the sun was setting slowly and slowly, as y/n walked with an empty shopping cart in her hands. the creaky wheels made noises and it irritated her. but there was something else. "takemichi and..?" y/n questioned without looking back.

takemichi walked over next to her, since he really didn't have to follow behind her anymore. "what's with the shopping cart?" takemichi pointed at it.

y/n looked over at it. "oh this? well me—." but then she stopped and looked over at takemichi with squinted eyes. "nevermind."

"why?"

"because you'll steal the idea." y/n pushed the cart to the side. takemichi laughed for a second but then the frown came back. she looked back at takemichi and he wasn't his normal self. not at all. he had this tired look on his face. mostly exhaustion. "hey takemichi are you okay?"

takemichi looked back, ready to say "yeah i am" but he didn't. "can i ask you a question, y/n?" he asked y/n.

y/n nodded. "sure, what is it?"

takemichi took a deep breath. "have you ever felt like this huge weight is on your shoulders? and that you're responsible for many lives? and you have to make sure every single person is happy?" takemichi asked her suddenly.

y/n still wheeled her cart. "well i'm the leader of a growing gang, so i guess i can relate to that." y/n laughed under her breath. ever since sohaya has been involved in both the moebius and valhalla fight, it's been growing rapidly. more and more female members want to join the gang. with one guy there too. "i'm guessing you're asking because you're the new first division captian huh?"

takemichi widened his eyes. "I uhm- sure." he lied.

y/n was suspicious of that awkward lie. "look, you probably never heard this from anyone before, but in life you have got to pick favorites." y/n advised.

"huh?"

y/n shook her head. "not like that. i'm pretty sure yours is hina,, but. if you're talking about you being the first division captain then for example. pick chifuyu." she hurried for an example. "he's been the vice captain for almost 2 years now and he's strong. that's your favorite right there."

takemichi furrowed his eyebrows and looked down. "but what if i'm not talking about being the first division captain?" takemichi asked her.

she just looked ahead. "well if that then, you have to pick a favorite to make your situation easier. someone who you think can simplify the situation to bits. your key to making things simple." y/n advised. "actually, your key to everything."

the key to everything.. they both arrived at a parking lot. where mikey was laying on the steps of the place. "mikey i brought the shopping cart!" y/n shouted for mikey.

mikey immediately perked up at her voice and ran towards her and the shopping cart. in my situation.. if my key is someone that could take down kisaki then my key to everything has to be.. takemichi thought to himself. "oh screw kisaki." y/n told mikey in their little private conversation. y/n.

everything made sense to takemichi that instant. y/n knows about kisaki, y/n hates kisaki, and y/n is strong enough to take him down. one thing kisaki cannot do is be unpredictable in battle, and that,, is y/n's strength.

in the future, y/n is mikey's wife. which means she has the advantage to meet him at any time. surely, with all the suffering mikey will go through in the future then y/n definitely wants to take kisaki down. y/n's the key to everything. takemichi widened his eyes.

y/n and mikey both wheeled the shopping cart behind. "okay, now sit in it." mikey pointed at the cart and smiled.

y/n huffed and crossed her arms. "i always sit in it. i want to hop in this time." y/n tilted her head.

mikey shook his head. "not in a million years." mikey helped y/n into the cart. y/n sat there and crossed her arms.

"not fair, sano." y/n laid on the back of the cart.

mikey mocked her. so she mocked back. and that just took a while. "god. oh also you look pretty today." mikey complimented casually.

y/n looked back at him. "thank you, you don't look so bad yourself. you know, not like you usually do." y/n joked so mikey hit her head jokingly.

"again, what's with the shopping cart?" takemichi asked them, pointing at it.

"oh me and mikey used to do it a lot when we were kids. i sit in the shopping cart, mikey runs with it, then hops in, and then we just go back home that way." y/n explained easily.

mikey nodded in agreement, and then came back to his senses. "right. let's go." mikey got into stance. "ready?" so y/n nodded.

mikey ran and wheeled the shopping cart with him. takemichi looked as the two kept on laughing. they looked so happy. "if there's one thing i'm sure i want to do, it's saving them."

"saving who?" a voice asked next to takemichi.

takemichi screamed at the sudden presence and immediately jumped away. "NAOTO? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" takemichi shouted in fear.

naoto just looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "takemichi, we were both hanging out before all of this. i literally was walking next to you when you saw y/n." naoto told him and rolled his eyes.

takemichi looked around, still with a shocked face, to remember if he was there but couldn't. but then takemichi widened his eyes in some urge. "naoto, shake my hand." takemichi reached out his hand for him to shake.

naoto sighed, getting tired of this. "you love shaking hands dont you?" he shook takemichi's hand.

—

(2017) present time

takemichi sat up and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. naoto was sitting on the bed, staring at him intently. "you have something to say, naoto?" takemichi asked him.

naoto suddenly smiled in happiness. and leaned back on his chair with pride. "you did it, takemichi. you saved everyone." naoto nodded his head approvingly.

takemichi took a while to process what he said. "HUH"