"You're not a burden to me! No matter how dark your thoughts are, I'll gladly help you overcome it!"

~

Your eyes shot up. For whatever reason, you dreamt of a past memory. It was after the fight with Tenjiku was done. When Mikey came to check on you and you tried to comfort him after what happened...

You check your surroundings and you were in Chifuyu's BMW. "Someone awake," You turn and it was Kazutora in the driver's seat. "Chifuyu told me to stay while you slept."

You look ahead, you were parked at a Honda dealership. You didn't even notice you dozed off during the ride there. Kazutora laughs at your lost-looking expression, "Did you sleep last night at all?" He asks.

You've been up all night going through Pah's wedding photos and thinking about Sanzu's plan to kill you. You rub your forehead, "Man... I need coffee." Kazutora lowers the car seat, relaxing.

Must be nice living without worrying about a pink-haired psychopath wanting to murder you, you thought as you watched the man get comfy.

"You could just sleep more," he says. "You probably need it!" You take his suggestion and start to lower your seat. Closing your eyes. You were already wide awake though. "Kazutora?" The man turns his head to look at you. "I want to know your opinion on something."

"Shoot."

"Let's say, a person wants to kill you," you start. "And they're like... A shitty person, really shitty person. Do you just ignore them or do you kill them yourself?"

Kazutora wasn't expecting that kind of question, let alone from you. "Why are there only two options?" He questions. "Are they trying to kill you all the time or is it just a one-time, in-the-moment, type thing?"

You think. "Uh... One time?"

"Then ignore them. They're probably just bluffing anyway. Like how Smiley always threatens to kill someone when he gets annoyed!" Kazutora jokes.

"What if they've been planning it?" You pose another question for the man, "Like intricately. Deceiving and luring you. Until you're vulnerable enough to be attacked unexpectedly."

"How would you know they're deceiving you?"

"Uh... You... Overhear their plan?" Oddly, Kazutora seemed to be interested in answering your not-so-hypothetical, hypothetical questions. "If you know..." He thinks harder about his answer, "Could always beat the shit out of them. If they have a weapon though, then it's self-defence if you kill them."

He's right. I shouldn't stoop to his level and try to kill him. He is from Bonten. If I keep him alive, I'll leave it to the police to arrest him. Same with Mikey...

"So... Who's tryna kill you?" Kazutora asks. His voice was slightly deepened. His tone was more intense than usual.

Your eyes widened. He caught on quickly that these questions were hypothetical at all. Or maybe you were just too obvious.

"Hey!" Kazutora jumps out of the seat after Chifuyu pops in front of the window. "Put the seats back up!"

Kazutora gets out of the driver's seat after putting the seat back up. Chifuyu gets back in the car and Kazutora takes a seat at the back. You, too, put your seat up. "How's your nap?" Chifuyu asks, starting up the car. You sigh, "I still feel groggy, can we go to Starbucks?" Chifuyu pulls out of the parking lot and starts to drive. "Yeah, I could use a coffee too."

"How was browsing?" You asked Chifuyu, he shrugs in response. "Nothing felt... Takemitchy, you know what I mean?"

"Fuyu, even if you gave him those drivable kiddy cars, I think he'd appreciate it," you say. You could tell he was stressed. He's been wanting to gift Takemichi a car for a while now, stressing himself on the specific model to get him. "There's always Hot Wheels!" Kazutora suggests jokingly. As if the two of you weren't getting a little serious earlier.

"Guys, he isn't 14 anymore!" Chifuyu defends, "Soon... He'll be a man!" He says proudly.

"He wasn't a man before?" You question. "He's a virgin?!" Kazutora absurdly shouts. You cover your mouth, trying not to laugh. Chifuyu glares at him through the rear-view mirror, "That's not what I meant! I mean he's getting married!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's still a virgin..." Kazutora says. "I'd rather not think about that," you say, disgusted at the thought of Takemichi in any sexual context.

Chifuyu lines up at the drive-through. "You getting your usual?" Chifuyu asks you and you nod. He then turns to Kazutora in the backseat, "And you? You always switch up your order so..." Kazutora thinks.

"Ariana Grande, iced caramel strawberry matcha latte, macchiato with six pumps of Mr. Bean cream, a half-bitten Oreo, piss from the public restrooms, blended with unicorn shit."

"A REAL ORDER! FROM THE REAL MENU!" Chifuyu shouts. Kazutora squints his eyes at the large TV menu. "Then that pink thing," he points. Chifuyu sighs, you pat his leg to calm down as he gets closer to the machine.

All three of you received your drinks and Chifuyu drove off, going back on the road. "How are the bridesmaids' dresses? Have you talked to Mitsuya about it?" Chifuyu asks.

You shake your head, "He's already busy with Hina's dress and he just started working on Takemichi's suit a week ago. I'm thinking of ordering dresses on a wedding site," you tell him

As you continue to discuss Hina and Takemichi's wedding, your phone rings. "Speak of the devil," you say, as you read the caller ID. "What's up, Takemichi!" You greet cheerfully.

"Why'd you lie to me?!"

"What...?" You mutter.

"About Mikey!!"

-

You insisted you could handle talking to Takemichi alone, after telling Chifuyu he found out about Mikey. Takemichi asked you to swing by his place to talk about it. Chifuyu drops you off at your apartment and you take your bike.

As Takemichi lets you in, you could tell he was angry with you. "You found out through Naoto, didn't you?" You say, sitting down at the table placed between the mattress and the TV.

"So Mikey's not a restaurant owner like the twins?! What else? You, Chifuyu and Kazutora are in some three-way relationship?!" Takemichi accuses.

"WOAHHH," you were appalled. "First of all, I never even said I was in a relationship, to begin with! Second, yes Mikey isn't a restaurant owner. You already found out where he is now, didn't you?"

Takemichi was furious, "Why would you lie to me?! Mikey's my friend too! I wanna save him too!"

Naoto must've told him everything... Fuck.

"Takemichi, your own wedding ceremony is in a few months. You really wanna miss the most beautiful moment of your life for Mikey?!"

"What about you? You have friends and a career. But no, you're still stuck on Mikey," Takemichi yells and points. "I know you! All these timelines, you've been trying to help him. Save him from his darkness... Back in Manila... Even when you were abducted by Tenjiku..." He starts to cry from frustration. "You and Mikey have sacrificed so much just to give me this future! Why can't I help you guys too? Why won't the two of you stop being stubborn and ask for help?!"

"You're the one who's sacrificed everything for OUR futures," You retorted. "Saving Draken. Shiba Taiju. Getting Mikey back on his feet to face Tenjiku. You're the one who's stubborn here! You could be happy with Hina right now. But, no! You're stuck on Mikey!" You put his words right back in his mouth.

"The two of us aren't any different when it comes to that. But you... you've suffered more loss than I have," you shift your gaze. The last thing you wanted was for this to happen. Takemichi finding out the truth. And worse, wanting to save Mikey. "The stress of trying to correct the past. The lives you witness get taken away from you. Why won't you stop being stubborn and live your life here!"

"But you aren't!" Takemichi was fuming by the second, "How can you tell me to live my life when you aren't? You're... You're...!"

"A hypocrite, I know!" You raised your voice and stood up. "I don't even care about saving that jackass anymore! Have you any idea how many people he's killed? Innocent people!" You start to chuckle sardonically.

You were baffled. This conversation now made your vision clearer. You started to finally think Mikey wasn't worth all this trouble. After what he's said and done to you and your friends. What he's become. At this moment, Mikey was nothing to you anymore.

"You know... Mikey plans to kill me," you said seriously. Holding back tears even.

Takemichi's eyes widened, "What...?" You explained what happened last night. When Madarame Shion confronted you. Telling him you saw Sanzu's plan through Madarame's memories. "No..." Takemichi mutters, "Mikey wouldn't..." He says in denial.

"You're right, Sanzu's the one who plans to do it," you say, "But he only acts when Mikey approves."

You see Takemichi's fists clench. Of course, this is hard to hear. After you and everyone else posed this timeline to be happy and perfect. After finding out he's been lied to. With how close he and Mikey used to be, of course, this was frustrating to hear.

"Let me help!" He looks at you with those eyes. The eyes filled with determination. You weren't as easily swayed.

You glare at him and his eyes blank out. You get up from where you sat. "I'm sorry, but I refuse to let you involve yourself with him anymore."

You took his keys and locked his apartment as you stepped foot out the door. You threw the key under the space between the door and the concrete, giving it back. You forced him to watch a memory from his past. Specifically of Hina. So that it would hopefully stop him from trying to find out more about Bonten.

This new power of yours wasn't entirely perfect. They can only watch for about twenty minutes before they regain consciousness. It can be interrupted with a slight touch though. You used this against people. Making them relive memories they'd rather not.

Naoto's right. I'm not righteous. I'm no hero at all.

I give up.

Chapter fifty-three, end.