Editor's note: Being pushed into the room by the Author You're a slave driver I tell ya! ...Is this thing already on? ...Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay. Between Author-sama's busy work schedule and my addiction to video games, we're a bit behind schedule. Please. Enjoy the chapter. Okay, Author-sama. You can unlock the door now. Hello? Author-sama...? Welp... Starts googling "how to pick locks" and "can editors unionize?"
Author's note: (swivels in chair) I wonder how long it'll take before he figures out the door was never locked.... oh well~ Here's part 3, part 4 is soon to come~ As usual let us know what you think and enjoy!
August 4th, 2005 Emma
"We're home." Emma quietly called out as she and Mikey entered their home, the honey golden-eyed girl watching curiously as her brother merely yawned loudly before walking past her to head towards his bedroom.
"Looks like he's asleep... We should probably get to bed before he wakes and realizes just how late we came home." Mikey tiredly muttered as Emma frowned.
"When have you ever cared about getting in trouble for coming home late?" Emma asked, only to huff as the older boy simply waved her off as he walked away. "Yeah... yeah... just ignore me and go hide in your room." She muttered pouting as her mind flashed to the image of her brother right after he exited the hospital alongside Meiko and Takemichi. Though unnoticeable to most, Emma had been able to notice the slight puffiness and redness in her brother's eyes that told that he'd been crying. "It's not like I don't already know you were crying..." She huffed under her breath.
"Emma..."
"Eap!" Jumping in place, Emma's head snapped back to see her grandfather tiredly rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with a yawn. "Grandpa... I... Wa... What are you doing here?"
Frowning, the elder man gave his only granddaughter a firm glare, "The better question, young lady, is what were you and your brother doing out so late? I've come to expect this from him but yo–" He asked, his glare softening ever so slightly as he noted the blood stains on her yukata's sleeve and the slight puffiness and tiredness that still framed her usually bright and wide eyes. "What happened...?"
Wetting her lips, Emma nervously looked down at her feet, eyes narrowing ever so slightly before she looked back to her grandfather. "Um... Do you mind if we sit down and talk about this and something?" She asked as she watched her grandfather nod.
"Of course, let me just put some tea to brew while you get changed." He offered.
"Okay." Emma quietly nodded as she went to get change, 'Maybe... I can start up my training again?' She wondered, never noticing as her grandfather watched her go with a thoughtful expression.
"Hmm..."
August 10th, 2005 Takemichi
'August tenth.' Takemichi monologued in his head as he confidently swaggered through the streets. 'A whole week after the huge fight on August third.' From behind him, the Mizo boy's all cringed as they struggled to follow behind their friend and his sudden new fashion statement. 'Rumors brought on even more rumors.'
"Hey, look! It's Takemichi-senpai." Some younger kids close by began whispering to themselves as they saw Takemichi walk by.
"Huh? The guy who shut down that whole battle on August third?"
"For real? Hahaha! Holy shit!"
"Hey did you hear about his sister?"
"Dude, I hear they're like a dynamic duo! She apparently helped with shutting that fight down too." The boys gushed amongst themselves.
'My sister and I have become legends among the delinquents in town.' He thought as he walked by another group of boys who bowed to him with a wave. Walking around another corner Takemichi broke out in a full-blown grin no longer able to restrain his excitement as he began wiggling in place with the goofiest of grins. "Shit, why would I go back to the future now?" He giggled to himself, Akkun face palming as he saw this.
"Ugh... Why did we even bother saving this guy again?"
"Cause we all like Mei-senpai," Takuya asked, nervously laughing by his friend's side as he watched his childhood friend with second-hand embarrassment.
"You mean, Aneki." Yamagishi cut in, "Remember guys! Mei-nee, I mean, Aneki got a whole notoriety boost thanks to her part in the huge fight of August third." He grinned, "She's just as much a talk of the town as this guy." Yamagishi sighed, gesturing to Takemichi a bit unimpressed.
"Seriously..." Makoto deadpanned. "Just how the hell did he get all that past Aneki. Pretty sure she's made a rule of going through his closet to make sure he doesn't hoard shit like that." He muttered as Akkun groaned into his hand.
"She does! Apparently, she agreed to let him go shopping by himself though...."
"What! How can this be?! How could Aneki allow this fashion monstrosity to exist?!" Yamagishi yelled, shaking Akkun.
"I don't know!!" Akkun almost cried.
"There is no god!" Makoto cried as Takuya nodded with him.
"We have been abandoned."
"Hey!" Takemichi snapped, "What's that supposed to mean?! Huh! There's nothing wrong with my fashion!" The guys all groaned at Takemichi's words, as they continued to question their sanity in being his friend, as well as his taste in fashion.
"There is nothing right with it!" They said in unison as Takemichi pouted at them.
"You're all just jealous of my confidence."
'No. No, we are not.'
August 10th, 2005
Meanwhile at the hospital, although a week has passed since the events of August third, neither Draken nor Meiko seemed to have been having too many issues with their injuries, as Meiko had been actively coming to visit the hospitalized teen alongside either Emma or Yayoi and even on the rare occasion Mikey. "I'm telling you it was the size of a mechanical pencil..." Meiko grumbled as she peeled and cut up some fresh apples for Draken.
Snorting the blonde only sent the girl an amused smirk, "And I'm pretty sure Yai just said hospitals don't use needles around that size."
"YOU WEREN'T THERE!" Meiko snapped, "You don't know the nightmare I went through to get a blood transfusion!"
"Technically I was..."
"Being knocked out and in surgery doesn't count Kenny!"
"Oi! What'd I say about using that god damn nickname?" Draken glared as Meiko simply stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well too bad! I like it, so I'm gonna use it for ya." She said before holding out the small plate she'd been putting her sliced apples on, "Here."
"I told you I didn't want any," Draken grumbled as he took the newly cut slices.
"And I told you, Emma asked me to make sure you were eating right." Meiko deadpanned, cleaning the small knife she used. "She isn't able to come to visit you today, but she still wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Yeah, I heard about that..." Draken muttered under his breath as he ate and swallowed another slice. "Mikey says she's gonna be a bit busy for a while." He said, narrowing his eyes. "Any idea on what that's about?"
Meiko shrugged, "Nope." She lied as easily as she breathed, recalling her conversation with Emma just a few days after the events of August third.
"What?!" Meiko exclaimed as looked away from the hospital vending machine she and Emma stood beside on one of their early visits to see Draken. "You're going to be training with your grandfather and Mikey on how to fight again?" Meiko gapped, as she watched the blonde nod shyly.
"Yeah..."
"But why..." Meiko asked as she handed Emma the drink she had bought themselves. "Didn't you say you stopped training after Mikey entered middle school because you weren't really into martial arts?"
Opening and taking a sip from her drink Emma sighed as she looked outside the window to see some kids playing around with a nurse nearby. "Yeah... But... That was before Mikey and the others started Toman... or..." She trailed off remembering her eldest brother's demise. Shaking her head she then smiled at her friend. "Honestly, even though I quit training back then. I never really stopped... well... training." Emma explained, "I still sparred with Mikey and Baji every now and again to keep my skills from getting rusty. I just stopped learning or trying to push myself past my limits." Emma explained.
"And your grandfather agreed to this?" Meiko asked, "He must have been glad. You said he used to be on top of your older brother, Shinichiro, for not training right?"
"Actually," Emma snorted, "He was surprised."
"Seriously?" Meiko asked before deadpanning. "Let me guess he was more willing to let you not train cause you were a girl."
"Actually, no." Emma smiled, "When I stopped training he was honestly on me the same way he was on my big brother. It wasn't till Shin-nii died that he'd stopped..." She explained as Meiko nodded from around her drink in understandment. "Honestly... He was just surprised that I suddenly seemed actually motivated to learn and train again."
"I see." Meiko hummed, "I guess that makes sense."
"He was also curious about what triggered that sudden motivation," Emma added giving Meiko a look as the girl stared back at her confused.
"Uh..." Meiko blinked a few times confused before smiling a bit nervously, "Oh... Is that so... What'd you tell him?"
"Oh, you know." Emma smiled before she began to walk away quite confidently as she threw her drink away without looking and had it land in the right trash can much to Meiko's surprise. "Just..." She looked back to Meiko and grinned proudly, "That I found a great role model to help inspire me."
Blushing ever so slightly at the memory, Meiko tried to hide her face as she looked away, 'AHHHH!!! When Emma said that I swear she almost made my heart race like Mikey!' She thought, 'The Sano siblings are definitely on a whole nother level. And here I thought only certain badass video game characters could make me just about swoon with cocksure attitudes like that.' Meiko thought before she deadpanned for a second. 'Hold on... Does this mean I have a type?'
"By the way," Draken said drawing Meiko back into their conversation as he finished the apples she had peeled and sliced for him. "How have things been between you and Mikey?" He cautiously asked, causing Meiko to look at him a bit confused.
"Huh...? Me and Mikey... What do you mean by that?" She asked, as Draken struggled to not twitch or look away from the girl's face with an annoyed expression.
"Uh... Well..." He drawled, mind flashing to the image of Mikey either pouting or glaring at him from outside his room's door whenever the boy came to visit with Meiko and all of the girl's attention was taken by Draken. 'I swear the guy's acting even more like a little brat with all the glaring and pouting he's been doing cause of Ei's visits.' He thought, twitching slightly. "It's just that you guys seem to be closer." He finally said as Meiko blushed a bit under his observant gaze.
"O-oh, that..." Meiko muttered looking down at her lap, "I... guess we have."
"You guess?" Draken deadpanned.
"Well..." Meiko muttered, "I honestly haven't really noticed." Meiko admitted pouting. "Since I got hurt, I haven't really been allowed to do much of anything," Meiko grumbled.
"Huh?!" Meiko exclaimed in shock as she stared up at the two males and small females that had come to visit her at home. "Waka-nii, Senju-chan, Benni-nii, what are you guys doing here?!"
"Mei-kun!" Senju exclaimed throwing her arms around the dark-haired girl causing her to wince in pain. "I was so worried about you!"
"We heard about your little adventure on August third," Wakasa said, easily pulling Senju off of Meiko. "This one obviously decided to drag us to come to see you."
"I can't go to the gym, to work out. For well... Obvious reasons."
"Ah! Let me get that!" Takemichi exclaimed, grabbing his sister's plate out of her hand as the two had finished breakfast. "I'll do the dishes so just go rest." Takemichi smiled as Meiko sent the boy a deadpanned face.
"Michi... I can wash my own plates. My stitches are on my back, not my hand."
"Oh yeah! Hey sis, how much detergent am I supposed to use when I do laundry? For future reference."
"Hey don't just ignore me! And don't give me that shit, Future Boy! If you seriously need me to answer that question we're gonna have a problem!"
"..."
"..."
"I'll just... figure it out myself."
"Uh-huh." Meiko deadpans as she walks away, not breaking eye contact until she leaves the room. "And if you overload our washing machine and flood the room again, don't think I won't turn all your clothes pink."
"... You can do that?!"
"Easily. All I have to do is put the colors in with the whites."
"... OH SHIT!!" She listened as her brother cursed and crashed into things, hearing the washing machine be unloaded with a shake of her head.
"YES! MY OUTLAW PANTS ARE SAFE!!!"
"... God damn it."
"I can't really do my usual chores, cause of Michi."
"Woah!" Some boys stared in awe as Meiko twitched uncomfortably while she and Yayoi stood at a counter getting ready to buy themselves some pastries at a bakery. "Isn't that–"
"I know..."
"Wasn't she the one who–"
"I think she was!"
She sighs, "And I can't even go out in public. Without some random punks suddenly gossiping about me in earshot about my role on August third as if they're a bunch of lonely housewives."
Draken whistled lowly at this, "Damn... Tough break. And here I thought I was bored." He muttered, "I literally had to ask Mitsuya to bring me my summer homework just so I wouldn't feel I was wasting my time away in here."
Meiko nodded in agreement, "Oh yeah, I know how that feels. I literally made Michi and I do ours back when he was on house arrest after our first encounter with Moebius." She admitted her mind flashing to a half-dead-looking Takemichi crying atop of his summer homework.
"Are... we... done?" He cried as Meiko gave him an unamused look.
"You haven't even double-checked your work."
"Why is math so hard?" He only seemed to continue to cry, "Adults don't even use half of this stuff out in the real world."
"How would you know what adults do and don't use in the real world?"
'In hindsight,' Meiko amusedly thought to herself. 'It now all makes sense how he knows... But I also question my brother's intelligence if his adult self is still struggling with math.'
"Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only person getting their summer homework done early." Draken sighed, "Then again... Knowing the guys, once they find out they'll definitely start hounding me to help them with their summer homework. Or in Mikey's case, copy mine." Draken twitched annoyed as Meiko sympathetically patted his arm.
"There there my friend... Should the time come," She pointed to herself, "I'll be there to help you whip those morans into shape, should you so desire."
Drakin smirked at this, "Oh yeah? Maybe I should take you up on the offer. Would be nice to have someone outside Mitsuya to help with those idiots. Just know, I'm not letting you back out now."
"Ha! Show what you know." Meiko smirked, "I already deal with idiots needing help with their summer homework all the time."
"Takemitchy?"
"And the other boys." Meiko giggled as Draken snorted at this.
"Sounds legit."
"By the way, speaking of Mikey, have you seen him today?" Meiko asked as she tilted her head to look at the time. "He's usually already here by this time..." She trailed off, as Draken looked to a stool sitting on the other side of his hospital bed.
"Yeah, he was actually already here a bit earlier before you came in."
"Huh?" Meiko turned to look back towards the boy, "Really... Then how come I didn't see him."
"Probably because he wanted to take a nap on the roof."
"I"m telling you, he's a human cat." Meiko quietly joked as Draken nodded in agreement smirking.
"Oh yeah... Anyway, he said he had a feeling Takemitchy might come to visit me today." Draken explained picking up a bag that sat on the stool before handing it over to Meiko. "Wanted me to give him this."
Looking down into the bag Meiko's eyes widened as she noticed the dark fabric folded in the bag, "Wait... Is this a... gang uniform?"
"Not just any gang uniform." Draken informed the girl, "That's the uniform Mikey wore when he first formed Toman." Meiko gasped in shock, "To Toman, it's as important as life itself." He told the dark-haired girl as he watched her pull the uniform out from the bag.
"... And... you're telling me. Mikey wanted you to give this to Takemichi." Meiko quietly asked as she stared down at the old Toman uniform.
"Yeah." Draken nodded while watching the girl. "What do you think?" He asked as Meiko smiled softly down at the uniform.
"I think... That you boys are being awfully cute and sentimental over this uniform." She joked before looking up at Draken as she easily folded the uniform up. "But, I'm sure my big crybaby of a brother will love it." She said putting the uniform away. "It's heavy... and knowing that boy, I'm sure he'll feel a bit overwhelmed with the knowledge of what this is and Mikey giving it to him." She smiled softly, "But I know he'll take care of it... I'll even help him." She said before handing the bag back to Draken. "I'm sure one day he'll even grow up to be able to pull this look off."
Draken smiled at this as he took the bag back, "You sure are confident in the kid."
"Course." Meiko hummed, "He's always been my little Cry Baby Hero." She said, "I know more than anyone just how strong he can be if he puts his mind to it. And even when he isn't, I'll always be there to help so long as he'll let me."
Draken could only continue to smile at this, "I see... that sounds nice." He admitted, "I'm actually sorta jealous. You guys are a really good pair of siblings."
Meiko giggled at this, "You think...? I'm glad we look so good." She joked, "But hey, don't think this doesn't extend to you and the others too Kenny." She cooed, grinning, "I'll always be here to help ya too if you want it."
"I'll keep that in mind." Draken nodded, before staring at the girl a bit. "... By the way..."
"Hmm?" Meiko muttered as she checked her phone to see where her brother was.
"You understand... That you, and Takemitchy... Are saviors right?" He watched as Meiko stopped mid-text.
"...What do you mean?" She asked, cautiously looking up towards Draken as he continued to stare at her with an almost unreadable look.
"Ei... You and Takemitchy basically saved Toman." Draken told her before smiling softly, "Everyone knows that. Myself especially." He said, moving his hand to touch where his still healing stab wound was located. "Hell... Even Yai... Played a part in saving me." He muttered as his mind flashed to a memory of when he asked his friend to bring the girl to visit him.
Yayoi became flustered and shocked as he bowed to her, while Mitsuya and Emma stood by smiling even as Yayoi quickly snapped out of her embarrassed state to start yelling at him. "ESTUPIDO! What do you think you're doing bowing to me like this?! You're gonna rip your stitches!" She snapped, completely red-faced. "Stop thanking me for nothing, and get back into bed before you hurt yourself again!"
"Draken..." Meiko almost seemed to whisper as the dragon-tattooed teen looked back at her.
"Needless to say... I feel a lot of gratitude towards you, Yai, and your brother." Draken explained, "But you especially..." He recalled the way Meiko had stood by his side fighting after he'd been jumped by Moebius and Peh-yan. How she tried looking out for him before and even after they were both stabbed by Kiyomasa, and was willing to throw her life away just to protect him, Takemichi, and the girls.
He remembered the way Mikey began to look at Meiko just before, and especially after August third. How the blonde's dark eyes would flicker towards her every now and again even when she was close by as if being attentive and alert for her presence. Then there was of course Emma, the girl that he loves, the way she seemed to admire and look up to Meiko in both a similar yet different way that Draken himself remembers her and Mikey looked at Shinichiro. How the girl, perhaps once reserved and accepting of her role on the sideline for his and Mikey's delinquent lifestyle, had seemed to have found a spark ignited in her by Meiko's very actions and role on August third.
"You especially have earned my trust... and my respect." Draken finally concluded smiling at Meiko, recalling the small amount of time he did get to spend alone with her. From their walk to the hospital with Mikey asleep on his back as he told her his plan to try and remind Mikey to have a heart. To their shopping trip right after, where she was the one treating him to snacks, while she let him tell her about his past and yet continued to see and accept him as himself. Before they ended up at her house watching a few foreign movies she had that he'd never seen. "I'm glad to know I can call you my friend."
"Draken... I... I don't know what to say..." Meiko shyly replied looking back down at her lap, "I..." She smiled to herself, "Feel the same way." She said before laughing to herself, "Or maybe I feel... we've become like blood siblings." She joked, "I mean we did basically have our blood shared between us three thanks to Kiyo-what's his face using the same knife on all three of us."
Draken snorted at this, "Blood siblings... With Takemitchy and you? No thanks." He joked, "I think I'd have enough on my plate with Mikey if I ever married Emma."
"Oh~ So you admit, you want to marry her someday?" Meiko teasingly asked, leaning in to grin at the boy, Draken lightly shoving her away with a shit-eating grin.
"Shut up! I said if, not when." He snorted as Meiko only laughed at him.
"Right, right~ Just so you know, I call dibs on the maid of honor."
Draken snorted, "Course." He said shaking his head. "Cause why wouldn't you." He said as Meiko nodded proudly.
"Damn right."
"By the way," Draken then added, still smiling at the girl, "After I get out, and your stitches are removed. Do you think we could meet up? I wanna do something for you." He told her as Meiko gave him a surprised look. "To pay you back for everything."
"Huh... Pay me back– Draken you know you don't have to do any–"
"Come on." Draken clicked his tongue, "I know you don't feel like I need to pay you back." He smirked confidently, "But I wanna do this. I'm serious when I tell you I'm real grateful to ya."
"Alright," Meiko sighed noting the determined look on the boy's face as she shook her head, "I can see there's gonna be no arguing with you." Peaking out one eye she asked curiously, "Do you wanna at least tell me what it is you wanna do?"
"Sure..." Draken smirked, "Just one question... You still interested in getting a tattoo?"
"..."
"..."
"...!?" Meiko's eyes went wide as she shot up from her seat, "Seriously?!!!"
Draken laughed as he noted the excited spark in Meiko's eyes, "If you're still interested." He said before holding up his hand, "The guy I go to wouldn't give you much of an issue to get tatted, and I've even asked Mitsuya to come up with some ideas." He explained, "Hell, I'll even hold your hand and get a touch-up on my own tattoo if it makes ya feel less nervous." He said before secretly thinking, 'Or just drag Mikey along and watch the pieces fall into place.' He smirked, as Meiko's eyes just continued to sparkle more and more excited.
"For real!! Oh, Draken! You're the best! I could just kiss you right now." She cheered as Draken sent her a slightly fearful expression as.
"Please don't."
Meiko laughed at this and the hospital room door slid open, and the two teens froze as they saw who sauntered in. "Hey Draken-kun, I was free so I thought I'd come to visit ya!"
"My eyes!!!" Meiko cried out in horror covering her eyes as Draken glared at the boy with a disgusted click of his tongue.
"Oh hey Mei-nee, you're still here, cool. I thought I was gonna miss you. You like my new look?" Takemichi confidently sauntered over as Meiko tried to avoid looking at him.
"Why... why has God forsaken us...?" Meiko quietly muttered as she quickly began to flee the scene. "I'M OUTTA HERE! LOOK FOR ME AT THE ROOF ONCE YOU GET YOUR UNHOLY FASHION EXORCIZED!!" She yelled, 'Or else I'm about to start ripping into that boy over his horrific fashion sense all over again! Good luck Kenny!'
"Huh, hey! ...Man, what's with her all of the sudden?" Takemichi pouted before turning back to a slightly twitching Draken with a grin. "Oh well, how ya feeling anyway man?"
"Who the hell died and made you king?"
"Huh?" Takemichi gapped, "Wh-what? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means..." Draken twitched, even more, annoyed the longer he stared at Takemichi's outfit, "Your head's gettin' way too big for your body." He easily ripped into the boy, "And just because you got a little attention. Get over yourself, you dumbass. How lame can you be?" Draken continued roasting the boy as Takemichi whole mood began to be soured, "I'd be running for the hills too if I knew I was related to an idiot like ya."
Removing his glasses Takemichi tried to save what little face he had, "You wouldn't understand how I feel, Draken-kun. Most of my life I've been in the shadow, especially compared to my sister."
"Aw, poor boy." Draken sarcastically cooed, before clicking his tongue again. "Don't be creepy, it's lame as hell."
Running up to his bedside Takemichi glared in the boy's wide-eyed face, "Look Draken-kun, I've never had anyone look up to me before! So why the hell can't you be like Meimei, and just let my head get a little bit bigger, at least!"
"Oh man, are you even hearing yourself right now. Did you really just yell somethin' that sad?"
"Man, You're such a downer. You said I saved your life, but now that you're feeling a little better, this is how you treat me. I swear you and Meimei have a lot in common sometimes." Takemichi grumbled and pouted as he turned his back to the other blonde who smirked in amusement.
"I'll take that as a compliment knowing you." He said before eyeing the gift he had shown Meiko. "Ah! Oh, yeah. Here."
"Hm?" Takemichi hummed, turning back to look at Draken.
"It's from Mieky." Draken gestured to the bag that sat beside Takemichi, "He asked me to give it to you." He informed the boy as Takemichi's heart raced as he heard this.