Chapter Text
It was February 1st 2018. Inaba was covered in snow, exactly as the weather forecast had foretold (or rather, just as Marie had promised) yet the sky was clear, resembling a scene right out of a wintery fairy tale. The view looked exactly as it had the February before, right down to the soft light of the setting sun, bathing everything in a dreamlike, almost unreal glow.
As unreal as that perfect reality from a year ago had been. The one depicting a world that could have existed – if only things had played out a little differently. The world in which Saki Konishi had been laughing together with Naoki. The world in which Chisato Dojima had been preparing dinner together with Nanako. The world in which Yu Narukami had caught a glimpse of a certain smile, free from any pain or bitterness, which he had never managed to see in their true reality – and now never would. And it hadn’t even been genuine in the first place. Because none of this had been real.
In the world that no longer was, Yu had spent February 1st 2017 in Inaba, right where he was standing now. Not alone. In the reality as it was now, Yu had spent February 1st 2017 in Tokyo. Alone.
Exactly a year later, Yu was once again back in Inaba. Not alone – but together with Ren Amamiya.
***
It was February 2nd 2018. A year ago, Ren Amamiya had spent that evening, the last one in Maruki’s reality, his final one with Akechi, at Leblanc, realising that he would lose Akechi again in less than a day. He had also spent February 2nd 2017 in jail. Alone. In a world where Akechi had been dead for months.
Ren was spending this February 2nd in Inaba. Not alone – but next to Yu Narukami… and a fox, which was something Ren wouldn’t have believed a mere day ago. The fox wasn’t even the biggest surprise. Yu showing up in front of his house on the morning of February 1st had been. Yu asking Ren if he wanted to accompany him on his visit to Inaba even more so.
Glad to have an excuse to be anywhere else, Ren had agreed in a heartbeat.
Because January had been hell. Even back in his hometown, every smile he had seen had reminded him of that fake happiness from a year ago and had made him feel like he had been shoved back into Maruki’s reality. As if he had never beaten Maruki in the first place and was still trapped in his world. A small part, one Ren hated but couldn’t deny completely, even wanted this to be true. For that was the only world in which there was still hope of seeing Akechi again – hope of fulfilling that promise he was still holding on to.
The nearer that cursed February day had drawn, the worse it had gotten, culminating in Ren collapsing at school. His parents had only marginally cared that he had been sent home. Unlike Morgana, of course. And unlike Yu.
“It will be good for him,” Yu had told Morgana as a way to convince him to let Ren go to Inaba.
Initially, Mona had wanted to tag along. And Ren had felt bad for asking him to stay behind, especially since he couldn't completely explain his reasons to him, not wanting to admit (not even to himself) that it was partly because Mona knew, knew but didn’t fully understand (because, ultimately, it had been Ren who had made the final decision), and because Ren couldn't bear the... not pity, as it wasn’t exactly that, but something akin to it in Mona’s eyes. Not for these days at least.
Something of that sentiment must have shown on Ren’s face regardless of how much he had tried to hide it, because Morgana did relent. But only after they had both promised that Ren would be back on Sunday evening at the latest and go back to school on Monday. The additional promise of fatty tuna had also contributed to sealing the deal. Mona had even spared Ren the dreaded question why being around Yu at a time like this was so different. Easier.
Ren’s parents had been less difficult to convince. It helped that they (and Ren supposed most people) saw Yu as a responsible adult. He certainly came across as one, both in appearance and manner.
“You could learn something from him.”
“Perhaps he will have a good influence on you.”
Ren had just smiled and nodded at his parents’ words, because he knew that no matter what he did or who he associated with, they would never see him as a responsible adult.
Just a few more months, Ren had told himself. Only a little longer, then he would be back in Tokyo. Until then, he just had to stick it out.
As Ren now watched Yu pat the fox on the head and speak softly to it as if it were an old friend, he wondered what his parents would say to this behaviour. Ren was sure they wouldn’t approve of him petting wild animals like that. Not after the fuss they had already made when he had brought Morgana with him. At least, they had warmed up to him in the end. Ren wouldn’t have left Mona behind for even a few days if it had been any different.
His parents would certainly reconsider their decision to let Yu take Ren along if they knew about a certain other close bond of Yu’s. Then again, regardless of whether the crimes had actually been committed or not, no conviction meant no proper criminal record, so perhaps they would even prefer that to Ren’s own (revoked) criminal record. They still very much treated him as if it still existed.
As if sensing that he had been thinking about it, the fox now gave Ren a slightly suspicious look.
After a few whispered words from Yu, the animal slowly approached him. Not making any sudden movements, Ren offered his hand, waiting for the fox to come nearer on its own. It let its gaze wander from Yu to Ren, tilting its head slightly, something like understanding flashing in its intelligent eyes, before it pressed its head against the palm of Ren’s hand.
“Knew you two would get along,” Yu said as he sat down on the steps leading up to the shrine.
Ren smiled as he stroked the soft fur. Yet after a little while, the fox slowly withdrew its head, gave him another examining look, and dashed off.
“Maybe not,” Ren sighed before joining Yu on the stairs.
Given the cold, they probably wouldn’t be able to sit here for too long, and yet Ren finally felt like he could breathe again.
“It will be good for him,” Ren repeated in his head as he looked at Yu. There was still the same tired and slightly sad smile on his lips that Ren had gotten used to seeing, but he did seem less tense overall.
Well, misery loves company, Ren thought.
Ren felt a soft nudge against his shoulder. When he turned, the fox was back, holding something between its teeth. He held out his hand and a soft weight with a wooden texture fell into his palm.
“An ema,” Ren said, turning the object in question around.
“You want to write one? There’s a rumour that wishes written on them really do come true.” Yu paused. “Or at least they did for some time,” he added knowingly.
Ren let out a laugh. “I can imagine when.” Staring at the ema, he tried to picture the written letters of his wish on the blank surface. His wish that had remained unchanged ever since that wall had separated them all these months ago. “I always saw emas more for wishes that are possible. Don’t think mine is.”
Yu chuckled. “I’ve heard something similar before.”
Ren looked at Yu’s empty hands. “You didn’t get one.”
“One ema per person,” Yu said as he let his gaze wander to where the other emas were softly swaying in the nightly breeze. “Anything more would be greedy.” His fingers reached for the music player around his neck. Red. The only speck of colour in his otherwise grey attire. “Too late to be granted anymore either.”
Too late.
“If only we could have met a few years earlier,” Ren heard Akechi say.
If. If. If. He hated that word. The implied impossibility, mixed with the longing that something might nevertheless become possible. The painful knowledge that there was no way to turn that potential into reality. All in those two damned letters.
Ren didn’t even care about meeting earlier. He just cared about meeting again.
The wind made Ren shiver. It was almost midnight, he noticed as he checked his phone. A year ago, he had also been awake at that time, had been long into the night, not wanting to fall asleep and wake up to a day he knew he would have to watch Akechi disappear again – without anything he should do about it.
Sometimes doing the ‘right’ thing felt like shit. Today even more so. Especially when a stupid voice in his head was asking if it even had been the right thing.
Ren raised his head towards the sky. He saw that Yu did the same.
It was such a peaceful night, without a single cloud obscuring the countless stars shining down upon them. The moon, close to being full, cast its silvery light on the shrine, making it appear almost otherworldly.
Among all these wishes, nothing seemed impossible. And yet... Those emas were expressions of hope. Containing wishes that were possible – if perhaps improbable. Ren’s wish lay beyond the laws of this world.
Then again, those laws could be broken, he knew they could be. After all, they had been before. And wasn’t Ren a criminal, a thief, a trickster? Maybe they could be broken by him too...?
You’d hate me for these foolish thoughts, wouldn’t you?
It was in the final minutes of February 2nd 2018 that a shooting star fell towards the earth.
“Do you believe in wishes made on stars?” Yu asked.
“Yes,” Ren replied without thinking. He knew that some stars could really make wishes come true. And part of him hoped that this one could too. Grant a single foolish wish. Not to remake the whole world – just his.
Yu’s reply was nothing more than a whisper, yet in the quiet of the night, Ren heard it all the same. “So do I.”
ᯓ★
It was February 3rd 2018 when two Wild Cards entrusted their wish to a single shooting star.