gohan1

[gohan1]

[Chapter 18]

"You are so mean, Chifuyu. I make an effort to greet you since we are both members of Toman, but you don’t seem pleased to see me at all. You’ve kind of broken my heart, man."

Hanma did not even attempt to sound serious; he grinned from ear to ear, speaking with a playful tone. When he placed his hand on his chest, he appeared pained for a moment, but then he quickly transformed it into a smirk. Hanma definitely enjoys mocking Chifuyu. As the boy with blond hair clenched his teeth in irritation and moved closer to Hanma, it resembled a confrontation between a little cat and a giant dog.

You do not know the extent of Chifuyu's fighting skills, but it is unlikely that he would have the upper hand against a tall person like Hanma. He has a lanky figure, but this should not be a reason to underestimate Hanma; as you clearly saw back then in the alley, he is more than just a capable fighter.

"Why should I be happy to see a piece of shit like you? Do you think I am unaware of what Kisaki and you are planning to achieve?"

You are surprised that Chifuyu does not feel intimidated at all. Other people would freak out after seeing Hanma's tattoos of "sin" and "punishment" on his hands, but Chifuyu is not scared in the slightest. Maybe he is used to dealing with all sorts of scary-looking hoodlums. Regardless, you admire him for his confidence.

Wait, did Chifuyu just mention Kisaki? Is that the same Kisaki you spoke to the other day? He did not seem to be a bad person, so you were a bit taken aback to hear that he apparently works together with Hanma. Obviously, they are in the same gang, so there is no reason to be suspicious that they are acquaintances. However, Chifuyu hates Hanma, so you concluded that he is also not particularly fond of Kisaki. But what is the plan to which Chifuyu refers?

You believed that Mikey would refrain from including people with malicious intentions in his gang. Were you mistaken in this belief? It cannot be true that Mikey would willingly cooperate with people who have crazy mindsets. It is possible that Mikey is unaware of the true intentions of some of his members.

"Man, I have no idea what you're talking about," Hanma said with a bored shrug.

“And besides..." Hanma continued to speak, his golden eyes shifting their focus to you. "Your girlfriend feels uncomfortable," he added, chuckling a little as he watched you fidget awkwardly in your chair, playing with your fingers.

“She is not my g-girlfriend, just a friend,” Chifuyu corrected, stuttering slightly and having a light flush on his face.

Hanma didn't respond right away; his expression was like a puzzle, giving nothing away about what he was thinking. Then he glanced at you again, and a smirk began to creep onto his face. "Oh really, is that so?“

“Now listen up. I don’t understand why you’re here, but you’re annoying me. And don't even think about involving [Name] in your shitty plans.“

It only took Chifuyu a moment to regain his composure after Hanma made him blush by referring to you as his girlfriend.

“Being all protective, huh? You really seem to like her a lot. Guess I wasn't totally off calling her your girlfriend~“

You felt awkward.

“[Name], right? Maybe we’ll get a chance to see each other again,” he laughed as he reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and lit it. He held the cigarette between his fingers, leaned in a bit closer to kneel down slightly, and blew the smoke in your face. As you cough and frown from the smoke you accidentally inhaled, Chifuyu does not waste a second. He quickly calls out to Hanma with a shout and swings his fist at him. His opponent easily blocked Chifuyu's punch with one hand while still holding the cigarette in the other hand, taking another puff.

"So dull." 

"Hah?!" Chifuyu yelled, choosing to kick at him while Hanma was still holding onto his hand tightly. In the end, Hanma had to throw his cigarette to the ground so he could cover his face with his arms. Even though Chifuyu put all his strength into the attack, Hanma only got a small bruise on his forearm.

"Still weak."

Chifuyu's eyes widened.

Hanma sighed loudly because he was bored, then chose to hit back. Suddenly, Hanma's fist hit Chifuyu's face, and Chifuyu didn't have enough time to step back or protect himself. He landed hard on the ground and rolled over, groaning in pain. Hanma was so strong that he didn't even need to use all his power to throw Chifuyu to the ground.

You were completely shocked, your mind struggling to understand what just happened in an instant. When you noticed tiny spots of blood on the ground, you felt really scared. Chifuyu's face was badly bruised, and blood was coming from his nose. The scene reminded you of Haruchiyo when you saw Mikey force his mouth open and blood spilled onto the ground. Even though this happened when you were kids, you can't forget it now that you know the boy you saw a few months ago is the same one from back then. 

You were really frightened when you first saw Mikey acting so violently, and you couldn't even help Haruchiyo, who was a stranger to you at the time. So, you chose to run away. But now it's different. You are still scared, but it's not as terrifying as when you saw Mikey hurt Haruchiyo so badly. Also, this time it's a friend who is hurt right in front of you. The only reason Chifuyu stood up to Hanma was because he was disrespectful to you. Chifuyu is worried that Hanma might hurt you.

Chifuyu knows that Hanma would not hesitate to hurt a girl, so he quickly jumped in to protect you. But the truth is, Hanma just wanted  to have a litte fun with you. Kisaki said you need to trust him, and for that to happen, Hanma has to keep his distance and not hurt you. Kisaki knows that Hanma would not be able to change his attitude to make you believe he is a nice person. A direct confrontation between you and Hanma would automatically distance you from Kisaki. There is no way you would want to be friends with Kisaki when the partner he is working with is someone like him.

However, since Hanma can be a total asshole at times, he did not listen to Kisaki and approached you.

He wants to understand why Kisaki chose to involve you in his plans. When Kisaki talked to Hanma the day after meeting you and Mikey at the restaurant, he explained to Hanma that you seem to be really important to Mikey. Because of this, Kisaki believes you could be a key player in his strategy. If you support Kisaki and tell Mikey that he deserves to be by his side in a leadership role, there’s a good chance Mikey would agree to promote Kisaki. He thinks that with your help, he could achieve his goals in just 8 years instead of 10, making it easier for him to become the top leader.

When Hanma saw you with Chifuyu, he couldn't help but wonder why you seemed to catch Mikey's attention and why Kisaki was interested in you. To be honest, Hanma was kind of disappointed because you looked like an ordinary girl, which made him think you might be dull. He really hates boredom. At first, he was eager of corrupting you because Kisaki had mentioned how important you were, but that excitement disappeared when he realized you seemed uninteresting. He felt like he was wasting his time. Hanma wanted to leave before things got really boring. He thought he should tell Kisaki that it wasn’t worth his time dealing with someone so unexciting—

"Wait!"

Hanma was so deep in thought that he didn't notice you standing in front of him, with your arms outstretched. Behind you, Chifuyu was still on the ground, trying to get back on his feet. You lifted your head to meet his golden eyes. Your body was trembling, and your legs felt weak, struggling to hold you up. You didn’t want Chifuyu to get hurt any worse, so you had no choice. You needed to face Hanma head-on to stop him. Right now, your priority was keeping Chifuyu safe, even if it meant putting yourself in danger.

You have not known Chifuyu for very long, but you realized he is a good person when you confronted him after you ran away from Haruchiyo, who had treated you like shit. Now, Chifuyu has decided to protect you from Hanma, not wasting a second to take action.

How could you leave him behind?

You need to help him in the same way that he helped you. You know this is obviously easier said than done because you are still shaking with fear, your body uncontrollably sweating. Hanma's eyes grew wide for a second, and then he raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. He didn’t expect you to stand up for your friend like that. A girl of average height challenging someone much taller than her? On top of that, he is a skilled fighter, while you seem like someone who could not even harm a fly. Should Hanma be impressed that you chose to protect Chifuyu, even though you're at a big disadvantage? It seems a bit foolish, but still...

You have his full attention.

"[Name], what are you doing?! Hurry up and get out of here before it's too late!"

Chifuyu managed to stand up, despite being in intense pain from Hanma's powerful punch.

"It's okay. He...won't hurt me."

"A-Are you sure? Because the stickman over there looks like he wants to hurt you."

Hanma grinned at the nickname Chifuyu had given him.

"He's right. Why are you so sure I wouldn't hurt you the same way? Just because you're cute~?

Hanma began to laugh as he reached into his pocket again to light another cigarette. Your face reddened when he called you "cute," but you tried not to let it faze you too much. At the same time, Chifuyu walked up to you and tried to grab your hand to urge you to stand behind him, but after you spoke your next words, he froze in place.

"Because Mikey wouldn't like that"

Silence.

"Are you threatening me?"

You swallowed.

It was hard to tell if he was mad at you since he had a closed-mouth smile and was still smoking. You couldn’t help but wonder why he was smoking, especially since he was still so young, but now didn’t seem like the best moment to bring it up. You felt a wave of fear wash over you, and the fact that he wasn’t showing any anger made it all the more unsettling.

Was it a stupid idea to bring up Mikey's name? You regretted it as soon as you spoke. You wished you had said something else, but the words had already come out of your mouth. Mikey has assured you that he is always there for you, so you are confident he would be angry at Hanma for hurting you. There is no doubt about it.

Hanma actually has no intention of harming you. In fact, he finds it quite amusing to see a cute girl standing up to him. He realizes he made a mistake by hitting Chifuyu so hard, but Chifuyu was overly confident, leaving Hanma with no choice but to demonstrate who is in charge. He did not consider the consequences of this action.

First of all, if you tell Mikey that Hanma punched his teammate Chifuyu, there is a high chance that Mikey will be furious with Hanma, and in the worst-case scenario, he might even kick Hanma out of the gang. Furthermore, there is a significant possibility that Mikey would assign a different person to lead the third division alongside Kisaki. This could impact Kisaki's ability to execute his plans without raising suspicion, as the new vice-leader will likely keep a closer watch on him.

Overall, Hanma completely messed it up. However, it was worth it as he had the great opportunity to witness one of the vice-division leaders being beaten up, especially by his own hands. Chifuyu stood beside you, staring with an open mouth. He was shocked when you used Mikey's name to threaten Hanma. Since Mikey is the leader of the Tokyo Manji Gang and also the strongest person he knows in his entire life, no one would dare to mess with him.

Everyone is scared of Mikey. However, he does not want you to be afraid of him.

"Uh... I do not want you to lose your position, even though you hurt your teammate. I am not particularly fond of the idea of snitching on others, so I will not say a word to Mikey about this matter, but only if you apologize to Chifuyu kun." You spoke, your voice wavering, desperately clinging to your courage as his golden eyes bore into you, sending shivers down your spine—enough to make your heart race with both fear and an overwhelming urge to protect what you felt was right.

Hanma and Chifuyu were both taken aback and shot each other a surprised look.

"[Name] chan, are you being way too nice to this jerk? Honestly, I don’t even want his dumb apology—he should be apologizing to you! This motherfucker blew his cigarette smoke in your face. You're not even involved in our conflict with one another."

"It is not a big deal. You are the one who is hurt because of him, so he should apologize to you. I understand that an apology is not enough, but it is still better than allowing him to simply walk away."

Chifuyu didn't say a word. He just nodded slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on you.

"Aww, you are so nice. I totally didn't mean to hit Chifuyu, my hand just slipped, you know? And thanks for not ratting me out to Mikey. You saved my ass."

While you appeared somewhat content with Hanma's answer, Chifuyu, on the other hand, looked as though he wanted to slap him. However, since your gaze was directed at Hanma, you were unable to see Chifuyu's irritated expression.

"Can I leave now?" Hanma asked with a little smirk, crushing his cigarette under his foot.

"Y-Yes."

Hanma walked past you but stopped for a second in his tracks.

"It was still nice to meet you...Take care, [Name] chan~"

Hanma gave you a wink and walked away, paying no attention to Chifuyu, who was clenching his teeth in anger.

It felt strange. Your heart raced when he said your name; his deep voice was captivating.

When Hanma advised you to take care of yourself, he meant it sincerely. You do not know what the future holds for you. Kisaki will use you for his own benefit in his quest for power. Typically, Hanma does not concern himself with others and their fates, as evidenced by Baji, who died because of Kisaki's manipulation that led Kazutora to kill him. Kisaki is a cruel person, and Hanma finds his cruelty entertaining. However, somehow Hanma hopes that Kisaki will not harm you.

Hanma does not want you to die. Although today is the first time he has seen you, he still wants you to be alive.

There is something about you that makes you unique. He is beginning to understand why Mikey is interested in you. The thought of the possibility of meeting you again amuses him. He cannot pinpoint what makes him want to know more about you at this moment. The only person he is genuinely curious about is Kisaki, but you have also piqued his interest. 

Hanma might experience even more excitement with you nearby.

Your flushed face is amusing. Also, you're quite cute. 

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Hanma muttered.

"Whom are you talking to?" Kisaki asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

"Nah, it's nothing. What's the next plan, Kisaki?~"

[gohan1]

[Chapter 17]

Recently, your life has been relatively uneventful.

Fortunately,  your ankle healed within three weeks, and you were so grateful that you did not have to walk with the cane for longer. At first, you did not really want to go to school because you knew that you would not be able to walk up the endless stairs without hurting yourself again.

Walking with a cane while still in pain was not the main issue. You were more concerned about how your classmates would perceive you. They do not bully you; quite the opposite, they genuinely like you because of your willingness to help others, your cooperation, calmness, and your cheerful and talkative nature when you feel at ease in your environment.

However, sometimes you struggle with your self-esteem. This is not something that can be improved overnight; it is a process that requires time. Nevertheless, you give your best effort to stay positive and constantly remind yourself to believe more in your own abilities.

When you returned to school after a brief break to recover from your injury, time seemed to fly by with all the assignments and exams coming up. You have noticed that Mikey is quite busy too, which has led to only brief interactions between the two of you. He mentioned that he has some meetings with Chifuyu to discuss something important, such as promoting Takemichi as the first division captain of Toman.

While you are unsure of the reasons behind Mikey's sudden decision, you cannot help but feel that Takemichi must have done something truly remarkable for Mikey to consider him for such a role. You decided to make sure to congratulate him the next time you see him.

“Um, [Name] chan, a boy is waiting for you at the entrance," one of your classmates informed you.

“Really?“

You were surprised. Just a moment ago, you were focused on preparing for the next lesson, but now you hear the news that someone seems to want to talk to you. It cannot be Mikey, because he never interrupts your lessons. Sometimes he would show up on his bike after school is over, so there is no way that your classmate refers to him.

But what if Mikey needs to talk to you urgently?

You quickly stood up, hurried outside, and rushed through the hallway, dodging students left and right, and nearly causing a few people to stumble on the stairs. You imagine the worst-case scenarios in your mind, hoping that no one was hurt and that he only wants to talk to you for fun.

Finally arriving at the school yard, slightly out of breath, you see a boy from a distance who is leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

It is not Mikey.

What is his name again?...Kisaki kun?

He noticed how you slowly approached him, visibly confused to see him again after a long time. He lifted his head up from the ground when you finally stood before him, nudging his glasses up to his nose.

“I apologize for disturbing you while you are still in class.“

You were left completely speechless as he stood before you. You struggled to comprehend why he had gone out of his way to have this conversation face to face. And then, out of nowhere, he began to apologize, his voice filled with unexpected sincerity. It was a stark contrast to the  annoyance he had displayed in the restaurant when Mikey was around. The sudden shift in his demeanor left you feeling a mix of confusion and surprise.

”It's fine, there's no need to apologize," you responded with a small smile

“Um, is there something I can help you with?“

He blinked at you, averting his eyes for a moment before making a slight bow.

“After our first meeting, I realized that I was quite rude to you. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable...“

This is absolutely weird. Did he only come to say sorry to you? He didn't even insult you, so there was actually no reason for him to apologize.

“Relax, you didn't even say anything mean to me. Obviously, I could tell that you weren't really interested in talking, but this is understandable as we are basically strangers.“

Kisaki looked up and smiled briefly at you.

Okay, this is indeed strange. He is smiling at you genuinely after you reassured him that it is not a big deal. Perhaps you have misjudged his personality before. He doesn't appear to be a bad guy when he takes the initiative to come and apologize for a trivial matter.

“Oh, really? I thought you took it quite personally back then, but it's good to know that it is not the case.“

Now, it is time to bid farewell and proceed to the next class, as you have already missed a few minutes of the lesson and you are typically known for being on time for your classes.

“Ugh...Is it okay to start all over again? I feel like I didn't make a good impression last time, and I really want to make it up to you.“

This turn of events was unexpected. You thought your conversation was coming to an end, but Kisaki apparently feels awful for his behavior and wants to make amends.

“Yeah, definitely! This could be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better and become friends.“

”Friends?" he repeated with wide eyes, not used to hearing this term as he is accustomed to seeing people stay away from him.

Except for Hanma Shuji.

Hanma is not even Kisaki's friend; he is simply a bored person seeking excitement in life. Kisaki provides him with the thrill he craves by taking advantage of him, and Hanma does not feel disturbed by it.

”Why are you so surprised?...Um, did I say something strange?“

“Not really...I was just caught off guard because I don't actually have that many friends. No one is interested in getting closer to a prodigy like me.“

Kisaki does not care about having friends or any other shit. The only important thing in his life is to ensure the success of his 10-year plan to gain Mikey's complete trust and the upper hand.

Not feeling the need to make friends does not mean that Kisaki is not skilled at drawing others towards him. Kazutora and Peh-yan were easily influenced by him, until Takemichi intervened and thwarted his plan to take Draken's position.

Kisaki is playing with you. He pretends to be a nice guy who is eager to become your friend, in order to deceive and manipulate you into doing what he wants. 

You will make a good chess piece.

After a few sleepless nights, he concluded that you are a threat to his goal of being able to control Mikey. Mikey needs Kisaki, but Takemichi's influence is making Mikey forget that. If there are people like Draken and Takemichi around him, he would not lose his sanity.

And now there is you, who is also a major hindrance.

Initially, he did not consider you to be a person whom he needed to be concerned about. He was certain that you are just a random girl who happens to be in Mikey's life. However, when he overheard a conversation between Draken and Takemichi a few weeks ago, he discovered that you are childhood friends with Mikey.

Kisaki excels at analyzing body movement and facial expressions. He was able to discern that you are important to Mikey based on how he would look at you with soft and sparkling eyes.

It was quite disgusting to watch. Surprisingly, he was able to suppress the urge to vomit.

“I like prodigies!"

Huh?

Are his ears deceiving him? Did you just say that you like smart people like him?

Hina also likes prodigies.

Kisaki was genuinely surprised this time. He had been pretending with his reactions up until now, but your words had such a strong impact on him that he simply looked at you with a slightly open mouth. Even though Hina had told him that she likes intelligent guys, she still chose to be with someone like Takemichi, whom Kisaki considers to be an idiot.

Kisaki hates idiots.

Before claiming Hina as his own and making Takemichi's life a living hell, Kisaki needs to suck up to you. You may already be somewhat familiar with Takemichi, which increases the likelihood that you have a connection to Hina or will become close to her in the near future. He will take advantage of your friendship with her for his own benefit. 

You are still smiling at him, which starts to confuse him even more as you look at him with such a bright grin. 

Hina would also smile in the same way.

You decided to exchange your phone numbers to stay in touch with each other. Normally, you would not give your phone number to people you do not know very well, but he seems to be looking for more friends. Additionally, he is friends with Mikey, so there is no issue with sharing your contact information with him.

Kisaki smiled malevolently as you turned around and hastily reentered the school building. You will be very easy to manipulate. There will be no need to exert even the slightest bit of effort to control you like a puppet.

When you sprinted up the stairs to reach your classroom, even though you were very late, you stopped for a moment in the middle of the hallway. You have realized something that you were not aware of when talking to Kisaki.

How did he figure out where your school is?

You do not remember telling him which school you attend.

He probably asked Mikey to get this information, but as you know, Mikey is actually very careful when it comes to sharing personal information about you. He is aware that you are sensitive to things like this. So Kisaki could not have known from him that you are a student of this school.

Maybe you were reading too much into it.

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“This is definitely the best yakisoba! I can totally taste the noodles just melting in my mouth!" you exclaimed joyfully, chewing on the delicious food with a satisfied grin.

“Baji and I used to always split our yakisoba in half. It started when I first met him. He had my back when I got jumped by some people seeking revenge after I had beat up their kōhais.“

You looked up from your meal and met Chifuyu's gaze, his green eyes filled with emotion. It was clear that he was still processing the loss of his best friend, but there was a noticeable sense of calmness in his voice. 

You were not quite sure how to respond or if he was even expecting a reaction from you. You really want him to heal from this trauma, but it's clear that he can't do it all on his own. Chifuyu needs people to support him and lend a helping hand to make dealing with the loss of a friend a little bit easier.

Chifuyu wanted to spend time with you, likely as a way to distract himself and ease his mind. However, he seemed lost in thought after you mentioned the food that Baji and Chifuyu would share together.

You were wondering why Chifuyu did not order Yakisoba and instead chose to eat Oyakodon. Maybe he just wants to try something new for a change. After a mental debate with yourself, you asked nervously, “W-Would you like to eat the other half?" You then pushed your plate forward slightly, allowing him better access.

“Thank you so much, haha. But I still have plenty of food left," Chifuyu grinned, nudging your plate back towards you. It was a little embarrassing - you thought he'd catch on to what you were hinting at, but it seems like he's a bit slow on the uptake.

You explained hesitantly, "Um...I actually wanted to split the yakisoba with you because you said that you shared your food with Baji-kun...So...uh...I wanted to do the same thing with you," feeling the heat rising up to your cheeks.

Chifuyu's face remained stoic at first, but then a rush of emotions flooded over him as he began to blush furiously. He finally understood the subtle hint. You had hoped to create a beautiful memory with him, a moment where you could both feel closer to Baji in spirit by sharing his favorite food together. Honoring a beloved friend filled him with a sense of warmth.

”[Name] chan, I am sorry...I must admit, I am not very intelligent, which is why Takemichi does not often trust me to come up with strategic plans, haha. On one occasion, I suggested to Takemichi that he should give Dorayaki to Mikey in order to change his decisions, but unfortunately, it only made him pissed.“

Chifuyu blushed and waved his hands nervously while talking to you, averting his gaze briefly out of embarrassment.

“Please do not speak poorly about yourself. I simply believed that it would be nice to share some food as it also helps in connecting with others on a personal level... and um... I thought that you would feel better after enjoying yakisoba for a bit after such a long time.“

“Thank you, [Name] chan. I have been feeling better lately.“

He paused briefly to gather himself and took a deep breath.

“In the beginning, I could't stop thinking about Baji san in my arms with blood spitting from his mouth...and how he managed to utter his final words. Takemichi did his best to save him, so I suggested to Mikey that Takemichi should be made the first division captain.“

“It's very kind of you to do so. Mikey kun told me that Takemichi took Baji kun's spot - I can't believe Mikey actually listened to you. I do not know how long you have been working together with him, but let me say this: he is not really the type to do things that other people want from him. But he is still a nice person, haha.“

You smiled at him while picking at your food with chopsticks. Chifuyu smiled back, even though he faltered for a moment.

“A nice person...," he thought, gripping his cup tightly.

When Mikey brutally beat up Kazutora, he did not seem nice at all. Obviously, his anger was understandable as Kazutora had killed Mikey's brother and stabbed Baji. However, Baji's death was actually caused by Kisaki, who had manipulated Kazutora into committing the act.

When Mikey went as far as to also hurt Takemichi, Chifuyu did not believe it was acceptable in the slightest, considering Takemichi is a good friend who always puts others before himself. It was at this moment, when Mikey landed his fist on Takemichi, that Chifuyu realized how frightening Mikey could be. The memory of Mikey's darkened eyes remained unforgettable to Chifuyu.

It is fortunate that you are unaware of the terrifying side of Mikey. Chifuyu hoped that it would remain this way. The less you are involved in gang affairs, the greater the possibility that you can live a life without any danger.

You deserve a happy future.

After a few more exchanges of words and some laughs about Chifuyu's experiences with his cat, you were unexpectedly interrupted.

“Heh, didn't think I'd run into you~ And you've got someone with you!“

The person looked at you with his intense golden eyes.

“Hanma..." Chifuyu angrily exclaimed, "what the hell are you doing here?!“

Chifuyu did not appear to like this person. He gritted his teeth at Hanma and lifted himself to his feet to confront him, who was so tall that Chifuyu had to raise his head to look at him.

You vaguely remember him. Isn't he the guy who beat up a group of people in the alley a while back?

The image of him stacking them up like pieces of trash is seared into your mind. It is not surprising that Chifuyu hates this guy. You prayed that this situation would not escalate between them.

Please do not be a complete mess.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 16]

“What happened to you?!“

Right now, you stand at the entrance of your home, with a pained expression on your face, trying to lift your injured foot in order to avoid putting more pressure on it. Your father rushed to your mother and saw her utterly shocked state as she gaped, watching you hobble on your other foot. Both your parents quickly grabbed you under your arms and helped you sit on the couch while you were groaning in pain.

"Sweetheart, we need to see your injury," your father stated calmly, in contrast to your mother who appeared on the verge of tears. You thought she was overreacting slightly to your current state; while your foot was in considerable pain, there was no need for her to look at you as though you were on the brink of death.

Your parents care for you deeply and their ultimate wish is for you to be healthy and happy, so it is no surprise that they are concerned for your well-being, especially when you are clearly in pain. You tried to reassure them that the pain is more bearable when sitting, and that the only thing you would need is some rest.

“We need to see your ankle first in order to determine how serious the injury is and whether you should seek medical he-“ Your father could not even finish his sentence because when he rolled up your pants, he was completely speechless. Your ankle was even more swollen than before, probably because you managed to walk quickly after your embarrassing interaction earlier. The color had also become an even uglier deep red-purple shade.

“Hehe...You know, it's not as bad as it seems," you told them with a forced smile, sweating bullets as your father's expression resembled that of your mother. They were in a panic, looking like they might faint at any moment.

“[Name]," your parents muttered simultaneously, with a strictness in their voices. "Hospital, now.“

Ugh, you kind of knew that this was going to happen.

“And you will need to tell us how this injury happened," added your mother with crossed arms.

Oh no, you totally forgot about this part! How should you explain to your parents that you ran into a hoodlum by accidentally walking into the men's changing room? Maybe you should consider omitting some information so that they do not become even more scared or mistakenly believe that Rindo was responsible for what happened to you, as this reaction could be typical of parents.

As you were driving to the hospital, your father was in the driver's seat with you and your mother seated in the back. (She wanted to be close to you in case you needed help). 

“So, I was at the gym, and somehow I just took a wrong step and fell down...“ This was not a lie. You had never lied to your parents before, but this was the first time you would leave out a few details in your explanation. Your mother sighed, weirdly enough, she was smiling at you while stroking your back.

“We are your parents, [Name]. We are truly grateful that you have never lied to us. However, this also makes it easier for us to sense that you are hiding something.“

Aw man, were you seriously so obvious that your parents picked up on you holding back some details?

“I'm sorry,..." you said, taking a deep breath before nervously starting to explain. “The truth is that I accidentally walked into the men's changing room and was shocked to see a boy...a hoodlum to be more specific. That is why I was scared at first and fell backwards. I ended up dropping my phone without realizing it at first, but the boy was actually pretty nice. He gave me my phone back and, uhh, I did not want to tell you this, but he also saved my life from getting hit by a car.“

Wow, you actually spilled the beans!

Your mother appeared as though she was on the verge of fainting after hearing that you were nearly hit by a car, while your father abruptly stopped when the light turned red and exclaimed, "Did you see a boy naked?!“

“Dad, I am telling you that I was literally saved from dying, and this is the only answer you could think of?“

Is he seriously being for real right now?

“U-Uh, I am sorry, but it caught me off guard. He seems to be nice, but you are still hurt.  Everything will be okay when we arrive at the hospital for your check-up.“ 

.

.

.

“Hey...You did not answer my question though," your father added.

“He was half-naked, okay?!“

You could hear your father's relief. It was probably smart not to mention that Rindo goes around beating people to a pulp and enjoys breaking their bones. Your mother would be even more likely to faint upon hearing that news, needing a doctor's attention more than you, without a doubt.

Rindo's tattoo appeared quite interesting from what you were able to glimpse at and he had quite a few muscles despite being slim...Goodness, what were you thinking?! Your mind was wandering on his body, despite knowing that you should clear your mind of him. You clearly cannot deal with more hoodlums in your life, but you acknowledge that you have to do him a favor. You just have to wait for the next time for him to tell you what he wants, as he promised you. However, there is no guarantee that you will ever see him again.

“The positive news is that there is no fracture in your ankle; instead, you have torn ligaments in that area. It would be advisable to apply a bandage to alleviate pressure and assist with the healing process," stated the doctor after examining your injury and taking an x-ray of your foot.

Your parents were relieved upon discovering that you would only need to use a cane for a few weeks. You have never injured yourself to this extent before; typically only sustaining minor bruises. However, this time the pain was significantly greater. This is also why you found it challenging to walk with the cane, as it was an unfamiliar experience for you.

'Huh, is this not Takemichi kun?' you thought when you saw the blond-haired boy peeking his head out from the side of the wall.

Why does he look like he is creeping on someone? You never would have guessed he was that kind of guy. To be fair, you still do not know him, so it is impossible for you to know what kind of weird tendencies he may have. He appears to be busy, and you are not quite sure if you should walk up to him to greet him. There is a possibility that he does not want to be seen, but you do not want him to think that you have ignored him. Therefore, you have decided that it should be okay to at least say "hello."

You told your parents that you wanted to stay here a bit longer, and they hesitantly nodded and answered that you were free to go, as long as you did not walk too far away. As you approached him slowly from behind (you would not have been able to walk any faster even if you wanted to), you gently nudged your finger on his shoulder. This startled him so much that the poor guy made a big jump and let out a short-lived scream, quickly pressing his hand against his mouth to avoid alerting the people he was spying on. 

"[N-Name] chan, what are you doing here?" Takemichi exclaimed, completely surprised to see you again. "The last time I had seen you was nearly two month ago in the subway."

"Ugh...I mean, as you can see, I had a little accident, ha-ha," you answered with a sheepish grin.

"I mean...that is obvious. I am sorry for asking such a stupid question," he said, scratching the back of his head. "But you are fine, right? Nothing serious happened?" he continued, more as a statement than a question.

"It's nothing too serious. I've injured my ankle and I will need to walk like this for a few weeks. I must admit, it feels uncomfortable and I'm unsure if I should go to school in this condition, but I'll figure it out later."

"Wow, you must have really hurt yourself if you're using a cane to walk," Takemichi mumbled, looking worried about you.

"Nah, it's really fine. This injury was my own fault because I was startled to see a guy who breaks people's bones as a hobby. But he didn't do this to me, just in case you were wondering. Surprisingly, he was actually quite kind to me, as he ran after me to return my phone that I had dropped. He even joked that he 'saved my ass,' as he described it. I've heard from others that he is a famous hoodlum, one of the Haitani brothers. Do you happen to know them?"

Takemichi blinked at you several times, trying to process what you were saying. When he heard you mention the Haitani brothers, he immediately remembered what Chifuyu had told him during the encounter with Valhalla, when the Haitani brothers showed up as spectators to the brutal fight.

"Oh yeah, I remember them! I only saw them from afar during a fight. They didn't join in, just watched. If I remember correctly, Chifuyu had told me that they are pretty charismatic brothers from Roppongi. They can gather over a hundred guys with a single call. But Chifuyu never said for sure if they're part of a specific gang," Takemichi recalled from his memory.

You believed the rumors that they are quite brutal and also that they are famous, which did not come as a surprise. Unfortunately, you must admit that they really seemed to be charismatic. This must be the reason why they can attract so many people instantly.

"So, uhm... Takemichi-kun, what is the reason for you being here in the hospit-?"

"How dare you show up here?! Leave, now! What do you think you're doing? Our daughter almost died because of trash like you!"

Your conversation with Takemichi was suddenly interrupted when you heard an older man screaming down the corridor behind the corner where Takemichi had been looking before you approached him. Takemichi and you instinctively turned your heads towards the source of the loud noise. Mikey and Draken were standing opposite an older married couple, with the man looking extremely furious as he screamed at the two boys. Draken bowed down without wasting a second. He did not scream back, which was unexpected from a person like him who is normally aggressive and easily angered.

"Don't bow to him, Ken-chin. We didnt do anything wrong...Why's this old guy trying to take it out on us, anyway?"

Mikey is a short-tempered individual. There are moments when it is challenging for him to control his emotions, like now, as he is furious and poised to confront the man standing before him. It appears that the man was simply expressing concern for his daughter, a reaction that is completely understandable as most parents would react similarly when it comes to their own children.

"You vermin! You're nothing but trash! Causing a ruckus every single night!" the man repeated, with tears starting to build up while he insulted Mikey and Draken. Draken remained in his bowed position, but Mikey was completely provoked and ready to finally beat the man up.

"Please stop, my dear," his wife choked up, her voice trembling as she clung to her husband's arm, trying to prevent him from letting his anger escalate further.

"You cause so much trouble for others and hurt them, then think you can get away with it as adults because you were just kids then?! Like hell, you punks!" 

"What?! Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" exclaimed Mikey aggressively, grinding his teeth in pure rage as he took a dangerous step forward. Draken stops Mikey from walking closer to the man by grabbing his head and forcing him to bow down. 

"Hey, what are you doing?!" This time, Mikey shouted at Draken, but he ignored the shorter boy's protest.

"This is completely our responsibility," said the boy with the dragon tattoo, his eyes tightly shut.

"Like two pieces of shit bowing is going to make my daughter better?!"

"Wha-?!"

"Shut your mouth, Mikey!"

"My daughter's been in a coma ever since. Her face...and her body...have been battered and bruised. Why...What did she ever do to you?! My sweet, beautiful daughter...has been disfigured," the man finally broke down completely in tears, just like his wife who was sobbing beside him, pressing her hands against her face. His final words, "Please leave. We never want to see you again," were more deeply sad than angry as he departed the hospital with his wife.

"Don't forget, Mikey. All of our crew have families and people important to them. We can't let innocent people get dragged into this shit. We can't make their friends and family cry. You don't have to bow your head. Just have a heart that cares for others"

Even though the words were not directed at you, you could feel the emotions Draken wanted to convey. Initially, you were apprehensive about Emma's future because you did not fully comprehend what she saw in Draken. Ultimately, he leads a risky lifestyle similar to Mikey and others in their social circle. But after seeing how surprisingly responsible and mature Draken actually is, you started to think that they could be happy together.

"You are a good guy, Ken-chin. You are right, I apologize. And I am happy to have you by my side"

Takemichi realized that Draken was very important to Mikey. As long as Draken stayed with Mikey, there was no reason for Mikey to go down the path of darkness (or at least that is what Takemichi believed to be true). It seemed unlikely that Mikey would lose his mind, as Draken is the person who has grown up with Mikey, teaching him about morals and supporting him for all these years. Takemichi successfully saved Draken from dying, preventing Mikey from going insane. Therefore, Takemichi's mission has been completed.

Takemichi hoped that everything would be alright from now on. So why was Hina still killed in the future? The fact that this time it had something to do with you made it quite challenging for him to confront you back then in the subway. Even now, he is a little bit confused about how to interact with you, but he immediately knew that you are a really kind and loving person who would definitely not harm others.

This is something that everyone likes about you - your pure and innocent heart. You will catch the eye of some hoodlums, making them addicted to your scent and triggering a desire to claim you as an angelic figure for themselves.

It will be a battle to see who can win your attention, without hesitating to use manipulative or dirty methods in order to possess you.

Right now, you have no idea what kind of absolutely horrible and horrific things still await you. This is only the beginning.

"Takemicchi? And [Name] is also here?"

When Mikey suddenly called out to both of you, you instinctively jumped back, just like Takemichi, who had been previously shocked when you unexpectedly touched him from behind and startled him.

"Did both of you stalk us?!" Mikey exclaimed, his mouth hanging wide open in shock. As his black eyes locked onto your face, a light blush appeared on his cheeks. He felt uncomfortable knowing that you had seen how angry he was...He had promised himself that watching him beat up Kiyomasa would be the only time he would be that brutal in front of you. The less you saw of his true nature, the easier it would be to maintain the friendship between you both.

"Come on, it was obvious that they were stalking us. How could you not notice Takemichi when he smells like shit?" Draken said with a big grin.

"Draken-kun, you have just hurt my feelings," Takemichi replied with a pouty face and a fake tear streaming down his cheek.

"He had poop on his head and didn't even know it!" Mikey barked out with a laugh, holding his stomach to prevent himself from breaking down into tears as he recalled how Takemichi landed in the trash with his entire body.

"Hey, we can't talk about this with [Name] around! It's so embarrassing!" Takemichi felt like crying, and you could completely understand how he must feel right now because you remembered accidentally calling Ran "Rando" today. It was so embarrassing, you wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Totally cringe-worthy. Especially when Ran laughed hysterically, even though you had only spoken to him for a few seconds.

"By the way, what the fuck happened to you?" Draken looked at your bandaged ankle and the cane in your hand, probably imagining the worst-case scenario, just like Mikey, who was trying to hold back his freak out.

"Ugh, it was an accident...haha."

After assuring both of them that your injury was not serious, Mikey asked if it would be okay to sit with you on a bench for a while before you went home. If Mikey had not seen you, Draken would have carried him on his back like a child to bring him to a restaurant to eat (even though he had already eaten before going to the hospital), but Mikey was a hungry person, not only for food but also for your attention.

"Are you really okay, [Name]? You are really struggling to walk," Mikey observed as he watched you using your cane in an unsteady manner, hobbling towards the bench.

"Thank you Mikey kun for asking! Everything is alright; it's just tricky to walk with this cane since I'm not used to it." Without even thinking about it, Mikey reached out and put his hand on your arm to help support you as you walked. He also slowed down so you could keep up more easily.

He was so close to you that you must admit that walking became even more difficult. You were so focused on his strong hands softly holding your arm and his shoulder-length blond hair tickling your cheek that you lost your balance a bit.

Has his scent always been this intoxicating?

"M-Mikey-kun..." you mumbled in a quiet voice, still audible to him. His eyes glanced to the side to see your face as he helped you slowly sit down on the bench. He was giving you his complete attention as he sat beside you, with his head turned toward you and a questioning look on his face.

"You are not trash...Clearly, I do not know what happened before, and I do not force you to explain it to me. I simply want you to know that you are a valuable person. You would never hurt people who are not affiliated with gangs. The old man insulted you because of his daughter's condition; I do not think he has anything personal against your character. Additionally, he does not know that deep in your heart, you are a kind person. And... um... you are very protective." 

To be more specific, Mikey is only being kind to you, and you are the only person who deserves his protection.

You started to blush even more with each sentence, and the fact that Mikey was simply looking at you without any readable emotion made the whole situation even more awkward. Suddenly, you remembered his words from back then when he rushed towards your house after you were nearly attacked on the street by hoodlums, but were saved by Haruchiyo and Mucho. He felt terrible that he could not be by your side to protect you as he did when Kiyomasa tried to assault you. His words still linger in your mind, as if he had just spoken them to you yesterday: 'I am the only person you need, [Name]. I won't get sick of you. You can always count on me.'

"E-Even if the whole world were to say that you are trash, I would still need you as my friend." You gave him a shy smile, cheeks turning as red as a tomato, and suddenly felt butterflies in your stomach. This was definitely the most intense thing you have ever told him.

"I won't get sick of you. You can always count on me," you echoed his words. He looked at you with wide eyes, mouth slightly open, and locked his gaze with yours.

"I...I don't know what to say, but it truly makes me happy that you hold me in such high regard, not only as the leader of the Tokyo Manji Gang," Mikey responded, his voice filled with emotion as a soft smile graced his lips.

The way you hold his gaze and touch his heart is nothing short of miraculous. 

To imagine that the 'invincible Mikey, the fearless leader of Toman,' melts into tenderness when he's in your presence - when he's with you and you alone.

In the end, you are special.

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Author's note: Mikey is unaware that his feelings towards Reader is romantic love, as he is unfamiliar with this emotion. Currently, he sees Reader as family, which will pose challenges in the future as he grapples with finding the appropriate terminology to define his relationship with Reader when faced with additional conflicts.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 15]

You were mentally screaming at that moment. Accidentally, you walked into the men's changing room and found yourself face-to-face with Rindo Hatani. To make matters worse, you twisted your ankle when he approached you unexpectedly.

"Are you hurt? You seem to be struggling to stand up," he remarked as he glanced over your body, noticing your pained expression. You averted your gaze from him and told him that you were fine. To be honest, your ankle was pretty messed up. It would not be a shock if it was swollen and bruised by now. However, you did not want to admit that you were injured. You were alone with Rindo in the changing room, so you had no protection in case he wanted to take advantage of your situation, as you were practically at his mercy.

Suddenly, you remembered what the man had explained to you a few minutes ago.

"He is known for breaking bones."

"They beat up the leader and vice-leader so badly that one of them had his head completely crushed and died afterwards in the hospital."

These sentences repeated in your head in an endless loop.  

"Then you should probably leave before other men walk in," he explained with a half-smile on his face.

"O-Oh, yes, you are right. I am so sorry again," you said sheepishly before slowly standing up. You hissed in pain again, as quietly as you could, as you turned to leave. Upon reflection, it is difficult to believe that he is truly a bad person based on the comments made about him by other people.

Clearly, you only interacted with him for a few seconds, so you did not have enough encounters to properly judge his personality. Initially, you were scared that he would react harshly when you walked into the men's changing room while he was changing, but thankfully he remained composed and even asked if you were hurt after you fell backwards.

You are not sure if he would have helped you if you told him that you were injured, but it would definitely be better to stay away from him. It must be true that he hurt so many people, as all the people explained the same things to you about him, with some people even being eyewitnesses to his brutality. Additionally, he appeared intimidating due to his strength and the fact that half of his body was covered in tattoos.

You limped on the streets, trying not to put too much pressure on your injured foot, taking slow and painful steps forward. You could imagine how your parents would react, probably rushing to your side to drive you to the hospital. It was better than having your head crushed by the Haitani brothers, so you were thankful that only your ankle was twisted. But to be fair, it  only happened because you were scared of Rindo and ended up being clumsy and tripping over yourself.

As you walked further, or at least attempted to, you could feel the gaze of other people staring directly at you as they passed by. It was slightly uncomfortable for you to be watched as if you were some sort of attraction on the streets. They could clearly see that you were injured, but it was obvious that the only thing people were able to do was watch others with a vacant expression, without considering offering help to the person in need. You let out a deep sigh, your face showing annoyance.

It might be a good idea to give your injured foot a break and avoid putting too much strain on it, especially since being active while injured is not recommended for obvious reasons. You need time to heal, so you spontaneously decided to call your parents to pick you up. Initially, you thought it would not be difficult to reach home, but you underestimated the distance.

You would also inform your parents that they should drive you to a hospital to have your foot examined to determine if any specific treatment is needed for the healing process. You immediately grabbed your phone without giving it a second thought.

Uuh...

When you checked your jacket pockets, there was nothing there. You frantically searched through your pockets, but couldn't find your phone. You rushed over to the side of the street and started emptying out your bag, but your phone was the only thing missing.

'Okay, take a deep breath and do not panic.'

You began to walk again, this time a bit more out of control, as you were deep in thought, trying to remember where your phone could be. You were certain that your phone was in your pocket while you were at the gym and you did not take it out there. Therefore, you could not have lost it. Unless your phone fell out when you tripped and fell on the floor at the gym.

You were certain that Rindo had seen it and picked it up. You would never get your phone back...It is obviously not appropriate to accuse someone of theft, even if they are a gangster. There are also hoodlums like Mikey who do not condone stealing. It is possible that Rindo did not take your cell phone and instead left it at the information desk. It is best to hope for that.

"Watch out!", someone yelled, grabbing your shoulder and yanking you back with a quick motion. A car was driving at full speed right before your eyes, narrowly missing hitting you by a hair's width. You blinked slowly and didn't even realize that you were halfway across the street, even though the light was red.

Holy shit. You were nearly dead.

Wait a moment. This voice is familiar to you, even though you have only interacted with him for a few seconds. Rindo stood behind you, a little bit of sweat forming on his face. His neckline-length blond hair, with blue strands slightly disheveled, yet it did not make him any less attractive. On the contrary, he appeared absolutely seductive. When you first saw him in the gym earlier, you immediately realized that he was handsome. However, you also knew that good looks do not necessarily equate to a good personality. Still, he did just save your life from getting hit by a car a few moments ago.

"Are you hurt?"

Your heart was beating fast from the shock of seeing a car unexpectedly appear on your way, so you did not initially process his question at first. After a while, you regained your composure and were finally able to speak.

"I...I am fine," you finally answered. It was quite funny that it was the second time he had asked that question today; it was not actually a deja-vu.

He simply nodded at your response without showing any remarkable expression.

"The reason I am here is to return your phone to you. When you walked away, I noticed it had slipped out of your pocket. I hurried after you, but I only realized it later on. Thankfully, due to your injury, you couldn't have gone too far. You are lucky to have your phone back, as someone else may not have returned it."

He looked at you for a moment, then glanced at the street before starting to grin.

"I also saved your ass."

You were totally speechless.

One could almost have thought that he had actually stolen your phone, as it is common to suspect strangers of such actions, since there are only a few people in the world who would be kind enough to return it. You feel bad for almost accusing him of being a thief, but now it turns out that this boy is also your life savior.

What would have happened if Rindo had not come to your aid? Or even worse, what if you hadn't dropped your phone in the first place? In that case, Rindo would have had no reason to chase after you, so basically...you would've been toast as a 17-year-old girl with a tragic death.

It is easier to die than to be alive. Not being focused on the street for even a single moment could have been your death wish. But what is even more difficult is to survive. Sooner or later, you will find out what it feels like to fight for life, to fight to stay sane, to fight to not lose your loved ones.

"T-Thank you so much! I don't know how to express my gratitude."

You made a deep bow, your body shaking uncontrollably. The thought that you could have been dead by now, not being able to see your parents again, to feel their warmth, is more than just frightening. The mere thought of missing out on the chance to witness Mikey's tender gaze directed at you and Emma's radiant smile lighting up her face at the sight of you is utterly gut-wrenching.

"Ugh...you can raise your head. It is not a big deal fo- Are you seriously crying right now?"

Rindo was completely caught off guard when he saw little water drops plopping onto the ground from your face.

"It is obviously a big thing - you saved my life. I was not careful enough because I was busy searching for my phone. I do not actually know what I could do for you to show my gratitude, so if you have anything in mind please tell me. Obviously, I do not know what could actually have the same value to give back to a person who saved my life."

You were blushing a bit, avoiding direct eye contact with his violet eyes as he believed you were taking the situation too seriously. However, this is actually a serious moment because without his intervention, you would not be breathing on this planet. Your teary eyes finally looked up, revealing that you could not simply walk away as if nothing had happened. Perhaps you should consider giving him money as a thank you? Would that be strange?

"Nah, I don't really want anything from you."

Lol.

He was not rude or anything like that; he was simply confused. You were too kind to a stranger, especially when it was obvious that he was a hoodlum based on his appearance. So why did you look unfazed? Was it only because he saved you?

"Just to confirm, do you actually know who I am?" he asked, noticing your sad expression after his rejection to allow you to show your gratitude. This time, you were totally caught off guard. You had no idea where he came up with that question. Now, you were faced with a big dilemma. Should you tell him the truth that you have actually learned today about him at the gym (maybe leaving out the rumors), or should you lie by telling him that you do not recognize him?

"To be honest, people were talking about you at the gym, so I have heard...a few things that you did. I stumbled on the ground not because I was surprised to be in the men's changing room, but because I was...scared to see you there all of a sudden." Picking the right words was tough because you did not want to piss him off. Having Haruchiyo's angry stare was bad enough, you did not need more haters.

He was still listening to you, watching you with his eyes behind his glasses.

"Ugh...Your name is 'Haitani kun', right?"

He raised his eyebrow in surprise for a moment when you remembered his name, as it seemed that you had only heard it for the first time today and only briefly. But how can you forget his name when he has done such horrific things? However, you feel the urge to ask him directly if it is true. He returned your phone and even saved your life, so he cannot possibly be a bad person, can he?

"'Rindo' is fine."

Your eyes widened for a second, unsure if it was right to call him by his first name when you basically knew nothing about him, aside from the rumors. On the other hand, he does not seem to be a guy who really cares about honorifics, so you nodded at him shortly with an unsure smile.

"U-Uhm, Rindo-kun... When you gave me my phone back and even saved my life, I thought that you could not actually be a bad person. You actually did not crush someone's head?...And you do not actually break others' bones?" It was more of a statement than a question, meant to reassure yourself that they were all merely unproven assumptions and that people were talking crap about him. While it wouldn't be surprising if he truly is a gang member, perhaps he is more like Mikey - not a bad guy deep down.

Rindo did not know how he managed to resist laughing. 

"I have to disappoint you," he said adjusting his glasses, "What you have heard about me is completely true." Strangely, he had a big grin on his face as he watched you falter with a visible frown.

"But you must have your reasons for doing such things, right? I mean, I can clearly see that you are a hoodlum. However, I have a friend who is just like you, but he is very kind," you told him, trying to see him in the same light as Mikey. You have not witnessed Mikey using violence to a higher extent yet, but he would only resort to such actions if it was necessary to protect others. He does not derive enjoyment from hurting others.

"You are hilarious. Do I truly appear as though I wouldn't use violence solely for my own satisfaction? What if I were to confess that I take pleasure in the sound of people screaming as I break their bones one by one? The only reason I have helped you is because I still adhere to a specific moral code, such as my belief that girls should not be involved in gang activities. There is no further depth to it," he stated matter-of-factly, his expression devoid of emotion, save for a slight smile on his face. "Do I still come across as a good person, hmm?" he added with a brief chuckle.

A few minutes earlier, you were incredibly grateful to him for saving your life that you even cried from the relief of avoiding a tragic death. Now, your tears have all dried up, but your cheeks are all red from crying so much. You have learned that he is not comparable to Mikey, who is a kind person. He does not derive pleasure from hurting other people; he would only use violence to protect his friends. He did not beat people to death because no one deserves to die in such a fatal way. Gang members are mostly teenagers, as you have observed in your surroundings. Even when some of them engage in theft or violence, it is often beneficial for them to receive therapeutic treatment in juvenile detention.

You were dumbfounded. It felt as though you had lost the ability to speak due to his scary response, causing you to automatically step back a bit without even realizing it.

"Oh Rindo, did you just make a girl cry?" You suddenly heard a voice come out of nowhere.

Well, the situation was already uncomfortable to begin with, and suddenly a new guy, who was slightly taller than Rindo, appeared randomly beside him.

"Girlie, are you alright? Did my younger brother break your heart or something?~"

"Huh? Bro, she's not crying because I did something bad to her," Rindo said, rolling his eyes and scrunching his eyebrows.

What is happening right now? He must be the other Haitani brother...but why does it sound like he is trying to flirt with you?

Ran has a lanky build with the same purple downturned eyes as Rindo and blond eyebrows. His hair is quite long, reaching below his shoulders, and is alternately dyed in the colors of black and blond, with the roots and end sections black and the midsection blond. His hair is styled into two neatly-woven pigtail braids. He is wearing a t-shirt, which reveals a matching tattoo with his younger brother on the left side of his body, stretching from his nape and collarbones down to his torso and the end of his foot. He also wears a single black earring on his left ear. It is super obvious that they're brothers because they look so alike and have an awesome sense of style (you have to admit).

"Rindo kun is right, he did not hurt me or anything like that, (not yet). On the contrary, he saved my life! So, I wanted to give him something in return, but he said he doesn't need anything from me."

"Oh Rindo, how could you say something like that? She feels indebted to you and wants to make you happy. Isn't she nice?" His older brother had a smug grin on his face and softly elbowed Rindo in the arm.

When he phrased it in that manner, it made you feel awkward at this moment.

"It is starting to become annoying. For the fifth time, I do not need anything," Rindo answered, slowly growing tired of this discussion.

"Come on, otherwise she won't leave until she receives an answer from you."

Honestly, you were actually planning to end the interaction with them because the whole situation was becoming more embarrassing for you (and Rindo) with each passing second.

"Ugh, I can't think of anything right now. How about I just let you know when we're meeting next? Maybe we'll run into each other again, like at the gym or something. And if we don't see each other again, then it's just how fate intended it to be," Rindo said after a short pause of thinking, just wanting to end this conversation quickly.

"Okay, I understand. Um, so I am waiting for your response. Ha-ha." You mustered this sentence with an awkward laugh.

"So then...I guess I'll see you around, Rindo-kun and..." You couldn't recall his name since you had only heard it briefly. "Uhm...Mr. Haitani?"

How did you just address him?! You wanted to scream out of sheer embarrassment. You feel like burying yourself alive. What is wrong with you?

Ran's head fell back as he burst into laughter at this name. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed between laughs.

"You're amusing, girlie~" he said with a smile after calming down, looking at you softly. "I'm Ran."

Rindo stood between both of you, questioning why he did not leave when his brother approached. He clearly respected his older brother as they grew up, but at times he wished to keep his distance from him.

"It's nice to meet you, Ran kun. I'm [Name]," you said with a small smile, finally turning around to wave goodbye.

Interestingly, it was also the first time for Rindo to hear your name, but he thinks it suits your personality. You were quiet, awkward, kind, yet you struggled to see people for who they truly were (a trait that would become a crucial issue in the future).

"Uhm, so this time, for real, goodbye I guess. Rindo-kun and Rando- I MEAN RAN-KUN!"

You wanted to cry from embarrassment as you hurriedly walked away, forgetting about the pain in your ankle. And to top it off, you could hear Ran laughing again.

"Don't you think she's pretty interesting, Rindo?"

"I guess so..."

It is not like you two will cross paths again

[gohan1]

[Chapter 14]

The heat inside the restaurant was so intense that you could feel yourself sweating profusely. While the air conditioning was functioning properly, the steam rising from your cooked ramen stuck to your face, causing water droplets to form on your skin. However, this was not the sole reason for your body temperature rising.

You felt extremely nervous, even scared, to hold your chopsticks as you feared being clumsy while eating your freshly prepared meal. You were hungry and excited to share this delicious meal with Mikey, but there was clearly a specific person who was discreetly staring at you every now and then.

Kisaki Tetta sat opposite you, facing you directly, with Mikey beside him. Mikey was probably too focused on eating to realize that you were in a pretty uncomfortable situation. Every time you would stretch your arm to reach your drink, Kisaki would follow your movement with his piercing blue eyes while chewing on his food.

You were certain that you were not imagining things, but it appeared that he was not very pleased with the idea of allowing you to join the table. You couldn't blame him, as you also hoped to be alone with Mikey, who is practically a childhood friend of yours.

The difference between Kisaki and you is that you would still be nice to other people and would not openly convey the feeling that you do not want their company. This guy clearly shows that he is not even slightly interested in talking to you, possibly wanting to quickly finish up in order to be alone with Mikey.

It's not as if you intended to interrupt their conversation, but Mikey himself explicitly stated that he wants you to have dinner with him. It would have been nice if he had also asked Kisaki to be considerate of him, but you don't actually think that Mikey would care about his opinion.

Mikey does not care about anyone. He mostly acts based on his own decisions, without considering possible consequences. Surprisingly, he sometimes listens to Draken, who is one of Mikey's closest friends. Therefore, Draken is basically the only exception to whom Mikey would consider his opinions, more or less.

“I need to go to the bathroom, hehe," Mikey suddenly said, rising to his feet to walk away without even glancing back at you. He did not notice your horrified, pleading expression that practically screamed for him not to leave.

‘Don't leave me alone.‘

A few minutes passed in silence as you and Kisaki slurped on your ramen. In your mind, you were praying for Mikey to return in the next few seconds.

‘I thought guys were quick when they needed to pee.‘

The bustling atmosphere of the restaurant, filled with a lively crowd, provided a good distraction. Watching the various people come and go helped you to shift your gaze away from Kisaki. The issue was that you could not just keep staring at other people in order to avoid talking to him. So, you decided to try and relax in your chair without giving off the impression that you were very tense about trying to start a conversation with him.

“What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?“

Your question was quite random, but since it is your first meeting with him, you both didn't have any other topics to talk about. However, in order to ease the suffocating tension, it's probably a good idea to start with some basic questions to learn about the other person's interests.

Kisaki was a bit taken aback when you suddenly started talking to him after a few minutes of awkward silence. He stared right into your eyes, which totally caught you off guard because he looked really serious. You're starting to regret talking to him. You didn't think he would react like that. Maybe you just asked a dumb question. What else would a gang member do besides going around and fighting people?

“I enjoy solving math problems“

Oh, ha-ha. Haruchiyo must be right that you are probably deaf. Did that dude seriously just say he studies for fun? And in math of all things? You did not expect that he would seem like a person who puts effort into school, as you know that gang members often drop out early. Therefore, it was surprising.

”Do I have something on my face?" Kisaki asked, sounding a bit irritated. You must have been staring at him like he was some sort of weirdo.

“Ugh, I apologize for any confusion. I am simply impressed by the fact that you are someone who attends school and actively strives to keep up with the lessons.“ You smiled softly at him. You were not making fun of him, as it was truly admirable to see students who learn willingly and still have fun doing so.

“Thanks," was the only response that came from him, his face displaying a plain expression and his mouth forming a thin line. You thought that he would open up a bit, especially since you had just complimented him. Is he always so quiet, or is it because he does not want to talk to you? When you saw him with Mikey earlier, you could tell that he was more active. Although he wasn't smiling, he spoke more and looked at him differently compared to how he looked at you. It seemed like he was more interested in Mikey.

It is clear that you were unaware that Mikey is the most crucial chess piece in his plans. He meticulously prepared everything to earn Mikey's trust over the coming years, ultimately making Mikey dependent on him. Mikey will eventually come to realize that he needs Kisaki in order to achieve his goal of establishing a new era for delinquents.

He would destroy Takemichi's entire life, crush his pride and ultimately snatch the girl of his dreams, Hina Tachibana. She will realize that she made the wrong decision in choosing Takemichi as her boyfriend. Kisaki is intelligent and talented, qualities that Hina admires. He questions what makes Takemichi so special to have captured her affections. Hina is meant for Kisaki, and he will stop at nothing to possess her body, but first, he must win her heart. 

This is his revenge.

As life is known for its unpredictability, he will become even more fascinated by another woman. He will find it laughable that he was unable to stop thinking about Hina, as he will end up falling in love with the most gorgeous and adorable person on the entire planet - who happens to be you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You woke up feeling super tired and struggled to open your eyes. Finally, after a few tries, you managed to get up with a big yawn and a stretch that made your body ache. Sometimes you feel like you have the body of a grandma because you're so sore, even though you were just sleeping. You're not exactly the most athletic person, so you often feel more exhausted than others, especially after sports at school. You're pretty good at ball sports like volleyball and dodgeball, but not so great at things like splits and handstands.

You have decided that you should go to the gym, as it has been months since you last went. It would make a positive change in your daily routine to do something for your health. It would also provide a good opportunity to have time for yourself, ignoring school and other duties for a few hours. Additionally, it is Saturday, so you should take this day to relax a bit. There is nothing wrong with thinking of ways to de-stress.

You packed your bag with water, a hand towel, and your earphones. You changed into your gym suit, consisting of baggy and comfortable pants, a t-shirt, and a sports jacket that was half-zipped up. You walked outside of your house with your bag slung over your shoulder, making your way to the gym. There weren't many people there when you arrived, as most would come later in the afternoon. Being early, you had the whole gym to yourself. There were still a few people, but it didn't bother you.

You felt a bit unfamiliar with the sensation of running on a treadmill because the last time you were here was months ago. Still, you stepped onto it carefully and decided that it would be enough to adjust the settings to a slower speed. This way, you would only need to walk in faster steps. However, you made sure to increase the incline so that it simulates climbing a mountain.

Listening to music helped you distract yourself from the incredible pain in your legs. Your body felt so heavy after only a few minutes, and you were already sweating from your face down to your neck. Honestly, why are you so unathletic? Your breathing also becomes heavier after a few more minutes, making you look like a hopeless mess while feeling how dry your mouth is due to exhaustion and low energy. Finally, you stepped down from the treadmill and wiped the sweat off your body with a towel before opening your water bottle and gulping down the water in big sips.

When you consider it, you have always only done running when coming to the gym, so it might be great to try something new. Maybe you could slowly start by lifting weights. Obviously, you cannot lift as much as the typical bodybuilders who only eat foods with high proteins, but you could start by lifting very light weights for beginners.

You decided to walk over to the area where heavy weights are lined up on the ground, surrounded only by a few muscular individuals wearing tank tops to showcase their biceps.It is pretty funny because they are actually having a hard time lifting those weights and might end up hurting themselves. 

You thought lifting the lightest weights would be a piece of cake. 

Clearly, women are generally physically weaker than men, but there are also strong women in the world. You do not consider yourself particularly weak compared to other girls your age, as you are accustomed to carrying items, such as when helping your father with groceries. You bend down to grab the weights on the ground. You try to firmly grip the barbell, taking a deep breath before pulling it up with your hands. The barbell is the lightest one, so it does not surprise you that you are able to lift it up in the air and finally let it drop on the ground again.

You were definitely overestimating your abilities when you happily decided to lift a heavier weight. You were struggling so much that the bodybuilders nearby started to chuckle at the sight of a girl attempting to lift a barbell that wasn't even close to being considered middle-weight.

Suddenly, an electrifying pain shot through your veins. The next moment, you dropped the barbell to the ground with a loud thud, scrunching your face and biting down on your lips.

"Ouch!" you exclaimed, followed by a small curse.

You should have anticipated this. It was not a good idea to rush into lifting weights when your body is not used to it. Besides, you are not even interested in building washboard abs, so why did you consider something like this? The truth is, you wanted to know how Mikey would react when you told him that you had actually tried to do something manly. Perhaps it is beneficial for girls to train their muscles in order to become stronger and protect themselves.

"What is wrong with this guy?" you heard one of the guys say, laughing at you moments before, "He is lifting this heavy thing as if it weighs nothing!" He appeared both surprised and scared as he watched the boy in the distance effortlessly lift the heavy weight, without breaking a sweat. Ironically, the boy was very slim, yet the barbell was so heavy that it seemed unbelievable to see him working out without any sign of exhaustion or change in his facial expression.

"Are you serious? Don't tell me you've never heard of the famous Haitani brothers?!"

"Wait, what?! Isn't he the younger brother?"

"Yes, he is one of the rulers of Roppongi, Haitani Rindo, and his older brother is Haitani Ran."

You have no idea what is happening right now. The rulers of Roppongi? Normally, you wouldn't be curious about things like that, but you have a feeling that this person named Rindo must also be a gang member, just like Mikey and the other people you have met. You have never heard of Rindo or Ran before, obviously, as you are not really connected to the life of hoodlums. 

It is definitely best if it remains this way.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but could you please explain a bit more?" You walked up to the big crowd of older boys, observing how Rindo lifted more weights without feeling the need to take a break.

"Oh, you are the same girl from before...Girls shouldn't be interested in things like that. Just know that this guy is not someone to joke around with if you don't want to end up in the hospital," replied the same person who had spoken just moments earlier.

"The Haitani brothers are crazy! Ran is known for viciously beating his opponents with a baton, and every time he does, they're practically begging for mercy. And Rindo, the guy working out over there, he's known for something else..." exclaimed another person, looking scared and clenching his fists.

"K-Known for what?" you asked nervously.

"Breaking bones..."

'Alright, I'm done. I'm getting the hell out of here.'

And the next thing he explains is even worse.

"If I remember correctly, they were in a gang before, but they beat up the leader and vice-leader so badly that one of them had his head completely crushed and died afterwards in the hospital."

What in the actual fuck?

You are relieved that Mikey is not the type of person who would do something awful like this, and you are sure that his gang members would also not commit such a heinous act against someone else. While they may be hoodlums, they still possess morals and the ability to discern right from wrong.

At least, that is your belief.

"But you should not worry about getting hurt. My advice would be to stay away from people like this and, thankfully, a cute girl like you has nothing to do with crazy people like them, so you are basically safe."

Ha-ha....Hahahaha....

Only if you have a gang leader as a friend and run into his subordinates.

When looking at Rindo, one would not guess that he is a hoodlum, let alone one of the most dangerous types. Rindo has purple downturned eyes, a lean build and neckline-length blond hair in a curtain style that he wears down, with some blue strands mixed in, and a silver earring on his left ear.

You must admit, he is unbelievably handso-

Bro, what the fuck is he doing? A split?!

Not only is he strong, but he also has a very flexible body.

He stood up with a low sigh, picked up his pair of circular glasses, put them on, and then rolled up his sports jacket to reveal his entire arm tattoo on the right side. After completing a few more rounds of weightlifting, he finally made his way to the changing rooms. You watched him silently from a distance, trying not to make it obvious that you were observing his movements for longer than most people typically would.

After a few minutes of running on the treadmill, you finally decided to return to the changing rooms. The issue is that you were so lost in thought that you didn't realize you had accidentally entered the changing room designated for males.

Due to your incredible luck, you were directly confronted by none other than Rindo Haitani, who had just removed his shirt. This revealed not only his arm tattoo again, but also the tattoos on the right side of his back and chest, starting from his nape and collarbones, and appearing to end at his foot.

"I'm really sorry!" you blurted out in a panic, when you noticed Rindo looking confused to see a girl in the men's changing room.

Thank God he is wearing pants.

As you attempted to escape, you stumbled backwards and ultimately landed on the ground with your rear end, displaying a look of horror on your face. He raised his eyebrow, not understanding why you were making such a fuss over such a small thing. Maybe he would have reacted differently if he had been completely naked, but it was still quite puzzling to see you cowering on the ground as if you were about to experience pain at any moment.

"Please don't kill me!" you stuttered as he slowly approached your trembling body, now wearing a new shirt. His eyes widened briefly before returning to their normal expression.

"Huh?...Relax, it's obvious that it was just an accident." You heard his voice for the first time. His tone was reassuring, calm, and showed no signs of anger.

As you tried to stand up, you realized that you had actually twisted your ankle. You let out a little hiss and bite down on your lips in pain as you fall to the ground for the second time. Perfect. You were pathetic and vulnerable, on your knees in the presence of a dangerous man who was glancing at you.

You made a mental note to yourself that you would never go to the gym again.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 13]

Since that day, when Mikey rushed to your house, concerned about your well-being and made it clear that he was the only person you could rely on, your full attention has been on him. At school, you struggle to focus on the lessons as your mind is constantly occupied by thoughts of Mikey: his voice, his gentle smile, and his otherworldly attractive appearance.

It was like you could not get enough of being close to him. It almost feels as you have started to cling onto him.

You never thought it was okay to see him in a different light. He's two years younger than you, and you always saw him as a kid you needed to watch out for, just like you did with Emma when you first met her at the park. But as time went on, you started to see him differently and feelings started to change. It is interesting how feelings can evolve over time, and it can be a bit awkward when you realize that your feelings for someone have grown deeper.

You suddenly stopped writing in your notebook and dropped your pen to the ground, just staring at your little doodles with a blank expression on your face.

Could it be that you are in love with Sano Manjiro?

Even as little kids, he was very energetic and excited when he had the great chance to fight against other hoodlums. You knew that he could be serious, especially when he was angry and things did not go his way, or at least that is what you heard from Shinichiro.

You never thought about it that deeply because you had never witnessed firsthand how cruel Mikey could be towards other people, except for the day when he brutally beat Kiyomasa and crushed his head with his feet.

In your presence, he was goofy. Sometimes you would even find him sleeping when you visited his house, but he was always nice to you. Throughout all the years of knowing him, he never once insulted you (except for calling you a dorayaki when he first met you, but once you discovered his love for dorayaki, you took it as a compliment).

So, if he really loves dorayaki and jokingly calls you that, could it possibly mean that he likes you? It might be a bit silly to jump to that conclusion based on something as trivial as that.

You are being foolish.

However, it is okay to hope that there may be a possibility that he shares the same romantic feelings. You attempted to reassure yourself that he must like you, especially since he is the one who has told you that you can always rely on him.

Furthermore, he emphasized that he is the only person you need in your life. This could imply that he enjoys being by your side (hopefully). Perhaps not as the only person in his life, but he likely considers you to be one of the people he wants to have in his life. 

Interestingly enough, you felt a warm sensation inside and a clear smile appeared on your lips. You were clearly getting ahead of yourself by thinking that someone as gorgeous as him would fall in love with you.

He possessed all the qualities that you lacked. He was extremely confident, handsome, and unexpectedly strong, attributes one would never associate with a slim and rather short person like him. You are only a few centimeters taller than him, but to other people, you both appear to be nearly the same height.In contrast, you occasionally struggled with your confidence (though you have since improved, thanks to the support of Emma, Shinichiro and Mikey).

You were unsure if you could describe yourself as pretty, but people in your circle would often tell you that you are cute, especially when you are eating. Your cheeks puff up like a chipmunk as you stuff food in your mouth and savor the taste of delicious food melting on your tongue.

You thought that your looks were average. It is common for people to judge their appearance, but you were surprisingly happy with your personality. You were always respectful, patient towards others, and polite.

It is quite amusing that Mikey is considered to be your friend, even though you both are different in so many ways. You feel extraordinary that he willingly engages with you and shows a soft side when alone with you. For instance, when he gently grabbed your shoulders and looked into your eyes with sincerity, it felt like he was devoting himself to you with his full attention. It made you feel like you were the only person on this whole planet who actually deserves his affection.

The issue with you is that when someone is nice to you, you are easily influenced by a single, small act of kindness, making you automatically assume that you have encountered a genuinely kind individual with no cruel or malicious intentions. They do not even have to try really hard to manipulate you into depending on them. Your mindset may not shift easily because you are someone who is firm in your own beliefs but still open to considering alternative viewpoints.

But if you are quick to trust others' bad intentions, you might end up being an easy target for manipulation. Some people will see you as a useful tool to help them achieve their own goals.

Will you be able to realize this before it is too late to change things in a positive direction again? If not, will you be able to cope and move on freely in life? You were not excited to be confronted with these types of situations, but unfortunately, there are people who are eager to include you as a missing piece in their evil plans.

Just be thankful that you have not encountered more dangerous moments. However, be aware that you may become a victim of even more terrible circumstances that will unfold gradually, eventually causing you to completely break down and be at the mercy of cruel people.

-----------------------------------------------------------

“Huh?“

Currently, you find yourself in a small park surrounded by grass, with two swings in the middle where you and Chifuyu are sitting together. After exchanging numbers, you have been texting each other occasionally, mostly engaging in small talk. However, today Chifuyu went out of his way to call you and invite you to meet up with him.

He sounded completely devastated, and you could tell that his voice was cracking a bit and even trembling. Of course, you agreed to meet up with him, but you did not expect him to come and tell you something so horrible. 

"B-Baji san...is dead," he repeated once more.

You blinked at him like a total idiot, not processing his words, and thinking that he was speaking to you in a foreign language that you did not understand. As he started to cry and looked down at the ground, you saw how his shoulders trembled with every hiccup of his broken voice. 

“Baji-san is dead!" Chifuyu shouted, his cries growing louder as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

Finally, the information began to sink in within your mind.

“W-Wait, what?" was all you managed to say.

You had a strange feeling. You did not speak to Baji frequently, so you did not have a strong connection with him. However, you could sense that he was not a bad person, despite being a gang member. He showed great concern for you when the name of Haruchiyo came up in conversation, warning you to stay away from him. In the end, you were eventually forced to interact with Haruchiyo and could not simply avoid him randomly without raising suspicion.

Suddenly, a horrific thought crossed your mind. This cannot be true. You must be silly to even consider something like this. But what if Haruchiyo realized when you were walking together one night that you were trying to distance yourself from him by searching for excuses to go home alone?

Perhaps he discovered that it was Baji who warned you, causing you to be more cautious around him. This likely thwarted his plan to harm you and distance you from Mikey. Is Haruchiyo even crazier than anticipated? Did he truly punish Baji, who attempted to protect you, by killing him?

“H-How?" was the next word that you uttered in a hesitant and shaking voice.

"It's a complicated story...“

He debated whether he should explain it to you. Primarily, he wanted to meet you to have a person to talk to and to make himself feel better. However, after seeing your horrified face, he was no longer sure if he made the right decision to confront you with such awful topic.

“H-He was stabbed.“

Your eyes widened and your mouth hung open as you stared into Chifuyu's extremely expressive green eyes.

“I don't want to go into much more details, but recently I've made a new friend who helped improve the situation. He may not be strong in fighting, but his durability is simply amazing," Chifuyu explained, finally calming down.

What does Chifuyu actually mean by that? How could the situation have been worse when a person died in a gang?

Takemichi was aware that the situations could have escalated more quickly due to Mikey initially killing Kazutora. However, he was able to prevent this from happening. As a result, Kazutora is now in jail, but unfortunately, Baji is still dead in this timeline.

“Perhaps you would like to meet him, oh, I mean...I am not entirely sure if you would want to meet more hoodlums, but I can guarantee that Takemichi is a great guy," Chifuyu spoke quickly, attempting to correct his mistake of making you feel uncomfortable about meeting other gangsters.

“Takemichi? I didn't know he was your friend. It's quite surprising that you both actually know each other. It's not that shocking though, as I think it's normal for hoodlums to be connected to each other in a specific way, even if they haven't directly heard of each other. And you're right, he's a very nice person; he was the one who saved me when I was being targeted by a group of hoodlums," you answered, surprised that Chifuyu was talking about Takemichi out of all the hoodlums in Tokyo.

”That is very cool. So you wouldn't mind if he joined us, right? I know that we mostly communicate through messages, but it could be a great change to meet up in person a few times," Chifuyu said hopefully. He is aware that you have your own boundaries and would completely understand if you do not want to interact with Takemichi and him.

You took a brief moment to think. 

Takemichi and Chifuyu are both very friendly towards you. There would be no harm in building a good friendship with them. You still pondered on why Chifuyu wanted to connect with you, particularly why he also wanted to involve Takemichi. Perhaps Chifuyu only wanted another friend because Baji passed away. And the fact that Chifuyu wants to hang out with you shows that he already thinks of you as a friend.

“Of course, I'd love to meet new people! I mean, we don't really know each other yet, so it's a great way to start," you replied with a soft smile, gently swaying on the swing.

His green eyes widened for a second before he started to stare at you.

Chifuyu has been spending most of his time crying since Baji's death, blaming himself for not understanding Baji's true motives for leaving Toman to join Valhalla. He is determined to destroy Kisaki Tetta, who Takemichi believes is a bad person due to his fixation on killing Takemichi's girlfriend in every timeline.

Actually, you tried to cheer up Chifuyu after Baji's death, but you couldn't help but think that he didn't really need your comforting words since he seemed fine again when you offered to be his friend.

Oddly enough, he was even smiling at you.

-----------------------------------------------------------

You decided to take a stroll in the city to enjoy some fresh air and clear your mind after a busy week at school. Walking outside has proven to be a helpful way for you to relax and sort through your thoughts when you're feeling overwhelmed by your workload.

As you walked past the many restaurants on every corner, the enticing aroma of food filled the air, causing your stomach to softly growl in anticipation. It was clear that you were in need of a delicious meal.

From a distance, as you peered inside a large window of a Ramen restaurant, you noticed a boy with shoulder-length blond hair and black eyes. He was slurping his Udon noodles and licking around his mouth with his tongue.

Mikey looked adorable while eating, with a happy smile on his face.

As you walked closer, you realized that he had a friend by his side who was neither Takemichi nor Draken. You found yourself unsure whether to approach them and say hello, as you didn't want to intrude. At the same time, you pondered whether it would be rude to pretend not to recognize Mikey.

In the very depths of your heart, you yearned to hear the sound of Mikey's voice, envisioning how it would tenderly soften when directed toward you.

Would there be any issue in greeting him?

You were excited to see him again. The last time you saw him was just a week ago when he came over to check in on you after Haruchiyo and Mucho saved you.

You took a moment to mentally prepare yourself, walking with large strides towards the restaurant. You opened the door smoothly in one fluid motion. There was no need to speak up to Mikey as he immediately recognized you when you entered the restaurant.

“[Name], it is such a surprise to see you here! Are you also hungry? You should come and eat with us together!" Mikey exclaimed eagerly, rising to his feet in a rush to greet you.

You were totally shocked. You never expected Mikey to be so thrilled to see you after just a week of not talking. Honestly, you were hesitant to reach out to him because you thought he was grieving his friend Baji's death. It was puzzling to see him grinning at you, considering what he was going through.

Mikey's companion was even more speechless than you are. Kisaki Tetta could not have imagined that the invincible Mikey would have a soft spot for a girl. When Mikey suddenly grabbed your hand to pull you to sit at the table, Kisaki could not help but notice how close the two of you seemed to be.

He did not like it at all. However, he still needs to determine if you would also be a hindrance to his plans like Takemichi Hanagaki.

“Oh, and by the way," Mikey added as you finally sat opposite the young boy, "he is a new member of Toman.“

Now, you had a closer look at him. As a member of the Tokyo Manji Gang, his blond hair is styled in an undercut and he is wearing the typical Toman uniform, just like Mikey. You noticed his piercing blue eyes, as well as the yellow-framed glasses he wears and the earring adorning his left ear. His skin is slightly tanned, but it really suits his appearance.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I am [Last Name] [First Name].“, you introduced yourself with a small bow.

”Kisaki Tetta," was the only response he gave you, delivered in a rather monotonous voice. You were unaware that he was the person who intentionally killed Baji, as Chifuyu omitted this information.

He cannot understand what is so interesting about you that Mikey sprang to his feet to approach you. Kisaki was sure that Mikey would only focus on creating a new era of delinquents, so why was Mikey looking at you as if you were an angel? It quite irritated him.

He would need to find out what was so special about you that caught Mikey's attention.

This is the only way to determine whether he should get rid of you. For the sake of Mikey.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 12]

Shortly after, your parents arrived to take you home. They hurried over to your side of the car, their faces filled with relief as they saw that you were not hurt at all. They pulled you in a warm hug, your father gently stroking your hair and your mother nuzzling her head against your neck. It was a comforting moment that made you feel loved and safe.

“I am so relieved that you are safe. If something terrible had happened to you, we would be absolutely devastated," your mother murmured with a completely broken undertone in her voice. You felt her hug around your body tighten, never wanting to let go. Your father was the first to eventually break away from the hug, only just now noticing that Chifuyu was still by your side, fidgeting awkwardly with his fingers.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce him to you. He is a friend of mine," you explained to your parents. You wondered if you had been too quick to refer to him as a friend. But Chifuyu looked pleased, his eyes lighting up for a moment before flashing a big smile and introducing himself to your parents.

“Are you the person who saved [Name]? Thank you so much for protecting our daughter. We do not even know how to repay you. You risked your own well-being, so a simple 'thank you' is definitely not enough," your father said gratefully, stepping forward to shake Chifuyu's hand. This surprised the blond-haired boy, as he was not the one who had helped you. However, your parents did not even give him a moment to clarify the misunderstanding. 

Chifuyu was taken aback by the sudden physical contact, especially since he was not the one who actually helped you. But before he could clear up the misunderstanding, your parents were already showering him with praises. You caught his eye and shook your head slightly, letting him know it was fine.

It is better if your parents believe Chifuyu was the one who saved you. If they knew it was actually Haruchiyo, they would probably want to thank him in person. And you definitely do not want your parents interacting with Haruchiyo. You know what a terrible person he is, so the last thing you want is for your parents to meet him. 

Honestly, you wished that Chifuyu was the one fighting against the other hoodlums. He seems to be very friendly and definitely more polite than Haruchiyo, who basically treated you like trash. However, you were glad that this was the first and last time someone would insult you, as you had no intention of confronting him again in your life. Unfortunately, you cannot fully control how you want to live your life, so it is likely that things will only get worse.

When you returned home, you truly felt a sense of relief and comfort, like finally being able to breathe after a long day. Your home is your sanctuary, where you feel the most secure and at ease. You mentioned to your parents that it was getting late and you were exhausted from the adrenaline rush of nearly encountering trouble with some strangers on the streets. Thankfully, you were able to escape unharmed, even though it was not willingly done by Haruchiyo. In the end, you were still humiliated, but it was better compared to the alternative of being sexually assaulted.

You slip into your cozy fleecy pajamas and dive headfirst into bed, tucking yourself under the blanket and slowly closing your eyes. But before you know it, you are wide awake again in a flash. 

Chifuyu would not tell Mikey that Haruchiyo said nasty things to you, right? It is no secret that Haruchiyo has some inexplicable grudge against you, so the last thing you need is for him to hate you even more if Mikey finds out. You have already promised yourself that you will not confront Haruchiyo again, but what if he unexpectedly crosses paths with you and decides to approach you? It is not hard to imagine that he would beat you into a pulp, regardless of the fact that Toman members have a strict rule against laying hands on women.

You closed your eyes once more, attempting to relax and get some well-deserved sleep. But the thought that Chifuyu might actually reveal the truth to Mikey made you incredibly anxious. In theory, you could send a message to Chifuyu as you have exchanged numbers, asking him to keep today's events a secret.

Maybe Chifuyu would understand that you do not want Haruchiyo to hate you even more because when Mikey is mad at him, he could really cause some serious trouble for you. It is unclear to what extent Haruchiyo values Mikey's opinion, but it is possible that he would feel upset if Mikey were to be angry with him.

However, what you fail to realize is that Haruchiyo feels as though his entire life is meaningless without Mikey, and he is desperate to be with him forever. He would do anything for Mikey - if Mikey wanted him to fight, he'd fight, and if Mikey wanted him to kill, Haruchiyo would do it without hesitation.

As you were beginning to drift off to sleep, your body feeling more relaxed and your breathing slowing down, you suddenly woke up to the sound of your phone ringing on the night table next to your bed. The unexpected call startled you, especially at this late hour when you were just about to finally rest and clear your mind.

No way it is Haruchiyo, right? He could not have gotten your number that fast. Is he trying to scare you because he totally hates your guts? You could feel the sweat forming, your whole body tensing up and your stomach churning. You still have not checked your phone, even though it's been ringing for a while now. The caller just won't give up, even after 15 seconds of you ignoring him. You rolled onto your side, hesitantly reaching out to grab your phone. 

All the fear seemed to dissipate in an instant when you saw that it was Mikey calling.

Wait a second. 

Does this mean that Chifuyu informed him right away that you were being targeted by hoodlums? You were just hoping that Chifuyu did not mention to Mikey that Haruchiyo insulted you. Now, you regret not asking Chifuyu to keep silent about it.

First and foremost, you do not want Mikey to worry about you. He must believe that you are completely weak because you are a girl with no combat skills, despite the fact that there was a time when you trained with Mikey at the dojo, and even then you were not proficient in fighting.

Furthermore, you were afraid that Mikey had contacted Haruchiyo and were angry at him for verbally attacking you. You believed that saving you was solely intended to provide him with the opportunity to insult you. If Haruchiyo really started to despise you more, he might even see you as an enemy and try to make your life miserable.

But seriously, you cannot think of what you could have possibly done to make him mad at you.

“[Name], are you okay?! Chifuyu informed me that you were saved by someone, but I still wanted to make sure that you are unharmed," Mikey's sudden voice came through the phone after you finally picked up. He sounded out of breath.

Did he just say "by someone"? Does he not know that it was Haruchiyo specifically?

“H-Hello, I am fine. Thank you for calling me. But, uhm...why are you so exhausted?" you asked him, wondering if he had been in a gang fight moments before.

“Haha, so this may come as a shock, but I am actually right at your house," he answered. Even though you could only hear his voice, you could imagine that he was grinning like an idiot.

“Wait, w-what? You are really here? In the middle of the night?!“

You jumped out of bed, not noticing that your hair was all disheveled from wiggling around to get comfortable. As you pulled back the curtain in your bedroom, your mouth fell open. There he was, leaning against the wall in his gray hoodie and black pants, still talking on his phone. Without hesitating, you quickly opened your window and waved at him instead of responding through your phone.

When he noticed you, he raised his head, made a big wave with his hand, and walked a little bit closer to your house with a soft smile on his face.

“Why are you here?,“ you whispered, as the pleasantly cool night air brushed against your body. You had to keep quiet so you would not wake up your parents or make them think Mikey was crazy for visiting a girl so late at night.

He spoke back to you, moving his lips slowly with lidded eyes and a gentle expression. It took you a while to process his words due to the distance between you and him.

'I wanted to see you‘

Did you read his lips correctly? You felt warmth on the inside, sensing your heart beating against your ribcage, as if trying to escape from your body.

When he waved for you to come down, you felt as if you were dreaming. Ironically, this type of situation reminds you of romance anime where the boy waits outside for the girl for a long-awaited reunion. The difference is that you had just seen Mikey recently when you were forced to make him dorayaki (again).

The second difference was that you were in a platonic relationship with him, so there was nothing more than being good friends. It did not bother you at all because you could not even picture yourself being in a romantic relationship with him. It would be extremely awkward to date Emma's brother, especially since you also had a sibling-like bond with her. You cannot fathom how she would react to seeing you and Mikey holding hands.

Furthermore, Mikey is still a child as he is two years younger than you. While it is true that you are also still a child, it would still be uncomfortable to consider dating him. Neither of you are mature enough, and Mikey does not seem to be the type who would be interested in  relationships or the concept of love in general.

You were friends, and it would stay that way.

But why can't you stop fantasizing about what it would feel like to have a romantic relationship with him? 

Maybe when you two get older, there is a chance you might end up falling for him...

Could it be that your emotions were manipulating you? Perhaps you were simply grateful that Mikey protected you from Kiyomasa and trained with you in the dojo, despite your weakness, with no benefit for himself in learning something new. 

Even though you are calm, shy, and sometimes lacking in confidence, he still sticks by your side as if you were an intriguing person. He is hanging out with you and has your back, boosting your confidence with his reassuring words. However, this time it was Hauchiyo who saved you. Mikey felt frustrated that he was not in the right place at the right time to protect you. This is primarily the reason why he made the effort to come to your house: to apologize.

You hesitated about going outside in your pajamas without a bra, but ultimately decided to change into something decent before meeting Mikey. Your hair was a bit messy, but you quickly smoothed it down and gave yourself a nod of approval in the mirror. Finally, you tiptoed outside, checking to see if you had woken up your parents. When you saw Mikey coming towards you, a smile automatically spread across your face.

“Hey [Name], how are you doing?“ he asked, looking a bit concerned. He nervously bit his lip and avoided making direct eye contact with you.

”Umm...I feel really bad that I wasn't there to protect you. I know I can't be everywhere at once, but I wish I could've been the one to take care of those jerks. I'm kinda jealous of whoever ended up saving you," Mikey said, puffing out his cheeks and making a big pout.

 He spoke with a playful undertone in his voice, so you did not realize that he was actually quite serious and frustrated. He was upset that you had relied on a stranger to save you, when he, who has known you personally for a long time, could have helped instead.

“You do not need to feel bad! In the end, I was still saved thanks to God. But I am somehow beating myself up over not being able to help myself. If I were stronger, I could have handled the situation on my own. It seems like I will always be the person who needs someone to rely on," you explained slowly while looking at the ground with an ashamed expression. You did not want to discuss such a sensitive topic with him, but you were truly sad and tired of being such a burden.

Is it too much to ask for you to be just a little bit stronger?

His eyes widened briefly before he smiled softly once more. Then, he gently rested his hands on your shoulders, catching you off guard as you experienced his physical touch.

“Is it really that bad?" he asked abruptly.

“You mean that I am always relying on other people?" you asked, not understanding to what he was referring. He nodded, not averting his gaze from you. His black eyes were focused, still gripping your shoulders.

“I-I mean, I feel like I am always waiting to be saved. I always rely on others, and I am s-scared that people will be annoyed with me when these kinds of situations recur, which hopefully is unlikely to happen again. The worst thing would be if people got so sick of me that they would leave me hanging and vulnerable. I do not want this to happen.

"I won't get sick of you. You can always count on me.“

You were surprised. You had not imagined that he would get so serious. In fact, you wanted to laugh the situation off, but the moment was so intense. He was gently touching your shoulders and looking into your eyes as if he could see through your soul. Moments like these made you forget that he is a gang leader and rough in fights, but when he was near you, he was so careful and considerate.

When did he become so mature?

“Thank you for those kind words. It means a lot to me that you want to spend time with me. It's nice to know that I can count on you," you replied, a grateful smile on your face and a glimmer of hope in your eyes.

"You can always count on me, [Name]. Just give me a call and I'll be there for you whenever you need me," he said warmly, gently running his fingers through your hair.

“I am the only person you need, [Name].“

You gazed at him with pure adoration.

He made you feel so special.

And you must admit that he is really hot.  It almost seems criminal to be that good-looking.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 11]

You did not expect your day to unfold in such a way: preparing to meet up with a classmate who ended up ditching you. Later, becoming the target of hoodlums attempting to harm you, only to be rescued by Haruchiyo and a new person named Mucho. Now, you find yourself walking home with Haruchiyo, even though Baji expressly warned you to stay away from him.

Perhaps the worst part of it all was that you were awkwardly walking a little behind him, keeping a noticeable distance and feeling the urge to scream in your head because you had nothing to talk about with him. He didn't even glance back at you, his eyes fixed straight ahead, though it wouldn't be surprising if he was still irritated at having to escort you home. Maybe he was even cursing Mucho in his mind for suggesting the idea, just as you were cursing yourself for leaving the comfort of your home.

You felt so uneasy that you were debating whether you should attempt to start small talk just so you did not feel completely uneasy by his side. Thinking about it, you were actually relieved that he was not turning his head towards you because then he would clearly see that you wanted to escape from him. He would also wonder why you were so careful around him, perhaps understanding that someone had warned you about him and his fucked-up head. 

Another thing you were reflecting on was whether he actually remembered you from back then when Mikey ripped off his mouth. You prayed that Baji was the only one who had seen you, and if Haruchiyo had seen you back then, he would not be able to remember you since it was the first time he had seen you...right? You were certain that he must be too preoccupied with himself due to the sudden pain inflicted by Mikey. Therefore, there is no possible way that he would recognize your face after so many years have passed.

As you watched him from behind, his long bleach blond hair softly moved with each step he took. You were still unsure if he was truly the crazy and insane person Baji had described him to be. As you observed him walking from a distance, it was difficult to fathom that he has a twisted personality. Being escorted by a hoodlum was scary enough, even though he had saved you (albeit unwillingly). The lifestyle of hoodlums is nothing to be proud of, but it is not your place to judge the life choices of others.

“Hey," Haruchiyo's sudden voice startled you in the middle of the night. He stopped walking and turned his head slightly towards you, his annoyed expression clearly visible.

"Y-Yes?" you stammered.

"Are you deaf or something? I'm talking to you," he said, rolling his eyes in disbelief that you hadn't realized he had been speaking to you for a while, waiting for your response. He was nearly losing his patience after the fifth time you failed to react. “Oh, I am sorry...I was distracted." You were preoccupied by the thought that he could harm you in the middle of the night when there were no people around, making it the perfect time to take action. 

You were obviously very paranoid. Why would there be a reason to lay a finger on you? You hoped that he only resorted to violence when fighting other hoodlums and not against a girl who had done nothing to make him angry. Maybe he was just annoyed because you gave him a crappy cheesecake at the café, even though he said it was delicious. He might have been lying because Mikey was there and he did not have the opportunity to be rude to you.

Now he is forced to take you home, having previously had to save you because of your good relationship with Mikey. Ironically, you were happy to have seen Haruchiyo with Mikey back then. If Haruchiyo had not recognized you today, he would have left you to be subjected to these hoodlums. You would have been in big trouble if he had not stepped in to fight against the people who were trying to assault you.

Nevertheless, you were relieved that this would be the last time you would have to confront him. You needed to keep your distance from him if you did not want to be involved in any horrible outcomes.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Excuse me, what?" you answered with your mouth hanging open, frozen in place as if glued to the ground. You cannot simply show him where your home is, especially since you were warned about Haruchiyo being a cruel person.

"I take back what I said about you being deaf. The term 'stupid' fits you better...How do you expect me to bring you home when you won't even tell me which direction to go?" Haruchiyo expressed, turning towards you and crossing his arms with an irritated expression on his face. He was so rude. You realized that you liked him better when his mouth was shut, like the first time you had met him. You grimaced at the thought, which only made him even more furious.

“Why did I even bother saving you? Mikey kun wouldn't have cared if I let those guys humiliate you.“

Suddenly, your mouth felt dry as the topic shifted unexpectedly. The tension heightened even more than when you were simply walking a few meters behind him. You blinked at him, contemplating what to say or if you should even argue with him, especially with few people around. You did not want to risk testing his temper to the point where he might slap you, so you chose to remain silent, attempting to suppress the anger that was building up inside you.

You realized that the feeling was not just anger, but also fear that Mikey might not actually care about you and that your perception of your friendship was all in your head. It made you even more anxious that Haruchiyo was the one who voiced this concern, given his familiarity with Mikey as they are part of the same gang. Perhaps Mikey had confided in him about you, painting you as just a girl who happened to have a good relationship with his younger sister. Why would Haruchiyo say something like that unless he was certain that Mikey truly felt that way about you? 

A girl who had coincidentally met Emma when they were children. 

What if, in reality, Mikey only interacted with you out of obligation when you visited their home? You are feeling extremely miserable right now, and it would not be surprising if things were to get even worse after what you have experienced in such a short amount of time. And you were right. You could actually feel even more humiliated, just like you do now.

“I bet you even enjoyed being the center of attention for those people."

What the actual fuck?!

“W-Why would I even l-like that?" you stammered, disbelief evident on your face.

"Isn't it obvious? You cannot get affection from Mikey, so you probably seek it from others. Such a pathetic move, so typical of women.“

He narrowed his eyes at you, casting a judgmental gaze that lingered on your shivering body. Under his black mask, you couldn't even tell if he was smirking at you. However, you were certain that his mouth was set in a straight line, matching his cold gray eyes.

You gasped. Why would you even do that? It's like you wanted to get humiliated by strangers just to get noticed. You are not someone who craves attention like that. This was definitely the last straw in trying to stay quiet and act like everything was okay. Usually, this would be the moment to slap him in the face with a furious expression, but it was the first time you had ever been insulted in your life. That's why you were so upset when Haruchiyo said mean things about you.

You started to cry.

Tears streamed down your face.

“Why are you being so cruel to me?" you formed with your lips in a hoarse voice, a sound you never expected to come from yourself. Typically, people would describe your voice as soft, feather-light, and comforting. However, in this moment, your voice trembled, wavered, and ultimately broke into a whimper.

You ran past him, tears drenching your face, and you didn't even glance back to see if he actually regretted what he had just said about you. However, you could tell that he wouldn't feel remorseful. Just meeting him twice was enough to understand that he was a bad person; you didn't even need Baji's warning to realize this about Haruchiyo.

You were running on the streets in complete darkness. The only sound was the echo of your steps. Despite feeling scared, with your heart hammering against your ribcage from being alone at such a late hour, you found it more pleasant than being near Haruchiyo. At least, that's what you hoped was true. It was unnerving that there were no lights on, only a few scattered lamps, was kind of creepy. You were not even sure of your current location, as you were preoccupied with processing your emotions and trying to stifle your hiccups.

You began to continually turn your head back every few seconds to ensure that you were not being stalked by scary people. It was not a wise decision to leave Haruchiyo, despite him verbally insulting you. It seemed preferable to endure his insults than risk physical harm, so you felt regretful about running away from him. There was no guarantee that random menacing guys on the streets would only use hurtful words against you and not physical actions. Living as a woman was undeniably challenging, as you were often perceived as a target at night and constantly battled feelings of paranoia, always sensing that someone was watching you.

As you stumbled upon a figure lurking in the shadows, a sudden wave of fear and panic washed over you. Your heart raced, and a piercing scream escaped your lips as you recoiled in terror. “Oh God, why is it me?", you whispered, a quiet whimper escaping your lips as you closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the inevitable.

“[Name] chan?“

As you lifted your head, you were met with a pair of sparkling green eyes in the darkness. A wave of relief washed over you as you recognized the familiar face of someone you knew, putting any fears to rest.

“C-Chifuyu kun“

-----------------------------------------------

“So that's why you were out wandering alone in the middle of the night. I kind of guessed you're not really a night owl“, Chifuyu said as you shared what had happened earlier today. You both sat on a bench together, but you made sure to leave some space between you for safety.

You were starting to feel a bit uneasy around boys, even though Chifuyu was around 3 years younger than you and seemed to be a nice guy. However, after dealing with some hoodlums, you were more aware about your surroundings.

"Oh, hold up. I should have offered you something to drink, huh?“

”Something to drink?" you repeated, feeling a bit confused by his sudden remark.

Chifuyu explained, "I figured you might be tired from the day and running around, so I thought you might be thirsty. Sorry if that came off weird."

"N-No, it is fine. Thank you so much," you replied.

"No worries! Consider it payback for when you treated Baji and me to drinks from the vending machine that one time," Chifuyu chuckled, before getting up and heading to the nearest vending machine.

Surprisingly, it was your first time being outside of the house until such a late hour. The thought that hoodlums may lead each day like this, possibly not even returning home, was a lifestyle you could not imagine for yourself. You longed to be near your parents and be cared for with love, so you pondered if hoodlums were truly happy with their lives. Do they resent their parents? Perhaps they have a valid reason to hate them if neglect or abuse is what led them down the wrong path.

You were sipping on your drink, deep in thought, pondering why some people choose to live certain lifestyles. You couldn't quite grasp why Mikey decided to become a gang leader, especially when he had no apparent motive for it. He had not been abused as a child; in fact Shinichiro had loved him so much that he had taught Mikey everything he knew, especially about bikes. Emma was occasionally irritated by Mikey, and she would still roll her eyes at him when she saw him with his childhood blanket. However, she also loves him, just like their grandfather does.

What could have possibly gone wrong?

You don't really know much about Mikey's parents, just that they're no longer around. And then it hits you - you totally forgot something important when it comes to parents. "I need to call my parents!" you shout, frantically grabbing your phone from your bag. Panic sets in as you see 20 missed calls and tons of messages.

Chifuyu was startled by the sudden noise you made, turning his head in your direction to see you calling back to your parents. Your whole face was pale, as you had not informed your parents that you would be late. They must be completely afraid and going crazy right now.

“Oh goodness, [Name]! Your mom and I were freaking out, thinking something bad happened to you. We even called the cops to try and find you," you heard your dad say, out of breath from searching for you.

"I'm really sorry... Something really scary happened today, and I'm with a friend who's helping me calm down," you explained, feeling bad.

"W-What happened?" you heard your mom ask, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back tears.

“I will tell you when I get home. It is very complicated to explain over the phone. I will start heading home-"

"Give us your position and we will pick you up.I cannot let my daughter be unguarded," your father interrupted with concern. After you hung up the phone call, Chifuyu suggested waiting together until your parents came to pick you up. 

"Hey [Name], I'm really sorry about what happened. If I had been there, I would've made sure you got home safely instead of that guy Baji mentioned. Uhm...can we exchange numbers? You know, just in case...I want to make sure you're safe when you're on your own," Chifuyu said as you walked together to the meeting spot where you would reunite with your parents.

You weren't really in the mood to talk at the moment and just needed some time to relax and think about everything that happened today. But after a little bit of thought, you just nodded to him.

“Really?! I am glad that you are okay with this. I do not want to pressure you as we do not actually know each other that well," he remarked with a forceful smile.

"It is not a problem. I hope that it does not come across as weird, but you are obviously not the scary type of hoodlums I have met so far. You are very respectful towards me and you also consider my feelings," you answered slowly, thinking that you do not have anything against the idea of befriending Chifuyu.

"Oh, I am happy that you think that way of me!" Chifuyu let out a happy grin, already having his mobile phone in his hands to save your number.

Your sight was so unclear in the night that you did not know that a light blush spread on Chifuyu's cheeks.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 10]

It was unbeknownst to you that approximately two weeks prior to encountering Izana, a tragic incident occurred in which you were fortunately not involved. A founding member of Toman, known as Pah-chin and a friend of Mikey, was responsible for the stabbing of Osanai, the leader of a rival gang known as "Moebius." As a result of his actions, Pah-chin has been incarcerated and is not expected to be released for at least a year. The childhood friend of Pah-chin, known as Peh-yan, felt  helplessness and frustrated upon learning of his best friend's incarceration. 

He really hated Draken for not having Pah-chin's back. As a founding member of Toman, he had been manipulated by an unknown person to kill Draken, the vice-leader of Toman. Despite the initial intention for Peh-yan to carry out the act, it was ultimately Kiyomasa who inflicted the stab wound on Draken. Miraculously, Draken managed to survive the attack, despite being in critical condition and requiring an emergency surgical procedure while hospitalized.

Takemichi managed to beat Kiyomasa in a brutal fight by jumping on him and squeezing his throat until he passed out, all to save Draken from dying. When Emma saw Draken all bloody and hurt, she was devastated at the thought of losing the person she loves. The fact that she had been with Draken at a festival just hours before, enjoying themselves, made it even more unbearable for her when she rushed to the hospital while still wearing her Kimono.

Mikey tried to remain strong while in the hospital, uncertain of whether Draken would survive the operation. When the doctor finally announced the success of the operation, Mikey felt overwhelming relief. He found himself alone outside of the hospital, shedding tears and quietly expressing that he couldn't imagine life without Draken. The attack on Draken occurred during Mikey's conflict with Hanma, the temporary leader of Moebius, leaving him unable to protect Draken in the midst of a chaotic gang fight involving numerous hoodlums.

Finally, Peh-yan decided to go back to Toman because he knew he made a mistake. His Toman friends always had his back, and Draken reassured him that even though Pah-chin got arrested, there was nothing they could do about it. Pah-chin would have to face the consequences, but since he is still young, his punishment would be less severe.

On the way to escort you home, Mikey informed you that Kiyomasa had been jailed for attempted murder, though he didn't go into much detail on how it happened. You had to stay longer at school today because you were studying in the library with classmates. Time flew by quickly, and you only noticed when you looked out the window and saw the sun setting, leaving orange-red strands in the sky. 

Since your parents were still at work and you didn't want to disturb them, you had no other option but to find a safe way home. You hadn't expected to stay at school so late. You needed someone to walk you home, preferably a strong boy whom you are somewhat familiar with. That is why you decided to give Mikey a call on your cellphone, even though you were nervous he might be busy. When he answered, he was surprised to hear from you so late since you usually don't call him. But it was an emergency.

“Sure, I'll come get you, hehe~ Just wait for me at the entrance,“ was the only answer from him, which had a playful undertone. When he came to pick you up, he winked at you from a distance before smiling at you with closed eyes. He was pushing his motorbike beside him because he knew that you were scared of riding bikes. He only rode with his motorcycle so that you would not have to wait for very long.

“Excuse me, what?" you blinked at him with a confused expression on your face. You must have misheard him just now. Perhaps you had been studying in the library for so long that your brain stopped functioning for a moment. “Kiyomasa is in jail for attempting to murder Draken," he repeated for the fourth time, slowly starting to blink at you dumbfoundedly, just as you had done seconds ago. “O-Oh, I did not expect that," you said slowly as you walked beside Mikey, who had his hands in his pockets and was giving you a concerned side-eye.

"I thought you would be happy to hear that, since he was the one who harmed you," Mikey said as he watched your expression with pursed lips. “I mean, he already got what he deserved when you beat him up. I'm not a fan of violence, but admittedly, I was actually satisfied to see him lying on the ground with a completely bruised face,“ you answered with a strangely happy smile.

“Would it have made you even happier if I had broken his bones?" he suddenly asked with a serious expression.

What the heck.

"Uhm, no? As I mentioned earlier, I don't believe violence is the answer. I may have gotten a bit carried away, and I apologize for that. I'm just grateful that you came back then," you replied, attempting to steer the conversation away from becoming unpleasant.

“You can always rely on me, just don't forget that. Nothing is easier for me than to beat people's asses," he said with a huge grin.

You smiled at him and nodded, finally standing in front of your house. He winked at you one last time before turning his back to walk away, pushing his motorcycle to prepare to ride home. As he was leaving, he stopped and said, "Don't hesitate to call me if you need me“

“Thank you, Mikey!" you exclaimed, feeling more excited than you had anticipated. Mikey was briefly surprised, his eyes widening before he smiled back at you with a lidded gaze. After he left your sight, you walked into your house, closed the door, and began reflecting on what Mikey had said just minutes before. He wouldn't actually break people's bones, would he? You only saw him fight against Kiyomasa, and you were totally convinced that Mikey was holding back big time. He didn't even break a sweat or change his expression.

It was not the same feeling you had when Mikey ripped off Haruchiyo's mouth many years before, but when he said he could break Kiyomasa's bones, it made your stomach churn inside. You were not scared of Mikey (not yet), but it made you kind of aware of the fact that you should not upset him, especially when your life is dear to you.

Perhaps you were only trying to convince yourself that Mikey is a nice person because he saved you, always smiles, and sometimes acts childish in your presence when eating dorayaki. He would not hurt his friends. There is no reason to be scared of him unless you are his enemy. What you will soon witness is that he would actually gladly hurt people, including his friends, in order to keep you safe and by his side.

Currently, he does not display any sickly affectionate behavior towards you. However, as time goes on, he will become more clingy towards you and will realize that he wants more than just a simple friendship with you.

He will ensure that you become dependent on him.

--------------------------------------------------------

You had planned to dedicate this weekend to completing your school assignments. Therefore, you positioned yourself at your desk , starting to write a 5- page essay on Japanese history, despite having a two-week deadline. It's not like there's anything better to do with your time.

When your phone suddenly vibrated for a brief moment on the table, you were startled by the unexpected sound, which disrupted your concentration. You curiously glanced at the display and noticed a message from a friend from school, who was asking if you had time to meet with her in Shibuya to have a great time.

You really enjoy going outside when the weather is sunny but not too hot. It's the perfect time to go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air. However, it felt odd that she wanted to spend time with you, considering you were only classmates. Assuming you were friends seemed a bit far-fetched. It's nice to think that maybe you're starting to become friends.

You prepared your outfit to meet up at the Shibuya Crossing with a happy smile, excited to befriend someone you don't usually talk to. It was a pleasant surprise that he actually wants to get to know you better. You believe that it is important to cultivate social interactions with others, and you feel that you are a person who is pleasant to be around because you are always friendly and considerate of other people's thoughts.

Being a sensitive person, you have more reason to support others by offering your help. However, the downside is that you can be emotionally vulnerable when something upsetting occurs, such as receiving a message from your classmate canceling your meet-up.

Your smile dropped. Why didn't she tell you earlier instead of making you wait for half an hour? You didn't even call her on her cellphone because you didn't want to pressure her in case she was stuck in traffic. It was very surprising that she decided not to come, especially since she was the one who asked you out.

She didn't just ditch you on purpose, right?

You tried to convince yourself that this was the case, but you were upset that you had put in the effort to be here, only to be intentionally left behind by a classmate. Shinichiro told you that you are a lovely person, so why did this just happen to you?

Because she is jealous.

You never asked Shinichiro why people are supposed to feel that way when they see you. There's nothing specific that would make people jealous of you. That is what you believed to be true. You sighed and made your way to turn back so that you could go home, with your head hanging down in sadness.

You were somewhat relieved that a random classmate, not a close friend ditched you. It was a lesson in not trusting people too quickly and assuming everyone has good intentions. It is difficult to judge people based on appearance, but when you see hoodlums, you can't help but feel uncomfortable, possibly due to the trauma experienced with Kiyomasa.

“Hey girl, why are you wandering around by yourself? Do you want me to walk with you? Maybe we can find a cool spot to chat.“

When you looked up, you tried to hide your disgust as a big group of people came towards you, not caring about invading your space. You didn't even realize you were in a quieter area, probably because you were deep in thought and not paying attention to where you were going.

"No, thank you. My parents are just around the corner and waiting for me," you said confidently. It felt like a cruel joke to be faced with hoodlums for the second time in a short period. You did your best to maintain a composed expression, but as they casually approached you with smug grins, you couldn't help but let out a scream, hoping someone would rescue you from the dreadful situation.

Instinct kicked in and you turned to run. But before you could take off, someone grabbed your arm tightly, pulling you back so hard you almost fell. You thought you were going down, but the person holding you had a strong grip on your waist, keeping you from hitting the ground. “Why do you want to leave so early? You should feel honored to have the opportunity to spend time with us," the same person said, while stroking your back with his filthy hands.

"Let me go!" you gritted out with a stern expression, wiggling around like a worm and trying to pull his hand from you with all the force you could possibly muster in that moment. Suddenly, he angrily pressed his hands against your mouth so forcefully that only muffled screams could escape. Feeling helpless, fresh tears welled up in your eyes, cascading down your cheeks as you continued to struggle by kicking with your feet. However, your efforts to break free only left you feeling weaker.

Fuck, why is the world so damn cruel to you? You didn't deserve to go through all this shit. It's frustrating that some people are choosing to ignore the situation when they could easily step in and help. Everyone would naturally want to stay away when they see a group of  10 hoodlums gathered around you, laughing while their "leader" has fun assaulting you. Your tears just would not stop streaming. You felt too exhausted to continue fighting. You simply closed your eyes, accepting your miserable fate.

Instantly, you heard a loud thud. The firm grip around your body was suddenly released, and you were unexpectedly free to move again. It felt like a dream as you slowly, yet still scared, opened your eyes to see that the guy was unconscious on the ground, with a bloodied face.

Oh no, this can't be happening.

Just a few steps away was Haruchiyo, shaking his sore fist with a look of annoyance on his face. He was wearing his gang uniform, just like the first time you had seen him with Mikey. When the underlings of the man who was beaten up a few seconds ago saw that their boss was defeated in a few seconds, they took a reflexive step back, and their smiles disappeared almost instantly.

“This guy is part of Toman!"

"No way! What is he doing here?!“

They exclaimed words of disbelief, with mouths wide open and teeth gritted, as they watched Haruchiyo take his steps forward with furrowed eyes.

“Even though he is alone and we are a group of people, he must think that he has a chance to win against us," stated one of the hoodlums matter-of-factly. They started grinning again when they realized that there was simply no way for Haruchiyo to beat them all in a fight. Haruchiyo remained stoic behind his black mask, showing no visible reaction.

Two people rushed at Haruchiyo with fists raised, but he skillfully dodged their punches with quick reflexes. Haruchiyo wasted no time in turning the tables and aimed his fist at the person standing closest to him, causing the guy to grit his teeth in pain. As the other person attempted a second attack, Haruchiyo threw the first person to the ground before dodging down and landing a full hit in his stomach. He let out a short scream before his knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

“Look out!" you yelled as someone rushed towards Haruchiyo, but he turned just in time to get punched in the face, leaving a bruise around the bridge of his nose. Haruchiyo briefly hissed before regaining his composure. He kicked the person behind him with his elbow, aiming for his ribcage. The guy jumped a step back to create distance between himself and Haruchiyo, but Haruchiyo didn't give him a moment to catch his breath. He ran towards him, his long bleach blonde hair flowing behind him, finally landing the last punch in the center of his head. The guy groaned in pain, then fell to the ground with his eyes closed.

As more people came charging at Haruchiyo with their fists clenched, you just stood there watching from afar, not really grasping what was going on in such a short amount of time. You remained frozen in place because you were still scared from before, and trying to fight off all those guys on your own as a girl left your body feeling numb and weak, unable to escape.

You wished to be strong, able to protect yourself, but at the moment all you could do was watch how Haruchiyo was fighting alone against a group of people, some of whom were twice his size. This made it more challenging for him to throw them to the ground, but he was actually strong despite his slender build.

Suddenly, another man appeared out of nowhere wearing the Tokyo Manji Gang uniform. Compared to Haruchiyo, this individual was taller and had a muscular build. He had strong brown eyes, bushy eyebrows, and blond hair styled in a clean undercut.

Despite just forcefully slamming two individuals' heads together with his large hands, he appeared extremely bored. It was astonishing that he didn't even break a sweat while effortlessly picking people up, spinning them around, and throwing them as if they weighed nothing. There was no expression on his face as he dealt with those who tried to fight back, effortlessly handling them as if they were mere insects.

“Nice job, Haruchiyo," he smiled softly as Haruchiyo kept smacking that guy in the face over and over again. Finally, the last opponent dropped to the ground with severe bruises on his face and a purple eye. Haruchiyo was panting and sweating lightly as he caught his breath after dealing with a crowd of hoodlums on his own. In a matter of minutes, Haruchiyo and his team mate took down all the people trying to assault you, leaving them on the ground in pain.

“Oh, so she was the reason why you fought against them?“, the new person said, finally noticing that you were just standing there in shock, wide-eyed and not moving.

“Since when have other people become important to you besides Mikey?" he wondered, looking at Haruchiyo with a slightly open mouth and confusion evident on his face. "Tsk, it's not like I wanted to help her. Apparently, she's a friend of Mikey," Haruchiyo answered with an annoyed eye-roll.

Ouch.

So essentially, he wanted to ignore your cries for help, but he felt obligated to save you because of your close relationship with Mikey. Despite being handicapped, you were grateful that he risked his life for your rescue.

“Now, it makes sense that you stood up for her," he said with a short-lived grin. "By the way, are you alright? I'm Mucho, sorry I couldn't get here sooner, but I think Sanzu handled things well while I was gone," he explained while slowly walking towards you. Haruchiyo was still a bit further away, but he could still hear your conversation very well.

“Yeah, I'm good... Thank you," you stuttered, awkwardly bowing down to show your gratitude. "No problem. It was lucky that Haruchiyo was nearby. A girl should not wander alone in a place like this. This place is full of hoodlums who are waiting for the perfect target, which, unfortunately, was you this time," Mucho said carefully, warning you to stay away from here. Mucho was switching his gaze repeatedly between Haruchiyo and you before coming to a conclusion.

"Sanzu should walk you home," he declared.

"What?" both of you answered in unison, disbelief evident in your voices. “Haruchiyo got kicked out of the Toman meeting, so he can walk you home since I have to go there now“

Excuse me, what? Why should he get kicked out of the meeting? What did he do to deserve it? Haruchiyo, hesitantly walked up to you, with his gray eyes piercing through your soul. This was the first time he had actually looked into your eyes.

Yay...

“Come," he said in a harsh tone, being commanding, his long-lashed eyes furrowing at you. “Um, I think I will be able to walk alone...b-but thank you," you answered as you took a step back.

“But it is quite late, so you will need an escort," Mucho stated matter-of-factly. Damn it, you would not be able to come up with an excuse.

“Sanzu may appear to be an unsettling person, but he is not a bad guy," Mucho continued.

Suddenly, you remembered Baji's words.

’He is fucking insane. Avoid him if he tries to approach you.’

“It is really f-fine," you tried to reassure them that you could walk home alone.

"But you are clearly scared, duh," Haruchiyo remarked, wanting to get over with this day as fast as possible by following Mucho's order of bringing you home.

Did he really just 'duh' at you? He was totally teasing you for acting like a scared little rabbit.

You were not scared of walking alone, you were scared of him. There was no other reason for your trembling body, but you still nodded and walked with him. Despite promising not to have anything to do with him again, you ended up ignoring Baji's warning. 

Your future with Haruchiyo Sanzu cannot be altered.

You two are meant to cross paths.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 9]

On August 14th, 2003, Mikey's older brother Shinichiro passed away. Two years have elapsed since that time, and today marks the anniversary of Shinichiro's death.

You stood directly before his grave, with your school bag resting on the ground beneath you. The weather provided a pleasant sensation on your skin, accompanied by a gentle breeze that caused the flames of the candles on his grave to flicker out, leaving only a small wisp of smoke dancing in the air.

You promised Emma that you would always go visit Shinichiro's grave together on his death anniversary. You knew Shinichiro for 5 years and during that time, you really grew close to him and considered him an important person in your life. Even though you and Shinichiro had very different lifestyles and beliefs, you could tell he cared about you just like he did for his own siblings. Like that one time when you accidentally spilled hot oil while cooking and he quickly pushed you out of the way to keep you from getting burned. 

You were so grateful he was okay.

You cried at the time because he put himself in danger for you, but he just reassured you that he was happy to help. You kept apologizing for what happened, but he just gave you a kind smile and patted your head. 

You used to visit his grave a lot, not just once a year. After school, you would spend some time cleaning up around his grave, picking up trash people had left on the ground. Additionally, you would ensure that there is no dirt on the surface of his gravestone.

It was a gesture of kindness and respect. He had always treated you like a younger sister, so this was the least you could do to honor him.

Emma and Mikey have not yet arrived, which is why you find yourself alone. Even two years later, the realization of his sudden death remains difficult to grasp. Last year, you made an effort to hold back tears at his grave, but eventually succumbed to overwhelming grief, mirroring Emma's intense emotional reaction. As you sobbed uncontrollably, Mikey stood at a distance to allow you space.

He did not shed a single tear.

You knew Mikey really loved his brother and held him in high regard because whenever he talked about Shinichiro as a kid, his eyes would light up with admiration. You thought he would be totally crushed when he heard about his brother's passing, but he did not seem to show any emotions at all.

You were so confused and kind of mad that he didn't seem sad at all. You started to realize that maybe you didn't know Mikey as well as you thought you did. It was difficult to comprehend his thoughts. Even though he may be an expressive person, he sometimes kept his true feelings hidden. You do not know why.

But the truth is, he just does not want to be seen as weak, something you're not aware of him.

Reflecting on Shinichiro, you can't help but remember that one time you ran out of school crying, snot and tears streaming down your face. It was because some rude girl called you too sentimental and accused you of only being nice to people when you need something from them. However, you were just scared of being judged, a fear that still lingers within you. You don't want to give anyone a chance to criticize you, so you try your best to make everyone like you.

But you know for sure that there are people in this world who just do not seem to like you, no matter how hard you try to be kind, gentle- hearted, and empathetic.

When Shinichiro saw you crying on his way home from the bike shop, he walked up to you and wondered what had made you so upset. You explained what had happened at school, with small hiccups leaving your uncontrollable shaking mouth. He just listened to you with a concerned expression, patiently waiting for you to finish your sentences, even though it took you a while due to all the crying and sobbing.

“She is simply jealous of you because you are such a lovely person," Shinichiro replied sincerely as he playfully stroked your hair in all directions with a small laugh. You could totally smell the cigarettes he had before.

“Do you really think that?" you spoke up hesitantly, wiping away your tears with your sleeves.

"I am an honest man, there is no way this could be a lie," he grinned, but then instantly faltered for a moment as he remembered something. He considered telling you a secret, but decided against it, thinking it wasn't the right time. 

He doesn't want you to be scared of Mikey.

He thought that he would tell you someday about what Mikey had done for you, perhaps when you were older, in the hope that you would be less horrified to find out. However, the reveal never came as Shinichiro passed away after approximately 3 years. 

Will you ever learn what he wanted to tell you?

As you gazed at his grave, you hoped that he would rest peacefully in a beautiful place. Although you were uncertain about his emotions when he was alive, he seemed like a person who was content with his life, despite having only his grandfather and two younger siblings as family.

“I promise to always care for Emma and Mikey. You don't need to worry because I will always be there for them, providing a secure place. I know I am still a child, but I will be their protector," you whispered to yourself, hoping Shinichiro could hear you in that moment. Your lips began to tremble, tears welled up in your eyes, and you started to sob softly, finding it hard to breathe.

“Y-You will have my word!“

Ironically, Mikey is stronger than you even though you are two years older than him. You knew that he had extraordinary skills when training in the dojo, but when you saw him beating Kiyomasa, you confirmed that he does not need your protection. It would be an insult to claim that he needs your strength.

As you heard slow steps approaching from behind, you assumed it was Emma or Mikey, so you immediately tried to dry your tears with the back of your hands, not wanting them to see you in such a sorrowful state. Turning your head, you were surprised to see an unfamiliar person. It was a bit jarring to see a stranger, but you realized there were others who also had a close relationship with Shinichiro and were deeply affected by his death.

Observing him, you first looked at his face, noticing his beautiful large purple eyes and silver-white long eyelashes. His straight short white hair was styled, reaching slightly in the middle of his ears and with a center-parted undercut. He appeared to be of average height, but as the sun illuminated his body, you could see his flawless light brown skin. What stood out to you the most were his hanafuda-derived earrings, gently tinkling in the soft breeze like his waving hair. He was dressed in red pants, a black shirt with a coat-like red jacket, and white boots.

You were staring at him like you were in a daze, then you blinked and realized you were blocking his view of the grave. You quickly apologized and bowed to him, still feeling a bit confused to see him at Shinichiro's grave for the first time, even though you visited this place very often. You were wondering if he caught you talking and crying, but you figured he could probably tell you had been shedding tears because your cheeks were still wet and your eyes were likely a bit red. You just hoped your nose wasn't running with snot...

He didn't really acknowledge you when he walked by, just staring at Shinichiro's grave with a blank expression. When you glanced his way, his eyes were empty. It felt like forever before he finally noticed you and gave you a side-eye, looking annoyed that you were watching him so closely, like it was wrong for him to be there.

You looked away fast, grabbed your school bag, and decided to wait for Mikey and Emma at the entrance. You felt uncomfortable of standing near this person, sensing that he was distressed by your presence. You were not truly irritated, as it is understandable when someone wishes to be alone at the grave of an important person in order to have a private moment with the deceased.

You were unsure if you should say something to him, as you were not familiar with sensitive topics. Therefore, you simply planned to quietly walk away. To your surprise, he took a step to talk to you, even though he seemed disinterested and somewhat judgmental towards you. Why should there be a reason for him to feel this way when you only met him for a few minutes without interacting?

“You seem to know him," he said in a deep tone, narrowing his eyes while still gazing at Shinichiro's grave with the smoke of the candles dancing around in the air. 

His voice sent a chill down your spine.

"Yes, a good friend of mine," you answered briefly, as you did not feel inclined to divulge too much about yourself to a stranger. He glanced up from the grave and let out a soft "Tze" before finally meeting your gaze. He made you feel uneasy for some reason, making it hard for you to look him directly in the eyes.

.

.

.

“Actually, he was the older brother of my best friend, which also made me feel a connection to him," you elaborated on, hesitant about how much to reveal. You did not consider who you were referring to when you said "best friend." In your eyes, Emma was like a little sister, so labeling Mikey as your younger brother would be awkward. You saw him more as a friend, so calling him your "best friend" felt wrong, as he definitely did not see you in the same way, but it just slipped out of your mouth.

You must be somewhat of a close acquaintance to Mikey.

The boy's eyes widened briefly before returning to the same bored expression. It was surprising for you to observe, but he actually appeared amused. It was only a fleeting reaction, so perhaps you were just imagining things.

There was clearly nothing to be amused or happy about. It is not as if you revealed important information about yourself to a complete stranger, who now happens to know that you are close to Mikey. This knowledge could be used to his advantage in the future.

It might click for you that he knows Mikey somehow when you see him at his older brother's grave. But what you didn't realize was that Izana Kurokawa actually despises Mikey and holds a grudge against him, which you'll find out about later. “What about you?" you asked in return. "He must be important to you if you made the effort to visit his grave." You hoped that this small talk would alleviate the uncomfortable atmosphere.

“Probably, I guess”, he said after an awkward silence. This was not the type of answer you would have expected, as you thought he must really like Shinichiro. However, his reaction was so half-hearted that you began to wonder if he was not as close to Shinichiro as you had assumed. The fact that Shinichiro never spoke about this person also added to your certainty in this assumption, or so you speculated.

There was no further interaction as he turned away from you and walked off. You had a clear view of his back and noticed he was wearing a gang uniform from the beginning. However, you were so focused on his facial expression that you didn't have a chance to fully scan his outfit. Despite his slim stature, as he exited the graveyard with his hands in the pockets of his red pants, you observed his broad shoulders and strong back, leading you to believe he must be someone accustomed to fighting.

You hoped that Shinichiro not only attracted gang members to himself, but it made sense that these people must be interested in him because he was a gang leader who was surprisingly not that strong. Shinichiro was often focused on repairing bikes when you would bring over food to him from your mother, as she stated that he needed energy for his job .

Your mother is such a sweetheart. When she realized that Mikey is a good person, especially when he saved you from Kiyomasa and brought you home, she started to show more affection towards Mikey. She said that as they are Emma's brothers, they would need her caring too.

“Hey [Name], sorry we took so long to get here. I had to clean the classroom by myself and my phone died so I couldn't let you know," Emma panted as she caught up to you. She shot Mikey a look and crossed her arms, while he just looked away and whistled with a goofy grin.

“And of course, Mikey just had to buy food..." Emma said, looking even more annoyed. “That is fine! Actually, there was someone else with me who came to visit Shinichiro's grave. It was just a short exchange, and he walked away just a few moments before your arrival," you explained, still wondering about his relationship with Shinichiro.

“Another person, huh?" Mikey mumbled, not understanding who it could have been. "He seemed to be in a rush to walk away. I'm not complaining, as I'm not used to talking to strangers," you explained, shrugging your shoulders. “He must be someone from Shinichiro's gang from back then," Mikey answered, thus ending the conversation.

But the boy just looked like someone around your age...Nevermind. It is not necessary to know who he is. Unfortunately, you will learn more about him, and you will not be happy about it. The moment when you will have your first-hand experience with how messed up this boy's head is, you will want to distance yourself from him with all your power.

Spoiler alert: He will not let you go.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 8]

It was a beautiful day in July. The sun was shining brightly, causing you to sweat in your clothes. You waved your hand in an attempt to feel some cool air on your face. You needed something cold to drink, otherwise you felt like you would collapse from the heat. Your legs began to feel heavier due to the high humidity, making it even more difficult to stand upright. Upon seeing the small counter selling cold drinks, you decided to join the long queue in order to refresh yourself. 

The city was crowded, as it was the time when people were leaving work to head home. They were eager to see their families, eat a delicious dinner together, and talk about today's events.

This is something you would also like to do, but your parents are rarely at home when you return from school. They are too busy with work, which is why they dedicate their weekends completely to doing something special with you.

Sometimes you would go for a walk, sit in a café to enjoy cake and other mouth-watering desserts, or stay at home to watch movies.

You were excited for the next day, which made it difficult to wait for the weekend to arrive. Time passes quickly, especially when you are focused on school work. Surprisingly, there were no assignments today, so you did not plan on being productive.

After grabbing a drink, you strolled around the alleys to admire the beautiful surroundings. The streets were sparkling with vibrant colors, people were either shopping or talking on their cellphones. Some people appeared relaxed, while others seemed hurried due to stress in their personal lives.

Birds sang cheerful songs while perched on the big trees. Butterflies danced around them, flapping their aesthetic wings. As you breathed in the air, you felt a sense of freedom. At that moment, you were not dwelling on the past event with Kiyomasa, or the conversation about Haruchiyo from when you met Baji and Chifuyu in the café. You were not even contemplating Emma's inexplicable fondness for Draken.

You were only focused on yourself, without considering to shift your attention to other people.

“What's going on there?“

“A fight?“

Sudden voices could be heard in the distance, causing people to turn their heads in a certain direction. As you walked closer, you noticed some shocked faces, but also others who appeared to be admiring something. Your attention was drawn to the alley where numerous people were lying on the ground. The walls had completely collapsed, with one person laying unconscious. Others had fallen to the ground like sacks of potatoes. In the center of the chaos stood a person who had just brutally punched the last person in the face, causing him to crash against the wall.

“Whoa, that lanky dude looks bad!“

“No way! He beat up 10 people alone!"

The people around you were gushing over this guy because he was so strong that he was able to beat up his opponents in probably just a few minutes. It surprised you that he looked fine, without any scratches on his body, which led you to assume that he is very tough. As you stood behind the crowd of people observing the scenario, you had to stand on your tiptoes to get a better look. It was initially difficult to orient yourself, as people were pushing and shoving each other to satisfy their curiosity and see what was happening.

Then, you finally laid eyes on him as everyone shuffled out of the way. He was a really tall, skinny boy with black hair and a bright yellow stripe down the middle. His hair was buzzed on the sides, but styled up on top, likely achieved through the use of hair gel. And to top it all off, he had a gold earring hanging from his left ear.

It must be a fucking joke that you are constantly confronted with gangsters.

This guy is seriously scary, not just because he's smoking and stepping on a guy's face that he beat up, but also because he's yanking the hair out of another guy who looks like he's in agony. There was something else that caught your attention, and when you realized that you were not simply hallucinating from the heat, it made you gulp out of fear. You felt as though there was a lump in your throat that you couldn't simply swallow, even after having a cold drink earlier.

“That 'crime' and 'punishment' tattoo on both hands...“

“Isn't that...“

“Kabukicho's infamous 'reaper', Hanma Shuji!“

You had never heard that name before. Perhaps it was because you were not really interested in the concept of gangs, so you did not know that this guy had a seemingly high reputation. You still wondered how these kinds of people were content with their lives, beating up people each day or dealing with drugs and other messed up situations. You were glad that you had a great distance from these kinds of things. You can't even imagine where you'd be right now if you were living that way. Probably sleeping under a bridge and sleeping on dirt.

You feel pity for them.

Sometimes you wonder if hoodlums actually choose to live like that. It seems like a lot of people end up going down the wrong path because they have irresponsible crappy parents who do not care about their future. You can't whine about your life - you had awesome parents, delicious homemade meals every day, a cozy bed to sleep in, and most importantly, a place to call home. Additionally, your aim is to secure a good job by enrolling in university shortly after finishing school.

Your life is truly a blessing. 

While you were thinking about how beautiful and peaceful your life is, the tall boy smoking his cigarettes was reflecting on something else - how boring his life is.

He was just waiting for something exciting to happen. He wanted some thrills to spice up his life with more adventures. He had given up hope a long time ago, so he wasn't expecting his wish for some excitement to come true. That's just how his life was going to be, until the day he was lying on his death bed.

How could he have conceived that his desire would be fulfilled in the near future? Especially by meeting you, out of all the people in the world, a girl who he didn't think was his type at first...

He will discover that he likes something about you.

Your innocence.

-----------------------------------------------

You were on the subway, standing by the door and holding onto the pole for dear life. Trying not to fall over was a struggle with how fast the subway was moving and how packed it was - you could practically feel people breathing down your neck. 

Disgusting. 

You were squished in the corner with your head against the wall like everyone else, but not everyone had something to hold onto, causing a few close calls with people almost falling over. It was a relief to have a grip on something, but being by the door meant you were in for a rough time every time it opened and more people were shoved into you.

Thank God, in the last few stops, more people began to exit the subway, and finally being able to move freely was a relief. Just moments before, you couldn't even feel your limbs because there was no space to move a finger.

Suddenly, you noticed a person with blond hair a few meters away, a color that stood out among the other passengers with darker hair. As you looked closer, you realized that you knew this person from somewhere.

Could it be...

"Hanagaki kun?" you called out, unsure of his name. When he lifted his head, his blue eyes widened in disbelief, and he gazed at you as if you were a ghost. Why was he looking at you with confusion?

He appeared horrified upon seeing you.

“H-Hello...How are you?" he asked after an awkward silence.

“I am fine," you answered shortly before considering whether or not you should bring up the incident.

“It must be fate to see you again. I am sorry that I had no opportunity to thank you for protecting me from Kiyomasa. I was still in shock, which is why I could not express my gratitude back then. You saved time for a friend of mine to arrive right at the best moment; otherwise, Kiyomasa would have probably harmed me," you explained and bowed down to him.

“U-Uh, I mean I couldn't let him beat up a girl...and you were unfortunate to be there. I am glad...that you are fine," he said, trying to choose his words carefully, while still looking at you as if you were a different species. 

Are you an alien or something?

“Could you be referring to Mikey kun when you say 'friend'?" He asked, abruptly changing the topic. "Yes, I'm grateful he was there to help us. I get the feeling you just met him for the first time. Not to be rude, but you also look like a hoodlum, so I assumed you knew Mikey kun as well...“

He blinked at you, contemplating how to explain that Mikey had been following him to school for a few days. Mikey would randomly enter his classroom during lessons and demand that he come out to the hallway. On the way to the classroom, Mikey would even physically assault other students, forcing them to lay on the ground in a straight line for him and Draken to walk over them like a bridge.

He still vividly remembered the painful groans of the students as Mikey stomped on their backs, finding amusement in their suffering. 

Mikey is fucking insane.

“Actually, we started hanging out a bit," Takemichi said, grinning sheepishly. "Really? Do you two get along? I know it can be tiring to deal with Mikey, as he sometimes acts like a child," you said with a soft giggle.

"Oh, yes. Indeed," Takemichi answered, averting his gaze. He started sweating uncontrollably as he remembered that Mikey had even joked around, pretending to beat the shit out of him.

On the same day, Mikey and Draken visited Takemichi's school. Takemichi's girlfriend Hina assumed they were there to harm him, prompting her to bravely confront Draken in order to protect Takemichi. It is unfortunate that Takemichi, as a boy, was not the one protecting her. Takemichi made a promise to himself to rescue Hina from her bad fate, so he cannot allow her to be the one protecting him when she is most in need of protection. He cannot consider himself her boyfriend if he is unable to provide her with a secure future.

“I'm really sorry to bring this up, but why was Kiyomasa even attacking you? Did you just get caught up in the fight?" you asked, feeling a bit conflicted about being so direct. Usually, you didn't want to revisit this topic because it still affects you, but you couldn't help but wonder what Takemichi must have done to get on Kiyomasa's bad side.

 As you observed Takemichi more closely, he didn't seem like the type to start fights. In fact, he stood up for you, a total stranger, with no ulterior motive. He even mentioned that he can't stand by and watch girls being hurt. Looking into his eyes, you saw kindness and a genuine concern for others. He's really friendly and respectful in his interactions with you.

Takemichi was pondering it for a bit. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to spill the story, but you seemed really interested, giving him that attentive look.

"He used me as an errand boy, as well as my friends. He actually wanted to beat one of them, but I couldn't bear to see him punished, as his body is weaker than mine. Kiyomasa made us bring him drinks and perform other tasks he could easily do himself. When things didn't go his way, he would beat us until we couldn't move.“

You have learned that Kiyomasa is a terrible person, and hearing that he does things like that just makes him even more a piece of shit.

“I apologize for asking you something unpleasant," you expressed regretfully, pressing your lips together with a sad expression. "That's okay, and I'm glad I was able to show him that he can't take advantage of us. I'm just surprised that Mikey started interacting with me."

"You know, I've known Mikey for many years now, and I can guarantee that he's not the type to become interested in someone so quickly. He must like you because you're strong!"

Mikey hates the weak.

“I-I am strong? I mean, you literally saw how I was looking half-dead," Takemichi said, blinking and trying to play off his insecurities by making a half-hearted joke.

“Isn't it obvious? It would be a lie to say that you were severely hurt, but it was impressive to see you still standing firmly. I believe this is what Mikey admires about you - your resilience and determination to keep fighting without losing willpower.“

Was Takemichi hearing correctly? He knew that he was weak when it came to fighting, but you praised him for a different kind of strength - the ability to keep standing and fighting for his loved one, Hina Tachibana. Even though she was dead in every future he visited, he was determined to do everything in his power to ensure she could experience a happy life in the future.

He couldn't understand why she always ended up dead, and it was incredibly frustrating. He spent weeks crying and pulling out his hair, but you were right. He didn't see this quality in himself - the ability to stand strong when he was losing his willpower due to so many failed attempts. He needed to prove to himself and the world that he wouldn't easily break down.

“Thank you, [Name] chan...You motivated me to look forward!" he said with a genuine smile before stepping outside of the subway and winking goodbye to you. You simply smiled back at him. Even as the doors were already closed, you grinned through the window one last time before his figure finally walked away.

And then it hit you.

How did he remember your name?

It was some time ago when Mikey called your name in the presence of Takemichi during the fight with Kiyomasa. As a result, it was not possible for Takemichi to remember your name well. Perhaps Takemichi simply has a good memory, or maybe Mikey had mentioned you to Takemichi when they met up. It got you all flustered for unknown reasons, making you feel all warm inside at the thought of Mikey talking about you.

How were you supposed to know that Takemichi recognized you for other reasons? You weren't just seeing things, but you definitely noticed he was a bit pale when he first glanced at you. 

Did you do something to make him react like that?

What you did not know was that you were the reason why Hina died in some of the horrible futures that Takemichi had seen.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 7]

Just a moment ago, you were having a relaxing conversation with Baji and Chifuyu, but out of the blue, the topic shifted to a sickening dialogue, triggering memories that you had repressed for years. 

Now, nasty flashbacks are flooding back into your mind.

You felt a strong headache building up, throbbing painfully. It felt as though you might faint from attempting to withstand the sensation.

“[N-Name] chan, are you alright?" Chifuyu's concerned voice broke through the silence. He noticed the color draining from your face, filling him with panic.

Your breathing became heavier as you began to hyperventilate while recalling the disturbing event from years ago.

On that particular day, you were at home when you received a sudden call from Mikey. He was in his fourth year of elementary school, an age where children typically excitedly share news with their friends. It was a common practice for him to immediately call you after having a cool experience, such as watching his brother fix a cool bike.

Or receiving a Concorde plastic model that his brother had built specifically for Mikey, which had taken a considerable amount of time and effort to complete...

You always listened to Mikey's stories with curiosity on the phone without losing focus. While you were in grade 6, you were seen as more mature compared to Mikey, who would enthusiastically ramble on to a great extent. 

As he entered his teenage years, he stopped calling you and opted to use text messages instead. This change could be attributed to the fact that you often visited his house due to your strong relationship with his younger sister.

Maybe he just feels weird about calling a girl on the phone as he gets older, especially if there is no romantic interest there. However, upon receiving the airplane model as a gift from Shinichiro during childhood, he was so happy and expressed a desire for you to visit his home, eager to showcase the model to you.

This toy was a meaningful treasure.

And he wanted to share this moment with you.

You went over to his place feeling upbeat, picturing how cool the airplane model must look. You could probably see Mikey bouncing around the house with excitement, like a kid on Christmas morning.

Usually, the Sano Household door would be closed, so you'd have to ring the bell. This time, though, it was slightly ajar, which was a bit surprising. But you figured it would be a fun surprise for Mikey to see you unexpectedly.

So you just walked in.

What you didn't expect was to be absolutely terrified. Your body shook uncontrollably, your mouth wide open in shock. You tried to hold back the tears welling up in your eyes. You couldn't believe it. You saw Mikey, his hands covered in blood, and Baji on the ground, someone you'd seen at the dojo. 

It wasn't Mikey's blood.

Baji looked just as stunned as you, with a bruised face, trying to sit up. And a little further away from Mikey, another boy sat hunched over, blood streaming from his mouth.

As the unfamiliar boy wiped the blood from his mouth, leaving a gruesome trail behind, you realized this was a total nightmare.

He let out an intense scream as he observed his own blood trickling down around his mouth, his pants also soaked in blood. He crouched down, experiencing unbearable pain coursing through his torn mouth.

With short cropped bleach blonde hair and gray eyes framed by long lashes, the man bore long trailing scars on each side of his mouth, inflicted brutally by Mikey.

As Shinichiro rushed beside you upon hearing the sudden noise of loud shouting, you didn't want to witness how the scene would unfold. You also didn't want Mikey to know you were there watching the horrific event.

Despite feeling heavier than usual, you turned around, fearing you might collapse to the ground. Tears streamed down your face as you managed to drag your body out of the house.

Unaware that Baji had seen you escape, he didn't blame you for leaving, as he felt the same overwhelming emotions. While he wanted to run away and forget the moment, he found himself frozen in shock. Exhausted and unable to move, he attempted to pull Mikey back from Haruchiyo when he lunged at him, but Mikey's strength easily bruised Baji and forcefully pushed him down.

You were relieved that you only saw Mikey from behind because you didn't want to risk looking into his eyes and feeling even more scared if it was even possible to get more anxious. You wanted to hold onto the good image you had of him and didn't want to see cold and murderous look in his eyes.

That was the only time you saw his dark side.

The final sound that registered in your ears was an unsettling tone which uttered, "Smile, Haruchiyo.“

You were unaware that you were still in the café with Baji and Chifuyu as you struggled to maintain your sanity amidst an inner battle. The memories were so deeply ingrained in your mind that it felt as though you were watching a traumatic day play out on repeat.

Suddenly, you blinked and realized that Baji and Chifuyu had rushed to your side, urging the staff to help you with your mental distress, which was beginning to impact your physical well-being.

"I-I apologize for causing you concern. I am feeling better now," you reassured both of them with a forced smile.

The staff member was already by your side, carrying a case of medical supplies. They wanted to check your blood pressure as you had appeared on the verge of passing out moments earlier.

Once again, you insisted that you were fine and did not require medical assistance. Although you appreciated the café worker's concern, you politely declined their help after finally managing to calm yourself down.

“I did not know that you would still be affected by it...my bad," Baji said, feeling guilty for bringing it up.

"It is not your fault. You could not have known that I would react...like this," you answered after a brief pause. Baji must have thought that you have extremely sensitive nerves, given your overdramatic reaction. He smiled briefly.

He appeared to be hesitant to further discuss the issue, possibly due to your strong reaction.

”Mikey, Haruchiyo, and I were always together back then. When the incident happened, Haruchiyo changed, but so did Mikey. I do not know what happened after that, but it was the first time in my life I had seen Mikey act that way," Baji explained while focusing his gaze on the ground. Chifuyu was sitting next to him, looking at Baji in confusion as he still did not understand what Baji and you remembered from back then since he was not part of your childhood with Baji.

You understood that what Mikey had done was unlike him, but it was just a one-time experience that would not be repeated. So you only wondered about Haruchiyo.

"I do not understand. What do you mean that Haruchiyo had changed?" you asked, trying to comprehend what Baji was trying to convey.

“You know, Haruchiyo was not always like you saw him a few weeks ago with Mikey. As a child, he would occasionally visit Mikey's house with his older brother Takeomi, who would meet up with Shinichiro for gang meetings. Haruchiyo was kind to his younger sister and showed respect towards his brother, always doing whatever he asked of him. He may appear introverted and quiet to you, but trust me when I say that he is truly fucking insane. Avoid him if he attempts to approach you.“

You could not understand his words, especially why this guy would want to get closer to you. He showed no interest in you, not even looking at you when you spoke to him. It was evident that he wanted you to leave, as indicated by his furrowed eyebrows and resentful facial expression. You had not done anything to provoke his negative reaction, so there was no reason for him to act that way in your presence.

Basically, there was no way that Haruchiyo would willingly engage in conversation with you.

“I have no intention of talking to him again, but still, thank you for warning me, Baji kun," you said calmly, slightly shaken up by this sudden information.

He simply nodded, with still a look of concern on his face. Chifuyu began to poke Baji's arm with his finger, indicating that he felt left out of the intense conversation.

"Man, can't you see that she appears uneasy? Maybe we should change the topic," Chifuyu intervened, attempting to lift the spirits.

"Did you know that I can communicate with animals? Whenever I speak to Peke J or any other random animals on the street, I feel like they understand me. I must be an animal whisperer!" Chifuyu exclaimed, raising his nose confidently with a wide grin on his face.

It was hilarious that you and Baji were laughing, even though you felt like your soul might leave your body minutes before. You confirmed that Baji and Chifuyu were harmless, despite being active gang members. What else would you expect from Mikey? He would not choose to include crazy people in his gang.

It's not as if these people would make your life a living hell.

Ha-ha...

-----------------------------------------------

“[Name], I am so sorry..." Emma said, with tears in her eyes as she nestled her head against your chest. Not comprehending the situation, you simply hugged her and patted her hair down.

"Um, what are you talking about?" you asked, with a concerned look as you tried to figure out what she was referring to.

"I-I lied to you. I am so sorry," she continued, her lips trembling. "I was not actually sick when you asked me to go to the café with you," she confessed after a few minutes of continuous crying.

Ah.

So you were correct that she was not sick at all when you asked her on the phone to come with you.

"It's fine. You could have just told me that you were not interested. There were still other options," you reassured her, interrupting the hug to look into her sparkling yellow eyes.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I did something else when you asked me to meet up," she said with an ashamed expression.

"It would have been fine to just tell me that you didn't have time. You know that I wouldn't resent you for that, Emma," you said lovingly, wiping away the tears from under her eyes with your thumb.

She looked at you with soft eyes, glad that you were a kind and heartwarming person. However, she still did not tell you what she had done during the same time you were in the café with Baji and Chifuyu. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she told you the truth, so she took a deep breath and looked into your eyes, which were filled with hope.

"I went...to a place. I was with a guy and...", she started to talk, looking full of regret.

"Emma, take your time. You know I've got your back no matter what," you cut in, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

She swallowed hard.

"Okay, so I went to a karaoke bar and almost did...stuff...with a guy. We didn't really get that far, I-I mean, I was in my underwear, but he bolted before anything could happen," she confessed with her eyes shut tight.

She couldn't bring herself to look at you, afraid of your reaction. Maybe you were grossed out or disappointed in her, thinking of her as a sister.

That was not the confession that you would expect from her. She was only 14 years old, still a child. Even though you were 3 years older than her, you felt immature in the sense that you had limited life experience. You struggled to navigate complex situations, and your body was still developing.

You were caught off guard by her courage in attempting to be intimate with a guy.

“So...do you like him?" you asked, tilting your head to the side.

"No, I was just trying to make my crush jealous," she admitted, knowing it wasn't the best move.

"Oh," you weren't sure how to respond, feeling a bit awkward about the whole situation.

“Why did you want to make him jealous?" you asked, genuinely curious.

"Because he's always hanging out with Mikey and never pays any attention to me," Emma forced a smile, but you could see the sadness in her eyes.

“Oh, I get it. Wait a second, you are not talking about Haruchiyo, are you?" you asked, looking horrified.

"Haruchiyo? I have no idea who that is. I'm talking about Draken," she said, blushing and avoiding eye contact. She fidgeted with her hands nervously, trying to distract herself from the awkwardness.

"Draken?" you repeated.

"The guy with the dragon tattoo?" you asked, recalling seeing him with Mikey during the incident with Kiyomasa.

"You know him?!" she exclaimed, blushing even more.

"Yeah... he was there with Mikey when Kiyomasa tried to grab me," you explained briefly.

“Really? Draken is such a great guy! He is so strong and handsome," Emma began to gush, looking dreamy and unaware that you were raising your eyebrows at her.

"Um, I mean that I really like him, but I know that he doesn't feel the same way about me. I thought he might be interested in me or even angry when he heard about the 'thing' I did with someone else, but it didn't even reach that point.“

“When did you start to like him?" you questioned, ignoring that she tried to make out with an unknown boy.

"The first time was when Draken was at our house. My brother was in sixth grade at that time, and Draken came to meet up with him. When he saw me carrying heavy boxes, he reached out to me and helped me carry them. He had such a nice smile... It was the first time someone smiled at me besides my grandfather, Mikey, Shinichiro, and you, of course!“

“You're still very young to be in a romantic relationship, but you'll always have my support," you said with a big grin, wrapping your arms around her for a hug.

But deep down, you were really worried and concerned about her future. It was hard to wrap your head around the fact that she loves a gang member. Getting mixed up with hoodlums is risky, since loved ones could easily get caught up in various conflicts. You vowed to support her emotions, but you weren't sure if you could endorse a relationship that would bring her down in life.

You have maintained a long-standing friendship with Mikey, and have recently begun to develop positive relationships with Baji and Chifuyu. You could not judge Emma for loving Draken, considering your own friendships with gang members. The difference is that you do not have romantic feelings, so you should be safe for the future as you would not be inflicted with them. You were simply in the wrong place at the right time, which led to the unfortunate encounter with Kiyomasa.

Such a situation is unlikely to occur again.

You simply need to maintain a good distance without divulging too much about your personal life. You were just an ordinary girl. 

No one would willingly choose to get involved with you

.

.

.

Your life will be fucked.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 6]

After finally arriving back home, you decided to relax in a hot bath in your tub before grabbing something to eat. Despite having an umbrella, you still ended up getting soaked in the rain. You kicked off your shoes at the door and brought your school bag into your room, placing it next to your table.

You selected a comfortable pair of pajamas from your closet before heading to the bathroom to start running the water. You added some rosy-scented salt and created some bubbles to make the bath extra cozy. After changing out of your school uniform, you cautiously tested the water with your foot to ensure it wasn't too hot.

Once you were content with the temperature, you settled into the tub and tied your hair up in a ponytail to unwind after a long day at school. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get Mikey and the new person beside him out of your thoughts after encountering them earlier.

What was his name again?

You usually have a good memory. Despite hearing his name only about half an hour before, it was strange that you do not even remember his last name.

Perhaps it's just that he didn't catch your eye because you couldn't really figure out much about him, other than his quiet, reserved demeanor, and apparent lack of interest in making a positive impression. It's not really fair to make assumptions about him after just a brief encounter, but he did come off as a bit standoffish when Mikey tried to get him to open up to you.

He seems like he does not truly want to see you again. You are not particularly offended, as you were also not eager to encounter him for the second time. He is a gang member and likely leads a completely different life than you. There is no necessity to get to know him better when he emits unpleasant vibes. 

Honestly, you were not even anticipating seeing him more often. It was merely a coincidence that you saw him with Mikey. You do not have much in common with this new guy, except for the fact that you both enjoy cheesecake.

You should definitely avoid gang members if you do not want to become entangled in unsavory situations.

But again, you do not believe that all hoodlums hurt other people.

Mikey is also a gang member, and what's worse, he is a leader, which should be even more unsettling. You don't know much about the size or reputation of his gang, as you have only heard about them a few times. Despite this, you find yourself wanting to get to know Mikey better by spending more time with him when you visit Emma.

It is puzzling that you feel differently about Mikey compared to the other gang member standing next to him, possibly because he saved you from Kiyomasa. 

Mikey is your friend.

He is Emma's older half-brother, and since you love Emma, it is natural to like her family as well. Emma is a lovely and wonderful person, so you think that Mikey shares some of those positive character traits as they are related.

Mikey protected you, even though he could have been hurt, and he was very calm when you told him that you do not like the idea of gangs. 

He did not reject you for expressing your opinion. 

He was not angry; he was smiling at you and assured you that he knows how to handle leading a gang. 

He is so confident and level-headed. You don't even need to watch over him because he doesn't need your protection, unlike Emma who is fragile and young.

Isn't Mikey amazing?

You gently exhaled bubbles in the water while submerging your face slightly to align your lips with the water level in the bathtub. You lost track of time, but when you saw the steam starting to build up, you realized you were getting a bit too lost in your thoughts. Feeling the water cooling, you recognized it was time to get out the bath and change into your pajamas. 

You're still craving the food your mom made, so you head to the kitchen to warm up that yummy rice and chicken. As you glanced at the wall clock, you saw it was late evening. Had you really been in the bathtub for hours? With a mountain of homework, postponing it would only make things worse.

You quietly sighed while enjoying your meal before heading to your room to retrieve your books from your backpack. Fortunately, you found English homework less challenging thanks to your regular exposure to the language through watching videos and movies with Japanese subtitles. This method helped improve your understanding of English grammar and vocabulary, making it easier to follow along in class.

Your English teacher seems to struggle with explaining concepts to the class. His pronunciation did not sound like that of the people you heard on TV, and at times he was mixing up grammar structures. Of course, you could not simply tell your teacher that he was not very skilled in his subject. You were mindful not to sound disrespectful.

Abruptly, your mobile phone illuminated briefly, prompting you to ponder whether it was one of your parents. Upon inspecting the display, the name "Mikey" appeared. It came as a surprise to discover that he had messaged you despite having seen him in person earlier that day.

You appreciated that he took the initiative to write a message to you.

Mikey:

Hey.

I hope you did not feel uncomfortable today.

Sanzu was simply taken aback when you suddenly bowed to him. You did not do anything wrong. He is just a little difficult to understand.

I thought it would be good for you to know, so you don't take it too personally.

Anyways, goodnight!

Dream of spending all of your money to buy me dorayaki, hehehe~

You couldn't help but smile as you read his message. It was nice of him to check in and make sure you were alright. Actually, you were more than just happy - you found yourself reading his message over and over again. 

You made a mental note to bring him some dorayaki next time you see him, or maybe even self-made ones, as he always compliments your cooking.

Now, you had to text him back... which is a bit of a challenge for you because you usually avoid texting. You worry about sounding rude in your messages. Therefore, you always make sure to use emojis to clearly express that you do not have bad intentions.

It took you a while to figure out what to say. Every time you started typing something, you quickly deleted it while shaking your head and pulling your hair out from the pressure to come up with the perfect response. Why do you stress out so much over texting back? Mikey is relaxed and confident, not overthinking his responses like you do.

It feels like you're the only one who struggles to find the right words.

You clenched your teeth in frustration with yourself for occasionally complicating your life unnecessarily. You gently tapped your cheeks with your hands in order to relax and refrain from overthinking the situation.

You:

Hello. 

I am fine, I was not uncomfortable at all!

I somehow had the feeling that Sanzu does not really like to talk to unfamiliar people, so I was not reading too much into it.

Thank you for informing me about it though. I really appreciate it.

I do not need to dream of buying you dorayaki when I can give them to you in real life! You know that I am always happy to share food :)

You were sweating bullets as you typed out that message, and when you hit send, you felt like you wanted to jump out the window. The last sentence was so cringey and cheesy, it made you want to cry. And that emoji didn't help at all. Now you're regretting sending that text and you really don't want to imagine Mikey's face when he reads it. His message was lighthearted, making your response seem awkward.

You felt so stupid that you had no motivation to do your homework. In the end, you simply lay in bed with your blanket pulled over your head, hoping to get a restful sleep.

-----------------------------------------------------------

It's been two weeks since that run-in with Mikey and Sanzu on the street. His messages are typically light-hearted and bring a smile, though they are brief and spaced out over a few days.

You're not bothered that his texts are short and infrequent. Mikey's got a lot on his plate as the leader of the gang, and he's even dropped out of school. He goes to school just to eat lunch with his friend Draken, who also happened to be there when the incident with Kiyomasa took place.

The responsibilities Mikey holds as a leader are intriguing, considering his limited free time. His focus seems to be on gang-related activities, leaving little room for other commitments. But he always has time to eat, especially when it's dorayaki, taiyaki, or omurice.

Today, the weather was beautiful with the sun shining throughout the entire city. It was not overly warm to the point of feeling suffocating, but rather pleasantly mild. There was still a gentle breeze that enhanced the sunny weather even more. The sky had a beautiful ocean-blue hue, and the clouds appeared especially fluffy, reminiscent of cotton candy.

You wore a vibrant pink floor-length dress paired with white sport shoes. Your hair cascaded down, but you neatly clipped back the strands that fell into your face, tucking them behind your ears.

You heard that a new café had recently opened in the area, so you wanted to try some of their desserts. The original plan was to go with Emma, but she said she was feeling a bit sick and wanted to rest. You insisted on taking care of her, as you couldn't bear the thought of someone you love like a younger sister dealing with it alone. You could hear her happiness through the phone, and she promised to visit the café with you next time.

She did not sound sick at all...

“[Name] chan, are you here for the new café?" Baji greeted you, dressed in tight black pants, boots, and a ripped black-gray striped shirt with cross necklaces and arm bands. His flowing hair and fangs were on display as he grinned at you.

You were caught off guard when someone suddenly called out to you, but when you realized it was a friend, you smiled and gave them a little wink.

“Hey, Baji kun! Yes, I was excited to see this place. How about you?" you asked when he finally showed up.

"Yeah, I'm here for the café too...well, Chifuyu practically dragged me here. He always needs me to stick to his ass," Baji said, rolling his eyes but secretly enjoying that Chifuyu wanted him to come along.

“Bro, you know that it would normally be the other way around, but this time I am taking the lead!" spoke up another person with a more cheerful and happy tone.

He was the guy with whom you had seen Baji a while back trying to get the drink out of the vending machine. His short blond hair stuck to his forehead with his bangs, and his green eyes were so bright that they shimmered under the effects of the sun.

“Hello, nice to meet you again! Uhm...Matsuno kun, correct?”, you said, pausing momentarily to recall his name. You had not expected to encounter Chifuyu so soon after your previous meeting, so his presence was a big surprise.

As he made a positive first impression, it became easier to remember his name compared to Sanzu's.

“Hey, it's fine to call me Chifuyu! Is it okay for me to address you as [Name] chan?" he asked politely. It was interesting to see a hoodlum who respected another person's boundaries. Obviously, you can't compare all rowdies to Kiyomasa, as he was a piece of shit who hurt you.

But Baji and Chifuyu were nice people.

“Yes, it is fine”, you answered with a soft smile.

Chifuyu exhibited a unique fashion sense as well, donning dark green boots paired with square-cut pants in various shades of green and a cream-colored pullover. Additionally, he sported a distinctive belt fastened around his legs, which was attached to his pants at the shoulder.

“Why don't we visit the café together? It would be a nice opportunity to talk to each other," Chifuyu offered.

"We don't even know if she is actually waiting for someone. We can't force her to hang around with us," Baji added to Chifuyu's idea. He was being considerate, making sure that you didn't feel uncomfortable with them, confirming that they were different from Kiyomasa.

You reassured them that you would be happy to join them, as you were alone with no one to accompany you. They smiled at you and led you to the café, where a small round table near the window awaited you. From there, you had a view of the street, with cars passing by. Luckily, the street was relatively quiet as it was not in the center of Shibuya crossing. There were only a few people walking around in this area.

You sat around the table, ordering desserts from the menu that the three of you would like to taste. It was a pleasant atmosphere with cute decorations featuring cat pictures.

"Wow, I am surprised that this place looks like this," you exclaimed with your mouth open.

"I like the cat theme though, it is a place that Peke J would definitely like," Chifuyu chuckled.

"I mean my cat," Chifuyu elaborated when he saw your confused face.

"Whoa, it must be cool to have a cat!" you exclaimed with widened eyes.

"Yeah, I mean he is mostly sleeping and eating, but it is still nice to have someone fluffy at home to play with," Chifuyu explained, which made you laugh.

You thought of Mikey for a moment. 

He is sleeping, eating, and has fluffy blond hair that you noticed when you combed it for the first time.

“Peke J always sneaks in through my window. Since Chifuyu and I are neighbors, it's the perfect opportunity for Peke J to ask for more food," Baji said with a smirk.

You were laughing once more. The conversation was not what you would have expected. You were not hurt or threatened by them. They were hoodlums, but their personalities were cool, especially when they were together.

You did not experience the same negative feelings as with Sanzu.

“Hmm, [Name] chan? You seem lost in thought," Chifuyu commented, noticing you weren't really paying attention.

"Oh, I-I am sorry. I do not want to be rude, but I couldn't help but notice how different you and Baji kun are from the other guy I met. You both are so pleasant to talk to, so I can't help but wonder why the other person besides Mikey gives me such unsettling feelings," you clarified slowly.

They blinked at you in unison, trying to comprehend what you were saying. Suddenly the atmosphere shifted and the conversation was more deep and serious.

“It's nice that you think about us that way“, Chifuyu smiled softly. “But what is the name of the guy you are talking about?“

“His name is Sanzu“

Baji's body tensed briefly, mouth slightly open and his hazelnut eyes narrowing.

"Don't you...remember him, [Name]-chan?" he finally said hesitantly.

Chifuyu shared a similar perplexed expression as you, both attempting to understand Baji's words.

“That horrific day when Mikey ripped open Haruchiyo's mouth, leaving behind traces of blood“

.

.

.

You were feeling dizzy and your heart was pounding so loud, it felt like it could burst out of your chest. Suddenly, you felt sick to your stomach. In an instant, the cake in your mouth tasted terrible and you felt like you might puke.

“T-That boy was H-Haruchiyo?“

How could you possibly forget that day?

It was the only time you were scared of Mikey.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 5]

Back in school, you felt uneasy when walking through the schoolyard to reach your class. You remembered the fear you had experienced a few days before. You were helpless when confronted with a crowd of hoodlums, especially as a girl with no experience in fighting.

Training at the dojo with Mikey gave you a little coordination and stamina, but these abilities were not very useful when lacking physical strength.

Mikey showed you how to grip a bō and explained the importance of standing firmly on the ground. The bō is an extremely efficient wooden weapon capable of breaking bones when used too forcefully and can sweep an opponent's feet out from under them, so being light-footed is not good.

In a real danger, like the incident with Kiyomasa, you cannot rely on finding a weapon like a bō, and even if you do, as an inexperienced weak person, you may not be able to defend yourself.

You want to become stronger to protect the people dear to you. When Emma told you that Shinichiro had been hit with a metallic weapon on the head in his bike shop, you could not believe what she was saying. 

It was in the middle of the night when you heard the bad news from Emma, who was uncontrollably shaking and sobbing on the phone.

Mikey always denied that he actually admired Shinichiro. He loved to make fun of him, but deep down, he thought it was incredible that other hoodlums liked him and followed him around.

Mikey was confused as to why Shinichiro was surrounded by so many people, even though he was weak in fighting and would always come home bruised.

When you rushed to his funeral and saw Shinichiro's pale and cold body, you could not stop crying. His sudden death made it even more unbearable to witness.

You were afraid to look at Mikey. The scene was even more terrible when Mikey did not shed a single tear. He observed his older brother's lifeless body with a hollow expression, his black eyes darker than the night.

You did not know who was responsible for killing Shinichiro, and Emma also did not seem to know, but she mentioned that Mikey was with the police when the culprits were caught.

Would Shinichiro have survived if he had been more powerful? Was there no way to avoid such an awfull death?

You were attentively observing the view outside the window, resting your arm on the table and propping your head up with your hand. Your focus shifted momentarily as the teacher began introducing a new math topic. While math may not be your favorite subject, you appreciate its logical, step-by-step approach to problem-solving.

One of the benefits of math is its clarity in providing specific solutions through defined processes. In contrast, you acknowledge that real-life challenges are not always as straightforward. You understand the importance of maintaining a positive outlook to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.

Looking ahead, you anticipate the upcoming transition from high school to college and eventually to a career and marriage. You approach these milestones with optimism and a determination to make the most of opportunities for personal and professional growth.

You are excited for the real adventures that await you in the future.

Despite the thunder and lightning striking in the sky, you did not realize that you were smiling. Normally, bad weather would bring your mood down, especially in stressful situations such as studying for exams.

After class ended, you exited the classroom and casually slung your backpack over your shoulder. As you glanced up at the grey sky, you anticipated that rain might soon begin to fall. Thankfully, you always carried an umbrella with you, so you were prepared in case of inclement weather.

You enjoy rainy days and find them refreshing. The sensation of raindrops on your skin and the earthy scent of the air as you walk through grassy areas with vibrant flowers bring you a sense of relaxation and tranquility.

As the rain began to gently descend, the sound of droplets softly hitting the ground could be heard. You leisurely opened your umbrella while waiting at the traffic light, then crossed the street shortly after. Nearby, individuals hurriedly rushed to their destinations while shielding themselves with large bags.

Despite the hustle and bustle around you, you remained at a calm pace.

Knowing your parents were still at their workplaces, there was no urgency to return home. Additionally, your meal had already been prepared by your mother, requiring only a quick reheat before being enjoyed.

You took a moment to bask in the peaceful ambiance, enjoying the soothing sounds of the rain and feeling the refreshing summer raindrops occasionally brushing against your skin with the gentle breeze.

“Hello, [Name]! It took me a moment to recognize you," a smooth and pleasant voice greeted you.

As you raised your umbrella slightly, you saw Mikey with his usual shoulder-length blond hair and a gentle smile on his face. It was the first time you had seen him in his gang uniform, which included black pants, a black coat with gold embroidery, along with a white belt and matching boots.

Upon closer inspection, you found that the outfit suited him well. The design and craftsmanship were impeccable, demonstrating the skill and experience of the  tailor. The quality of the material was top-notch. You could just tell that without even touching the fabric.

“Wow, didn't expect to see you here! What's up?" you said with a smile and cocking your head slightly to the side.

"Oh, I'm always at the Musashi Shrine for Toman meetings. This is the first time our paths have crrossed outside though," he said casually.

All of a sudden, you flashed back to that time when you threw your arms around him after he saved you from Kiyomasa. It was the first time you ever hugged him. He's definitely your friend, but in Japan, it's not common to be physically affectionate with friends of the opposite sex because it might give people the wrong idea.

This could possibly explain why he was surprised in that moment, yet he still reciprocated the hug, as you were simply grateful and relieved to be released from further humiliation by Kiyomasa.

Unexpectedly, you were unaware of the person positioned behind him, standing with arms crossed behind his back. Dressed in the familiar Toman uniform, the notable distinction was the buttoned black jacket he wore instead of a coat. Additionally, a red armlet adorned his right arm, symbolizing his status within Toman. 

Recalling Mikey's previous explanation regarding the gang's various divisions, it became apparent that his armlet served as a form of identification and differentiation within the organization.

Wait a minute.

You remembered this person from somewhere. Long bleach blonde hair, gray eyes with prominent lashes, and a black mask. Was he not the boy you had encountered a few days earlier at the Cosy Corner?

"Excuse me, but are you not the guy I met on Friday?"

"..."

"U-Uhm....I mean, you were at Cosy Corner for cheesecake, right?"

"...“

More silence followed.

He doesn't seem to be into socializing much, but you were hoping to at least get a response. It felt awkward with the uncomfortable silence between you two. Mikey was quiet too at first, before letting out a subtle sigh.

"Hey, she asked you something," Mikey chimed in, giving the quiet person a little nudge to speak up.

"Yeah," he replied simply without changing his bored expression. It was clear he wasn't interested in chatting with you, so you didn't push him to talk.

You just gave him a small smile.

He hadn't even looked at you this whole time and you could tell he was frowning underneath his mask.

"Go on, introduce yourself," Mikey said, not harshly, but in a commanding way.

His eyebrows all scrunched up in response to Mikey's request for him to speak up. His hair danced in the breeze, revealing the two piercings in his right ear. You figured he was wearing a mask for germs, but couldn't understand why he was hiding his face even more by swooping his hair to the front.

“Haruchiyo Sanzu," he said in a flat voice.

The introduction was super dull and he didn't seem up for chatting. The good news is that from Mikey's face, it looked like Haruchiyo was like that with everyone, so it wasn't personal. Obviously, you couldn't have done anything to upset him since you only met him at a café the other day.

“Did the cheesecake taste gross?"

He blinked and finally looked at you, not exactly making eye contact but still staring in your direction.

"Huh?"

"My bad! I thought you really wanted that last slice of cheesecake. I didn't know it tasted bad or anything, I just wanted you to enjoy it. Please don't think I was trying to sabotage your stomach or something“, you blurted out with a deep bow. 

You couldn't think of any other reason why this stranger might not like you, since this was the only place you had ever crossed paths. When you straightened up, you saw his eyes widen for a quick second before he gave you that same uninterested look.

"It was good“, he clarified briefly, averting his gaze once again.

Oh, so you did not mess something up. That's good to know. You concluded that being introverted and socially distant was simply his character trait.

Mikey observed the unfolding situation with an amused expression, finding enjoyment in witnessing your distress at believing you had offended someone, without even knowing why.

You just always wanted to make sure you weren't being unfair or hurting anyone's feelings. Since you were sensitive, you could usually tell how people were feeling just by looking at their expressions and body language. This really helped you figure out how to act around them, so you could avoid bringing up touchy subjects.

“Oh Mikey, guess what? I ran into Baji kun recently. It took me a minute to realize it was him because it's been ages since we've seen each other at the dojo. He had a friend with him. I think his name was Chifuyu kun? They mentioned something about Toman, are they part of your gang too?",  you recounted, remembering your unplanned meeting with them.

“Oh yeah, they're part of my gang too and they're leading the first division together. Chifuyu took a bit to adjust to his new position since he joined later, but he's working well with Baji," Mikey said casually, happy that you were interested in his gang.

This time, Haruchiyo had the opportunity to listen in on the conversation. He appeared quite passive, standing back with his hands linked behind his back.

You had already begun to hear people gossiping, avoiding the street where you, Mikey, and Haruchiyo were. They were probably thinking that the two boys were here to harm you. 

You knew that Mikey would never hurt you.

You were confident that members of his gang would not bring you any harm either. 

Mikey emphasized that laying hands on women is unacceptable. Though you were aware that they sometimes got into fights with other gangs, that did not automatically make Mikey a bad person or other gang members.

You thought about gangs after what happened with Kiyomasa. You believe that not all hoodlums should be lumped together, because there are people like Mikey who still have good morals.

How did you arrive at this conclusion so quickly? The only person you were particularly familiar with was Mikey. Kiyomasa displayed a clear intention to cause harm beyond simply twisting your wrists forcefully. Despite this, you attempted to rationalize the situation by  convincing yourself that he is just a douchebag.

Not all hoodlums are necessarily bad people.

You're such a fool...

This mindset will definitely come back to haunt you, and at that point, it would be too late to save yourself from the ensuing misery.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 4]

Currently, you are at home resting in bed with bandaged knuckles as a result of the incident that occurred yesterday with Kiyomasa. The experience has left you feeling unsettled, as it was your first time facing such a harrowing situation. It is worth considering that if Takemichi had not intervened, there may not have been enough time for Mikey to come to your aid and ensure your safety.

When Mikey offered to drive you home on his motorcycle, you politely declined, expressing your preference to walk instead. You mentioned that you are not accustomed to riding on motorcycles and do not feel comfortable doing so. While you trust Mikey's driving skills, you have concerns about the potential risks involved with motorcycles. Furthermore, you may feel unsure of where to place your hands when seated behind him due to limited space and the pain in your wrists.

You would not want to touch him awkwardly.

You were unaware of the pain in your wrists while being threatened by Kiyomasa. However, upon being rescued by Mikey, he brought attention to your reddened and partially swollen ankles. It's possible that the situation with Kiyomasa was so overwhelming that you were unable to notice the pain at that time.

You had a rough night with no sleep. Your parents kept checking on you every 10 minutes and even offered to take you to the doctor for a check-up. You reassured them with a smile that you just needed some rest and would be okay. Luckily, it's the weekend so you're not worried about missing any important classes at school.

You ensured to stay hydrated and attempted to distract yourself from the incident involving Kiyomasa by watching movies. Typically, your intention was to enjoy movies after school without going through something scary and traumatic.

Obviously, you do not have the power to foresee the future.

Perhaps if you had taken a different route to go home, you would have arrived safely without encountering trouble with hoodlums. Hoodlums cannot be trusted. Their lives are comprised solely of violence, drug dealing, and theft. 

Mikey is different than the others.

You pondered why Mikey happened to be there at the right time to save you. 

It couldn't have been a mere coincidence, right?

You know he's a gang leader, so you'd think he's a bad guy that you should steer clear of. However, he has demonstrated kindness by coming to your aid and showing compassion. Despite his playful demeanor, he has shown a gentle and understanding side towards you. When you expressed your preference to walk instead of riding on the motorcycle, he respected your decision without pressuring you for further explanation.

You paused the movie halfway through and turned off the TV. You rolled over in bed, laid your head on the pillow, and relaxed.

You didn't even notice when you dozed off a few minutes later. You were so tired, probably the most exhausted you've ever been from all the fear and shock. When you finally closed your eyes, they burned from all the tears you shed yesterday. 

Your eyes remained red, however, the swelling gradually diminished.

-----------------------------------------------

"[N-Name], oh no, this looks terrible!" Emma exclaimed about an hour later after you took a little nap.

She had pretty yellow and white flowers in her hands, but almost dropped them when she saw your unwell condition. Your eyes were all tired and puffy, but at least she didn't notice how swollen your eyes were the day before.

You were definitely feeling a bit better than yesterday. When Mikey finally brought you home last evening, your mother opened the door with a shocked face, eyeing your bruised wrists. You were worried she might think Mikey hurt you, but she's known Mikey for a while now, probably not as long as you since she mostly chats with Emma. 

She found out that Mikey was a gang leader when you accidentally mentioned it while talking about your day at his house. She had the same reaction as you - worried about him being in such a dangerous lifestyle, but also believing that Mikey wouldn't harm people.

When you told her that Mikey had actually protected you from hoodlums, she was shocked and gave you a big hug to show how relieved she was that you were okay. And she even hugged Mikey too, appreciating that he had taken a risk to keep you safe. Mikey was surprised but smiled softly at the warmth of your mother's hug.

His grandpa wasn't really the type to show Mikey much love, especially after his brother passed away. It took him a long time to start feeling better. You were happy that he still had his little sister Emma, and you hoped he appreciated having you as a friend. There were times when you wondered if you were just a casual friend to him, but after he saved you from Kiyomasa, you began to see that your presence held significance to him beyond just being a caring figure for Emma.

There were occasions where you questioned if he engaged in conversations with you solely because of your close relationship with Emma. When you visited Emma at home, you obviously encountered Mikey more often and reached the conclusion that he is actually a nice guy, albeit a bit of a dork and overly confident in his fighting abilities at times.

You appreciated his self-assured nature, which was something you felt lacking in yourself.

On Sunday, you made the decision to engage in physical activity by going for a walk, rather than spending the day in bed watching movies and eating. You believed that taking a stroll outdoors would not only help clear the mind, but also contribute to improving your overall  well-being.

You threw on some comfy clothes and headed out the front door. The gentle breeze tousled your hair as you took a deep breath. Feeling at ease, you exhaled and strolled into the city with a smile on your face.

After a bit, your stomach started growling. You didn't think you'd get so hungry so quickly after eating at home with your parents. You were craving a dessert from Cosy Corner. But, the line was really long and the cafe was packed with people sitting down to eat.

You were in the mood for some cheesecake since it's known for being super fluffy and creamy. Luckily, there was still one slice left on the plate. Today was your lucky day to enjoy that delicious dessert once again. 

When you were ordering at the cashier's, there was a boy next to you who looked totally shocked and had wide eyes. When you glanced over, you saw his long bleached blonde hair and gray eyes. He was wearing a black mask that covered his mouth and nose, which was a bit strange. Maybe he's just super cautious about germs, which is kind of understandable.

It was clear that he also wanted the last piece of cheesecake. You pondered whether he might be overreacting by not getting to eat it. After considering the situation, you concluded that it would be acceptable to give him the last cheesecake since he seemed to desire it more than you did. Additionally, you found the strawberry shortcake to be delicious as well, so you didn't mind letting him have the cheesecake.

“Excuse me, it appears that you also have an interest in the cheesecake. You are welcome to enjoy it, I will choose an alternative option for myself," you expressed with a gentle smile. 

As you observed him more closely, you noticed his attractive features, including long and charming eyelashes.

However, when he made eye contact, he quickly averted his gaze with a neutral expression. You didn't dwell on it and simply ordered something else. While you typically appreciate when others express gratitude by saying "thank you," it's possible that he is not particularly talkative or comfortable in social interactions.

You mentally shrugged your shoulders and waited for your dessert to be packed up. 

As you walked out of the café, you mumbled a soft "bye" to him, already distracted by the yummy scent of your food. You were so excited to eat it, having waited half an hour to place your order.

He gave you a weird look when you didn't order the cheesecake at the café. He thought you were crazy for not choosing the best dessert at Cosy Corner. He was convinced that anyone who picked something else must be out of their mind. He knew you only ordered something else because he had openly expressed his desire for the cheesecake. It's interesting to consider why someone would do something kind for a stranger without expecting anything in return.

You never would have guessed that you would see the same person again a few days later, without even realizing that you actually knew him years ago...

[gohan1]

[Chapter 3]

You were fatigued from school and felt relieved upon completing a challenging math test that you had diligently prepared for over a period of three weeks. Your hard work and determination paid off, as you are confident in achieving positive results upon receiving your test scores.

You were looking forward to unwinding at home with some movies and tasty snacks to relax before the upcoming exams.

It was in the middle of the evening when the school clock rang. You felt happiness surrounding you because you waited for hours to be finally free from todays learning. When you looked outside of the window, the birds were chirping songs and the sky was a clear-blue as the ocean. You wanted to feel the soft breeze of the air on your skin.

You quickly gathered your books and placed them in your bag. Regrettably, you came to the realization that it was your turn to clean the classroom alongside your assigned partner.

Your partner was absent, resulting in additional workload for you. The teacher did not inquire if anyone would be willing to assist with the cleaning duties for the day, so it is possible that no one will offer to help you.

Your gut feeling was obviously correct, as all of the students left the room in a hurry, leaving you alone in the large classroom. You begin by sweeping the floor, paying special attention to the areas under the chairs and tapping the sponges together to remove the powdery chalk. Afterward, you put all of the tables up and closed the windows before finally leaving your school.

The schoolyard was quiet and empty, but the reason for this was unknown. As you continued to walk, you began to hear muffled sounds of people. Initially, you were unable to comprehend what was happening, but with each step, the sounds became clearer and resonated in your ears. Upon reaching the stairs, you were greeted with a large crowd of boys, gathered around something in order to observe closely. They were cheering and laughing loudly. 

The once indiscernible sounds now held meaning.

“Kick his ass!"

“What a total loser!“

“He's super weak, man. Just crying like a baby"

A crowd of people watched as a taller, black-haired man beat up another person with his fists. The victim of this brutality was unable to defend himself, as he was severely injured. Blood was dripping from his nose, and his eyes were so swollen that they had turned an ugly purple color.

The blond-haired boy staggered and tried his best not to collapse. Ironically, even though he may be the one getting beaten up, his back was broader than anyone else's. He wasn't strong in the sense of being able to fight back, but he appeared to be incredibly durable as he showed no signs of falling to his knees.

The situation was getting more horrible as the boys watching the fight started to bet that the blond-haired boy would be unconscious in the next minutes. 

You didn't want to stick around when something cruel was going down right in front of you. You couldn't really do much to help the poor kid - you're just a regular school girl, not Wonder Woman. Trying to save the day would be like trying to lift a car with the strength of a gnat.

This is why you ended up taking a step back and when you tried to walk away, you accidentally bumped into some dude who looked like the rest of the people loitering around here. 

He was also a hoodlum.

"I never expected to see a girl in a place like this. Are you friends with the little fry over there?" he asked, pointing his finger to the scene unfolding.

"U-um, I was just passing by, actually," you said nervously, hoping that the guy would just leave you alone.

The guy was totally unremarkable. Just some random dude with a dumb grin on his face.

“I think it would be better for you to stay here," the man said as he grabbed your shoulders with force.

"Kiyomasa san, we have a special guest today!" the motherfucker shouted, pushing you through the crowd of gangsters to reach the fight scene.

“Hey, can't you tell I'm busy?" Kiyomasa said with a grin as he kicked the blond-haired guy for the 15th time in a row. 

"But check it out, she's a hottie!" the guy replied, still holding onto your shoulders. Hard.

“I-I just want to go home, please. I have nothing to do with this," you mumbled in a quiet voice, stuttering. 

Finally, Kiyomasa turned his head towards you. He had the same plain look as the other guy, but the difference was that he had a small scar running through his eyebrow.

“Wow, she seems like a hot chick! Let's have some fun with her, and if she gets out of line, we can teach her a lesson," he said with a sly grin as he licked his lips.

He was just gross. You felt like your head was spinning from all the anxiety building up. Before you knew it, you were crying and begging him to just let you go.

You didn't deserve to be humiliated like that. Kiyomasa wasn't going to leave you alone, so you had to save yourself before he crossed the line and started touching you without your consent. 

But you were just too damn weak. 

Fear had you frozen in place as Kiyomasa reached out and touched your cheek. He was very rough with his hand, a sign indicating he would beat you if you showed any resistance.

You felt like vomiting. 

Kiyomasa could start violating you at any moment, right before the eyes of nearly 50 people. You never imagined your life would be cut short so soon.

Disgraceful.

You tried to squirm out of the guy grabbing you from behind while tears streamed down your face.

"We haven't even started yet and you're already rejecting me?" Kiyomasa said, looking unhappy.

You reacted instinctively, and utilized your self-defense reflex to deliver a forceful kick with the remaining strength in your body, targeting the most vulnerable area between his legs.

Kiyomasa let out a groan and dropped to his knees, clutching his crotch to try to ease the intense pain.

The other guy was so surprised that he stopped to hold you in place. His expression shifted as he admired your bravery in standing up to someone as tough as Kiyomasa by kicking him in the balls.

“You little bitch!" he yelled, grinding his teeth in annoyance. You didn't even have time to run away because you were too scared, frozen with fear and unable to move. You were shaking like a scared rabbit, sweat dripping down your face and back.

To your horror, he suddenly raised his hand in order to put you in your place.You closed your eyes, bracing for the pain, but it never came. When you finally peeked, you saw the blonde boy in front of you, arms outstretched to shield you

“I won't let you hurt a girl, you asshole!“

“I knew you would step in to help her out. You're not gonna go down that easily, right Hanagaki?”, Kiyomasa smiled widely, preparing himself to beat him up again.

It was unbelievable that Hanagaki was still standing, despite his nose being completely broken and his face bloody and swollen from all the kicks he had endured.

Why would an unfamiliar person risk his life for someone he has never seen before?

Your eyes were puffy and red from all the crying. If Hanagaki continues to take all the beatings, he could die. He was taking slow and loud breaths, with his eyes halfway closed.

“Hey, get me the bat! It'll be easier to take him out," Kiyomasa yelled at the other guys, who were probably his followers.

Wait, a bat?!

Your eyes widened in shock, and you noticed that the young man defending you shared the same expression, although his face was averted so his reaction remained unclear.

"Ugh, we gotta go save Takemichi!" you heard voices from behind. They must be talking about Hanagaki, so it seemed like he still had some people on his side.

"Come on, hurry up and get me the bat, you jerks!" Kiyomasa said, starting to get annoyed when no one listened.

"Hey Kiyomasa,"

"What?!"

"You're freaking everyone out."

It was a different voice. The tone sounded calm, but not entirely. You could sense a mixture of anger as well.

Turning to the side, Kiyomasa looked scared with wide eyes and sweaty skin. You were close enough to see his trembling body. It was surprising to see someone like him feeling fear.

What could be making him this scared?

”Why are you getting so worked up? You're the host here," the person said as he slowly walked towards Kiyomasa with his hands in his pockets.

He was approximately the same height as Kiyomasa and had long blond hair, which he wore in a braid. His head was shaved except for the blond hair on top, with a few loose strands in the front. Despite his baggy clothes, one could still tell that he was muscular.

What really caught your eye was the dragon tattoo on the left side of his shaved head and the round silver earring.

“The vice-president of the Tokyo Manji Gang, Ryuguji Ken!" you heard the same voice from before announce. The boy with a plum pompadour, adorned with several hair clips and light heather eyes, was the boy who had been determined to save Takemichi earlier on.

Hold up, the vice-president of the Tokyo Manji Gang? Isn't that the gang that Mikey established a while back?

Is he here too?

At the moment you thought of Mikey, you saw a person approaching with shoulder-length blond hair, with bangs combed back and tied together.

Mikey was wearing baggy black pants, a short-sleeved white shirt, and a black jacket thrown over his shoulders. And of course, he had his trusty flip-flops on, just like always.

As you watched him closely, he was chewing on a Dorayaki with a content smile. Looking at you, the corner of his mouth lifted even higher. He wasn't just satisfied; he was incredibly happy.

“Hey, hey, Kenchin“

“Hah?"

“All my Dorayaki's gone"

“What is going on with that guy?..." mumbled the same person with the plum pompadour, who was looking at the scenario in pure shock, just like his other friends.

Suddenly, all the hoodlums bowed down simultaneously.

"Good work!"

"Good work, President!" you heard them shout repeatedly.

Mikey walked past Kiyomasa with his hands in his pockets. The happy expression on his face quickly turned to boredom.

"Good wo-" Kiyomasa began to stutter, but was interrupted when Ken landed a swift and straight kick to his stomach. Kiyomasa gasped and buckled down slightly due to the sudden rush of pain.

"Kiyomasa, when did you become so important?" Ken asked calmly.

Kiyomasa appeared angry, but he remained silent because he knew he stood no chance against Ryuguji Ken, also known as Draken.

When Mikey walked towards Takemichi and you, you could not stop yourself from crying again. Despite your tears having dried on your face, they began to flow once more, causing your eyes to burn and your cheeks to turn red.

You were greatly relieved to see him.

He gave you a quick glance before turning his attention to Takemichi. He went so near to him that Takemichi even stumbled backwards. The poor guy thought Mikey would beat the crap out of him, but you knew that he would not randomly beat people. You had never seen him physically harm anyone, except during training at the dojo where it was just all in good fun.

Takemichi was totally freaking out. He wasn't ready to get beat up again because he felt like he wouldn't be able to handle it this time.

“What is your name?" 

"Takemichi Hanagaki." 

"I see. Takemicchi...Are you seriously a middle schooler?" Mikey asked with a grin before kneeling down to Takemichi and grabbing his hair from the back to raise his head up. 

Takemichi's eyes widened at the unexpected reaction. 

"Takemichi, you are now my buddy, okay?“

Takemichi just blinked at him in confusion.

Mikey released Takemichi and stood up, before turning to look at you with a concerned expression on his face.

"And thank you for protecting [Name]," Mikey continued, before he approached you and gently touched your shoulders.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, with half-lidded eyes and a look of sadness on his face.

You don't even know what got into you, but all of a sudden you just wrapped your arms around him for a hug. You couldn't help but choke back tears as they soaked his black jacket.

Mikey was taken aback momentarily before he gently patted your back in an effort to offer comfort. However, when you abruptly withdrew from him out of fear of causing distress, his eyes widened at the sight of your knuckles. At first, you were unsure of what had caught his attention, but upon examining your wrists, you noticed they were marked with unsightly redness and handprints.

He was really mad. It was the first time you'd ever seen him this furious.

But then he glanced back at you, flashed another smile, and then turned to Kiyomasa, finally acknowledging his presence since he got there.

His smile disappeared and his eyes turned icy. He walked up, standing right in front of Kiyomasa.

"Are you the host?", Mikey asked calmly.

"Ah, yes“, he replied.

Mikey smiled again, this time at Kiyomasa, which seemed strange as he was the one who had caused you this pain.

You couldn't even process what was happening because Mikey straight up kicked Kyomasa in the chin with so much force that you didn't think was possible. Kyomasa's head snapped back and he let out a painful grunt.

Mikey yanked the tall guy's hair and brought him down to his level.

“Who the heck are you?" Mikey asked, his voice all serious and intense. His black eyes appeared unusually dark and void of any reflection.

He swiftly struck Kiyomasa in the face without hesitation. This action was repeated numerous times, making it impossible to keep track of the number of blows. Mikey maintained a stoic expression throughout the physical assault.

“You dare to hurt [Name]? You little piece of shit," Mikey said, without raising his voice. His calm tone made the scene even scarier to witness. Despite the strange circumstances, you were still happy that he cared for your well-being, as it showed that he wanted to protect you as his friend.

“I am so sorry, president. I didn't know she was yours. If I had known, I would not have touch-"

"Shut the fuck up. Do you even have my permission to speak?“,  Mikey cut him off and beat Kiyomasa up again before throwing his unconscious body to the ground.

Mikey's face was covered in blood. When he beat up Kiyomasa, the blood splashed onto Mikey's face, but even now, he continued to smile unfazed.

All the hoodlums were totally shocked and terrified. They couldn't believe how strong Mikey was, just like you, who never expected him to have that kind of power.

Finally, Mikey forcefully planted his flip-flop foot on Kiyomasa's head, followed by a smile directed towards Takemichi and a gentle one towards you.

“Let me drive you home, [Name]!“

This overwhelming sensation swept over you, filling your heart with a rush of emotion. Your pulse quickened as a surge of gratitude and joy washed over you. Tears of relief glistened in your eyes for being rescued from the torture by Kiyomasa.

This was pure adoration.

[gohan1]

[Chapter 2]

“A gang?" you asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, like I told you before. This is a chance to take down some jerks! And I'll be the leader!" Mikey explained, lounging on his bed.

You stood in the center of his room, blinking in perplexity at the abrupt shift in conversation.

Gangs usually have a bad reputation for being involved in violence, drugs, theft, and other illegal activities. Obviously, you disapproved and were surprised that Mikey was drawn to such things. 

Mikey is relatively strong, no doubt about it - he kicked everyone's butt at the dojo. However, this is not a valid reason to become involved in gang fights.

Mikey is not a bad person.

I'm not entirely certain if he is seeking my opinion on this topic, but I believe it wouldn't hurt to share my genuine thoughts with him, would it?

“You're kidding me, right?", you blurted out before quickly covering your mouth, realizing that maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase it.

Now, it was Mikey who began to blink at you with an unreadable expression.

"Actually, it was Baji's idea to form a gang when I met him along with my other friends. They will be the leaders of the divisions," he revealed to you.

Wow, I can't believe they actually considered forming divisions.

He assumed that you would not like the idea, but in the end, it is his life and he promised himself that he would create a new era for delinquents.

Initially, you suspected that you may have expressed your opinion in an unprofessional manner by not providing reasonable arguments, as this topic clearly indicates a lifestyle with an uncertain future. You were afraid of judgment, but when Mikey looked at you with a gentle expression, you were relieved that he was not irritated by your sudden behavior.

"Mikey-kun, I-I don't know if I can support your decision. It's dangerous and you could get seriously hurt," you continued, speaking in a stuttering voice.

"Ah, I mean, I will still be your friend, but I don't agree with you choosing to be a gang leader," you quickly added.

"Haha, I kind of expected this reaction," he replied, not angry as he stood up, smiled, and patted you on the shoulder, telling you not to worry. 

He believed that no one could surpass him due to his strength. But was he really that strong? 

Thinking of himself as superior could backfire on him...

"I'm glad you still see me as your friend," he said softly, with a half-lidded gaze.

"Toman will not resort to dirty methods or harm the innocent, especially women!" he reassured you, playfully hitting your arm with his fist.

"But you just punched me!" you exclaimed, pretending to cry with a silly laugh.

"That was a gesture of friendship!" he laughed, and then you realized something.

"Toman?"

"Yeah, it stands for Tokyo Manji Gang. I came up with the name because I'm the leader, so it should have my name in it," he explained, placing his hands on his hips and looking amusingly arrogant.

You wondered if his friends were truly okay with this...

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“Where is my fucking drink?!" 

You were on your way to school, with your backpack slung over your shoulders, when you heard a loud voice that made you stop in your tracks. It was a boy yelling and shaking the vending machine like crazy, trying to get his drink out.

"Hey man, you can't just kick the machine like that! Your drink is stuck, but it might come out if you just add another coin," another boy, standing nearby, said.

Upon turning around, you noticed a boy with long black hair and another boy with short blond hair, sporting an undercut and an earring on the left side.

“Do I look like I have more coins with me? I spent 100 Yen on a lucky charm a few months ago, but it wasn't even enough for one! It cost around 500 Yen, so we had to pool our money together just to get one. Spending that 100 Yen was a bit much for me," Baji said with a sigh.

"Bro, why'd you even buy a lucky charm? Sounds kinda cringey to me," Chifuyu replied, trying not to laugh.

"My gang insisted the day we founded Toman that we should get it to remember that day," Baji explained, looking embarrassed.

“Pff, whatever..."

"Dude, this is the truth! You little bastard“, Baji exclaimed with a half-loud voice.

"Hey, I was gonna buy you a drink with my money! But now I'm not so sure“, Chifuyu said, sticking out his tongue with a big grin.

You observed the entire conversation with a skeptical expression, noting their apparent fascination with gang activities even before any mention was made. After a brief shrug, you resumed walking. Being a diligent student, you were mindful of the impending start of your class and made efforts to arrive promptly, avoiding any tardiness.

“Oh crap, sorry Baji san...I just realized I blew all my cash on shojo mangas," Chifuyu exclaimed in shock.

"Are you kidding me, man? I can't live without my damn drink!

You stopped again and almost overheard their conversation. It was a bummer that the vending machine didn't give him his drink, and they were both out of cash to get another one. A drink here won't set you back more than 100-200 yen, so it's super affordable for you.

Of course, you probably already know that there are still people out there who are having a tough time in life. It's not just about money, but also poverty, hunger, and war - even in this modern century.

Reflecting on the situation between Baji and Chifuyu, as they had no money on them, you concluded that you should do something nice.

They wouldn't slap a girl for helping them, would they?

You walked slowly towards them with an uncertain expression on your face.

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry that I overheard your conversation. Um, I hope this is enough money for you to buy drinks," you said politely as you handed the money to Baji.

The two hoodlums didn't notice you at first. They just blinked a few times before Baji reached out to take the money from you.

"Thanks," he said, looking a bit unsure. Why would someone give money to strangers on the street?

"Oh, this is actually more money than we need for drinks," Baji explained, trying to give the extra money back.

"Uh, I meant to give you that much because I thought your friend might want something to drink too," you replied awkwardly.

The guys were totally blown away by how nice you were, they were staring at you with their mouths wide open.

As you took a closer look at them, you kinda felt like you already knew one of them.

"Hey, are you Baji Keisuke?" you blurted out.

"Wait, you know Baji?" Chifuyu asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, I remember him from when he used to train with Mikey at the dojo. I always watched you guys spar, so I kinda recognized you. I was just a spectator from afar," you said with a shy smile.

"Oh, you're [First Name] [Last Name]? I'm surprised you remember me, I guess I stood out because I was always getting my butt kicked by Mikey," he chuckled.

It was pretty funny how you only remembered him because he kept losing to Mikey all the time.

“So you are also friends with Baji-san? He is absolutely a great guy you can look up to," the blond-haired boy said with an expression of admiration.

"She has known Mikey for quite some time now as she is friends with his little sister."

Hmm, this sounds like I am only at his house because of Emma. You definitely love Emma. She is close to you like a little sister, but even though you may not have known Mikey for as long as Emma, he is also a friend of yours.

“Whoa, that's gotta be wild knowing Mikey. Oh, I'm Chifuyu Matsuno, by the way!" he said with a little bow.

Just knowing would be kind of off. Why is it so tough to believe that you were friends with him too?

"Nice to meet you," you replied with a deeper bow.

Baji asked, 'So how are you doing?' as he noticed you wearing a school uniform and carrying a backpack on your back.

"I'm on my way to school. I have a test later," you replied, stating the obvious.

"I heard from Mikey that you're a good student. I wish I could be too, so my mother would stop crying. Even though Chifuyu helps me with Japanese grammar, he's still an idiot in other subjects," Baji explained with a grin on his face.

Wait, Mikey really talks about you when he hangs out with other people?

"Hey, that's not cool. I'm also putting in effort with my other subjects!" Chifuyu exclaimed, playfully slapping him on the arm.

You laughed softly and waved goodbye to them as you realized that you would probably be late for class for the first time.

"See you around!" they both said simultaneously as you walked away, but this time with faster steps.

You were not very sure if you would actually meet them again. Maybe Baji when he starts visiting the dojo again, but probably not Chifuyu.

However, what couldn't escape your mind was the fact that Mikey was actually talking about you, and hopefully only saying good things. While he may be a dork at times, surprisingly, you trust him and believe that he is not spreading negativity about you. It brings you joy to hear that he speaks highly of you, as it confirms that you made the right choice in having him as a friend.

You wonder if he talks about you in other ways besides just being a good student. School is definitely not his favorite topic, so it's a nice surprise that he appreciates how hard you work.

You certainly did not make a mistake in befriending him. 

You have no regrets about it.