[Unexpected meeting]
It was just supposed to be another normal day for Takemichi. Waking up in the morning for his cup of coffee, going to school, his part time job and occasionally, Toman meetings then hanging out with friends. But in this particular day, he bumped into someone he didn't expect to see, especially now.
Takemichi yelped as he accidentally hit some wall, reflexively, he touched that wall and his face.
Huh, this wall is pretty warm why is it in the way too?? In a sidewalk too??... Wait... Warm? Sidewalk? Takemichi thought when he looked up to see a certain black-haired male with a blonde streak in the middle, his hair down and a smoke on his hands but Takemichi didn't register that and only registered that he thought a person was a wall.
"Waaah! I'm so sorry!! I thought you were a wall, that's why I touched you and you were pretty warm- wait not the point! Just sorry for bumping in to you!" Takemichi bowed, flustered that he just embarrassed himself in front of someone he doesn't even know.
"Huh, it's fine, if you excuse me, I'll be on my way." The male with a deep voice spoke. Takemichi froze as he recognized the voice. Slowly, he looked up and there it was, Hanma Shuji.
The said man just walked away with a smoke on his hand. Takemichi saw a glimpse of his eyes and it shone something that Takemichi was very well familiar with. Loneliness and boredom, as if life barely had any meaning.
Without thinking, he had grabbed the male's hand nearly on instinct. Hanma was surprised, Takemichi was surprised, especially when he realized what he had done.
"Oh! Ah, I am so fucking sorry, shit I'm too much of a clutz. I w-was just concerned, don't worry, I'll be on my way, sorry for bothering you!" Takemichi said hurriedly as he let go and ran away from Hanma.
The lanky male watches the retreating figure and at his hand.
Concerned? About what? Hanma thought but shrugged and continued on with his day. It wasn't like he was going to meet him again anyways.
"And I stand corrected, didn't think I'd meet you again, much less the same day." Hanma said with a grin as he faces a nervous Takemichi in the cashier as he pays for another pack of cigarettes.
"S-sir, is that all?" Takemichi asked with a wobbly smile, trying to avoid the subject Hanma is trying to bring up.
"Nah, I think that's about it, the names Hanma Shuji... When does your shift end?" Hanma asked.
"2pm." Takemichi answered reflexively and when he realized this, he covered his mouth. He had gotten so used to Mikey asking about his shift that it became a habit to just let it out. Takemichi tsked and look up to Hanma who was smiling as if he was just given his favourite toy.
"Hang out with me for an hour? If you aren't busy that is." Hanma said as he took a smoke and lit it up with a lighter than seemed to have appeared outta nowhere.
"Sir, smoking isn't allowed in the premises." Takemichi said, avoiding the question.
Hanma didn't give a fuck and just kept smoking, disturbing the customers and himself so he just sighed and gave up.
"Fine yes I'll go with you later Hanma-san, just please leave the premises and smoke somewhere else." Takemichi sighed and Hanma smiled like a giddy child before leaving.
What have I gotten myself into? Takemichi thought miserably as he continues to work his shift.
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Takemichi comes out and as expected, Hanma was right outside, presumably waiting for the male which was true. When Hanma saw him, the lanky male lit up at the sight of Takemichi and the raven head sighed, he knew something is going to happen and he wasn't sure if he should be scared of it or not.
"You're here! I thought you were going to sneak out." Hanma said jokingly.
As if you'd let me seeing how you were waiting for me right here. Takemichi thought nervously.
"Y-yes, I am here Hanma san. What do you even need me for?" Takemichi asked, genuinely curious why Hanma would even ask him to go with him.
"I saw this arcade and it looked really nice, come with me and play." Hanma said as he pulled Takemichi along. The raven head just let him do as he pleases but seemingly eager to find more about the tall male.
They reached an arcade and went to the counter for some tokens. Takemichi was watching as Hanma threatened the cashier to give them tokens when he wasn't even paying, the cashier was scared but didn't budge and didn't do as he told. Takemichi, feeling bad for the male, pulled Hanma and paid for the tokens instead.
"You know, I could've gotten tokens without you paying." Hanma said as Takemichi handed him half of the tokens he bought.
"I felt bad for the cashier, he was doing his job Hanma kun. Heres your other part of the tokens. Now let's play." Takemichi looked up and grinned at him, Hanma was amused but played along.
The two had fun going from one game to another, from playing street fighter, to space invaders, pac man which Hanma absolutely despised as he kept getting caught by that accursed pink ghost, and many more. Then the claw machine, the most hated game of all.
Hanma almost broke the thing, good thing Takemichi was able to stop the tall male from breaking the stuff with much reluctance as Takemichi was also about to do the same. In the end, they won a small stuffed animal and left the place happy and laughing.
"Wow, I don't think I've had that much fun in a while." Takemichi sighed with a smile.
"I still want to break that claw machine." Hanma said through gritted teeth. Takemichi just smacked him with the toy they got.
"Okay, just give it up. We got a toy in the end." Takemichi said as he walked towards a bench he saw and sat there, Hanma sitting next to him. It was currently 3pm and both of them were just relaxing as a soft wind whistles by.
Hanma takes a cigarette out with a lighter on hand and lit it up. Takemichi watched as Hanma smoked the cancer stick. Hanma noticed this and took another one out.
"What? Want some too?" Hanma said.
Now takemichi was an adult, despite being in a child's body. If he was counting right, the body he's in is going to turn 14 in a few months. Takemichi was tired and had fun, so what's so wrong with one cancer stick? He took the cigarette. As Hanma was about to hand him his lighter, Takemichi grabbed the taller male's cheek and put both ends of the cigarette together, effectively lighting Takemichi's up.
Hanma was surprised- stunned even. Takemichi on the other hand just smoked and sighed with happiness. The raven head wasn't fazed as he's used to seeing that happen around him, happened to him once even.
"Aren't you too young to be smoking?" Hanma asked with a grin, amused at the action.
"Same goes for you." Takemichi said as he puffed the smoke, satisfied.
"I don't think 16 is a bad age." Hanma said as he did the same.
Silence followed as they relaxed in each other's presence. Takemichi was even surprised with himself when he was like this in the presence of his supposed enemy, in the few coming months too. It was a pity; he liked this version of Hanma.
Once he finished his cancer stick, he pressed it in the bench's arm and dropped it then stepped on it. Hanma followed soon after. They both stood up and stretched, satisfied.
Takemichi looked faraway before looking at Hanma.
"Thanks for the wonderful hour you gave me, Hanma kun." Takemichi said to the lanky male.
"Dropping the honorifics? Now that I think about it, I never asked for your name." Hanma drawled smugly.
"I don't think it's safe to give one's name to a stranger, don't you think?" Takemichi shrugged with a smile.
"Tell me then, the next time we meet, pretty boy." Hanma said with a grin of which Takemichi mirrored.
"See you next time Hanma kun!" Takemichi waved as he ran along, disappearing along with the crowd.
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Hanma looked at the plushie on his hand, remembering the male winning it and with a smug grin, giving it to him. Hanma laughs at the braveness of the kid. He doesn't know whether the kid knows him or not but even so, you can say it was amusing to be with him.
"I don't think I've been amused like this for a while." Hanma laughed out.
Multiple footsteps rung behind him as he entered an alley, he sighed, knowing what was about to come next.
"Are you Hanma Shuji?" one of them asked in a gruff voice. Hanma turned to them lazy and with a lazy grin, he answered.
"Who are you guys?" with a question. This irked the stranger as his question was being answered with another question.
"Hah? Were here to beat up the infamous reaper. About to see whether he is something or what." Another answered, gripping his fist.
Hanma put the plushie somewhere safe which earned him a crowd of supposed gangsters laughing at him. This irked the reaper and with that, he turned to them with a manic grin and raised his hand which had a tattoo engraved with the word "punishment" in Kanji and clenched it into a fist and his other hand covering his eye with the word "Sin" in Kanji.
"Come at me, you imbeciles," Hanma shouted and they did. "Idiots." He whispered under his breath and begun his fight.
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Takemichi goes to a washroom to wash out the smell of smoke from his as knowing Shinichiro with his keen sense of smell, will know he smoked.
Maybe it's best I go home, wash off there and change to be extremely sure. Takemichi thought and jogged home.
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Takemichi finished what he had to do and laid in bed and sighed.
Afternoon is really crazy. First, I met Hanma then we played and got along??? Isn't he basically one of my worst enemies yet! Takemichi thought as he gripped his hair.
"If only he wasn't my enemy... We would've gotten along so well." Takemichi whispered as he let go of his hair.
Takemichi sat up slowly and let his legs dangle by the front of the bed. He was really devastated. He doesn't know what to do or what he should do. He loves Toman, he loves Mikey and hates both Kisaki and Hanma and couldn't really care less whether they die in the ditch or what. But what happened today added hesitation.
He barely knows Hanma; he does know he had a hand in killing his friends and ex but he is also well aware that none of that has happened yet. Sure he could just kill Kisaki right now and just worry about how to get together with Mikey, but that can trigger something worse. Kurokawa Izana is an example, others exist too.
And it's not like I can just kill every bad guy out there to protect them. I can and I will but it also means to leave them, to just let them be happy and me taking Mikey's place. That would be hypocritical since I hated Mikey being in that state. Takemichi thought as he remembered holding Mikey up to keep him from dying but died instead. He just hopes that in that timeline, Mikey was able to see another day.
To see his friends and be happy again. He thought sadly.
Takemichi knew this was nearly impossible. He was a criminal, they all were and if they were to live freely, they would be wanted criminals, running away as fugitives. If Bonten becomes silent it gives the police an opportunity and their connections would stop.
"Once a criminal always a criminal huh..." Takemichi said out loud as he looked at his hands.
It flashes to him holding a gun and nearly shooting Kisaki had it not been for Mikey and Hina.
Killing has no path for return. There may be for some but it comes with a price, your conscience, your future, your relationships, your mentality. In the end, many go crazy anyways.
Takemichi's hand shakes as he remembered that moment. That one moment he was about to kill someone, I mean don't get him wrong, he's willing to kill anyone for their sake, especially for him, but he doesn't have to heart to leave them, not yet.
For once, takemichi wavers. He wavers in stand for his friends' safety because of one experience.
He wants to believe that there's a chance for everyone to be happy, for everyone to be alive, all of them dying with nothing but old age.
He shook his head. He knew better than to believe that, because it had caused them their lives, his life. He clenched his fist and stopped wavering. He only had one goal, that was to save his friends and his loved ones. To save Mikey and prevent him from falling into his dark impulses.
Takemichi's phone rings, taking him out of his little head and answering the call without looking at the ID, in a hurry to answer.
"Hello? Who is this?" Takemichi asked.
"What? Takemitchy already forgot about me?? How mean." A familiar voice spoke from the other line.
"Mikey kun! Sorry, sorry, I didn't forget about you. I just picked up the phone without looking at the caller ID. Anyways, what do you need?" Takemichi asked, recognizing the voice from the other line.
"We have a meeting in a bit. It's the first meeting after new year's and of course we need out beloved captain there. Can you bring me some Taiyaki? :>, kenchin won't budge, he's being a meanie." Mikey whined and Takemichi could almost see his pout from there, "You've been threatening me idiot!" a familiar voice shouted from the background.
"Was that Draken kun? He's with you?" Takemichi asked.
"What? I think you're hearing things, there's not Kenchin in the house. Anwyays, get to the meeting in the same place as usual but with my Taiyaki! Thank you, bye bye!" Mikey said hurriedly as he ended the call.
Takemichi looked at his phone with amusement and just laughed. He stood up from his bed and started preparing his ingredients for Taiyaki. Yes, he learned to cook Taiyaki so that he stops buying so much Taiyaki, it's putting holes in his wallet.
"Alright! Let's begin!" Takemichi said and started preparing and making the Taiyaki.
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Hanma sits on top of the pile of unconcious bodies with a smoke. He ignores the people whispering right in front and behind him and focused on his smoke. As he looked at it, he can't help but grin at the thought of the ocean blue eyes that looked at him strangely.
Hope to meet again, cutie. He thought.
A/N
Sorry that the chapter took a bit long! I'm a huge procrastinator... Not a good thing really-
But I do hope you enjoyed the chapter even if it's shorter that how I usually write. I'm trying to hurry my S2 of another book but it looks like it will take a while. Hope you like the story.
Thanks for reading!