Hiatus again? Seriously? For about 2 months? Nice job, genius. In all seriousness, college sure is tiring.

... What are you guys doing still reading this story? Favoriting and following this... I can't even make a right title! *sigh* ... Thank you. I don't deserve this.

For ArgoraKnight, even though I doubt you're still reading this story:

"I should be the one to thank you. I personally thought that 3000+ words for one chapter is pretty long? But I'm really happy that you like the story. YES! WE NEED MORE NEKU X SHIKI! *ahem* Eeh, I doubt the game will be translated to other languages as well (considering it's already 11 years since its first release and the only changes they made is making the games playable in other consoles and adding some bonus story).

Hey, that's good if you still have NDS! It's a lot more enjoyable to play than in Switch, in my opinion. Thank you, Nomura, for inviting TWEWY crews in Kingdom Hearts DDD so that many people could know this piece of greatness of Action-RPG games! *sob* From my knowledge, yes, TWEWY is regarded as one of the best NDS games from many reviewers. You really should try it! Sorry I just got the time to reply and continue this story."

Let's get back to work.

The World Ends With You – Square Enix

Trias Verborum - Inevitable Farewell

Week 1 Day 2: Dying (with a Bit of Memories)

"..."

Knock, knock.

"Kid, can I get in?"

"Sure."

The door opened, only to reveal a tall figure with a same ginger hair like Neku. He was chewing his favorite bean-paste lollipop. Neku who was drawing some sketches on his sketch book looked up to stare at the man.

"What do you need, Kariya?"

"Chill down, kid. I'm just checking up on you." The man―Koki Kariya―sat on Neku's bed.

"You're just my uncle, nothing more, nothing less." Neku put up his headphones. "And you're already dead long ago."

"Touché."

Neku played the music in his mp3 player and wore his headphones before going back to his sketch. He wished he could get some peace with his music before he has to go to the café in afternoon. Interacting with another human sure is exhausting, and he barely had any time to charge himself yesterday.

"I know I'm just your mom's little brother, but now that sis is gone, you're my responsibility," Kariya glanced at his nephew. "I mean, you were nearly dead, but I'm grateful that you survived."

What the hell, you're one of the reapers that attacked us...

"Sorry, kid. Work is work, no matter who I am and how I hate it."

Damn. He forgot reapers can read his minds now.

"... So, what do you want?"

"Don't you want to go to the summer festival tomorrow?" Kariya pulled the lollipop out from his mouth, making 'pop' sound. "Change of pace, y'know. After being dead, you must do something lively."

"Why would I want to go there?"

"Cause you're lucky it's still summer break since you were in the Game."

Neku glanced at a calendar on his desk. The second of June. Kariya's right. It's already the middle of summer. It feels like just a week ago Neku had his middle school graduation.

"You're going to high school after this summer, aren't 'ya? Besides, all has been handled by the Composer. All the people who knew wouldn't even remember you died after you've been revived. They'll just think you're having a short vacation or a little accident."

"..."

Neku was silent for some minutes, then went back to his sketching. He couldn't care less for high school, nobody would miss him anyway, or he won't even meet his middle school classmates.

Speaking of which, he never asked which high school does Shiki and Beat goes to. Does Joshua, the Composer of Shibuya himself, even go to school?

"C'mon, kid. Summer is about 3F: festival, fireworks, and friends."

"With you? Nope. Not interested in older man."

"Me too, I'm more interested in women."

"Uzuki?"

"Yep, why do you think I agree to be her partner since she became reaper 2 years ago?"

I don't know. The Composer's order?

"That too." Kariya got up and approached Neku. "Besides, you told me you have friends now. I don't have to worry about you living by yourself alone now."

Neku put his pencil away and spun around to look at Kariya. "Yeah, I do."

Glaring at each other for at least a minute, Kariya's hand quickly swiped an object on the desk before Neku could prevent it. His phone.

Damn telekinesis!

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Neku tried to take it back from Kariya's hand.

"Who's this? Ah, yes. Of course, the little missy. Shiki, isn't it?"

"Give it, Kariya!"

"Beat? Oh, the brother boy, huh... Hm? This number..."

Still trying to take back his phone, Neku saw the number Kariya was looking at. "That's the still-alive player who partnered with me on second week."

"But this number… shit, I mistook him for just an ordinary boy."

"So you realized he's anything but normal?"

"That's pretty rude to call The Composer, ginger-head."

"How could you even know The Composer's number anyway?"

"Just know that I already became reaper from long ago."

"Ugh, you're older than I thought."

Kariya laughed loudly at his nephew's comeback. He put back Neku's phone on the desk and walked away to the door. Neku just stared at the man's back as he is unable to read what is in Kariya's mind.

"One more thing, kid," Kariya said without turning his back. "There's been something wrong in the UG. Shinjuku area is already erased. Be careful."

"What? We won't be affected, this is RG."

"I dunno..."

Kariya spun around and stared fiercely at Neku.

"You yourself are a noise, aren't you?"

Neku walked in to the usual empty café. Hanekoma who was cleaning the menu board turned around to see the customer.

"Hey, boss. Comin' for lunch?" Hanekoma greeted him.

"Not really, you just have four menus, anyway." Neku took a seat at the chair close to the café owner. "Where's the others?"

"You're too early. We gathered at 3 yesterday, didn't we?" Hanekoma spun the menu board around. "Besides, think again, Phones. This is the new WildKat!"

Neku stared at the renewed menu board with ridiculous look. There are about a hundred menus written on it, both desserts and coffees.

"... Are the beans been screwing with your brain, Mr. H?"

"That hurts, Phones."

"Are all of those a real thing or just things that taste the same with different names?"

"I'll tell you for some yens you're willing to spend here, kid."

Hanekoma laughed as he walked back to the counter. Neku sighed as he looked around the café.

"I'll just wait for them, then."

"Aww, he just wants to see me, Mr.H."

Joshua walked in to the café with a smirk plastered on his face. Neku mentally sighed. Why isn't he surprised he would come here now of all time?

Let's just ignore him...

"By the way, Phones," Hanekoma poured a cup of coffee and gave it to Neku. "You looked like you have something in your mind. Mind sharing it?"

"Mr. Hanekoma, are you sure you didn't eat any kind of poison? I saw your new menu board filled with variant menus and now you're giving someone coffee for free?" Joshua looked curiously at Hanekoma.

"I don't wanna hear that from you, J."

Neku thanked Hanekoma for the coffee and sipped it slowly. It was still hot, of course. Hanekoma just make it right before he asked him what is bothering his mind, but the boy couldn't care less about his burning tongue now.

"Kariya told me that the noise is... dangerous."

Neku quickly rose up to his feet as Kariya stood at the door, still staring fiercely at him.

"How do you know about it?!"

"I said I've already become reaper longer than you think, kid." Kariya took a step closer to Neku. The boy steadily stood at his place.

"Do you know something about this noise?"

"Course, kid. Amoris responsum. Never thought I'd see it again," Kariya chuckled. "Special kind of noise, infecting someone, not even GMs can summon it easily."

"... How about you?"

"We're not talking about me now." Kariya shrugged. "Besides, if I could, I'd be too lazy to do something as troublesome as that."

"Yeah, right."

"... So that might be why it was there."

"It?"

"Nothin', nothin'." Kariya took out another lollipop. "Chill, I'm not gonna attack you, but you should be careful with the noise, kid."

"Why should I? Isn't it just like memes, but controlling me?"

Kariya stared ridiculously at him before bursting into laughter.

"So you enjoyed it, huh!" Kariya tried to stop laughing. "The noise controlling you... I wonder who is the victim for your noise."

"..."

"I know someone from the past who was infected with this noise too, kid," Kariya put on his serious face. "Harmless enough not to attract other noises or reapers, but let me tell you, he didn't end well."

Neku scoffed. "What? He died?"

"More or less."

Joshua listened to Neku's story until the end. It was an insight for him. He never encounters this noise before, but hearing that one of his reapers knows it more overwhelmed him.

"If Kariya know this, wouldn't you too, Mr. H? You've been here longer than Joshua and even Kariya, right?" Neku eyed Hanekoma who was... smiling? "W-why are you smiling?"

"Yup, I know, Phones. Yesterday just proved my guess."

"Then why didn't you tell me, Mr. Hanekoma?" Joshua looked annoyed being in the dark for someone in his position.

"Phones will find it out sooner or later, anyway,"

"So, you know about that too? Her plan on that?"

"Nope, not about that. I'm sure Kariya wouldn't too," Hanekoma waved his hand. "Anyway, he's right. Someone was infected by the same noise as you by a powerful reaper long ago, and he died. Erased."

"May I add that I'm not allowing you to come back to the UG ever again, Neku." Joshua's look turned grim. "So... no more nine lives for you."

Shiki appeared from the left side of the café. She could see that she came here last, Beat and Rhyme already sat around Neku, while Joshua was talking with Hanekoma. Looking cowardly at her left, Shiki whispered.

"Are you really, really sure you want to accompany me here, Eri?"

"What do you mean? Of course I'm sure to accompany my best friend who disappeared and didn't answer my call yesterday!" the other girl―Eri―stomped and made an angry face.

"I'm sorry! I was... tired yesterday," Shiki tried to lie while hiding her blush, remembering yesterday event.

"That accident... Are you sure you're okay to go out? We're in summer break, you can laze around all day to recover."

Shiki nodded. "I'll manage. I won't succumb to my weakness again, not after he supports me."

"He...?" Eri grinned and pulled Shiki into the café. "Ah, I can't wait to see your new friends, Shiki! Especially him!"

"N-no, Eri!"

"Are those them? Looks fun!" Eri ran to Neku's table. "Hi, guys!"

Shiki gasped lightly when she made contact with Neku's eyes and tried to hide behind her best friend. He can't turn in front of Eri now!

"I'm Eri, Shiki's best friend! ... Shiki, what are you doing?" Eri waved her hand and nudged Shiki―who clings behind her―with her other hand. "As you can see, Shiki is really shy, but I'm glad she can be friend with you, guys!"

Beat and Rhyme were going to reply her greeting before they saw a hand was outstretched and gripped Eri's hand. The siblings and Shiki panicked while Eri was just looking confused at the culprit.

"... Shiki?" The culprit―Neku―asked with a whisper.

"Err... No? I'm not Shiki. I'm Eri, I just told you? Hahaha...?" Eri laughed awkwardly.

"NO, no, wait! He can talk?" Beat shouted and looked at Hanekoma. "Coffee Man, yo! What shoul' we do?!"

"Tie him up like usual, kid," Hanekoma said as he threw a rope at Beat. "Hurry, we don't have time."

"Tie him up...?" Eri looked at Shiki with indescribable look. "Shiki, what exactly... are you guys doing... like usual?"

"Err..." Shiki tried to find an excuse as she watched Neku being tied up by Beat and Rhyme. "We just... tend to tie each other, every time we meet, like... usual. Haha... ha,"

Very clever, Shiki. Shiki mentally slapped herself.

"... Are you guys into what they called Bondage Dominance―"

"NO! N-no, of course not!"

Eri just blinked and laughed. Of course Shiki wouldn't join a group like that... right?

"So... what are you guys doing, actually?"

Shiki peeked over Eri to look at the ginger-haired boy who was already tied up. How could she explain it to Eri?

"He's, uh..." Shiki sighed and stepped aside, revealing herself to the boy. At least let her finish the misunderstanding with the boy first.

Neku looked at her, then back at Eri. Her, then Eri.

"There's 2 Shiki?"

Eri looked dumbfounded and turned around to find Shiki who covered her face with her hand.

"... Is he drunk?"

"W-we're just fifteen, Eri…" Shiki laughed awkwardly. Drat, how could she explain this? "Um, Neku. I'm Shiki, right here."

The boy stared at her then glared at Eri.

"I remember you." Neku said. "You're the one who made Shiki―"

"HAPPY! FUN, YEAH!" Shiki immediately covered Neku's mouth before he could babble all her secret.

Eri just giggled at the view in front of her. She thinks how cute her best friend interaction is with this boy she called Neku, but she also was confused with the situation.

Shiki took a deep breath when she saw Neku looked up to her with such cute look she didn't even realize he had. She was about to do something she might regret later. The brunette girl leaned to his ear and whispered something in his ears.

The boy nodded and kept staring at her. Shiki could feel her cheeks burned, but then she saw something different in his clear blue eyes.

"Mr. Hanekoma...?"

Hanekoma walked from the counter to approach her. Shiki pointed at Neku's eyes.

"Neku's eyes... they're different."

"Well, of course," Joshua chirped from the counter. "If you're talking about the difference from last time, he's not as aggressive as before."

"And he talkin'!" Beat added.

"Hmm..." Hanekoma stared at the boy's eyes while listening to their accounts.

"Oh, I found somethin' different when tying Phones b'fore too!"

Beat raised Neku's left hand. On it, there was some numbers like the one they had back in the game.

Joshua widened his eyes in surprise. "A... timer?"

"But for what?" Rhyme asked.

"It says 180 minutes, but I don't know about this little number right here..." Shiki looked at Neku's palm as she tried to hide her blush because the owner of the palm just leaned his head to her shoulder. Eri just giggled at those two.

"Maybe... the duration of its activation?" Joshua thought again for a little bit. "And..."

"And?"

"… Nothing." Joshua chuckled.

Well, that doesn't sound nothing for me... Shiki thought.

"So, what'll we do with Phones today, yo, Coffee Man?" Beat rubbed his beanie-covered head.

"We couldn't do anything for now," Hanekoma said as he glanced at Eri for a second before brightly smiled at the group. "Why don't you guys just play or chat like usual to spend your time here?"

Rhyme who got the signal nudged her brother and showed her phone to inform him, while Shiki just anxiously nodded. They probably have some reasons not to reveal what actually happened to those who never played the Game. However, is there no other way to shorten the time, if the timer really is the duration of its activation?

"How about splashing him with water again?" Shiki suggested.

"Could work, but I doubt it."

"On it!"

Beat ran to the coffee machine counter to fill a cup of clear cold water. He ran back to their table and poured it on Neku's head. The boy shut his eyes and shook his head. He hung his head for a while, before went back to lean against Shiki's shoulder. He rubbed his cheek on her clothes, either trying to get his face dry or getting clingy.

"Why?!" Shiki and Beat cried simultaneously. "Why isn't it working?!"

"It works last time..." Rhyme muttered.

"Why not just wait for the timer to run out?" Joshua shrugged.

"I can't! Look at him..." Shiki looked at her shoulder where Neku leaned in with his eyes shut and a peaceful smile plastered on his face. "He's acting more… childish?"

"Don't you think a kid is easier to take care of than… yesterday?" Joshua smirked.

Shiki sighed and tried to walk away from Neku, but then the boy wailed her name childishly.

"Shikiii~"

"J-jeez! Just let me…" Shiki took a chair near her and put it beside Neku. Once she sat, he immediately leaned over her shoulder again and hummed quietly.

No one could say anything afterwards. Some felt awkward, the other just chuckled and giggled at the view, but mostly were confused.

"… So," Eri tried to break the ice. "This is the one you told me about, Shiki? I thought he would be more… distant?"

"No, he's not like this usually…" Shiki glanced at the ginger-haired boy and gulped. She has to endure this until next 3 hours?

"Yeah, I also don't think he is from your explanation..." Eri turned at the siblings. "You're Beat and Rhyme, right? Shiki told me that you guys always help her when she was hospitalized. Thank you!"

Beat and Rhyme looked at each other. Before they could open their mouth, a message popped on their phone.

'That's my alternate reason for Miss Misaki's death. You can't tell anything about the Game.

The Composer'

They quickly looked over to behind the counter. At the same time, the sender who was cleaning the silverwares, turned around and grinned. He put his index finger in front of his mouth.

"That's right!" Rhyme cheerily answered. "We were also hospitalized at the same time as Shiki, so we helped each other out. She was also a really big help!"

"Yeah! Especially at tamin' that jerk," Beat pointed at tied-up Neku. He was going to say more, but nothing came out from his mouth.

A message appeared on his phone.

'I told you, you can't. You were going to tell her about how she and Neku gracefully beat the bat, aren't you, Daisukenojo-kun?'

Beat turned around and glared at the cream-haired boy who turned his back to him. Somehow Beat knows the boy is still chuckling for making joke of him and that makes him more irritated at the boy.

"Hee, how did all of you meet, then? Shiki told me that she has a really memorable adventure with you, guys!" Eri smiled excitedly. "And, and with all your talks before! About timer, his different behavior, activation, this whole bondage things, and… noise? Is that the enemy in your adventures?"

"E-Eri! It's just a child's play! Like… roleplay, yeah!" Shiki tried to find an excuse. "Right, Rhyme?"

"I-if Shiki said that, then yeah! We're also happy with our adventures in there together!" Rhyme forced a smile.

"Huh, if hospitals are that fun, maybe I'll try to get into accident too," Eri laughed at the idea. "Juuust kidding―"

"Don't joke about that."

They all turned their head at the source of voice. The noise-infected boy himself. He stared sharply at Eri, his aura has changed from his clingy self before.

"Dying is not as simple as you thought. Even living is not as simple, if you're full of regrets. No, you wouldn't know how it feels." Neku straighten up his body from Shiki's shoulder. "Some people don't get how other people feel. Even if they're their own close friend."

Oh no. Shiki was quite taken aback by his sudden action. Why is he already awake? Now, of all time?

"…"

Some notes:

- Because Nomura loves to ditch the parents' role in his games, TWEWY included, I decided to just kill them off. I just make Neku the only one who became an orphan, though. (So cruel!)

- Before any of you complain, of course I make Neku becomes so out of character. He's being infected by the noise.

- Kariya canonically has been working as reaper longer than Uzuki who has just been for two years. Hence, he is quite knowledgeable about his job and the environment despite being so laid-back and lazy. I won't be surprised if he knows something about The Composer more than he is shown in the game, even though he never see him.

- Because of the fact above, I think maybe he has already became a reaper longer than Joshua became Composer. He canonically recognized the Taboo Noise sigil, while Joshua didn't. Pretty neat for the lollipop man, huh?

- Kariya and Neku isn't related at all, but their similar hair and interactions (especially in Another Day) reminds me of my uncle and me. And if their last names are different, I just have to make Kariya came from Neku's Mom's family, so she can have a reason to have different last name from her husband, thus coming down to Neku. (Cliche...)

- The whole story about this particular noise is all just a fiction, even the name. Yeah, it's from latin too, search the meaning yourself. I'm too embarrassed to say it again. Agh, I'm so bad at naming things. (Too cheesy!)

- There is no info on are they allowed to tell regarding the Game to people in RG (or that's how I remember it), but here I just made it that they can't tell RG people about their Game.

- Yeah, I also don't know how times work in the Game. Did they return to their everyday life like usual after being disappeared for 3 whole weeks? Did the whole three weeks is just a minute in RG like how it happened in Avengers Endgame? Are they being declared dead in the RG? When did the Game even take place? I don't know, I just make it like this to avoid confusion and just make everything else somehow because of Joshua's power. (Having the Composer himself as the main character sure is convenient)

- Other than all of those things above, it's canon. Even about Shinjuku area being erased.

- Yes, I intend to do a full week. With 1 day divided into 2 chapters, that means there's still 12 chapter more. I already have some chapters written, just... wait. (Good Lord, give me strength to keep writing)

- I love to write from characters' conversation than to describe something on narrative, but I think I'm going to work on that.

As always, I really appreciate supports and constructive criticisms.