Chapter Twenty-One
What – Has Happened, Will Happen, Or Won't Happen – Again:
May 1, 20XX
As Morgana hints at, the teenager is tired. There isn't any hesitation; Akira heads to bed. He almost doesn't bother changing out of his uniform. Every movement hurts and he's been knocked down too many times today to count because everything feels harder this time than it has been the last few runs (has it ever been easy, though).
This is… what? Oh, that's right; he can't hold more than ninety-nine of the same items in his bag. Well, it's been a few runs – or few dozen, he can't remember – since that happened. He can't even add up the girlfriend gifts because he's done everything from multiple different harems to number one bachelor too many times.
This version of him is also a wuss compared to past ones. In fact, it's not just him. Ryuji and Ann don't have the skill they've had in past runs. That's why today, the very last day before they could be expelled, is also the day they stole Kamoshida's treasure. (Would they be expelled? He can't remember. Runs get blurry about a month before they end.)
F**k. He's tired.
What he doesn't expect is the dream.
Morgana's good for shooing him to bed when Igor wants to talk to him. When he has to sleep in the evening because the stupidly weak versions of him need it, he dreams then. Not after a palace. Not when Morgana tries to sleep on him. Not unless it's Igor.
Dreaming that night is a surprise. He's a child in his room with a phone to his ear (when was the last time he saw those four walls? Did his parents even keep his things after they sent him away? The Akira he is in this run thinks his parents sold everything he didn't take in his box). There's fuzziness to the dream; he can't quite see what young him sees. He can't quite hear what's being said through the phone. It's almost like he's in water; it stays around him and he can cut through it, but it won't clear.
He listens anyway.
He doesn't like the reminder of his room, so he shuts his eyes. A second, dream-like, sense lets him know that child him keeps his eyes open. That's fine. The child can keep staring into the dark shadows of the night (what's the kid doing up so late? (It's a dream) Right; a dream. The palace must have been worse than he thought if he's forgetting). He's seen enough shadows and dark things to last the month (not that Morgana will agree. Mementos are coming).
Akira (Joker (Arsene)) can't make out a word coming through the phone, but the child him laughs quietly. The voice (clearly female (not clearly there's water in his ears)) is unrecognizable. Not one person he knows sounds like the voice mumbling through liquid. It's not uncommon; he's seen faces of people he doesn't recognize in his dreams before. But then he looks for them on the streets and finds them (voices have never happened. It doesn't matter, really).
Then the child looks down, to the covers of his bed. Akira opens his eyes, keeping them open to try and see through the smudging of the water. The dream child is staring at a book. Akira makes out the title after long minutes of staring.
The Great Thief.
(This is a dream)
Of course it's a dream. He's never read that book before time started looping. Not once in the – insert large number – times has Akira started a run having read that book. He only ever reads if the current Akira is curious about Arsene (his other self; we art thou and all that). Only one run has he never found the library and never read the book. This is a dream. He's dreaming on the evening of May the first, after a palace.
The water-vision dream is a nice change from only sleeping what feels like a few minutes. It lasts until the child turns off the phone (don't turn it off. Please let this last) and falls asleep.
Akira opens his eyes to Sojiro's attic.
What Continues To Be:
May 1, 2005
"Yume, do you dance?"
The young girl looks up at Hitoshi, pausing in her chewing to swallow and nod, "Ee!" She doesn't reveal the defeated feeling sitting in her stomach because here they go. She expected this sooner.
"Where at?" asks the birthday man in the bench across from hers.
Yume gives the name, discreetly looking around Leblanc for an out of this conversation. Akira hasn't come yet and she's silently cursing the fact they didn't make a concrete time to meet. Hitoshi asks about her teachers, and Yume knows right then she has to be the one to explain Himura. Yume starts talking excitedly about hers, and then quieter when she mentions the instructor she'll eventually have.
"You don't sound all that excited about the older instructors," he frowns in thought. "Any reason why?"
He really needs to work on his sleuthing skills. Yume brings up Madam Himura, and he perks in his chair. She explains her concerns, stating that some names she calls and tells the girls are really mean.
"Like?"
Yume swallows, because this one threat the woman cooed sent more than a couple girls running in tears. "She told them that if they didn't practice seriously, then she isn't teaching ballerinas but a bunch of whores; and they don't want to be whores, do they?"
The man across from her drops all pretense of interest and looks at her seriously. Yume fidgets and ducks her head, because she was not expecting that. Whatever he goes to ask next is cut off by the bell going off and Yume shuffles over quickly to greet the newcomers. "Hi, Akira!"
He nods, smiling.
"Stand up straight," his father mutters to him.
Akira's smile drops and he stiffens. Yume's hands clench too hard on the wooden bench as she jumps down, nail catching. She hisses, but just shakes her hand in the air to ignore the pain. Her eyes don't leave the grey ones locked onto her every move. "Are you ready to go? Or do you want breakfast."
"We ate before we came," Ms. Kurusu titters, smiling sweetly at the girl. "Thank you so much for showing our little Akira around today, dear."
"Of course," Yume says smoothly with a real-looking fake smile. She unconsciously steps closer to the boy, trying to shield him even though he's at least an inch taller than her. "Is there a time you want us back, Ms. Kurusu?"
"Oh," the blonde supermodel woman coos, fingernails tapping against her chin as she pretends to think. "Sometime after lunch, dear. And where are you going again?"
Yume gives the name of the park, followed by the streets around it. This woman plays a good, high-society housewife. The only tell is that the lady barely looks to her son when saying goodbye. If the girl hadn't been looking, Yume wouldn't have noticed anything wrong.
"Did you have enough to eat?" Yume asks Akira nervously as soon as they're a block from the café. He looks over and nods. "Alright... but if you get at all hungry, let me know. Don't suffer in silence, you hear me?"
A smile flirts across his face before its back to neutral. He nods.
Yume almost groans. He hasn't said one word yet, and she doesn't know if it' because he's used to her or if she did something. She can't remember doing anything to offend him. She didn't mean to offend him. So why the silence?
When he does talk, it's a neutral statement after they pass the last vendor that wishes her a hello. "You know a lot of people."
"They look out for me," Yume replies, snagging his hand and nudging him towards the park. He grips her hard. She still can't pinpoint if that's good or bad. "I spend a lot of mornings running around this area. I also shop here sometimes, so they try to butter me up."
The smile comes and goes from his face again. He stares at the sidewalk and misses the moment they cross the threshold, so she hops a step ahead. He glances up, and then lifts his head high enough his bangs fall out of his eyes.
"Ta da!" Yume cheers. Their hands fall apart as he gazes around at the happy families all around. "So, what do you want to do?"
He frowns, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows. Yume falters when his intense stare turns to her. "Is there… a clear area?"
Yume glances around, eyes landing on the spot under a tree where groups of teenagers or couples usually hang out. She nods and points out the currently empty space. A small squeak comes from her when he latches onto her hand and pulls her to it.
"Backpack off," he tells her, stopping under the tree. Yume complies slowly, watching him carefully. He holds out both hands, face softening at whatever hesitance he sees on her face. "Come here." He motions with his fingers.
Yume steps forward, eyes widening when Akira leans forward and grabs her hands. He positions one of her hands on his shoulder, "hold on" and puts his free hand below her armpit. Yume looks into his smirking face, glancing down when he does. He pulls with the hand still clasped and raised, leading her. "Don't overpass my front foot."
Yume agrees.
…And suddenly realizes she's dancing.
"One, two, three," Akira breathes his counting. Yume focuses on that as she struggles to match his steps and not start bawling. "One, two, three. One, two, three, turn."
Yume lets out a breathy laugh.
"Eyes up," Akira says softly, firmly. Yume snaps her head up, and he frowns. They miss a beat before he resumes the momentum. "Why are you sad?"
"I'm not sad," Yume protests, but her voice cracks. "I just- I never thought." She takes a calming breath because how do you explain to a child – how can she explain to herself – just how she's breaking and healing in this moment? "I don't know the words to explain. I've… I've dreamt… I dream about dancing like this… It's… I'm not saying this right and I'm making it weird, I'm sorry; you just wanted to teach me formal dancing andnowI'mruiningitI'msosorry-"
"Yume," he barely whispers her name, but she stops making noises immediately. "Is this alright?"
Yume opens her mouth, but can't force the – I'mdancing, ofcoursethisisalright – words out of her mouth. She nods, swallowing thickly, and smiles a tiny smile at him. "Ee."
He nods and they continue to move around under the tree. He guides her into the steps, softly muttering what she has to do between the odd encouragements. Yume relaxes and flows with him, soaking the teachings like a sponge. He eventually calls for a break, and she can't stop grinning. They sit against the tree's trunk, Yume digging out water bottles and sandwiches she made for a snack.
"Are you allergic to anything?" Yume asks hesitantly, cheeks flushing more so in embarrassment than exhaustion. "Sorry. I should have asked last night."
He shakes his head no, taking the small sandwich container delicately with wide eyes.
"Sorry," Yume cringes. She really needs to start practicing snack-meals again. At least he took the one where the bread doesn't look like it's been mauled. If she eats discreetly enough, he won't have to see the disaster in her hands. "It's not the prettiest, but isn't horrible, I promise."
"It's p…" Akira trails off, still staring at the box. He looks up and gives his small smile. "It's fine."
"You haven't even seen it," Yume ducks her head, making a face at hers. Definitely not enticing. What was she ever thinking? Sandwiches are not a simple quick-meal.
She looks up when she hears him swallow, and she takes a discreet bite of hers. He's still smiling at her.
"Well, you didn't choke it down," Yume says after swallowing, making him smile more. "So… not too bad?"
"Not too bad," he agrees.
She breathes a sigh of relief. "You'll have to make me a list of things you like. That way I can practice to make a nicer lunch than this," she glares at her hidden through-a-grinder looking bread, "next time you come to Tokyo."
There is silence. She looks up to see his smile is completely gone and he's back to unreadable, head tilted down Akira. She can't figure out what she did to offend him. Does he not like lunch? Does he not want to come back to Tokyo? Did she actually scare him off and he's just being nice and pretending to like her? "What's wrong?"
"Do you really mean it?" he asks so quietly she almost misses it. He shakes his head, fists tightening on the container as he looks up under his fringe. "Why would you want a list of foods I like?"
"So you can eat pretty versions of your favourite food?" Yume replies, not quite understanding the context of what he asks. Is he worried she might not want to make the foods he likes, or angry she wants to make foods he likes in particular? Does he think she has some kind of hidden agenda, or does he just really not want her to make him food? "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. I just thought it would be nice to eat things we like."
"Why me?" he stresses.
"Because you're my friend…?" now she's worried. "We are friends, aren't we?"
"But I'm leaving," he practically spits the last word.
"So?" He stills at her question. "We can still be friends even if you're another world away. I mean, you're just going to a different city, right? We can talk on the phone, or send letters or something if you want to talk. You do have my phone number, and I can write it down again if you lose it. Why would you leaving mean we wouldn't be friends?"
His mouth barely moves to shape his reply. "You'll forget about me."
Yume can feel her heart break. That's one of her biggest fears, one of the reasons she talks to so many people so often. She doesn't want to be forgotten again. Being forgotten… left behind…
"I would never forget you," Yume says vehemently, leaning into his space. Akira jerks back, bangs falling away and allowing her to look into the expressive, deep grey that begs her to be telling the truth. "You are Akira Kurusu, my friend. That means I won't ever let you slip my mind. So don't you go forgetting me, you hear?"
He moves slowly. She doesn't twitch until his hands are around her neck and his face is buried in her hair. She returns the hug with one hand, using the other to keep from falling over.
"You are Yume Ishii," he whispers the words. "My first friend."
Wow kid, just break her heart more. "That won't change, even if you decide to never call again."
He makes noise, protesting that the thought didn't cross his mind and he's disgusted she'd even bring it up. It lifts her spirits enough that she lightly pushes him back, but keeps a hold of his shoulders. "I've got a deal for you."
He makes an interested noise.
"As your first friend," she nods resolutely at him, "I'm going to be your bestest friend. That means that I'll always be there for you, even if we're far apart. I'll be there for every phone call, and call you back immediately if I can't." She leans back, hands coming off his shoulders to stick one out at him. "Anything you need, you let me know. Bestest friends, deal?"
He stares at the hand with such hope it physically hurts her to not tackle the adorable kid and hug him until he knows everything will be alright. He takes her hand in a firm grip and shakes. "Bestest friends."
She never accounted for the warmth. It starts at her hand and spreads up her arm. Her heart beats a little too fast, and she can feel a faint flush spread. If she were an adult, maybe she would have attributed the feeling to the start of a crush. But her child body – and mind, though it's hard to accept that – doesn't ever feel that way towards people. If she had to put a name to the feeling, it would be water on fire.
Yume takes the moment when their hands separate, and the warmth dies down to a calming hum, to give in and hug Akira. He gasps as he falls on the ground, and then chuckles because Yume whines about his head being heavy on her hands as she protects his great hair from the dirt. She won't take her promise back to this kid. Ever. She'll get over her fear – why does she feel a bit more confident with every glance at Akira – of the fact that she may have just social linked with the kid. She has to.
When they're saying goodbye and she makes him swear to call that night, Yume adds a silent promise to her growing list. To be there when Akira calls, to be the support he needs against controlling parents, and to force the world to change if the first two can't happen.
;;;
(Yume will now always answer your Call for Help)
;;;
Akira isn't sure why calling the smaller girl makes him feel better, but it does. It makes the dark feel a little less oppressing and the air a little less lonely. He only phoned in the hotel to make things a little less scary when he was alone. He didn't expect to sneak the wireless phone into his room after his parents told him goodnight, but they hadn't exactly been thrilled at the thought of him using their phone.
He reads The Great Thief until he is sure they are asleep, and then sets it beside him on the bed to phone his friend.
His friend.
He didn't expect that either.
The get-togethers were always boring and slightly hurtful events his parents forced him into going. The other girls either ignored him or asked questions which required more than a five word sentence reply. He likes it better when they ignore him, even though his feelings hurt more than his throat after those visits.
Yume didn't care - doesn't care – that he can't string a complete sentence together most times. Her friend didn't care he barely said anything. The man who came in with the orange haired girl didn't expect more than a goodbye from him. These people just got it.
Not like the other girls. Not like their parents. Even Akira's parents try to get more out of him then he's comfortable with.
Maybe that's why he likes talking with Yume over the phone. He can speak as quietly as he wants, as much or as little as he can, and it's okay. She can still hear him.
He laughs quietly at the girl's over exaggeration of one of the books she chose. She liked reading his book, she said. He still doesn't quite understand what he chose, but it looked shiny, new, and had girls in those magical dresses he sees on television sometimes.
He looks down at the book she got him. He likes it. It's different from what he normally reads. A hero, but not a conventional one. It's a lot different from what The Fallen Heist is supposed to be. That one is about heroes who have never broken the law, and try to find the real villains of the crime they are framed for. That one his tutors all recommended.
He thinks he likes The Great Thief better.
A/N: (Confident Rank: 1) any guesses which arcana? Thanks for reading!
Thank you, RinaDragonfly, for your review! Hope you enjoyed!
Thank you, Harukawa Ayame, for your review! It won't be easy for her; Akira's got heartbreaker written all over him. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Thank you, Avatar . NIX, for your review! I have the most fun writing between them, so I'm glad to hear it's liked! As for the living situation, well… just have to wait and see. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you so much for reviewing!