Chapter 17

Liam was gone.

He was taken away by his relatives, to live in a different country, far away from us. He was taken away, forcibly while he was asleep. They were only greeted with the unwelcome news when they couldn't find him and only got a letter left at his house. Kelly started crying, holding onto Izumi as they watched Natsu take the letter from the edge of the gate.

To Liam's friends, He won't be living here anymore. We will be in the States by the time you read this letter. This is for his good.

"No!"

"No!"

"I don't like this!"

Kelly took it worse.

Izumi held Kelly so tightly, as she cried on her shoulder. Both Natsu and Izumi didn't know what to do or what to say. They exchanged silent glances, for they knew the ultimatum.

Liam and Kelly, they were meant to be together. Forever.

This was not supposed to happen.

"Kelly please," Izumi pleaded worriedly. "Please don't-"

She broke off from her hold and ran away crying. Both Natsu and Izumi shouted for her and raced after her. It was a blind race. They couldn't find her at all and searched for her high and low, worried beyond comparison. They split up, going to their favorite places throughout the city and it was only evening when Izumi found her at their sanctuary in the tree hole.

No.

"Kelly, what have you done?!" Izumi screamed.

Her limp body hung by the tree branch, just a few ways away from the tree hole. Izumi stood before her, shocked and fearful of what she saw. Kelly, her best friend, had taken her life.

No!

No!

No!

She took out her phone with shaky hands to call Natsu.

"N-Natsu." Her voice couldn't come out. Her throat hurts.

"Izumi! Where are you?!"

"She's dead, Natsu."

"Oh my God! Where are you?"

"C-cubby hole."

"Don't move! I'm coming!"

…

I hated going out.

Disliking unfamiliar places, I was anxious about exploring unknown territories. Initially, I couldn't comprehend why new stores made me so uneasy. The constant stares from the staff bothered me, feeding into my fear of being judged for my awkwardness or perceived lack thereof. My mind incessantly leaped to conclusions, consumed by worries about others' opinions of me.

It was bad when I was still a child, and it's still there.

To stop my mind from overthinking and causing trouble, I tend to drown my thoughts out by listening to music and that helps in some way. By listening to calming music, it is successful in bringing my anxiety down a notch and I can function normally when I enter a store to purchase things.

However, I will only go out if I have a reason to.

It was Saturday. And I had no work, so I had no reason to leave the house.

With that in mind, I ended up lying curled up on my bed, my head barely out of the comforter when I heard my phone vibrating on the floor where I had left it to charge. I wanted it to stop as I didn't want to get out of the warm space I had created but it wouldn't stop vibrating. Groaning, I slipped an arm out to grab it from the floor and squinted to see who was calling me.

"Come and meet me," he said, without any greeting.

"I don't want to."

"Get your ass off the bed and get dressed!" he exclaimed. "I'll come and pick you up!"

"No."

"Izumi!"

"No!"

"IZUMI!"

I grumbled in protest but reluctantly agreed when he insisted on paying for the food. Upon hearing he'd arrive in ten minutes, I forced myself out of bed. Shedding the warmth of the covers, I took a brisk shower before dressing in layers suitable for the chilly weather.

As I glanced at my unruly mass of curly hair, I grimaced and swiftly covered it with a beanie and earmuffs, followed by wrapping a thick scarf around my neck. Exiting the apartment, I found him leaning effortlessly against the wall, exuding an effortlessly cool vibe, just as he promised.

"Natsu!" I shouted.

He looked up in surprise and recognition spread across his face when he saw me standing on the second floor of the building. I locked up the apartment and headed down to meet him. Honestly, he looked very different. Granted the last time I saw him we were only snot-nosed kids.

His gold eyes were wide with shock as he watched me climb down the staircase, and he ran to me to throw his arms over me. I was shocked at his sudden move, as I never knew he was the hugging type. Laughing slightly, I pressed my face against his shoulder and breathed in his scent.

It was the same.

It's like we were never separated.

Natsu kept his natural sandy white hair but they were far shorter than I was used to, most probably they had given him a buzz cut while back in juvenile hall and his eyes were the same as ever – like the dying star in deep space. That was the only thing that I liked about him.

"I missed you, Izumi."

"I bet."

In his warm and large embrace, I had to acknowledge the fact that the old child version of Natsu was no more as I held onto a bulkier, more built version of him. He was a tad size bigger than me, even bulkier than Hajime-san and I was surprised at how much he had changed physically.

He released me slightly so he could take a good long look at me. I too took the time to look at him and drink in his new features. He had a new scar above his right eyebrow, it looked deep – most probably from a fight he got after we got separated and he had a few tattoo pieces that were slightly covered by his t-shirt. He too had a few piercings – eyebrows, ear, and his lip.

"Let's go somewhere," he decided. "Have you eaten yet?"

I shook my head.

He brought me to a classic ramen stall, by the snug corner between a small bookstore and a flower shop. I was taken aback at how cozy and homey it looked. It was extremely small in size, and I bet it gets packed during peak hours. It was also very close to the shop I worked at, and I was shocked. I never knew there was such a place here.

We took a seat and ordered.

"How are you?" I asked. "How was juvie?"

Natsu was a year older than I was and got caught while we were out messing about. It was a long story. "Juvie is absolute trash," he said with distaste. "Everyone in there is the same and everyone got worse. I got into trouble often. I only managed to get out when I stopped associating myself with the bunch." 

"So, what do you plan to do now?"

"I'd probably get a job."

I made a face. "Are you sure?"

He simply shrugged, leaving me speechless. I struggled to find the right words of encouragement for him. We both understood the challenges of securing a job with a record from juvie or prison attached to your name. Employers tend to frown upon such a history on a resume. It was a harsh reality, reflecting the truth of our society's judgmental nature.

"Where are you living now?"

"I'm shaking up a place with an old mate of mine. It's not a good place like yours, but it's cheap and there's a nearby convenience store."

I don't like the sound of that friend of his or that cheap place he was talking about. He was never the type to find good friends. I was a good example of it, even though I didn't want to admit it. The both of us were terrors back when we were kids. Therefore, we are considered rebels or troublemakers.

"You need to promise me something," I started.

He looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you want a job and a place to stay?" I asked.

"Yes."

"You need to promise me."

"Promise what?"

"Promise me you'll change into a better person, become someone reputable enough that fit into society," I said. "If you are willing to do that, then I will help you. But if you still want to be the old you, then I cannot."

He stared at me the longest, apparently too shocked to say anything.

"C-can I do that?" he asked quietly.

"If you want to and also because I believe that you can."

He nods. "Then, I will try my hardest."

I grinned and ruffled his hair. After we were done eating, we left the place and I brought him back to my apartment building to meet Setagawa-san who was by the kitchenette area with Haru-san. It looked to me that they were peering at a magazine, and discussing in hushed voices when we entered the place. They both looked up when they heard us entering.

"Oh, hey Izumi-chan!" Haru-san greeted me happily. "Is that your other pet toy?"

Natsu stiffened beside me, so I gave him a warning look. He glared at me and averted his eyes, knowing that he needed to be on his best behavior. "No, he's my childhood friend," I said with a roll of my eyes and turned to Setagawa-san. "He needs a job and a place to stay. He just got out of juvie."

"What did you get in for?" Setagawa-san asked.

It got awkward between us. "Do you want to know?" I asked.

"Officially or unofficially?" Natsu added.

"Unofficially, of course."

"I was protecting this little girl," he said and threw a careless arm over my shoulder. "We were messing around, I wanted to drive a car parked under a secluded bridge and she was against it from the beginning but went along anyway. We got caught and I made her retreat since she was going to start high school soon. I didn't want this to be on her record."

Both Setagawa-san and Haru-san stared at the both of us quietly for the longest time. Both Natsu and I didn't know what to say, or look so we just tried not to look at them. It was something that I never told them about, as it was supposed to be kept a secret. Natsu made me keep quiet about it, so I never told anyone about it.

"What a colorful life both of you had lived," Haru-san commented.

"I have a spare room next to Haru, you can come and live there," Setagawa-san said, with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Your rates will be the same as Izumi-chan and you will be under her tutelage once you can start work at the shop. Is that acceptable? What's your name? I am Setagawa."

"My name is Shiba Natsu," he replied. "Yes."

I grin.

"Let's get along now," I said.