if this chapter is confusing, i am so sorry. 😭,, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!
The moon was high above the sky, however blocked by the numerous clouds that were present. From the looks of it, Hanma Shuji could only presume that it was going to be raining soon, although he didn't know when exactly. It was night, somewhere between 9 and 11 pm, and Shuji was currently on his way to pick up a certain mole-faced boy that Shuij knows and adores.
A cigarette was clasped between his fingers, taking in the addictive nicotine between his lips before breathing out a puff of smoke. He wanted to hurry up and finish his cigarette before arriving at the Hanemiya boy's house, not really wanting it to get in the way of any conversation that the two might have. Once he was done with it, he dropped it onto the concrete sidewalk before stomping on it with his foot, putting out the flames before continuing his walk.
If Shuji was being honest with himself, he was pretty excited about seeing Kazutora again. In Shuji's eyes, he had successfully managed to cheer Kazutora up during their morning through noon trip to Roppongi. Plus, Shuij had an amazing time with him, ten out of ten would hang out with him again.
Shuji was still in the process of figuring out how he felt for the black-haired boy, but what he did know was that he felt no negative thoughts about him. Sure, he was annoyed by the fact that Kazutora had originally doubted Shuji's genuineness of wanting to be friends with him, but this was a process to gain his trust, right? Things like that took time, and although Shuji is an impatient man, that didn't mean that he didn't understand at least some basic concepts in the emotional field that he was, once again, completely inexperienced with.
Sheepishly smiling, Shuji had now arrived at the Hanemiya family's residence, sneaking around the corner of their house in order to reach the bedroom window that belonged to none other than Kazutora. Quickly peeking inside, Shuji discovered that it was completely dark, with no visible sign of the Hanemiya boy being awake at all. Maybe he's laying down in bed? It was a reasonable answer to Shuji's query, but after quickly trying to open the window, Shuji's brows furrowed at the realization that it was locked. Stepping back, Shuji frowned. Did he lie to me? It was the only thought that coursed through his mind, finding no other explanation that could clarify the situation.
Shuji sure as hell wasn't happy with this thought, so he instead chose to brush it away, thinking that maybe Kazutora had just forgotten to unlock the window. Yeah, maybe if I just knock... knocking on the window, Shuji listens for any movement, and after waiting for a few long minutes, Shuji feels frustrated that he couldn't hear anything. Hurt, even. He had come all this way just to see Kazutora, only to find out that he was either not there or just not responding to him? Maybe Shuji shouldn't jump to conclusions too soon, so, with one final ray of hope, Shuji turned to leave, heading straight towards The Headless Angels' abandoned arcade, hoping to find him there.
But he wasn't. Kazutora wasn't at Valhalla's base even though he said that he would attend the meeting that night. Shuji balled up his fists as he clenched his teeth, doing his best to ignore the chatting of his fellow Valhalla members. He wasn't happy about this at all. Disappointed and upset, but what's he supposed to do about it? Nothing, for now. At least until he runs into him again.
I can't believe he lied to me, thought Shuji, but what was I expecting?
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It was now morning.
Kazutora was still asleep, exhaustion taking its toll the day before after he was treated for his concussion. He had forced himself to stay awake until the doctors gave him the okay, and honestly, his body really needed sleep— needed time to close his eyes so that his brain could naturally replenish its system. He was put back on his medications that Y/N had attempted to avoid taking, along with extra pills to help his concussion. Luckily, it wasn't severe enough to lead to permanent damage, but it wasn't in any way minor.
The fifteen-year-old teenager was allowed to sleep in, waking up around 9am before the doctors walked in to wake him up. He wouldn't be going to school for a week, the doctors told him, saying that he needed rest and to keep track of his medications. Apparently not taking them for a few days was noticeable in the blood tests that they took, although Y/N still doesn't know what they were for. Y/N wanted to ask why, but they didn't want anyone to assume that they were an amnesiac or having memory problems if Kazutora couldn't remember such a vital thing in his life. But then again, he could always blame juvie and say that they never actually told them what they were for?
Liking that solution, Kazutora spoke up before the doctor had the chance to leave his room, "What are the medications for? You know, the ones that I've been taking even while I was in juvie."
The doctor raised a brow, turning to face him once more, "They are to help stabilize your bipolar disorder, Mr.Hanemiya. Were you not informed of this?"
Kazutora slowly shook his head, thoughts racing in his mind upon receiving the information that Y/N was looking for, "No, no one told me anything about it. The nurse at juvie just gave it to me every morning. If they did tell me, then I probably don't remember. It's been a very long time."
"Ah, well now you know. I'm sorry that the communication wasn't clear with you." The doctor promptly apologized in the nurse's stead, giving a short bow. "Do you have any other questions?"
"No, sir. Thank you." Kazutora replied, concluding their conversation from there.
The doctor nodded, raising his head, "Oh, and just to let you know, there will be an officer coming by soon to ask you a few questions." Noticing the worried expression that Kazutora gave, he continued, "But don't worry, you are not in trouble."
That's not what I'm worried about, Y/N thought, "Alright. Thanks for telling me." Kazutora's mom. What am I supposed to say about her?
The doctor soon left, giving Kazutora the privacy he needed as Y/N began to think about the two elephants in the room. One, Y/N supposed that Kazutora having bipolar disorder wasn't too off the charts, especially with his noted extreme highs and lows with his emotions. It would also explain why Y/N was uncharacteristically emotional these past few days, simply assuming that the suffocating feeling that they felt before was nothing more than a continuation or worse result of the feelings that they were undergoing the day before (back when they were still at school).
But was that really the case? Were the chemicals in Kazutora's brain affecting the way Y/N thinks and reacts? Was that why Y/N felt so oddly out of it, why they provoked Kazutora's mother to the point where she hit him with a full glass bottle? Y/N didn't know, nor were they too concerned about finding out the truth now. Y/N didn't want something like a bipolar disorder to get in their way of things, so obediently taking the medication even if they weren't 100% certain if it actually does anything for them was the best course of action right now. Experiment over.
Now, for the second elephant, what the fuck was Y/N supposed to say to the police officer once he or she gets here? Y/N, for once, didn't want to lie about what happened, seeing as they had no reason to really defend someone that, once again, they barely knew. At the same time, however, they still had a guilty conscience present in their mind, knowing that they might single-handedly destroy all of the built-up efforts Y/N has done in order to restore the relationship with Kazutora's mother. They wanted to have a better relationship because that's what they thought Kazutora deserved. He didn't deserve to be treated so horribly— to be neglected by his own mother— but what else could Y/N do?
Sitting in the room, Kazutora stared out of the window, watching the birds fly by and mess around on the ground below. He was on the second or third floor— Y/N doesn't remember— giving him enough height to observe the area in full. As time passed by slowly, Y/N felt bored without any entertainment, and they were honestly starting to miss Shuji.
Shuji was a great distractor in their life. He was a stable figure (as much as he could be, considering what kind of person he is) that kept Y/N's mind from wandering too far off from the present moment, keeping them grounded whilst at the same time enjoying the activities they shared together, that they indulged in for fun. Playing games with him at some arcade in Roppongi, Y/N recalls, is one example out of many that truly allowed them to relax. But, of course, such relaxation would never last for long, leading to the situation that they were in now.
Technically, it was Shuji's fault. It was his fault that Kazutora broke out into an argument with his mother, his fault that Kazutora did not attend school the previous day. But did Y/N blame him for it, even though it technically was? No, because they knew that Shuji only held good intentions. Y/N knew that Shuji couldn't read the future, nor could he have predicted what would happen. Or at least Y/N hoped that Shuji cared enough to do it for him.
So Y/N forgave him, not that they needed to in the first place.
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A few days before, shortly after Keisuke returned home when he had dropped Kazutora off at his house.
"Hey, Keisuke," his mother called out. They were sitting together at the dinner table, eating the food that Ryoko had made. "Are you sure about him?"
"About who?" Keisuke asked, setting down his spoon on a napkin. If he didn't have basic table manners, then the woman in front of him would scold him.
"Kazutora, obviously. Are you sure about being friends with him again?" She asked, this time rewording her question. "I'm not against it or anything, I just want to know what you think of him."
Keisuke thought about it for a moment before responding, "Just because he's made some mistakes in his life, doesn't mean I'm gonna stop being friends with him. We were just kids." That's truly what Keisuke believed, "I can tell that he feels guilty, and he's been working on bettering himself I think. So I just need to stay by his side and support him."
"You're still a kid, Keisuke my boy, but that's a rather mature way to view it. I'm proud of you— both of you." Ryoko smiled at her son, radiating nothing but warmth.
Keisuke acting so mature about something was completely unusual, but just because he was a naturally chaotic person, doesn't mean that he can't sit down at times and really think. He was academically an idiot, but that didn't mean that he failed in other aspects of his life. Kazutora was an important person in his life, and the things that they went through together left a permanent mental scar on both of them.
"I will do my best, too, even if I'm just some old woman," Ryoko added.
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Back to the present moment.
"I'm going to need to ask you a few questions, and I'm going to need you to answer them honestly." Said the male police officer, who sat in a chair near Hanemiya's bedside. He was holding a yellow legal pad and pen, patiently waiting for Kazutora to compose himself.
"Alright..." Kazutora let out, fidgeting with the white sheets that covered him. He was sitting up straight, wearing a hospital gown that one of the doctors gave him the previous evening.
"So, I've been informed that you skipped school yesterday. Can you tell me why?" It was an easy subject to start with, the police officer thinking that if he were to start there, then he would eventually be able to build up a conversation that led to the domestic issue.
Kazutora briefly explained, "I decided to be a bit rebellious after being grounded for a while, and I was stressed out with school. I skipped in order to give myself a break."
The officer was writing down notes as he talked, "Was anyone with you?"
"I did eventually meet up with a friend, but he had nothing to do with my decisions." A half-truth, as Y/N didn't want to bring Shuji into their mess.
"Alright. Can you tell me what happened when you came home?"
This was the question that Y/N was waiting for. Breathing in and out, Kazutora hesitantly spoke, "Please promise me that you won't get my mom in trouble. She didn't mean it."
"Sonny, I can't promise you anything. Now I need you to tell me what happened. Take as much time as you need." The officer responded, as he legally could not keep such promises depending on what Kazutora said to him. For being such an old man, he sure was being patient with him. Maybe he worked as a School Resource Officer once upon a time?
Y/N didn't want to explain, but at the same time they needed to. Being in a situation where Kazutora was in danger was something that Y/N wanted to avoid if they intended to live a smooth course— not that they were about to get one, anyway.
Kazutora sighed before continuing, "Fine. I came home a couple of hours early before school was over. There was an hour left before mom had to go to work, so she was there when I arrived home."
"And then what happened?"
"She was drunk and scolded me like any parent would do." He paused, "But I provoked her. Said some mean things, and, well, you can guess what happened next."
A few more notes were written down, "Has this happened before?"
"First it happened since I was released from juvie."
"And you were released about a month or so ago?"
"Yup," Kazutora confirmed, popping the 'p,' "haven't been a free man for long."
"What about the time before juvie. What was your home life like then?" Wow. This police officer was really testing him, casually getting on Y/N's nerves with each question he voiced.
Y/N understood that these kinds of questions were important in order for him to have a full understanding of the situation, but that didn't mean that they liked it. "Do I really need to tell you?"
"Yes, Mr.Hanemiya."
Kazutora released an 'ugh,' already tired of this. "My dad was abusive and drank his butt off nearly every day. Mom eventually divorced him and took me with her."
"Yes, that was mentioned in your documents, but that happened when you were much younger. I need to know what happened when it was just you and your mother living together. Please do not avoid the question." Despite taking such a direct approach, the officer was incredibly patient, keeping a gentle tone with each word he said.
Y/N was stumped. What exactly were they supposed to say? They didn't know what Kazutora's home life was like, so they didn't actually have anything to say about it. "I don't want to talk about it." Because that's all Y/N could say.
"Mr.Hanemiya, I'm sure you understand that your situation is..." The officer continued, doing his best to persuade the fifteen-year-old to tell him the information that he needed to know. But nothing that he said could sway Y/N, who persisted with the "I don't want to talk about it" answer. The conversation was honestly starting to become overwhelming for Y/N, especially since they just went through a traumatic experience with Kazutora's mother.
Patient, direct, and held a gentle voice. That's all the officer had going for him, being the insensitive prick he is. But maybe he wasn't insensitive, and that it was just Y/N overreacting inside of their headspace as they rushed to come up with answers, yet found none. "I don't know, I don't want to answer" was all that they could say; not realizing that they were digging themself into a deeper hole.
About twenty or so minutes later, the officer still could not get him to explain his home life, and he was feeling greatly concerned about it. He didn't know why Kazutora was hiding such vital information, and the older man could only come up with negative reasons for it. If a child had a good home life, wouldn't he or she say that they did? Why would Kazutora be trying to hide it if he did or did not have a good home life? Those were the thoughts that crossed the officer's mind, yet mentioned none of them.
"Where's my mom, anyway?" Kazutora inquired, crossing his arms the best he could with one of them wrapped in a cast.
"She was arrested some time after you arrived at the hospital." The cop answered.
"Was she at work when it happened?"
"Yes, Mr.Hanemiya. They arrested her at her workplace."
Well, that certainly would not look good on his mother's record. She probably would get fired, too, if she hasn't already for showing up late on the job in her drunken state.
"Is she going to be released soon?" Y/N prayed that she would be, but all of that hope came crashing down after listening to the detective officer's next response.
"The time of her release is uncertain. But do not worry, you are safe."
Protection— right now— was the least of Y/N's worries.
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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M BEING SEPARATED FROM MY MOM?" If Y/N knew this was going to happen, they wouldn't have said shit about Kazutora's mom being the cause of his concussion. But it was too late now, and Y/N's reluctance to speak about something that they don't even know about dug them into a deeper grave that they couldn't climb out of.
A few days passed, and Kazutora was now allowed to leave the hospital. Right now, however, he was currently sitting in the police station speaking with some lady that works with the Japanese Social Care, which is basically Japan's version of CPS that Y/N was accustomed to back in America during their last life.
"Hanemiya-san, please calm down." Said the social worker, exuding a sense of patience that Y/N had quickly grown to hate. It was just like that damn police officer, speaking in such a soft, sugar-coated way that honestly irked them. "You'll be staying at an orphanage temporarily until we can find a foster parent to take you in. This is for your own safety."
"But I'm not a fucking orphan. Just release my mom and everything will be fine. She was just stressed out, it won't happen again!" Y/N pleaded through the voice of Kazutora. Y/N in no way forgave his mom, but that didn't mean that they wanted to be thrown in the foster care system just because Japan's version of CPS got involved with their domestic violence.
"Allow me to stress that you are a minor living in an unsafe household. You will be able to see your mother again, but only after she agrees to commit herself to therapy and listen to professional consultants."
"You're the one fucking stressing me out!" Kazutora grumbled, sitting back in his chair. "I'm so tired of all of this bullshit."
"Language, Hanemiya-san."
"I am speaking Japanese, now leave me the fuck alone."
"I am afraid I cannot do that until you calm down. Now," the social worker dug through her bag, taking out a flip phone, "I have the phone that your mom got you. I am very sorry that you had to receive it this way." The phone company had called repeatedly to make sure that his mother was going to pick it up, but since she was behind bars, someone else had to do it for her. "I put my phone number in it so that way you can call me if you need help."
"I don't need your help, but.. thanks."
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Was it a smart idea to refuse to cooperate with the police? To refuse to calm down in the presence of a social worker? No, it absolutely was not. But Kazutora— or, well Y/N— just came out of a traumatic situation where Kazutora nearly suffered legitimate brain damage. They weren't in the right state of mind, nor were they content with anything that was happening. Everything was moving way too fast for their liking, and they hated it. They hated everything about this.
Kazutora. He didn't go through with any of this, did he? Why is it that these things only happened now that Y/N was living inside his body? What choices did they make that were so different from what the original Kazutora had chosen to do, that it abruptly led up to something like this? Those were questions that plagued Y/N's mind, their mental health deteriorating as each day went by. They were overly stressed, which was nowhere near healthy for the concussion that they were still recovering from, but it was as if no one around him actually cared enough to be considerate of how he felt.
Y/N felt alone and trapped, being forced to take those damned medications in order to keep his emotions in check. And Y/N hated that. After discovering what those pills were for, Y/N had quickly grown to detest them. They weren't bipolar, were they? No, they refused to believe that, because they weren't in their last life.
Breathing, Kazutora raked his fingers through his hair, sitting down in a moving vehicle on his way to whatever orphanage they were forcing him to stay at. Did he have any say in this? No. They chose for him— not giving him enough time to speak his own thoughts and say what he wanted to do. The car ride there was quiet, with Kazutora refusing to say a word. It was the same social worker from before that was driving him, who would every once in a while glance at him through the car's rear view mirror.
"I'm sorry that you are going through this," the social worker began, "but it really is for your own safety until we can figure out the scope of your situation. It is only temporary, I promise."
Kazutora said nothing, merely shooting her a glare that she could not see, as the driver's eyes were now focused on the busy road. The adult then continued after taking in his silence, "You'll be allowed to go to school as normal, but there will be someone driving you there since the orphanage is too far away for you to walk."
Silence again.
"I'm sure you'll make friends with the other kids."
Get along with other kids? Y/N internally scoffed. As if. They weren't in the mood to talk to anyone, meaning that they weren't even in the mood to socialize with anyone, either.
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It's been days, and Hanma Shuji has still not heard a word from Hanemiya Kazutora. At this point, his anger and disappointment had morphed into confusion and worry, dwelling deeply on the possible whereabouts of his dear friend. He had visited the Hanemiya's residence on multiple occasions, and with each trip, he found no one. Not even his mother's car was parked in the driveway.
He was starting to grow antsy and agitated, hardly showing up to Valhalla's meetings as he was now on a search for where Kazutora could possibly be, only to eventually show up to a brick house with a garden bed in front. According to the info brokers that Shuji paid off, this was none other than the Robins family's household, where Mathew Robins lives.
Knocking on the door, Shuji tapped his foot onto the ground as he awaited for someone to answer the door. He could hear some shuffling on the other side, and only a few moments later the door opened, revealing a young boy with messy red hair and a freckled face.
"Huh? Who are you?" Mathew questioned, furrowing his brows in confusion.
Shuji had a strawberry lollipop placed in between his lips as he spoke, "Name's Hanma Shuji."
"Aannd why are you here?"
"I was wondering if you knew where Kazutora is." It killed Shuji's pride to be asking something like this to someone— however, Mathew was someone that was apparently close enough to Kazutora that they even had a planned schedule to hang out with each other every week— not that any of that actually mattered to Shuji.
"No, I haven't seen him," Mathew said, "he hasn't even shown up for school. Why? Are you friends with him?" But before Shuji could say a word, Mathew continued, "Wait, how did you even know where to find me? How do you know that I know Kazutora?" Great question, Mathew. So glad that you're quicker to realize these things than Y/N is.
"Yeah, I guess you can say that we're friends," Shuji intentionally left out the fact that they're in the same gang, "and I know about you because Kazutora talks about you a lot. How I found where you live, however, is none of your business." Shuji then turned to leave, having received the information that he wanted. He had no other reason to stay here if Mathew didn't know.
"Hey, wait—" Mathew scrambled, stepping outside to catch up with him. "you can't just leave after that!"
Shuji wasn't interested in Mathew, so he kept walking. "I can. You said you don't know where he is, so you're useless to me."
"But I could help you!"
"How would you even do that?"
"I could, uh," Mathew stammered, "ask some teachers at school?"
Shuji rolled his eyes, "Not happening. The school won't say anything about one of their students."
But Mathew persevered. "Where are you going now?"
"Piss off already," Shuji grumbled, not enjoying the sudden company that he wasn't already seeking.
"Man, how does Kazutora-nii deal with someone so rude?" Mathew huffed, still following Shuji at the same speed that the taller male was walking.
"Hah? You call him 'nii?'" If Shuji was in a better mood, maybe he would be laughing his ass off at that, but right now his brain was going haywire with panicked worries as he mentally scrambled to come up with places Kazutora could be right now.
"Mhm, he's like an older brother to me, ya know? Always trying to act tough but is a softie at heart." Mathew answered, trying his best to smile despite the tense atmosphere between them.
"Yeah, he is, now get lost."
Mathew did not, in fact, get lost.
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"You will be staying in this room with three other boys," said some lady that worked at the orphanage, "we're currently having lunch, but since you've already eaten, you can go ahead and make yourself at home."
They were alone in the room, because just like the woman said, everyone else was currently eating lunch. The room was fairly interesting if Y/N was being honest. There were four beds, all of which were divided into separate sections. It was obvious which bed was Kazutora's, as it was the only one that didn't have any decorative objects surrounding it that would mark any significant memories or personality.
"Your school uniform is already in the closet, along with some t-shirts and jeans that I picked out for you. You'll be receiving your other clothes from home tomorrow."
Kazutora, just as expected, said nothing, giving nothing more than a silent nod as the caretaker shut the door behind her, giving Kazutora the privacy that he most definitely needed. Breathing, Kazutora walked over to the plain bed, sitting on top of it with a forced, neutral expression.
Y/N hated this. Hated everything so, so much. Why did they have to open their yap and mention his mom's name? Why were they forced into this situation— into this orphanage— over what happened? Sure, the situation was serious and Y/N wasn't cooperating with anyone, so that could, Y/N supposed, make Kazutora's mother look all the more guilty— but it's not like Y/N knew about his home life. They really didn't, outside of what was briefly mentioned in the manga. So being here, right now, was straining them so incredibly much, because they were at a loss. This entire situation was completely out of their grasp— out of their control— and they had no idea how to rank it back into their mold.
Y/N needed control, otherwise they couldn't properly function. Laying on his side, a stream of tears flowed from Kazutora's golden-brown hues, a shaky breath escaping their lips. Digging through his pocket, Kazutora pulled out the flip phone that the social worker had given him, deciding to take the time to explore its contents. There wasn't much to it, mainly just a messaging and call system, although Kazutora would have to quickly learn how to type letters on it.
Whenever he was given the chance, Y/N needed to get back home and look for those phone numbers that they had collected from those high schoolers way back. Man, that felt like such a long time ago, when in reality it's only been a few weeks.
Pulling up the social worker's contact information, Y/N typed in a quick text message.
Kazutora:
ask baji ryoko if she can foster me |
-sent.
Talking through messages felt more comfortable than speaking verbally because it gave Y/N enough time to organize their thoughts before responding. Ryoko was the only adult that Y/N trusted at the moment, wanting to be close to the Baji family as much as they could; so Y/N could only hope that the social worker, whose name is Chiha Himari, would listen to their request.
At the sound of a ding, Kazutora blinked before reading the rather quick message that was sent back to him.
Mrs.Chiha:
| I'll see what I can do.
-read.
This may have been the first good news that happened all week. Y/N was honestly surprised that Chiha Himari was going to look into the possibility of Ryoko fostering Kazutora, but they weren't placing their bets on it right now. Y/N wasn't sure whether or not Mrs.Chiha was actually going to do it just because she said she would.
"So you're the new guy?" A masculine voice spoke, snapping Y/N out of their thoughts.
Putting his phone away, Kazutora quickly rubbed away their stray tears before looking at the male that walked in, eyes flickering at the sight of him. No way... Kazutora sat up, deciding not to lie down with someone talking to him.
"Uhhm.. were you crying?" The boy hesitantly wondered. His hair was shaved into a buzzcut, and there was a long scar reaching from over his head and down past his white— definitely blind— eye, whilst the other eye was painted a pretty red hue.
I am both the luckiest and unluckiest bitch ever, Y/N thought before responding, "No, no, I wasn't crying. But yes, I guess I'm new?"
He gave Kazutora a 'yeah, sure you weren't' look, "Alright. Well, my name is Kakucho, and I'm one of your roommates."
"Nice to meet you, Kakucho-san. My name is Kazutora." If Kakucho was only going to introduce his first name, then so would Kazutora. However, Kakucho's last name was never revealed in the manga, was it? "Hitto" was not his last name, for clarifications.
Kakucho walked over to his side of the room, leaving the bed across and next to Kazutora's own empty. Kazutora's golden-brown eyes followed Kakucho's figure, curiously watching him as he sat down.
Kakucho blinked, noticing Kazutora's stare. "Need something?"
"Do you, uh," Kazutora paused, "want to be friends?"
"Oh," said Kakucho, feeling as though he shouldn't have been surprised by such a question. "Sure, we can be friends."
"Cool, so... do you wanna exchange numbers?" At this point, Kazutora was very easy to read for Kakucho, as the Hanemiya boy was emotionally all over the place. "I don't have any contacts in my phone other than my social worker, so uh.." It was not necessary to add that point, but Y/N was fidgety and nervous, okay? This is Kakucho, for crying out loud! That means that Kurokawa Izana was somewhere here, too, and that was scary as shit.
Kakucho chuckled, feeling slightly amused by the awkwardness that Kazutora exuded. "Yeah. Just hand me your phone and I'll put my number in it for you."
"Okay, sure," Kazutora replied, standing up from his spot on the bed before walking to the opposite side of the room, right where Kakucho sat. He handed him his phone, watching as Kakucho quickly typed in his name and number before handing it back to him.
"Here you go," said Kakucho, "now you'll be able to call me."
This was moving really fast. In what order did Y/N meet canon characters? Seishu and Kokonoi, Takemichi, Shuji, Keisuke, and now Kakucho? Adding Kakucho into the equation only made things even more confusing, cause, like, wasn't the Tenjiku arc in 2006? It was still 2005, dammit. Meeting characters was happening way too fast, and Y/N wasn't sure if it was just their own influence by making different decisions than the original Kazutora or if there was some god playing the "who is Y/N going to meet next??" game that they needed to be aware of. Because this wasn't funny in Y/N's eyes.
Being in this situation, although it is exciting to meet such a cool character such as Kakucho, this is exactly what Y/N has wanted to avoid. They didn't want to be influenced by other gang members that were outside of Toman or Valhalla, mostly due to the fact that they didn't want to be swayed into joining one. However, regardless of the abience that they felt, Y/N couldn't help but feel a strong sense of curiosity over the life of the man in front of them. Maybe they shouldn't have impulsively asked Kakucho to be friends, but there was no going back and there was no way in hell Y/N was going to sit around and avoid everyone like the plague just because of their reluctance to follow the plot.
Making friends with them doesn't mean that Y/N has to join in on whatever they're doing in the future, right? And besides, Y/N doesn't even know if Tenjiku has even been formed yet. They wouldn't think it is, is it?
"Thank you, Kakucho-san." Kazutora smiled, taking the phone out of the bigger man's hand.
"You can drop the honorific since we're friends," Kakucho mumbled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He wasn't used to people using any honorifics for him, mainly because he is nothing more than a servant to his king.
"Oh, sure. Kakucho it is. You don't have to use one for my name, either, then." Kazutora added, stuffing his flip phone back into his pocket. He then continued, "Anyway, know when we're allowed outside? I don't like being cooped up, and I have some things I need to do.." He trailed, unsure if he should mention the fact that Y/N was still agitated about being separated from everyone. Y/N primarily wanted to check up on Hanma Shuji and Inui Seishu, although apologizing to Mathew for disappearing on him as well was in order.
Kakucho shrugged, "You can pretty much leave whenever you want, you just have to let one of the caretakers know so they don't send a search party for you."
"Eugh, sounds annoying." Y/N didn't have to do that with Kazutora's mom before, mainly because she was never around when Kazutora was home. "But alright. Can you lead me to where a caretaker might be? I have no idea where I'm going, ahah.."
Kakucho stood up, "Yeah, I can help you find somebody."
He headed out of the room with Kazutora in tow, hands stuffed into his pockets as they went through a hallway and out into a living room like area. Walking up to an older woman that was present, Kakucho exchanged a few brief words with her before Kazutora could audibly hear him release a sigh. Kakucho looked back over him, an indescribable look plastering his face before it morphed into a small smile, walking back over towards the Hanemiya boy.
"She said I have to go with you so you don't get lost," Kakucho stated, watching as Kazutora's face contorted into a frown.
"Man, I really wanted to go alone. But finnee." Y/N begrudgingly agreed to it, "We're going to Shibuya." Would Y/N actually get lost if they went alone? It was a possibility, but a chance that Y/N didn't really care if they did.
Kakucho let out a soft chuckle, "Alright. Was Shibuya where you lived before?"
Kazutora nodded, "Yup. It's where I go to school, too, so I know people around there."
Y/N mainly wanted to go to Shibuya because they wanted to find their friends. They've been so incredibly stressed out lately and was on the verge of having a mental breakdown, so leaving the confinements of the orphanage and checking in on the friends that they've made would be a good distraction from the curdling feelings that pooled into their stomach like spoiled milk.
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"So where exactly are we going?" Kakucho spoke aloud, looking around the streets of Shibuya. "We've kinda just been walking around in circles."
"Yeah, because that's kinda the intention. I'm trying to find someone, but I don't know where he lives so just aimlessly wandering around is my best bet right now." Kazutora answered.
Kakucho raised a brow, "Wouldn't it be better to go wherever you two usually meet?"
"We meet at night mostly, with him being the one that randomly shows up, so I don't actually know."
"What about anyone else that you could meet up with?" Kakucho suggested, walking side-by-side with the shorter male. Kakucho was 5'10 according to one source, whilst Kazutora is a lovely 5'9.
"I guess I could visit Mathew..." Kazutora drawled, "He doesn't live too far away."
"Who's Mathew?" Kakucho wondered, trying to find something to have a conversation over. "Sounds like a foreigner's name."
"He's a year younger than me, but we go to the same school so we've been friends for a while." Kazutora said, now on track to head towards his house, "He's originally from Finland, so yeah, he's a foreigner."
"Sounds cool," Kakucho mumbled, curious to meet a foreigner.
Y/N was positively surprised by how friendly Kakucho was as a person, but they supposed that it made sense. He was a naturally kind-hearted person outside of his love for fighting and his unconditional devotion to Izana, as he admired and respected people like Hanagaki Takemichi for example. So walking with him was nice— and besides, Mathew was someone that Y/N believes they can trust with Kakucho, a lot more than a certain proclaimed Reaper with tattoos engraved onto his hands.
The walk there was relatively peaceful, the two chatting about random things so that they could get to know each other better. If they were going to be living together as roommates for an unknown amount of time, then putting effort into getting along was something that they both needed to do. Although, Y/N can't deny that if it was anyone else, Y/N would still want to act like some kid that was undergoing a temper tantrum for not having their way and continue to avoid talking to people altogether. But Kakucho was Kakucho, and Y/N was interested in learning more about him as a person.
Eventually, they arrived at the brick house with a beautiful garden bed in front. Kakucho was feeling uneasy, as he was only here to lead Kazutora back to the orphanage once he was done visiting with his friends. So he stayed behind, choosing to idly stand on the sidewalk while watching Kazutora walk up to their doorstep, ringing the doorbell. A few seconds passed before the door swung open, freckled arms tackling the Hanemiya boy into a hug as he was pushed back by the force. Kakucho couldn't help but smile at the sight, yet kept his mouth shut, allowing the two to have their moment with each other.
"KAZU-NII!" Mathew laughed, his shorter figure pulling Kazutora's neck down to his 5'6 height.
"Mathew! It's so good seeing you again!" Kazutora grinned from ear to ear, returning the laughter. So this was what euphoria felt like, to finally be able to hold someone that meant so much to Y/N. Kazutora almost wanted to cry from such joy.
Still holding Kazutora in an embrace, Mathew said "Where the heck have you been, anyway? You haven't been to school, and Hanma-kun even showed up on my doorstep asking where you were!"
"Hanma did what!?" Kazutora shrieked, not noticing that Kakucho flinched from the sudden yelling. Sorry, scar boy, but you're kind of a third wheel right now.
"Yeah, ahah.. Hanma-kun has been looking all over for you. Man has some serious devotion to you or something." Mathew awkwardly chuckled, looking up to gaze at the confused expression that Kazutora gave him.
He really did that for me? Y/N thought, only for their underlying doubt to creep in. Have I been reading him wrong? Does he actually care? Or is he only looking for me because my absence prolongs Kisaki's plan? "Do you know where he is now?" Kazutora asked, using his one arm to loosely wrap itself around Mathew's waist.
"We were walking around looking for you yesterday, so he might still be on the lookout for you." Mathew continued, "But he gave me his number, so I can probably ask him where he is right now?"
HE GAVE MATHEW HIS NUMBER!? Y/N was absolutely baffled. Just what the hell did they miss while Kazutora was away? "Sure, sure. Ask him. I need to have a chat with him, anyway." And a chat they will fucking have. Never before has Y/N felt so protective over the red-haired boy, accumulating so many fake scenarios in their head to explain what could have happened between the two of them.
Mathew pulled back from the hug, now realizing that there was someone else with him. "Oh, by the way, Kazu-nii?"
"Hm?"
"Who's that?" Mathew questioned, pointing to where Kakucho awkwardly stood.
"Oh, that's Kakucho," Kazutora then called out, "hey, KAKUCHO! Come over here!"
Kakucho pursed his lips upon hearing his name, tensely walking up to them. He wasn't used to such outgoing attitudes, but nevertheless did his best to not seem too awkward. "Hello. You're Mathew, right?"
"And you're Kakucho?" Mathew gave him a friendly smile before shooting Kazutora an accusatory glare, "And you still haven't told me where you have been! Don't avoid the question!"
"It's a long story.." Kazutora mumbled, Y/N nervous about telling the subject.
"We have time." Mathew added, taking out his phone before shooting a certain somebody a message, "Why don't you explain the situation while we go look for Hanma-kun?"
Y/N glanced over to Kakucho, who looked back at him with a shrug. Sighing, Kazutora nodded, "Fine. I'll give a short explanation on the way there, but I don't feel comfortable telling you guys the full story." The full story was for Shuji's ears and Shuji's ears only.
"I guess that's fine," Mathew accepted, "I've just been so worried about you, you know? Even Himawari-san and Tachibana-chan have been asking about you."
Suzune and Hinata? "Oh. Well I'll be returning tomorrow or the day after, I think."
"That's great!" Mathew looked back up to him, "We can go now by the way. Shuji agreed to meet up but he doesn't know that you and uh, Kakucho-san are going with."
"Kakucho is fine," said the singular red-eyed boy, finally saying something. "Don't need honorifics."
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A/N: i am really worried about what you guys might think of this chapter, bc this is literally inupi and koko all over again. just me shoving mc into unwanted situations that force them to meet canon characters that kazutora isn't even supposed to know the existence of. but i realllyyyy wanna write about them, you know??? even if it doesn't make any sense or is overly chaotic, i just want to include my favorites :dramatic sobbing:
also, the height system in tr is extremely confusing. every source that i looked for about kakucho's height gave me different answers. 5'6, 5'8, and 5'10. so, seeing as i struggle to see kakucho as someone smaller than kazutora, i went with 5'10, even if that isn't much of a difference.