Story: Mind the Gap (French version available : "Intervalles")
Date: posted 10 november 2022
Beta: None
Fandom: The World End With You
Disclaimer: No, I do not own TWEWY and do not make money with this story
Summary: Just after the Long Game, Joshua saved the rest of the Hashiko Gang but have been condamned by the Angels for his choices : He is bound to Shibuya whith half his powers restrained. Neku participates in the Shinjuku Game with Coco, Sho and Tsugumi, hoping to return to life but Shinjuku is destroyed. Joshua saves his life but M.H is punished in return.
Trigger du chapitre: None I can think of but there is some drama!
A very small chapter not quite in my goal of 1-2k but since I couldn't find anything to add and the others were longer...
Enjoy your Reading !
"I thought the rules of politeness state that you must notify the Composer before visiting their district," a voice behind Joshua suddenly declared. Kneeling on the pavement, the Shibuya Composer was tagging protective circles and breathing memes into them with frightening efficiency. He had barely slowed down when he felt his Shinjuku counterpart enter the river. As long as it wasn't his Tuners...
"My apologies, I didn't think there would be a district left to visit." Joshua murmured, somewhat deflecting the words the other had said to him himself nearly two months before.
Hazuki didn't answer, content to simply watch his counterpart draw the circles. In the middle of them, the young Sakuraba Neku was curled up in a ball. There was so little strength left in him that he was practically transparent. The inhabitants of the RG would have thought he was a ghost. No sooner had he finished this thought than Joshua completed a circle and Sakuraba disappeared. The composer stepped back and immediately began to make another circle, this one, like at least three others of the inner circles, seemed to be intended to prevent other beings from reaching him. But still... the protections were of a rare complexity. "Why are you going to so much trouble? No one's going to find him here."
"You did." Joshua pointed out.
"This is my district." Haz replied with a frown. Of course he would find the boy in his own home. Even with the state of the city. Especially since he hadn't taken his eyes off the boy since he'd commandeered him for his game. He wanted to understand why Joshua was so focused on him. And sure, he was interesting, but... to put himself in danger with the upper echelons for a human? Haz still didn't understand.
"Not quite." Joshua smiled and Hazuki nodded grudgingly. They were at the source of the Shibuya River after all. It was already a strange place before the game... but now? They were on a completely different plane.
"Shinjuku is starting to stabilise in its new form." Said Hazuki suddenly after a few minutes of silence. The tone would have sounded innocent to others, almost bored, even, but Joshua tensed up suddenly and took it for what it was: a warning.
"I'm almost done." He muttered, his hands still doubling in speed if that was possible. Hazuki nodded and turned on his heels, quickly disappearing from the river without another word. Left alone with his thoughts, Joshua continued his work, the urgency even more palpable because of the other composer's words. Because if Shinjuku was no longer a storm of stamps but a desolate wasteland, then Joshua became easier to find. And if he was found here, it put Neku in danger. Hazuki had seen right through his plan, Joshua was counting on the strange atmosphere of the river to hide Neku. No one but Joshua and Hazuki knew these little quirks and Joshua was willing to trust the other... if only because he saw no alternative.
It was already a close call that Joshua had caught Neku, abandoning Tsugumi's soul locked inside without even a glance. He'd already helped save her in spite of himself, he didn't see why he had to go to any more trouble for her. Especially when she was such good bait. Anyone still remotely interested in Shinjuku had pounced on the possessed plushie, leaving Joshua free to do his little manipulations in relative safety.
And he had to make another choice.
If she knew he hadn't been erased with the others, the Nakano Composer would never agree to resurrect Neku. Not after the show the boy had given them in Shinjuku. Not without a price anyway, and the price would surely be Neku himself.
And Joshua was selfish.
He wouldn't leave Neku with Nakano. But bringing him back to Shibuya... when they were both so weak... and his Tuners only dreamed of punishing him?
So yes, a choice, but not one where he felt he had multiple paths. So Joshua had gone to the safest place he knew, made even more unmappable by the inversion of Shinjuku, and had scribbled almost every circle of protection and intractability he could think of. It was to the point where even Joshua couldn't see or feel Neku anymore. Not without their pact anyway.
Putting a stop to his last circle that hid all the others, he gave himself a second to admire his work, an incredibly empty concrete dock, and stood up.
It was time to face his Tuners.
Think about letting a review on your way out and see you on the next chapter !
