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Two weeks. That’s how much time has passed since the clash between the Herd and the Yokai Gang. It's been two weeks since Makoto last saw Watanabe Mami.

It was strange how almost one year went past him like a flash, yet those two weeks felt like forever.

Right after the battle, the Red Oni tried to convince himself that the girl wouldn’t just disappear from his life entirely. After all, she admitted she had fun with him and his friends. But she neither called him nor appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the day, just like she used to. It was as if Watanabe Mami never existed in the first place.

This has not only affected the scarlet-haired delinquent, though. Tomoya and Nakano also felt the difference in their daily lives. The Shapeshifer had it a bit easier not to think about it, though the amount of food he cooked indicated that he decided to make himself busy in the kitchen more often, which he always did when something was bothering his mind. Nakano, the Karasu Tengu of the group, had it worse. Yukari and Kaori constantly asked when Mami would come to play with them.

When it comes to the Herd it has been disbanded entirely. Makoto did not want any of the members of this foul group to be in the Yokai Gang. He noted who was a part of that team, though, to keep an eye on them in the future just in case they tried to reform and cause trouble again. Tanaka tried to reconcile with Yamada, but the latter was too heartbroken by the betrayal to even consider forgiving his ex-best friend. Nakano decided to be the one to help him heal up the emotional wound, though the raven-haired teen would always repeat that it was convenient for both sides.

The mediator made sure that Yamada was too busy doing things while hanging out with him, and in return, the lanky boy was taking care of Kaori and Yukari, who only then somehow managed to forget about their priestess idol. Apparently, they really loved to put the young delinquent's long, silky hair in a braid and called him male Rapunzel.

It was a relief to know that Yamada wasn’t alone with his thoughts. He showed true dedication when he stayed with the Yokai Gang instead of betraying them like Tanaka did. That is why Makoto had to make sure he wouldn’t regret his decision. He didn’t deserve to feel more pain than he already did.

Onitsuka himself found it hard to accept this turn of events. He still remembered the moment when both of the boys first approached him while he was on his way to school. Back then, Yamada and Tanaka idolized him, which he wasn’t a big fan of, but he hoped that they would grow out of it and treat him more like an equal, just like one of their buddies. While one of them did, the other just couldn’t help but feel the need to be with the ruthless gang instead.

The school days went as usual, though there were a few differences. Makoto’s parents finally finished working on a movie set and could take a longer break to stay at home, so the boy no longer had a problem with running late or not having his own lunch.

With the Horde’s loss against the Yokai Gang, rumors started to spread around the other groups. A lot of bizarre ones. Some started believing that Onitsuka always had a hidden member who ended up being a trump card against the powerful enemy. Surely those who were members of the Herd didn’t want to embarrass themselves, further explaining how one small teen girl managed to bring their whole group down.

Thanks to this, the gangs didn’t want to start any fights with the Yokai Gang anytime soon, fearing that it was impossible to win in the first place. Mundane life was not something Makoto was used to, but at this point, he needed it. He wasn’t sure if he could put his mind into fighting when the last battle was still constantly on his mind.

Even now, as he was walking around the park, those memories from two weeks ago flooded his brain. Makoto felt like an old man, taking a stroll and thinking. It helped him get it all off before going back home and spending some quality time with his parents or even studying. Though his peaceful time didn’t last long, once a familiar voice spoke up from behind him,

“It’s been a while, Red Oni!”

Onitsuka’s eyes immediately widened. Not yet turned around, he wondered if it was his imagination playing tricks on him. Was he going insane from longing to hear her voice and creating the sound of it out of nowhere?

“It is not like you to ignore me in such a manner. Quite rude, if you ask me.”

If the first sentence was not convincing enough, the second one made him immediately turn to face Watanabe in flesh and blood. It was no illusion.

She hasn’t changed at all. Still not tall enough to reach beyond his shoulder size with her head. Glasses with golden frames covered her bright hazel eyes. The only difference from the norm was the hairstyle. The braids were still a part of it but tied a bit lower, which made the top part look more fluffy. No jiggling sound made Makoto turn his gaze to the blue hair ties, now without any small bells attached.

Watanabe Mami, who has appeared in his life out of nowhere only to disappear for two weeks, has returned; there was no mistaking it.

The girl blushed at the intense gaze the teen delinquent had been giving her, so she slightly turned her head away from his direction. “W-what is it? I don’t look any different. What’s this stare for?”

“Ah, nothing. I just had to make sure it was you standing there,” he smirked. “You disappeared on us. We thought you had no more need to hang out with us when you got your sister back home.”

“Wh-! I would never!” Mami defended herself, slightly offended but definitely more worried than anything. “It’s just… A lot has been happening lately.”

“A lot?”

The girl only nodded, looking uncertain. Maybe Makoto shouldn’t have teased her like that; he didn’t want to guilt-trip her.

“Wanna go on a walk to talk about it?” He offered to ease up the situation, to which the girl agreed.

They started walking in silence. There were kids playing on the playground, reminding Onitsuka of that one time Mami appeared in a cosplay in front of him. On the other side, he could see an elderly couple sitting by the bench having a conversation. From time to time, there was a person passing them, either jogging or riding a bike in the opposite direction.

“First of all, I think I should thank you,” Watanabe began. “I am aware that my methods of approaching you and asking for help were not The most delicate ones.”

“Heh, really? I didn’t notice.”

Oh, shut it!” The girl blushed at Makoto’s retort, unable to hide her amusement, visible through the small smile on her face. “Maybe it didn’t feel this way to you, but you and the others... You helped me gather the courage to face my sister, so once again, thank you for that, Makoto.” Mami looked at the tall gang leader with her sparkly big eyes.

She used his name.

No last name present, unlike that one time at her house. only the first name. Something simple and yet so intimate made his heart skip a beat, which was kind of embarrassing because he thought those kinds of reactions only happened to the characters straight out of romance stories, not in real life.

Makoto couldn’t handle the innocent gaze of the girl, so this time it was he who slightly turned his head, trying to contain the blush on his face from spreading. “It really was nothing. Half of the time I didn’t even know I was helping you in any way, so you know...” he scratched the back of his head humbly.

“I have to make sure to properly thank Nakano and Matsumoto, and everyone else too.”

“I don’t think they need your thanks, but you should apologize for disappearing like that. They were missing you too.”

“Too?” The girl smirked. “Are you implying you were missing me, Onitsuka?”

“Yeah. I missed you. Is it strange?”

That caught Mami off guard. Her eyes widened, and her previously pinkish cheeks were now burning with a crimson red color. Makoto wouldn’t say that out loud, but he enjoyed seeing how he could affect her. It gave him the assurance that maybe, just maybe, she had felt the same way towards him as he did towards her. It seemed that the girl didn’t know how to reply to such a direct confession, so she used the tactic of changing the topic.

“I wanted to meet up with you earlier, but we had a lot going on. Moving out of the house was a pain.”