The Present - 5 years later, riverside

" So..... How'd I end up being so nervous?" Nakarugi Matsuki asked his bestie.

" How do I know? I never know what you're thinking!" He smacked his head as they both laughed. Chris clicked his tongue as he looked at the sky, as if looking for an answer.

Matsuki was actually shaking. He never planned this far ahead. He never thought this would happen. But as it is happening now, he doesn't know what to do.

He's been madly in love for years and he has no idea.

He sighed, contemplating whether he was gonna do ahead with the plan or run away from Japan.

" So....... How'd I end up being so nervous?" He repeated again, as he tested the roughness of Chris's small beard.

Chris ignored him and asked him," Shrine or a Church? Or both?"

He whipped back his head, realising what was happening all over again.

" DO YOU THINK I'M MADE OF MONEY!? Of course that's why I used all my money to buy a suit! Wait. WHERE IS MY SUIT!?" He screamed at him as he started to panic, looking around the place for his suit which was nowhere around.

The same from years ago. The one Chris wore first to his death attempt on himself.

Of course it wasn't there. He's a stupid, dumb, dumb, stupid, more dumb and dumb being.

The suit which Chris wore suffered amazingly low damages. But Chris bought a new one, more expensive with a ring that his best friend said he wanted to give to Suzuha someday. It cost around half his bank account but it was worth it.

He gave him the same grin that he was given years ago.

A look that meant, " I GOT JUST THE THING"

An eerie silence was on the way as the wind howled. They both had nothing to talk about; for the first time in their lives. Chris got up and left for work as Nakarugi sat there, contemplating where his suit went all these years.

It was supposed to be in his closet as he remembered it.

" Did I wash it after that?" No he didn't.

*****

" Why aren't you agreeing!? It's my life!" Suzuha Toretsu yelled at her stepmother as she and her paced around the house.

" You're too young for that! You don't know what you want! Listen to me!"

" Why do you even care?!" She lamented the use of the same clichéd opposition to a marriage.

" ......" Her step mother replied with nothing.

" You never cared for me all these years! Mom never did that! She loved me for who I was!"

Tears fell down the eyes of the woman who loved the child as her own even though it was just the result of a promise.

She didn't want this. She was forced to marry her best friend's husband as respecting her last wishes.

She hated herself for not being a better mom but she did that inspite of herself.

Her step daughter's father hadn't even touched his new wife ever. Not even once.

She knew she won't EVER replace or ever suffice to the love Suzuha recieved from her mother and so she distanced herself from her newly known daughter.

She yelled at her, shouted and sometimes even hit her.

Only to satisfy herself.....

The less they interacted, the more she learns to hate her and that's the best scenario to avoid the hurt.

The little girl yearned for love but that wasn't the case for both of them.

One ran away; One ran towards.....

" I don't want to leave you...." Her voice quivered as she tugged her into an embrace as she cried her heart out.

" don't let go....."

Suzuha was taken aback and froze in shock, hearing this. Two hearts never revealing their intentions.

This was a sudden turn of events.

One burst out of pressure and one burst out of oppression of love.

Two souls; yearning for each other. Suzuha did nothing but only wrapped her shaking hands over her ste- mother as a moment of hesitation went astray.

And she let it all out.

" I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry I couldn't be a good daughter. But this is my life now. I won't let go. But let me choose the path I want to go through......" She said in a low voice as the hug got tighter and tighter with each passing moment.

They both forgot about their wrongs and rights. A new path set, anew.

Started from scratch.

" me too....Suzuha."

Tighter.

" Mom?"

" Yeah?"

" so....? is it all right i-" Her words were cut short as her mother replied.

"don't regret it. Matsuki, right? don't let him go......" A weak voice said.

" Never."

At least now she was sure where she got her split personality from.

She was happy it wasn't inherited.

*****

A few days later, which went by on a breeze as nothing seemed to stay for more than a few moments on his mind, Nakarugi Matsuki found himself on his friend's home, as he looked at what he had said was a secret of what he had for him.

Chris appeared from his bedroom into the hall with something on his hand and places it on the table.

A black as obsidian suit with a tint of dark green in it. It looked like royalty and had two boxes on top.

Just two gifts....
Don't sweat it.

A note said, on the top of those two boxes. He was speechless.

He put his hand over his mouth as he looked at Chris, who was checking the final preparations, and trimming his beard a few days in advance, sending a sneaked up look toward his bedazzled friend.

To have that executive look.

Soooooo Chris like.....

" Why?" Was all that came out.

A moment of silence as everything that happened flashed back in Chris's mind.

The beginning, the journey, the path he took, and where it led.

" I don't know." Chris shook his head, leaning it back and twirling it around.

" Seems legit." He chucked.

But he thanked his friend for all the things he did for him. He saved his life and thus helped him find the way that was intended.

After waiting out his patience, Nakarugi Matsuki opened the first box and saw a blue watch when he flipped it back, with the same obsidian like finish; with the time ticking backwards.

" Is this.....uh...nevermind" He put it on and looked at the obviously wrong time.

It was shimmering even in the low light it received.

Wait...he had it upside down. It was a see-through watch.

" Oh God, it's embarrassing" He mumbled to himself as he turned it back and decided to not do something like that again.

And after, he let out a low whistle as he did a finger gun emotion, clicking his tongue and winking at him; totally succeeding in weirding him out.

He felt a bit hollow again but he remembered there was another box to open.

But Chris dashed from the corner, nearly defying the laws of nature and swiped the box from his hand, hiding it behind his back.

" Uh......wha?"

" Not. The. Right. Time." He warned, word by word.

" Seems legit....?" Another sigh.

He should have lost a lot of his soul if sighing would let your soul out.

He put the suit back in its wraps and closed the box.

" When is it happening?" He looked at his palms, signs of still being young shining hard in semi smooth skin.

He has never felt this way before.

Never in his life....

" The 29th of April." Chris said with a confident, unwavering smile in his face.

*****

Chris went to the cemetery as he placed down a single daffodil as he looked at the ground intimidatingly.

" Yes, I'm salty. Another day added by, Haruka. That's what you wanted, right? I'm still smiling." A smile reappeared across his face as he sarcastically chuckled.

The end of the beginning was nigh.

It would end with a bond......

*****

I know. Matsuki and his shenanigans are captivating.
(*'∇｀*) I'm glad to had made someone like him. Do you guys like him?
-Mythic