After Story #6 by Suzuki Suzu
“Hiya~ Oh, whoa?”
“Huh? Was there some meeting planned for today?”
Upon setting foot inside bar HOMRA, Yata Misaki’s eyes widened in surprise, while Kamamoto Rikio felt the need to pose a wondering question, because all the members of Homura’s core lineup were present.
Akagi and Bandou were sitting on the couch, Chitose and Dewa took a seat at the counter, Eric was peering into his smartphone, while Fujishima was fiddling with a 8mm camera. All of them took a turn to greet the two newcomers.
It was rare for all of these members to a.s.semble together like this, since all of them had what’s called a life now.
“No, it’s not like today’s special or anything, we just all happened to drop by at the same time,” Akagi explained with a bashful smile, and the others nodded in affirmation.
Hearing that made Yata happy for some reason. It looked like Homura was still alive, even after ‘that incident’.
“I see, I see! Well, make yourselves at home then!”
“Idiot. This place ain’t yours to say such things.” That annoyed rebuff came from the bar’s rightful owner, Kusanagi Izumo, who was behind the counter, busy with some preparations.
“Right!” Yata returned enthusiastically and, taking a seat on a stool by the counter, surveyed the room once more. “Anna’s on the second floor?”
“Out at the moment.”
“Ehhh?!” Yata was about to question if she was going to be alright on her own but held his tongue in time.
It wasn’t about her safety anymore, as now at last there was no one who would cause her harm. Even if someone harbored a malicious intent towards her, she was the full-fledged Red King. There was no doubt she could fend for herself.
Yata’s mouth twisted with displeasure, as he struck his temples with his fists.
Kusanagi, holding a lit cigarette in one hand, smirked. “What, are you worried? You’re so overprotective, Yata-chan.”
“N-No, I’m not! It’s just that, um, I thought she might be not used to it, so…”
Now that he thought about it, ever since he had met Anna and till now, she hardly ever went outside on her own. She was the type to prefer to be indoors to begin with, and when she did go outside, it was usually her tagging along with someone.
Kusanagi gave an exasperated shoulder shrug at Yata, who was lost in his worries about Anna. “It will be a problem if she doesn’t get used to it. Starting next spring, she’s going to be a middle school student.”
Anna, a middle school student…
He knew about it, but the fact still left Yata speechless and deep in troubled thought.
There was hardly anyone else in Homura who had a life as bitter and b.u.mpy as Anna. Due to all kinds of reasons having to do with the Slate, she had to live a life without school being part of it. Although Kusanagi and the others home-schooled her, it was a tough task to imagine her blending with other children and commuting to school.
And yet, in just a few months that image was going to become reality.
With the destruction of the Slate, the obstacle to going to school for Anna had disappeared as well. Kusanagi pulled some strings, and Anna got accepted into a middle school in the neighborhood; Anna herself didn’t really express any objection to that either.
But still…
“…Anna as a middle school student, huh…” The words, falling out of Yata’s mouths without his conscious intention, rang almost deafeningly throughout the quiet bar.
Startled, Yata came back to his senses and surveyed his surroundings, only to find the others having the exact same expression on their faces as his own. Some were facing down, seemingly deep in thought, others had an outright worried look twisting their features as they talked to each other in uneasy whispers.
“Anna as…”
“A middle school student…?”
“I-Is she gonna be alright?”
“Why wouldn’t she be?”
“Well, because, you know…”
“She never went to school before.”
“Can she adapt?”
“Can she make friends?”
“Anna’s really conspicuous, if you think about it.”
“I really don’t wanna think about it, but what if she gets bullied…?!”
At that, Yata suddenly sprang to his feet and, letting his anger get the better of him, slammed his fists on the counter. “Huh?! Bullying Anna?! Just tell me what d.a.m.n brat dared bully her and I– OWW?!”
Kusanagi’s fist made contact with the top of Yata’s head. The older man watched out of the corner of his eye Yata squat in pain, then ground out his cigarette on the ashtray. “Now, listen, guys. You seriously need to calm down and think rationally. Do you really think Anna is so weak as to get bullied by the neighborhood brats?”
Upon closer consideration, Kusanagi was right. Anna was the Red King. Even with the Slate destroyed and her Sword of Damocles not manifesting anymore, she still had enough firepower left to send a band or ten of hoodlums, scattered in the neighborhood, packing all on her own. Even if the whole student body of Anna’s new school ganged up on her and launched a coordinated attack all together, it still wouldn’t even make a dent… But that probably was not exactly the point, Yata felt.
That’s where Kamamoto spoke up, probably wanting to rea.s.sure everyone, “Th-That’s right! Anna may be taciturn, but she’s kind, intelligent and gutsy! Forget about being bullied, I’m sure she’ll make a ton of friends in no time!”
At his words, the sense of relief washed over those present. Their expressions cleared, and murmurs of consent came from different corners of the bar.
“Uh-huh, I agree.”
“Totally.”
“That’s right, that’s right!” Chitose chirped in in a bright, cheerful tone. “And what’s more, she’s pretty! She’ll be popular in her cla.s.s in no time, I’m telling you. So before long, she’ll nab herself a boyfriend… and then…”
Anna, having a boyfriend…
He knew it wasn’t out of question but the possibility left Yata speechless and deep in troubled thought again. The other members (even Chitose who voiced it in the first place) appeared to have taken a heavy blow at the possibility, just like Yata, and were now sporting haunted and distraught expressions, like the world was ending right before their eyes.
Kusanagi’s expression, on the other hand, was eloquently showing his exasperated amazement as he watched them. Putting a new cigarette into his mouth and lighting it, he finally said, “Now, listen, guys, you gotta—”
But just then, the door to the bar opened.
“I’m back,” Anna announced. And then blinked questioningly at the bone-chilling atmosphere hanging in the bar.
Only Kusanagi gave her his usual warm smile and waved a hand lightly, apparently having decided that there was no need whatsoever to report the stupid contents of a stupid conversation held by total morons. “Oh, welcome back then. Did you memorize the route to and from school?”
“Yes.” Anna went to her personal bar stool and took a seat.
After examining her expression, Kusanagi suddenly posed an unexpected question. “You seem more upbeat than usual, did something interesting happen?”
Anna nodded at the question and, after a short pause, elaborated, “I met a boy I know.”
…
“And I thought I wouldn’t mind talking to him again.”
Yata took a look around the bar. Everyone had their mouths agap.
Amidst the dead silence, only the usually composed Kusanagi still retained the ability to move: he stubbed out his cigarette, took another one out and tried to light it. “Is th-th-th-th-that so? Wh-Wh-What, what kind of boy is he…?”
“Kusanagi-san, your cig, your cig, you’re holding your cig backwards, that’s the filter, you can’t light the filter!” The fl.u.s.tered Kamamoto tried to stop Kusanagi, who shook uncontrollably, betraying his inner turmoil.
Anna inclined her head to the side innocently and asked Yata, “What’s wrong?”
Anna was the same as usual, and Yata laughed, letting out the breath he was holding and relaxing. “Nothing.”
To say that he wasn’t shaken like the rest would be a lie, and of course, he was also dying to question Anna in detail about the boy she mentioned, but Yata adamantly restrained himself.
Things were happening that hadn’t happened before. It was only natural, Yata thought. Time didn’t stand still, after all. The Slate had disappeared, as would their powers eventually, and there would probably come a day when some would stop coming to this bar. But on the other hand, thanks to life never standing still, Yata was able to come to an understanding with his former best friend and make up with him, and Anna was about to go out into the world that was so much more open than before…
Everything was changing. But there were also things that would stay unchanged.
“By the way! Since all of us gathered together like in the good ol’ times, why not snap a pic, what do you say?!” Yata shouted suddenly.
Everyone started at him in surprise. But, with the exception of Anna, all the members, united in their desire to put the awkward subject to rest for now, supported Yata’s suggestion unanimously.
“Alrighty then! Kamamoto, go set the timer!”
“Yessir!”
Everything was changing alright, but nothing would change the truth that right now, at this moment, they all were here and could laugh all together like this. Even if a time, when these days would become nothing more than a thing of the past, came, that past would never change.
With these thoughts on his mind, Yata faced the camera Kamamoto was setting up and put on his best smile.
The picture they took ended up decorating the pinboard found in the bar. In the same place where Suou and Totsuka’s were, and Fushimi’s back when he still was here, too.