"Hmm… really cheesy way to suck you in," a boy muttered under his breath, amusement lacing his tone as he flipped through the pages of a manga. Loitering in the quiet comfort of a convenience store, he knew full well this particular volume wasn't his; technically, he was stealing. And obviously, such a crime demanded punishment… obviously.
He was of very average stature, dressed in a cheap black-and-orange tracksuit with white trim. His spiky hair, slicked back just enough to look deliberate, shimmered oddly under the harsh fluorescent lights, catching the glow like tiny sparks.
Subaru paused, resting the open manga against one arm as he leaned into the shelf. The store was nearly empty, save for the lone cashier behind the counter. a man whose body was physically present, but whose soul had long since departed in search of a better job.
After another page or two, Subaru sighed and slid the manga neatly back where it belonged. He stretched, popped his shoulders, then wandered toward the freezer section. The cold air hissed against his face as he opened the door, grabbed an ice cream sandwich, and added a bag of chips to the mix.
His gaze flicked back to the cashier, who stared blankly at a phone screen, face illuminated by blue light and quiet resignation.
Subaru smiled faintly. "Living the dream," he muttered faintly, stepping up to the counter and setting his items down.
The scanner beeped.
A plastic bag crinkled.
"Two eighty," the cashier said without looking up.
Subaru fished a few coins from his pocket, slid them across the counter, and gave a polite nod before heading out into the night.
The air outside was cool and still, the street mostly empty save for the occasional hum of a passing car. He unwrapped the ice cream sandwich, took a bite, and started walking without any real direction. He didn't have any work and didn't really feel like going home yet. So he walked around, like the "insomniac" he was, in the pitch black night of 3 am.
Walking
and
Walking
Every so often, he'd take a slow bite from his cold, sweet "sandwich" made of cream, letting the chill coat his tongue.
He passed a vending machine, half-dead and humming, that caught his reflection in the glass. "Look at you," he muttered, voice lazy. "A freak, with no social life, and barely a job. Not to mention the—..." his voice died out as he paused. shaking his head quickly, muttering a grumble under his breath before biting down hard on the ice cream, smothering the guilt under layers of frost.
Which left the silence to linger.
The quiet rhythm of his steps mixed with the occasional nibble of ice cream, crumbs falling unnoticed onto the darkened pavement. He passed shuttered shops, flickering neon signs that should've died out ages ago, and the occasional discarded flyer clinging to the sidewalk, all while chewing thoughtlessly.
Eventually, the ice cream sandwich was gone. Without a second thought, he flicked the wrapper behind him; it fluttered to the ground in a small, almost comical arc. Subaru straightened his posture, tilted his head, and looked up. A small grin graced his lips.
The rooftops called. With a soft bend of his knees and a push from the balls of his feet, he leapt smoothly onto the nearest flat roof. The landing was silent, effortless, and he crouched for a moment to savor the view.
From this height, the city felt different. The streets below ran in muted veins of light, buildings rose like silent sentinels, and above, the moon hung pale and steady in a clear sky. Stars twinkled faintly, scattered across the darkness like flecks of frost.
He pushed off again, hopping from one flat-topped building to the next. The wind brushed past his skin, tousling his spiky hair and tugging at the edges of his tracksuit. Each leap carried a quiet thrill, a freedom the streets could never offer. He moved with calm, almost meditative focus, but not diverted to his movement, or the buildings at his feet, but to the heavens above, his eyes tracing the moon's glow and the faint shimmer of distant stars.
It was peaceful.
Always was.
Step
Leap
step
Leap
Step
Leap
step
Leap
A rhythm that remained.
Until it didn't
Step
Leap
Fall?
FALL!?
"Eh?"
The world shifted in an instant. The moon flared into blinding, burning light, hotter than anything he'd ever felt. Night ripped into day in a single heartbeat, and his limbs went slack, weak as wet noodles. The rhythm he'd carried across the rooftops shattered. Air whipped past him at terrifying speed, and gravity reminded him, very insistently, that it was a tsundere, so it had to punish him. The building that had once been so very close to catching his foot had vanished.
and so.
Subaru plummeted.
Pain had already flared through his body, but the real agony had yet to come. landing. His descent wasn't instant, thankfully, but it wasn't that well either. which you can see.
bonk
crash
oof
Yeeeeouch
slam
dunk? (wait, no?)
Thud
Each one was worse than the last, leaving him groaning and whimpering, trying to brace against it. which spoiler warning, noodlebaru failed at.
Finally, he skidded to a stop, battered and breathless, in a narrow alleyway. Shadowed walls rose around him, muted under the city's dim lighting. thankfully. His limbs ached, chest heaving as he took in the sudden silence after the chaos.
A minute passed. Then another. Subaru lay there, face down on the cold pavement, too stunned to move. Slowly, he groaned, rolling onto his back and squinting up at the sky or what should have been the sky. No stars. No moon. no night.
Just an endless blue with a bright ass sun up above.
"What..." he muttered, voice strained. "The fuck..."
And with a soft, defeated huff, he collapsed back down, curling slightly as exhaustion claimed him.
Sleep caught him, coiling around his mind, but not before 3 words, in a language so very familiar to him. graces his ears.
"Aishiteru"
A/N hoped you enjoyed. And please comment, because i love comments and they make me want to continue, and sometimes laugh.
Subaru is alot different in this timeline. He's got powers! woohoo!.
still probably not enough for now. But maybe it might help? who knows.
Ah, who am I kidding, it's Subaru! He's going to be hit by the suffering train one day or another.
Please give me your thoughts and opinions, and maybe some ideas.
But that's all for today
See ya!