notes – if you're more of a Jintan/Menma person, have no fear! I have some drabbles for that pair too.

the lives left
jintan, anaru (post-series)

They start by picking up the pieces from seven years ago.

He takes the empty seat in front of her and looks over his shoulder whenever he can't follow class. She hands him her notebook and for once, she feels the need to pay attention to the teacher. She writes down the formulas on the whiteboard and asks a question or two when she dares to be daring.

During break, he makes it a point to ask her questions and whine about how lost he is in class. She rests her head on her desk and feels almost dependable. Jintan repays her by sharing the boxed lunch his father made for him. Anaru scans the classroom discreetly, on the lookout for gossip mongers. When she's sure there aren't any, she helps herself to the prawns.

They walk home together after school, after he's done copying her notes and thanking her. She pulls the straps of her bag closer to herself and watches how the setting sun elongates their shadows on the walkway. Then, she chuckles. Jintan raises an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it just feels like we're turning into Yukiatsu and Tsuruko, walking home like this," she tells him absently, "but that's silly!" she finishes her sentence, horrified by what she just said.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't want to be like them." Jintan shrugs, still far from understanding the two. "We're just us," he decides.

"Us?" Anaru repeats. She feels her cheeks heat.

"Whatever that is," Jintan says. He looks away from the traffic light and gazes at her, searching for an understanding between them. When she nods, the corner of his mouth lifts a little, awkward but trying.

They know that life doesn't have a retry button the way RPGs do, but life has forgiveness, friendship and the ability to start anew, which is more than enough.