Extra before reading:
Takemichi in IHTF: I can't die, I'm the protagonist!
Takemichi in chapter 56: It might seem crazy what I'm about to say...
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"Takemichy?" Mikey said as he looked at the body of his best friend from not too far.
Emma, who was crying uncontrollably, turned around to look at his brother. "I'm sorry Mikey." She said, "I-It was my fault." She sobbed.
"W-what do you mean it was your fault?" Mikey asked, confused.
"I was crossing the road, and someone in a bike was going to hit me with a bat, but he ran to me and pushed me away and got hit instead."
She looked at the bleeding boy before adding "He saved me."
As she said that Inupi and Izana came out of the cemetery too. Inupi when he saw Takemichy on the floor he yelled "Takemichi!"
He ran up next to Mikey, and looked at his commander and friend uncontrollably bleeding in the floor.
Izana just watched from afar, knowing Kisaki had failed, and oh boy, Kisaki was dead as hell. He didn't say something so Takemichi could still work undercover for Tenjiku. (Or so he thought.)
He turned around and walked away, leaving that place to search for the one who had ruined his plans, and hurt his very most special possession. 'You're dead Kisaki.' Izana thouht as he disappeared.
"I-it was Kisaki." Suddenly a voice stuttered very softly... No way! It was Takemichi's! "K-Kisaki wanted to hit Emma..." he had opened his eyes slightly but now they had closed once again.
Mikey quickly and suddenly kneeled down and looked at his sister, "Emma!" He exclaimed, "Place him on my back."
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"Don't worry, Takemitchy." Mikey said as he carried him through the streets, with his sister walking not too far. "We're almost at the hospital."
Minutes had passed since they took off to the hospital. Inupi wanted to come too, but Mikey sent him to tell what happened and about the fight tonight.
"... Mikey?" Takemichi suddenly said.
[Mikey's Pov]
Takemitchy's voice saying my name was like heaven, thank god he was alright. "Takemichy!" Emma exclaimed, a tone of gladness was shown in her voice.
"The fuck?" He said and I chuckled, "I can't move... oh, right. I was hit by a freaking bike..." he muttered softly, his voice was weak for the first time.
"Takemitchy," I said, "Do you remember when we first met?" I asked him, but he shook his head. "I don't really remember, I just know that one day you popped in my class and made me join Toman."
I chuckled and said, "I was walking with Kenchin, and saw you beating Kiyomasa. We walked up to you because Kiyomasa was in the gang back then."
"Oh yeah, I remember." Takemitchy said softly, "And afterwards you kicked me, damn. That hurted as hell."
I chuckled, "Sorry hehe. But the thing was that when you stood up, I couldn't help but see in you my older brother, Shinchiro. He would also stand up even if he was all beaten up. At first that was the reason I wanted you to join Toman, but then I realized that you're much more than a person who is really similar to my dead brother." I said, "You're my best friend too."
There was a silence until he said, "Hey, if something happens to me..." When I heard those words reality hit me, Takemitchy was dying. But he was dying for real this time.
"You dummy," I said, "Nothing's gonna happen, we will take you to the hospital and they will treat you." I tried to reassure him, but I think I was rather trying to reassure myself.
"Tell Hina I'm sorry for being such a shitty boyfriend, I really love her you know? But if I'm with her she'll get targeted and hurt..." he said, and those words broke me in millions of pieces, of course he was still in love with Hina, she's amazing, kind, nice and beautiful after all, but most importantly, she was a girl.
"Also tell Smiley that on my drawer next to my bed there is a ticket to participate in a spicy ramen competition, also tell Draken I'm sorry for calling him bald head, and-" he was saying but I interrupted him.
"You will go tell them yourself Takemitchy, because you'll make it out of this situation alive." I said as I did an inhuman effort to not cry.
There was an abundant silence before Takemitchy said, "I'm sorry Mikey."
"Sorry? Sorry for what?" I asked confused, and for the first time I saw him cry.
"It is all my fault, everything that is happening between Toman and Tenjiku is my fault," he sobbed as big fat tears came out of his eyes. "I should have told you sooner that-"
"No, it is not your fault, it's Izana's." I interrupted him. "Izana came here looking to fight or kill me, I don't know, and then create a criminal organization. Why would you be involved?" I asked him, now that I think of it Takemichi always seems to speak less than he seems to know.
"I'm sorry Mikey..." he said, as his voice turned darker and softer, "I- I don't want to die. I'm afraid..." he stuttered and then added, "I had this dream one day, long ago, that me and Hina would get a kid." He said, which only made me want to cry even more.
"And you would come over to my house, and we would drink and laugh over the same old stories about the good old days, like we always do. You would stay late into the night, and eventually we would call the rest of the guys to come over, and Emma and Draken would bring their kid too."
I noticed Emma blushed at that part, did he really think Kenchin had feelings for Emma? I know she does but he is into someone else. I know Kenchin likes Takemitchy too.
"Emma and Hina would be together talking about girl things, and us dudes would have a blast. But eventually we would wake up the babies, and the girls would absolutely flip out on us..." he continued saying.
"Heh it's weird, I usually feel that I would survive this accidents and this of the cool scar I will have but..." he smiled as he cried, "I don't think I'm surviving this one..."
"Takemitchy, don't say that, you will survive. You're strong and-" I tried to convince him (and convince myself) but this time, he was the one who interrupted.
"I'm not that strong Mikey, I'm really weak." He said, and I felt how slowly his grip became weaker. "Mikey... I'm sorry."
Suddenly his hands fell dead, and his whole body would have dropped if I wasn't holding him tightly.
"Takemitchy? Takemitchy! Don't die! We still have to fight Tenjiku! Remember? We gotta show them how badass we are!" I exclaimed, but no response.
"Emma." I muttered, and looked at her. "Y-yes?" She asked while sobbing.
"My jacket... put it over Takemitchy." I said "...Takemitchy... he is getting kinda cold."
[Somewhere in Tokyo, not too far away]
"Kisaki..." a deep voice said, and the blonde, who was currently sitting on a bench on the roof where the two stood, turned around to look at the owner of that voice.
Kisaki was trembling, he knew he messed up, he knew everything about Takemichi's backstory, and he was sure Izana would defiantly kill him if Takemitchy died.
"I-Izana, hey." He greeted him, trying to hide his nervous and fear. "I-I can explain what happened"but he was interrupted when Izana grabbed him by his throat and rose him up, choking him.
"I think I gave clear instructions." Izana, the tanned- white haired guy with lilac eyes, said angrily "I said to kill Emma Sano, and that Michy shouldn't have to suffer any pain nor get hurt, why did you disobey me, Kisaki?"
Kisaki gasped for air, and with the little oxygen he had left he managed to say "It was an accident, I- he- I was going to hit Emma but he sacrificed himself."
"Bullshit." Izana replied, "I know Michy better than anyone, he isn't the type of person to sacrifice himself for someone he doesn't even know that well."
Izana dropped Kisaki to the ground, and the blonde panted and started gasping for air. "He has changed Izana," the guy with glasses said. "He's no longer the merciless killer he once was, he is now way stronger physically, but much nicer and selfless, that made him weaker."
There was a pause before Kisaki continued, "Toman has turned into the person he is now, that's why we need to save him."
"If he survives." Izana said, and looked menacingly at Kisaki, "If he dies Kisaki, I'll make sure you die too, but in a way more painful way. So I recommend you to make sure he is still alive for tonight. That's when I'm planning on re claiming him."
'Claim him? What is this? He's really bad in the head.' The blonde thought and nodded. "Don't worry Izana, he will live, he has survived multiple times to almost-dead situations." He said, which seemed to call the other's attention.
"What do you mean that he has been close to dying multiple times but survived?" Izana asksd, both curios and surprised.
"Yeah, since he joined Toman he has been stabbed in the hand, and four times or more I think in the stomach." Kisaki explained.
Izana was surprised, Takemichi was hella strong, he was surprised he got stabbed so many times. "And why is that? Didn't you say he was way stronger physically now than before?" The white haired teen asked.
"Yes, he is strong. But all those times he got stabbed were because he was scarifying himself for others." Kisaki continued and realized this could be use for his own advantage. "He has grown very close to Toman, he got stabbed instead of this Keisuke Baji once. You know why? Because Mikey said Baji was a very close friend of his, and manipulated Takemichi into wanting to save Baji, so much to the point he sacrificed himself for him, you know why? Because of Mikey. And all the times he got stabbed where to protect Toman, but you know who most importantly? Mikey."
When he saw Izana's furious expression appear, he smiled for himself, but his face stayed dead serious. "You see? Mikey makes the only people you love go away, first Shinchiro, and now Takemichi. Takemichi might die, because he sacrificed himself for Emma, so Mikey wouldn't be sad. And now it has gone way too far, and Takemichi might really die this time."
Izana was furious, and the only thing he could think of was to kill Mikey. 'Kisaki is right, he has gone way too far this time. He already got Shin-san killed, I won't let the same happen to Michy.' The lilac eyed thought angrily, 'I will save him, and make sure that Mikey dies in the most painful way possible.'
"But, I dare to say that we shouldn't kill Mikey, at least not yet." Kisaki said, and Izana looked at him surprised. "I know Mikey better than anyone. I have pride in that. He has a great potential, that if we kill him or let him be with those Toman lowlifes in the gang current's state, it would destroy his great potential." He explained.
"That's why I must correct his course. To achieve that I plotted to get that eye-sore Draken killed, using Kiyomasa who held a grudge against him. I was so close to having him killed, but someone got in my way. Takemichi. He is the reason my plan to kill Draken fell through. My next idea was to form the gang Valhalla, and install Mikey as the leader. But once again, Takemichi along Baji, obstructed me. That's why I used Kazutora Hanemiya, and persuaded him to kill Baji. But Takemichi got stabbed instead, and survived." Kisaki continued.
"So you're the reasons why he almost died multiple times too." Izana said suspiciously.
"I never targeted him." Kisaki defended himself, "I targeted others, and he got in the way. He chose to Izana, so you can't really blame me for it."
Kisaki looked at Izana as he stood up and added "So do not kill him, just not yet. Let's make him join Tenjiku, and use him until he is left dry for our future criminal organization."
"So I guess stuffing Emma Sano was the finishing touch?" Izana asked, kind of amused. "There's one thing I still don't get though. Why would you risk getting your hands dirty? You can use other people to kill for you like it's nothing. What inspired the change?" He then asked.
"Is that all you care to ask of the guy who wanted to kill your blood related sister?" Kisaki asked, he really couldn't believe that Izana didn't seem to care for Emma at all.
"Blood related sister? In the ten years I spent in that orphanage, the only one who came to visit me was Shinchiro Sano." Izana said emptily, "The only thing that filled my empty self... was his love, and Takemichi, who was with me since day one. He arrived at the orphanage days after I did, and we would have been together if it wasn't that those assholes kidnapped him."
Izana turned around and looked at the building filled horizon "Kisaki, all I care about is everything that Shinchiro Sano ever loved, and the ones who I truly care about is Takemichi and Kakucho, specially Takemichi." He said, and then turned his head around to look back. "Mikey is just like me right now, at the height of emptiness. We will use Mikey. And I will take my time, my sweet sweet time."
Izana walked up in front of the blonde and said, "Kisaki, Toman is all yours. I'll handle Takemichi and Mikey."
'So what now... hero?' Kisaki thought.
[Manjiro's pov]
We were at the hospital. Emma said Takemitchy had died, but I don't believe her. The doctors took him to the emergency room, so I guess he must be alive, he has to be alive, he can't die.
I looked at Emma, who was texting in her phone while sobbing a little. I think she's texting Hina-Chan... I wonder how he will react when he sees her...
'If he has a chance to see her again.' A little voice, in the back of my mind suddenly said. 'He will die."
Even if I don't want to admit it, deep deep down I know that the chances for him to survive are almost zero, but I cannot give up, he never gave up on anyone, so I won't give up on him either.
Since we arrived to the hospital it has passed around two hours, and in those two hours an old looking man had come, talked to a few jurada and was waiting us on the seats in front of us.
Three hours passed until the light of the emergency sign turned off, and me and Emma immediately stood up, and so did the old man.
A doctor came out to the room and asked, "Are Takemichi Hanagaki's legal guardians here?"
"No, he doesn't have parents but we-" I was saying but the older man interrupted me.
"Yes, I'm his uncle. His parents have died." The man said, and I looked at him surprised. Now that I look at him, he looks quite like Takemichi. But instead of black hair he has grey hair, which I guess it is normal for a man his age.
"Great, follow me please." The doctor said and walked away with the man.
I turned to Emma and she said "I didn't know that Takemichi had an uncle, and that his parents were dead... I always thought he lived alone or that his parents were not very present."
"Yeah, I did too." I said worried and confused. "But me, and everyone asked multiple times about his parents. He always said they were very busy with work and were not home most of the time."
"Why would he hide it though?" She wondered, "Could it be that Takemichi is hiding something? He seemed really off when he saw Izana to be honest..."
"It's true." I said. "But-" I was interrupted by a loud sound. A big group of people had loudly entered the building. They wore black suits, and glasses, they looked like guards to be honest.
Soon the man came with the doctor, and Takemichi was, in what looked like a coma state, as he slept on a hospital bed, where he slept peacefully while the nurses handed the bed to the men.
Soon they were taking him, and I looked at Emma and then back at Takemichi and yelled "Hey! HEY! Stop!"
I ran towards them and grabbed on of the men's arms, but they all immediately turned around and pointed at me with a gun. I quickly letted go, and raised my hands. When they saw me they put away the guns.
"What's wrong kid? Do you need something?" The older man asked,
"Yes, actually I do." I replied and then pointed at Takemitchy. "That guy there, is my friend, my best friend, who I carried all the way to the hospital. So I guess I need to know why are you taking him and where? Also who are you?" I was pretty annoyed.
"Listen kiddo, I can't answer to any of those questions-" Takemichi's uncle started saying but I interrupted him.
"Quit calling me kiddo and answer my questions old man." I spat. "Takemitchy never talked about having any family at all, he never said anything about his parents either, or about having an uncle." I said, he was NEVER present in Takemichi's life from what I heard, does Takemichi have to be in the border of death to make him appear? And why does he have so many bodyguards with him? Is he rich or something? "Where were you? Takemitchy has been living alone for a long time, why do you suddenly appear now?"
"Well, the answers to those questions do not matter to you, and you shouldn't care about it. But thank you for bringing him here though, we appreciate that you kept him alive, so here you have." He took out of his pocket a twenty thousand dollars check, and handed it over to me. "To express our gratitude, and it would be a favor if you didn't tell anyone about this-"
"You think you can buy me?" I asked, now angry, annoyed AND offended, how dare he? "And the answers to those questions DO matter to me, he is my friend. Besides-" now I was the one who got interrupted.
"As I said the answers are none of your concern, and it's not my fault Takemichi didn't trust you enough to tell you about him or his personal issues." The older man spat annoyed. "Now if you excuse me I've got to go, my nephew has died and I've got a funeral to plan."
I watched how he, Takemichi, and the men walked away. I threw the check to the floor and I fell on my knees.
'I-it can't be real, did Takemitchy really...
Die?'