You and Hina sit on Emma's bed while Emma paces back and forth.
"Okay- I'm confused... what's going on?" You ask.
"Yeah- are you okay?" Hina asks. Emma stops pacing and looks at the both of you.
"... I- don't understand..." Emma slowly says.
"You don't understand what?" You question.
"Why boys are so STUPID!" Emma shouts. You and Hina look at each other feeling still very confused.
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"How can Draken be so freaking dense." Emma sulks. She flops onto her bed and slides down over the edge. She stops and keeps her face downward into the bed. You tilt your head a bit.
"What happened?" Hina asks.
"Draken- he's graduating very soon!" Emma whines.
"Okay?" You look at her still feeling very confused.
"WHICH MEANS... HE'S GOING COLLEGE AND BE AROUND A BUNCH OF OLDER HOT GIRLS AND AND AAAAANNNNNDDDDD... I WILL LOSE MY CHANCE WITH HIIIIMMMMM!!!" She cries. You relax your eyes and sigh.
"Wait- is this why you asked us to come?" You ask. Emma shoots her head up and stares at you, crawling towards your legs and grabbing your hands.
"Yuki... you are good at romance... SOOOOO MANY GUYS HAVE THE HOTS FOR YOU! How do you do it...?" She pouts. You raise your eyebrows and tilt your head.
"I don't really think... I'm good at romance..." You slowly say.
"I think you are..." Hina says leaning forward and smiling a bit.
"What do you mean you don't think you are!? Mikey is in love with you and he's never even looked at a girl before!" She says pulling you down closer to her. "If you're able to get that idiot to like you... then you obviously are doing something right!"
"Wait- Mikey is in love with me?" You ask. Both Hina and Emma stare at you in confusion. "What?"
"Why are you questioning that... its obvious." Emma blankly says.
"Mhm." Hina smiles. You relax your eyes and shake your head.
"Back on you Emma... Why are you panicking about that?" You ask.
"What do you mean?" She questions.
"I mean- do you really think Draken is going to go to college...?" You ask.
"I mean- I don't know..."
"Haha! I can't imagine him being a businessman." Hina chuckles.
"Right? Imagine him carrying a brief case and wearing glasses..." You laugh.
"And- His hair is all nicely cut..." Hina continues.
"Or he's bald..." You add. You both stop smiling and stare at each other blankly. "Nevermind... don't imagine that."
"Yeah... let's not." Hina says quickly shaking her head. Emma glares at the both of you.
"Stop making fun of him..." She grumbles.
"We aren't..." Hina quickly says.
"That's a hundred percent your man..." You smile. Emma relaxes her eyes and leans back, laying on her back.
"He's not even my man yet..." She whines.
"So... what did you want us to do?" Hina asks.
"I want you to help me ask him out!" Emma says sitting up really quick.
"Why don't you just ask him out... it's not that hard- I mean... I'm sure he likes you back." You imply. Emma gasps and shakes her head.
"NO! I can't just do that..." She says in a stern tone.
"Why not?" You ask.
"What if you are wrong and he actually doesn't like me... I WOULD JUST BE MAKING A FOOL OUT OF MYSELF!!!" She shouts. "So... Why don't we just- like... see if he likes me..." She smiles.
"Huh?" Both you and Hina say.
"I've been binge watching this drama... and this girl would give gifts to this guy... and do nice things for and with him before asking him out... Kind of like a week trial of why he should be with her..."
"... and did it work?" Hina asked.
"YEP!" She bubbles. You relax your eyes and sigh.
"Yeah... but that's a show... that's not-" You slowly say.
"SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUUUUUN!" Hina shouts. "We should do it!" She bubbles.
"YEAAH!" Emma shouts. You sigh.
"What drama is this! I want to watch!" Hina drops to the floor towards Emma. Emma nods and grabs the box the show came in. You stare at the box and furrow your eyebrows. They both look at the box and babble to each other.
"OOOooooh... I would have loved to do this with Takemichiiii..." Hina whines. Emma nods and smiles. You look at Hina and tilt your head again.
"SOOOOOO! Can you guys help me set up a week of things to do with Draken?!?" She bubbles.
"YES!" Hina shouts. Hina and Emma both look at you causing you to relax your eyes.
"I guess... I can help-"
"EEEEEEEE! THANKS GUYS!" She says hugging the both of you tightly.
You and Hina leave after a few hours of hanging out with Emma. You both stand outside waiting for Mikey and Draken who are being scolded by Emma.
"Hina..."
"Hm?"
"If you were to find Takemichi again... then would you try with him again?" You ask.
"Of course..."
"... but why?" You question. She smiles and then her eyes relax.
"Well- there was no one like him... I still really love him... and if I see him again- I would want to try again." She smiles.
"... what if he was married..."
"... married- ha! If he was married I would punch him in the dick!" Your eyes widen to her comment. "I would make sure he would never be able to fertilize ever again!"
Scary...
"I hope he's okay..." She smiles and looks at the sky.
"Yeah... me to-"
"Yuki-"
"Hm?" You hum. Hina slowly looks at you.
"If you ever find out what happened to Takemichi... and it's bad- could you make sure I never know." She softly says.
"Huh? Why?" You question.
"I want to keep a happy memory of him in my mind... I don't want anything to taint that memory of him..." She softly smiles. "And if you find him... please bring his butt to me." Your eyes widen when a tear falls from her cheek.
"You don't want to look for him?" You ask. Her eyes relax and her smile slowly goes away.
"I never mentioned this... but- a few years ago... they found an unidentified teen boy's body in the river. They said he was my age."
"Unidentified? What do you mean... they couldn't figure who he was...?"
"No... He was practically melted."
MELTED?!?
"It was around the time Takemichi went missing... Deep down I believed it wasn't him... but my gut says otherwise..." Her lip quivers. "I believe... he's still alive." She smiles.
"Right..." You slowly nod.
"He's strong... I'm sure he has a good reason for disappearing... If I could see him right now- I would punch him... then I would give him the longest hug ever." She sniffles. Her eyes relax and she smiles again, wiping her nose. "So- Yuki... can you find him for me..."
"You want me to find Takemichi for you?"
"Mhm... bring him back... to me- please." She softly says wrapping her pinky around yours. You slowly look at her, your eyes relaxing. "And... if you can't... promise me to give me a happy ending."
"Huh?" Your eyes widen. Her glossy eyes stare at yours.
"Give my love story a happy ending." She smiles. Your eyes relax and you slowly nod.
The ride back to the bakery was a quiet one. The motorcycle stops in front of the bakery. You slowly get off the bike and sigh. Mikey stares at the back of you. You slowly look back at him. Your eyes soft.
"Mikey..."
"..." He stares at you, waiting for your words.
"Thank you... for the ride." You softly say before turning away and walking into the bakery. His eyebrows relax and his face goes blank. He squeezes his hands on the bars and takes a deep breath before looking up at the sky.
You walk up to your room and flop down on your bed thinking about the two tasks you were given. Your mind then jumps to what Hina told you. Takemichi- is he dead...? And if he's dead... then who killed him? It had to be a murder....
You roll over on your back and stare up at the ceiling...
"An... unidentified... teen boy... melted" You whisper to yourself.