Story: Mind the Gaps (French version available : "Intervalles")
Date: posted the 20 of June 2023
Beta: None
Fandom: The World End With You
Disclaimer: No, I don't own TWEWY, and I'm not making any profit from this story.
Summary: Just after the Long Game, Joshua saved and resurrected the rest of the Hashiko gang but was condemned by the Angels for his actions: He is confined to Shibuya and half of his powers have been sealed. Neku dies again, but without his powers, Joshua cannot resurrect him. He takes him to safety anyway, which leads to M.H being banished by the Angels. Joshua is left alone to manage Shibuya, well not quite since he's got Shinjuku's scum on his hands. Months pass, Joshua is struggling to manage the UG without Sanae and Kitaniji and Shiki and the other reach out with an offer of friendship. But Shinjuku's Reaper strike a coup and Joshua loose a lot of powers. He still tries his best to make the city survive.
Trigger of this chapter: None I can think of
Enjoy your reading!
Damn, he'd come too soon.
Joshua, who'd spent a horrible day, had hoped to arrive when his first partner was in the middle of a dream. Unfortunately, Neku was currently in the midst of an Otherworldly memory. He was walking the streets of Shibuya, much later than he usually slept. Joshua supposed this was understandable, it was summer holiday after all, and having reached the venerable age of seventeen, it was no wonder he was enjoying it.
In fact, that was exactly why Joshua was in such a mood: vacation. For the third summer in a row, the Bito parents had taken their offspring to Hokkaido to see their grandparents for two weeks. If this already left Joshua strangely nervous, it was even worse this year because it was also the week Shiki's parents had chosen to drag her to the States. They seemed, once again, to be trying to show her the virtues of the classic salaryman's way. It was more or less their last chance before the university entrance exams, after all. Anyway, Neku, Beat, Rhyme, Shiki... all his partners were out of Shibuya and Joshua hated it. Even Eri was at a fashion convention in Nakano to add insult to injury!
It wasn't that they couldn't leave Shibuya... it happened regularly, after all, to go shopping or see an exhibition or visit friends, but... it was rarely for more than a few hours and never all at once. Right now, three-quarters of his partners were hundreds of kilometres away, stretching their bonds and making him barely audible. Neku's was downright mute. Admittedly, this was his doing, but it didn't stop Joshua feeling uncomfortably empty all of a sudden. So not only was it an unpleasant sensation, but it also meant there was nothing he could do if something happened. He wouldn't be there to disperse the crowd and spare Shiki a panic attack. Or watch the streets, so Rhyme could get home safely when her clubs finished late. Or lower Beat back into the RG if he drifted into the UG by being a little too passionate while skateboarding. Or even turning the traffic lights back when Eri was too excited about a new design to pay attention. What if something happened to them? He'd marked their souls to belong to Shibuya and so they should be sent them back to him if they died in another city, but... what if they ran into a Conductor who wasn't a firm believer in the rules? What if they took part in another game where Joshua had no jurisdiction and they got wiped out? Or what if...!
Yeah, so... Joshua was a tiny bit nervous.
He didn't like not being in control.
It was nothing new, but it was always unpleasant to be confronted with it. He'd almost manipulated the Bito parents into cancelling the trip when he'd learned that Shiki was leaving on the same date as them. But Rhyme and Beat were looking forward to seeing their grandparents and... anyway, Joshua had to get used to it. Beat and Shiki had already achieved a good part of their last year of high school, so then what? It wasn't clear yet, but there was a good chance they'd be leaving Shibuya, if not permanently, then for a good chunk of time nonetheless.
Joshua exhaled softly and concentrated once again on what was happening in front of him. That's why he'd come, after all: to take his mind off things.
Returning to Neku, some classmates had dragged him out to enjoy Shibuya's restless night, and they were strolling up and down the streets, carving out a place for themselves in the crowd. Joshua followed them at a distance, a disapproving look fixed on the group. One of the idiots had managed to get hold of some beers and was urging everyone else to drink them. Neku didn't seem very interested, and Joshua was pleased to see that he seemed even a little uncomfortable with them. They were clearly more acquaintances than true friends. Joshua was even surprised not to see the Other-Beat in the pack. As someone who usually stuck to the Other-Neku without letting him out of his sight, it was surprising. Well, he was probably off on holiday like his own skater. But it sure didn't help Joshua. If he couldn't see Neku interacting with Beat, Rhyme, Shiki or even Eri, then what was the point? In that case, his dreams were far more interesting than memories of the Otherworld.
Morose and more than a little bored, wishing that Neku would finally let go of those idiots and go home to sleep, Joshua kicked a pebble that had the misfortune of being in his way. It flew straight between the legs of one of the morons before smashing into a post with a loud thud.
All of a sudden, the world hiccupped. It was only a second, a blink, but it was impossible for the Composer to miss. Raising his head, he immediately came across two blue orbs.
Neku...? No, it couldn't be. He must have been looking behind Joshua. Turning his head, he saw nothing of interest. Just a busy street, a claustrophobic crowd and colorfull neo-...
Flipping around, he saw Neku, panting, his hands clasped on his arm and his blue eyes fixed on those of the Composer. It was him he was looking at, no doubt now, all the more so when he whispered his name.
"Joshua." He breathed out without a moment's hesitation.
In turn, it was Joshua who stared at him uncomprehendingly. How could Neku remember him, when they were in the middle of an Otherworldly memory? He shouldn't even be able to see him! And certainly not act! Even if he'd realized he was experiencing a memory, he should have been in full cognitive dissonance, expelling himself from the memory to protect himself, not... recognizing Joshua.
Or maybe... maybe the otherworldly Joshua had finally decided to see Neku? And the memory had adapted when Joshua himself had intruded?
But no, Joshua realized, it couldn't be. Because just over Neku's shoulder, he could see another Neku in the midst of his comrades, gradually moving away from them. Joshua opened his eyes wide, and they immediately jumped back to those of the orange-haired boy. The Neku that was leaving was the one from the memory, the one from the other world. The Neku digging its nails into his wrist was his own, his partner. Somehow, he'd managed to detach himself without triggering dissociation or destroying memory. It was... not something he should have been capable of at this stage. Not in his unconscious state anyway. But somehow he'd managed, and now he was staring at Joshua, unblinking, as if he were unable to manage without seeing him. Part of Joshua suddenly felt the urge to make a bad joke, but most of him was too stunned to come up with anything clever.
"How did you... I... how can you..." he stammered before telling himself that, no, he had to pull himself together! "You shouldn't be able to see me." He murmured finally, his face cold. And he didn't need Sanae's little voice in his head to remind him that he only used that mask when he really didn't know what to do.
"It's a dream." said Neku suddenly, and Joshua wondered for a second if he'd panicked over nothing. "But I know you're real."
Uh.
Joshua blinked. Indeed, yes, in a way, he was right. If this wasn't a "dream" but rather a "memory", Joshua was indeed the only thing from outside the sleeping worlds. Still, Neku sounded incredibly sure of himself for someone who had no idea what was going on. Puzzled amusement overcame his astonishment for a second, and he relaxed, a smile on his lips. "Really? And tell me then, Neku, how could you possibly know?"
"Because no matter how much I want to see you, you're never there." He said firmly.
Joshua's eyes opened even wider, a surprised sigh nearly leaving his lips. Had Neku really just said that? He must still be half asleep, even if it were true, the boy would never admit it. Especially not in front of Joshua.
"In that case, shouldn't I be the dream rather than the reality?" Joshua remarked with a calm he certainly didn't feel in reality.
Neku shook his head, yet without taking his eyes off him. "I'm dead, I know I'm dead. I forget it sometimes, but it always comes back to me. What have you done to me, Joshua? How can I experience this life? I thought I was supposed to... I was supposed to..." Neku stammered, her eyes going blurry before suddenly refocusing. "To wait. I was supposed to wait. Because I'm dead. And you can't... resurrect me?" He finished, like a question. Joshua was impressed that he'd managed to reorganize so much. It must have been immensely complicated to remain lucid when he had to be assailed with information from the Otherworld while fighting against the gentle grip of the Sleeping Worlds. Neku must have sensed Joshua's urge to flee because his fingers tightened around his wrist, his eyes sharpening for a second. "Tell me what's going on. Please, Josh."
Feeling a little pity in spite of himself, Joshua raised his arm, curling his fingers around Neku's hand to help him focus. The movement alone brought a little sharpness back into Neku's eyes, and it wasn't more than a couple of whistled notes before he was totally there again. It had been over two years since Joshua had opened the link with the Other-Neku, and if he'd hoped never to have to explain himself, this was as bad a time as any to do so. He could have ducked out, put him back to sleep as he'd done many times before, but he'd never seen him so coherent. Not since Shinjuku, anyway.
And somehow, that gave him hope.
So, imagining WildKat, the café materialized around them and Joshua pulled Neku onto the workshop's battered sofa. Might as well be comfortable, they'd be here for a while. Taking a long breath, Joshua explained everything.
Or almost...
Think about letting a review on your way out, and see you the 30th for the continuation!
