Disclaimer: PoT does not belong to me.
This is set in an older timeline, where the third years are eighteen.
Warning: OC-centric
Beta: Eternal.Angel
Thank you to all who reviewed!
I'm really sorry about the long delay. (
Enjoy.
Kirihara lay grumpily on the hospital bed. Under observation, the doctor had said. Denied the freedom of being able to toss and turn because of the pain he felt, he settled for formulating plans on how to find his attacker. His lips curled in satisfaction as he thought of the fear creeping onto her face. He was determined to find this girl and take his revenge.
If I manage to survive this boredom, he thought lamely to himself.
Fortunately, his parents and seniors came to see him often, keeping both boredom and thoughts of revenge at bay. But when they had left and the door slid shut, Kirihara's imagination was free to run on a rampage. He thought of the girl that he had (supposedly) left on the brink of death, her brown eyes half-lidded and her hair half-covering her face as her head lolled to one side. Kirihara licked his lips, quickly frowning as the other girl entered his memories. He prided himself on his speed and was both enraged and embarrassed that she was faster than he was.
And it's their entire fault that I'mstuck here
That was enough for Kirihara to put both girls on his never-ending blacklist.
Kirihara's eyes darted around suspiciously. He had finally gotten rid of Jackal who was following behind him. Ever since he had gotten out of hospital, he had this nagging feeling that his seniors were up to something. Sanada had made him swear that he wouldn't go finding them (under Yukimura's smiling glare), and his seniors had an unspoken task of following him around until he forgot about the whole issue. Kirihara rubbed his chest; the pain was gone, but there was still a large bruise which was slightly visible over the collar of his tennis shirt.
But my chest still hurts, and seeing you guys being so protective will just keep that matter in my head!
Niou (or Yagyuu) would pleasantly appeared at his house every morning, saying that he would escort him to school, just in case anyone wanted to assault him (which definitely wasn't the case). The second he had stepped out the clubhouse, Jackal (or Marui) would mysteriously drop from the ceiling to materialize right in front of him, scaring poor Kirihara out of his wits.
Finally satisfied that Jackal wasn't going to appear in front of him by shooting through a makeshift hole in the ground in front of him, he carefully stepped into the train. Scanning the train for anyone familiar (which was quite difficult since it was so packed), he made his way to one of the panels near the door and leaned against it. For a second he thought he had spotted a black cap that looked awfully familiar, but dismissed the notion after a new wave of commuters pushed its way into the train.
"Oops, I'm so sorry." A short girl apologized profusely after bumping into him. With a wave of his hand as a response, he turned away from the girl and thought quietly to himself that the girls he had met in the tunnel that night would definitely not be like this polite one. Silently visualizing how he would torment his tormentor if he ever met her, he was jolted of out his thoughts by loud, thumping techno music which seemed to fill the entire carriage. Or so it seemed, for that thunderous music came from the cell phone of the clumsy girl who had bumped into him earlier, and she was right next to him.
She fumbled, searching her bag for the metallic object which constantly eluded her fingers. Eventually pulling it out from her bag, she found that her phone had stopped ringing. Her face looked desperate and anxious, like one who was about to get a major scolding. Her slim fingers deftly pressed the number pad and she gingerly placed the phone near her ear, though not touching. Kirihara knew that the other party had picked up; she was hollering through the receiver. The girl winced in fear.
"I'm so sorry, Yamada-san," The girl bowed slightly out of habit. "I was trying to find my phone."
The name sounded oddly familiar, Kirihara mused.
"The first door you walk to when you come off the escalator, Yamada-san," The girl smiled widely. "I'm good at remembering these."
Kirihara was surprised; she was so meticulous. He shut his eyes and rested his head on the panel behind him, waiting for his stop to arrive. When he heard the electronic announcement that they were reaching yet another stop, he opened his eyes and received the greatest shock of his life.
Green highlights.
The train jerked slightly.
Brown eyes.
The doors opened, and he felt someone push against him.
"Yamada-san!"
He gaped; this sweet girl actually knew that drunk in the tunnel! The momentary shock was quickly replaced by satisfaction.
What a lucky day.
Yamada looked indifferent; she turned immediately upon seeing her comrade, already on her way to her destination. Her comrade quickly ran up to her and tried to keep up with her pace.
"Hey!" Kirihara shouted, and they both halted. She stared coldly at him before asking, "You know him?"
"I just bumped into him just now…" She replied meekly.
Yamada contemplated for a while, and finally reaching a conclusion that Kirihara was someone who had no dealings with them, she turned back and continued on.
"We can't be late." The other girl nodded enthusiastically in reply.
Kirihara was dumbfounded; his head had been nearly ripped off by this woman (when she was drunk), and she couldn't even remember him?
That is SO not right!
Sanada sighed inwardly. Under such obvious and tight surveillance, Kirihara was bound to notice. Still, Sanada was not taking any chances. Rebellious and not yet mature enough, he would practically spring forward at any opportunity to take revenge.
Without even knowing who he's up against.
Sanada shook his head ever-so-slightly. Niou had told him that his assailant was most likely of the opposite gender, judging by Kirihara's determined refusal to tell them who had been there with him that night. The thought of Kirihara messing with the yakuzas sent chills running down his spine, but Sanada reasoned that Kirihara had enough sense in him to not trifle with them. Sanada would make sure of that, since he just spotted the familiar blob of seaweed and yellow jersey at the other end of the carriage. Unlike the more spontaneous members of his team, Sanada preferred discreet observation to blatant stalking. Marui was supposed to take over somewhere along Kirihara's route home; they were not loosening that control till he told them who exactly hit him that night.
After all, that blow that had been dealt was enough to kill.
The train had successfully zoomed past two stops before Sanada was alarmed by a shrill ringtone. He had fallen asleep, and he relaxed when he saw Kirihara still on the train. The train slowed to a stop, jerking slightly. Sanada raised an eyebrow at the departure of Kirihara; his stop had not arrived yet.
Was that a frown he saw?
No matter what, it's only safe to check, Sanada thought as he stepped off the train along with several other commuters, careful not to lose sight of that tousled hair. He seemed to be staring very hard at two women a great distance ahead. Sanada deadpanned.
Kirihara was ogling at girls?
Sanada then started to make his way towards him, picking the words to lecture him as he went along. He glanced at the two girls Kirihara was following; one was pretty decent, the other was wearing a shirt that looked like it had gone through the paper shredder.
Thank goodness it's a double-layered shirt.
Sanada opened his mouth to holler at him, only to snap it back shut after the first syllable. The girl with green highlights had turned to face Kirihara, and he spotted something very familiar.
A Phoenix with wings outstretched.
Sanada's eyes widened; it was highly likely that Kirihara hadn't noticed. Sanada pushed his way through the new wave of commuters, his voice rendering useless as a group of dancers just whirled past him with the radio at full volume. By the time he reached where Kirihara was, he and both the girls were nowhere to be found.
Damn.
Daidouji looked down apprehensively. She knew that someone was following them despite her lack of quick reflexes. She glanced up at Yamada, who was continuing on nonchalantly. She met with Yamada's disapproving eyes, and she shifted her gaze away immediately. What was she doing wrong?
Act normal, and wait for a chance to strike back.
Street smart #27. Daidouji's face brightened slightly, as she straightened her back and tried to imitate Yamada's air. Behind them, Kirihara darted and hid, keeping a safe distance from the two. The crowd thinned as the trio passed through large streets and small alleys, until they reached a warehouse area. By then, Kirihara was sure that they were the only people around. A surge of excitement bubbled within him as he followed the two towards one of the warehouses; this was almost like an action movie.
That was, until a hand grabbed him roughly from behind and covered his mouth with the other.
Sanada brought the flailing boy to the side of the warehouses almost effortlessly; Kirihara quieted after recognizing who he was. Sanada silently berated him using his forceful gaze; Kirihara looked away, but there was no guilt within him.
Sounds of shuffling feet caused the two to turn, and they both saw the girl on the train. She was different now, for her shy exterior was now cold. She smiled. She gestured towards the entrance of the warehouse.
"You two should come in; guests don't stand outside."
Sanada stood up, pulling Kirihara along. He didn't realize that even he had been spotted so quickly. They had to leave.
Daidouji's eyes had a sad glint in them.
"You shouldn't try that."
More sounds of shuffling feet. Two men emerged from behind them. Sanada remembered them from the pick-pocketing before.
"What do we have here?" One of them spoke up. The other, however, didn't bother to wait and had launched a fist at Sanada. It was a piece of cake for Sanada to dodge, causing him to hit the air and land embarrassingly in front him. Sanada took this chance to grab Kirihara and make a run for it, but he only ended up grabbing thin air.
"You wouldn't want to leave your junior here, would you?" The same man spoke, pressing a flat gleaming blade against Kirihara's tanned neck.
Damn.
Sanada moved into the warehouse reluctantly with Kirihara; the man behind him was poking at their backs teasingly with the knife. Their hands were tied behind their backs, just in case they decided to cause anymore mayhem.
"Took you long enough," Yamada drawled. "Hiroyuki, stop playing with that knife."
"Oh come on, it's fake." Hiroyuki lifted the blade in the air and pushed hard at the tip. It retracted inwards. "They fell for it, though."
"So, who has decided to grace us with their presence today?" A girl next to Yamada pushed her purple hair back behind her ears before standing, revealing the same Phoenix tattoo. Sanada could recognize her from miles away: the pick pocket.
"Don't you recognize him, Mikan? He's Mr. I-Am-Pissed," Daisuke replied before cracking up. "He really is gullible."
"Oh! I remember!" Mikan pointed animatedly at Sanada. "Thanks for the money; it was great spending."
Sanada growled at her. The next instant, both were pushed to their knees on the ground.
"Good; Standing is tiring, no?" Mikan smiled cheerily.
The next minute, Mikan had her head pushed downwards, ending in an awkward bow.
"I'm sorry for you to have witnessed such a shameful act and been the victim of one of our members," Yamada said monotonously.
Sanada and Kirihara sweat dropped.
Huh?
"Let go!" Mikan pushed away. "There's no need to apologize; he's not going to get the money back anyway." Mikan huffed. Taking a closer look at Sanada's companion, her eyes brightened with recognition.
"Ah, seaweed head's up and running already?"
The two boys stared confusedly at Mikan; Yamada strode forward and forcefully jerked Kirihara's chin upward. Raising a fist, Yamada swung at hit Kirihara squarely on the jaw.
Sanada pushed against the strong hands holding him down, anger boiling within.
"Are you trying to kill him?" He hollered. Yamada stared at him for a while before turning her back on both of them.
"It's called payback, brats." She replied nonchalantly.
The two boys glanced alternatively between Mikan, Yamada and each other. Hiroyuki shrugged, deciding that this was a matter of little concern to them. Daisuke, however, had a different opinion.
"What happened?" He asked eagerly.
"None of your business!" Yamada snapped back, earning herself a look of displeasure from Daisuke.
"Watch it; you'll scare poor Daidouji here," Mikan patted the mentioned girl on the back. Daidouji shook her head furiously.
"A bunch of low-life," Sanada muttered under his breath.
Mikan frowned slightly; her hearing was exceptional.
"What are you staring at?" She growled at Sanada. "It's not my fault you fell for it. You're just another normal teenager with rampaging hormones whose judgment gets sidelined at the sight of a pretty lady."
Sanada looked away. Though angry, he knew that making snide remarks wasn't going to get him out of this. A sudden sharp pain erupted from the top of his head; his cap was off, and Mikan was pulling his hair upwards so that he was looking straight into her brown eyes.
"Didn't your parents teach you that it was rude to not look at the person talking to you?" Mikan sneered, throwing his head back.
Yamada placed a firm hand on Mikan's shoulder, signaling finality.
"We have to go."
"Now?" Mikan wailed.
Yamada ignored that last comment and proceeded outwards. Mikan sighed resignedly.
"Just when I wanted to have more fun…" Mikan sulked and followed. She was accompanied by Hiroyuki and Daisuke, who let go the two tennis boys still tied with rope like bags of hot potatoes.
"Hey! Untie us!" Kirihara shouted desperately. But he was met with no reply as the four (or three, since Yamada wasn't talking) chatted amongst themselves.
Sanada cursed inwardly; Kirihara let out a string of incoherent curses as he kicked the ground. A shadow hovering above him caused Kirihara to look up; the same girl from the train was bending forward and leaving something on the ground.
Scissors.
"Don't try to come after us," She said softly. Then, she ran forward as Mikan called out to her to hurry. Kirihara smirked.
There are some kind souls after all.
"Don't be too happy," Sanada grunted.
Kirihara looked at him, baffled.
"We don't exactly have the means to operate a scissors." Sanada wriggled his fingers for extra impact.
Oh. Right. Damn.
A young man stood expectantly at the arrival gates, frowning slightly. He glanced at his watch, then at his surroundings. Not like he could see much; he had at least three armed bodyguards with him. Further up front was another group of bodyguards clad in black, meant for his father, who was arriving in Tokyo anytime soon.
Watanabe Masuo, son of Watanabe Masato and heir to Red Phoenix.
He sighed. Sometimes, he wished that he was a normal boy. He had so many responsibilities packed and ready for him since his birth. A normal boy led such a carefree life. He didn't have other organizations after his life, for one.
"Masuo!" A group of teenagers ran towards his direction, trying to look slightly more presentable while running. "We aren't late, are we?"
Masuo smiled at them. "No, Mikan; he's just arriving."
The bodyguards around them immediately snapped ram-rod straight upon seeing them, and they bowed.
"Yamada-sama! Kabayashi-sama!"
Yamada waved a lazy hand at them, while Hiroyuki, Daisuke and Daidouji looked amazedly at them.
"Wow," Hiroyuki said lamely. "I could never get used to this."
"Then maybe you could find a way to shut them up." Mikan dusted the dirt of her jeans.
"They get on our nerves." Yamada pulled a jacket over to cover her shredded, double-layered shirt.
"Hush, he's here." Masuo looked forward eagerly; that gold-topped walking stick was very easily spotted. Coming along with the walking stick was a plump man, his sleek black shoes clicking the same rhythm on the marble floor. He extended his arms out cordially, hugging Masuo, Mikan and Yamada all at the same time, as they exchanged warm greetings.
The three left behind (though forgotten by the rest) were engaged in their own conversation.
"Why is Watanabe-sama in Tokyo?" Daidouji asked, looking at the two girls with unmasked admiration.
"He's here on important business: to meet his brother. And, Mikan and Yamada have a special status in Red Phoenix. But you're new, so it's obvious that you don't know." Daisuke winked.
"They've been here longer than the two of us have." Daidouji's eyes widened slightly. Hiroyuki had joined five years ago, and that was already very long in Daidouji's view.
"You mean, they've been here since… childhood?"
Hiroyuki nodded affirmatively. "I heard Watanabe-sama took them in because he saw great potential in them. Rumor has it that Mikan tried to pick pocket him when they were orphans."
Hiroyuki laughed.
"They were always on opposite sides when the two brothers were still working together. Surprisingly, they both picked the same side after the breakup."
"What breakup?" Daidouji asked again. Daisuke paid extra attention to this one; it was not often that members spoke out the breakup. It simply happened, and no one who was there at that point of time raised the issue after that.
Hiroyuki smiled secretively, "That's another story." He looked up to bow politely at Watanabe, who broke into a smile upon seeing the three. Leaving heavy pats on their backs, he gathered them all to leave in specially-driven cars.
Masuo looked out of the window of the car he shared with Mikan and Yamada. It was time for him to perform his role.
"There's plenty of work for you youngsters, no time to waste." Masuo told them authoritatively as the airport grew smaller behind them.
"Yes sir!"
Sanada absolutely abhorred the yakuzas now. He had been pick-pocketed, tricked, tied up and made a total fool because of them. He rubbed his sore wrists, only escaping his mother's detection by wearing wrist bands. Kirihara sported similar wounds, as he maneuvered scissors clumsily but successfully cutting the Sanada's ropes without looking at them.
Don't try to come after us.
Sanada sliced the air. He didn't have that intention before, and still did not have it now.
But still.
Don't ever let me see them again, Sanada thought furiously.
fin.
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