"Oh, you're meeting with Draken...?" You responded to Takemichi over the phone.
Senju had just sent you the location to Brahman's hideout to attend the meeting. Discussing the upcoming battle next week.
You called Takemichi. Hoping you would have time to talk about the recent encounter you had with the mysterious Kanto Manji Gang member who attacked you.
"You two still haven't talked?"
"No..." You admitted. You hadn't even gone to D&D since Draken found out you joined the gang. You opted to just call Inui if you had any questions or concerns for your bike.
You hear your friend sigh over the phone, "You two are gonna have to talk eventually, you know?" Takemichi tells you. "Plus, he knows about both our powers. He could help us a ton in the battle!"
"I know, I know..." You say. Feeling odd that you're being scolded by Takemichi of all people. "I'll try to talk to him at the meeting or something."
"Alright, we'll see you there!"
"We'll...?" You repeated. "Wait, are you with him right now?!" The phone hangs up.
Takemichi, at least give me a warning! You say. Feeling embarrassed at the thought of Draken hearing your conversation about him.
You put your necessities, which were your phone wallet and keys, in your pockets and leave your suite. Going down the stairs of your apartment to your motorbike.
This'll be my first Brahman meeting. You think to yourself, taking out a deep breath. Senju will probably make a huge announcement for any new recruits, including me...
Even after you've made a name for yourself in the delinquent world. You still weren't used to all the attention. You weren't much of a fan of it either. Especially of the titles you've been given.
-
As you were on the road in Shinjuku, you just spotted Draken and Takemichi pull in beside the building. Parking their bikes. You brace yourself for the awkward meet with the tall boy and drive over. Parking next to Takemichi's bike.
"You made it!" The blonde greets you as you lock your bike and put your keys away. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
You nod and smile awkwardly before turning to walk to the building.
Walking in, both you and Takemichi follow behind Draken. The dragon-tattooed boy was wearing the Brahman uniform. While you were dressed casually. Takemichi was still wearing his school uniform, just without the blazer.
The both of you follow Draken down a flight of stairs. You notice Takemichi looking around.
"Who would've thought the meeting would take place in this normal-looking building...!" The boy says. Seemingly attempting to spark conversation between the three of you. Even with Takemichi there. The air was still tense and awkward between you and Draken.
I know he's only worried about me... Especially after everything that happened in 2006. But how can I prove to him that I'm capable of taking care of myself?
It was clear to you that Draken was, in a way, trying to protect you. By not telling you he was in Brahman. Even telling others, like Wakasa, that you wouldn't be fit for the team. You assumed Senju didn't care about his initial requests or didn't believe him. Which was why she and Takeomi approached you in late June.
But what irked you was what Draken implied. Even if unintentional, it felt like he was calling you weak.
~
"Whatever, welcome to the team then."
~
You glance over at the tall blonde while he enters the code to the door in front.
You frown. I feel like I should apologize, but what for? Joining? I'm not sorry for that at all... You didn't want the two of you to be distant anymore, but how would you achieve that?
The door opens. The room was similar to a fighting arena. There were seats all across the walls with stairs leading down. Two men were at the bottom of the stairs, in the middle of a fight. With a referee watching closely.
Draken could tell both you and Takemichi were confused. Since the meeting was supposed to take place here. "This is B1," he tells you guys, "Brahman's underground ring."
"Matches go on here every night." The tattooed male points at a camera in the top corner of the room, "The rich and elite watch the matches through a monitor and place bets. This is Brahman's main source of income."
The three of you walk down the stairs and into one of the aisles. Taking a seat. "Most of these fighters aren't in the gang. If any of the higher-ranked members take an interest in them, they'd be able to join Brahman," Draken continues to inform the two of you.
As Draken watches the match, Takemichi leans to the side, closer to you. "Isn't this a little... Ironic?" He whispers to you. You ask him why it would be.
"You remember Kiyomasa's fight club in middle school, right?" You nodded at his question. "The first time I met Draken and Mikey... They shut down the fight club, calling it lame."
This must be like some weird full-circle moment for him... You think to yourself, looking over at Draken. And since he doesn't have a position of power in Brahman, he can't necessarily do anything. Even if he disagreed with it.
You look back at the match. Is this really what being a mere member of a gang is like? Sitting in silence while you watch something like this happen?
These poor men are basically being exploited by Brahman for money. I doubt they even get a cut of the check. Just a lousy recruit offer.
You try to put your opinions aside and wait for Senju. You were only here for the meeting anyway. You had no other intentions with Brahman or any other gang after the battle.
"Turn the cameras off!" You hear from the door. "Today's match ends here!"
The second Senju's presence was made, everyone chanted her name. The lights dim and the fighters leave as she makes her way down.
As she's gets to the bottom. A spotlight at the top of the room hits her. Making her the only one to shine. She raises her hand and everyone instantly quiets down.
"INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST MEMBERS!" Senju starts.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no..." You mutter. You weren't expecting her to introduce the new members first thing. Takemichi puts his hand on your shoulder, "It's gonna be us."
You look over at him, your hand covering your mouth. Trying to at least conceal how physically anxious you looked.
I know it's gonna be us, why do you think I'm about to have a HEART ATTACK?! You respond in your head.
"Please step forward! Tokyo Manji Gang's former first division captain, Hanagaki Takemichi!" Senju calls out. Takemichi stands up.
"The August 3rd Incident, Bloody Halloween, The Battle on Christmas... And lastly, the leading man of the Kanto Incident!" She lists the battles Takemichi was previously in.
"Our other recruit!" Everyone's eyes were now on you.
"The non-delinquent survivor of the Kanto Incident. Now known as Tokyo's street vigilante. Whose fought many gangs without a single scratch or bruise on her!"
"The Untouchable [Y/N]!!"
Oh, thank God she didn't mention the umbrella thing in the August 3rd incident...! You say to yourself.
The two of you walk down the stairs and towards Senju. Another light turns on. Shining on both you and Takemichi.
She hands both of you a uniform. "From now on, this will be your uniform," she tells you two. "You two are now official members of Brahman."
The short girl turns back to the crowd. "Now then, let's begin the meeting!" She announces. The spotlight was back on Senju and only her. You and Takemichi back up and put on the gang's uniform. "On July 14th, we will battle both Rokuhara Tandai and The Kanto Manji Gang!"
"Are you ready?" You asked Takemichi quietly, as Senju continued her speech. "It'll be in a week... That should be enough time for us to prepare..." he says, "To finally meet Mikey again."
The two of you nod to each other with determination as everyone cheers for the upcoming battle.
-
As you get home, you hang up your Brahman jacket before plopping on your bed, back first.
God, I didn't even utter A WORD to Draken before he left... You think to yourself.
Should I call Inui and ask how Draken is? You wonder. Never mind, I don't wanna put him in that position...
Ugh! Why didn't I say anything? ANYTHING! You turn over, burying your face in your bed.
You lay like that for a while. Your eyes were shut closed.
For whatever reason, you had the urge to check on Draken. Something in your head was telling you to get up and use your foresight.
You lift your face up. But why should I? You question yourself. Takemichi told me he wasn't going out after the meeting. So why should I check?
You look over at the shoebox full of photos under your desk.
You get up and grab it. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, you pick up a photo of Draken and check his future.
You blink immediately. Wait... But I thought...
This vision was averted...?
You take the photo along with a photo of Senju and reach for one of your bags. You take your Brahman jacket off the hanger and stuff it in the bag, putting the photos on top before it zipping it up.
You grab your keys and hastily put your shoes on before dashing outside of the apartment. You start your bike and drive. How did the future not change?! Why does it still happen?!
Not only were you concerned for Draken's safety, but the battle. If word gets out that Rokhara Tandai tried to shoot a Brahman member, the battle will take place today! Not next week!
"Takemichi!" You yelled. Looking up at the boy's bedroom window.
The lights were off. It was night, but a part of you doubted he was asleep. You yell for him again and still no response.
You turn your bike around and continue to drive. Where the hell is this guy?! I swear to God...! Your worry turned into both confused and frustrated.
Nothing's begun, yet your mind won't let you calm. There were so many things, so many possibilities you had in your head. You felt like you didn't have the time to stop and recollect your thoughts.
You stop your bike and take your phone out of your pocket.
Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up! You repeat as you have your flip phone placed to your ear.
"Hm...?" You hear Chifuyu from the other line. His voice sounded deeper than usual. His tone was irritated as well. Probably just waking up.
You felt a little bad for giving him a random phone call, especially since he worked today. But you didn't want to be alone right now. Chifuyu was the only other person who knew about Draken's death.
"Come outside! We have to go!" You hurriedly say over the phone. You hear the boy groan.
You click on your gallery and get a vision of him. He rolled over in bed. Phone in hand.
"Chifuyu!" You say his name scoldingly, "You can sleep later! Takemichi's-"
Like that'll get his attention... You stop yourself mid-sentence and wonder what would wake Chifuyu up. Without having to go to his suite.
"Chifuyu," You say calmly this time, "Can we go to the amusement park...?"
Still no answer. You thought if you were more specific on the location, he'd listen fully.
Why is getting a guy's attention so hard?! You thought, getting frustrated.
Suddenly, a light bulb turned on in your head. A method Senju once tried on you.
"Okay, I see that you're tired," you start, "I'll just call Inupi and ask if he wants to-"
"I'm getting ready."
That worked?! You exclaimed.
You were shocked at how quick Chifuyu was to respond to you. You wondered if you've seen a boy get jealous before.
"I'll be down in ten minutes," Chifuyu tells you before hanging up.
Senju might be onto something with that method... You think.
-
"Ohhh, I get it now," the blonde behind you says.
You just finished explaining your sudden panic call to him. The bike ride woke him up more, so he had a clearer mind. As you rode to the amusement park
So this isn't a date... Chifuyu disappointingly thinks, feeling a little down.
Wait, if this isn't a date... That means she wasn't actually gonna ask Inupi on a date! Chifuyu's spirit was brought back up.
You park a little further away from other vehicles in front of the amusement park. Even at this hour, there were people finding parking and lining up to get admission.
You squint your eyes, wondering if there are any openings for you and Chifuyu to sneak in.
The blonde gets off the bike. Picking up on what you were thinking about, just by your expression alone.
"How much time until Rokuhara shows up?" He asks first. You open up your bag and check on the photo of Draken. "About an hour," you answered.
"I'll pay the admission fee," Chifuyu tells you. "You're trying to see if Takemichi's here too, right? Might as well go through the actual entrance than waste time finding a way to sneak in." He says, pointing at the line.
You nod and go along with his idea. His logic was plausible after all. The walls around the entrance were huge. It seemed like the only options were to climb over or pay for admission.
As Chifuyu is paying, you look further into the park. The last time you went to something like this was the Musashi festival in 2005. Except this was way bigger than you expected. You tried to see if you could spot Takemichi anywhere.
"Here," Chifuyu grabs your hand startling you a bit, not expecting it. He puts on a wristband for you.
"Is this the admission?" You asked as he let go of your wrist. "Yup," he says, walking ahead.
You follow and he turns to look at you, "I also got us free rides!" He smirks.
You stare at him oddly. He asked what was up. "Why would getting a free ride be necessary...?" You asked, genuinely confused. Thinking he paid for someone to chauffeur you around.
"Not that kind of ride," he chuckles at your oblivion, "Those!" he points ahead.
Your jaw drops. "Those are rides?!" You exclaim and he nodded eagerly. "Why would we need those to find Takemichi?!"
"We don't," he says, "But what's the use in going to an amusement park if we don't even enjoy it?"
You cross your arms at the boy. "Chifuyu, I didn't choose to go to an amusement park for fun," You said, slightly irritated at the boy's laxness. "We're here to find out why my vision of Draken hasn't changed!"
Chifuyu pouts cutely at you. You try not to give in, still standing your ground. The blonde sighs, "Alright, alright, I get it..." The two of you continue to walk again.
"You said he wouldn't go out today, right?" The boy asked. You nodded in response. "Any thoughts as to why he might've changed his mind?"
You think for a bit before answering. "Maybe... He got another vision?"
You were sure Takemichi wouldn't mind if you told Chifuyu. So you went ahead and explained what Takemichi said from your last talk. About him getting foresight from your future self.
Chifuyu asks you how the visions could be different. Saying, in a way, the ability was yours in the first place. Since you're the one who passed it down.
You shrug, unsure of how to answer that question. "Maybe it mixed with his timeleaping ability?" You wonder out loud. You groan, "I don't know... It feels like the situation just keeps getting complicated by the second..."
"Tell me about it," Chifuyu sympathizes. "I mean, who's he even with right now?"
The blonde points to you at what he was talking about. Takemichi was walking around the amusement park with Senju.
"No..." You let out, baffled. "There's no way he's... But I-" You cover your mouth. You couldn't figure out what to say out loud. You had so many thoughts you had in your head right now.
Chifuyu asks again who he was with. "Kawaragi Senju, Brahman's leader." Chifuyu was shocked, "Kawaragi Senju's a girl?"
"Yeah?" You responded. "Everyone always referred to her as a dude..." He says.
The two of you walk toward Takemichi and Senju. It was a good call to bring her photo with me then. You thought, mentally patting yourself on the back.
You see the two line up in front of a ride. "Yo!" You call out. Both Takemichi and Senju turn after hearing your voice.
Takemichi's face turned fearful upon seeing you. Your expression was reminiscent of a mother who's just caught their teenage child coming home past midnight. You were suspicious, angry and disappointed all at the same time.
"[Y/N]!" Senju waves. Unlike Takemichi, she was stoked to see you. Her eyes sparkle, "Are you on a date too?" She asked.
'TOO'?! You and Chifuyu look at each other from the side. You were sure both of you were thinking the same thing. Takemichi's on a DATE?! With someone else?!
You guys look back at Takemichi and Senju. You nodded, forcing a smile at the girl. "Sure, yeah, we are..." You say, trying to compose yourself.
Chifuyu nods with you, "I mean... [Y/N] and I are single and don't have a girlfriend," he says. Emphasizing two words.
Takemichi puts his hands up as if he were being held at gunpoint. He could obviously tell what you and Chifuyu were accusing him of, without outwardly saying it.
"It- It kinda just happened!" He tells you nervously. "I didn't even know we were gonna go to an amusement park!"
"Are you guys gonna go on the ride too!" Senju speaks, unintentionally changing the topic.
You finally look up at the ride they were in line for. People were strapped to their seats on a cart, screaming as they quickly spun around. "I see you two got unlimited ride passes!" The girl points.
You turn to the blonde you're with, "Chifuyu, what is this torture device...?!" You whisper-yelled. "It's a rollercoaster," Chifuyu replies. Chuckling at the fact that you referred to it as a method of torture.
Senju grabs you by the hand. "Come on! It'll be fun! Let's go!" She says excitedly, dragging you in line. You look over at Chifuyu silently asking for help.
He takes the hint. "[Y/N]'s super scared, she doesn't want to go on the rollercoaster," he tells Senju.
NO!! You screamed in your head. I WANTED YOU TO LIE ME OUT OF THIS! NOT TELL HER THE TRUTH! You felt embarrassed.
"Oh, you're scared?" Senju asked you genuinely.
"NO!" You quickly denied it, though it wasn't the truth at all.
You grab Chifuyu's sleeve and tug him in line. "He's the one who's scared...! I'm... I'm chilling," You told Senju.
Chifuyu was madly confused as to why you signalled for help but shut it down immediately.
The four of you are now waiting in line. You gesture at Chifuyu and he leans his head closer. "I'm gonna rip his balls off after this...!" You whisper aggressively. The blond turns to look at you with a concerned expression. "I don't think you wanna be near those..." He says honestly.
Finally, you guys made you're way to the front of the line. Takemichi and Senju go in first. The carts fit two people each, so you and Chifuyu were behind them.
The fair worker lowers the handles over your body, making sure it's secure. "You're sure this isn't a torture device?" You ask Chifuyu for confirmation.
He chuckles, "No, it's not." You fidget with the metal handles, "I don't know... I don't trust this thing!"
Panic was slowly starting to show as you anticipated when the ride would start. Your eyes shake, holding tightly on the handles in front of you.
Chifuyu takes his hand out and you stare at it. "Do you trust me?" He asks you. You pause for a bit, looking at his palm.
One of the workers announced that the ride was about to begin. You grab onto his hand immediately, intertwining fingers together.
You look ahead and the ride starts. Your heart rate fastens. You grip Chifuyu's hand with all your strength, screaming at the top of your lungs as the ride picks up the speed. Though it was quick, you hated every second of the loop around.
The carts start to ride up the track and you make it to the top. The highest part of the rollercoaster .
"Whyisitslownow-whyisitslownow-whyisitslownow-whyisitslownow????" You said fast. Your legs tremble and starts shaking Chifuyu's hand around. Like you were urging the boy to answer.
Finally, the carts zoom down. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"
You can hear Takemichi in front of you screaming, "I'MGONNADIE!!" And you've never related to the boy more in your life.
The ride ends and the workers, one by one, take the large handles off your bodies.
"I feel like I lost a few years of my life riding this..." You said, your voice was slightly raspy from screaming. Chifuyu helps you up and leads you out of the cart.
The boy catches you, noticing your legs are starting to get wobbly. "I tensed up while I had my feet planted on the cart," you explained.
You plop your head onto Chifuyu's shoulder and the blonde blushes. SHE'S SO CUTE!!
"Hey, are you okay?" Senju asks Takemichi. He was hunched over, feeling sick in the stomach after the ride.
Chifuyu caresses the top part of your head. "Yeah... Not an ideal first ride, huh?" He says, trying to comfort you.
"Where are you two gonna go now?" Senju asks curiously, "I was hoping to check out the Tanzaku over there!"
Chifuyu waves his hands, gesturing for them to go ahead. "We'll catch up with you," he smiles, "She's still processing if she's alive!"
Senju and Takemichi walk over to the Tanzaku stand. Chifuyu leads you to a bench nearby and the two of you sit there for a while.
You finally catch you breath from the rollercoaster ride. You open up your bag and pick up the photo of Draken.
"We have less than an hour before he and Rokuhara get to the park," you tell Chifuyu. You put the photo in your pants pocket, for quick access later.
"Should we meet the other two at the stand then?" Chifuyu asks. You check the photo of Senju before answering. You shake your head in response, "Those two will be fine," you said.
You lean over, resting your elbows on your lap with your chin on your palm. Blowing a puff of air out of your mouth.
Chifuyu could tell you were disappointed in Takemichi. At both not keeping his word to you and going on a date with someone who isn't Hina.
Chifuyu pats your shoulder before getting up. "C'mon, no use in dwelling on that right now," he says. "Let's kill some time before Rokuhara shows up." You get up and follow Chifuyu, walking around the park.
"Please don't tell me you're going to suggest going on another ride..." You say, kind of pleading. The blonde laughs a little, "Only if you want to," he says. "Not all rides are like that!"
As you two walk, the blonde shows you all the rides and attractions at the park. Similar to smaller festivals, the amusement park had food vendors and rigged games.
You started to warm up to the thought of going on another ride. Asking him what the 'safest' options were. Chifuyu argues they were all safe, but settled on two things.
The Ferris Wheel or the Teacups.
"Teacups," you immediately choose. After looking at how tall the Ferris Wheel was.
He looks at you oddly, "Really?" he asks. "I mean, compared to the rollercoaster, it's way safer! Plus, it's more spacious!" You reason.
"You're just scared of the Teacups, aren't you?" You joke, looking at him teasingly.
You grab onto his hand, taking him to the line. "Don't worry, Chifuyu! A little kiddy ride like this isn't that scary!" You tell him.
"Nope, just embarrassing to go on..." He sighs.
As you waited, you could tell Chifuyu was dreading going inside the human-sized teacups alongside the toddlers in line. Which made you feel slightly better about yourself, being afraid of almost every single 'adult' ride.
The two of you sit across from each other and the teacups move. "See, it's so calm here," you tell Chifuyu. "The other rides people our age go on don't compare to this!"
"Oh, you just don't want to admit you're afraid of heights," Chifuyu teases. "Whaaat... Nooo..." You say, unconvincingly.
He tilts his head and smirks, raising a brow. He knows he's right. "I mean, there's no risk of falling, sitting in a teacup!" You say, sort of admitting your fear.
"So..." Chifuyu starts, "You said if Draken dies, the Three Deities battle will start today?" He asked. You confirm, nodding. "And what if he lives?" He asks again.
"I... Wouldn't know," you admitted. "I think after Brahman found out it was Rokuhara who did it... Kanto was later informed," you hypothesize. "Since all three gangs were already there, they decided to fight now."
"But even if I'm successful... The news about Rokuhara attempting to kill a Brahman member will still catch on," You say. "So either way, the battle will happen today..."Chifuyu responds.
The ride was over and the two of you got off. The rain started to pour as well. Both you and Chifuyu seek shelter. Finding yourselves in an outdoor dining area, with shade.
You check on the photo of Draken. "We have less than thirty minutes 'til Rokuhara shows up...!" You tell Chifuyu. Sort of panicked.
Even though you've made the point to come to the park early. Aware of how exactly the vision will go. You weren't sure if you were ready for it. You weren't sure if you were capable of saving Draken. Or strong enough to be in the battle.
Chifuyu could tell you were overthinking the possibilities again. As your hands trembled, holding the photo of Draken. He flicks your forehead lightly, catching your attention.
"The future is changing as we speak, isn't it?" He asks rhetorically. "So let's focus on the present. Rokuhara's originally targeting Takemichi, right? Let's go look for him!"
"Right!" Both of you get up and you check on Senju's photo. "She's getting up to go to the bathroom..." You recite the vision out loud, "They're at a further shop than we are!"
The two of you start to run. Looking around at the food shops with outdoor seats. Trying to spot Takemichi.
"What if he got a different vision and ran somewhere else?!" You think out loud. "What would happen to Senju if Rokuhara finds her first?!" Your anxiety was at its peak. "What if-"
"[Y/N]!" Chifuyu yells. The two of you stop in your tracks. "Now's not the time to think with your head!"
"What?!" You asked, absolutely confused.
"What's your gut telling you right now?" He asks sternly.
"I... I don't..."
Chifuyu puts his hands on your shoulders firmly. "You need to trust yourself!" The blonde says, "Your head isn't the only thing that thinks and feels!"
"What is your gut telling you that your mind can't?!"
You close your eyes shut. Trying to concentrate. Trying to give some sort of answer to him. You let yourself breathe. Calming down from your initial panic.
You open your eyes and look at Chifuyu. "We... We have to get to Rokuhara first!" You finally give a response. "Them and Draken will be arriving at the park soon! If we find the members before Takemichi does, we can guarantee no one gets hurt!"
Chifuyu smiles at you proudly. "That's what I like to hear!" He tells you.
The two of you start to run again. He lets you run in front of him and you notice. "You lead the way!" He smiles at you.
"I'll gladly follow your commands, partner!"
Chapter seventy-nine, end.