The three of us decide to visit Osanai, the former leader of Moebius. There we hear the truth about the kind of guy Kisaki is.
"But Kisaki... He's worse than I can explain. He's the kinda guy who can make plans to kill people without getting his hands dirty."
Discussing about the possibility of Kisaki Tetta being the unknown leader of Valhalla, the three of us walk back from the place. Takemichi says he has something to do first, so he rushes off.
'I guess he's gonna go to the future now...'
Me and Chifuyu are left alone. "Have you tried to contact Baji-san?" I ask.
"I tried to, but he's not answering." He sighs.
"And I can't even find him while searching everywhere.. " I join in with the sighing.
"Suzuki-san, how did you come to know about gangs?" Chifuyu curiously asks. "You don't seem like the type of person to be affiliated with the bad guys."
"Hmm.. I guess I'm just interested in this world?" I say, unsure of myself. 'Wonder why I chose to read this manga before..'
"The world of delinquents?" He laughs.
"Yeah, something like that." I chuckle.
"I'm talking to you here so casually right now, but what if you were actually the daughter of some evil corporation hiring delinquents, ahahaha."
"That would be- I was about to talk about how unrealistic it sounds when he says, "Super Awesome! Just like in the manga that I'm reading right now." He excitedly claps his hands together like a little kid.
"What would you do if I am?" I playfully join in his fantasy storyline.
"Save you from the clutches of the evil corporation like a hero!" He jokes.
"Well very fortunately, my mom and dad are the sweetest beings on the planet, so no saving's gonna happen here."
Both of us laugh in unison at the stupid exchange of words we're having right now.
_________________________
2017
"Wait just a minute! Mikey-kun killed Kazutora-kun?" Takemichi asks Draken in disbelief. "No... Mikey-kun would never kill someone!!" He shouts.
"If you were in Mikey's position back then, you think you could've stopped yourself from killing Kazutora? The guy who killed Mikey's brother... and.."
"That day Kazutora killed both Baji and Aoi!!" Draken shouts.
.
.
"Kazutora-kun killed... them..?"
"Takemicchi, you saw it too didn't you? Kazutora tried to stab Baji but as if she knew that was going to happen, Aoi jumped into the fight outta nowhere... she pushed Baji away.. getting stabbed instead."
'Aoi-san jumped into the fight?!' Takemichi thinks to himself in shock at Draken's words.
"I never knew that the two of them, Baji and Aoi knew each other. No one expected Baji to suddenly fall down to his knees, holding the body of a barely alive girl... Taking this chance of vulnerability from Baji, Kazutora stabbed him to death.."
Brief images flash in Takemichi's mind. Faces of the dead Baji and Aoi, surrounded by blood, the eyes of Mikey holding the depths of sadness. Memories that he should not have were flooding his very mind and heart.
'I need to save them.'
____________________
23rd October, 2005
Takemicchi suddenly called me out in the morning. I wonder what he saw in the future. 'Has it changed from the way it was written in the manga?' I think to myself. 'Well anyways, now that he knows about Kazutora killing Baji, we can finally make up a counter-plan together.'
"You're safe!" I see a tired looking boy in front of me, who looks like he's in the verge of tears.
"Hey, what's- I was about to ask something when he starts sobbing out loud.
"Oi, Oi you okay?" I get surprised and start looking for a handkerchief in my bag.
.
.
"You went to the future, didn't you?" I nervously ask once he has calmed down a bit.
He slightly nods his head. "What did you see there?"
"Mikey-kun killed Kazutora-kun." He answers. 'So it's just like in the manga.'
"Because... because Kazutora-kun killed you and Baji."
"....."
"I got killed?!"
"That's why, you don't know how happy I am to see you alive here!" He says, without a hint of lie in his face.
'I get killed... I expected the future to change a bit because I got involved but... to think that I would die so soon. Even earlier than my past life...' I get lost in thoughts when Takemicchi suddenly calls my name.
"Aoi-san, Aoi-san!" He brings me out from my thoughts.
"Why did I get killed?" I ask, feeling my stomach turning a bit. Even though I know this world's future can be changed, it doesn't make it easy to hear about one's own death.
"You jumped in to save Baji-san."
"..."
"I jumped in? Why did I do such a reckless thing?!" I question, left shocked at Takemicchi's words.
"Draken-kun said it was as if you knew Kazutora-kun would stab Baji-kun." He answers.
'So that's what it was.. As the Takemicchi I know went to the future, I couldn't rely on him anymore. Not wanting Baji to die, I must have... taken matters into my own hand..'
"We have to prevent this from happening Aoi-san. No matter what happens you cannot come to abandoned parking lot!" Takemicchi shouts.
"We'll have to make a plan to save Baji-san." I answer while he nods in response.
'We have to do something.'
_________________________
It's currently 30th October. After days of forming a plan, we finally reached a conclusion. 'In the original, Takemicchi gets distracted by Kisaki but then realises Kazutora is the one who stabs Baji.. So that he does not get distracted at all...'
"I will be telling you to keep your focus on Kazutora through the earpiece at all times." I say to Takemicchi. We've decided that we will communicate through an earpiece during the battle. Since I can't enter the fight, I'll be staying at the bottom floor of a nearby abandoned apartment, hiding behind a pillar so no one sees me.
'This should prevent Kazutora from stabbing Baji.'
"Just incase he does get stabbed, immediately inform me." 'In the original, the ambulance took a long time to arrive.'
"The nearest hospital from here is a 20 minute drive away. But.. we have the support of my friend... so the ambulance will arrive as soon as it can, at all costs!" I say while I think back to my conversation with Sakura.
With time being limited, and finding it extremely difficult to form a good plan, Aoi decided to finally ask help from her friend Sakura.
Sakura's uncle's hospital is the nearest to the place of the battle. She can ask for a team of paramedics to be ready with an ambulance on the 31st, so that they can be dispatched as soon as they are called.
Of course, it wasn't an easy decision for Aoi as asking Sakura for help means involving her in this timeline as well. But they had no other choice. Hiding the truth about gangs, Aoi asks Sakura for this favour. Sakura complies, though with a heavy heart, as she didn't know the full story of what was happening with her bestfriend.
Chifuyu comes up to the two of us discussing our plans. Looking at Chifuyu, Takemicchi says, "The battle.. it's finally happening tomorrow."
"Before that, I want you guys to come with me somewhere." Chifuyu says and we follow him.
.
.
We reach a bridge and I see the face of a familiar figure in front of me. Not being able to stop my feet from running, I immediately run into the person's arms who got me worried sick as I couldn't find him no matter how hard I searched.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" An aggressive voice screams at me. But unlike the hostility in his voice, his hands were gentle. Slowly placing them on my shoulders and moving me away from the hug.
"Chifuyu. You wanna get punched some more? Take a hint when I don't answer your calls. Using a girl to meet me, is that what you've turned into?" Baji angrily shouts at Chifuyu.
'Using a girl?'
"I'm sorry for calling you out here like this. But I had no other choice since you wouldn't reply to my messages at all." Chifuyu replies. 'What's going on? What is with this conversation?'
"I'm only here to talk to Suzuki, so you can leave now." Baji replies.
Ignoring his words, Chifuyu continues with what he was saying. "Have you got a lead on Kisaki yet? You're acting as a spy for Toman, right? I did some looking around myself and found out Kisaki's a really nasty guy. You don't need to stay in Valhalla anymore!" He pleas.
"The fuck are you saying?" Baji asks in an unconcerned way.
"Tomorrow.. if the fight starts... Baji-san! You'll become Toman's enemy for real!"
Baji just chuckles at his statement and tells him to trust no one but his friends, declaring that he will destroy Toman tomorrow.
Feeling the need to talk to Baji, I finally speak up,
"Chifuyu-kun, Takemicchi.. can I have a word alone with Baji-san?"