Reverse Tarot - shinjiro-aragaki

Akihiko Sanada – Aki, the childhood friend Shinji hadn’t been able to shake off even during the more questionable times in his life. What was he doing in this random chatroom? What were the chances Shinji would open this new phone and immediately end up in contact with Akihiko? On the subject of the phone, where the hell did it come from? Shinji had no memory of being given it, nor of being brought into Tokyo and left in some alleyway. His memory was foggy in general, the last clear memories having been of the SEES dorm – now that Aki had mentioned it, he did remember being shot, but the events leading up to it were still vague in his mind. On top of that, he’d apparently been dead for years. He could remember dying. Despite the pain, it was oddly peaceful. How was he back? And where had he been in the meantime? “I feel like it’s been a long time” Time had passed, that was obvious from how different everything was, but Shinji was sure he’d been doing something - existing somewhere - in that time. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t recall any details, other than an oddly soothing song and the colour blue. Can’t have been heaven. Shinji always knew if that shit was real, he’d end up in the other place. He could guarantee it wasn’t that either. So where had he been, and what had he been doing there? .

3:44 PM

Everything was so weird and he was so confused, he didn’t even know what to begin focusing on. Nothing felt right, almost like a dream. His mind was fuzzy, he was tired, and his body just felt wrong. In fact, he’d stumbled on his way to get a better view of the street before him. His limbs refused to cooperate and he’d ended up slowly and carefully using the wall to guide himself along the alley. As even standing was a struggle, he’d decided it was safest to just sit down. Presently, he was perched on some steps just inside the alley, eyes fixed on the street before him. Somehow Aki knew this place from the vague description and was on his way. The relief Shinji felt that his friend would be able to help him felt alien to him – he was certain he wouldn’t previously have let Aki see him in this state, preferring to stubbornly hide any signs of weakness. Whatever. May as well just let things happen; Shinji clearly wasn’t himself at the moment and felt too exhausted to care. With a yawn, he leaned his head against the wall to wait for his friend’s arrival. @「ᴡɪʟᴅ"ʟᴜᴄᴋʏ"ᴄᴀʀᴅ」

Hands slightly shaking, Akihiko sprinted out of his apartment and raced down the stairs to get to his car. So many things were going through his head, but none of them stuck, leaving him in a state of shock. Although, that wasn’t very surprising since it’s not everyday when someone seemingly came back to life. It’s been 8 years since Shinji’s death and he had accepted it as a part of his life and moved forward. But, now that he was back.. It felt like he was 18 again, confused on how he should react. A few other residents who were passing by, stumbled back in surprise as he ran past them. With nothing to stop him, he pried the car door open immediately after he remembered to unlock the vehicle. After a loud slam echoed throughout the underground parking lot, he drove out of the building and made his way to the police station he worked at. His left index finger impatiently tapped on the steering wheel. It was so tempting to break all of the speed limits just to get to where Shinji was, but he managed to resist. He wasn’t going to risk a car crash or any sort of accident to happen on his account when he needed to see his childhood friend with his own eyes. Thankfully, he didn’t live too far from his workplace and the traffic wasn’t as terrible as it usually was. He entered the parking lot behind the police station, and started to reach for the handle, only for him to freeze. All of a sudden, a crippling sense of fear and doubt clouded his mind. What if Shinji wasn’t really there and it was some sick person who impersonated someone he treasured? To an outsider, that was probably a dumb question to ask, but Akihiko wasn’t in his right mind at the moment.

4:44 PM

He closed his eyes and clenched his right hand into a tight fist. No, this wasn’t the time to wonder about the ‘what ifs’. He took a few deep shaky breaths to calm his rapid heartbeat before opening his eyes, unclenching his fist, and finally exited the car. A quick look at the front of the building showed that Shinji wasn’t in a place where he could easily be spotted. Akihiko couldn’t help but let out a snort. That was what Shinji definitely did back then and it was annoying as ever. Speaking of old times, he might be in one of the alleyways. Akihiko crossed his arms in deep thought before deciding on checking the alleyway that was directly across the street. As he got closer, he saw a familiar shape sitting on some steps. A part of him was still in denial and demanded that he should forget about this whole thing and go back home. But… His heart wanted him to keep going. For as long as he remembered, he always listened to what his heart said whenever he was in a situation that had no clear answers. So, that’s what he did. He kept walking until he was a few feet away from the other man. “.... Hey, Shinji.” @Kura [has returnethed]

Shinji waited, eyes scanning up and down the street to try and find a familiar figure. What would Aki even look like now? Presumably he’d be different to his 18-year-old self. Hopefully he’d still be recognisable. Watching the various strangers passing by, Shinji noticed they spent a lot of time using their phones. What could they be doing that was so interesting? Mobile games weren’t that good, and it’s not like you could spend that long texting. He’d have to investigate his own device further later on. After a short while, someone standing outside the police station caught his eye; a man who appeared to be looking around for something. Was that him? No, surely he couldn’t have gotten here that quickly. Maybe it was a policeman looking for someone. Shinji frowned as the man started walking towards him. Had someone reported him for being suspicious or something? He had received a few weird looks from people… Honestly, Shinji had no idea what he looked like apart from having seen his silhouette reflected on the phone screen – maybe he did look suspicious. As the man got closer Shinji realised he was wearing normal clothes. Perhaps it was Aki after all? How did he get here so fast? Unless… Had Shinji somehow ended up where his friend lived? The hell was with all of these coincidences? .

6:22 PM

Well, he was definitely here for Shinji, coming to a stop just in front of the steps. Shinji looked the man up and down, taking in his clothing, his posture and finally his face. Sharper cheekbones, a more defined jawline and what appeared to be new scars; despite the differences, it was definitely Aki. “Aki…” his voice came out weaker than expected, emotions suddenly welling up from nowhere and the hint of a smile crossing his face. He’d missed Aki so damn much. Shinji didn’t know where that thought had come from, but it seemed to be correct as memories of feeling that way flooded into his head. He wasn’t usually one for hugs, but the shit he was feeling made him want to grab Akihiko and not let go until he could confirm this was all real and that he wouldn’t lose his friend again. Shinji hoisted himself up using a railing attached to the wall, continuing to hold it as he stepped forward, not trusting his balance. Legs weaker than expected, one knee gave way, sending Shinji forwards. Shooting a hand out to steady himself, he ended up grabbing Akihiko’s shoulder, forearm resting on his chest. It seemed Aki’s dumb workout routine hadn’t gone anywhere, he was muscular as ever. Now awkwardly leaning on his old friend, he realised just what kind of state his own body was in. Everything felt so weak, so unsteady. “Shit…” @「ᴡɪʟᴅ"ʟᴜᴄᴋʏ"ᴄᴀʀᴅ」

"Woah!" Akihiko grabbed onto Shinji's arms to help maintain his balance. All of his doubts washed away as genuine concern appeared on his face. Just what was his best friend doing before they met that he was too weak to stand up? He had so many questions to ask, but he held it all in. This wasn’t the time to interrogate Shinji on everything he knew. Unconsciously, his grip tightened when his brain finally realized that Shinji was real and not a figment of his imagination. He laughed in disbelief. This entire situation was too bizarre. He took a few seconds to look and noticed that Shinji had a slight beard, but aside from that, he mostly looked the same. It was like he never died in the first place and continued living. Although, he knew that wasn’t the case. Something happened to him in between the time he was gone from this world and when he suddenly appeared again. “You feeling alright or do I need to get you something to eat and drink? We could talk more later if you want.” Akihiko knew that Shinji hated being treated like glass, but he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t everyday when someone was brought back to life. How was he supposed to know how to approach a person who went through something like that? @Kura [has returnethed]