red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xiv: overlapping plans

a week passed since draken's surgery. kazua made a lone visit to the hospital with a basket of fruits. she goes to the lobby and asked for his room number, having a nurse assist her to the second floor of the hospital through the elevator.

she bowed gratefully when she got out, thanking the nurse before proceeding to the designated room.

when she got there, she peeked through the tiny vertical window on the door and found draken sleeping. there was no one in the room with him, which made her sigh in relief.

kazua wordlessly pulled the door open and entered the room as quietly as she could. she set the basket on the table beside his bed, finding a few get well soon cards laying there.

"don't go fighting jackasses if you can't defend yourself from weapons, you asshole." she cursed at the poor man trying to rest.

she didn't plan to stay longer than she intended to. the only reason she did is because this is the first in three years that toman actually got themselves in serious danger. draken is someone important in kazua's life, and she will never be at ease unless she sees him breathing herself.

and so, she took a few steps away from the bed and began walking towards the door to make her leave.

"leaving so soon, kaz?"

of course, he isn't asleep.

"so you haven't bitten the dust." she stopped right in front of the door, looking over her shoulder to find draken smiling gratefully at her.

"i can't put the guilt on your shoulders when you just helped me, can i?" he chuckled. "how have you been?"

kazua lets a small smile appear on her lips. "just fine, ken. what about you? do you need anything?"

"nah, i'm fine." he sighed. "kaz,"

"hmm?"

"where did it all go wrong?"

"you just got stabbed, and you're asking about what happened in the past?" kazua chuckled. "ken, move on. those days are over."

"all it takes is an apology, kaz. it doesn't have to end." draken leans back against his pillow. "you both were happy before. why let go of the people who make you smile?"

of course, it's easy for him to say that.

"i tried, you know?" kazua bitterly smiled, facing the floor to prevent the latter from seeing her glossing hues. "and he didn't. that's the end of it, ken."

there was a short pause of silence between them, both wondering why it had to go this way.

draken was right. it didn't have to end, but they were young back then.

mikey and kazua were too mature, yet too naive at the same time. there is no place for both of them together in the future.

it had to be this way.

"i'm praying for your recovery." she swallowed the lump in her throat. "lead a good life, ken."

she exits the room, letting out a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

ding!

_____

from: shampoo reveal
been awhile, kaz

_____

***

"are you gonna tell me what your shampoo is now?"

"as if!"

baji is definitely manlier than the last time kazua saw him. he's matured, and his hair is longer. one thing never changed, though.

it's still healthy as hell.

kazua stood beside him, leaning back against the granite wall behind her while nibbling on fresh taiyaki that baji bought for her before they met up.

across them is the hachiko statute. lots of foreign tourists and children were gathering around to wait for their turn in taking pictures with it.

"well, why did you want to meet?" kazua asked. "i only agreed 'cuz i thought you'd finally tell me your secret this time."

"never in a million years. maybe to your kid with mikey in the future, but not to you." his teasing grin surely is annoying. kazua's cheeks brightened, but she looked away just when baji caught a glance of it.

"don't say stupid crap like that."

she tucks her free hand inside her leather jacket's pocket, taking another bite on her food.

"toman's in danger."

her eyes flickered up to catch his expression. that annoying smirk was gone, and baji was completely serious.

"aren't you always?" kazua mockingly sighed. "ken just got himself stabbed, you know."

"and don't you think that's odd? we've been running toman for awhile now, but this is the first draken got in serious danger." baji huffed. "there's this odd ball who reached his hand out to mikey."

"an odd ball?"

"more like an asshole, to be honest."

"ah,"

"yeah, and i know mikey knows it, too, but he chose to trust him." baji bit his inner cheek, remembering that time he accidentally caught their conversation. he wasn't meant to hear it at all, but he believed that it was too good to be a coincidence. "what do you think?"

"not a coincidence, if you ask me. fight with moebius, draken got stabbed, random person suddenly popping out of nowhere." kazua sighed. "planned."

"definitely, so i'm planning to do something about it."

"alone?"

baji does have a tendency to handle things himself. he doesn't want to involve other people in a problem that he sees he can resolve on his own. that's where kazua comes in. she knows when baji can and when he can't take care of it himself, but baji never listens to her.

it's always her who saves his ass, though.

"i'm going to infiltrate valhalla, a group led by the headless angel."

"senju just told me about that group." kazua's eyes widened. "kazutora will be released soon from juvie. don't tell me..."

"kazutora?" she asks quietly.

baji nodded, hearing the disappointment in her voice a mile away. he didn't expect her to take this lightly, anyway. "kei, this isn't a good idea."

"i'm doing it, anyway. mikey needs to accept the past." baji muttered. "this is his eye-opener, and to stop that plotting bastard."

kazua finished the rest of her food, crumpling the parchment to tuck in her jacket. she turns to baji and folded her arms, holding his eyes with her own. "plotting bastard?"

"kisaki tetta." baji said. "if something ever happens, just know that it's all because of him."

"i'm not getting involved in your gang. i already told you this."

"yet you saved draken." baji smiled gently. "you love us too much, kaz. you're too obvious."

"this is the first we've seen each other in three years. you think i still care for all of you?" kazua chuckles bitterly. "wake up, asshole."

"wide awake, ma'am." baji patted her head softly. he then hooked his arm around hers, leading her right towards the hachiko statue. "let's take a picture! who knows when you're gonna show up again?"

"let me go!"