A/N: Long wait, I know. It's been stressful at school but at least I can finally update this. I'll have to work on the other two stories next.
"Please don't do this. I can't believe I'm begging but please..." These were Neku's thoughts as multiple pairs of eyes focused on him. Four pairs belonged to his confused friends as they whispered all the possible reasons why Joshua would be singling him out over the loudspeaker.
"This boy has a special secret. And it involves one of his closest friends." At this Eri started giggling and tried to hide it with her hands. Beat laughed out loud for a second before covering his mouth with both hands, although his frame was still shaking with laughter. Shiki and Neku, however, did not find it funny at all. They sent each other worried looks before blushing and trying to hide their faces in embarrassment.
"Congratulations, Neku Sakuraba, on your first girlfriend! And since I'm sure most of you here don't know who she is, it's Shiki Misaki or the girl standing right over there next to her fashionable friend." All of a sudden confetti rained down on them and everyone started clapping and cheering.
Beat, who couldn't last another second, burst out into wild laughter. "Pffft! Bwa ha ha ha ha!" If Neku had the chance to whack either Beat or Joshua upside the head and get away with it he honestly wasn't sure which would get it right now. The embarrassed teen made his to the door with Shiki right behind him. She had tasked Eri with getting her stuff after giving her some money.
"Hold up, you two. You're forgetting your complementary T-Shirts." There was Joshua, right behind them, with two shirts for each of them. They read "Boyfriend" and "Girlfriend" respectively. As for what the violet-eyed teen's face read, it was something along the lines of "What now, sucka?" even though he'd never actually say that. Neku shot a soul-withering glare at him before turning around and storming out of the store and into the crowded streets. Even Shiki, who was the second friendliest of the bunch, gave Josh a dirty look before trailing after her boyfriend. Joshua shrugged before smirking.
Shiki caught up with Neku quickly and the two of them walked side by side in the direction of the Statue of Hachiko. "Shiki... I'm so sorry about that. I didn't know he'd-"
"Don't worry about it. You don't need to beat yourself up over it." She gave him a quick side hug and a kind smile. He sounded so insecure and it worried her. He'd never really sounded like that before.
"It's not so much that. It's just the fact that he went that far. That prissy little-"
"Okay, Neku. Calm down." They sat down on the bench since the area was mostly empty other than a few passerby. Probably because of the sale.
"Don't tell me you're not embarrassed."
"Of course! That had to be, like, the worst moment of my life. Well, second worst 'cause... you know." She looked down.
"Yeah... But," Neku took her hand in his, "could you really consider it all that bad?" She looked at him and they both smiled.
"No. It wasn't all bad, I guess. Except for your headphones." She playfully poked his side.
"Hey, you'd better watch it. They might try to pork chop you if you're not careful. Like your pig."
"He's a cat!" Shiki leaned into him and they both fell silent; content smiles on their faces. Their moment would not last, however, as Beat, Eri, and Rhyme came walking up. They couldn't move fast enough to avoid being spotted in their position by Beat, who instantly started joking.
"Uh oh, yo. Was we interpreting something lovebirds?"
"Interrupting, Beat," Rhyme corrected as she stopped next to him. "You guys, what was that about? Why did Joshua do that?"
"And how? I mean, how's one weird kid get an entire store to do that? I wonder if he paid them." The others just shrugged with slightly sheepish grins. Eri was the only one who didn't actually know Joshua even though she thought she did. They've met numerous times-okay so, like, three-but each time he surprisingly told her a lot about himself (which Neku found unusual and extremely unnerving-Shiki insisted he was jealous that they hit it off better than he did-but never really said anything.) Of course, he kept the Composer part and being dead to himself, though.
"I have no. Freaking. Idea," Neku sighed in exasperation. He had the impression that perhaps Joshua really was preparing today to be the worst for him when he was fiddling with his phone. Maybe he used his powers on everyone. He could've just imprinted on them all, right? Everyone could see how frustrated and annoyed Neku was, and who could blame him? Shiki was pretty sure he'd try to murder Joshua the first chance he got.
"Well, let's not dwell on it, okay?" Shiki clapped her hands together and stood up. "C'mon, Neku," she said, nudging him. "Cheer up. It's all over now isn't it? No reason to keep thinking about it. Even if it was... a little embarrassing..." She stopped once she saw his face. He was in very deep thought.
"Hey, Phones? 'Sup with you?" Beat came over and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.
"I'm gonna make him pay." Neku stood up and clenched his fists.
"Wha-Neku! You can't be serious. You're going to start a prank war with Joshua? Are you crazy?" Shiki and the others were shocked. Beat's face was unreadable, Eri was just silent, and Rhyme didn't even have an adage for that.
"It's not a war. It's revenge." The evil smirk on his face worried the others.
"But... won't that start something between you two? After all, it is Joshua. And I think we all know how he doesn't like to lose."
"Yeah. Rhyme's right, yo. You gotta have a death wish to piss off Miss Priss." Neku would've laughed at Beat's inventive, and accurate, new nickname if he wasn't so serious about his revenge.
"Neku, please don't do that. You know how Joshua is and we all know how you two... 'get along'. Think about the consequences this could have if he got really angry. Don't do this, please, for me." Shiki gave him the puppy dog eyes and Neku, despite all his willpower, could not say no.
"Alright, alright. I won't do it." Everyone smiled in relief at his choice.
"A wise decision, Neku." The group turned to see the topic of the conversation standing before them.
"Not you."
"Oh come on. Is that what I get in return for my kind favor?" he asked in fake innocence.
"Oh of course not, Josh. You'll get something much nicer in return," Neku sneered. Joshua merely quirked a brow.
"Is that a threat, Neku, dear?"
"How many times do I have to tell you to knock that off?! I-"
"Neku! Joshua! Enough!" Shiki's scream made everyone freeze, including the few people heading through there. Seeing this, she lowered her voice. "I get you're mad, Neku, but what is this going to solve? And Joshua, why do you always feel the need to egg people on? Aren't you guys friends?"
"Um, no. Especially not after that stunt he pulled. But I won't start something because I know you're planning something, Joshua. I don't know what you're up to and I don't wanna find out." Neku stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave the other boy a look that dared him to try something. Joshua pouted-yes, pouted-before quickly switching to a frown.
"I don't know why you always assume I'm up to something. I'm not all bad, you know," he said while brushing some hair out of his face. If Neku didn't know any better he would've said that Joshua was offended by that. However, he did know better than that and that's what prompted his response.
"Well, truth hurts." Once he said that the place felt like a battleground. Joshua and Neku were staring each other down and the tension was so thick one could grab it.
"You don't get it, do you?" He folded his arms.
"Get what? Are you thinking of trying something a third time?" Neku copied Joshua's pose.
"Uhhh... Shiki, what's he talking about?" Eri whispered so she wouldn't attract the boys' attention.
"N-nothing. Just something stupid." She sighed. Nothing was working out the way she had hoped. She could take being teased by her friends because, well, they're friends, and that happens from time to time. But Joshua was taking things a bit too far. All she wanted was her and Neku's relationship to go well. And maybe, just maybe, a few more lessons in whistling. Although that would NEVER be admitted to anyone except Neku.
"What is it I'm apparently not getting?"
"Neku, Neku, Neku. I'm not doing this for fun. Well, actually I am," he said with a smirk. "But when I decide to do something it gets done. So if I decide to make you miserable then you'll be miserable."
"You know what? Forget it. Come on, guys, we're leaving. I'm not gonna let an entire day be ruined by him." Neku stalked past the Composer and was about to make his way through the Scramble Crossing when he was stopped.
"Running away from your problems won't solve them, you know. You know exactly why I'm doing this. Why don't you just get over yourself and admit your mistake?" Neku instantly whipped around.
"Get over myself?! You're the one who needs to get over himself! You think that just because you're the C-um, who you are you can just tell everyone what to do and how to do it?" If there was a picture to describe rage then Neku's face would be perfect. His fists were tightly clenched and his face was actually a little red with anger.
"Actually yes, I do. Do I have to remind you?" Joshua's tone held a dangerous edge. Seeing enough, the others finally decided to step in.
"Yo, yo, yo. Enough of all this fightin'. Prissy kid, stop gettin' on Phones's nerves cuz you're gettin' on mine too. And Phones, stop it with all the yelling. Imma bust both your heads if you don't." Beat had stepped in between the two despite the fact that neither of them had made a move towards each other. Joshua turned his attention towards the older Bito.
"Calm down, Daisukenojo. There's no need to resort to violence," Joshua calmly stated.
"Why you-"
"Beat please! All of you stop it." Rhyme paused to regain herself. "We don't need to fight like this. A house divided cannot stand. All we'll accomplish by arguing are ruined friendships." Neku and Beat looked guiltily at Rhyme and knew they were wrong to upset her. Joshua, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to get Neku into his trap, made his final move.
"Listen to her, Neku. Listening to the girls' advice is the only thing you've been capable of doing so far."
"That's it! You're gonna pay, Joshua. I'll make sure of it." Shiki might as well have face palmed. Of course Joshua would figure out someway to bait Neku into this. She should've known that her words wouldn't change anything. Sighing, she grabbed Neku's arm and led him away. Rhyme and Beat followed, and so did Eri after she gave Joshua a curious look. The ashen-haired teen just stood there smugly.
The five of them were walking through the streets of Shibuya in an awkward silence. Eventually Eri decided to break it. "So... Did you guys see all the awesome stuff Shiki, Rhyme, and I got in there? I mean, look at all this stuff!" She lifted the tons of bags in her arms and everyone seemed to notice for the first time.
"Dang, yo. Did you buy half the store?" Beat, surprisingly, took a few of the bags to make it easier on her.
"No but we could have. If it wasn't for Joshua, that is." Neku groaned at hearing the name. Shiki placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey c'mon, Neku. Are you really going to get revenge on Joshua like this?"
"Heck yeah."
"And just what are you gonna do, man? It's prissy boy. He can mop the floor with you."
"How can he do anything to Neku? He's so scrawny." If only Eri knew just how much damage he could do.
"I'll figure out something," he muttered.
"You and Shiki were going to tell us about your relationship then, weren't you?" Rhyme already knew this, everyone did, but she asked anyway.
"Yeah..." Neku's face reddened a little.
"It could've gone so much better." Shiki rubbed her arm out of nervousness.
"I just got one question for you two."
"What, Beat?" Neku sighed.
"Does Shiki know how to whistle or what?" Beat had only a moment to laugh before the headphone-wearing boy chased after him. Not like he had to worry, he was way stronger. The girls just shook their heads at them while bystanders looked bewildered.
A/N: Well, I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next one up though. But I'll try.