Title: 'After the Game – '

Description: The Game is finally over. Shibuya is still standing. The only thing that is different in the city of constant change is four teenagers, with eyes that have seen too much, and hearts that have yet to heal. This is their story. (A collection of one-shots taking place after the Reaper's game.)

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You

Chapter 2 – 'Blood Money'

"That'll be 420 yen, please."

Neku counted out the coins from his wallet, depositing them into the cashier's outstretched hand as she slid his cup of minestrone over in exchange with a giggle and a light blush dusting her face. Accepting the warm tub of vegetable soup from her with a warm smile, the teenager made his way out of the Sunshine Stationside, a happy grin on his face, well-used headphones bobbing around his neck. He had developed a taste for the stuff from his time in the game. At the time, appreciating it's rich, salty contours had not been something he'd been able to do, as he usually elected to eat it as quickly as he could–often regardless of how badly the odd, over-heated cup scalded his throat–as something to keep himself and his partner running as they sprinted from one side of Shibuya to the other and back again, fending off attacks from the Noise every step of the way.

Now, however, he no longer had to worry about the next ambush being his last, or solving the Grim Heaper's increasingly convoluted mathematical riddles whilst blocking out his partner's asinine comments, or wading through the endless sea of manipulations and plotting that was the politics of the dead. He had his life back–a second chance that he had fought tooth and nail for–and like hell was he was going to throw this one away, too. Continuing on down his daily route, Neku strolled down the street towards the bus stop.

After a few minutes of waiting, and finishing his soup, he boarded his ride to school. Nodding a 'thank you' to the driver, he fished out the ¥100 fare, and sat down towards the back of the bus, content to watch the city he'd become so intimately familiar with go by. His thoughts drifted back to the game–as they always seemed to, these days–before he decided to take his mind off that perilous track to think about his future. 'What am I going to do with my life after school?' he wondered to himself. 'Leaving Shibuya's out of the question,' he decided immediately. 'At least for the foreseeable future, anyways... There are still too many memories and too many connections.' For better or for worse, the city had become a permanent part of him, and one that he wasn't sure he could cope with losing, broken and healing as he was. 'Well, at least that narrows down my options,' the orange-haired teen mused. 'So then, what? College? Most of the stores know me pretty well: I could probably get a part-time job.' He tried to imagine that; himself as one of the many colourful shopkeepers that dotted Shibuya. It was hard to picture.

As the bus reached his stop, Neku hopped off and began the short walk to his school. As he walked, he decided he might as well start saving up for college, if only to leave himself options for later. Flipping open his phone to check the time, he figured he still had a bit to wait before class, so what the hell–he might as well check how much he had on him. When he reached his high school, he sat down at a table, set down his things, and pulled out his wallet. As he reached forwards to unzip it, however, he noticed something that stopped him cold. He had been half-expected to see the cheap-but well-made little nylon wallet his father had given him for his fourteenth birthday. Instead, sitting almost innocuously in the palm of his hand, was his other wallet.

The one he had purchased whilst playing the game.

The one made of cream-coloured snakeskin, and lined with rich, deep brown silk, which, even after a week of him using it absentmindedly, was still bulging with the amount of bills and coins stuffed into its almost criminally expensive-looking recesses.

Hands shaking, Neku opened it and began counting.

¥1...

¥6...

¥489...

¥3,867...

...

The now pale-faced orange-haired teen stopped abruptly, setting down the still-overstuffed wallet. He waited a moment, slapped himself in the face a few times, and then began again...

...

...

...

...

¥995,463. Neku exhaled and began putting the money back into the finally-emptied wallet. Cursing lightly as he realized he had missed the bell, he finished hurriedly stuffing the cash in, and upon closing it, went to return it to his bag. While doing so, he felt his hand brush several somethings, which called back one series of memories in particular...

[Shibu Department Store/Week 2, Day 4]

"Neku, are you sure you need another one? I mean, I understand being prepared, but this...this just seems a little silly, doesn't it?" The cobalt-blue-and-white-clad teen readjusted his headphones in a somewhat embarrassed manner,

"Bite me," he snapped back at his partner, who was looking with something like amused bewilderment on as the orangette made his purchase of a SECOND Fat Cat Wallet. "Last week, there was more than one time we ended up running on fumes because we had to splurge on pins, with not enough left for food–if it happens now, we won't lose yen." Joshua just shrugged.

"Well, in that case..." he strolled up to the cashier–who was still staring in shock at the boy who hadn't just bought an obscenely expensive snakeskin wallet, he'd bought TWO–and cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him.

"C-can I help y-you with anything, young man?" she stammered, trying to compose herself. Joshua then presented her with a fat stack of bills and a charming smile.

"I think I'll follow my friend's example and take a pair for myself as well." The cashier was silent for a moment. Then she just nodded weakly and walked in a daze to the back, retrieving the merchandise and accepting the money. The pair then left the store.

"Care to explain to me what THAT was all ab-" Neku started, raising an eyebrow with a suspicious frown on his face, before he was cut off as Joshua tossed the new wallets to him.

"Here," he said, turning around and giving his partner a smug look of satisfaction. "You can be the treasurer. I think the part suits you, however much I'd personally prefer you being my secretary." The look turned into a teasing grin. "Mmmm... I can just imagine you in those glasses, the little skirt, and–" he, too was in turn cut off, jumping back as Neku launched a vicious swing at the smug boy's head. "Now, now, Neku... is that any way to treat your partner? Especially when they've just bought you a present..."

"...go to hell..." Neku growled in return.

Neku sat back down, propping one arm on the table to steady himself, as his balance seemed a bit skewed as of the moment. Peering into his bag, he affirmed that, yes, the other three Fat Cat Wallets were there, each just as full as the first. Swallowing, he rummaged around for any more surprises, and found his hand close around something large and bulky. Curious, he reached in to pull it out, then immediately dropped it as if it had burned him as soon as he caught a glimpse of it. Now, with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, Neku recalled the origins of the last item in his backpack.

[Week 3,Day 2]

Exhaling relaxedly as he stepped into the cool, climate-controlled Bel Airplane, the dead boy's eyes swept back and forth across the immaculate store, before landing on the cashier. The woman–whose name, he had learned was May Kurokawa–was looking at him with a face that seemed to be a mix of apprehension and nervousness. (and also...that w-wasn't a blush, was it?!) He had asked Beat to wait outside to avoid him causing a stir while he shopped, a choice which Neku had definitely thought to be a smart move, given all of the delicate, easily-breakable finery. Strolling straight up to the counter, he spoke.

"Do you, by chance, carry any other models of wallets here?" he asked, almost laughing as she paled and gave a weak smile.

"I-I'm dreadfully sorry, sir, but we only carry the one..." she replied apologetically. He 'hmm'ed thoughtfully, and started to turn towards the door. He stopped midway as he heard Ms. Kurokawa speak up from behind him.

"Oh, but we did just receive a new selection of suits!" came the hopeful call. "Perhaps you would like one for your companion?" Neku was about to ask how in the world the well-dressed shop owner could possibly imagine putting Beat into anything remotely approaching formalwear, when he caught sight of the specific article she held.

It was a suit, all right, a deep turquoise affair with pale olive accents–precisely what tipped him off to whom she was referring. The realization hit him like a shot to the stomach.

Flashes of blurry images raced before the teenager's eyes; a coy smile, the demented laughter of a cornered madman, the phantom sensation of a hand on his chest, shoving him back, and the sight of lone figure with arms outstretched, silhouetted against an onrushing wall of all-consuming light. It was a moment forever burned into his memory.

'Joshua...'

He managed to choke out a quick "No, th-thank you," before he beat a hasty retreat.

"So, how'd it go?" Neku could almost scream in relief. Occupying his mind with having to do the thinking for two people was exactly what he needed right now.

"They didn't have it," he answered quickly, remembering his reasons for coming in the first place. With more and more powerful Noise appearing, the duo were finding it necessary to outfit themselves with higher and higher quality threads and accessories. 'If clothes in the RG worked like this,' Neku thought. 'I'd pay so much more attention to what I wore.' Unfortunately, higher quality meant higher prices, and Neku wasn't able to keep that much money on him, even with his four wallets. Not for lack of supply, of course–as the stronger Noise meant higher rewards upon their expiration–but because the yen-pins that they dissolved into would fade if he tried to pick up more than a certain amount.

His more muscular partner shrugged unconcernedly and said, "Well, if I was you, I'd just put the cash in a big bag or sumthin'." The orangette shot him a look.

"I'm not going to go walking into some shop with a sack over my shoulder; they'd probably think I was some kind of wannabe robber." Beat leaned back and raised his hands in a 'slow down' gesture.

"Naw, that's easy! Jus' put the money in the sack, and put it in the wallets when you buy stuff!" Neku opened his mouth to point out the obvious logical flaws in the skateboarder's suggestion, then closed his mouth, stunned silent.

"That's... actually a good point..." Beat began puffing out his chest with pride, prompting the introverted boy to grumble into his collar. "I'm going to regret saying that. Come on, big guy. Let's just find a bag to use."

"Ooh! I know a place!"

"How would you–? Never mind, let's just go..."

"Well, it was like this, you see. I was 'boarding along one day and I found myself-"

"Dammit, Beat!"

Neku felt the world start spinning around him. He double-checked his bag, then triple-checked it. Yep. It was the same enormous sack, and it was absolutely stuffed to the gunwales. He took deep breaths as his mind reeled, trying to process the new information it was receiving. As he recalled the hordes and hordes and hordes of every kind of Noise imaginable he had slain, he reached a critical truth.

He was loaded.

Not, 'Wow-I-found-a-thousand-yen-in-the-gutter' loaded.

Not, 'This'll-go-a-long-way-to-paying-for-college' loaded.

Not, 'Let's-go-vacationing-to-somewhere-with-not-enough-vowels-in-its-name-for-a-week' loaded.

He, Neku Sakuraba, at the ripe old age of fifteen-and-some, was positively, set-for-life, never-have-to-work-again, Scrooge-McDuck-just-bought-out-Lex-Luthor, absolutely loaded.

And with that knowledge, the formerly-dead boy did what any other sane person would do.

He closed his bag, forcefully repressed his memories of the past ten minutes, and headed for class.

Hey, there! This chapter is substantially more light-hearted than the first, and the idea behind it is one that came to me just a day after I finished the first. When playing through TWEWY again after wiping my progress, I always notice something about the games: namely that grinding in them is A)Necessary, B)Not really ever that dull or boring, and C)Really, really rewarding. I was introduced through Kingdom Hearts, and first played the iOS port on my iPad, and was immediately hooked by the combat system. To me, I almost always played on the hardest setting I could, and absolutely delighted in struggling through a reduction-chain and finally seeing that end screen just fill up with all of that sweet loot. And, based on my take on Neku's character, he seems like the sort of kid who'd revel in the rush of life-or-death, and end up hoarding his money. The scene with Beat and the bag was an idea that my sister gave me, and seemed to click with Beat's hyperactively enthusiastic nature. (I'll hold the button!) The small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it line about the Bel Airplane shop owner is a reference to how, when you reach max friendship level with her, she develops a crush on Neku.

Special Thanks:

And now, like a bolt from the blue, I'd like to give credit where credit is due. (For helping me in bringing this fanfic to you.)

- Thanks to Guest for reviewing! To answer your question, I'm planning to make this a series of one-shots to update whenever inspiration hits.

- Thanks, gameprincezz for following this!

- To find the (absurd) amount of money that Neku has, I used numbeo dotcom to calculate average living expenses in Tokyo, Japan. (In case you were wondering, the amount is around ¥6,967,710,600, which is–I think–equivalent to $61,128,352.19 US dollars or £44,064,412.4080 British pounds.)

- The Shibuya City Office website gave me the ¥100 bus fare.

- And God bless the TWEWY wiki and the folks there for obvious reasons.

If anyone wants to point out anything I miss about Shibuya, Japanese culture, TWEWY, or anything else, please PM me. Also, if you have an idea for another chapter, or if you want me to answer a question or give some feedback, feel free to drop a review or shoot me a PM.

Until next time, ciao~!

- Scarlet Warhawk

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