Save Me (Ken “Draken” Ryuguji) 05 – Dorayaki

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''“With all my bridges burned, there’s nowhere left to turn. Look inside to the purged, of sins and bad memories. Who cares if I make enemies? This is what I deserve. Here comes the rain. Won’t you bring it on down and wash it all away?“'' Smash Into Pieces – The Rain

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A shadow fell over me and I glanced up from my book to find Mikey bending over me, a grin on his lips. I had quickly come to recognize that mischievous glint in his eye and I knew I probably wasn't going to like what was about to happen.

"H-Hi…"

"Let's go for a ride."

"Eh?"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" He reached for my hand but then paused, tilting his head as if contemplating, then he returned his hand to his side, standing up straight. "Please?"

I glanced at Draken who was having a conversation with Mitsuya on the other side of the garage. To be honest, he's the only one I'm starting to feel comfortable around. Not to say Mikey and Mitsuya are bad, though they are terrifying, but I just don't feel comfortable being alone with them. I'm far too awkward for one-on-one time with anyone.

Mikey chuckled, reaching out to poke me in the forehead with his index finger, earning a frown from me as my gaze returned to his. "Kenchin will be there~"

"I-I don't know…"

"You haven't left this garage in days ," he huffed, hands on his hips. "You're coming with us, okay?"

I knew there was no point arguing and he was right. I hadn't done much of anything but sit in the corner and read, trying to forget everything that had happened. Spoiler - it wasn't helping at all. How many times have I read this same damn page about an old wizard explaining how time travel works? Ironic. You'd think I'd be paying extra attention to his monologue, trying to find any clues that could be useful to me, but I just couldn't focus. It's like my mind reads the words time travel and then nothing else matters.

"I'm gonna take your hand, okay?"

I just barely had time to process his words before his fingers wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me up effortlessly from the floor, tugging me toward the other side of the garage where three motorcycles sat. I wasn't nearly as panicked as last time, at least not about him grabbing me, but I was worried about where he was taking me. Was he gonna make me watch some fight as an initiation or something? I've seen plenty of violence on TV before and bloodbaths in movies, described in detail in books… is it the same in real life? Something told me it wasn't. I wanted to be confident in saying that I could stomach it, but I didn't actually know what my reaction would be unless I was there in that situation. And I honestly didn't want to put that to the test.

But I said nothing as we stopped in front of the bikes. He climbed on top of his like it was nothing, smiling at me as if to say, 'Well? Get on!'

I looked at the bike and swallowed nervously. I thought bikes were hella cool and I had always dreamed of owning one when I was growing up, but… there was something terrifyingly thrilling about them. If I had to compare it to something, I'd choose mother nature. So destructive and scary, but at the same time so beautiful and majestic. I knew to respect it because of its ability to destroy, but I couldn't help wanting to get closer despite the warnings in the back of my mind. My fingers lightly brushed against the cold metal, barely touching it from an irrational worry that it might break beneath my touch.

"Have you ever been on a bike before?" Draken wondered, his eyes watching me closely.

I quickly pulled my hand away and shook my head.

"You're riding with me, then."

"Eh? That's not fair!" Mikey frowned, watching as the taller man approached his own bike. "Why does Jaybird get to ride with you?"

"If it's her first time, she's gonna be nervous." His gaze met mine as he swung his long leg over the bike, settling down as if it were just a normal chair. "I'll take it easy. Hop on."

My heart hammered in my chest as I slowly approached the bike. I was nervous, but at least I felt safe around Draken. I knew he wouldn't do anything reckless or dangerous. At least, not this time around. Taking a deep breath, I carefully lifted my leg but I misjudged the distance and stumbled forward, grabbing onto Draken to steady myself.

Mitsuya tried to hide his laughter but the loud snort and the way he covered his mouth let me know how amusing he found this. Even Mikey was smiling widely, his eyes sparkling. My face burned, not only because I almost fell trying to get on a bike, but also because I could feel Draken's muscles through his shirt. I quickly released him, clearing my throat as I finally managed to settle down on the bike behind him. Okay… I take back what I said. Maybe I would be less nervous with Mikey because now that I realize how close I'm sitting to Draken… my brain is going to go haywire!

The bike roared to life beneath me and I grabbed the back of his shirt on instinct. Oh, this is going to be bad.

"Relax," Draken told me softly. "I won't let anything happen to you, but you have to wrap your arms around me or you'll fall off."

Fuck I forgot about that part. What is this Kdrama bullshit that's happening to me right now? My hands shook as I uncurled them from his shirt, reaching around him, but I hesitated, unable to bring myself to wrap them around his waist. I felt his hands engulf my arm, pulling me flush against his back as he directed my arms to wrap tight around his waist.

"Don't let go," he ordered with a stern tone.

"Let's go!" Mikey grinned, his bike roaring like a lion as he took off toward the metal garage door, already lifted and waiting for its masters to pass through.

I felt the bike surge forward as Draken followed after him and my grip tightened on its own, my heart hammering in my chest. He wasn't going as fast as Mikey was, but he wasn't exactly crawling either and, surprisingly, my fear started to melt a little bit. The scenery was passing by us, the wind whipping around our clothes and ruffling our hair. It felt… amazing. Freeing, even. I felt like a bird and I had never wanted to fly more than I did right then. I straightened my back as much as I could, peering over Draken's shoulder so I could see in front of us better. Despite myself, a smile made its way to my lips.

Do they feel it, too? This amazing sense of freedom. Do they feel it every time they go riding? As if the world just doesn't matter anymore and all of your problems are behind you? I made a mental note to ask them about it later even though I knew I would most likely forget.

"Having fun?" Draken called, his voice muffled by the wind.

I nodded and then realized he couldn't see it. Fail. "Yes!"

He chuckled in reply and started to speed up, steadily closing the distance between us and Mikey. I thought we were just going out for a ride and then returning to the garage, but I guess they had other plans in mind. They pulled up to a small confectionery shop at the edge of town.

Draken patted my arms once the engine was cut and I quickly released him, climbing off the bike. I was determined not to fall this time, but I once again misjudged the distance and my foot got caught on the seat, sending me back against Mikey who laughed in response.

"You're really bad at this, huh?" he commented with a grin.

I scowled in reply. It's not my fault I'm uncoordinated, okay, I was born this way. I followed the blonde into the store, Draken close behind. When we stepped inside, I was overwhelmed by the scent of sugar and various fruity aromas. Glass cases were filled with various types of baked goods, from cakes to candies. I had never been inside a store that focused only on sweets since it wasn't my go to food, so I'm feeling a bit blown away by just how many items there were, each one seemingly freshly prepared.

The middle-aged woman finished ringing up the customer before smiling at us. "Sano-kun, I was beginning to wonder if you got lost," she laughed at him, beginning to pull what looked like tiny pancakes from one of the glass cases.

"Sorry, I've been busy," he replied, rushing over to the glass case with wide, excited eyes. He looked much like a puppy happy to see his owner, but instead of sending that look to the woman, he was looking at the treats she was placing in a brown bag.

"You can choose whatever you want," Draken stopped beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine.

"But I don't -"

"I'm paying for it," he cut me off with a grin before heading over to Mikey, ignoring the scowl I sent to his back.

Is this really okay? Maybe I should try and get a job, but… the thought of being around other human beings and having to actually service them… it made me shudder. Humans are bad enough on their own but put them in a service environment and they get downright nasty. I wouldn't even last a day, but can I really keep letting these guys take care of me?

I rubbed the back of my neck, slowly walking by the glass cases as I inspected the contents inside. Nothing really caught my eye until I came to a section of character-themed cakes. They were small, clearly made for a single person, with various anime and cartoon characters beautifully drawn on top. I'm seriously impressed by how incredible they look, as if the characters jumped off the screen and onto the cake. Most of the characters I didn't know or didn't care about, but there was one featuring Russia from Hetalia and I found myself smiling at it. The sadistic country had always been my favorite and I love his eyes, they're magical! I didn't think Hetalia was around back in 2010, but I guess so.

On instinct, I reached for my phone to look it up but paused halfway, remembering that it didn't work. I don't even know why I'm still carrying it around with me, it's completely useless but… I guess it's the only thing keeping me grounded to the present. With Hanagaki gone, it's the only thing that reminds me that I'm not clinically insane and I actually did travel back in time. I rested my hand over my pocket. One day you'll work again, buddy. One day…

"Fwind anyfring you wike?"

I quirked a brow at Mikey, the pancake hanging from his lips as he looked inside the bag. "What?"

He took a bite and swallowed, pulling it from his mouth. "Find anything you like?"

I glanced at the Russia cake and then the price before looking back at him and shaking my head. "No… not really big on sweets…" I was well aware of Draken watching me and I had the feeling he knew I was lying, but he didn't push the subject if he did.

"Then you'll have plenty of room for dorayaki!" He pulled one out of the bag before thrusting it in my face, a grin on his face.

I took it hesitantly, turning it over in my hand. It looked like any old pancake, but I had a feeling there was more to it and I was scared to try it because I am a literal child. But Mikey was giving me such an expectant look, I knew it had to at least try, so I slowly raised it to my mouth and took a small bite. All I tasted was pancake but it was the softest, fluffiest pancake I've ever had. The small bite revealed a reddish-brown goo inside, something between a paste and a jam. Swallowing the pancake, I took another small bite. The filling tasted nutty but sweet and it was quite a strange flavor to me. Not bad, but not something I would enjoy eating on the regular.

Still, I didn't want to disappoint Mikey so I smiled. "It's good."

"Right?" He grinned happily, clapping me on the shoulder. "I told you!"

Since it wasn't terrible, I decided to finish the treat and the three of us exited the store. Instead of taking off immediately, the two boys rested against their bikes, just enjoying the nice breeze of the afternoon. I heard the faint sound of bells which got louder as Mikey pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Hello?" Mikey tilted his head as he listened to a frantic voice on the other end. I could tell it was a male but I had no idea what was being said. "What? Where?" Another pause. "We're on our way." He slammed the phone closed before looking at Draken with a serious expression I had yet to witness before. It sent a chill down my spine, not helped by the fact that the carefree aura from before had dissipated into something tense and serious.

The two nodded at one another, not sharing a word before Mikey jumped on his bike, taking off. Draken did the same, waiting for me to scramble on after him.

"Hold tight," Draken told me, his tone hard as he revved the engine, racing after the shorter boy.

I had no clue what was happening, but I knew it was something serious, something dangerous. I knew this was going to happen! I buried my face into his back and closed my eyes, trying not to focus too much on how fast my heart was beating. Could he feel it against his back? I really hoped he couldn't.

We reached their destination in no time at all and they climbed off their bikes, heading for a set of steps that led down toward a quay. Before I could take another step after them, Draken turned, his eyes hard.

"Stay here," he ordered, beginning to turn back around but he paused, took a deep breath, and approached me. He got so close to me that I tried to step back on instinct, but my legs hit his bike, trapping me between it and him. His eyes bore into my own and I couldn't bring myself to look away. "Please. Don't move from here. We'll be back soon."

Before I could reply, he was rushing toward Mikey who was waiting on him, not looking worried as he ate another dorayaki.

I swallowed hard, hands balled into fists. I know what he said and I know I should listen to him, but… I deserve to know what I'm getting myself into with these people. So, I added another stupid thing to my list.

I followed them.