a/n:
─── OMG HEYYY
sorry for the wait ya'll but umm have to ask you to...
─── please leave some requests for special chapters ( 100k special, 200k special etc )
─── super long chapter ( 9000 words )
The engine of your vehicle rumbles lowly as you turn corner after corner, weaving through the bustling streets of Tokyo. Your frown was unmoving, your hands tightly gripping the handles.
"What the hell could he possibly want?" You hiss under your breath as you see Maji Burger come into view.
You park in front of the fast food outlet and leap off your bike. Flicking your hair behind your shoulders with your wrist, you walk up onto the sidewalk and towards the shop on the corner.
The doorbell chimes cheerily, almost going unheard over the scrambled chatter in the large room.
The tiled floor was like a large orange and yellow checkers board, the scattered tables like the game pieces. A counter sat against the wall you just entered from. Large screens above the counter display the food available while workers swiftly make the ordered food behind it. An employee or two stand at the counter and take the customer's orders with calm smiles, dressed in a yellow shirt with an orange collar, stripe, and matching hats.
"They look like they could blend into the floor." You murmur as you pull out your phone to see if you had any new messages from the boy you were meant to meet.
You frown when you see an empty screen and that you were early.
Sighing, you approach a small, two-person, table sitting beside the window-covered wall. You got a clear view of not only the people inside the store, but the people outside. They went about their day, minding their fucking business like normal fuckin people.
it's so early in the chapter and idek what i'm saying anymore...
Anyways, you pull out your phone to pass the time. However, it didn't take much time for the person you were waiting for to enter the building.
His large hands sat comfortably in his jacket pockets. Purple irises scan the lively room from behind black and blonde hair. When his eyes finally find you seated with your legs crossed and lip in between your teeth, he grins to himself.
He parts from the small group of males who he walked in with. They watch his tall as self approach you with teasing grins on their faces. He merely gives them the middle finger before stopping in front of your table.
You raise your eyes from your cell phone to meet his grinning face.
"Yo." Hanma greets you, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. Your eyes widen, for you had almost forgotten how fuckin FINE his voice sounded.
Not to mention he looked a bit different than usual. As he took his place in the chair opposite to you, you examine his appearance.
His smooth hair lacked the gel ( thank the fuckin gods ), leaving his hair to softly sway around his head. His long earring clings to his ear, per usual, and his outfit consists of a pair of large black jeans, a thick leather jacket and a white shirt.
"What?" You ask him. You lower your phone and turn it off so it lies face down on the table. Hanma leans on his open palm, his elbow on the table.
"Nothing. You just look extra... pretty today." He smirks, scanning you up and down. You narrow your eyes as your cheeks heat up against your will.
"Shut up." You scoff flusteredly and rush to break eye contact. Hanma chuckles under his breath.
But, what you didn't know was how much effort it took for him to say that word. "Pretty".
Yes, you did look pretty, gorgeous, even. There was no denying it. Yet, Hanma struggled to push the word out of his mouth, even though his new "friends" had told him to compliment you. It's not that he didn't find you attractive, in fact, it was the exact opposite. It just felt so unnatural for Tokyo's Grim Reaper to compliment a girl.
But, he was pleased that he had taken their advice. Not that he'd ever thank them.
"So, why are we here?" You ask him with an arched brow. Being dragged out of his thoughts and daydreams, Hanma returns the facial expression. This only frustrated you.
"Don't give me that! You're the one who called me out here. Now, what the hell did you ask me to come here for?" You snap, gritting your teeth at the lanky man.
"Oh, shit. Has he already pissed her off?" One of the males from across the room murmurs to the group he sat with. All heads turn in your direction.
They all wore some type of disguise, whether it be a hat, a pair of sunglasses, or a hairstyle that they have never used in public.
"Looks like it." The man beside him slurps on his milkshake with a snicker.
"Watch out, Hanma. Her friend will kidnap you and hold a gun to your head!" One of them whisper screams at Hanma.
"Shut the fuck up!" Two blonde males snap, one of them even daring to punch him in the bicep. He laughs alongside the other members of their group.
"You're so sexy when you're angry~" Hanma smirks flirtatiously and his smirk widens when your lips gape and you blush deeply.
His friends spit out their drinks and slap their foreheads.
"Don't say that, you moron!" The one with the longest hair groans as he holds his head in his hands. His brother also does the same while patting the older's sagging shoulders.
"Shut the fuck up and answer the question." You grumble while fighting back to urge to squeal and kick your legs back and forth.
"You're so mean today, hm? Besides~ What's so wrong with wanting to see you? We haven't seen each other in a while." Hanma points out. You roll your eyes.
"Yeah, I wonder why." You scoff and lean back into your chair. You recross your legs, your skirt rising ever so slightly and gaining the attention of the boy in front of you.
"You know why." Hanma gulps and tries to focus on the conversation.
"Uh... In case you haven't realised... I don't!" You sneer, creasing your face as if saying "are you fucking dumb?".
"Okay, you don't! Will you let me explain then?" Hanma sighs and drags a hand down his face.
"Why is he being so fucking dramatic?" A black-haired man from the unknown group asks. His friends shrug.
"And confusing." One adds.
"It's Hanma. Who knows what he's thinking?" Another snickers.
"Fine." You roll your eyes once more. Hanma lets out a sigh of relief and slumps into his chair.
What you didn't expect him to do was grab your hands.
"( Y/n ), I swear once I'm done with Kisaki, I'll come back to you." Hanma declares as he entangles his fingers with your own.
"Wha- Where the hell is this coming from?!" You shriek with a bright pink face.
"From the heart." Hanma pouts and clutches his chest.
The pink hue on your cheeks instantly vanishes and a series of palms hitting foreheads echoes around the room.
"I'm just joking! I'm just joking!" Hanma cackles at the look on your face.
"I've never been so turned off in my life." You murmur lifelessly.
"EH⁉️😨"
"Not to mention, that doesn't even count as an explanation, genius."
"OKAY! Let me start again."
"Fine.🙄"
"Look... uh... Fuck! I'm sorry ( Y/n ). I seriously didn't know that he tried to unalive you. I swear!" Hanma struggles to come up with the correct words. He raises his hands in a surrendering motion as he says the last sentence.
"Then why didn't you say or do anything? Hell! Why the fuck are you still hanging around him?!" You yell at him, all the anger you had shoved down the past few days resurfacing. He could read it all over your face and in your tone.
And ngl, homeboy was shakin in his doc martins.
"It's not that I didn't do anything! I punched the shit outta him that night!" He says.
"Good." You monotonously reply, not entirely believing him.
"It's the truth! Hold on." Hanma releases one of your hands to fish out his phone. He opens the photo app and presses on what he wanted.
Your eyes widen at the image of a beaten up Kisaki, his eye bruised and lip busted.
"Why did you take a photo of that?" You grimace, trying not to laugh at how idiotic the dumbass looked.
"It's funny, isn't it? He almost cried." Hanma laughs as he throws his phone back into his pocket.
"You're such a shit friend." Your lips form a sly grin. He rolls his eyes with his signature smirk.
"He's not my friend." Hanma declares as he fiddles with your fingertips.
"What are you doing?" You whisper, curiously watching him pinch and twist your fingertips.
"Dunno. You got nice hands." He shrugs and raises your conjoint hands to properly lace his fingers through your own.
"You're such a dork. More than usual too. What's up with all the compliments?" You arch an eyebrow.
"What? Can't I compliment a pretty girl?" He leans in with a smirk.
"How did he bounce back so quickly?" The group across the room murmur amongst themselves.
"Who knows? This chic must be dumber than you, Shion."
"HUH⁉️"
"At least she's better looking than him."
"OI‼️"
"She's not dumb." One of the men speaks. All heads turn to their leader to find his purple eyes narrowing at your grinning face.
"How do you know? You don't even know her." Another points out. He shrugs.
"Just got a gut feeling." He says, causing all attention to return to the conversation you were having with Hanma.
"Anyways, you said he wasn't your friend. Then, why are you always trailing behind him?" You cough the compliment out of your head and thumping chest. Hanma sighs and shrugs.
"He's fun to be around. He always brings drama wherever he goes. I need something exciting and amusing in my life." Hanma truthfully speaks towards the window, cupping his cheek with his spare hand.
When he turns his head back to you, he didn't expect to see a deep frown on your lips.
"So, am I not amusing enough for you?" You spit out. His eyes widen and he shakes his head.
"No! That's not what I said." He waves his hand around.
"Then why pick him over me? I can be fun too, you know?" You almost pout, upset upon hearing that you were most likely his second choice.
"Yes, I know you are! Just listen!" Hanma hisses and pulls you in by your hand. Your hips slam against the table as he leans in to whisper in your ear.
"He's got something planned that he won't tell me about and I wanna know what it is. I wanna know that it won't harm you or your friends." He whispers, his hot breath tickling your ear and neck.
"Why are you making me sit like this? And why are we whispering?" You whisper back. Hanma has to resist throwing you over his shoulder and sprinting out the door upon feeling your lips barely graze against his skin.
"I don't want anyone to hear us." He tells you, allowing you to slowly nod your head as you back away.
"So, once you find out what he's doing... what will you do?" You ask. Lowering yourself back onto your seat, you squeeze his hand lightly.
"You already know." Hanma's lips curve upwards. And not into a smirk.
Into a genuine smile. One that almost had your heart leap out of your chest.
"I'll be back at your side, or I'll be in jail for murder." He snickers at the thought, as do you.
"Dumbass. We'll find a way to bail you out." You grin.
Hanma lets out a sigh of relief upon seeing your carefree expression.
"So... we all good?" He asks, not even bothering to hide the hopeful tone in his voice.
"I guess so. I'm still a bit angry at you for just running off without saying anything." You admit with a narrow glare.
"So honest~ I am actually sorry for that though. You know that now, right?" He grins when you slowly nod your head while staring at your held hands.
"Just promise me you'll come back as soon as you find out what he's up to. He's seriously bad news." You look up at him through your lashes. Hanma's own eyes soften at the puppy eyes you were giving him and he nods his head.
"I promise." He offers his spare pinky to you. You giggle and shake your head.
"You better not break it. I take these pinky promises very seriously." You tell him as you loop your pinkies together.
"Yeah, I know. If I break it, then you can break my pinky." He offers.
"Deal!" You cheerfully grin at the idea.
"Don't be too enthusiastic about it!" He cries with a mortified expression. You merely laugh at his shocked stare and pat his head.
"Relax~ I think I have to right to break your pinky anyway." You laugh as he shrugs.
"Sure."
"You should keep your hair like this. It looks nice." You tell him as you comb through his hair.
"Thanks. Maybe I will." Hanma thinks aloud with a soft grin.
"Anyways, can we get something to eat? I'm hungry." You tell him.
"Same. Wait here. I'll order something for the two of us." Hanma says as he rises to his feet and begins walking off towards the counter.
"Well, that went better than expected." You smile to yourself as you watch him walk off. He looks at you from over his shoulder and points at the board above the counter. You nod your head when you see him pointing at your favourite burger.
He gives you the thumbs up and turns back to the counter and orders.
As he was returning to your table, he stops upon hearing a bunch of quiet cheers to his left.
"Way to go, loverboy~" A sly voice chuckles from the end of the table. Hanma rolls his eyes at the group of men.
There sitting in front of him, was Tenjiku.
"Shut up, Ran." Hanma snaps.
"No need to be so defensive. I just can't believe the Hanma Shuji is interested in a girl." Haitani Ran snickers against the straw of his milkshake. His younger brother nods his head with a devious smirk.
"Especially that one." Rindou nods in your direction to find you scrolling through your phone.
"Yeah, she's a fierce one." Mochi clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth.
"You still salty over her friend kicking your ass?" Shion cackles as the rest burst into laughter.
"Shut the fuck up you disabled rooster-looking fucker! Of course, I am! He fucked up my ribs and arm!" Mochi shouts across the table.
Indeed Taiga had messed him up really bad. Mochi had only just gotten out of the hospital with a broken wrist, nose, and a couple of cracked ribs.
"ROOSTER?!" Shion shouts, slamming his hands on the table. "You want a fucking go?!"
"Bring it on, twig! I'll snap you in half!" Mochi shouts back.
"Shut up. Sit down." A calm voice speaks over the rowdy group of boys. Silence instantly falls upon them as they all direct their gaze to their leader.
His tan skin shone under the sunlight while his white hair was parted neatly in the middle. His purple eyes and smile were wide and aimed in your direction.
Kurokawa Izana.
"Get back to your date, Hanma-kun. That woman could be of use to us." The male's grin widens as he places his straw in his mouth.
Hanma's eye twitches.
"Oi, no. She's not getting involved with this shit." Hanma snaps, lowering himself to get in his face.
"Nah, captain, I doubt you can convince her to come into Tenjiku. She's extremely loyal to Sano Manjiro and the others." Rindou says, throwing a short glare in your direction.
"Not to mention, she's terrifying. I don't think I could be around her for any longer than five minutes." Ran chuckles anxiously while others hum in agreement.
"Of course she is." Izana sighs, irritated at the new information.
"Still, though. Never thought you'd be interested in her, Izana." Kakucho says.
"I can't help it. I feel drawn to her for some reason." Izana mumbles, taking sips out of his drink.
"Hey, back off! That's Hanma's girl!" Someone cackles, causing the whole table to do the same.
"Fuck off." Hanma sneers. He finally turns away from them and rushes back to your table.
"Sorry. That took longer than expected." Hanma grins as he drops onto the chair.
"No worries!" You cheer and snatch a burger from the tray.
"Oi! That's mine!"
"Oops!"
━━━━ ❰·☠︎︎·❱ ━━━━
"So... Wanna hang out again next weekend?" Hanma asks as he sits on his motorbike. You hum and nod your head. You both stood around the corner from Maji Burger, in front of a small cafe where Hanma had parked his bike.
"Sounds good." You smile from the sidewalk. He places his hands on the handles and starts up the engine while continuing to smirk at you.
"C'mere." Hanma flicks his fingers in his direction. Obeying his request, you step forward to stand in front of him.
Hanma wraps an arm around your shoulders and pulls you towards him.
Your eyes snap open, wide as fuck, when you feel a pair of lips press against your own.
The kiss only lasted for a split second before he pulls away to smile at you.
"You sure you don't want a ride home?" He asks with a teasing grin.
"I- Uh... I'm good!" Your words come out in jumbled stutters, your cheek a blazing red and your knees wobbly.
"One last kiss?" Hanma cheekily smiles and pokes his cheek. You would've backed away, utterly flustered, if he didn't hold you against him by your waist.
"Fine." You mutter shyly with your hands on his shoulders.
Hanma grins when you peck his cheek lightly before turning his head.
"You can't do that!" You shout and point at him when his lips touch your own.
"Oh, shush! I'll do whatever I please." Hanma smirks and drags you back into the kiss.
And what the fuck do you do? You let him.
His large hand holds the back of your waist so you were as close to him as possible. You cup his neck gently, your thumbs rubbing against his cheeks. the sun was a paid actor, shining down on the two of you from behind the tree you stood under. It was so warm, almost overpowering the warmth of his hand and chest.
Good lord, was Hanma weak at the knees.
Homeboy thought he was going to pass out. Your lips were as soft as he had imagined. Though your hands were a little rough, they fit perfectly around his neck where he started to heat up against his will. And holy shit, you smelt so nice.
But, like every other man, he wanted more.
It was taking him everything not to add his tongue into the kiss, to ruin the sweet moment. He wanted to throw you onto his lap and drive you back to his place where he'd hold you for all of eternity.
He was beyond thrilled at the concept. So thrilled, in fact, that he felt as though he never wanted to see Kisaki ever again. That he just wanted to stay in this moment, with the girl he adored, forever.
But, we all know that wouldn't be able to happen.
Alas, Hanma pulls back with a delighted smile.
"Call me when you get home safely." He whispers while his hand rises from your back to your head. He pulls you in to peck your forehead.
Too shocked to say anything, you simply nod your head with a baffled stare.
"Bye, beautiful." He sings with a lovestruck wave.
"Bye, Shuji." You mumble, returning a shy version of the gesture.
Your eyes trail after his smiling, beaming, figure and watched him dash around the corner.
As soon as he left your sight, you felt a sudden emptiness fill your chest.
You lowered your hand to your side where you could still feel his much larger one wrapped around. Your back tingled, where he held you so tightly and protectively. And your lips, god damn, they burned.
"Kya~" You squeal, cupping the sides of your face and kicking one of your legs up.
"Oh, how cute." An old lady who was walking by smiles to herself. A younger woman, who one might assume to be her daughter, stands next to her and happily nods her head. An odd warmth filled the two strangers, having witnessed a young couple fearlessly present their love in public.
"I love young couples. So cute and so precious." The old woman chuckles as the younger pushes her away from you by her wheelchair.
By now, you were frozen in your position, your eyes wide upon hearing that woman's conversation.
"Oh my fucking god... I forgot we're in public." You whisper to yourself.
Suddenly thinking that the best idea was to run off to fangirl in your own bedroom or over facetime with Taiga or Miguel, you rush towards your motorbike and start up the engine.
You roll your eyes when you realise that Taiga will just groan and tell you to shut up for making him feel single. Or, he'd gag and throw up in his own hands since he's sort of friends with Hanma.
However, whilst you were driving off and mentally fangirling, you failed to see the group of boys huddling around a window of a nearby shop.
"Oh shit! He did it." Rindou gasps into his hand.
"I don't really like him... But get the girl, Hanma!" Shion cheers with his fists above his head. Kakucho grins slightly and nods his head, pleased with the scene that had just unfolded in front of them.
"I hate couples. They make me feel so single." Ran sighs glumly.
"Maybe if you fixed your hair and entire fucking face, you could get one chic. If you're lucky, that is." Mochi sneers.
"LOOK WHO'S TALKING!" Ran shouts at him.
"Oi! Shut up!" The old woman of a shopkeeper snaps at them from across the store. The boys immediately raise their hands and nod their heads.
"Your grandma is scary, Mochi." Shion whispers. The said boy rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
"No, she isn't she's just a huge gori-AH!" He begins, only to get hit over the head by a frying pan.
"I'm a WHAT, Mochi?" The old woman yells at him.
"Huh?! I didn't say anythin'!"
"Spit it out, you pussy!"
"What?!"
"OH! Mochi's getting OWNED!"
"Shut the fuck up! You look like rip-off Lagoona Blue!"
"EXCUSE ME?!"
Izana sighs as he watches you drive off from behind the window. Mochi continues to bicker with the youngest Haitani, even as the sun draws closer to the horizon.
The teenager couldn't explain it, not to the boys surrounding him at least... but he was enraged with the scene that just took place.
He didn't like the way Hanma gazed at you with such awe and lust. Nor did he enjoy the way Hanma touched you.
But, what he couldn't explain the most, was why he felt so interested in you. Your voice sounded so familiar, as did your face.
But every time you spoke, you sounded so far away, despite being mere meters away from him. When you smiled, it felt like he was watching nothing more than a sad memory.
He also felt as though there was a line drawn between the two of you. One so strong and so tight that if he were to pull it, even just the slightest, you would come flying towards him.
But, why did he feel so connected to you?
"What did you say her name was?" Izana speaks up, causing Rindou and Mochi's argument to cease.
"( Y/n ), ( L/n ) ( Y/n )." Kakucho informs him without a second thought.
Izana only hums thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing at where you had just stood with Hanma seconds ago.
"( Y/n )..."
━━━━ ❰·☠︎︎·❱ ━━━━
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER:
The breeze was calm and warm for a late afternoon in Tokyo. The sun was getting closer to the horizon, almost grazing against it.
Yet, here you sat, on the riverbank. Where you first met Kisaki Tetta.
You had gotten distracted by the sudden feeling of loneliness on your way home. Hanma had left once more to side with your enemy and you had already begun to doubt him.
What if Hanma lied just to kiss you? What if that kiss was to convince you that he was telling the truth? What if he changed his mind and decides to stay with Kisaki forever?
What if you had to fight him?! You couldn't imagine doing such a thing.
You hug your knees to your chest as the thought of having to hurt someone you care about settles into your head.
"( L/n )-san?"
Your body jolts, the hairs on the back of your neck stand at attention. You spin around to meet curious aqua eyes.
"Seishu-chan? What are you doing here?" You ask the blonde boy who stands behind you. He was dressed in casual attire. His outfit consisted of a pair of large black cargo pants and a brown oversized button up shirt over an off-white turtle neck.
He smiles softly at the glimmer in your beady eyes. Your eyes intently watch him lower himself to sit beside you, his arms draped over his knees.
"No reason. What's up with you?" Inui asks. He turns his head to watch you sigh and burrow your nose into your forearms.
"Nothing. Just tired." You raise your eyes to smile weakly. His eyebrows knit together.
"I know we aren't close... But you can talk to me. If you want." Inui awkward shrugs the last sentence off. Your smile turns soft before fading into a frown.
"What do you do when you realise there are people your... friend would rather be around over you?" You murmur.
His eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"What?" He whispers. When he witnesses your face dig deeper into your arms and your jaw clench, he instantly regrets his words.
"Nothing. It was just a stupid question anyway!" You lift your chin to laugh. Your lips stretch into a wide smile and your eyes close, faking glee.
Inui frowns as you rise to your feet.
"Well! I've got to get going! Manjiro will be wondering where I am." You sigh as you pat the dirt off your skirt.
"Sit back down." Inui demands as a cold hand grabs your wrist and pulls you back into your seated position.
Your eyes snap up to watch Inui examine your surprised face.
"What was that for?" You huff, now frustrated at the way he violently jerked your wrist. His pale, long, and bony fingers unlatch from you and return to his pockets.
"I didn't mean to be rude. I was just surprised by the sudden question. Give me a second to think of an answer." He says before humming and cupping his chin.
You owlishly blink at the beautiful boy who stares up at the passing clouds.
Your lips curve tenderly, a giggle threatening to escape your lips once you catch sight of the look in his eyes showing that he was deep in thought.
But he wasn't. In fact, the answer was at the tip of his tongue.
Then again, he had been repeating these very words to himself in front of the mirror. Every day.
"There's nothing you can do about it."
You continue to silently blink at the boy who turns to smile kindly at you.
"There's nothing I can do?" You murmur. Inui nods his head.
"Nothing. You can't change the way people see you, you know? Unless you kill their whole family or something." Inui cracks a smile at his own joke.
You chuckle with him, subconsciously swaying towards him.
"But I can though. I can change who I am, right? Do you think he'd want to be around me more if I begin smoking or something?" You whisper the last question under your breath. But, Inui still hears you and gives you a mortified expression in response.
"What? Who the hell is this dude?" You jolt when you hear the edge in his tone. You wave your hands around, claiming they were just a friend.
"Still, you shouldn't change the way you are." He smiles.
Unknown to him, his hand rises to brush a strand of hair behind your ear.
"There'll be people out there that prefer this version of you over any other. One person isn't worth changing for, anyway." Inui's smile grows, his eyes curving gently.
Your eyes however, were wide as fuck and your jaw was on the floor.
Inui's fingertips caress your burning skin as he pushes more hair behind your ear.
Marry me. Right now. You mentally scream at the smiling boy.
Well, he was smiling. That was before he realised what he was doing.
"Shit! Sorry." His neck burns a deep pink as he retracts his hand and shoves it into the depths of his pocket.
You both silently rock back and forth, glancing in opposite directions with bright blushes and pursed lips.
Now what? You ask yourself, fighting the urge to sprint away squealing.
I'm gonna kill myself. Inui mentally declares, his actions finally dawning upon him. He internally throws his hands onto his face and screams loudly.
"So... um..." You begin to twiddle your thumbs, your feet tapping the ground rapidly. Inui immediately snaps out of his thoughts and gives you his full attention.
"Thanks." You smile at him.
His eyes widen slightly before he returns the gesture.
"No problem." He says as he pulls out his phone.
You curiously watch the male stand up, pushing himself up by his knees. He extends a hand down to you.
"I've still got some time to spare. If you're willing to come along, I'm looking for a companion to join me for some ice cream?" Inui asks, his smile unmoving.
You glance down at his awaiting hand, then back at him. The setting sun casts his pale skin into a gold hue, his scar appearing darker than usual.
"Well, I can't pass up the chance to eat ice cream." You beam and take his hand. He chuckles and pulls you to your feet where you brush the dirt off your pants.
He releases your hand as you guide him to your bike.
"Hop on! You can guide the way." You smile as you take your place on the vehicle. You pat the spare room on the seat behind you.
Inui awkwardly sits behind you, scooting so close to you that your back was pressed against his chest.
"Let's go!" You cheer as you start up your engine and take off down the road, leaving nothing but a trail of dust.
"You're shouting, right?" You grin back at him.
A large sweatdrop slips down the side of his face.
"Fine."
"FUCK YEAH‼️"
━━━━ ❰·☠︎︎·❱ ━━━━
THE NEXT DAY:
LOCATION: Sano Household
The wind was calm and warm for a morning at the Sano household. The curtains in every room, but one, was pulled back to allow the warm sunlight in. The sound of sizzling bacon and eggs fills the kitchen and living area. Emma stands behind the stove, frying pan in hand and spatula in the other.
"Grandpa! Wake up Mikey and ( N/n )!" Emma calls to the old man seated at the dining table. He holds the newspaper in his hands, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
Her hair was swept into a low ponytail, draped over her shoulder and tied by a pink scrunchie. She wore a large ( f/c ) jumper over a white shirt and a short black skirt that ended high at her thighs. Over her cute outfit, she wore a pink apron with adorable frills around the edges that tied into two large bows, one behind her back and the other around her neck.
Grandpa Sano rises to his feet with a soft hum and exits the room to find you and Mikey.
Five minutes later, the two of you drowsily entered the room. You rub your eyes with the back of your hand before yawning loudly. You had brushed your hair and chucked on a large pair of pants. Your shirt was nearly slipping off your shoulder. Then again, it wasn't even yours. You had stolen it from Taiga so it was three sizes too big for you.
At your side, stood Mikey. His hair was nothing more than a messy jungle of blonde locks. His eyelids were drooping over his tired black irises and his mouth hangs agape. His pyjamas swallowed his small figure, making him appear as tiny as a toddler. And let's not forget his blanket which he held securely in his left hand.
"You're both late!" Emma scolds the two of you as you stumble into the dining area. You plop onto your seat, beside Emma and across from Mikey.
"Food." You both murmur in sync, your mouths watering at the smell of the bacon and eggs.
"Mornin' ( G/n )." You greet the old man with a smile. His eyes wrinkle at their corners as he smiels brightly.
"Morning, ( N/n )! Mikey!" He cheerfully responds.
"Here you go, ( Y/n )." Emma slides you a plate of bacon ( or just toast if you can't eat bacon ) accompanied with two eggs.
"Thanks." You smile before snatching a knife and fork and shoving the food into your mouth.
"Emma... I told you to flip my sunny-side up eggs and crush it, right?" Mikey mumbles as he points at his plate. His sister scoffs and drinks from her cup.
"How about you do it yourself?" She snaps.
"Pass me the shoyuu~" Mikey tiredly demands while kneading the blanket in his hands between his fingers.
"God, throw that away already! You've been kneading it since you were a kid!" Emma scolds him, glaring at the thick piece of fabric.
"No. This is my whole life." Mikey responds.
"Did you sleep well, ( Y/n )?" ( G/n ) asks you, flicking the newspaper lightly. You hum and nod through the mouthful of food.
"How've you been feeling after you wake up? You been having any nightmares?" He asks. You shake your head happily.
"What about your memories? Have they started returning?" ( G/n ) asks.
"Jeez, Gramps. Stop interregating her." Mikey sleepily chuckles. You swallow your food and shake your head.
"No worries, Manjiro. Yeah, they've been coming back, slowly and steady." You smile at the satisfied man.
"Don't boss me around, brat." ( G/n ) snaps his head towards Mikey and strikes him over the head.
You and Emma laugh as Mikey whines. However, all laughter ceases when the sound of a motorbike's engine enters the property.
You and Emma both glance at each other as you both recognise who it belonged to.
"MIKEY! I'M HERE!" A familiar and deep voice shouts from outside. Mikey leans back in his chair and shouts at the door.
"Go wait in my room, Ken-chin!" Mikey replies with a lot of bacon in his mouth.
"I met Takemichi just now! I'll bring him along, alright?" Draken shouts back as he leads the said blonde around the front of the house.
"Okay!" Takemichi hears Mikey's distant call as he follows Draken towards a small shed.
"Woah! So this is Mikey's house and where ( Y/n ) stays." Takemichi sighs as he admires the traditional Japanese architecture. The arched tiled roofs, wrap-around wooden walkways and sliding doors contributed to forming a grand house that shone under the light of the early morning sun.
"This is Mikey's room." Draken says as they stop in front of the shed. Two familiar bikes sat in front of the entrance, yours and Mikey's.
"Ohhh! It's in another building!" Takemichi gasps, studying the metal structure.
"Yeah. It used to be Shinichiro's garage where he'd tinker his bikes all the time." Draken grins as he opens the door. A memory of him and Mikey sitting on old tires, watching the black-haired man crouch in front of his bike, flashes before his eyes.
"I see." Takemichi smiles, finding it kind of cute.
"Me and Mikey would always watch Shinichiro work. He never got tired, I tell ya." Draken chuckles as they enter the old garage.
"Woah! Mikey-kun's room is so cool!" Takemichi smiles as he marvels at the interior. Draken hums as he sits on the couch, stretching his arms over the back and crossing his leg.
"His stuff is kinda mature, isn't it?" Takemichi thinks aloud, under his breath. He takes his spot on the ground, crossing his legs like a little kid.
"Well, most of it is Shinichiro's stuff." Draken tells him.
"I only own the bed." A new voice enters the scene.
"AHHHHH! Oh, hey Mikey! What are you doing here?" Takemichi screams before grinning at his friend.
"It's still the morning. Don't be so loud." A tick mark slaps the side of Mikey's face as he grimaces.
━━━━ ❰·☠︎︎·❱ ━━━━
"I see... Kurokawa Izana..." Mikey murmurs to himself as he sits on his couch. He sits with both his arms and legs crossed.
Takemichi continues to sit on the floor after he had informed Mikey about Kurokawa Izana. Draken huffs a sigh through his nose as he stares at the ceiling.
"So, that was him the other day?" Mikey asks before hissing under his breath.
"Not so hard, ( N/n )!" Mikey whines.
"Oops! Sorry." You giggle as you continue to comb his hair, his hair tie in between your teeth.
"Thanks, ( N/n )." He smiles up at you after you tie his hair into his signature hairstyle.
"No worries." You beam.
"Huh?! You've already met him?" Draken asks the short delinquent. Mikey nods his head and narrows his eyes at the ground.
A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO:
The chilly breeze sweeps over Tokyo's harbour port where a lone boy sits on the barrier separating the road from the water. The drop from where he sat wasn't so bad, but the water was choppy and gave a dark and fearsome impression.
Mikey sat with his legs crossed. His hair was tied up per usual and his jacket was zipped all the way up to his chin, his black hood hugging the back of his head. He silently raises his snack to eye level.
A fish-shaped biscuit.
"Are you running away to the sea too?" He asks the fish after staring at it in silence.
"Yes! Blob... Blob Blob." Mikey sways the biscuit from side to side while dropping his voice to mock what he'd imagine a fish would sound like.
"Hey, Taiyaki-kun~... How did that end again?" A new person enters the scene, appearing by Mikey's side.
Mikey turns to scan the person up adn down, his eyes widening at their entrance.
The male before him sat with one leg bent up, his arm draped over it. His brown skin was healthy and glowing, as were his purple eyes. His silky white hair was neatly cut to end just past the tip of his ears. The long white coat he wore wrapped around his muscular body while his black scarf hugged his neck snuggly over a pair of black pants and shoes.
"Who knows? I forgot. Who are you?" Mikey replies, arching a brow at the male who rotates his body to drop off the top of the barrier.
Mikey couldn't explain it, but he was interested in this man. The way he managed to sneak up on him so quietly and take a seat next to him. The mysterious aura that surrounded him. The sound of his shoes tapping against the concrete as he begins walking away from Mikey. The way his eyes didn't move as he turns to smile at him from over his shoulder.
Everything about this guy disturbed Mikey.
"Kurokawa Izana." Izana introduces himself before turning his gaze towards the bike that sat behind Mikey. The paint shone under the sun, winking at the older male.
"Nice motorcycle." Izana's eyes close as he smiles and places his clenched hands in his pockets.
Mikey watches Izana turn his head away from him, staring ahead as he walks off.
"See you soon." Izana's voice drops into a deviously low tone. There was no hiding the snarky edge in his voice as he lowers his head. A shadow is cast over his threatening smile, his eyes wide and smile ceshire like.
Alas, this wasn't seen by Mikey, for only a question mark sat atop the young leader's head.
━━━━ ❰·☠︎︎·❱ ━━━━
"So... He's Tenjiku's captain." Mikey murmurs as you sit next to him, in between him and Draken.
"He was the Black Dragon's eighth captain, and now Tenjiku." Draken tilts his head back to stare at the ceiling.
"He must have a connection with big bro Shin." You hum, swaying from side to side slightly.
"Huh? What makes you say that?" Takemichi asks. You glance at Draken who meets your eyes, then you both turn to Mikey. Mikey nods his head.
"Takemichi, this conversation doesn't leave this room." Draken tells him with a serious glare. You nod your head, crossing your arms over your chest.
"Shinichiro-kun is the founding member of Black Dragon." Draken says.
"Ah..." Takemichi shrugs.
"Eh?! Shouldn't you be more surprised about that?!" You point at the clearly unbothered male. He jolts at your sudden rise in volume and the way you pointed at him. His eyes widen.
Crap! I found out about this from the future! I haven't even had a chance to fill ( Y/n ) in. Takemichi thinks to himself.
"Ah! No! It's just that I- I was so shocked that my voi-" Takemichi begins to explain with his arms flailing all over the place.
"Well, whatever~ The only people that know are me, Manjiro, Keisuke and... I'm assuming Ken." You point at Draken with your thumb.
"Great guess, genius." Draken sarcastically smirks at you.
"Shut up, baldy!"
"WHAT?!"
"We kept it a secret though, since Kazutora got into trouble with the Black Dragon." Mikey informs Takemichi, ignoring the fact that you and Draken were quietly throwing playful insults at each other.
"Before I confronted the ninth captain of the Black Dragon, I talked to my brother." Mikey tells Takemichi.
TWO YEARS AGO:
"I see." A deep voice enters Manjiro's ears. It came from the man sitting on a stool on the sidewalk, outside his motorbike shop. He held a cigarette between his fingers as he spoke to his younger brother.
"So, you got in trouble with the Black Dragon, huh?" Shinichiro chuckles when younger Mikey tells him that the gang isn't as cool anymore.
"Yeah, I know. since the eighth generation... things have changed." Shinichiro sighs a small cloud of smoke. Mikey tilts his head at the melancholic glint in his brother's eyes.
"Black Dragon was everything to me..." Shinchiro gazes up at the sky.
"Do whatever you want, Manjiro. I want you to take over the Black Dragon." Shinichiro lowers his chin to smile at his dwarf of a brother.
PRESENT TIME:
"So, the person who corrupted the Black Dragon was the eighth generation's captain, Kurokawa Izana!" Draken concludes.
"Wow! Good job! I knew you'd have a big brain behind that big as forehead!" You cheer and clap your hands.
"You little shit!" Draken turns to shout at you. You cry out when he "lightly" punches you in the head.
So they're connected! It's all beginning to make sense. Takemichi gasps as the door opens.
"Okay, guys, I've brought you all some tea." Emma announces as she enters with a tray of cups of hot tea.
Your lips snap shut and you gratefully take a cup from Emma. While no one was watching, you tilt your cup downwards and let large drips of boiling tea fall onto Draken's thigh.
"AHHH! FUCK!" He screams, jolting and jumping away from you.
"What's his problem?" Mikey asks you as you giggle at the blonde boy clutching his thigh and cursing.
"I have no clue. Maybe they should send him off to the ward." You stick your tongue at him when he turns to glare at you.
"Fuck you." He spits at you.
"Please don't." You smile, eyes closed and teeth shining.
"Mikey! Do something about her!" Draken says. Sadly, his pleas fall on silent ears and he realised this when Mikey silently turns his head in the opposite direction.
"Kurokawa Izana... Just who the hell is he?" Takemichi thinks to himself as Emma crouches to hand him his cup of tea. She perks up at the familiar name and blurts out her answer without a second thought.
"My brother." She speaks.
You stop drinking. Draken stops hissing about his thigh. Mikey stops breathing altogether.
"What?" You awkwardly break the nearly endless silence.
"Like I said, he's my brother." Emma looks up at you with confused eyes.
You all turn to Mikey.
"BACK! THE FUCK! UP!" You shout while doing hand motions and everything.
"Then Mikey..." Takemichi turns to find the blonde pointing at his own face.
"Come on Mikey! I've told you so many times because he's your half-brother!" Emma scolds him, shaking her head and everything.
"My original name was Kurokawa and I have a brother with that last name!" Emma huffs and places her hands on her hips.
"Eh... Really?" Mikey dumbly smiles, bullshitting his way through the awkward conversation.
"Emma-chan," Takemichi calls to the girl.
"Yeah?" She tilts her head as she speaks to him.
"Do you remember anything about him?" Emma shakes her head before telling him that the last time she saw him was when she was three. Slightly disappointed, Takemichi nods his head and stares up at the window.
"But, he seemed really close with big bro Shin." Emma's face melts into a warm smile.
"Eh?" Takemichi murmurs.
"Big bro Shin?" You curiously repeat her words.
"Huh? Why are the two of them..." Draken narrows his eyes at the blonde girl who stands up and heads towards the back door.
"Wait here, alright?" Emma hums as she leaves.
"Oi." Draken sighs and shakes his head.
"I saw that." You glance at him from the corner of your eye. He raises an eyebrow, questioning what you're talking about. But, he instantly regrets it when you smirk against your cup.
"I saw you staring at her ass." You giggle s you whisper to him, being sure that Mikey didn't hear.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Draken scoffs and turns his head away.
"Don't worry~ I won't tell." Your smirk widens before it drops altogether.
"Don't do it again though." You command with a sinister glare, narrowing your eyes into dangerous slits.
Draken only silently returns to drinking the remaining tea from his cup.
"I'm back! Ta~da~" She sings as she plops onto the ground with a square tin container.
"A tin box? What's inside?" You ask as you all form a circle on the floor. Emma lifts the lid to reveal a series of large piles of letters tied in sections with old strings and ribbons.
"You're meaning to tell us that all of these are from Kurokawa Izana?" Takemichi gasps at the large size of the container and the even larger number of letters.
"I've never read them, but look at all of these letters! I'm pretty sure they got along well!" Emma smiles, clearly delighted that two ofo her three brothers were so close to each other. Even if they were never that close with her.
"Say what you wanna. This shit is creepy. What do you think, ( Y/n )?" Draken says as he flicks through the letters.
"Cute but.. yeah, kinda creepy." You say as you read one of the letters in your hand.
Your eyes widen when you read what's written.
Dear Shinichiro,
Today I had a killer headache, worse than usual. The medication isn't helping and I still don't know who is sending it to me. I also had this terrible nightmare of me getting strapped down to a chair by this guy I never met before. Then, he put a huge helmet on my head and he was laughing weirdly.
But, it's just a dream and everyone knows that they aren't real LOL!
Your lips tremble into a deep grimace at the description of a dream that was all too familiar to you. Only it was real.
With one glance at the three people around you, you slipped the letter into the belt of your pants when they weren't looking. You needed to show this to your dad.
"So, found anything interesting?" Emma speaks up first. You shake your head.
"Seems like he's just talking about his daily life."
"This is probably the first letter he sent." Draken whispers as he reads the contents.
"Dear, Shinichiro-sama. Thank you for visiting me." Draken begins to read aloud, only for his eyes to narrow.
"I'm so happy to hear that I have a family."
You couldn't help but frown deeply, your heart thumping.
"I wonder how he knew about Izana." Draken whispers. You hum and tear your gaze away from Draken to watch Mikey frown at the letter in his hand.
"I see now." Mikey sighs as he stands up and turns away.
"Manjiro?" You call to him as he walks towards the door.
"I'm going out for some fresh air." He tells you before disappearing out the door.
"What's up with him?" Takemichi asks, not aware that Draken found the letter he was reading until he picks it up and begins reading out loud.
"Dear Shinichiro," He begins, "Lately, I've been having a lot of headaches... It must be his fault."
You head spins to watch Draken's expression turn sour, your eyes wide.
"Please stop talking about Manjiro."
"Shit." Takemichi mutters.
"Kurokawa Izana was separated from his family at a young age and the first person he meets from his family is Shinichiro-kun." Draken turns to examine your anxoius expression. He knew you know what he was going to say next.
"And since big bro Shin was the only support he had... I doubt he has positive thoughts of Manjiro." You frown. Draken nods, showing Takemichi that he was thinking the exact same thing.
"Then again... Shinichiro let Izana take over the Black Dragon... but then said he left it to Mikey... I wonder what Izana would thiknk of that." Takemichi sighs.
"Jealousy?" Emma finally decides to join in. Though, she almost too uncomfortable to join in upon finding out the hidden conflict between her brothers.
"Yeah. He'll be holding a great amount of jealousy towards Mikey. A grudge, maybe." You speak.
"I also just realised something..." Draken begins, he raises his head to show Takemichi his serious, grim, expression.
"During the battle where Toman was formed, the ninth Black Dragon captain said something." Draken's eyebrows crease at their centre and his frown deepens.
"We'll carry on the Eighth gen's will." Draken says. "That's what he said."
"Eh? But the eighth generation's captain was Izana." Takemichi points out. Draken nods his head.
"Exactly. Then, the ninth generation involved themselves with Kazutora. So, out of jealousy, what if Kurokawa Izana planned to ruin Mikey from there on?" Draken explains.
"So, you're suggesting that this whole conflict is because of Kurokawa Izana's grudge towards Manjiro?" You lean back on your two hands. Draken nods his head for the 82472984th time.
"And then after Shinichiro died, he made Tenjiku and brought them here to destroy his own younger brother!" Takemichi gasps, horrified that someone would do such a thing.
"Shit... What a mess." You grumble, placing a hand on your forehead.
"You sure you can handle it?" You turn to narrow your eyes at the time traveller. His own eyes widen at your deadly serious expression. The look in your eyes reminded him of the night before, twelve years in the future, where you had stood before him.
With your hands wrapped around Izana's arm.
"( Y/n )-chan... I've been meaning to ask you something." Takemichi begins. Your expression dissolves into a curious one.
"How do you know Kurokawa Izana?"
"Huh?" You ask, your throat running dry and eyes widening.
"Huh? You know him?" Draken asks you. Glancing at him once, you shake your head.
"I haven't met him.. yet. Why?" You ask Takemichi who feels his eyes widen.
"I could've sworn I saw you two together." He says without thinking. Draken and Emma feel their eyes widen as they turn to you.
"You're wrong. You must have me mixed up with someone else." You tell him before swallowing a thick lump of saliva.
"Maybe..." Takemichi shakes his head, holding the sides of it.
They can't have met each other yet then... But they must meet sometime soon for them to be so close in the future. Takemichi thinks to himself as you relax in your seated position.
You throw him a sharp glare while arching a brow. He gulps and silently tells you that he'll inform you later.
You shrug it off, but, the feeling of the letter brushing against your bare torso causes you to freeze.
Then again, what was written disturbed you deeply. But you had only read the first few sentences.
If only you had read further, you would've seen something that will soon make your heart leap into your throat and your stomach churn.
By the way, Shinichiro... there is this girl in my dream who's always there.
Do you know a girl called ( Y/n )?
yo mama so fat, when dracula sucked all her blood, he got fuckin diabetes
anyways listen to Everything She Wants by Wham! cause its a fuckin bop