Cat and Mouse
Rindo Kanade x Shoka Sakurane
Miyashita Park nestled soundly between the glass fortresses of Shibuya's business district. There were calmer parks in Tokyo, (and likely in about every other prefecture), but Miyashita's car-horn laden charm was yet removed from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya's neon-lit restlessness. Plus, it had the best FanGO spawns in the city.
One would aptly assume that Rindo would desire a substantial change in scenery after his near-month long confinement in the UG, and one would be correct. Rindo seldom ventured into the concrete jungle these days, finding an unpleasant memory on every block. Though his love for Shibuya wouldn't be snuffed, his wounds had yet to heal completely.
Rindo missed each foreign detail of the RG, like the awkward exchange of sorries when you block someone's exit, or the feeling of gum slowing your pace, stuck to the soles of your shoes until it's caked in there for good. Inconsequential as these things were, they were the oddities of day to day life, quite unlike the deathly harrow of the UG. One thing the teen didn't miss, however, was Fret's flakey tendencies. He hadn't a choice in the UG, they stuck together always. Here in the real Shibuya, Fret would be late to his own funeral.
Rindo's sneakers scraped low to the concrete beneath them, wearing at the rubber, (and gum), soles. Understandably, his demeanor was low as he hunkered back towards the station. Fret had bailed on their plans (which Fret himself made) to hit up 'Jupes on Cat Street, waiting to inform his best friend via text until after he had already arrived.
yo rindude, im down for the count on jupes today
What?! dude im already there
Oop! Sorry dude! im feelin a bit under the weather
get better soon i guess
*sticker of a giraffe that says thx*
*sticker of a giraffe that says thx*
*sticker of a giraffe that says thx*
Glued to his phone, Rindo scoffed at his friend's less than verbose apology, and his incessant use of stickers to boot. Cutting through Miyashita, he assumed, would lessen the dull ache in his mind left from the incident, but Rindo rarely travelled with his eyes forward.
Might as well check out FanGO while I'm here, right? Hm? That's weird. It says Shoka caught a Cashchew in Miyashita a half hour ago. Must've just missed her. Me and my luck today…
With Nagi and Beat occupied with their university studies (Nagi definitely moreso), Rindo was left with Fret and Shoka for company, though he'd prefer no less. Though Fret was typically unreliable, Shoka had been just the opposite. The pair had been inseparable once reunited in the RG, their bond forged by shared trauma and years of internet niceties. Whenever Rindo offered, no matter what the activity, Shoka would be there; though she would often flip the situation to tease Rindo.
"What, you can't get enough of me or somethin'?" she'd amicably taunt, the words freshly in Rindo's mind paired unmistakably to the ebb and flow of her voice. Despite her feigned sour attitude towards the suggestions, she'd be there. Startlingly, Shoka was more dependable than anyone in Rindo's life at this point. Neku had all but disappeared, and he was unsure how he'd react if he ever came face to face with Mr. Minami or any of the reapers.
Peering from his phone long enough to scan the greenery, something pulled Rindo's eyes from his game. A huddled black mass was situated beneath the protective boughs of a triplet of trees. Rindo recognized that patch as the final resting place of the reaper Ayano. He found it difficult not to associate Shibuya with death these days, but something was very much alive there today.
Curiosity freely guided the boy more often than not these days. Truthfully, his interdimensional misadventure had left him equally scarred and fearless. Fearless Leader, as Shoka still called him. Approaching, he uncovered that the black mass was a familiar face, Mr. Mew. And of course, beneath the feline mascot, Shoka Sakurane.
"Uh…" Rindo would've jumped if the girl had reacted to his non-verbal greeting, but she didn't. Shoka sat with her knees hugged to her chest, gazing aimlessly as if afflicted by some kind of rigor mortis.
"What, you gonna just stand there and stare, dummy?" Shoka hissed. Hostility between the pair had fizzled out during their final week in the UG, but aside from some frequent joking, the two had grown warmer. Rindo didn't know how to respond to his dear friend's scornful words, said in sincerity instead of in jest. Before he could think to respond, Shoka sighed and revised her approach, her eyes never skipping to meet her friend's. "Hey, Rindo," she flatly offered.
"Uh, hey Shoka," Rindo replied with an equally monotonous tone. She said nothing, instead her gaze never straying from the patch of grass beneath her. Rindo's 'fearless leader' instinct began to flare up, inspiring him to break the tension and take a seat next to his troubled friend. "Something got you down?" he'd ask.
"No," Shoka lied, absent-mindedly tugging on a loose string from her well-worn hoodie. Rindo had bought her a new one with the money left over from the UG, but she hadn't worn it yet, preferring to get the mileage out of her old one.
"Oookay…" the boy sighed. He tilted his head to hopefully meet with her eyes, but she jerked the ears of her hoodie too quickly for Rindo to catch a glimpse. "A-are you… crying?"
"No!" Shoka lied again.
'Fearless Leader' was gone, replaced by 'Caring Friend'. At least, that's what Rindo believed the warmth in his chest to be. Undoubtedly, his time alone with Shoka differed vastly from his time with her accompanied by others. Shoka's sincerity towards Rindo was often veiled around others, and Rindo couldn't quite understand why. He really was a dummy.
"Did… something happen?" he carefully prodded, hoping to not upset the girl further.
Shoka seemed to search deeply for her response, digging around with more time than was typical of the witty teen. "I guess…" Rindo knew he'd have to pry it from her, but this game of emotional cat and mouse was preferred by Shoka, who seemed to need assurance before she could open up. It wouldn't take long, as his own wounds were not only shared, but amplified within his friend. Just as he had recognized their location, he recognized her strife.
"Is this about Ayano..?"
That sparked an immediate response, as Shoka tightened her grip on her hoodie, wishing only to have it swallow her away from her troubles. Finally, she understood that she couldn't mask these things from Rindo, he somehow always knew.
"Read me like a book, huh?" she offered, fruitlessly attempting to ease the tension. "It's… her birthday today."
"Oh," Rindo hummed. "W-well, I'm sure she'd be happy you remembered."
"Yeah," Shoka agreed, her nose becoming the only visible skin to break free from her hoodie. "Yeah, she would."
"I'm sorry," offered the boy, unsure how to tame the shared grief that swamped over him. Though he never spoke with Ayano, he felt personally attached through the fond memories Shoka shared with him. Mustering his mental fortitude, Rindo continued. "I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone like that. Every time I think about it, I can't believe how brave you were. You still are."
Though it wasn't the comfort she needed, the encouragement always warmed Shoka's heart through whatever frigid grasp withheld it. Brave as she may be, she wasn't nearly courageous enough to prompt what she really needed, a comfort Shoka hadn't felt in years, if ever: physical touch.
Of course she hung onto Rindo when the pair were alone, but he seemed either too stupid or too scared to really reciprocate. She constantly worried about being too clingy, about sending mixed signals or no signals at all. Lost was her grief for this brief moment, the desire to be held by her friend overcoming the sea of guilt that overcame her when thinking of Ayano.
Before Shoka could regain herself, she realized that the want was no longer fictitious, but had become a reality as she shut herself away to wallow. At some point in the last few seconds, her 'fearless leader' had truly become fearless, and Shoka found herself warm again.
With an apprehensive arm wrapped around Shoka, Rindo gulped as he awaited her scolding or embarrassed recoil. Instead, his bold move was met with one of her own. Shoka released her knees, leaning into the loose embrace. Her knees listed aimlessly, resting against Rindo's outstretched legs. Wordless, the pair sat in a silent fluster for a moment. For that moment, Ayano was a distant memory, a gash long healed.
"Uh…" Rindo sputtered. There was no urgency to his voice, and little could be discerned from it. Truthfully, he combatted a fluster of his own. Why did the warmth in his chest turn to a scorch? Was it so painfully obvious? Was the redness of his cheeks whenever he thought about her the reason Fret always poked fun at him? He could hear his friend's teasing already. 'Always thought of you as more of a dog person, Rindude!' It was a good thing Fret flaked after all.
Shoka was hesitant to move, afraid that anything sudden would scare off her unusually affectionate friend. She didn't need words, she knew Rindo wasn't fond of them. His words of affirmation carried her through the waking hours when Ayano's demise was fresh, but here, his embrace was enough to shatter them whole.
"I'm, uh…" Rindo danced around every possible word choice, unsure of how to express himself in the moment. He wouldn't selfishly steal away from Shoka's grieving, in fact, he only wanted to help alleviate the burden.
"Shhh, dummy," Shoka affectionately said. "Thank you."
"Oh. Um. No problem." Rindo wished he could pull up his face mask and obscure his scarlet cheeks when the somber girl delicately placed a hand on his chest. He hoped she couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating. She could.
"Ya know," Shoka began, the ear of her hoodie brushing against Rindo's face. "If Ayano was here, she would be happy for me."
"Really?" Rindo asked, tilting his head to try and catch a glimpse of his friend's downturned face. "I would've said she would be proud of you."
"That too," Shoka continued. "-but she only ever really wanted to see me happy. And ever since I found you in the RG, I have been."
"R-really?" Rindo choked back his excitement. To feel important to the ex-reaper was equally as flattering as being so close to her in this moment.
"Duh." Shoka was feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable, a byproduct of the tears she had shed moments prior. Thoughtlessly stroking at her dear friend's chest, she acquiesced. "You-," she hesitated, nullifying her words to avoid embarrassment. "You make me happy."
"Oh," Rindo stuttered. He hoped so badly that she wouldn't look up and see the blistering red in his cheeks. "C-cool," he mindlessly uttered. Shaking his head, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you make me happy too!"
"Hmph," pouted Shoka, playing up the disappointment to see how far she could push him.
Sighing, Rindo sheepishly offered his final thoughts on the subject. "Shoka, I… I mean… Well, I care about you."
The sincerity and warmth in his voice surprisingly matched the heat in his chest. Tension that was torn down moments prior suddenly walled itself around the pair, pinning them tightly together. Shoka too was glad her blush was unnoticed. For Rindo to be so forthright with his emotions was a sight to behold, something Shoka could hardly dare repeat herself. But today, Shoka Sakurane was feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable.
"I care about you too, dummy."
"I have a name you know," Rindo hushedly added.
Shoka knew, obviously. It wasn't a need for taunting that kept her from saying it, it was a wave of embarrassment and flustering garbage that made her want to puke her guts up. Just hearing herself speak his name so softly made her nauseous.
"I care about you too, Rindo."
And she did. More than anybody else could comprehend.
Rindo was really, really glad that Fret bailed on him.