to the orbs," the light blond mentioned. "That woman… told us something that I couldn't get out of my mind, and I'm certain not any one of us could actually forget those words."
~March 29, 2007~
Once the members were inside the deepest part of the cave, they could see an underground lake full of clean and pure sparkling blue water. Above that was an array of three orbs illuminating the area, and their colors line from left to right at the Black Foxes' front view were: magenta, azure, and crimson, each representing the three classifications of magicians.
Kenshi shouted. "Look!"
Riki was taken in by the beauty of the orbs as his eyes had widened in awe. "Are those…?"
With a firm nod, Takuto confirmed the answer to his best friend's [partial] question. "Yeah. They're the orbs that were sent from Neon." The hacker paused shortly after. "Wait. In spite of us being in the correct location, something isn't right. Rina said there should be more of them, seeing as we're going to send them all over Tokyo."
"It can't be helped, though," Kenshi replied as he glanced at his teammate. "We only found these three, so let's take them and return to Boss as soon as possible before doing anything else about the situation."
"Not so fast!" a recognizable voice exclaimed. There wasn't a visible presence in the cave, yet Hiro, Rina, and Takuto knew who it belonged to.
Hiro's eyes widened. "…!"
Takuto suddenly became alert. "Don't tell me she's already…!"
Sayuri herself affirmed the light blond's disdain. "That's right." A vast, bright light instantly manifested, allowing the Magician of Fate to appear a few seconds later from a far distance behind the orbs. She had a set of long, glowing wings this time, which were very bright and captivating—making her true form much more superior to the appearance of an angel. Her aloof facial expression was back, and her big, agate-colored eyes were quite alluring. "Looks like a couple of your other members are here as well. As you are also known as the 'noble thieves of Ginza,' I must say it's quite a pleasure to reencounter you here, Black Foxes. Since I've known you were going to be after them, I made sure to collect the orbs beforehand, as of a few days ago, on the 26th of this month."
The last words the orange-haired magician had spoken struck the members of the Black Foxes—Hiro was the most affected by them.
"Huh?" the appraiser's eyes broadened. "Since the 26th…?"
The answer instantly came to Rina. "…future sight…?" With a look in her eyes that showed a comprehension of what had went on during the past three days, she questioned her best friend. "Sayuri, have you been getting help from the Juujouchi family in order to see the futures that they do, and to change the outcomes of those very small or large fragments?"
"…" The winged magician stayed right where she was in silence as she stared back. "…So what if I have? It's not like I was doing a bad thing when I decided to ask Akio-sama for permission to view them and alter the future."
Rina continued to question Sayuri in a moderate fashion. "For what purpose are you doing this? What if something terrible were to happen?"
It took another small bit of time before there was an answer from Sayuri. "…You wouldn't understand." She narrowed her eyes indifferently at the blonde magician. "If I were to reveal my motives for doing this, then my efforts up until now—for the past three days up until tonight—will be all for nothing." The orange-haired woman turned slightly toward her right, while averting her gaze, and muttered under her breath. "You don't even know why I've done most of your mission's work, yet you're not going to allow me to complete it with the others' aid?" It was a short amount of time before she gave the rest of her focus to the rest of the Black Foxes.
XXX
"Rina concluded that Sayuri had been receiving help from the Juujouchi family and their power of future sight since the 26th of this month in order to change to future," Takuto resumed. "Tonight's the 30th, but she could be doing that again as we speak. What I got when she said that part about having the 'others' aid' was the fact she's most likely to be working with a group of magicians to achieve that objective; what I don't understand entirely… is her reasoning for her actions. It might also be best for us to know more about the Juujouchi family and their abilities, as they present a large role for all of us."
Mitsuki stared into Takuto's eyes with a stern facial expression. "…That's quite a logical point on your end. Yet. It does explain a bit more on what Sayuri's been doing during this time. To start off, the Juujouchi family is the second most powerful family in Neon. As you already know, there are eight Great Families that exist and help maintain the order of our (the magicians') world. My family—the Saionji family—is the eighth in the ranking, while Rina's—the Tokuhara family—is the third. Of course, there have been a few intermarriages between some of these families, including the seventh—the Hogos with my own, and the Sakurais—the fourth—with the Tokuharas. The Juujouchis' future sight belongs only to Homura-sama and his direct descendants. Akio-sama is his eldest son, as well as Sayuri's advisor for the Human World; other than his instructions and guidance, there's not much to say. While Sayuri is quite determined to accomplish her goal, we don't have any clues as to whom she could be working with, from what you've told me."
"Actually…" Rina added. "There's one person I can think of who's residing in the Human World right now and could be an accomplice of Sayuri's."
Riki's eyes widened faintly as he had kept his staid facial expression on the entire time. "Whom are you speaking of?"
"Takuji Uramoto," the blonde female magician answered.
"Takuji Uramoto?" the black-haired man questioned. "As in, the CEO of Rapunzel, the most successful editing department located in Roppongi, as well as the elder sister branch to Cinderella in terms of companies and the years of creation1?"
The magician of power nodded. "That's correct. Takuji, Sayuri, and I attended the same high school together before I came to this world and transferred to the one here, where I met you all. He's a member of the Uramoto family—the fifth ranked one out all the Great Families in Neon. He and Sayuri were also classmates and training partners for some time; though, Takuji arrived in the Human World a few years earlier than her. It's likely that they're still in contact with each other in the Human World to help her, but I'm unsure about whether or not Asuka is involved with them."
Mitsuki gazed at Rina with a blank look on her visage. "I wouldn't believe so. Although a member of the Royal family may live in this world, it's quite difficult for them to. After all, the Human World will most likely to put on a strain on their bodies and make them weaker because of the lack of magic essence here. She can't stay here all the time, but there are ways to sustain a magician's life on Earth." She glanced at Riki with a look that showed some joy and excitement; her cheeks had light pink tints on them, representing her affection and love for the government official. "…"
It was a rare moment as Riki's face flushed and he turned his head away, not wanting the others to see his flustered state. "…"
"?" Kenshi had a mystified expression on his visage. "How do you preserve their lifespans, Saionji?"
The dark purple-haired magician's facial expression returned to its normal state with a small smile. "Basically, magicians need to have something that boosts their magic; it's what our bodies are made up of. You remember, don't you, Kenshi?"
The spikey-haired brunet nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty simple."
"Wait," Hiro blinked, "we should get back to the last topic; what's the connection with Takuji Uramoto and this… Asuka? I get the fact Takuji and Sayuri might be working together, but what's Asuka got to do with it?"
"They're married," Mitsuki [who was still smiling faintly] and Rina [who was now the one with a blank facial expression] replied simultaneously.
"Heeeehhhhh?!" the orange-haired young man exclaimed in astonishment. "It's another intermarriage between two Great Families?! Then, that means the first and fifth ones are in-laws!"
"…?" Rina's eyes broadened a bit and she realized something important; next, she glanced at Mitsuki. "…Now that I've considered it, Mitsuki-san, Sayuri may also be aiding Asuka with increasing her lifespan while she's living with Takuji in the Human World. On the other hand… who knows how long Asuka can even survive in this world? She's definitely going to be limited on her time here, even though there are a few other ways to keep her energy flow steady. Likewise, we should consider some other possibilities as well."
"…" A smile had been on Mitsuki's visage for some time before she spoke again. "Perhaps the answer has already been given to us from the start."
Everyone looked at the dark purple-haired magician. "Huh?"
"Truthfully," Mitsuki began, "Takuto and Rina were the ones who hinted at what I'm about to reveal to you all. Since time has been altered from the 26th, there must be a few reasons for what Sayuri [and Takuji] are doing with the orbs. The first is that Akio-sama may have foreseen a future where the orbs were urgently need to be released to this world. Second, Sayuri may have wanted to change the future because she didn't like it; if so, she could've thought that the mission most of you went on before was progressing slowly and wouldn't be effective for anyone, in the case something would occur later on that would render the Black Foxes from doing anything. Third, Sayuri—or someone else such as Akio-sama or Takuji—then went on to convinced Kousuke Suzushiro, who is Neon's current king—to send the orbs to Earth. These actions go back with how there isn't any magic on the planet, and certainly to Sayuri's personality and good will. Furthermore, the lack of magic in the Human World is likely to affect all magicians here eventually; therefore, it would make sense for her to contribute to a plan that will restore the powers of the magicians. There may be more to all of this than what I've explained so far, but I am not sure what else could happen at the moment as I cannot gather much information unless there's an abundant amount of magic from Neon."
"I see," Hiro smiled gently. "So that's how it was. Sayuri was just trying to help us in her own way." His eyes lowered and his expression became much more tender than it would typically be whenever there was a touching moment. He felt relieved at hearing those words, and was glad Sayuri was there at the mountain, despite her wrathful outburst.
She only wanted to save the magicians who were staying here, he thought. That's why she appeared in front of us. Now I understand. Her kindness towards other magicians extends far enough to clash with us, and in turn, she does what she can to help her fellow comrades. Although we're on different sides, we still have several opportunities to see one another. Even if Sayuri doesn't think of the guys in our group as nothing more than conniving thieves, I would never hold a grudge against her because she's my friend. Hiro closed his eyes. Yes. We're friends. At least, I still believe in that. She's a precious friend to me no matter what anyone says or thinks of her. She'll always be important to me no matter what paths we decide to follow.
Takuto gazed at his comrades with a perceiving expression. "I don't get it, but if that's what your friend really wanted to do for you, I won't complain about it. I guess she was thinking of you when she decided to implement her plan, Rina. You were probably the reason she went there in the first place, with the other magicians afterward."
A whirlpool of emotions filled Rina's eyes as she returned Takuto's gaze. "Takuto…"
"That said, you were pretty useless out there," the hacker of the team sneered cleverly at his ex-girlfriend. "I mean, you practically did nothing to find the orbs when they were right underneath us when we got there. How stupid was that? To think you're supposed to be a Magician of Power for Buddha's sake! You must be out of whack without your powers. Maybe we should do a reenactment of when we fell into the water. Instead, I'll take a bucket full of ice water and pour it on you. How's that sound? Awesome?" He nodded to himself. "Yeah, I have to admit: I'm a genius with looks any girl would like. You can thank me when we're done."
Right then and there, a cruciform appeared on the right side of Rina's head and her fiery rage began to build up within her body. "…Takuto, you jerk! I can't believe I was actually grateful to you for saving my life! I'm leaving, so don't you dare try to apologize to me for the rest of the night!" In an instant, the blonde magician disappeared and was no longer in Le Renard Noir with the remaining six members.
Takuto started to laugh and caught himself from snickering for another moment. "Hehe! I can't believe she fell for it. What a joke! I'll have to see what else I can pull on her the next time she's here. The look on her face was more than enough to enjoy."
A look of repugnance and irritation etched onto Hiro's face as he glanced at Takuto. "Takkun, that was horrible. You made Rina go away. I was hoping you wouldn't since we were all here now that Mitsuki's back with us. It just isn't the same without everyone together again like this."
"Yeah," Kenshi agreed with a solemn appearance. "You know, I really do feel bad for Rina since you two don't seem anything like the couple you guys used to be before the breakup. She's a really nice girl to have fallen in love with you in the past and tolerate the things you would do to her. Don't you think what you say affects her at all? Rina's probably too frustrated with how you are towards her to be lenient about it. It must really hurt to hear something like that from your ex-lover, and she's a young woman for crying out loud. She's not a guy, so she might not take your words very lightly to heart."
Takuto frowned, barely reacting to Kenshi's sympathy for Rina. "Kenny, you don't really know anything about her, and I don't, either. How would you even know what she's thinking or how she feels when you yourself aren't even a girl? You don't really know how Rina experiences any emotions to what anyone says to her, or if she's taking it all in with patience. Why don't you just let it go until she decides to come back? It'll be easier that way."
Kenshi felt saddened by the words he heard come out of Takuto's mouth, but felt as if the latter was speaking a majority of the truth within them. "Takuto…"
I wonder if he's trying to avoid everything when it comes to Rina, the firefighter thought. I don't particularly approve of him saying something like this, but I guess in the end, Takuto's as hopeless as any other guy who doesn't try to face the real problems in his love life.
All of a sudden, Riki came over and put his right arm over Mitsuki's shoulder. "Geez, Takuto. If you have anything else you want to say or admit, blow off some steam already. You didn't even get angry with any of us after we got back from the mission, so what's up? And hurry up with it. I want to get back home with my wife. I'm also beat from what happened during our meeting with Sayuri—or at least my shoulders are."
Seeing Riki put his arm around Mitsuki had been more than enough to get a retort out of Takuto. "Ugh. Nasty!" He was certainly revolted by Riki's action seconds ago. "Get out of my sight right now, Riki! I hate having to see you put a move on Mitsuki when I'd rather savor my usual meal with a sense of peace. I'm hungry, so get to it before you ruin my appetite!"
"Now, now," Riki began in a tranquil manner, "Calm down, Takuto. Making a preparation to walk home with the woman I love shouldn't be such a big deal. I'm the one who's married and worn out from having to manage everything at work without Mitsuki around these days before she came back, so I should at least get to do this. Or, do you already miss Rina?"
Takuto's angry expression showed up at hearing Riki's question. "No way! Why would I want to see her?! She's not my type, so don't bring her up at a time like this!"
"I didn't say she was," Riki answered, still as composed as ever. "What were you expecting from that, Takuto?"
Hiro laughed. "Hahaha! Takkun's still got the hots for Rina! I knew he couldn't stay away from saying something about her in that way."
"What?! No! That's not what I meant and you know it, Hiro!" Takuto shouted with a quick turn of his head. "There's no way in hell I would ever think of Rina in any romantic manner. I was the one who broke up with her, not the other way around, so don't you dare say anything else about us getting back together!"
Hiro tilted his head with false confusion to his right. "Oh? But I didn't say you would want to get back with Rina, Takkun." He smiled happily with his tease. "Silly, you don't know what you're talking about!"
Takuto felt frustrated at hearing Hiro make fun of him in a fake innocent fashion, and could feel his blood boiling from within, but kept silent. Shortly afterward, Atsumu strolled out from the kitchen with two bowls of pork noodles on a tray he was holding.
"Hiro, Takkun~, your pork noodles are ready~!" he gleefully exclaimed after stepping back inside right behind the counter. He set the servings down onto said counter and closed his eyes once more. "Don't forget to savor the taste, okay? I made it especially for this night after Mitsuki's arrival back to Ginza, so eat up. You'll need to get something to digest after a hard night's work, after all."
Mitsuki glanced at Atsumu and smiled faintly. "It was nice seeing you again, Atsumu. Thank you for telling me about the mission. I was truly worried after hearing about it, but I was also glad to have caught up to see Riki and everyone else as well. Please have a wonderful night's rest when you're done with cleaning Takuto and Hiro's dishes."
Atsumu gave a mutual, broad smile of his own. "It was a pleasant surprise to have you back with us. Have a splendid night with Riki, Mitsuki. And… Welcome back home. As Rina brought up earlier about Sayuri and the other magicians stationed in this world, this is also your home, Rina's, Sayuri's, and it also belongs to those magicians staying here to enhance Earth. I hope you will never forget that."
When Atsumu mentioned the magicians, Takuto turned his head to his right and looked at Mitsuki with an immense gaze.
Mitsuki nodded. "Yes. It was because I came here in the first place that I was able to meet Riki and everyone else. I was also able to see Rina again when she first arrived in this world, and you all have made a significant amount of memories for me these past several years. I couldn't have asked for anything more than this even if I wanted to."
"See, isn't my lovely wife the best?" Riki boasted proudly. "I can't wait to get home and bury myself in paradise."
Atsumu laughed and Kenshi looked on with envy for the married couple as they (Riki and Mitsuki) stood side by side.
Suddenly, Rina's image projected in Takuto's mind, and he turned back, staring at his bowl of pork noodles. A tingling pain was resonating inside his heart and his chest tightened. The word 'home' had not once occurred to him whenever Rina's name was stated, or when she was around. He then realized something and had a depressed expression planted on his face.
This is also… Rina's home. Takuto finally understood that Rina had a place in Ginza, a special place no one else could replace. What he felt was not only pain and sadness, but also a slice of loneliness cutting its way into his heart which seemed as though it had stopped with time. Now that I think about it, she has her own place to go to in this city. But… The idea that a magician could have a place to call home in another world than their own never came to mind until now.
Hiro glanced at Takuto and blinked. "? What's wrong, Takkun? Why aren't you eating?"
Takuto snapped out of his thoughts and saw Hiro's puzzled expression. "Oh… It's nothing. Just get back to eating your own food, will you?" He resumed to eating the full bowl of pork noodles and looked down at them once more. A few seconds later, he began to cough inexplicably and had another fit of those very same coughs he typically experienced during his meals.
"Takkun, are you okay?" Hiro's eyes widened and he placed his right hand on Takuto's back, patting it with careful effort. "Maybe you should stop eating pork noodles every time you're here. You'll get sick and cancer will hit you if you keep consuming the same type of food every day. It's bad for your health, so why don't you stop for a week or two before getting back into your daily diet?"
When he heard those words, Takuto turned to his left and scowled at Hiro. "There is no frickin' way I am going to stop eating something I love. It's part of my life, Hiro. Without a bowl of pork noodles to keep me in a normal state of mind, I can't operate and work throughout the day. That's just how things are for me. Do you understand?"
Hiro sighed as he continued to face Takuto. "Yeah, I know. But I really worry about you, Takkun. Everyone does, even Rina." He pulled back from his portion of the conversation a bit. "Oh. I guess that was a little too far. I'm sorry. It seems you aren't exactly in the mood to talk about her, huh?"
Takuto turned his head to the front of the counter and glanced down, taking in a view of his bowl of pork noodles. His eyes lowered themselves as he gave a reply. "Not really, as you can tell. I'm just exhausted with how everything's become so complicated lately. But… I'm beginning to remember things that I've buried away inside myself since then. I still want to forget, but I don't know if it's even possible anymore."
What's wrong with me? He pondered to himself. I was always better off without thinking of something like this. Yet, part of me wants to…
Hiro smiled gently. "You don't have to force yourself to forget anything. If a fragment of the past comes to mind, then isn't it better to treasure it with all you have?"
At that moment, Takuto looked back at Hiro and was astounded by the youth's words. "…Hiro…"
"That said," the youngest member continued, "Why don't you try relying on us from now on? Riki, Mitsuki, Kenny, Boss, and I have always thought about you. We all knew you were hurt deep inside, but we wanted to help you in our own way. Everyone's been trying to support you, Takkun. Please don't forget that. We're here for you, so I'm letting you know this. Sometimes, I might give some advice and throw others off like you do with us, but as long as how I feel about my own words are true, I don't let too many things bother me, especially if they're very trivial."
Takuto finally felt a sense of peace flowing from within like there was a large spring of water traveling out to fill a dry, empty river and other paths in need of vitalization. Somewhat unknown to him, the shell that made up his cold-hearted nature was starting to crack open. With those sensations going around, Takuto smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Hiro."
XXX
By then, Kenshi had already gone upstairs to his bedroom. He was exhausted like everyone else who went on the mission and didn't want to go back to his mother's house for the night since it was already late. Downstairs, however, Riki and Mitsuki were near the entrances and were about to leave. They took a few minutes to say their farewells to Takuto, Hiro, and Atsumu.
"Take care, you two," Mitsuki told Takuto and Hiro, who were the youngest male members of the group. She waved with her right hand and gave them an eye smile. "Try to take it easy, alright? You need to have plenty of rest so you can focus on your daily routines during the day."
Hiro nodded. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to fill in for my role, as well as Takkun's if necessary. You can count on me!"
"Not like I need you to go to sleep for me, Hiro," Takuto commented. "You can't do another person's part when it comes to their life, idiot." By then, Takuto continued reprimanding Hiro. "You're only one person, you got that? People can't sleep for others, and you know it!"
Hiro pouted. "Hey, I was just kidding, Takkun! You don't have to get mad at me for telling a joke."
"You started it," Takuto replied.
Riki smiled at seeing the two go on. "Think we should leave? My shoulders feel stiff right now."
"I guess so," Mitsuki said, looking up at Riki. She waved back and forth a bit more this time. "Bye, everyone~! Hopefully, we'll see each other again tomorrow!"
Riki left out a slight huff and kept smiling. "See you all tomorrow if we make it on time."
Atsumu let his shoulders drop when he smiled back. "See you two tomorrow. If you can't make it because of work, it's fine."
"Thanks," Riki expressed his gratitude with that one word.
Takuto narrowed his eyes. "Don't try to fool me. I know what you're up to, Riki. Stop being disgusting."
Riki placed his right hand on his hip. "Takuto, can you please not say anything that'll make me sound like a beast for once? I'm just as tired as you are. Well, not really. I'm almost thirty and I've only got less than three years before I hit that age. It won't do me any good if you keep me up all night."
"Tch." Takuto looked away. "I know you more than you think, Riki."
Riki smirked. "And I know you like the back of my hand, Takuto. Try all you want, but you can't run away from reality. You're an adult, so start acting like one for our sakes."
Hiro laughed faintly. "Ahaha… I understand what you mean, Riki, but it can't be helped in Takkun's case. He's going through a lot of difficulties himself."
"I know that," Riki blurted out in a solemn attitude. "I can tell, even if no one says anything." He glanced at Takuto and said, "Still, try to mature a little, Takuto. Don't cause any more trouble for Rina while you're at it. She's not like she used to be, and you aren't, either. Anyway, we'll take our leave here. Bye."
Riki and Mitsuki turned around and started walking home together. Riki had his right arm wrapped around Mitsuki's waist, and Mitsuki placed her head on the side of Riki's abdomen and lower chest. They stayed like that until they got home.
XXX
Inside the living room of their house, Mitsuki and Riki were standing in front of each other and gazed affectionately at their beloved.
"I'm sorry for not telling you when I would come home," Mitsuki apologized. "I wanted to see you again as soon as possible, Riki."
Riki shook his head. "Don't be. I wanted to see you, too, Mitsuki. There hasn't been a day where I didn't miss you."
Mitsuki's eyes widened and a sad look ran onto her face. "Did you cry while I was away?"
"Guess I can't hide anything from you, can I?" Riki smiled wryly. "I… couldn't live without you, Mitsuki. That's all. At least, that's how I felt this whole time after you were gone in Europe. I even wanted to check up on you, so I gave you a call."
Mitsuki held her right hand [which was curled] up to her chest. "You cried after I hung up? Riki, I…" Soon, Mitsuki was pulled into a warm embrace. Her eyes widened a bit, but soon lowered as she was held against her husband's body, which completely enveloped her small stature. "Riki…?"
Riki's eyes were closed, but he continued to hold onto Mitsuki. "You don't have to apologize more than once. As long as I can see you again and embrace you in my arms, then these are all I really need. I only want to be able to feel your warmth and presence, and I'll never let go of you anymore, Mitsuki. Please continue to stay by my side forever."
Overflowing emotions began to pour out like a glass of clear water in the place of Mitsuki's heart before she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Riki back. "Of course I'll be with you, in spite of the things we have to go through, whether or not there are good or bad times in life. I always will."
It was a long embrace full of love and soft, mutual tenderness. Neither one of them would let go, and so, they stayed locked in the other's arms for quite some time before doing so.
No matter what happens… Mitsuki thought. I'll always be there for you… Because I fell in love with you, I wanted to see you every second of the day and I longed for your presence, just like this. It was because I met you that I was able experience different emotions and have a place I could return to every day. I couldn't have been happier than I am at this moment to share a life with you. Thank you… for everything you've ever done for me. Thank you… for accepting me into your family. Thank you… for letting me love you, and for loving me. Even now, I'm still in love with you, and I won't stop loving you. I love you, Riki.
XXX
1) Riki's words are a reference to my Seduced in the Sleepless City fanfic, First Love and the Promise of the Future, which was written and published before Beyond a Thief's Power.
