A/N: Hey AB section! Trying to keep my monthly update streak up for now. This chapter's a long one again but I had a lot of fun with it. Thanks to ZainR and Seiram for the reviews!
ZainR: I'm honestly glad you took it as a breath of fresh air! I was hoping the atmosphere of that chapter wasn't too unrealistic considering the events of the night before. But that's exactly what Naoi needs right now - a distraction. And someone who understands. Writing Naoi and Yuri finally getting along again and bonding over Akuma has been a breath of fresh air to me! And yeah, I do think Hayato was a main reason he stayed. There's survivor's guilt, for one thing, but also pottery was a way of staying connected to his brother. (Yeah, you get it! Sometimes facing the past can mean so much when you can see how much things have changed.)
Seiram: They'll do their best! It's their job as NaYuri's beloved group of imbeciles after all. Also, I truly appreciate your support towards Ayame. I've been rereading HC recently and it still amazes me that a barely glimpsed character in the anime could come to leave such a mark on my heart or anyone else's. Even if she didn't get a happy ending, here's hoping somewhere she's getting a happy beginning. And here Shiina was one of the lucky Battlefront members to actually get to meet her. (Poor Shiina indeed. She takes herself so seriously, this may feel like a mission failed.) (Another way she and Naoi can relate.)
Since you both asked, I won't delay any longer - time to reveal the mystery guy!
Enjoy!
[Chapter 61]: Lives Entwined
Maybe the rest of his stay in Akuma could be something close to peaceful...
"WELL, LOOK WHO IT IS!" came a distinctive holler from behind.
Tensing up, Ayato closed his eyes in resignation.
Oh, crap.
The others turned to look before Ayato did.
He could see it on all their faces. Pure puzzlement lifting their eyebrows, save for Yuri's, whose mouth had fallen open in a small "o" of surprise.
After the familiar voice had stopped echoing in his ears, Ayato slowly pivoted to face its source.
And there he was. Standing a few paces away with his arms crossed over his navy-and-gold tracksuit, his cobalt blue hair grown out a smidge longer but still messy and windblown. Not long enough to hide his green eyes as they burned bright with affront.
"So much for never coming back, am I right?" he said, cracking a sarcastic smile.
As much as Ayato wanted to stay dominant with eye contact, the guilt that surfaced was too much. He lowered his eyes to the traces of five o'clock shadow on his face, unsure how to respond. "Hejj-"
He was cut off by a hand resting protectively on his shoulder. He looked over, startled, as its owner strode up next to him.
"Don't you think that's kind of crass," Hinata said sternly, his voice rising in sharpness, "given the circumstances that brought him back here in the first place?"
Hejjiguchi opened his mouth to retort, but stopped and blinked in bewilderment. Turning wide eyes to Ayato, he pointed indignantly at Hinata. "Who's this?"
Hinata blinked too, getting a better look at him, and half-turned to Ayato with suspicion in his eyes as he mimicked the gesture. "Who's this?!"
"Yuri, you were right," Kanade said in hushed awe. "There are two Hinatas after all."
"Hejjiguchi, meet Hinata," said Yuri, keeping remarkably nonchalant in all this. "Hinata, Hejjiguchi. He's an old friend from high school."
Ayato broke into a sweat, getting the unshakable feeling that he had inadvertently stumbled into the equivalent of introducing his wife to his mistress. The other disturbing thought? He couldn't tell which one was which.
And from the sound of it, apparently he wasn't the only one.
"I don't believe this," Hejjiguchi uttered, astonishment giving way to a small scoff as he took a step toward them. "You replaced me?"
"Replacement?" Hinata mirrored the step and added another, jabbing a finger at Hejjiguchi and then back at himself. "You're comparing yourself to me? What a joke. The only replacement I see around here is you!"
Hejjiguchi stormed up to him. "You've got a lot of nerve, buddy, I knew him first!"
"No you didn't, I DID!"
"Oh yeah? How come he's never mentioned you before?"
Ayato watched the two of them get up in each other's faces, literally butting heads as they snarled their back-and-forths, and grimaced in horrified disbelief. The déjà vu was almost painful enough to awaken last night's headache.
Finally managing to tear his gaze away, he shot Otonashi a disturbed look. "Were we really this obnoxious back then?"
Otonashi smiled sympathetically. "Pretty much, yeah."
"You were a saint for putting up with us," Ayato muttered, massaging the bridge of his nose. The embarrassment was excruciating...
"What kind of name is Hejjiguchi, anyway? It sounds made up!"
"Whatever, sunshine—"
"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before—"
"Wait a minute, I do know you!" Hejjiguchi's eyes flashed with recognition. "Summer 2010, you're that dude from Kyuuya who hit a foul ball into the bleachers! Nice going, man."
"Okay, hotshot, you're conveniently forgetting I caught your pop fly and won the game!"
"Whatever helps you sleep at night when you remember that I was his best friend first!"
"I was his best friend first!"
"Look who's making shit up now—"
"ENOUGH!" / "WILL THE BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Yuri and Ayato shouted at the same time.
Hinata and Hejjiguchi glanced over at them in shock, not quite backing off from each other just yet, although the former looked mildly chastened as he noticed his audience.
"Ayato does not need this right now," Yuri said firmly. "He's been through enough without you two making a huge stupid scene!"
Catching the frustrated expression on Ayato's face, Hinata's flickered with guilt and he stepped away. But then he furrowed his forehead at Yuri. "Wait a minute, did you just call him—"
"Not another word!" Yuri insisted.
"But since when are you on a fir—"
"I said zip it!"
Twisting his lips in annoyance, Hinata grunted but obeyed. All the while glancing back and forth between Yuri and Ayato.
"Hejjiguchi was my best friend first, but I knew Hinata first," Ayato clarified with a sigh. "Nobody got replaced."
"See, from where I'm standing that's just not true," Hejjiguchi said, coming closer to Ayato and tapping his foot impatiently. "'Cause either you clearly have a type, or when you decided we didn't mean shit to you, you went out and got yourself a bunch of knock-off friends that were more convenient-"
"Who are you calling knock-off friends?" Yui demanded, brandishing a fist.
Hejjiguchi held up his hands in mock-defense. "I mean, hey, if you really knew this Hinata guy first, maybe your Ami is right," he said, faking cheerfulness for a moment before his eyes narrowed. "Is that what it was? Were we your knock-off friends all along?"
Ayato gaped wordlessly at him. Although Hejjiguchi had questioned his loyalty before, the last time they spoke on the phone, now his accusations left him speechless. Almost seven and a half years ago, his first Christmas with Yuri, he remembered telling her that their friends were secondhand friends. Watered down, off-brand, not a great fit. Six years later those words would come back to haunt him. He had regretted them terribly.
But now, with his memories intact... was it true? Had he been drawn to the friends he made in Akuma because deep down, they reminded him of the ones from Battlefront? Had he resisted at first because his soul knew they just weren't them?
But then, when he was with Battlefront...
"You know that's not true," Yuri said, interrupting his thoughts. "It was obviously a complicated situation-"
Hejjiguchi scoffed, throwing her a disappointed frown. "Oh, look who's coming to her husband's defense. The queen of ditching old friends and making new ones!"
"You abandoned me!" Yuri shot back before Ayato could lash out at him for taking that tone with her, then looked at Ayato and corrected herself. "You abandoned us! You shut us out!"
"Because you two went to such great lengths to make sure Kurimu and I got together, but you just couldn't bring yourself to come here for her funeral!" Hejjiguchi said sarcastically. "Because, oh no! Big Boogie Man Kimito might burst forth from the shadows and get you!"
A pulse of anger surged white-hot through Ayato's blood. Even if hypnotism was an option right now, he skipped right over it and lunged at Hejjiguchi with clenched fists. The idiot should consider himself extremely lucky that Otonashi and Yuri reacted so fast and held Ayato back by the arms as he struggled in their grips.
"Yeah, your dad's an asshole," Hejjiguchi continued obliviously, starting to raise his voice. "But I'm out on my daily jog when here I find you, in broad daylight, smack in the middle of Akuma with a bunch of friends like you don't have a care in the whole damn world!" He flung his arms out for emphasis, gesturing at their surroundings. "So if he's so scary, then what the hell are you doing here now? Huh? What the hell is so important that it could bring you back when she couldn't—?!"
"Souma!" a female voice rang out.
Hejjiguchi froze in mid-expression, his open mouth going slack for a second before it turned into a sheepish wince. The voice, breathless but chiding, had come from a little ways down the block behind him. Apparently he did not need to glance over his shoulder to know who it was.
A young woman in a light blue tank top, silver sports bra, and navy running shorts let her jog die down to a brisk trot as she caught up with the group, her auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail and swinging from side to side. Ayato sensed Yuri freezing up beside him as if a ghost was coming right at her, a ghost that had vanished from this town over half a decade ago. He turned to meet her shocked stare with his own, the same thought running through their heads... What is SHE doing here?
The woman stopped next to Hejjiguchi and rested a hand on his shoulder as she took a moment to catch her breath.
"Hejj – what's going on?" she managed between short gasps for air.
Hejjiguchi opened his eyes and plastered on his most innocent, carefree grin. "Oh, nothin'! I was just catching up with my old buddy Naoi here-"
"I knew this would happen," she said, mopping the sweat from her forehead. "What have I been telling you for the last few months?"
Sighing, Hejjiguchi gave a small shrug, but his features softened. "Grudges are stupid," he intoned.
"Grudges are stupid," she echoed in agreement, taking in a relaxed breath and rolling her neck and shoulders. "Especially the ones based on something that's out of the other person's control." Then she turned towards the group and smiled brightly, as if just realizing they were there. "Oh, hey Yuri! Long time no see!"
Yuri exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment and counting to three before opening them again.
"Hello, Hisakawa," she said, mastering the tone of a verbal eye-roll.
Ayato had to cover his mouth with a fist to hide a half-smirk. No love lost there.
Hisakawa's sharp blue eyes swiftly shifted over to him, and her expression sobered at once. "Naoi, I heard what happened last night. I am so sorry for your loss," she said sincerely, and gave a small respectful bow. "Please accept my condolences."
"Thank you," Ayato said, with a nod of acknowledgement.
Hejjiguchi glanced from Hisakawa to Ayato and back again, suddenly looking very pale and nervous. "What, uh... what loss?" he asked, swallowing hard. "What do you mean, what happened last night?"
"Well, you would know if you had stayed long enough to watch the news with me," Hisakawa reminded him, elbowing him lightly in the ribs.
"I needed the headstart!" Hejjiguchi insisted.
Hisakawa tossed her head back in a loud laugh. "No you didn't! Shut up!"
Hejjiguchi grinned loftily, raising an eyebrow at her. "Anyways, like you would wait for me if I was taking too long to leave."
"I used to when we first started jogging together!" Hisakawa cried defensively. "But I don't need to anymore, you're always ready to go!"
Ayato and Yuri exchanged scandalized glances. Just what the hell was going on here?
Seemingly catching wind of this, Hejjiguchi wiped the grin from his face and cleared his throat. "But seriously - what happened last night?"
Hisakawa looked at Ayato briefly, then leaned in and whispered in Hejjiguchi's ear for a few seconds. When she pulled away, Hejjiguchi's expression had transitioned to one of sick mortification. His eyes darkened with guilt as they fell on Ayato and Yuri.
"Look, man, I was out of line earlier-" he started to say.
"Yeah, you were," Hinata chimed in.
Hejjiguchi sighed. "Trying to say I'm sorry here, sunshine."
"Are you two living together?" Ayato scoffed.
Hinata growled. "Of course not!"
"Not you, stupid."
"How shallow-minded," Shiina muttered.
"Truer words never spoken," Hisakawa said, looking relieved and amused by Shiina. Ayato's question seemed to have embarrassed her. "Can we start over? Hi Yuri, Naoi, I haven't seen you since graduation, six years is way too long, let bygones be bygones, et cetera, et cetera." At Yuri's unimpressed stare, she rubbed awkwardly at her sweaty neck. "I'm not trying to gloss over Naoi's situation or anything, I just..." She trailed off, then exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair. "Oh, I give up, I'm too thirsty for this."
Yuri broke into a wide smile, holding out her soda can. "Well here, want the rest of this?"
Hisakawa looked utterly thrown by the gesture. "Wait, are you serious?" she asked, blinking twice, and started to reach out. "Thanks, that's really nice of..." Her gaze flicked to the label, and she quickly retracted her hand in disgust. "I should have guessed. Cherry pomegranate. No thanks."
Yuri's grin grew wider. "Oh, come on. Whatever happened to 'grudges are stupid'?" She cocked her head innocently. "I thought you were thirsty."
Hisakawa quirked an eyebrow. "Alright, I guess beggars can't be choosers," she conceded, and reached for it again. But then a look of realization crossed her face. "...It's almost empty, isn't it..."
Yuri shook the can a little, causing the remainder – barely two sips worth, at the sound of it – to slosh around at the bottom. She feigned a look of astonishment. "Well, what do you know?" she replied, and then shrugged her defense. "Hey, it's a hot day."
Shaking her head, Hisakawa managed a cross between a laugh and an exasperated sigh. "Of course," she said, sending her eyes heavenward with a resigned smirk. "Classic Yuri."
"Yurippe sure is brutal," Yui whispered aside to Kanade.
Ayato tried to bite back his own appreciation for his ex-wife's (fake wife's?) sadistic charm. Whatever happened to last night's regrets of pushing friends away?
Kanade, however, didn't seem to hear Yui's quiet reverence. She moved forward, studying Hisakawa with intense eyes.
"You feel... familiar to me, somehow," she said softly.
Hisakawa looked surprised at first, as if struck by something in Kanade's features. Or perhaps puzzled by the way she'd phrased it. Then recognition took hold and she laughed. "That's right! I remember you. Didn't we literally bump into each other at Akuma High's cultural festival in second year? You were in such a hurry to get to the drama club and I was in such a hurry to get away..."
Her nostalgic smile faded slightly at that last part, and although it didn't take Ayato long to remember why (the confrontation between Yuri and Chitose that day was not one he'd soon forget), he and the rest of the bewildered Battlefront had turned their expectant stares in a different direction.
At last Kanade's studious expression cleared. "Oh..." she said slowly, getting a faraway look in her eyes as she appeared to be following a memory, before nodding in acceptance. "Yes, that must be it."
The Battlefront, including Ayato, instantly started freaking out.
"Kanade, you were at our school festival?" Yuri practically yelped. "In fall of 2010?!"
Kanade nodded again. "Yeah," she said, nonplussed. "My childhood friend Jinko was a student there. She wrote a play about one of our old games and her friends from drama club asked me to come see it."
"I was IN that play!" Yuri exclaimed, putting a hand over her heart. "I was Sakurai!"
"No way..." Otonashi and Hinata said softly, a huge grin spreading across the latter's face as they both glanced between Kanade and Yuri.
"Wait a minute, was that the play about the lonely girl who lost her heart?" Hejjiguchi asked. "And then she made a bunch of friends who helped her grow a new one?"
More freaking out from the Battlefront members, even Ayato and Yuri who had already seen the play but never made the connection before. Yui, shimmery-eyed, clasped her hands over her own heart as she looked to Kanade with a little gasp.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you came up with the idea for that game yourself, Kanade," Hinata said.
The woman in question acknowledged him with a small sound of confirmation, but her eyes, which had grown wider in realization, were currently fixed on Yuri.
"I saw you," Kanade said. "You played Sakurai perfectly – you were meant for that role." She smiled to herself at how true that turned out to be. "To be honest, I was disappointed when you were the only one I didn't see at the afterparty. That was part of the reason I decided to go. I wanted to meet the person who reminded me most of a friend from my dreams."
"I wanted to meet you too, ever since I read the play," Yuri insisted. She smacked a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe you were that Tachibana! Damn! Why did I skip most of the afterparty?"
Ayato started to give Yuri a silent look, but Hisakawa got there first, raising a quizzical brow. "I thought you and Naoi went off somewhere together," she said, and shrugged lightheartedly. "You know, like that whole thing with him going off on me in the hallway was just part one of you guys making up after that huge fight you had."
Blinking twice, Yuri turned to Ayato with startled appraisal. "Right. Of course," she said quickly, but her eyes read pure shock when they met his. You stood up for me? she mouthed.
He gave her a subtle shrug and head tilt. All he'd really done was tell Hisakawa to shut up and scram. She had no business ruining Yuri's post-performance joy like that (for which, to her credit, she had apologized the following Monday). If anything, he still wished he'd interfered sooner.
"So, wait," said Otonashi, brightening with curiosity as he turned to Kanade. "If you saw Yuri at the festival, any chance you saw Naoi too?"
Kanade peered over at Ayato for a long moment, causing him to sweat nervously as he was struck by a memory of that day involving a strange silver-haired girl.
Finally she said, "Yes, we watched the play together. We sat in the same row."
"Small world," Shiina murmured, while Ayato discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. Kanade had kindly neglected to mention the fact that he had stepped on her toes while joining that row. He shot her a renewed apologetic look and she smiled gently in return.
Suddenly there came the sound of excited barking and a barrage of footsteps, and Shiina and Hinata were the first ones to turn around. The former gasped in delight to see Fujimaki, Ooyama, and Matsushita the Fifth heading toward them, led by the eager Mitsuo, who was as far ahead as his leash would let him. The three yelled a greeting from afar, trying to be heard above the dog's yips.
"And speaking of small worlds!" said Hinata, though of course not at all surprised.
The guys closed the distance between them, and the Battlefront parted to give them room on the sidewalk as they hurried to join the group. "You brought Mitsuo?" Ayato asked, casting a glance towards the scampering pup.
"We thought you could use some dog therapy," Ooyama said warmly, letting himself be dragged forward even as he regained control of the leash. "Easy, Mitsuo!"
"Hey, little guy," Hejjiguchi said, softening as he knelt down and beckoned to the dog.
Mitsuo let his barking die down, and obediently trotted over to receive a few chin and ear scratches from Hejjiguchi before moving on to Hisakawa, who had leaned to reach out and pet him. At first he ignored her hand, circling and sniffing insistently at her feet. Then he looked up in interest and tilted his head at her. He gave her hand a few more investigative sniffs, but before she could pet him, he turned away and followed his nose (or his heart) to Kanade. Jumping up on her legs, he smiled up at her, panting happily with a tiny tail wag.
Yuri bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Good doggie," she said out of the corner of her mouth.
Fujimaki did a double-take at the group. "Naoi, I'm glad you're alright, and I'm sure that you would love for me to lavish you with concern-"
"Tch," Ayato scoffed, albeit appreciatively.
"—but I have more pressing questions," Fujimaki went on. "As in, who are these two and why does Hinata have a doppelganger?"
"Besides the hair, they really don't look that much alike," Kanade considered.
Hinata gestured to her in exasperation. "Thank you!"
"You're right, you're right," Fujimaki said, nodding. He coughed into his hand, "The other guy's prettier."
"Hey! Where'd your loyalty go?!" Hinata snapped, while Hejjiguchi cackled and looked smug.
"To answer your question," Hisakawa stepped forward, gesturing to herself and Hejjiguchi, "I'm Chitose Hisakawa, and this is Souma Hejjiguchi. We're... old friends from Akuma High."
Matsushita the Fifth rubbed his chin. "Chitose Hisakawa, where have I heard that before...?" he asked, despite Yuri's alarmed gestures in his direction.
Hisakawa regarded Yuri with mild surprise, then laughed it off. "Oh, I'm sure my name comes up once or twice when she mentions her tragic backstory."
"Don't flatter yourself," Yuri said sweetly, curling her lips in a misleading saccharine smile.
Sighing, Hisakawa beamed and stretched her arms behind her head. "Well, this has been fun!" she said exuberantly. "But I'm still dying of thirst, and it's half past noon anyway. Hejj, why don't we head inside and see if we can hit the vending machines before—"
The doors to the aquarium crashed open as if some incredible force had blown through them, making most of the Battlefront jump.
"I heard a dog I heard a dog I heard a dog I heard a dog I heard a—"
Cornflower yellow curls fluttered everywhere as a petite young woman dashed out onto the sidewalk. Her bright aqua blue eyes grew terribly large as they locked on her target and she uttered a low cry. Used to Shiina's fervor by now, Mitsuo perked up and wagged his tail even harder as his new fan descended upon him.
"Oh, you're a very special dog, aren't you?" she gushed, fawning and gasping at his ramped up wriggles. "Oh yes, I can tell!"
"Hey, Saki, easy does it!" Hejjiguchi said with a chuckle, as it apparently finally occurred to him that this was a stranger's dog. "Think maybe you should ask first?"
Ooyama smiled. "That's alright, Mitsuo loves meeting new friends."
"Yes, Mitsuo – you love bringing people together, don't you?" Saki cooed. "I was supposed to hear you, wasn't I? I was supposed to come right out and meet you! I wonder why that is, huh?" Suddenly she retracted her hand with a giggle as he was trying to give kisses. "Hey now, it wasn't because my ring needed cleaning!" After a beat, she studied the rock on her finger. "Or was it..."
"Maybe it's because your friends are here to meet you for lunch?" Hisakawa offered. "Come on, let's go inside and get Satomi."
"Your sister's not coming, she said she's too busy to be a fifth wheel right now..." Saki finally glanced up, and her large eyes grew even rounder. "Yuri!" she breathed, standing up. "Naoi! You're here?"
"Hello Saki," Yuri said, right along with Ayato's milder greeting. Despite Saki's history as another former gymnast at that birthday party ten years ago, and Hisakawa's main best friend for the past decade, Yuri had never been particularly hostile to her.
"You didn't hear what happened either?" Hejjiguchi asked.
Saki shook her head, loosening more curled strands of pale yellow hair from her updo. "It's not that, I just..." She looked around oddly, then frowned to herself. "Why don't I feel it anymore...?"
"Feel what?" asked Shiina, who had been very focused on the girl ever since she'd swooped in.
Saki didn't turn around. "I should've been able to sense them there... except..." She gazed up at the sky, pondering, or even searching for something. "Maybe Tomo-kun was right."
"He'd probably like it if you told him that," Hejjiguchi prodded. "At lunch. C'mon, let's go, we'll beat him there."
But at these words, Saki fell back to earth with a jolt. "Wait!" she said, whirling around to face the Battlefront. "Yuri, are these your friends?"
"We've kinda kept them here long enough already-" Hisakawa tried.
It was too late. Saki was already circling Kanade with great intrigue, fluttering around and inspecting her like a butterfly.
"Oh," she said, her eyes lighting up in fascination. "Oh, I like you!"
"Saki Nanashima, what are you doing?" Hisakawa said, trying to keep a straight face. "We really have to go."
"Oh, but Chitose, she has this energy to her, it's so familiar—"
"That's because she looks like Shiruba," Hejjiguchi said dryly. Hisakawa gaped with silent laughter as if some mental glass had shattered, while Saki just giggled. "If we go now I'll buy both of you drinks."
"Okay!" Saki broke away from Kanade and happily joined her own friends. Then, she had a thought, looked over her shoulder, and turned back with a respectful bow. "But Naoi – please accept my condolences on the loss of your mother. Wherever she's gone, I hope her next life is more peaceful."
"Thank you, Saki," Ayato said, silently appreciating the way she'd specified his mother. For all her oddities and whimsy, she had always been cleverer than she let on. "Congratulations on your engagement."
Saki nodded with a shy smile. "She told you about that, didn't she? I can't believe it was just last week that we talked to her. I had a feeling she was in touch with you. She seemed happier."
Ayato drew a breath, and that barbed wire feeling from last night returned. It prickled in his chest and rose higher, stinging at the corner of his eyes. Yuri edged closer to him and gently touched his shoulder.
Realizing she'd affected him, Saki's smile turned apologetic. "I know Tomo-kun and I, and all our friends, will want to pay our respects," she said, then gave a little wave as she walked away. "See you later." She locked hands with Hisakawa and Hejjiguchi and the three headed off together, Hejjiguchi briefly looking back at Ayato and Yuri with a conflicted expression before turning straight ahead once more.
Once they were gone, Yuri sighed and let her shoulders fall. "Oh, wow, who's next..." she muttered. (Ayato groaned in agreement, rubbing at his temples.)
"So wait, what'd we miss?" Matsushita the Fifth asked, scratching at the back of his hair.
"Hinakins and Hejjiguchi fought over Naoi and Kanade once saw Yurippe in a play," Yui answered matter-of-factly.
Fujimaki laughed, while Ooyama broke into a smile. "For real?"
"We weren't fighting over him!" Hinata grouched.
Yuri rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she said, then conjured up a hilariously whiny impression of the two. "'I was his best friend first!' 'No I was his best friend first!'"
"I got caught up in it, okay? The brat called me a replacement, he has no idea what he's talking about!"
"Neither do you," Fujimaki said jovially. "I'm Naoi's best friend. We hang out together more."
"I'm not having this argument with you." Hinata narrowed his eyes. "You live in the same town. That's the only reason."
Fujimaki beamed and grabbed at Hinata, trying to get him in a headlock. "Aw, I'm just messing with you! You're cute when you're jealous."
"Agh! Stop it – not the hair!" Hinata protested, struggling. Mitsuo barked a warning while Ooyama laughed nervously and tightened his grip on the leash.
Ayato idly watched their shenanigans, too burnt out to make sense of this day and yet comforted by the distractions. At any other time or place, the realization that Hideki Hinata was one of his best friends would have disturbed him, but in his current state, it didn't. It was just the truth.
(And as hard truths went this weekend, this was not the worst of them.)
The Battlefront picked up some lunch, then found a place in the park to sit and just talk for a while about the events that had transpired since Ayato and Yuri's mad dash into the night. A few of the important bits had already been touched on through Yuri's texts, but there were some things that couldn't be conveyed over the phone, and some things she hadn't been there for.
It was still hard to relive those things, but sitting there surrounded by the people who knew death and struggle and pain the same ways he did, he found that the words came easier than they would with anyone else. The only person who knew and lived the particular fear he went through was dead, but he tried to tell it as if Kimito was merely a shadow from the Afterlife that he had battled. Just like in his dreams.
"Where are you staying?" Matsushita the Fifth asked, once they'd moved on to funeral talk again. "Yurippe mentioned you probably wouldn't be coming back to Mizuzaka until all of this is over."
"There's a lot to do," Ayato replied, feeling listless at the thought of it all as he rested his head in his chin. "I'm the one who has to close down the shop."
"Masuda said he'd help you with that," Yuri reminded him, touching his other hand. She turned to the rest of the group. "Ami and Eisuke Masuda. They're old friends from high school. They let us spend the night last night. But they've got family coming over, so I'm going to let him crash at my parents' house while they're on one of their many business trips."
"Ami and Masuda?" Kanade repeated, looking thoughtful. "I remember them. Was Ami the girl who played Hanazawa?" When Yuri confirmed, Kanade hummed reflectively. "I liked her angel wings..."
"Well, we figured it would be hard to have to drive all the way back for a change of clothes—" Matsushita the Fifth started.
"—especially since you don't have your car," Fujimaki chimed in.
"So I hope you don't mind, but we brought you some of your stuff in ours," said Ooyama.
"You did?" Ayato raised his head from his chin, surprised. Then he squinted at them mistrustfully. "Wait, how did you get into my house?"
"We broke in," Fujimaki said simply, looking quite pleased with himself while Ooyama gave a sheepish chuckle.
Otonashi side-eyed Fujimaki in disbelief. "Seriously...?"
"That's where the lock-picking we learned in Battlefront comes in handy," Fujimaki replied, and stretched his arms before cracking his knuckles. "It's all about the tumblers."
Ayato considered him briefly, then lowered his gaze to the table in acceptance. Well, it was one less thing he needed to worry about. To be honest he was too numb and preoccupied to feel violated. Anyway, he couldn't wear Masuda's clothes the whole time he was here, and he wasn't about to break into Kaishou Nakamura's wardrobe.
Yuri's phone went off just then, buzzing insistently across the top of the picnic table. She picked it up and glanced at the caller ID. "It's Masuda," she said, getting up from her seat. "I'm gonna go take this." Her hand lingered on his shoulder for a moment before gently sliding off as she walked away.
Most of the Battlefront visibly noticed the gesture, but other than a few piqued eyebrows they blessedly didn't say anything about it.
"So, how are you doing in all of this?" Otonashi asked gently.
"I can't believe your dad tried to kill you," said Hinata, the concept disturbing him more once he said it aloud. "That's... that's messed up, to say the least."
Ayato scoffed, shaking his head as he mouthed the words messed up to himself. "And I may have indirectly killed him..."
"It was self-defense," Shiina said sternly, her ruby eyes narrowing and turning ice cold. "You did what you had to."
How true that was, Ayato wasn't sure. Kimito had already been down for the count, courtesy of Yuri, when Ayato had seen fit to make sure he stayed there. With that weak heart of his, after a fight like that, it would take one good spook to finish him off. The sight of his son's eyes glowing a hypnotic red must've done the trick.
But he had attacked him. He had threatened Yuri. As far as Ayato had been aware, he had killed that night. The scent of blood, sweat, and alcohol had burned itself into Ayato's memories. Kimito had already gotten back on his feet once that night, he couldn't let him do it again.
"He'd been drinking that night," Ayato noted quietly. "He didn't do that a lot, back when I lived with him. But last night I could smell it pretty strongly on his breath."
"Maybe he started after you left," Otonashi suggested. "Alcoholism could've been what weakened his heart. It would also cause the rage that raised his blood pressure, and the disinhibition that made him exert himself like that. Feels like the heart attack was inevitable."
Ayato shook his head again, although he appreciated Otonashi going into doctor mode to try to make him feel better.
"No, something set him off that night," he responded. "If he had started drinking, my mother would've told..."
He trailed off then, realizing how untrue that was.
Could his father have become an alcoholic while he was away? Unlikely. He'd always argued that drinking impaired judgment and killed the brain cells needed for doing his work (an interesting take, considering Ayato had found many pictures of his grandfather with a drink in hand).
But even if he had, his mother never would have brought it up over the phone during their brief conversations together. They had both known their phone time was limited, known Kimito could arrive home unexpectedly and they would have to wrap things up in a hurry, so his mother would only tell him about the good things. Hirohashi and Saki's engagement, Masuda visiting the shop with his daughter, wisteria blooming... She'd wanted to enjoy the little time they had together.
His face must have fallen, because Ooyama asked softly, "What is it, Naoi?"
"I just..." Ayato looked down at his lap as Mitsuo climbed onto it, and he stroked the dog's head thoughtfully. "I feel so guilty being kept apart from her for so long. For keeping myself apart from her. I know we weren't always very close, but we were family. I loved her and she loved me. But she let me go." His eyes drifted, of their own accord, to Yuri as she wandered around talking away on the phone. "And I know I was afraid, and I know she was stubborn, but I... I should have done something more, to keep her in my life."
(In the background, Yuri's voice carried over during a lull. "Yeah, of course," she was saying, "I went there for my seventeenth birthday.")
Kanade's eyes shone with sympathy.
"I don't know if this is the same," she admitted, biting at her lip. "But I do know it's hard to have that kind of separation from family. My mother has a cousin who hasn't spoken to her in many years. She loved her cousin very much, but their family was always comparing them to each other on their grades, looks, and musical talents, so her cousin began to resent her. She went no-contact and moved away. She hasn't heard from her since my parents got married."
Filled with sadness for her mother, Kanade took Otonashi's hand for comfort, which appeared to lift her spirits.
"But even though she always wished they were closer, she just hoped that she was happy," she said sincerely. "That she married someone special too, and had a family of her own. Even if my mother couldn't be a part of it. She thought that maybe breaking away from the life that was hurting her was the best thing her cousin could do for herself. And because of that, my mother was happy for her. Just like your mother was happy for you."
"She wanted to give you your best chance," Yui said knowingly.
Ayato frowned, speculative and unsatisfied.
"Yes," he said with a sigh, "but... what about hers?"
The Battlefront let that thought blanket them in silence for a few seconds, in mournful understanding, until Fujimaki was the one to break it. He released a breath that huffed the hair out of his eyes.
"You made your choice, and she made hers," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Speaking as the protective brother to an immensely stubborn sister, sometimes that's all there is to it."
Ayato was about to reply when at that moment Yuri returned to the table and sat back down next to him.
"So like I said, that was Masuda," she told him. "Mostly wanting to check up on us, since obviously this has been a really long walk." Ayato snorted, albeit a bit sheepishly. Yuri continued, "But also wanting to let us know his brother and sister-in-law should be here soon. Apparently earlier this year was their ten-year wedding anniversary so now that it's warm they wanted to celebrate at their favorite beach, which is like less than half an hour away from here."
"The one we went to for your seventeenth birthday," Ayato said in recognition.
Yuri blinked twice. "Y-Yeah." She made a face of realization. "Okay, yeah, that would explain why we stopped by the shop and your house first, and not just for your mom to give me a lemon bar."
Ayato genuinely laughed. "I don't know, the woman made good lemon bars."
"She did," Yuri agreed, awarding him a nostalgic grin. Then she snapped back into focus. "Anyway, Masuda said that the plan was to spend the afternoon and evening at the beach with them. But he and Ami were wondering if you and I wanted to come too. They thought it might be a perfect opportunity for us to unwind after a rough night, and also finally meet his older brother. Two birds, one stone, you know?"
The offer caught him off-guard. "Does he know we're already with some people right now?"
"Yeah, I mentioned that, and he extended the offer," Yuri answered. "Ami had Ishiko on the phone and she asked her about it, and they said the more the merrier. If you feel up to it, that is."
"I do," Ayato said quickly, still privately wanting to make this visit to Akuma worth the Battlefront's while. "But I doubt we all thought to bring our swimsuits on this little excursion."
"Speak for yourself," Hinata retorted. "Some of us are genre-savvy."
Ayato glanced over at him. "What are you talking about?"
The Battlefront gathered behind Hinata and Yui as the two rifled through their bags in the car. They hadn't unpacked yet, by the time Yuri had gotten ahold of them with the news of that night, so their stuff got tossed right back in the car the next morning. Apparently that was the case for everyone else as well.
It was nearly June, nearly summer, they'd pointed out on the way to the car. These weekends had taken them to baseball fields, parks, mini-golf courses. And the days were getting hotter. It was just a matter of time.
At last, Hinata unearthed and held up his black-and-blue swimming trunks in triumph.
As Fujimaki stared at the trunks, a knowing half-smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Always pack for a beach episode?"
Hinata closed his eyes, basking in his own wisdom. "Always pack for a beach episode."
A/N: Okay folks. If the next month or so is productive, I'll see you on... July 31st? All I can say is thank goodness I split the beach thing into a two-parter.
Until next time!
Preview:
"Both of you are staying in Akuma tonight?"
"Ayato and I are still married."
"I swear he looks like someone we know."
"Right now it's his namesake she's after."
"C'mere ya little lizard!"
"Aren't you gonna introduce us to the troops?"
"I'm just glad he's okay."
"Your husband is right there, why don't you ask him?"
"Do you mind?"
[Chapter 62]: An Ill-Timed Beach Episode (Part I).
