kwlsn

[kwlsn]

— “ hii everyone !! ive been really busy with my thesis and research project, so pls forgive me for being away for so long. ill post at least 3 chaps for the most recent series at least this week now, tysm for all your support til today, always know i always acknowledge em and reading yalls reblogs always make me super super happy !! ”

[kwlsn]

synopsis :

as a dear wife of an executive director of a high-ranking criminal organisation, it'd be a daily occurrence for you to live with numerous assassination attempts from other groups. your husband always knows you can protect yourself from day one, but what about the time when a little bundle of joy came in?

starring : sano shinichiro, sano manjiro, haitani ran, haitani rindou, sanzu haruchiyo, etc.

warning : assassination, kidnapping, physical assault, blackmailing, murder, betrayal, etc.

— ❖ the first love

— ❖ the self-made millionaire

— ❖ the supermodel

— ❖ the doctor

— ❖ the teacher

— ❖ TBA

[kwlsn]

As the youngest princess of the imperial family, it was normal for you to be pampered and spoiled; living in the spotlight and tasting the sweet compliments of everyone who set their eyes on you — except for Haruchiyo.

Ever since you were born and declared as an omega; your family was worried about how everyone was going to perceive that, feeling scared for your future and how it would go when they were no longer around.

The Crown Prince Takeomi was a cold alpha; shed blood in the battlefield ever since he received a title and was given a task to pressure the barbarian at the border by the Emperor. He didn't think about anything including his life, only how he should kill every barbarian who tried to trespass and enter through the border.

He was indifferent to everyone; owning a cold heart and iron fist to rule, supporting the pillar of justice for mostly the plebs and omegas.

The living embodiment of indifferent justice and future King everyone loved.

The second he got called to go back to the capital, he didn't expect that he'd face a newborn; so small that he could actually cover her face with his hand.

The sight of a sleeping Empress and sweating Emperor, holding her hand tight while ushering Takeomi to take a closer look at his new sister; asking him to protect this child's happiness as she was born weak and nearly dead.

"She's an omega."

Takeomi's eyes widened slightly, knowing how hard her future would be when this news was shared to the whole continent, asking his dad to cover it up and said that she was a Beta instead.

Shaking his head, his father placed a hand on Takeomi's shoulder, trying to calm his young child down. While it could be done, he wanted everyone to know that being an omega is not a sin or thing to be ashamed of.

It was a difficult role; not everyone was given a chance to be able to calm everyone almost instantly with their presence or having their aggression (mostly alphas) tamed without any force.

A purifier.

Takeomi decided to keep his opinion inside and took another glance at his young sister, knowing how hard it would be for her as he swore that he'd always do everything to protect her; even if it meant war from his side.

Senju was the first princess known as the 'white rose' and beta. She was kind, respectful and helpful; had her moment of being a playful kid but she knew she had a family to make proud of.

Her father had given her a chance to see her younger sister, falling in trance as she held out her hand to touch the smaller one; letting out a giggle as the new born wrapped her finger around Senju's thumb and trying to bite it.

When she knew that her sister was an omega; she was fearing both for her and the family as it had been a while since there was an omega in the imperial family. Her thick eyelashes felt ticklish when the baby tried to touch her face, trying to explore her surrounding.

While Senju still had her worries, being a sister was something equally important and if it meant her head; she would do everything to protect this family especially her sister.

Haruchiyo was the first one to pay a visit. His parents wanted their second son, who was currently in the palace, to see his new sister as his father held his mother tight; fearing she could slip away and leave him alone if he didn't hold her that close.

As an alpha, it'd be normal for Haruchiyo to have a domineering aura emitting out from his presence only; but, alas, he was born second and everyone already loved Takeomi, leaving him alone in the limelight as everyone only remembers him as the 'second prince' unlike the Crown Prince or White Rose.

He was nothing special.

When he first knew that the new princess was an omega; a small grin crept onto his lips.

The father who felt his son was always accepting felt happy that he could accept his sister despite the current situation that pressured her; hoping he would be her shield when his father was no longer around.

Of course, Haruchiyo said. How could he feel upset when his new sister wasn't special, too? And on top of that, she was a disgusting omega.

She was a disgrace to the imperial family, wanted for no one and wished by no one. She could be turned into the black sheep of this family and no one was going to care about it.

But, Haruchiyo's thoughts were proven wrong.

The reason why his father asked him here was to be her sword and shield, to protect her from any harm she could face as an omega because she was the special one.

"Of course, father."

He let out a small smile before turning around to leave the room, dropping his act almost instantly as no one was there to pay him any attention.

At the end, he could only have the short end of the stick.

Years went by and the baby finally grew up into an angelic young girl; living away from the palace to avoid any unnecessary conflict as her parents built a mansion for the young princess, promising her a life full of happiness and hope.

The mansion was between grand and simple, walking on a thin line to avoid any unnecessary attention for being too much on one side.

It was built on a strong cliff with a magnificent view of the shore below that could be seen from the window; howling of the water, crashing tides against boulders and faint seagulls cries were lulling the young princess' sorrow when she spent another day by herself after a while.

"Nanny,"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Do you think my family hates me?"

The elder shook her head, brushing the princess' hair away from her face before offering a kind smile; one she could only provide when there was no letter from the capital, a slight fear began to creep over her spine.

"That's not true, Your Highness."

She replied, reminding the child stream of letters and presents making a line to the mansion; filling the child's empty heart as she went through a rigorous training course for her upcoming debutante, signing the day where she would officially make a public appearance to the society.

Unfortunately, there was still no response to the event's progress; whether it was declining or going well, the nanny was pretty sure there'd receive a letter from the palace itself.

As if someone answered her relentless thought, a butler informed the nanny and young princess about the appearance of a messenger from the capital; bringing an important news as he went less than a day to make sure he could ensure the princess' safety.

Entering the waiting room with her nanny, the young princess acknowledged the messenger's greeting before taking a seat; urging him to give the information tonight while a maid poured him down a cup of warm tea.

"The palace is currently in disarray; the second prince overthrew the current emperor and held the entire family as a hostage except for the Crown Prince, who was on his way to the capital with his troops."

The messenger bit his thumb, drawing blood from his raw skin before continuing the news; looking at the nanny for permission before she gave him one, knowing this wasn't time to protect the innocent princess' heart.

"The princess was ordered to come back to the palace or she'd be burnt in her residence for disobeying the second prince."

He held his hat tightly as the nanny reassured him, glancing at the young princess who hadn't had her debutante; fearing that the second prince might humiliate her in public for not knowing how to blend into the society.

No time for that now!

The nanny asked everyone to pack the young princess' belongings right away; waking up everyone and making sure no one was asleep, slacking off from their jobs because it was a stormy night.

The nanny took the princess' sleeping gown before changing it into an outdoor dress, putting on a coat over her form as she led her to an imperial carriage with a butler and her granddaughter.

"Nanny?"

The young princess looked at her with fear in her eyes, getting confused with the whole situation before the nanny pressed a kiss onto her forehead; ushering the butler and her granddaughter to get inside another carriage behind the princess'.

There was no time left and the nanny was sure she would die because of age if the second prince didn't burn the whole mansion yet as the princess was on her way to the capital; sensing that her hunch was right about the angelic prince who wore a two-faced mask and always ready to fight his brother for the throne due to being an alpha; a natural born leader.

The young princess didn't get to say a proper goodbye when the nanny made sure everything was closed and locked; only a simple kiss to remind her how warm the south was, whether it was the people, the food or the weather, everything was perfect.

Haruchiyo sat down on the throne with a crazed grin, twirling the crown in his hand as his parents and Senju were looking at him with both anger and confusion; not knowing what pushed him to commit a treason when everything was perfect.

The imperial family was well-loved by both the aristocrat and plebs; Takeomi would be a king everyone praises for and Haruchiyo didn't need to do everything to please everyone but himself like his two siblings.

Senju was the first one who voiced her anger; stating Haruchiyo was making a mistake by doing this as Takeomi would kill him for ruining the peace he was able to hold. But, it fell into a deaf ear and she got dragged into her room by the troops who supported the second prince, keeping her locked inside like her parents until the day Haruchiyo would crown himself.

Open the gates!

Senju ran to her balcony, hoping she would find Takeomi and his troops. Instead, she found an imperial carriage with the second princess' crest on it; dragging tens of knights to fight against Haruchiyo's army as her carriage made an unexpected entrance.

The last time she met her sister was five years ago when she was barely ten years old; not knowing how much she had grown after living in seclusion due to the chaotic capital's condition after Takeomi met his soulmate and engaged with the lady from a well-known Dukedom.

"Wait, is that Takeomi behind!"

She muttered to herself, trying to find a good look of her eldest brother as he followed the path their youngest sister made; as if, he already expected that she would help him to fight against the second prince and his treason.

"Senju, baby!"

She heard a knock behind her bookshelf, pushing it open to see her parents with their right hand men and handmaidens before she took her coat and joined inside; making sure the shelf was put back in place before she made a run with her parents to the white rose garden.

The stairs were steep and narrow, slightly damp as they were behind the walls; listening to swords clashing against each other and blood gushing onto the floor. Senju was a realist but she could only pray for a miracle where Takeomi would win with their sister's support.

Her father's right-hand man decided to be the first who opened the exit and checked around the surroundings, pulling everyone out as they ran towards the Takeomi's army; hoping Haruchiyo's men would find then.

"There's the emperor!"

A clang of iron armour against each other, Senju knew they were already discovered by Haruchiyo's and there was nothing to do except to give in; begging for some merciful death by the sadistic prince.

"There, protect the imperial family!"

On the other side, she saw a young girl dressed in white coat with gold embellishments; her young sister commanding her brother's first order, rushing to fight against the traitorous knights while she held her family close to her heart, knowing today she might be able to face another day without any fear anymore.

Holding her parents and sister close, the young princess told them to get inside her carriage before they could flee to request a help from another family.

But, her idea was rejected by her dear father, telling her that she could do it but he would stay here even if it meant death; followed by her mother and then Senju.

"Then, I'll stay here, too, with all of you."

"How cute."

Haruchiyo's voice was heavy and cold, complementing the slow step he took in your direction; eyes darting to your petite frame before he took you by your collar, choking you in the process while his men pointing their swords at the imperial family and their trusted advisors.

"Bring them inside."

He ordered, taking the young princess like a sack before he threw her to the floor with a loud thud; lowering his gaze and signed her to kneel like the others as he stood up in front of them, resting the tip of his sword on Takeomi's cold body, no sign of life in his eyes anymore.

Haruchiyo had won; the new emperor who rose to the high position with his silver tongue, quick wit and cold demeanor perfect of a seasoned general in war.

The first was the former emperor; he was beheaded with no mercy as Haruchiyo purposely didn't finish it with one cut, watching the emperor scream in pain when he struck the second swing before the former emperor could finally leave this realm, looking at his wife with tears in his eyes and small 'i love you' when Haruchiyo stuck the last hit, ending the pacifist emperor's life.

The second was the empress. He didn't bat an eye and pushed his sword straight to her heart, twisting it slightly to the side to prolong her pain as blood started to come out from her mouth, getting her almost choked as she finally blew out her last breath, holding Senju's hand tightly to give her heart a bit of strength.

The third was Senju, the White Rose of the society. She was put in misery and her head wasn't in the right place when Haruchiyo asked her why she didn't use her magic to save their parents, stating how she was a selfish daughter; only thinking about her safety instead of saving her loving parents.

As the 'punishment', Haruchiyo cut both of her hands by the wrist and let her regret consuming her until she finally died due to blood loss, sitting on a pool of her warm blood until it turned cold and got sticky on the young princess' gown.

Haruchiyo's supposed blond hair turned pink now after creating a massacre, building his regime over spilled blood and envy; taking the young princess' face in his cold grasp, forcing her to see her now dead family then his eyes.

"As you know, no one is willing to get their daughter married to me,"

He took a stride, watching her carefully under his gaze while his men were discarding the dead bodies from the throne room; trying to not gag at the rustic stench filling the whole palace after a bloodbath.

"So, I decided to spare you to have the honour to be my empress."

You looked at him with fat tears running on your cheeks, not wanting to have him to claim you over as your eyes darted to your butler and lady-in-waiting; hoping they would go through the same fate as your family.

Licking the salty tears from your eyes, Haruchiyo let out a boisterous laugh; pushing you to the cold tiles as he told your butler to move you to the empress room, telling him that he would spend a night with you later.

"But, she's barely an adult! She doesn't have her debutante yet!"

Your lady-in-waiting pleaded, holding you close to her side as Haruchiyo ignored her; telling everyone that the emperor's order was absolute and couldn't be disobeyed if they wanted no blood to spill again tonight.

[kwlsn]

synopsis :

living in a society with a toxic hierarchy was already enough trouble when you checked out every box for being the lowest class. your brother finally rose in rank as the new king after a bloody massacre, leaving you as the only survivor and royal princess — giving you two choices, death or marriage.

starring : sanzu haruchiyo, sano shinichiro, sano manjiro, haitani ran, haitani rindo, etc.

au : omegaverse, historical, arranged marriage, forbidden love, enemies to friends

warning : incest, noncon, hurt no comfort, suicide, self-harm, physical abuse, toxic relationship, drug abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, alcohol abuse, manipulation, gaslight, unhealthy relationship, power abuse, etc.

taglist :

✠ ‡ — prologue

[kwlsn]

It happened too fast — like a daydream in summer night.

Sanzu decided to let himself get caught by Mikey, trying to shake them off you and the Haitani; as you went to the highway and changed all of your phones to a burner one, keeping a low profile after the three of you were currently wanted by the vicious leader of Bonten.

Your current residence was one of Ran's personal villas that's not under the Bonten's radar; stating that this was the only place where he could take a breath once in a while when Mikey started to overwork the older man, knowing how deep his hatred was for the lilac haired man.

The villa was minimalist. Almost no furniture except for the mandatory one. The walls were painted in dull ash grey with one-way floor-to-ceiling windows; keeping the privacy inside since Ran believed it was the priority when he built a new house as a Bonten executive director.

"Who actually thought three of us gone live like this one day?"

Rindou let out a sigh, kicking his legs as he sat down on the counter; earning a harsh slap from Ran on the shoulder while you were making breakfast for the three of you.

A full-meal course consisted of beef stew, roasted eggplant and some (failed) Mont Blanc, a request Ran made as he tried to make it based on his memory; cursing under his breath since he knew checking the internet meaning Bonten going to breath behind his nape, catching up on him thanks to a Mont Blanc recipe.

"Rindou,"

"How did you manage to get Sanzu to snuck me out?"

Rindou looked at you as if you were crazy, stating how he would never talk to a manic addict who wanted him to die every single day for drowning a pound of his powder; looking at Ran to speak to you about the runaway plan on his behalf.

"It was.. Takemichi. He made this whole plan — called 'the Runaway Bride',"

Ran rolled his eyes at the tacky name, feeling disgusted at himself for mentally agreed to it since all he cared about was your safety; feeling better now since the plan worked successfully and none of them were killed or losing a limb on the way to here.

"He said he wanted to save you from that lunatic, telling me that he got a perfect plan. It was crazy, low blow and reckless. But,"

This time he put his utensil down, raising his head to see you in the eyes; a soft smile he tried to hide was visible even though he tried to cover it with his hand and a cough, biting inside his cheek to prevent it from getting bigger.

"He was right. This mission is a success."

Cutting off the circuit was such a low blow and cliché; but, then again, no one would care about it since most people would be put inside the hall and Ran was given a privilege to move around as the main planner for the event, giving him a reason to have the electricity cut off around thirty minutes after he left the area, going straight to the underground parking lot until he got the sign to make a move.

"Thanks to Sanzu, though."

The younger man added, giving you more details on how Mikey asked Sanzu to always check everything the Haitani touched and went to; fearing that they going to sabotage this event when Sanzu turned a blind eye at Ran's doing and helped them to execute this plan.

Eh, 'kay? Not like I care, though. I'll be her guard so check the sign, lavender head.

It left you wondering now since you never actually knew about Sanzu until a few weeks ago when Mikey invited you for dinner.

Sanzu had been imprisoned for almost two weeks, left with a glass of water and dried up fruits; not enough to make him full but more than enough to keep him alive after angering Mikey, his saviour and king.

His lavish clothes were tattered and covered with soots, slightly torn after he jumped out from the car and fell to the asphalt in high speed; rolling down the road while trying to shield himself from Kokonoi's shoots and his men, taking out his Glock and killed them one by one until there was only three of them by the side road.

"Better give me a good reason today."

"Nothing, I was bored."

He looked at the white-haired man with his signature grin, licking his reopening wound after Mikey landed a few punches on his face, purposely on his scars; trying to take out the traumatized little boy inside for the sake of this selfish mission.

Kokonoi wasn't a yes man or an obedient subordinate; he was a man who got his own goals and moves. But, what Mikey went through that night reminded me of how Akane slipped away from his life, leaving this empty hole forever while he was forced to stay alive and live to the fullest — with no sign of his first love in his sight forever.

"In three days, Mikey will let you go—"

"Slay,"

"You'll be relocated to Shenzhen as the new leader of Wanzhenna."

Sanzu closed his mouth tight as Kokonoi left him alone, leaning his back against the cold wall and closing his eyes shut; realising what Mikey wanted from him. It was to stay away as far as possible from you so he could finally trace you and the Haitani while he kept a close eye on Sanzu.

Shenzhen was amazing and Wanzhenna been gaining a lot of power; but, he wasn't sure if it was his sober up due to no pills or the post-nut clarity towards the reality of his life because right now, he wanted to see you and say no matter how many times he died, he'd rise from the grave and save you even if it's from Mikey.

"As I thought, I shoulda keep my hair like before."

He let out a chuckle as a flash of your younger self showed up in his mind; a long, flowing pink hair that made contact with his bleeding shoulder and your eyes diligently trying to find any sign of fracture after Toman got attacked.

Pretty boy should have a pretty mouth, too, you know?

He didn't know what made you think he was considered pretty but he knew that the day you were no longer in Mikey's grasp; he knew that he got nothing to do with you anymore and he could go back, overdosing himself with these thoughts of him being happy for once; tasting the sweet lie at the end of this tongue.

"I hope I can see you again in my next life,"

Ran could only say he was so thankful for having Rindou as the three of you were inside the underground bunker right now; hearing a faint noise of guns and drawers falling to the ground a few minutes after he locked the door from inside-only before someone could alter it.

"Your hunch is a lifesaver, Rin-Rin."

"Fuck off, manwhore."

Rindou tried to push his brother away, feeling disgusted at the attempt to hug him as you chuckled at their antics and turned to see the lounge; not expecting there would be more furniture inside here than the real villa.

A counter made of real marble and tons of freeze dried groceries inside the food storage; wondering how far he had thought about this before as you watched the older man tugged his little brother's hair and turned his head to look at you.

"Hey, adoptive sis, c'mere!"

He wrapped your shoulder with his lanky arm, nuzzling his cheek against yours as Rindou's hand tried to claw Ran's other cheek; emitting a slight chuckle from you.

Rindou left for the bed earlier, stating he was too tired on saving both of your lives as you and Ran enjoyed a glass of wine from his personal cellar, talking about things you missed out when he made this plan with Rindou and everyone.

As both of your consciousness started to slip away, Ran looked at you with hazy eyes; words starting to get slurred and his self control became looser than before, almost drunk but sober enough to talk to you without making a mistake.

"Y'know, kid. Heard Hanagaki talked to himself,"

He hiccupped, taking his upper buttons off and resting his arm over his head; slightly leaning against the giant couch in the lounge while he kept his eyes on you.

"Dunno he was drunk or schizo, but that little shit talked to himself about time leaping at the hotel's toilet. He was really quiet but man, I got one helluva ear."

Head nodding off to his words, you rested your head against his shoulder and felt his arm over your stomach; eyes getting heavier with sleepiness and you thought you deserved one after a while.

"... Sano. Sano!"

You woke up, finding Hina and Takemichi looking at you as you stared at them like they were crazy; looking down to your clothes as you realised that you were still at the summer festival and currently sleeping on a bench.

"We kept calling for you but you won't respond, do you know how dangerous this place actually is!"

Hina huffed out as Takemichi looked at you worried before Hina left you with Takemichi for a bit, saying she would buy something for you to eat and drink since you looked so pale; worried that you didn't have a proper meal before going to here.

Didn't want to waste any time anymore, you placed your hand on Takemichi's shoulder; eyes looking deep into his before you whispered under your breath.

"I can time leap, too."

"What—"

He closed his mouth, feeling surprised that he wasn't alone in this one but he felt confused about why you always died in every timeline he visited; thinking that there might be a possibility that there was another time leaper like both of you.

You tapped your chin, thinking what Takemichi was probably right since these faint, chipped dreams — or memories — were different; whether it was your future, friends or death. As if, there was someone else who controlled your life between your death behind the stage.

[kwlsn]

You were sitting in the hotel's bed, waiting for Mikey to come back with Sanzu. The reception would be held tonight in one of the biggest hotels in Tokyo and run by Bonten; credits to Kokonoi for being one of the most successful young businessmen you had ever met.

Ran and Rin weren't allowed to be close to you anymore ever since Mikey discovered your relationship with the two brothers; fearing that they could take you away from him.

Mikey told you beforehand that this reception would be attended by family and close friends only; not answering you at all when you asked if Emma, Draken nor Shin would come or not.

He let out a sharp hiss when you mentioned Shin; gripping your neck tight, digging his nails into your skin. As if it was a silent warning, Mikey ran a knife along your neck and put more pressure over the jugular vein; spoiling your diamond-pearl necklace with red stain.

"Takemicchi and Hina will come. Don't create any trouble for me, 'kay?"

He leaned down, pressing a kiss over the wound he created; a pang of guilt trying to skin him alive for hurting you as Sanzu called a doctor to treat you, leaving the room to give you and Mikey some time together.

You weren't sure if this is karma for things you did in your previous life or something else; but, having Mikey turning into something like this was enough for you to feel scared and overthink about your past.

Hearing a small knock from outside the door, Sanzu brought in a doctor and informed Mikey that Takemichi and Hina were currently waiting in the lounge; asking when they would be able to meet both of you.

"After this, take them straight to the restaurant. We gone see 'em there."

Sanzu gave the silver-haired men a court nod, sparing a glance in your direction before leaving; giving the poor doctor a slight pressure as you instructed her to get closer, raising your head slightly for her to take your expensive necklace off.

Mikey watched your dainty fingers brush the pearl, making sure the dried blood was still able to clean up as the doctor cleaned up your wound; patching it carefully before ending her treatment by wrapping a gauze around your neck.

"You can throw it off, I'll buy more if you really like it."

He cupped your left cheek, running his thumb over your soft lips; thinking about numerous things he could do to them if it weren't for the reception tonight, hoping he could steal you after giving a speech or two.

"I like it, they remind me of your hair."

Cut off those bullshit!

"I'm not that pretty."

He muttered under his breath as you pressed your lips against his; molding them together as Mikey slipped his tongue inside, craving for those moans you let out whenever he touched you.

Takemichi and Hina were escorted to a private dining room by the restaurant's head chef; feeling surprised that they would be meeting you and Mikey here for dinner before the party.

"Do you think she's okay?"

Hina looked at Takemichi with worry, knowing how hard it had been for you lately.

Your supposed big brother forced himself onto you, turning you into a trophy wife against your will; using everything within his reach to make sure you wouldn't be able to run away even if you asked the police to help you.

She prayed every day, hoping Mikey would let you meet everyone again one day; while her prayer was answered, this wasn't what she wanted — he wished nothing for you but happiness and freedom, away from this golden cage Mikey created.

"Yo, Takemicchi!"

"Hina."

The couple raised their heads, finding both Mikey and you entered the room; closing the door behind as you took the chair in front of Hina and Mikey took the one beside you, keeping his hand glued on top of yours on the table.

It wasn't hard for you to pick up the topics of their lives, feeling happy about their engagement and hoping to get a role of bridesmaid for Hina in the future; smiling gently at both of them as Hina announced that she had made sure to put you as the bridesmaid when she began to think of that.

"How about Emma and Draken?"

Takemichi asked, feeling a sharp gaze from Mikey towards him; gripping his trousers tightly until the anxiety went away, hoping he wouldn't be put into Mikey's hit list tonight.

Mikey, on the other hand, felt betrayed by Draken and everyone in his family especially Shin.

His grandpa decided not to make any comment on his choice while Emma showed how much she was against his idea; with Draken supporting her from behind, telling the silver-haired man he was being selfish and making a mistake.

Shut up, shut up, shut up!!

Mikey's grasp got tighter around your wrist, making you flinched as Takemichi tried to take a look at you; trying his best to ignore the gauze around your neck as he knew Mikey would be the one who made it, always making a decision over your life and carve your skin for making him angry like disobeying.

"I'm sure it'll be great to have them at your wedding, Hina."

You flashed her a smile, knowing that Mikey would try to kill you again tonight for speaking about them, hoping that Hina could notice your hand as you tucked your hair behind your ear; knowing Mikey would never pay any attention towards small details.

But, your fear didn't come true and Mikey only gave you a small smile; pressing a kiss against your cheek before leaning closer to whisper into your ear.

"What an unfortunate situation, both of them died a few hours ago in a traffic accident."

Now, you understood why Mikey wasn't as brash as usual; he already made sure two people who betrayed him died, even if one of them was his own family.

You wanted to throw up. How could he become so cruel?

Emma was so loving and Draken was always there to take care of the mess Mikey created. Both of them were expecting and instead of congratulating them, Mikey took them away with their little angel.

A group of waiters came inside, placing the appetizer in front of everyone; carefully explaining about how many meals tonight's course would be presented and a small explanation about it.

"Tonight's appetiser will be tomato soup topped with basil and cream with grilled garlic bread and room-temperature salter butter."

You were in silence, watching how red the soup was.

It was warm, thick and dark red; the colour was actually so close to blood, you started to ask yourself if you were hallucinating or Mikey was pulling your leg, enjoying the way your hand started to shake as you took your spoon to try the soup.

The main course was even worse than the appetizer; slightly charred tenderloin steak with red wine sauce and beets.

The dessert was your last straw, sorbet with blood orange sauce; dripping to your hand as it melted from your spoon.

Nausea began to hit you; everything started to spin but you must overcome this, running away from Mikey's sick, twisted mind game.

As Takemichi and Hina left earlier after finishing the dinner, you were stuck with Mikey for a while; sitting in silence as his hand made a way to your way, pressing a kiss against the gauze.

"Good girl."

He chuckled against your shoulder, helping you to stand up as he trusted you to Sanzu; asking him to take you to the ballroom since he had to talk to Kokonoi and Ran about the reception's progress.

Walking down the hallway, Sanzu turned his head around and wrapped his hand around your wrist; looking at you with a tight-lipped frown.

"I'll help you to run away."

He whispered under his breath, asking you not to make any contact with anyone since he'd manage everything to avoid any mistakes in this plan; stating Rindou would be waiting for you at the emergency exit once Sanzu cut off the electricity to buy you some time, making sure Mikey wouldn't be able to touch you.

Why are you helping me? Don't you hate me? Let's run away together!

Numerous thoughts made an entrance inside your head but you decided to keep them inside, not wanting to waste Sanzu's hard work on saving you from Mikey's grasp.

The reception was more than grand, it was created with everything money could achieve; the cream of the crop.

A fountain filled with champagne, a diamond chandelier, rare exotic flowers; everything was presented meticulously, no chance of mistake to happen.

You took a glance at Sanzu, fearing this was just an attempt to have Mikey catch you and lock you up inside the house forever; not knowing if Sanzu's plan was even foolproof.

But, it was always worth it to try...

As if it was on cue, the whole hotel experienced a blackout and Sanzu took you to the emergency exit nearby; making sure no one could notice both of you since everyone was in rampage.

Pushing the door open, Rindou was inside and ran to the ground floor with you and Sanzu; hoping Ran got enough time to go to the car after cutting the circuit down.

"Hurry up!"

"We are close!"

You ran as fast as you could, not letting Rindou's hand go and entered the backseat with the other two men; watching Kokonoi and a group of Mikey's best fighters noticed Ran's car made a route.

Mikey ran out, making eye contact with you as he chasing after you with his bike; living up to his name while the others were tailing with black cars.

Will I be finally free...

[kwlsn]

It was almost ten past fifteen and Mikey still hasn't touched his dinner; eyes fixating on your silver white hair — the shade that was brighter than his, like a glimmering star.

"Your hair is ugly."

He spat viciously, putting his utensils aside as you kept your head down. You felt disgusted and angry at the faux silver, wondering what made him purposely taunt you like this after years of no contacts.

Even when Grampa got hospitalised, he never showed up just like Shin. Leaving Emma taking care of the house all by herself as you had to find a professional coach for the dojo, unable to put any hope on the two guys anymore.

"Are you saying yours, too?"

"Watch your tongue."

Sanzu pressed his gun against your temple, giving you one last warning after you had been disrespectful towards Mikey for three times straight; trying to provoke him whenever he tried to talk to you.

"Sanzu Haruchiyo, I suggest you not to act brashly."

Ran took out his baton, looking at the pink-haired guy menacingly before you placed your hand on top of his. Giving it a light squeeze to ensure him that you'd be fine.

Giving Sanzu one last glance, Ran put his baton away and Mikey told Sanzu to do the same with his gun. Hoping this dinner would end with no blood splattered over the walls or someone's head on Mikey's dessert plate.

You looked down at your meal. It was your favourite pork cutlet and it went cool now, unfortunately. The sauce was already absorbed into the meat and the crispy part was too soggy for your liking now.

"The three of you, leave now."

Ran gave you one last glance before leaving the dining hall, mouthing a 'good luck' as you were now alone with one of the most wanted criminals in the whole of Japan.

It made you wonder how he was still able to waltz around the city and not attract anyone when his face was almost everywhere; where the same thing applied for Shin.

Bonten and Black Dragon were two groups that no one wanted to talk about but one thing for sure — they weren't nice and merciful, even to the women and children.

"It's already late, at least eat something."

Mikey whispered to you, moving your heart slightly as you finally gave in and took a bite from the cutlet; enjoying the soft meat slowly melted into your mouth, the taste kept getting addictive at every single bite and when you realised it, you had finished the whole plate.

Mikey stood up from his seat and walked in your direction with a bottle of wine, placing it on the table beside your left hand.

"Do you want me to pour you some?"

Before you could reply, Mikey poured it onto your glass; not showing any sign of stopping as the wine began to overfill and spill over to the table.

Thinking fast, you tried to move your glass away but somehow your body wouldn't move and Mikey plucked it from your hand gently, pressing the glass against your lips.

Mikey was happy that you were still as gullible, trusting your brother who took you out for dinner even though he could bend the rules to his heart's content; participating in money laundering for drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and successful assassination of high-ranking officers and ministers.

Feeling grateful that Sanzu had put a lot of different drugs on the food and drink, Mikey picked your unconscious body up from the chair and told the manager to clean it up, leaving no trace of him in case of police going here.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay now."

Mikey looked at your sleeping form on his lap, looking like a part of the lost collection of Michaelangelo's best creation.

The way your hair fell against his chest, eyes closed and lips slightly parted — you always drove him insane and he knew that his choice this time would be the correct one.

Placing your body onto his bed, Mikey ran his fingers over your soft and plump skin; licking on his lower lip as he couldn't wait to finally own you forever.

His hands started to strip you off your clothes, watching every curve on your body before tracing them slowly; trying to find which part would be the best for you to bear his mark of ownership.

"Fuck, why are you so hot.."

He took off your bra, kneading your left breast gently and watching the way your face contorted whenever he focused on a certain spot; low moan and heavy breath kept escaping from your lips.

This time, he ripped your panties off and spread your folds open; feeling a slight twist in his heart when his thumb slipped into you, trying to find your spot as his finger brushed against a soft, spongy spot inside you.

A broken moan ripped off from your throat, another call for him to induce you with more drugs before you could wake up; a side of him urging Mikey to overdose you but his choice landed on one pill, not wanting to lose you again.

After pushing another pill down your throat successfully, Mikey picked up where he left.

He knew it was wrong for him to do this but it felt right; you laying down under him, wrapped in his arms and no one to call for you.

The day he watched Shin kiss you, marking the day where he had lost his respect towards the older man and making his way onto you before the Black Dragon could trace you.

"It'll be fast."

A warm, heavy breath escaped from his lips. His eyes made a beeline, watching your bare body and feasting on it; Mikey knew he'd have to snap out of this indulgence one day,

but, then again, he'd always enjoy it while it lasted.

"So, trust me on this one."

He put two digits inside of you, listening to the squelch your walls made; clinging on his fingers, begging for them to pay an equal amount of attention as Mikey pulled out, not wanting for you to cum all over on his fingers for tonight.

We always have time for that

He unfastened his pants and took them off with his boxers, a small wet patch on it already told him enough whenever he looked at your face; he got a hard-on and already leaking precum, dripping onto your stomach.

Gripping on the soft flesh, he spread your legs and pushed the tip in; a moan caught at the back of his throat, you were wet enough but still too tight for his fat head to slip in with a single thrust.

"I see, you've been saving it for this moment, huh?"

His cheeks got warmer at the thought of you saving your first time for him, biting on his lower lip harder before he forced his way in; throwing his head to the back as he could feel his tip brushed against your cervix.

This is not enough

He wrapped your limp legs around his waist, thrusting deeper until his pelvis made contact with yours; knowing it was the right time to finally cum inside you, not wasting any single seed and stayed in that position for a few minutes before pulling out.

"Finally, you're mine — we'll have a little family we could call as our own."

He nestled his head against your stomach, pressing a line of kisses up to your lips; cupping your cheek before he fell asleep, knowing tomorrow would be a better day from now on.

A few days later, Takemichi was currently facing one of the hardest situations he had ever met.

Every billboard at the Shibuya Crossing was showing the same shocking news, no matter how hard he ran and looked away, he would always see that.

'We wish for Manjiro Sano and his wife a happy and harmonious marriage life. Congratulations for your marriage, Mr.Sano'

The displayed picture was both of you and Mikey, wearing a white three-piece suit while you were wearing a white mermaid gown with a deep sweetheart; a beautiful black garnet necklace adorned your neck and a pair of platinum rings on both of you and Mikey's ring fingers.

"I failed to save her again this time."

Takemichi's head started to spin and felt lighter than before. He had to sit down on a bench as an expected text notification popped up on his lock screen.

Mikey : takemicchi, make sure to come to my wedding reception tonight~

Mikey : bring Hina, too, 'kay? My wife missed both of you

Mikey : invitation.pdf

Mikey : make sure to show it before entering, 'kay?

He thought years ago, it'd be the best for him to join Toman and pledge his loyalty for Mikey for years.

It felt so right since he didn't see any troubles within his friends' and colleagues' personal lives; Mikey also has cut his contact off with you, meaning your death could be avoided this time.

He decided to abandon his morale and kept Hina close to him, fearing that she would die if he made a slight slip up.

But, when he already avoided his fiancée's death; he forgot about one of the biggest factors that ruined almost everyone's lives in Tokyo because of Mikey's reckless decisions — yours, his beloved wife.

He didn't think that he'd see you when you were so much younger and what made him shocked the most was that, Mikey was your big brother.

He knew Mikey was insane in the future due to his obsession towards you, but when he first joined Toman; Mikey always gave him a warning.

'Make sure not to get yourself saved by my sister again, Takemicchi.'

He leaned against an electric pole, thinking that everything had been twisted from the start. There was nothing he could do to prevent Mikey's obsession towards you and that meant, you'd always die three years after getting married to Mikey.

"What to do now..."

He looked down at his hand, scurrying over to Hina and thinking about one thing he never tried before.

The runaway bride

[kwlsn]

Seasons kept on changing and soon, you would face one of the biggest changes of your whole life forever — the entrance exam.

Emma had graduated and entered a good university and as you watched how happy she was, it made you think about entering the same campus with her or somewhere else in Tokyo.

Roppongi had been treating you nice and it was a shame that you had to move out soon.

When you first came here, it felt like a fresh spring breeze; filling your head with things you have never done before and urging your hand to write them down as a bucket list, hoping you would also gain a new friend or two in exchange for the succumbing loneliness you felt the first time you slept here — missing Emma, Grampa, Mikey and Shin.

Shin...

Unconsciously, your fingertips made a beeline for your face; running it over your plump lips as the scene of Shin kissing you in the winter crossed your mind unannounced, still feeling like a guilty pleasure you wouldn't mind to indulge in if you were given a second chance to experience it.

Then again, you were left wondering why he never showed up to your place; wondering if he felt guilty and regretting the choice he made that night, ending his relationship with you in harsh winter and letting them stay forever at the back of his head.

Mikey was the same, too.

You weren't able to wait until he and Emma came back and fell asleep inside the kotatsu instead. The time you woke up, you were tucked in your bed and Mikey was already leaving to see his gang; leaving you with Emma and Shin to move the boxes.

Emma was really sad when she heard about you moving out of the Sano Household, but she was also as excited when you said this is the choice you made carefully with Grampa, hoping you'd be able to gain more friends there than before since everyone in Shibuya avoided you and Emma — also known as Mikey's sisters.

Shin, on the other hand, was quiet like a mouse. You would think that he was already dead if it wasn't for him moving everything into the truck in a hurry; saying that he'd leave early because he needed to open the shop before some kids made a ruckus that might try to ruin his business for being late.

Despite the promise you all had made, only Grampa and Emma visited you every week and vice versa; not seeing Shin and Mikey whenever you'd drop by the Sano Household — giving you a slight ick that slowly grew into anger before you finally outgrew it, thinking that it'd be the best for you not to engage with them anymore.

Looking at the small charm in your hand, a faint smile found itself to rest on your lips. It was pink with a tie in a similar colour and a pattern of your favourite flower covering it; a charm that represented you in the best way possible.

As your fingertips traced it, you felt a tight hug around your waist and turned your head around to see who it was; didn't expect him to be here as his brother made another grand entrance, earning a look from few other kids that recognised them.

"Yo, sugar!"

"Rin, don't be like that."

Ran looked at you with his usual smile, crossing his arms as a few people began to distance themselves from the two brothers and you while minding their own business.

Rin, who was still hugging you, looked over your shoulder and snatched the lucky charm away; trying to take a good look at it under the sun while keeping your arms close to you with his other hand, feeling in the mood of teasing you around before Ran took it from him and gave it back to you.

While Ran could understand that Rin would pull a stunt on you once in a while, his heart would never forgive me if he ever made you cry; and today was the time where he'd make sure to do that.

"Heh, child. Make sure to pass, 'aight? Make your family proud."

He dropped it onto your palm and held Rin close to him as the entrance gate was opened, watching you running inside as he mouthed 'good luck' in your direction; in which didn't get unnoticed by you before you mouthed back a 'thank you' and ran as fast as you could inside, keeping your charm close as a flash of everyone popped up inside your head.

I will make y'all proud and happy, just wait for it!

A soft sob escaped from your lips when you realised you made a few big mistakes during the test, letting the confidence take over you and forgetting to add important details — especially during the Math test.

"Sugar, what's wrong!"

Rin's voice called up to you, whisking you into a tight hug with his arms as he kissed your tears away; genuinely feeling worried about how this test might put a bigger toll on you than you coulda expect before.

"Nah, just realising mistakes I made during the test. I'm scared that it'll mess up my performance and answer. What if my first choice eliminated me because of that."

You huffed out, a trace of dried tears was visible on your face as your nose and cheeks turned red due to the cold air; while you may take it as one of the worst looks you could possibly have, Rin thought it was your cutest look.

He walked a few feet before you and squatted down, telling you to jump on his back; where you gave him a complaint and walked away instead, having your ankle caught by him in the middle of it.

"Sugar, stop crying..."

"I did twenty minutes ago."

"Why are you shaking then?"

"Cos, 'm starving, Rin."

You tightened your hold around his neck, feeling icked by the older man as he brought you to the nearest Lawson; dropping you off to the same table Ran was sitting on, hoping he could babysit you this time after you tried to strangle the younger Haitani with ease.

Ran placed two mentaiko noriben onigiri, two pork cutlet sandwiches and a bottle of cold green tea; looking at his brother you looked pale then to your grinning face as you opened the warm onigiri, looking at Ran with that look.

The look you always made whenever he gave you something, especially food.

The way your eyes would light up and get slightly bigger, trying to look him in the eyes as your cheeks got filled with the food he got; the look that made his heart swell a bit and his love for you grew bigger than yesterday's.

"Good work, pipsqueak. I'm sure you'll enter your first choice."

He placed his hand on top of your head, giving a small ruffle before you pushed his hand away to fix your hair; earning a collective chuckle when you shot them a warning glare, feeling angry at the both of those two for ruining your hair.

Leaning his head against his fist, Rindou watched your hair swaying around in the wind; comparing it with the one when you first met them back then.

The first time he saw you, he was too flabbergasted to hold himself from asking you,

How the fuck you fit in a giant eagle on your head!

Even though he tried to ask it in the least harsh way (since you're a girl and Rin hates listening to one crying), he ended up getting a chokehold from Ran; who was able to take a hold on you and subside the situation, apologising profusely on Rin's behalf.

But, then again, he wouldn't lie when he said he would bet thirty thousand yen to Rindou, saying your pouf must be at least nine centimeters and a wig.

Unfortunately, when both of them showed up in front of your apartment with a box of his favourite Mont Blanc as an apology (and to see how Rindou's allowances for the next three months will be in his hand), he knew right away that he lost the bet and Rindou got a hold on his allowance for this month.

As you opened the door and gave them permission to get inside, Ran almost let out a scream because you looked way so different from this morning.

You were wearing a pink sundress with a strawberry pattern and frills around the skirt; brewing a tea for two of them in a heart-shaped apron while cutting some fruits and small caked out of your fridge.

But, what made them even surprised was your face and hair.

You weren't wearing any excessive fake lashes, exaggerated shimmering eyeshadow in bold colour nor an overlined, nude lipstick on — hell, Ran would even say that you're a natural beauty and would kiss your feet if you promised him not to wear those anymore from now on.

Meanwhile, Rindou was contemplating asking you the whereabouts of your wig because right now, you were wearing your pastel pink hair down with loose curls hanging barely over the floor; something that he would never consider existed until today.

N-no giant eagle!

As if he could see your thoughts behind that small head, Rindou looked outside as you placed the drink and snacks on the coffee table; an unfazed look wouldn't leave his face while he was literally panicking inside and Ran was trying his best to handle the secondhand embarrassment his brother made this morning.

Sipping on the warm tea you made, Ran gave you the Mont Blanc he bought on the way to here; hoping that the three of you could live in harmony since he lived right beside you with Rindou.

"Thank you so much for the considerate gift, I'll keep it inside the fridge now."

He watched you walk back to the kitchen, second guessing himself about how you were exactly his type if it wasn't for that god awful look you were in for.

I won, but at what cost...

"Do you think she has anything that's fat-free and high in protein here?"

"Rindou, that's a fucking cream roll cake!"

Spending years with each other brought the three of you closer than ever and started not to leave out anyone; including buying new clothes, making an appointment at the salon and matching OOTD whenever you were available for a hang-out.

"Pips, don't you ever think about changing your hair?"

Ran took a streak of your hair, watching the colour start to get washed off and expose a white silver hair underneath it; feeling curious if it was the base or your real hair colour.

Taking your time to think about it, you had never actually changed your hair into another colour except for pink since it was one of the most recommended colours the time you dyed your hair for the first time at a salon (except when you dyed it black for the university entrance exam).

"I'll probably say, no. I want to remove it off my hair and probably cut my hair shorter — like, around my knees and cut my side bangs 'til here?"

You held your side bang and slid your fingers over it until it reached right below your shoulders, earning a glance from both brothers who agreed with it as the three of you entered your regular hairstylist — only to have two of them hiding their choices from you.

Stating that it was for an exclusive secret that could be talked about between Haitani only.

Rolling your eyes at the older one's statement, you could only let out a huff before going to the back to wash your hair as the two brothers sat down at the corner of the salon, reading down magazines that were placed on the table.

"Haitani..."

Rindou raised his head when he heard someone call his name out, finding Mikey looking at him sharp through the thick front glass before he stepped into the lounge; expecting an answer from this pair of brothers for ignoring his calls and texts for days.

Ran was the first one who told him to sit down, asking Mikey in advance not to create a fight since this place was his favourite and he had been a regular for years — not wanting to risk getting blacklisted again.

As if Mikey had been looking for them, he placed a document on the coffee table; asking Ran to review the proposal that Kisaki and Hanma brought from Yokohama.

Minutes turned into an hour and half yet the three of them still couldn't find any loophole they could possibly exploit; no chance for them but Mikey still wanting to be able to seize Yokohama through this.

"Ran, it's your turn now!"

Your head popped up from behind the wall, looking at Ran with a small pout as his hairstylist was still preparing the water, asking for you to call for him since he hadn't walked in for a while; finding a man with silver undercut sitting down with them instead.

Mikey grasped the armrest tightly when he heard your voice, hoping he was wrong only to find it was really you.

As his anger was already at its peak, his nails were dug into the expensive leather while Ran tried to pull his hand away, not wanting to see himself kicked out for Mikey's misbehaviour.

"Ah, fuck."

[kwlsn]

After spending some time at your place, Hina finally went back to her place before her curfew while Emma sat down on your bed with your plushies, watching you working on your last task from cram school.

There was a pile of work on your left that Hina brought after she informed the teacher about your condition, stating that the teacher shouldn't be allowed to be this strict towards a barely recovered patient as she gave them to you.

"The winter wasn't as hard as before, I think it'll be okay for us if we go to the beach this week."

Emma hummed, kicking her legs in the air while looking at you for some approval — knowing Toman would only listen to Mikey, who only listened to you like a siscon maniac.

Though, she believed that you never realised it since three of them were infatuated on taking care of you — a pure girl, oblivious to every kind of harm in this world thanks to both of your elder brothers.

Whenever Emma felt jealous when Mikey or Shin paid more attention to you, she would always remember how hard it would be for you to be in this situation — remembering how disheveled you were when they brought you to the hospital, no sign of life in your eyes.

"I love you, y'know that?"

"I love you, too, Emma."

You looked at her with a small smile, knowing how hard it was for her to speak her feelings out and appreciate this chance she took to tell you about her real feeling.

Sitting on your bed, you took Emma's hand in yours and gave it a light squeeze of reassurance, feeling that this whole situation was probably due to what happened during the festival.

You knew she had a soft heart — which was both her weakness and strength. She was the only one you could rely on whenever you needed a bit of moral support or shoulder to cry on, a sister who would never leave you alone during your darkest hour.

Slacking off in the lounge with ¾ of your lower body underneath warm kotatsu was for sure a privilege you would never be able to let go — especially during winter.

Grampa was making a grilled mochi and put two tangerines beside it on top of his small hibachi, enjoying a comedy sitcom with you that had been gaining some popularity lately.

"Brat."

"Yes, Gramps?"

Instead of his usual strict tone, Grampa called you in a tone that reminded you of a mother trying to soothe her crying baby — as if, there was something he hid away from you.

He took one of the tangerine and peeled it carefully with his calloused fingers, putting the peel inside his favourite tea as you ate the sweet orange in delight, carefully reading the fine lines between his brows and dark spots on his hands.

Instead of continuing his sentence, Grampa was silent for the next thirty minutes and opened his mouth after the show ended, turning off the TV then scooted closer to you.

"I'm sorry,"

"I failed to be a grandpa, I failed to protect you from all those bad people..."

He wrapped his arms around your shoulder tightly and even if he didn't show it, you knew he was worried this whole time and had a lot of things to take care of at the same time (especially after what happened to you) took a toll on his slowly fragile body.

Grampa kept getting old and staying in Shibuya was nothing but facing a life full of danger — it wasn't worth it, you know it yourself.

After a small talk and a bit of reassurance, Grampa thought it would be the best if you live away from here — of course, they would come once in a while to visit (which would happen a lot, he reckoned).

He had asked Shin beforehand to find you an apartment nearby your school, hoping these would be a perfect place for a new start for you once you entered the school year again.

After checking out a couple of promising candidates, you landed your choice on a newly built apartment complex that required you to walk only for twenty minutes to school.

"Apparently there's a market, too, nearby this complex and the station didn't take more than thirty minutes by walk."

You hummed in thought, looking at him after stating the reasons for why you chose this place and hoping he wouldn't be angry at it as a smile crept up to his lips.

He called for Shin right away, asking for him to help you pack up your belongings as your winter break would end soon in a few weeks, giving your shoulder a light squeeze.

"Brat, make sure to tell me if you don't feel uncomfortable there or wanna go back here, okay?"

You answered him with a small grin as Shin showed up at the front door — left hand holding a couple of empty boxes for you and right hand holding on a sellotape.

Even though Shin could get pretty annoying for you once in a while, you started to think about things you wouldn't be able to do with him anymore.

There'd be no more Shin taking you watching him working at S.S Motors or buying fresh peaches in the summertime — asking for an apology with a box of your favourite meal for breaking your favourite eyeshadow or sneaking out from house when it was 2 AM with Manjiro.

It would be a core memory that you would never forget — the big brother who was both caring and annoying, ready to burn the world for you.

"Shin..."

"Yes, kid?"

"How's life with the Black Dragon — are you still with them?"

Shin raised his head to see your eyes, there was a hint of both curiosity and doubt — he didn't know what made him unsure about you but he almost knew right away that it was a test ; to see if he was lying or not to you.

He couldn't tell you that he was still in the gang — actually, scratch that, he couldn't tell you he was still the head of Black Dragon. He already made a promise to you and started a better life, one with less fight and contributed a lot to the society.

"Heh, y'know, Waka and Benkei would drop by once in a while at the shop — telling me about how kids around wanna actually learn about one thing or two from them, making sure they'd make no mistakes or things that don't align with what we believe. Well, 'used to' for me."

He let out a small chuckle, making a smooth exit and succeeding in getting you off his back as he helped you fold your clothes carefully, fearing that he'd ruin the white lace on your favourite shirt or cute DIY chain you made with Emma as an accessory for your skirt or short.

The sky started to turn into a warm shade of blood orange while the last box was finally done before he moved it away, stacking it on top of another box and writing 'misc' on it.

"Kid, we're done here now. I'll have the truck take em over tomorrow."

He took out his phone, sending a quick message to Waka as you lay down on your bed, feeling exhausted with the excessive amount of your belongings.

Shin, who didn't like it whenever the table was incomplete, encouraged you to stay away while the dinner would be done in fifteen — though, he was pretty unsure, too, since Emma would be home late today.

"I'll cook tonight, how about that?"

"Uh, no, I still wanna be alive..."

"This brat!"

The dinner was finally cooked by Shin — much to your dismay.

He cooked around five packages of noodles, a bunch of chopped veggies and tomato before he added a mixture of egg a few minutes before he turned off the stove.

"Shin, is this edible?"

"Kid, do you not trust me?"

You looked at him with a pair of puppy eyes, trying to beg for him not to give you that and instead make a quick run to the store to buy your favourite lunchbox — alas, your look got mistranslated by the older guy as he gave you extra veggies and topping your bowl up with two onsen eggs and tempura.

"I thought you loved me, Shin."

"I gave you two onsen eggs."

"Meat?"

"Those are beef tempura."

You poked it with your chopsticks a few times before taking a bite, hoping the taste wouldn't ruin your taste buds as Shin looked like someone who could actually do that as a form of his favourite torture method.

After a while, you started to taste a savoury grease taste coating inside your mouth when the crunch melted on your tongue — a combination you never expected before that could be achieved by Sano Shinichiro.

At the other end of the table, Shinichiro watched you eat his cooking with a faint smile; feeling his efforts on joining cooking class for housewives these past few weeks were finally paid off the time your doubt turned into a smile.

Thanking Shin for his cooking, you began to collect the dirty dishes and told him and Grampa to go sleep as you would wait for Emma and Mikey until they returned from who knows.

After drying out your hands, you walked to the lounge and slid the door open partially; letting the cold crisp air enter as it hit your face, enough to keep you up before a slow, heavy step caught you off guard.

"Shin!"

You looked up as he offered you a small smile before draping a thick blanket over your shoulders and sitting inside the kotatsu with you; a box of his favourite cigarette and lighter from Waka were splattered over the table.

As if it had been expected to be like this, he took a puff before holding it over your face when he caught you staring at him smoking; looking like a deer caught in headlights as he placed your hand on your tight.

"Wanna try?"

"But, I don't, y'know."

You stuttered, earning a chuckle from him before he took the blanket off you and rested his cigs away, placing you on his lap before wrapping the two of you with the blanket back.

"It'll be easier like this."

He hooked his left arm around your waist to keep you close as he took his cigs back for you, not wasting any second before he told you how you were supposed to inhale it and then exhale it slowly while making sure the smoke wouldn't linger inside you too long or you'd cough.

Unfortunately, you weren't gifted in understanding him so the time he put it between your lips; you ended up coughing.

"As I thought, a baby isn't supposed to smoke."

He gave you a cheeky grin when you hit his chest for making fun of you as he looked at you with a half-lidded gaze; finding your lips started to look a bit too enticing for him.

The way you sat on his lap, getting all cosy and snuggly when the winter wind started to get too much for you; cheeks and nose getting red and cold as your hands covered them, hoping it would actually do something to them.

As the door was within his reach, Shin closed it almost right away and brushed your hair away, making sure you felt warmer now when he raised the temperature inside the kotatsu.

"I love you so much, Shin. Thank you for keeping me company here."

You looked at him with a small giggle, hiding it away as you knew Shin would follow you and exaggerate the laugh; only for him to actually return the smile, one that rarely he wore.

The room kept getting warmer despite the cold winter air and dark lounge, solely depending on the heater for some light as Shin cupped your cheek; drawing random shapes on it with his thumb as he got closer.

"I love you, too, kid."

As a rush of adrenaline began to pump up in your system, you wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him closer; deepening the kiss as both of you had taken the forbidden route, one both of you couldn't turn back from anymore.

The start of this misery was finally started when a certain faux blond saw his beloved siblings were kissing each other; a pair of star-crossed lovers who had broken the shackles and now cursed by the star to live in nothing but ill-fated throughout the time and space.

[kwlsn]

⌇ pink coquette dividers

[kwlsn]

the apple of my eye . . .

r ⁿ o . . .

A big chunk of crystal-clear ice slowly melted into Rin's glass — distorting the image of a lady in red heels, sensing his gaze on her like a predator for tonight.

Some people may call it an obsession, but Rindou wasn't obsessed with you — he was reclaiming what his.

"It's been a while, cheater."

"Sugar, y'know it's not true."

He waved his hand, telling everyone to leave him alone as a group of girls at the corner caught your eyes — making Sanzu and his men have to drag them out by their hair when they wouldn't budge.

Rindou hooked his arm around your knees, pulling you close to him as you rested your head against his chest, taking the upper three buttons off as your freshly manicured nails made a trail along his tatted chest.

"Thirty-thousand for this? My baby is either dumb and got scammed or trying to squeeze my money off."

He wrapped his hand around yours, pressing a kiss on your wrist as his eyes made contact with yours — trying to get an answer out of you.

Even though you moved out of his house, Rindou still let you have three of his cards to pamper yourself — each of them was for different occasions and as long as you didn't return them to him, he knew you were still his.

He believed you were playing around this whole time, still feeling upset when a stranger tried to make a move on him a year ago and he didn't brush her off.

You kept your lips tightly sewn, avoiding the older man's sharp eyes as his grip got tighter around your waist — pushing you to the limit as you straddled his hips, pressing your lips against his.

"You taste like alcohol, sugar."

"The guy I made out with is a heavy drinker."

Jealousy was a word Rindou never experienced before because he felt secure with your relationship with him — but your little game was his last straw and being nice to you was out of the topic now.

"Get on your knees now, whore."

He watched you climb off his lap, sitting in front of him like a good girl he taught you to be — feeling proud of himself for succeeding in molding you into his little doll.

Spreading his legs wide, you kept your hands close to you and unbuckled his belt with your mouth — taking it off slowly as you could see Rin was already getting impatient that his veins were visible around his neck and forehead.

Pushing down his boxer, you looked at his size in silence — always having many thoughts on how he would fit it inside you today when you knew that he would never give you time to adapt with it.

Shaking those thoughts off your head, you took his tip inside your mouth gently — feeling how heavy it was on your tongue, swirling it gently around his head before pushing it deeper into the back of your throat.

"Good girl."

He groaned, slipping his fingers between your hair and turning it into a makeshift ponytail — biting on his lower lip as your lipstick left a stain on his base (not that he was complaining though).

The combination of your tongue and moan was enough to drive him crazy, pushing him to his limit and giving him more high than any drug Sanzu could get for him — you were his only addiction and if you ran away again like before, Rindou might have to imprison you inside his expensive penthouse like what Mikey did to his wife.

One last buck against your mouth and he let out a thick string of cum filling up your mouth as you swallowed them without a complaint, looking at him with a pair of doe-like eyes that melted his heart the first time he met you.

"C'mere, sugar."

He took off your clothes and threw your expensive pair of underwear to the audience on the dance floor, watching them going wild and trying to grab one of the pair.

If there was something Rindou always enjoyed whenever he was with you, it was having people watching him pounding you hard — filling you up to the brim, making sure you kept everything to warm you up inside.

Rindou gripped your waist as he watched how you tried your best to fit it in as his tip was already making out with your cervix and yet, it was barely halfway inside.

"Need help? Here, lemme."

He placed both of your hands under your thighs spreading them open as he slammed his hips hard into your — a wide grin tugging on his lips, watching people taking pictures and videos of how your bare pussy was currently bullied by his thick cock.

Looking at him with red cheeks, you glanced at his hand and then your currently lonely clit — wanting him to pay it some attention as he let out a chuckle.

"You're really a whore, hm? Mine only, of course."

As if it was a threat, Rindou pinched your puffed up clit between his fingers — rubbing and rolling it with his hand as he could feel you were so close, wall pulsing and clenching on his cock, begging for it to fill you up, breed you and have every see you getting claimed by the one and only Haitani Rindou.

"I-I'm cummi—"

As if it was a cue, your raw pussy finally gave up and covered Rin's table with your sweet nectar — giving him a little bit of taste how much you had missed his voice, his touch, his cock.

As Rin noticed how tired you were, he asked one of his men to bring in a blanket — covering your shivering body with it before telling the rest to kill everyone who watched him fucking you.

After all, you were the apple of his eyes — you were his only and belonged to no one but him.

[kwlsn]

A familiar ceiling with a chandelier hanging above your head took you by surprise as you tried to get off the bed, feeling something was trying to prevent you from doing it.

You looked to your side and found Mikey sleeping beside you, wrapping his arms around your waist — his hair was longer this time and slightly tousled, giving him a different aura from when he was younger.

Shaking his body gently, you watched Mikey try to open his eyes before sitting down against the headboard, hand still around your waist while the other was occupied to rub his itchy eyes

"Morning, peach."

He rested his chin against your shoulder, pressing butterfly kisses from your jaw to your nape. His hands started to wander around underneath your sleeping gown before he stopped on your waist and wrapped them tight.

Basking in his warmth, you looked around the room and could guess it almost immediately that Mikey was the one who decorated this whole room.

A modern chic bed, monotone wallpaper, giant built-in wardrobe and small vanity table at your left side — everything just screamed his name out and couldn't be silenced.

Looking at your reflection on the wardrobe's mirror, your hair was dyed silver like Mikey instead of pink — it made you look more mature and unapproachable.

Mikey spent almost an hour trapping you in his arms, not showing any sign of letting you go. The room was still silent and all he did was play with your hair — brushing and untangling the ends until a knock from outside caught his attention.

"Come in."

The man walked inside as Mikey pressed your face against his chest, hiding you away from the unknown man as you could hear his heartbeat kept getting stronger and faster until the man finally left the room.

Raising your head, you watched how his dark eyes softened when they made contact with yours — trying to avoid them and yet those eyes were still longing for a lost warmth it used to hold.

There would always be a wave of regret washing over him whenever he stared at those eyes, reminiscing the light of hope until he took it away from her.

The memory was still fresh inside his mind, they kept replaying like a broken cassette — over and over and over.

No room for forgiveness nor repentance.

He should have been there for you — who slipped away from his grasp almost as easily.

"Peach, it'll be alright, okay?"

He was scared but it was the only way for him to make sure you lived well — away from him.

The clouds started to accumulate and Mikey knew it was his last chance to fix everything.

A warm kiss to end this misery as a pair of star-crossed lovers — the last chapter to shed your tears on.

... Sano Manjiro (32) and his presumed wife had found dead inside their secluded house this morning. The cause of his death is due to suicide after killing his wife, taking her as a 'good-for-nothing woman' who was rumoured to have an affair with ...

You were cold and your body wouldn't move no matter how much you tried to get any of them to follow your order.

"... Miss? ... heartbeat ... losing her! ..."

The faint smell of rubbing alcohol and scalpel filling up your nostrils, enough clues to tell you that you were currently at the hospital and these people who were calling for you were doctors and nurses.

Your lids felt heavy but you kept fighting to open them, letting out a silent scream as the blaring light hit your eyes almost immediately before someone turned it off.

The room was dim, enough for your eyes to adjust slowly before a doctor stepped up and tried to ask you some questions — blinking once for yes and two for no, in case you weren't strong enough to talk yet.

Apparently, you had been in a coma for months and your guardian would be contacted by them to inform them about your current condition, asking you to minimise any unnecessary movements and would assign a nurse for you.

The room was quite luxurious and almost looked like a hotel room, making you fear how it would turn out for you when the hospital sent you the bills — or even worse, strapping you here forever.

Hearing someone calling for your name, you found Shinichiro and two people you had never met before — walking in your direction as Shin pulled you into a tight hug while the taller guy behind him was crying and the other could only look at you in boredom.

Due to your fragile condition, Shin couldn't stay inside your room for more than twenty minutes and had to be dragged by his friends as he kept saying he must stay by your side for a better recovery.

"...Ah!"

You placed your hand on your throat, trying to say a few words as burning pain starts to flare up, forcing you to stop as it already reached its limit.

You woke up feeling hazy, trying to remember what happened as your dream started to slip away — ignoring it as another imagination before you went back to sleep, hoping you could get discharged as soon as possible.

The day finally came and you were allowed to leave the hospital, watching Shin taking care of the papers since he was your guardian before he took your hand and walked outside.

"Do you know how long you have been sleeping?"

"You've been sleeping for months."

You looked at him in shock as he told you that it was already January 2006 — a lot of things happened in the span of six months and he hoped that you would take your time before meeting everyone.

As you went to S.S Motors with Shin, you saw many people smiling at you lightly with bruises covering their faces while Emma and Hina were at the other corner, checking a fashion magazine before finding you behind Shin.

"You're awake!"

Emma was the first one who hugged you while Hina only gave you a light squeeze on your hand, making sure she wouldn't put too much strain on your body before guiding you to sit down with them.

It wasn't that long before a certain blondie walked inside with Draken, avoiding your eye contact and sitting down beside Takemichi — bearing a heavy guilt towards you.

"Now that she's awake, I think it's fair for her to know what happened, yes?"

Emma crossed her arms, looking at Mikey menacingly before Draken interfered and said he will be the one who told you that.

After Toman won against Kiyomasa, everyone took you straight to the hospital as your bleeding wouldn't stop and there was a knife sticking on your stomach.

The hospital said it would be really hard for you to survive but the operation was a success even though you were in comatose for months afterwards.

Toman wanted to go to the beach for its anniversary, but Mikey didn't want to go there until you woke up — so, all of them decided to postpone that and buried a time capsule again for this year.

"Now that she's awake, let's go to the beach—"

"No!"

Mikey raised his head, glaring at Emma before storming out from the shop as the rest of Toman tried to catch up after him.

Emma let out a huff, feeling confused at his brother before looking at you with a smile, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze and bringing you to your room while Hina took your bag from Shin.

Walking through the dimmed path, Emma and Hina would once in a while talk about their boyfriends before Emma looked at you with a grin.

"Yes, I'm dating Draken now!"

You looked at her with a smile, knowing how happy she was as he was her first love and someone who you could count on — a character you always hoped to be a partner.

Unlike Emma, who's always cheerful and happy-go-lucky — you were the opposite of her, someone that would get new people feeling bored almost instantly, leaving you only hanging out with her most of the time.

"That's really good! How about y'all's first date?"

You looked at her with bright eyes, feeling curious about how and when it was — especially since you never went to one before and didn't actually have time for that.

With a giggle, she looked at you bashfully — cheeks getting red as she played with her fingers, carefully recounting the first date she had with him.

Apparently, their first date was roughly three months ago. He took her out for a date at a recently opened café at Harajuku before going to a park together, ending the date with a night ride with Zephyr.

"That sounds nice..."

You whispered under your breath, not realising both girls heard it — a sheer panic covered both of their faces when the realisation hit.

You were always alone and avoided by many people including at your school because of Mikey.

Looking at each other, Emma and Hina knew what to do now for their little sister.

'Operation Fall in Love' had started!

[kwlsn]

Dressed in his daily jinbei¹, Mikey sat down in the lounge while opening the slide door widely to let the cool air in. It wasn't a bad summer, but having his favourite ice cream would never hurt.

Waiting for his dear sisters with Shin, Mikey was dying in boredom while hearing bits of giggles and hush from Emma's room — curious what both of you were doing so secretly behind them.

Hearing the door opening up, his eyes perked almost immediately before he stared at both of you in awe — thinking if he was in Heaven as his eyes were fixated almost immediately on your yukata and small komebukuro² in similar colour and pattern.

Your hair was styled into a high bun with curly side bang, completing the look with a wisteria hairpiece that resting on your shoulder gently — earning an awe from both male.

"Both of you look like a disguising princess!"

Shin placed his hands on your head and Emma's, showing off his usual smile (that he said only for pretty girls) before a knock on the door ended the moment.

Telling that person to get in, you watched Draken with his casual outfit stepped into the lounge — looking at Emma with red cheeks before turning his head away, feeling scared that he might turn into a living mess.

Meanwhile, Emma was in the same state before she took Draken's hand in her, giving it a light squeeze before flashing a smile at him as he returned it with his usual, boyish grin.

"Well, guess who's giving you a ride tonight, princess?"

Mikey looked at you with his signature smile before taking his keys and pulling you to the outside as you waved at both Shin and Grampa, couldn't wait to see how the festival would go.

"Sorry, but I really have to go now."

Mikey looked at you with worries as you kept holding onto his hand, saying that you didn't think it would be a great idea for him to go now before he pressed a kiss against your forehead — looking at you with a smile and cupping your cheek.

"I don't know what worries you but I'm telling you that I'll make sure you won't have to face it anymore the time I come back."

Hopping back onto his bike, Mikey left you alone at the end of the stairs before we walked to the bazaar — noticing lines of street foods and traditional games you hadn't seen for a while.

Buying a box of giant and overloaded takoyaki, you walked through the blinding aisle with a hum — watching people calling up for you to buy their foods and try their games.

It didn't take long for you to finally feel tired after walking non-stop, sitting on a bench before taking off your geta⁴ and massaging your aching ankles, looking at couples walking in front of you.

"They look so happy."

You grinned to yourself, feeling better after watching many people enjoying the festival just like you were before you put your geta on back and followed people to see the fireworks — the best part of summer festival that always got people excited every year.

Walking through the forest, you realised that you couldn't follow them anymore due to your geta and massive roots of trees that surround you, thinking that it'd be the best for you to call Emma and texted her where you were right now.

"No reply, she's not even online."

You sighed out and sat down against the tree, waiting for anyone to reply to your text as the air got colder than before. The feeling of regret washed over you when you didn't take Shin's jacket when he offered it, saying you would be alright.

Rustles of leaves and cracks of dead branches caught your attention, turning your phone into silent mode almost right away and slipped in your geta into your bag — hoping it wouldn't be a bad guy.

"But, even if they are, I can still run."

You whispered to yourself, realising they kept getting closer before the sound of falling fruit from the other side messed up their momentum, giving you a small relief.

"I swear, I saw Mickey's girl walking here!"

"Uhh, who?"

"Y'know, that girl that we almost killed!"

Fear overwhelmed your body and froze it. You could only hold onto your bag tightly, turning it as a small weapon as your geta was really hard and got some sharp edges — enough to buy you some time to run when you got caught.

Waiting patiently you decided that it was time for you to make a move and walked carefully to a nearby tree before those guys could catch you.

"Gotcha!"

"Told you she would be here and come out if we were silent for a bit."

The leader grabbed you by hair as his friends tied you up and started to hit you repeatedly with their weapons like before. But, this time was much more painful.

They were much more calculated with their strength and spots. Your whole body was covered in bruises while some vital points were smashed for a few times with sharp rocks before the leader stabbed your stomach.

The stab was deep and the rigger knife could only add the pain and worsen the bleeding as he turned it around your wound, creating a serious injury that required professional help.

"Kiyomasa, don't you think it's too much? She's still a kid, after all."

"She got Mikey almost killed me and ruined my business! Of course, she deserves this!"

This time, he started to kick your face, purposely hitting around your forehead and nose before his friends stopped him from adding more injuries upon you.

Dragging you along the uneven path, you were pretty sure they wanted you to die, or at least unable to walk forever. They kept choosing the path with most roots that dag deep into your legs and feet, snickering against each other whenever you let out a cry.

"Draken..."

You were tossed into the middle by Kiyomasa, laying down beside Draken when the cold, harsh rain felt stinging on your wounds.

Draken took off his jacket, placing it over you as he held your hand tightly before your sight went black.

The fight had ended and time kept slipping away from their grasps.

"God, please."

Emma was crying in Draken's embrace before Takemichi told everyone their real target was Draken — but, they changed in the midway when they saw Mikey leaving you alone, thinking it would be a better idea as it left more damage on Mikey and required less fights.

Mikey didn't get angry this time. His eyes were full of remorse and regret as they looked at his palms — his head kept telling him that he should have stayed with you instead of leaving you alone to fight with his gang, didn't think beforehand that you could get in danger, too, because of him.

"I can't believe they're cowards. Chasing after a defenseless girl instead of me..."

Takemichi stood in silence, fearing that any word could break Mikey's fragile condition, Emma's endless cries and Draken's blaming himself for everything.

Turning on his heels, Takemichi decided to walk away and shed his tears for failing again before stronger determination started to fill his heart.

"This time, I will surely save you!"

[kwlsn]

A faint, familiar bell rang and everyone inside the classroom started to pack their bags, talking with each other before leaving to try the currently trending fruit parfait in Shibuya.

Looking around the classroom, you knew this place is a prestigious school almost right away before trying to find your phone inside the bag — finding a garakei¹ instead.

It was pink with many charms hanging off on its corner consisting of pink bunnies, sanrio characters and flowers — a very feminine one, indeed.

Walking out from the class, your heart beats so hard that it was enough to make you feel nauseous and lightheaded, no one trying to approach you and the walk felt empty as you went to Shibuya.

Summer was barely around the corner and the parfait was as good as it looked. Strawberry ice cream with strawberry, cherry, peach and cheesecake — filling your empty stomach almost immediately as you tried to compare the picture you took before eating it and then looking back at the empty glass.

Leaving the café with a smile, you were sure that it was the best parfait you have ever had before sitting on a bench, letting out a heavy sigh before start to think about what you had been doing.

"Now, why am I spending my time like a kid instead of treating this seriously..."

You muttered to yourself, feeling scared that it was real — time travel, a mysterious incident that left you in silence and fear, unsure how to undo everything as you walked away from Shibuya.

There was nothing you could do except wander around, trying to understand where and why you were here before stumbling upon a group of bosozoku².

There was nothing you could do since all of them are armed while beating a kid up and running to them meant it was an alternative to die in the most gruesome way.

"What should I do, come think, quick!"

You walked back and forth, trying to find anything you can use as a weapon before collecting big and medium stones, hiding behind lines of tall bushes before throwing it at the delinquents as they start to bleed and trying to find who threw stones at them.

Noticing a specific spot, one of them ran in your direction, pulling you out from your hideout as you smashed a sharp rock between his forehead and eyes, watching blood running down to his chin as he screamed in pain.

"You little whore—"

The leader (based on your observation) pulled you by your hair as his friends started to hit you with iron pipes and baseball bats, leaving you bruised and bleeding on the ground.

"RUN!"

You yelled out at the kid as his friends took him away from the delinquents, making sure they were at a safe spot before you were thrown to the concrete, hoping they got enough time to call the police.

"I will kill you!"

The leader screamed in anger, pulling you by your tattered uniform and wrapped his hands around your neck, putting pressure against it as your consciousness started to slip away — your view kept getting darker and your head started to feel really light.

You could only think that, if this was how you were going to die, you didn't mind and it would probably be another another that was painful and scary.

Your limp body was tossed to the hard concrete as its texture clang and ripped your bleeding wounds, leaving no time for it to heal — only burn and sting along with the summer wind.

Opening your eyes, you could only see a blurry image of olive ceiling with dark brown for its accent.

The smell of summer filled up your nose. It was warm, musky and slightly salty — you started to imagine a beach nearby with you sitting under the shade, sipping on watermelon soda and eating plump prawns.

Looking at the outside, you assumed that it was still five in the morning. You didn't know whose room you were at, but somehow, you were pretty sure this was your room.

A western room with pink wallpaper and white vanity table. There were a lot of makeup and skincare products with a couple of Sanrio characters figures.

The bedsheet was pink and lacy while the blanket was white with Hello Kitty, My Melody and Charmmy Kitty covering it — truly a fan of pink, Sanrio and cute things.

Getting off the bed, you turned on the light and sat down in front of the vanity table — staring at your reflection in silence and realisation, feeling your face with your hands.

It was for sure you, but with younger and child-like features. Your hair was really long with loose curls at the end and dyed pastel pink. Your nails were painted in pink with white French tip.

Then you looked at your face, examined the thick bandages covering almost your whole body and numerous bandaids all over your fave — something that made you realise now that it wasn't a dream.

Walking out of your room quietly, you went downstairs and walked straight to the kitchen — trying to find something to eat, or at least to cook.

"One by one."

You muttered to yourself, holding on the railing tightly as you smiled in victory when reaching the end, looking at the bright kitchen — making you wonder who would be there around such an ungodly hour.

Staring at long honey blond hair from behind, your only thought could only stop at one specific person — someone who would always cry for, laugh with and be angry at you.

"Emma?"

She whipped her head almost instantly before falling onto the tiles when she heard your voice, her heart dropped almost instantly and when she was able to regain her strength, she ran to you and started to scold you with tears rolling down her rosy cheeks.

"You crazy bitch!!!"

Everyone finally woke up and started to eat breakfast in silence.

Grampa was the first one who woke up after hearing Emma's scream, running straight to the kitchen while holding your weak body — trying to avoid any fight that could resurface while calming the crying Emma down.

Shinichiro was the second one, he could only stare at the unfolding event in front of him before taking the breakfast and placing them on the table, pulling Emma in a tight embrace before giving you a kiss on the forehead.

"You coulda die!"

Emma cried, holding onto Shin tightly as she would sob in between each word before cleaning up her face and sitting down beside you, pulling you into a tight hug before apologising for her sudden outburst.

An hour later, Mikey woke up and looked at four of you in silence, feeling unsure which one he should approach first and asked about the situation that occurred during his sleep.

"Brat, do you feel okay?"

You nodded in silence, eating down the warm food Emma made this morning before deboning your mackerel and cutting it into tiny pieces, topping them onto your warm rice before you finished your meal with a bowl of warm miso soup.

Feeling curious about what happened, you decided to ask them before Mikey raised his hand, volunteering to be the storyteller.

As soon as you lost your consciousness, those gangsters were in panic and ran away, fearing the thought of killing someone when some of them weren't a minor anymore — the pressure was much more intense when the one who came wasn't cops, but Mikey and Draken.

Draken took your body away to some kids at the corner, asking for them to keep an eye on you before finishing the group almost singlehandedly with Mikey — winning in no time before they ran away and swore they would never come back.

A kid with blond hair said he was saved by you and introduced his name to Mikey, saying he owed you his life while Mikey started to kick his stomach repeatedly — feeling angry that because of him, his sister was on the brink of death.

Draken, on the other hand, decided it was enough for Mikey to hurt them. Even though he secretly agreed with Mikey, be stopped him right away when thinking that he was too much to Takemichi.

They went back home and earned a harsh scold from Grampa for not picking you up while Emma nursed you — from changing your clothes to stitching the wounds and changing the bandages, also making food for you once in a while in case you woke up and hungry.

Due to your condition, you were unable to attend the school for days and visit the class meeting — but, lucky for you, the day you left school was the final exam meaning you didn't need to worry about missing out on any important things.

"Mikey, Emma!"

Mikey hurriedly ran to the front door before opening the door and let out a boisterous laugh, pulling a blond kid to the dining table as he looked at you with a soft smile, holding out a white plastic bag with his right hand.

"Hello, I'm Hanagaki Takemichi — the one, you know, you saved that day."

His cheeks were red and he bowed down, placing the plastic on the table — saying it had all your favourite snacks as a thank you gift.

"Mikey called me and said you're already up so I came here with some gifts. It's not much but I hope you like it, my girlfriend got the bunny plushie for you, though."

You took out the pink bunny plushie. Its fur was soft and shiny, black beads for its eyes and no stitches to make its mouth. It had bandages around its head and hand while one of its eyes was covered with a heart-shaped eye cover.

"Uh, does your girlfriend know me?"

"Yeah? I don't know, she said both of you went to the same cram school. Her name is Hina — Tachibana Hinata."

You weren't sure if you knew her or not but regardless, you still asked Takemichi to send your thanks to her and hope you would be able to meet her next time at the cram school when you felt better.

Takemichi smiled widely at you, giving a thumbs up before running outside with Mikey and Shin — preparing these before going to Shin's workshop as you and Emma decided to take a bath and do some shopping for the summer festival.

Apparently, Draken had asked her out for a date during the festival and it was enough for the blonde to scream against the pillow when she entered her room, pinching her arm hard to make sure she was dreaming — feeling slightly regretful when she left him unanswered beforehand and finally texted him for the proper reply.

"How about you? I'm sure there'd be a rich guy from your school who asked you out."

She raised her brows repeatedly, teasing you out as you pushed her away to the side before laughing together at the hallway and entered the bathroom together.

As you enter the bathtub, Emma tapped your upper arm. Her eyes were tracing down from your hair to your upper arms before letting out a heavy sigh then looked down.

"Do you think Draken prefers bigger boobs like yours? Am I enough? Do you think he's joking? What if he stood me out? Do you think I'm pretty enough? I heard he's surrounded by pretty girls only and always goes to the brothel every day."

Looking at Emma in silence, you couldn't help but admit that your brain got electrocuted by the sudden, numerous questions that hit it repeatedly before answering her one by one patiently, assuring her that Draken loved her unconditionally without any doubt.

"You're right!"

Pulling you out of the water, Emma dried herself and told you to dress up as soon as possible, saying today would be the preparation for the best day of her life (with you as her little, cute arm candy) as she skipped into her room with a hum.

Standing in the bathroom, it took you a while to realise the whole situation and let out a small giggle, going straight to your room with a smile.

"Oh, well. Nothing bad could happen anyway."

¹ : Galapagos mobile phone/flip phone. Very popular in Japan and still used by many people today.

² : A group of teenagers who aren't allowed to ride a bike yet. It's also a Japanese youth subculture that's known for modified bikes, pompadour, long military coat & defying rules. It was mainly inspired by the greasers.

[kwlsn]

Looking at your appearance once again, you tapped your chin with a hum, thinking what might lack from your today's look — was it your hair, outfit or accessories?

For your hair, you decided to go with a half-up pigtail with loose curls. Adding small accessories and hair ties to secure your pigtails, you put some bobby pins around them and pull your side hair to frame your face.

For clothes, you decided to go with a strapless pink short dress and a frilly miniskirt, showing off your thighs before completing the look with pink high heels with rose and ribbon theme.

While it looked quite tacky and childish, you could for sure say that this hairstyle was so popular during this era.

"Hey, you—"

Emma stepped into your room before going silent for a bit then took out her phone, taking numerous pictures of you in almost every angle she could find.

"You're so cute! You look like a model from 'Koakuma Ageha¹'!"

She looked at you with heart eyes before wrapping her arms around you tightly, burying her face against your neck and smiling at you lightly before letting you go.

"I knew it! Choosing you is always the best decision!"

Walking through crowds in Shibuya, you watched Emma staring at a certain kimono store before taking her inside, staring at different kinds of kimono² and yukata³ were displayed on the wall before a kind staff asked what we were looking for.

As Emma walked with the staff to measure her size, you found a soft peach yukata with peach blossom pattern around its sleeves and at the end of the skirt.

"Excuse me, can I try this on? Do you mind recommending an obi⁴, too?"

The staff looked at you with a smile before taking you to try it on with a burgundy obi as you decided to pay for them almost right away and found Emma sitting down beside you, thinking really hard about something.

"Do you think I should take the pink one or navy one?"

Both of them were really pretty and you could understand why Emma had a hard time choosing one — after taking it into some consideration, you told her to take both of them with her.

"But, I can only pay for one!"

"I'll buy the other one for you, take it as a gift, please."

You looked at her with a pair of puppy eyes and watched her letting out a sigh, paying the navy yukata before you asked the staff to pack the pink yukata, too.

Leaving the store with a grin, you were so happy on the way home as Emma bought both of you a hairpin — pink carnation for her and pink wisteria for you, showing off both of you were sisters and close friends.

As both of you passed by in front of S.S Motors and decided to pay a visit, finding four of them with Draken were still chatting with each other and Shin tuning his bike, humming in delight before hearing the bell rung and muttered a small 'welcome'.

"Why all of you still here?"

Emma stared at Draken with a pout as Mikey ran to you, pulling you into a tight hug before Draken ripped him off you.

"It's great to finally see you again, pipsqueak!"

Draken grinned before giving you and Emma a head pat, letting his hand stay on the latter's head a bit longer before Emma pushed it away — cheeks turning red in embarrassment and shock while Draken let out a snicker.

Placing a hand on your shoulder, Mikey pressed his finger against your cheek when you turned around to face him — earning an earful smile from the older guy before pointing at the shopping bag in your hand.

"Oh, this?"

Holding a finger in front of your lips, you gave him a cheeky smile and wink — feeling satisfied with his reaction as he puffed up his cheek and pouted at your reply.

Meanwhile, the night kept getting darker and Shin asked Mikey to give Takemichi a ride home while both Draken and him would go home with you and Emma.

Waving goodbye to Takemichi, you sat down on Shin's bike with a smile and started to urge him to take you home as he spent some time taking pictures of you just like Emma this morning.

"Shin, ugh, c'mon!"

"I swear, this is the last photo!"

He took a picture of you crossing your arms while looking at him with a frown and pout before he finally closed his shop and gave in to you.

Closing his eyes with a smile, he held the throttles tightly as you wrapped your arms around his waist before starting his bike, tightening the hold every time his bike hit the speed bump or increased the speed.

"Sano Shinichiro, I swear, if you pass the speed limit again—"

While it was scary for you to hit one hundred kilos per hour, it was just another day of Shinichiro as you screamed and held onto him for your dear life.

A few days had passed and you decided to go back to cram school, feeling bad at Grampa for spending money on your education while he would always laugh and said,

' You are the only Sano who got brain. I'll do everything if that means these three fools can be taken care of when I'm gone! '

Sitting down on a bench in front of the school, you took out your phone and texted Shinichiro to pick you up, hoping he wouldn't be late this time since the sky started to get darker and murky.

"H-Hello!"

Looking at your side, you saw a pair of kids standing a few feet away from you. One was a girl with shoulder length hair and the other was a gloomy boy with rectangle-frame glasses.

"You okay? I hope Takemichi already gave you the plushie I got for you."

She replied with a shy smile after introducing both of themselves while playing with her fingers before the other guy gave you a nod, looking at you with an intimidating gaze after letting out a huff.

"Actually, Kisaki got it together with me."

The girl corrected herself before she bade a goodbye and left with that guy, walking to the other direction to your house as you watched both of them disappear from your sight.

"So, that's what Kisaki used to look like."

You hummed lightly, wondering how small this world was when you met the child version of your (presumably) murderer and was actually a friend of the girlfriend of the person you saved a few weeks ago.

While it was shocking for sure, at least, you knew that it would be the best for you to avoid him from the start and made sure you wouldn't cross his path again in the future.

¹ : A popular fashion magazine in Japan in 2000s. Known for their princess-like model and fashion.

² : A traditional Japanese attire for women during formal events. Usually very expensive with few layers and sometimes handed down to children and grandchildren due to legacy and history.

³ : A traditional Japanese attire during informal events and mostly worn by women. Usually affordable and worn during summer due to its cooling effect.

⁴ : A sash to secure clothes. Usually worn over kimono since yukata is really secured and easy to fix.

[kwlsn]

Hey J! I hope you're having a great day and a great week so far 💖

I have been loving seeing all the headers and dividers that you've been creating! You have a great eye for color and your designs are awesome! I see them and even though some wouldn't go with my current blog aesthetic, I've been tempted to just cram them all chaotically in there because they are just SO good! 😂

Would it be alright if I requested some dividers to use for my masterlist? I'll be cleaning it up again soon!

Just something to go with a dark/romantic floral pattern! Doesn't need to be super detailed and please take your time!

Thank you so much! 😘💕

ahh hello my friend! omg thank you, you are too sweet! Feeling so 🥰 that you liked them, and I would love to make some for you! I tried to pick colors off your Masterlists. I hope they fit your theme (and if you want any recolored, just let me know! I can do that for sure!)

I am really hoping you are having a great weekend, too! 💖

[Free] Masterlist Headers & Dividers!

Please like or reblog if you use 💕

[kwlsn]

Time flew fast and you would leave the Sano by tomorrow morning, which made Emma and Shin feel sad with the future as the two of them agree that it felt right to have you in this house.

To make the last day more memorable, Shin decided that a sleepover in the living room would be the best idea to remember how life was here before you go back to the nightlife in Tokyo.

"How about this," you turned on your stomach and looked at two of them, "I'll ask Mikey to let me go here every summer. How does that sound?"

Emma looked at you with shiny eyes, reminding you of those stars during the bright night, before taking your hand in her. As she clasped onto it tightly, you can feel how genuine her feelings were as she talked about things she going to do with you next summer.

"And when you have a boyfriend, we can have a double date!"

Hearing at the word 'boyfriend', Shin went defensive and took your hand away from Emma before threading it with his — feeling ticked off at how easy it was for Emma to say that nonchalantly, especially in front of him.

"Nope, she's too young, go away. She's already enough with me."

Shin looked at you with a puppy-like gaze, holding your hand tightly and resting his cheek against it, waiting for you to back up his opinion as you let out a chuckle.

The night went smoothly with you hugging Emma in your sleep while Shin spent his night watching the clouds, counting his time with you as each cigarette told him every thirty minutes was already spent when his cigs went dead and needed to be discarded.

"What a life..."

He smiled, smiling at your sleeping form that he would miss and recount every day until next summer.

"Take care, okay?"

Emma hugged you tightly, sobbing into your shoulder as Mikey stood in silence, didn't have the heart to pry his dear sister off you — unfortunately, time is ticking and he decided to do it, despite the sharp jab that's ripping his heart when Emma looked at him, pleading for more time with you.

Giving them one last glance, you finally entered the backseat with Mikey, feeling heavy inside before noticing a hand wrapping itself around yours.

Mikey knew it would be hard for you to leave them, especially if your memories were still intact — which made him believe you would actually hide when he came since it's your first time spending time with Emma and Shin after you moved out and lived with him in a city that's a few hours from Tokyo.

"We only spent two weeks, but it feels as if I've known them forever."

Mikey looked outside when you said that, fearing that it would be too much for you to take if he told you that you've known them since you were a kid as the doctor had specifically asked him not to overstimulate you with new surroundings.

Before you came to his siblings, Mikey had asked them beforehand not to ask you about anything when living away from them (which received a lot of backlash at first) and explained the reason why he sent you to live with them back.

Shin was the first one who understood the situation and handled it carefully while asking for a backup to Wakasa & Takeomi.

Emma, on the other hand, needed to be supported by Draken while listening to the story — carefully threading over the words without missing anything to remember.

"That's good to know."

Mikey replied with a soft smile before helping you to step out of the car, looking at a minimalist four-stories mansion in front of you and walking inside with him — finding the others already inside, cozying in front of the TV.

Ran, the first one who noticed both of you, tapped Rin on his shoulder before he did the same to Sanzu, giving you a sign to sit down beside him as Mikey took a couple of papers from Ran's grasp.

"Well, based on what we speculated, this might be what happened on the night before you lost your memories."

Having a tight-knit relationship with Bonten means that your death can always happen anytime, anywhere and without any evidence left to find at the crime scene — but, then again they had your back.

Throwing a gala party at one of your most expensive penthouses, you were clad in a formal emerald dress that accentuates your curves and dips — a haute couture, art of the year.

Its colour resembled emerald and gold threads were hidden between every stitch, following your move whenever it hit the light correctly with spaghetti straps clung over your shoulders and around your back, showing bits of your cleavages to enjoy.

Champagne with 24K gold infused spilling from your flute as people were enjoying their time with 'Cupid' — a pill that you recently launched this month and desired by many clients, especially Sanzu.

Hours went by and no one was sober nor in their right mind as someone pulled you into a room, pressing his lips against yours before slipping in a familiar drug — making your body go numb and limp as gunshots were heard when the back of your head hit the cold tiles.

Looking down to your lap, you couldn't help but start to overthink the situation before you lost your memories — especially since everyone looked like they were ready to rip each other out and while making sure this case wouldn't be handled recklessly.

But, what surprised you the most was how you were an active drug dealer and spent millions in a single night as if your money had no limit.

While you were still with Emma and Shin, they would casually tell you how four of you with Mikey were already close since young and used to go home from the school together.

Their grandfather was so kind as he took you, an orphan bastard, willingly under his wing without taking you for granted — treating you as if you're one of his blood-related family members.

He taught you a lot about how life should be, why morale and justice should be fought for — those ideas he believed were passed on to you, which ended up leaving your mouth a bitter taste when realising what you have done.

"Ah, I see..."

There was nothing you could say and let Mikey and the rest of the group handle it since you wouldn't be able to do anything significant to the case.

"Wait, we also wanna tell you about someone we believed caused all this drama."

Mikey stopped you from leaving before showing a picture of a man with golden brown hair wearing rectangle-frame glasses.

"His name's Kisaki Tetta and I wouldn't be surprised if he orchestrated that night since your product is currently messing up his profit in the last three months."

The meeting finally ended and Mikey told you I would live here with the Haitani Brothers for a while since he and Sanzu would investigate this matter more, including checking your factory to see if there's something they could find relating to the case.

Waving at the two men, you watched their figures disappear into the car before it sped up, leaving you with the Haitani — who looked delighted to have you at their house.

"Are you worried about something, princess?"

Ran was the first one to approach you, placing his hand on your lower back as you stared at the massive front garden outside — the sound of rain's cry filling up your ears and started to hypnotise you.

Ran notices your state wasn't something one could take easily and honestly? You had been taking it in the best manner as one could handle it.

Most people he knew would go scared and hysterical, but you had been quite calm while trying to familiarise yourself again with the surroundings.

"Do you know that you're the only Bonten member that's accepted by society?"

You looked up, looking at Ran in confusion as he led you to sit down on the couch and give you a small photo album and his phone.

He started the story with a non-profit organisation you started and an orphanage you built that's open to mixed kids who were abandoned by their parents here.

Once in a while, his hand would trace a photo you were looking at before going back to see you in the eyes with a small smile.

"You said, you can't let any orphans live in misery..."

There was silence between the two of you before Ran closed the album and took his phone back, giving you a phone with a pink case and fluffy bunny charms.

It was your phone that was found in a bin, apparently someone threw it there an hour before the incident — that's why he took it with him to check before returning it to you.

Turning it on, you saw numerous unread messages and missed calls — especially from this unknown number.

Checking the messages they sent and your chat history, you could safely summarise that you used to be close to this person before deleting their contact.

' are you okay? '

The last message was sent three days ago and after the number beside it was gone, that person was suddenly online before you were able to reply to them.

' it's me, takemichi. you didn't delete my number, did you? '

Takemichi?

Your head started to pound so hard as you fell onto the ground, watching Ran shaking your body while calling for Rindou — warm blood trickling down from your mouth and without any chance for them to hold you tight, you were already gone.