It was saturday night where the truth got revealed, the night after the infamous Black Dragon fell into Takemichi's hand.
Toman was having a meeting at their usual place, Musashi Shrine, with a few addition including Inui Seishu and Kokonoi Hajime. Everything was normal until it wasn't.
It started with a random guy who was standing next to Takemichi suddenly screamed his lungs out. Takemichi turned his head towards him alarmed when he saw the guy was on the ground, looking at him horrified. He was trying his best to get away from Takemichi as far as he could.
Takemichi and the other looked at him confused. Takemichi was about to ask him what had happened when another scream sounded.
One another followed after one another.
Takemichi was extremely confused. 'I am not scary am I?' Takemichi wondered, tilting his head to the side slightly. When Takemichi looked around him, all of them had gone paled. Takemichi desperately wanted to ask but before he could, his captain asked him.
"T-takemichi, y-your shoulder.." Mitsuya's voice was so shaky and he was so paled that Takemichi worried he would pass out anytime right now.
Takemichi looked on his shoulder when he saw him.
"Stanley! What are you doing here?!" He accidentally raised his voice, startled. All of Toman except Draken, Baji and Chifuyu were taken aback at the question.
'he knows it?!' They thought.
Takemichi lifted Stanley from his shoulder and put him in front of his face to look directly at his eyes. The members who were standing near Takemichi immediately scrambled away from him.
Takemichi looked at Stanley confused, "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be with Aki-nii"
The others stared at them confused and horrified when Takemichi scolded the snake as if it was his little brother. They gaped at the scenes when the snake hang his head down as if he was ashamed.
"Does Aki-nii know you are with me right now? He is going to be worried a lot if not"
It was strange to see Stanley made a small motion like he nodded at Takemichi. Though they were sure that was really the case when Takemichi sighed in relief.
"Alright, do as you please, if you're going to go anywhere, please don't eat anything you found. Okay?"
Stanley nodded again before he looked around him. When he spotted someone or some people among the crowds, he waved his little tail towards them while hissing happily. The snake looked happy.
Takemichi looked confused at the gestures. He looked up to look at what Stanley was looking at just to see Draken, Baji and Chifuyu.
He brightened at sight of them and said, "Draken-kun, Baji-kun, Chifuyu-kun, Stanley said hi!"
The others looked at the three shocked. 'They know it too?'
The three looked at Stanley nervous and slowly waved their hands towards him. Their face was still paled. Even if they met Stanley before, the snake was really terrifying. How could someone keep a snake as a pet?
Looked like their little gesture towards him satisfied him enough when he nodded and lowered his tail. At the snake's satisfaction, they breathe in relief.
Takemichi crouched down to lower Stanley on the ground, letting him go as he pleased. The other Toman members quickly scrambled away making a path for the snake. The snake went away with his head all high as if he was a king walking down a red carpet.
They did not want to get bite, no thanks.
When Mr. snake was out of their sight, they all released the breath they didn't know they were holding. Some of them collapsed to their butt.
"W-what was that Takemitchy?" Mikey was the one who voiced out their thought, face slightly paled.
"Eh?" Takemichi looked at Mikey and around him confused. "That's Stanley? One of my brother's children. Wait, what is Stanley to me then? Is he my brother? No, my nephew? I think so-"
Takemichi mumbled to himself, unaware of the look of horror everyone sent him.
'his brother's child?! His brother is some kind of snake or something?' They all thought. Draken, Baji and Chifuyu were deadpanned at the blue-eyed blonde's respond.
Seeing as he would not get any logical answer from Takemichi, Mikey turned to Draken who was standing besides him.
"Ken-chin, you know about this?"
Draken was about to answer Mikey when they felt a menacing presence behind them. The air around them was so dark and heavy. It was deadly. It was as if the air was trying to suffocate them and skin them alive. They felt so threatened like they just unconsciously walked into a predator zone.
Mikey immediately turned around and delivered his high kick to the presence when it was approaching him and Draken. All the witnesses were shocked when the figure blocked it at ease. They sighed in relief a little when the dark aura lessened a bit but didn't completely gone.
"Woah, feisty aren't ya?"
They noticed the presence -obviously a male- was short, a little taller than Mikey. His raven-haired had a grey undercut. He had adopted a bored expression on his face. The eyes looked so sleepy and droppy. A cool scar located on his left shoulder.
But one thing got their attention was the eyes colour. It was blue, a captivating blue. It reminds them of someone. Their attention was taken away when the someone they thought of yelled.. excitedly? Is that excitement they heard?
"Aki-nii! You're here too!" Takemichi unconsciously let out the brightest and cutest smile he got. He got to see his brother earlier!
The others were shocked. The air immediately turned to normal the moment the stranger turned to Takemichi. Draken cursed under his breath while Baji and Chifuyu looked at Akihiko with their shining eyes. They were smitten and anyone could tell.
Slowly, Mikey put his leg down. He was shocked, he just fucking attack Takemichi's brother. And that definitely spelled problem.
"Yo Micchin, came to get Stanley and I got curious. So, this is Toman huh" Nah, he was just worrying a lot since Takemichi came back home injured. Courtesy of the fight with Taiju. He was also a bit mad, Takemichi was supposed to spend his Christmas night with him not with gang stuff. Not at Takemichi though, never at him.
Akihiko stepped forward. The other Toman members finally got a good look on him. Some eyes widen at the sight of him.
They recognized him.
"Stanley was looking around"
Akihiko let out a long hummed as if he's wondering about something when he saw someone from the corner of his eyes. He approached the fifth division and they had immediately alarmed except someone. He stopped in front of someone with a mask.
"Long time no see Harucchin, How are you holding up?" Akihiko lifted his hand to ruffle Sanzu's hair.
The others was expecting the younger to snap at the stranger but they were staring wide-eyed when they saw him melting in the touch. His ears a bit pink.
"I'm doing fine Aki-san"
They couldn't believe this happened at all. It was the first time they heard Sanzu's voice being so soft and warm. Mucho looked at the scene shocked.
'Who is he to make Sanzu behaved like this' he thought. Mucho liked to think Sanzu and him were close like brothers but he never saw or heard him like that. Not even once.
A little bit behind Takemichi, Inupi jolted out of his shocked. He hurriedly walked towards Akihiko, leaving the others except Koko and Takemichi confused. When he reached the older, he bowed, shocking the others more.
"Captain! Greeting!"
Toman except a few looked at the scene bewildered. 'Captain?'
Akihiko looked at Inupi a moment before his blue orbs brightened a little. He ruffled Inupi hair causing the younger to melt in the touch. It was as if Inupi was a dog and his tail was wagging happily.
"Seicchin, I told you I'm not the captain anymore. How are you doing little guy?"
Baji and Chifuyu walked towards Takemichi slowly, eyes not leaving the scene. When they reached him, Chifuyu tapped his shoulder to grab his attention.
"Akihiko-san knows Sanzu and Inupi?" Chifuyu asked still in shocked. Though half of him reminded himself that he got too much competitors.
Takemichi smiled and nodded at them.
"Yeah! Haru-kun often come to our house since his brother and Aki-nii are close and previously in the same gang" He looked at Akihiko interacted with Inupi fondly before he continued.
"For Inupi-kun, Aki-nii said Inupi-kun looked like Yoshi a lot, our golden retriever. Aki-nii also managed to save him and his sister from the fire. I don't know much about it though since it was long ago but that was when Inupi-kun attached to him. But I never meet Inupi-kun before"
'he used to be in gang?!' Baji and Chifuyu thought. They traded a look with each other not expecting the fact. But who were they kidding, Akihiko was terrifying if he wanted to or not.
"So, want to go home?"
Baji and Chifuyu jumped at the sudden voice behind them. Akihiko's lips quirk upwards slightly at their shocked face. He lifted his hand to pat Baji's head. Patting Chifuyu's too when he saw the boy looked at his hand longingly. The boys were happy, what could he say.
Hearing the question, Takemichi turned to look at Toman's commander and vice-commander with his shining eyes "Is the meeting over?" They were drowned in the blue doe eyes directed at them.
They were startled when the older turned to look at them, dangerous glint in his eyes. It was as if he was daring them to say no. They immediately answered Takemichi's question without stuttering as best as they could.
"Y-yeah, it's finished, don't worry about it Takemitchy" Draken said. Mikey nodded quickly beside him.
Takemichi brightened at the answered he got and without wasting any second, he latched himself onto the older Hanagaki, linking their arms together. They all squinted their eyes when Takemichi unconsciously wore a bright smile.
"Let's go Aki-nii" Akihiko smiled softly at his younger brother and ruffled his hair affectionately. Before taking any step, he whistled loud enough for the entire shrine to hear. In a second, Stanley emerged from one of the bush, a mouse in his mouth.
Akihiko looked at him disapprovingly. "Stanley, we talked about this. Take care of your diet" He sighed fondly.
Stanley immediately brought the mouse away, putting the mouse exactly in front of Smiley and Angry. Smiley crouched down to pet Stanley while Angry was hiding behind him. They ignored the yelped around them.
When Stanley was done getting pet, he headed towards Akihiko. Climbing the older's leg and rest himself on his shoulder as if it was an everyday thing.
Mikey tried to talk to Akihiko just to get ignored. Don't get him wrong, Akihiko needed his Micchin's time and no one could stop him from getting it. But Mikey took it as the older was mad at him for attacking him earlier. Toman members sweatdropped at the scene. Their commander just got ignored.
Toman watched as the Hanagaki brothers walked away from them, exhaling the breathe they didn't know they were holding the moment they were out of their sight. It was scary. Something about the older made it seemed like they could die any moment if they messed with him.
And they were not ready to find out what it was or was it true.
___________________
"So, that happened" Draken grumbled, sitting on the stair. "Well, that was something?"
The captain and vice-captain alike who stayed behind nodded their head in agreement. Mucho along with Pah-chin and Peh-yan were nowhere to be seen at the moment since they got something to do. Inupi and Koko looked at them amused.
Remembering one of the scene earlier, Baji turned to look at Inupi. He narrowed his eyes at him.
"You know him? How?"
Everyone perked up at the question, staring at the confused Inupi curiously. Inupi looked at them one by one. He was confused, a lot confused.
"You didn't know? But he pat your head so I thought you know him?" Inupi raised his eyebrow. He traded a look with a confused Koko, shrugging his shoulder off. Toman looked more confused though.
"What does it have to do with anything?" Chifuyu asked.
Inupi turned to look at him, unamused "Everything. That means he likes you enough that he didn't consider you as a threat to his younger brother"
Baji and Chifuyu fist pumped the air excitedly, happy at the outcomes. Draken had his share of pat once, or twice, but he refrained from showing his happiness obviously. While the others grumbled under their breath. Sanzu looked at them amused, he got them since he was small after all.
"So? Who is he?" Smiley intervened.
Inupi let out a sigh while Koko pat his back in pity. "Ever heard of 'The Sleepy King; Cobra'?" Inupi straightened on his spot, looking at them each in the eyes seriously. He could see the right moment it dawned on them.
"..No way..." Draken trailed, his face paled drastically. "It's.. him?"
All the others around him except Sanzu mirrored his reaction. Who didn't know Cobra, the infamous Cobra who was known for his strength and skills in fighting. He was also stealthy and could be brutal if it was about his rumored baby brother. Rumor said that he left the entire enemy gang in the hospital before he retired from the gang world.
".. wasn't he just a rumor?" Chifuyu looked at Inupi "It's been four years since his last rumor"
Inupi sighed once again before he continued. He didn't get paid enough for dealing with this. "He's not a rumor. He's one of the captain in the first generation Black Dragon" He turned to look at the sad Mikey "Shinichiro-san might know him. No, he definitely know him"
'That's the gang he was in' Baji and Chifuyu looked at each other, thinking about the conversation they and Takemichi had earlier.
'that's why I feel like he is familiar. He must have been hanging out with Shinichiro-san when I first saw him" Draken thought.
".. wasn't he disappeared four years ago?" Mitsuya asked after observing from the sidelines. Inupi turned to look at him before answering.
"Yeah, after the tragedy" Inupi looked down, seriously talking "After he put the entire enemy gang in the hospital, he quit the gang and disappeared, not sure if anyone knows where was his whereabout"
"It wasn't just a rumor?!" Unconsciously yelling, Chifuyu asked shocked.
Inupi looked at him confused. "No? It happened" Inupi looked down remembering the moment Akihiko left Black Dragons.
.
.
(" Seicchin , Kokocchin , take of yourself" Akihiko smiled at them slightly "I definitely can't look after you two more after this"
Inupi and Koko looked at him confused "Why did you say it as if you're going to disappear soon?"
Akihiko looked at them in the eyes serious "because I am" he pat their shoulder gently "I have someone dear to me that I need to protect, the only light of my life"
"What?! What about us, Aki-san ?!" Koko shouted, sadden at the news.
Akihiko looked at them confused "What about you? You're strong and I am confident in you" Akihiko put his fist on their chest with a soft smile stretched on his lips "Just use all those strength to protect. Good bye, till we meet again"
Inupi and Koko looked at his retreating back, his hand was waving even if he was not looking at them. They wanted to go after him but they knew, Hanagaki Akihiko is stubborn.
"Till we meet again, Aki-san " )
.
.
Koko who noticed Inupi's struggles, continued for him "It was when he was eighteen years old and Takemichi was ten. Exactly four years ago. One of the enemy gang was having a good idea to kidnap Takemichi to threaten the Cobra" Their blood boiled at the thought of kidnapped Takemichi. "When Black Dragon arrived to assist him, it was too late, the entire gang was unconscious, badly injured. Aki-san was in the middle of the unconscious bodies, comforting a crying Takemichi"
The others's feelings churned at the scenes described. They didn't know if they wanted to feel mad about Takemichi was kidnapped or terrified of Akihiko for single handedly beat the gang.
"..and he managed to do it alone?" Angry asked, his eyes widen in shock.
Inupi nodded at him "though, he got injured too. Here," Inupi pointed at his left shoulder where they could see the cool scar on Akihiko earlier "and the big scar, here" he then pointed at his back. Unable to reach for his own back, he turned Koko around, his back facing them. He dragged his fingers across Koko's back from under his scapula to his left waist.
Koko turned to look at them again before he continued, "that's why he quit, for Takemichi's safety. For all we know, the parents were absent so he took care of Takemichi half of his life. Though there must be some of them who still hold a grudge over him, he's strong after all. He's called 'The Sleepy King; Cobra' for a reason. His snakes were one of the reason maybe" he shrugged.
They were enveloped in silence, still couldn't digest the information they got. While Draken, Baji and Chifuyu got a flashback over the big snake in Hanagaki's home, Anzu. They shuddered at the flashback.
"...Takemichi is lucky to have him. Akihiko-san is lucky to have Takemichi too"
Baji said, earning some kind of agreement from others. While Mikey was still panicking over the thought of the older mad at him. Excuse you, he was worried if the older would not allow him to spend time with Takemichi.
"... That was one hell of an older brother"