This first chapter is primarily expressed from the perspective of Takemichi, and the characters he interacts with, to give insight into his sister's role and place in his past and with the people he interacted with. Thus view this as a slight retelling of the first episode/chapter with added-on scenes and dialogue.
Enjoy~
'It seems that my one and only girlfriend who I had dated during middle school, Tachibana Hinata, is dead...' Hearing banging on his door, the young man stood up absently.
"Hey! I know you're in there!"
Silently walking to answer his door, he continued to think. 'Not just her... Alongside her... my older sister... my only sister... Hanagaki Meiko... Mei has died as well...'
Opening his door he was met with the angered appearance of his neighbor. "Hi..." He both nervously and depressingly greeted as the woman yelled at him.
"How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through your thick skull!? Your TV is too fucking loud! I can hear it from a mile away!"
"... I'm sorry." He apologized, as the woman continued to rage as she walked away.
"Honestly, kids these days!"
The day... far from improved from there.
"Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you the same thing, Hanagaki Takemichi-kun." He was scolded at work by his superior. "DVDS need to go back on the shelves as soon as they're returned." She glared at him from the corner of her eyes, "I've told you this before, right?"
"I'm sorr-"
"Yeah, Yeah, I know. All you ever are is sorry."
"Oh, man... I had intended to do it..." Takemichi had tried to explain.
Only to be cut off as his boss walked away annoyed saying, "If you had planned to. Please do it before someone has to tell you. Lately, things have been different. We've gotten some complaints about DVDs being put back. Please do it properly before we get any more complaints."
"I'm sorry..." He once more tried to apologize as his boss only scoffed.
"Yes! All you do is apologize~!"
After work, he'd quietly tried to just head straight home, and yet.
Laughing from on top of an expensive-looking car, a trio of kids laughed and arrogantly smirked at Takemichi as he walked by. "Hey, old guy."
"Huh?" Stopping before the trio in slight shock, one of the other kids continued to mess with him.
"You got a problem?"
"Uh, no... uh, I'm sorry..." Takemichi tried to apologize, but it did little to help his situation. As the kids surrounded him, he was easy prey and so... they keyed the expensive car with some spare change they pulled out their pocket, much to Takemichi's shock.
"Huh?"
They then proceed to run laughing, as they yelled back at him. "Dumbass!"
Then the owner appeared, "Oi! What do you think you're doing?!" Much to Takemichi's shock and destress and he quickly booked it. The owner looking down at his newly scratched car screaming in pain. "Aggg, this was 80,000 bucks!"
Running almost all the way to the Shinjuku station, before he would become listless and contemplative on one of its ramps as he waited for his train.
'I never thought that my life would turn out like this.'
"The train bound for Shibuya and Shinagawa will be arriving on track 14. Please stand behind the yellow line."
'Living in a beat-up crappy apartment with paper-thin walls. Treated like an absolute moron by my manager, who's six years younger than me. Then those punks picked a fight with me, and I somehow end up apologizing. I've only had one girlfriend in my entire life, and that was in middle school. So to top it all off, I'm still a damn virgin.' Looking down at his feet he muttered with a tired and regretful smile. "Where the hell did I go wrong?" He was pushed then, "Huh?" Landing on the train tracks as the train horn blared, looking up it was as if time had slowed itself down and the sound of the world around him went deathly silent. Staring blindly up at the train's front his mind raced, 'You're kidding.'
'The moment I thought I was going to die. I didn't remember my parents or friends. I remembered Tachibana Hinata.' His mind foggily remembered the short rosy brown-haired girl of his youth.
"Michi!"
'And my sister.' The fogged-up image of a grinning dark-haired girl of long hair reaching out her hand flashed alongside his lost love visage. 'Hanagaki Meiko.'
Memories of the past flooded his mind.
"Apparently, Tachibana-san from Class 2 likes Hanagaki." Some girls gossiped back then, his own friends giving him the stink eye.
"Seriously? Why're you so popular?"
His sister though, "Ah~ How cute!" He remembered her clapping her hands together as they'd stood across each other in the school's halls. "Your first love confession, my Michi is growing up so fast." Her smile had fell at his unremembered response, "Ah, come on. Don't be like that-" The memory shifted before it could be completed.
"It's not just him though." One of the boys had whispered, "His sister and Tachibana-"
"What are you going to do?" A female seat neighbor asked, "Some boys from another class came looking for you yesterday." He couldn't even remember his response, but the girl's friend.
"Don't give me that. Tachibana-san's super popular, you know."
'Thinking back, my second year in middle school was when I peaked. I was number two in a kickass gang of second-years. And that was the only time I had a girlfriend.' His mind and sight slowly cleared, the sight of his shoes coming into view as he absently continued to think. 'Is this, like... the thing where you see your life flash before your eyes?' Looking up, his eyes just barely caught sight of mirrored reflection on the train's window. Something seemed to snap into place, time seemed to move again, and the sound around him returned.
"Shibuya. We have arrived in Shibuya. Please make sure you have all your belongings."
Being jostled to the side a bit by a passenger stepping off Takemichi absently apologized as his mind struggle to comprehend the sudden change in events around him.
"Oi! Takemichi!
"Takemichi!"
"Huh?" Finally coming to more or less, Takemichi found his hand gripping a hand railing on a train, as he looked up at four teens calling back to him as they stepped off the transport.
"What are you doing? Get off the train." A red-haired pompadour teen said as Takemichi panicky released rail to hurry after.
"Wh-whoa!"Barely avoiding being caught by the closing door, and he landed off-balanced onto the platform.
"Hurry up." The redhead almost huffed, he and the other three friends sending Takemichi a bored expression.
'Whoa, t-talk about nostalgic!' Takemichi thought, as his eyes darted between the teens before him. 'Makoto, who couldn't keep his hands off his dick! The fool Yamagishi, who thought he'd be smart if he wore glasses! Our leader, Akkun! Takuya, who I knew since we were little!'
Following close behind they stepped onto an elevator as those remain oblivious to their friend's sudden shift in demeanor. "Yamagishi, did you see this week's issue?" Makoto asked, looking back at their four-eyed companion.
"Hell yeah, I saw that pinup! It was insane!"
"Yo, guys. We're in public, y'know." Akkun lightly scolded as he sent the two boys an annoyed look.
"I'm starving. Wanna get something to eat?" Takuya asked as the teen continued on their way through the station.
"I could go for a hamburger." Yamagishi agreed.
"I got a coupon." Makoto jumped in as Akkun asked curiously.
"Got enough for all of us?"
"Nope!"
"The hell, man?"
Passing by a full-length mirror Takemichi paused, slowly turning back towards the mirror as he took in his now young fourteen-year bleach blonde faux hawk-haired styled self. "Huh? An open collar and baggy pants?" He openly wondered aloud making one of his friends to stop and look back at him confused. Grabbing a hold of his face Takemichi felt his heart race, 'Who the hell is this lame-ass looking delinquent!?' Realization began to set in. 'It's me! It's me from middle school! Fuck, I was so lame! But this was supposed to be when I peaked!' Takemichi horrifyingly thought, before quickly scavenging in his pockets.
"What's in my pockets? A single 500-yen coin and a cellphone!' He thought after pulling out said items, though his attention became drawn and nostalgic at the electronic device in his hands. "Yo, it's a flip phone! Talk about memories!" Opening the device in hand he froze as the screen came to life before him, a picture of his current self, and the boys all posing in the front... with a dark-haired girl walking away with her back to them in the top center background shaking her head. It wasn't just the image that made him pause though... but the time and date.
"July 4th, 2005?" He stared at the phone in shock, "Uh, wait. Right now, it should be..." Absently counting off his left hand he muttered. "One, two, three..." His eyes became wide with shock as he realized the time. "This is exactly twelve years ago!"
"Hey, Takemichi!" His gaze snapped back at the quartet, Yamagishi seeming to be the one calling out to him as he said. "The hell are you doing?"
'Who knew seeing your life flash before your eyes looked so realistic?'
Now sitting at a fast-food restaurant the group of five all sat together in their own booth with their orders before them.
"Seriously, Takemichi? Just fries? And you got a small!" Makoto questioned as he sent the blonde a confused look.
"Well, I need change for the train ride home." Takemichi tried to politely explain nervously as his friends are their own full meals of a burger fries and drink.
"It would've worked out," Yamagishi spoke mouth full, before swallowing his meal. "You could have just called Mei-senpai to come pick you up and spot ya."
Shaking his head with a sigh Takuya said, "Seriously Yamagishi, don't do that to Meiko-chan. She doesn't need another reason to not trust us on our own."
Snorting at this Akkun sent Takuya a teasing smirk, "You're just saying that cause you li~ke her."
Blushing Takuya sent the redhead a glare, "That's not it!"
"Right~" Yamagishi and Makoto both teased as Takuya now shot them a glare.
"It isn't I tell you! I just really respect her!" Makoto and Yamagishi proceed to tease poor Takuya by making kissy faces at the boy.
'Oh yeah,' Takemichi silently thought, 'My sister did use to get brought up a lot when it came to these guys.' Remembering his phone's current background he continued to remember. 'She had a habit of hanging out with us every now and again, so she was really just one of the guys.' He quietly smiled to himself, 'It used to annoy the hell out of me when they joked about liking her... But thinking back it wasn't ever really serious. If anything the guys just admired Mei-nee, and she was always fine with teasing the guys if they ever brought it up while she was around.' It warmed his heart, remembering such a simple time and experience. Though it was cut short when Takemichi caught Akkun talking directly to him.
"I'm so glad your cousin's the leader of Shibuya Third Middle school, Takemichi."
"Huh?" Takemichi confusedly respond as Yamagishi talked once more with his mouth full from across him and Akkun.
"If any third-year tries to mess with us, we just need to namedrop Masaru-kun."
"Wha?" Takemichi still continued to be confused, grabbing a fry from his small meal to eat as he looked up in thought. 'My cousin?' Closing his eyes, he recalled a day in his youth where he ran after his older cousin crying, as the boy took his bike.
"Give it back! Give it back!" His elementary school self cried, just as a small short dark-haired girl rounded the corner exiting his home's front yard.
"Hm. What's going- AH!" Ripping off her sandals the girl shouted, "DON'T BULLY MY MICHI!" She chucked the wooden platform with all her might and knocked Masaru clean off a shocked Takemichi's bike. "BAKA-MASA!" Then ran pouncing onto the boy, the young Takemichi watching in both awe and horror as she beat their cousin up. Leaving the other boy crying now as she reprimanded the boy over taking Takemichi's bike.
'Are they really talking about Masaru-kun?' He couldn't help but wonder, before nervously asking the boys. "Hang on a sec. What's so good about having Masaru-kun around? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
"Hm." The boys all sent Takemichi a look.
"Wh-what?"
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Come on, Takemichi."
"You're starting to sound like Mei-chan!"
"You hit your head or something?"
"Come on, Takemichi."
The boys all almost seemed to speak at once, worsening Takemichi's nerves as he tried to laugh off their words, or at least he did till they explained themselves.
"We're gonna go pick a fight!" Makoto determinedly stated causing Takemichi to gap at the teen.
"Huh!?" His mind raced to remember how his cousin used to be, 'Come to think of it, Masaru-kun was a third-year like Mei-nee, but at Shibuya Third Middle School. He did mention that he was the leader there!'
"What a hoax!"
Takemichi remembered hearing his sister hiss when he'd recounted that news to her. "If Baka-Masa is the leader, then we're math wiz's." She almost growled walking ahead of him as they went home together. He remembered the confusion he felt at his big sisters' words, never really at the time understanding why she seemed to dislike their cousin so much. As she turned to face him, Takemichi could only vaguely recall the frown on her face, "Michi, whatever you do. Don't listen to Baka-Ma-"
"We're gonna have us a little war with the second-years at that school!" Makoto proudly exclaimed, pulling Takemichi out of his memories.
"Yeah!" Yamagishi cheered as Takemichi was left to stare in shock.
"We're gonna go over to their school and fight them right now?" Takemichi questioned, causing the boys to falter.
"Hey, someone say something," Yamagishi muttered as Takuya decided to step up to the plate.
"Takemichi, they think we're wusses. They're looking down on us, you know? The only thing we can do is fight back." Takuya tried to explain, though Takemichi still didn't understand the supposed issue at hand.
"They look down on us and think we're wusses? And that's why we're fighting?"
"You don't need to act like you're scared!" Yamagishi misunderstood causing Takemichi to sit up straight more. "You're gonna give 'em a back fist as soon as ya see 'em like always, ain't ya!?" Yamagishi encouraged, flick his fist back and forth much to Takemichi's continued confusion.
"Backfist?"
"Yeah, Takemichi's always all fired up."
"Lead the way, Charge Commander!"
"Yeah!" Yamagishi cheered, kicking up their table and making Akkun scramble to keep the table from actually tipping over.
"Oi, you're spilling things!" He angrily shouted, though the other three boys across him and Takemichi only laughed with Takuya even giving a 'wooh!' as Takemichi stared at the scene.
The next thing Takemichi knew the group was on their way, walking towards this so-called war they were gonna start.
'Wait... Wait, wait. Shit is moving way too fast! I do recall something like this happening. I guess we did go talk to my cousin Masaru-kun about picking a fight at that school in Shibuya.' Takemichi thought while holding his own chin. 'I think we even tried to hide it from Mei-nee.'
His mind conjured up the image of him and his friend freezing up whenever his older sister passed by. Her head always tilted to the side confused, before a frown would form on her face as the boys rambled off excuses to run away, or hide their plans.
'... Why does it feel like that was my first mistake?' Takemichi dreadfully thought, a repressed feeling of guilt and anxiety slowly bubbling within him as he remembered the lead-up to this day. 'Now that I think about it... What was Mei-nee doing back then on this day? Whenever we'd skipped...' He pulled out his phone to check for any calls or texts, 'I wouldn't be long till she'd give a call to give an earful or spam me with texts... But... I don't remember that happening at all that day.'
July 4, 2005 Meiko
On that same day twelve years from the day she died, Takemichi's sister, Hanagaki Meiko would begin to entwine her fate with the very people who would end her and two other innocent bystanders' lives. A crowd of both onlookers, and normal pedestrians circled around the girl. In particular, a girl of sandy blonde hair and honey gold eyes stared in awe at the glaring teen. As Hanagaki Meiko kept a grown man pinned to the ground before the girl with his arm twisted around his back.
"Apologize." Meiko coldly ordered, holding down a young man who seemed around his mid-twenties, with his arm behind his back. Whining and crying as he was restrained, he tried to call for help.
"Gah! Let me go!"
Tightening her grip, the girl pulled more harshly on the young man's arms causing him to scream as she continued to glare down at him. "That's not an apology~"
"Bitch!"
"How original." Meiko deadpanned just as two of the subway officers finally came into the scene.
"Wha- What's going on here?!"
Turning his tear-stained face up to the officers, the young man all but exclaimed with joy, "Oh thank goodness, officer save me! This girl is insane!"
Twitching the Meiko tsked as kept her glare down at the man, "Huh? That's rich! Coming from scum like you!" Refusing to let go of the man's arms, Meiko's blue eyes turned up to the officers. "Officers I'd like to report this man for sexual harassment!"
"Se-sexual harrass- No!" The man panicky squirmed, "Arrest her! She's the one who assaulted me!" The man shouted.
"What should we do?" One of the officers asked his partner, "Those are both pretty serious accusations."
"Uh..."
Feeling her brow twitch, Meiko growled as she noted the officers becoming confused and torn on who to listen to. One tiny, surprisingly strong, or at least skilled, Japanese middle school girl. Or the young man dressed in a suit and tie she had pinned underneath her. "That's funny, I'm pretty I wasn't the one covertly snapping shots under the skirts of schoolgirls with my phone!" Meiko venomously hissed, causing the man below her to sweat as some of the females within the on-looking crowd gasped and even shrieked as they clutched onto the hems of their skirts.
Honey gold eyes became wide as the sandy blonde girl who had been attentively following the scene thought, 'Wait, was that why...'
It had been crowded on the train, her stop was close approaching and she was all but ready to jump out of the cart. When suddenly...
"Gah!"
Whipping her head around the blonde girl could not help stare in shock as a man in his mid-twenties had his phone clutched hand held up in the air, as a dark-haired girl with deep blue eyes glared violently up at the man.
"No, more." The girl hissed as the train came to a stop.
The events that followed almost seemed to go in a flash, as the grown man tried to break free and away from the girl's hold only for the teen to quickly catch and pin the man down outside on the train's platform. Sending his phone flying out of his hand as she did so, and leaving the girl and some of the more curious train riders to follow behind and stare.
"You-You're just making wild accusations!" The man argued as he glared up at Meiko, "I don't even have my phone! You have no proof!" The man arrogantly laughed, smirking. Meiko's eyes became wide as she took note that the phone the man had was missing.
'Shit...!' Looking the man over and the small space around her, Meiko paled as she noticed the phone was gone. 'Where is it?!'
Seeing Meiko's slightly distressed look, the sandy blonde teen took a quick look around the platform, honey gold eyes locking onto the abandoned device which lay hidden amongst the legs of some of the onlookers. 'There!' Pushing herself through the crowd, the girl quickly scrambled to the device barely managing to grab the cellular phone before it could be stepped on or kicked away as the group of onlookers began to disperse at the supposed end to the scene.
Stepping towards the dark-haired teen the officers moved to remove Meiko from the man she had pinned, "Alright that's enough. Young miss, we will be having to ta-"
Swiping the open device up off the floor, the blonde-haired teen held the phone up in the air. "Excuse me!" The officers, Meiko, and the pinned man all turned their gaze towards her. "Is this what you're looking for?" She seemed to almost boredly ask, sending the now pale pinned man a disgusted look as one of the officers came to her and took the phone.
Playing with said device the officer made a disgusted noise, before turning to his partner who stood near Meiko and the pinned man to give a confirmative nod. "It checks out."
"N-no..." The man weakly muttered, "That... That's not... mine..." He tried to deny, though it did little as Meiko finally released him into the hands of the police officers.
"We will see about that." The officer glared as he secured the man before his partner joined up with him with the other girl.
"If it's not too much of an issue, would you girls please come with us to get a statement?"
Honey gold met Ocean blue, the two girls silently conversing with each other before they turned their gazes back up to the officers. "Sure."
Nodding the officers began to lead the man away, gesturing for the girls to follow as they quietly followed close behind. "You okay?"
"Hmm?" The blonde questioned, as she turned to look at the dark-haired teen.
"That guy stood really close to you on the train," Meiko explained before she shivered slightly. "I don't even know how I noticed what he was doing, but hopefully he didn't get a shot of your- you know."
Snorting, the blonde shook her head, "No, he didn't. Though I'm sure it wasn't from lack of trying. The benefits of being on the short side, right~"
Snickering to herself, Meiko could only nod as she realized that she and the girl were just around the same height, "Oh yeah~ Especially with how easy it is for people to underestimate you cause of it."
Laughing out loud the blonde nodded, "He really didn't see it coming when you tackled him."
"I'd prefer 'detained.'" Meiko poshly joked before snorting to herself, "But nah, I did pretty much throw my whole weight onto knocking that guy to the ground." The two laughed, continuing to follow the officers close behind as they were led to their police box. "Oh! I just realized we don't even know each other's names." Meiko realized out loud before she turned to smile at the girl with her hand held out for a shake. "I'm Meiko, Hanagaki Meiko."
Smiling, the blonde took hold of the outstretched hand, "Emma. Sano Emma, pleasure to meet you, Mei-chan."
"Likewise, Em-chan." This had been the start, the turning point for Meiko's life. Just as it had, for Takemichi as well.
July 4, 2005 Takemichi
"WUR ZORREY!" Bloody and bruised, tears streaming down his face, Takemichi found himself kneeling alongside Akkun, after receiving the beating of their lives. His cousin had lied, he was no leader just a 'Gofer', and all to just show off to him the hapless and naive younger cousin. Who believed him, and then spread it to his own friends.
"Michi, whatever you do. Don't listen to Baka-Masa." His sister's words rang through his mind, "That coward would rather save face than do or say anything honest. He doesn't have anyone's best interest at heart but his own."
'Ow... She was right.' Takemichi slightly thought in pain, as he and Akkun continued to remain kneeling before their attackers. '
The leader of the group, a third-year from the school they had gone to, by the name of Masataka Kiyomizu, better known as Kiyomasa, glared down at them with disgust and annoyance as he talked down to them. "You spineless little dweebs. You've got some nerve, callin' yourselves delinquents."
From behind Akkun and himself, Takemichi could hear Yamagashi hic and whimper as the other three boys lay beaten, and in the case of Takuya passed out.
"From today onwards, you shits are going to be little soldiers for the Tokyo Manji Gang. Better work your asses off." Kiyomasa's second in command spoke up, though neither Takemichi's or his friend Akkun dared to look up from the ground even as the older gang members walked away into the evening sunset.
Even as his Akkun rose to check on the other boys, Takemichi himself remained as he watched his blood slowly drip and paint the ground below him.
"You okay?"
"Just... Don't tell anyone I cried." Yamagishi whimpered.
'The Tokyo Manji Gang...' Takemichi thought, 'That's right. This is where it all started.' His mind conjured the image of days long passed, 'Our hellish days spent doing their bidding. All of us. That's why I got the hell away from my hometown after graduating middle school.' His mind flashed to himself walking away from his friends on graduation and pulled up his final conversation with his sister.
"Ah! Wait, where are you going?" His sister concernedly exclaimed as she tried holding onto the lone duffle bag he'd packed.
"Let go!"
"Michi please! Talk to me!" She begged, he had never been used to her begging. "What the hell is going on? Let me help you!"
"Shut up!" He remembers pulling the bag away and shoving her away. She'd fallen back almost hitting the bottom steps of the stairs, and the sense of guilt only fuelled his self-loathing and fear. "I... I don't want your help! I'm not a fucking child Meiko! Stop treating me like one! Just leave me alone!"
"Mi...chi..."
"I HATE YOU, AND EVERYONE IN THIS STUPID TOWN! I NEVER WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU AGAIN!"
"TAKEMICHI!"
He ran, his sister's tear-stained face fueling his run. His harsh words like ash on his tongue as he begged and cried to any god, that she'd believe his lies and stay away.
'I started living on my own and working.'
"Quit slackin' off! You're as slow as a fucking turtle!"
"Sorry!"
'But nothing went right. I could never do anything very well.'
"Can'tcha do anything right?"
"I'm sorry!"
'So I apologized.'
"I'm very sorry!"
'And apologized.'
"I'm sorry!"
'And apologized. Again and again. I just spent my whole life apologizing.' Slamming his face down to the ground, he struggled to not cry as he quietly cursed to himself. "Dammit..." Clenching his fists beside him as remained curled up on the ground. 'This sucks. My life's ending, and I'm reliving the worst part of it.' Throwing his head back he yelled up to the heavens, "I GET IT, GOD! YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME MY LIFE FUCKING SUCKED, RIGHT!?" His eyes filled with tears and the memories of his first love passed through his mind.
"I'm sure you'll succeed, Hanagaki-kun."
The tears built in his eyes, and the memory of his sister's gentle embrace from their youth joined the ghostly memories.
"You idiot, just cause you fell doesn't mean you can't get back up." She cooed as she consoled a crying Takemichi who'd fallen off his bike. "You're stronger than this."
Then the news report from that day twelves years into the future, replayed in his mind. "The escalating dispute between the Tokyo Manji Gang has now claimed innocent victims."
'Tachibana... Mei-nee... The Tokyo Manji Gang...' Takemichi thought as he now sat staring off in the direction Kiyomasa's group walked in, "That's right. The reason they both die twelve years in the future... It's all because of them!" He glared at the group as they finally vanished from sight, but became dejected soon after. "But I guess that has nothing to do with me." Yet, his first love's smile flashed through his mind, and Takemichi briefly realized something. "Wait. Tachibana's..."
Leaving the park they had been beaten in, Takemichi's group, the Mizu five, now made their way home as night fell. The group all but licking their wounds as they did their best to support one another.
"You okay, Takuya?" Makoto weakly asked as Yamagishi used himself as a crutch for the slicked-back dark-haired teen.
"You better not tell anyone that I cried."
"Damnit." Cursed Akkun, the teens walking in almost complete silence as the train passed by. All of them lacking any money now to even take the transport home, but none are willing to even entertain the idea of asking for help from the one person who'd be willing. Least they have to explain their current state to the elder Hanagaki.
"Man, I'm starving." Makoto sighed, as Yamagishi whined in agreement.
"I want some Katsudon."
"I can't eat. My mouth's all busted up." Takuya struggled to voice, as Takemichi slowed and stopped far behind the group in deep thought. "Takemichi?"
"What's wrong, Takemichi?" Akkun asked, "Are you worried about Mei-senpai freaking out?"
Wincing as he held his jaw, Takuya could not help but add, "We can cover for ya if we come up with an excuse."
Shaking his head, Takemichi looked up at the boys with a set gaze, "Sorry, I've gotta go."
"Huh? Go where?" Akkun asked, as Takemichi turned and ran from the group. Leaving the group to stare as he vanished back down the street.
Running as fast as he could, Takemichi couldn't help but realize something, 'I forgot... What did Tachibana look like?' Stopping to finally catch his breath, Takemichi looked up at the apartment complex he ended at, "Here!" Looking through the complex's mailboxes he found the one holding his first love's name, before heading up to her door and ringing her doorbell.
There was a moment of silence and then, "Yes...?" Takemichi stood up straight at the females' voice, "Wait, Hanagaki-kun?"
"Y-Yeah." Takemichi nervously replied, his mind racing as it finally began to hit just what he was doing. 'Her voice... I remember it.' He thought, the sounds of rapid footsteps and movement coming from beyond the door until it was opened.
"Hanagaki-kun!" His eyes could not help but widen, as she stepped out her front door. "Were you fighting again? You can't keep getting into fights like that! You just got into a fight over the dumbest thing last week! Mei-senpai even got on you for it." The girl firmly scolded, sounding more and more like a concerned wife towards the boy. "Are you okay? That looks like it hurts real bad. Did you at least disinfect it? You're all swollen up. Want me to get you some bandages? Ah! Does your sister even know? She was so worried and upset after school, I think she even went looking for you. Have you talked?"
"Tachibana... Hinata." Takemichi almost seemed to whisper, as tears began to stream down his face. Hinata, becoming more concerned as she noticed the almost mournful smile that graced her crying boyfriend's face. This though equally shocked Takemichi as he struggled to speak, "Huh!? Why am I... Why am I crying?" He covered his face, as he became embarrassed and tried to walk away. "Sorry, it's nothing. I'll go home now."
"Hanagaki-kun!" Hinata concernedly called out, causing the boy to pause as he quietly tried to brush her off.
"I just... wanted to see you."
"You're lying! Something happened. You're not acting like yourself." Taking confident strides forward, Hinata reached out her hands. Takemichi being left shocked as she gently grabbed hold of his face.
"Huh?"
"Just tell me! I want to know everything about you!" She boldly exclaimed, at Takemichi dumb-struck face. "I'm your girlfriend, you know. You dummy."
"Sorry..." Was all Takemichi could reply though, and try to listen as she spoke to him. Though his mind was a thousand miles away. 'That's right. She was always getting mad at me. She was small but so strong-willed. It was no wonder she and my sister would get along back then.'
"Bye-bye. See you tomorrow at school! And don't forget to call Senpai on your way home." Hinata smiling said, waving farewell, Takemichi leaving in even more tears.
'I always loved the cheerful way she'd say, 'Bye-bye'.' He thought, walking down the street, 'And yet, I...' Stopping mid-walk, he desperately tried to whip away his tears. "Damnit!"
Stopping at a park, he took a seat on the lone swing set pulling out his phone to check the time. Only to wince at the many missed calls and text from a number with the ID of Meimei, "Did I silence my phone that day..." Thumb hovering over the call button, he quickly pressed it and silently pulled the cell up to his ear.
It rang once...
Twice...
*Click*
His eyes became wide as the call was received yet as he shakingly opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off.
"MI-CHI!" The angry shout of his sister's voice blasted through the receiver and in his ear as he pulled the device away wide-eyed.
The sound of a high-pitched whistle from the other side and a, "Someone's in trouble~" From an unknown voice barely catching his ear as his sister began to rant at him.
"Where have you been, mister?! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in! I got called into the teacher's lounge and scolded for your skipping class, AGAIN!" His sister viciously shouted, and yet... Takemichi felt a resurgence of tears as he once more heard the familiar sound of his sister's voice.
"Meimei..." He almost whispered, voice cracking. His sister's voice went silent on the other end as Takemichi's mind raced, 'Her too. All I ever seemed to do was cause my sister's problems... With our parents barely around cause of work... She was the one always left in charge.' He silently thought crying. 'She was the one who teachers got on, to try and make me behave. She was the one bailing me out stupid trouble I got into, and she-'
"Michi?" Her voice had become gentle and soft now, "Are you okay? Did something happen?"
'She was the one who was always there.' He struggled not to sob as he shook his head, "No! No! I just... I just realized something today, Meimei."
"And what is that?"
"I HATE YOU, AND EVERYONE IN THIS STUPID TOWN! I NEVER WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU AGAIN!"
He sobbed as he recalled those final words to her, all those years ago. "That... I really love ya! And that you're the best big sister, a guy could ever ask!" He cried, saying the words he wished he would have told her sooner, the words he could have told her if she were not dead. "And... I'm sorry for not saying it more!" Everything was silent for a sec, and then he heard a sound that made him smile.
His sister snorting and giggling as she said, "... You spaz. You really had me worried there, you dummy."
Weakly laughing at himself he said, "Did I? Sorry!"
"Geez, there you go apologizing again. I've told you! If you're not gonna do something about it, then don't apologize over it. It really makes you come off as ingenuine when you say the same thing over and over again."
"Yeah... Sor- I mean."
"Again! Geez, just wait when you get home! We are seriously having a talk about this Michi! I will tell mom and dad!" His sister threatened as he chuckled under his breath.
"Oh... Yeah... That... That sounds nice actually."
"And don't you dare think you're off the hook for this afternoon!" She hissed, showing the motherly traits Takemichi knew she'd developed just from looking after him. "You are getting such a tongue lashing! Two months I tell you, you owe me two months' worth of chores with no whining for covering your ass! Do you hear me!"
Nodding to himself, Takemichi smiled solemnly. "Yeah... I... I hear ya. See ya soon?"
"Hmph!" His sister huffed, "Yeah... I guess... Want me to pick you up a bag of your favorite chips?"
Feeling the tears build up again he nodded again, "Yeah... If you don't mind."
"Right~ I'll see you in a bit then, oh! And don't eat anything while you're out! We're having take-out tonight since SOMEONE decided to send me on a wild goose chase looking for him and his four musketeers."
"Okay... bye Meimei."
"Mh, see ya~" Hanging up the phone with a semi-teasing goodbye, Meiko sighed in relief as she looked down at the image of a slightly annoyed dark-haired Takemichi struggling against her laughing self's hold as she tried to help him bleach his hair.
"Was that your brother?" Emma asked as she stood beside the girl outside the station.
"Yeah. Finally decided to learn how to use his phone, jerk." Meiko sarcastically huffed, as Emma raised a brow at her.
"You calmed down real quick after picking up that call, did he have a good reason for ditching?" She curiously asked as the dark-haired teen only shrugged her hands.
"No idea."
"Huh~?! Then why the sudden wind-down!" Emma exclaimed, staring up at her new friend in shock. "If I were that mad at my brother, you bet I wouldn't just calm down in a snap." She said, snapping her own fingers as if to emphasize her point.
Flipping her phone shut, Meiko only smiled as she gently pulled the device close to her chest. "It's cause he called me Meimei."
Blinking once, twice, Emma tilted her head curiously. "Meimei?"
Smiling at the other teen Meiko decided to explain. "It's his childhood nickname for me."
"HUH?!" The blonde exclaimed, "You caved because of that!"
Looking down at the clutched device in her hand Meiko continued to explain nostalgically, "He hasn't called me that... in years."
"... Oh," Emma mumbled, realizing just how significant that action must have been for the girl.
"Besides." Meiko laughed as she finally pocketed the device in her bag, "He sounded like he was crying. Mind you he's such a cry baby sometimes that should be normal by now but still!" Looking directly into the honey gold eyes of her new friend Meiko added, "I could just tell, something was off with him. I mean he willingly called me and even used his old name for me." Looking up at the night sky she muttered. "It wouldn't feel right to just rage at him, and probably kick him down while he's low. I gotta make sure he's okay first, before I try to teach him a lesson, ya know. Like a good big sister."
Humming to herself Emma gave a slight nod, "I... think I know what you mean, sorta." Smiling to herself she added, "I have my own older brother, and he can be so childish and even downright annoying sometimes but-"
"Ya still want to look out for and support him, and love him either way!" Meiko cheerfully finished as Emma's eyes sparkled with mirth back towards the girl.
"Exactly!" Emma agreed, and the two girls shared a laugh. "You know, your pretty cool Mei-chan."
"Aw~" Meiko cooed before smiling mischievously. "You're just saying that cause you haven't seen my room."
Back with Takemichi, the man-turned-boy was now silent as he repocketed his cellular device as he continued to sit alone in the dark park. Slightly swinging as he quietly and solemnly reminisced over the past events of his day, and life in general. That is until the loud noise of a group of boys interrupted him.
"This isn't all of it, is it?"
"Don't lie to us!"
"Jump, damn it!"
Looking up from the ground before him, Takemichi watched as three younger teens ganged up on a slightly smaller boy still dressed in his school uniform. Said boy was jumping in place with his head down, the sound of loose change even reaching Takemichi's ears as the boys hounded their victim.
"See? You did have more!"
"Empty 'em out!"
'So fucking noisy.' Takemichi angrily began to think as he glared at the group, "Shut up! I'm trying to have a moment here!" He angrily hissed to himself, with a twitch to his brow.
"Hurry the hell up!"
"Quit wastin' our time." The boy threaten the shaking teen, only to be interrupted as an annoyed Takemichi spoke up.
"Oi."
"Huh?" Turning their heads back towards the park, a pissed-off Takemichi charged at the group.
"Shut the hell up, you dumbasses!" And punched the closest guy he could, shocking the remaining three boys, as he menacingly smiled at the remaining bullies. "You just keep running your mouths! Yapping and yapping and yapping..." Picking up an abandoned glass bottle near the entrance that they stood at, he broke the bottle making the teens jump slightly. "I'm seriously in the shittiest mood right now." Pointing the broken bottle at the group, his glare was almost murderous. "Piss off, or I'll kill you." He threaten the boys scrambling to grab their fallen friend and dragging him away as they ran.
"W-w-w-we're sorry!"
"P-please excuse us!"
The bullies shouted and as they left his view, Takemichi threw aside the broken bottle he'd been using to threaten the group. As only he and their still somewhat nervous victim were left alone, "Go home kiddo."
Yet as he walked away to continue his self-reflection, the shaken teen he saved spoke up. "U-um..."
"Huh?"
"It's really d-dangerous to leave that there." The boy stuttered, pointing over at the abandoned bottle.
Looking back over at his makeshift weapon, Takemichi paused, remembering that they were in a park where children would play at. "Oh, my bad." Picking up the bottle he and the boy found a plastic bag and carefully put it and the broken shards aside to be thrown away. Once that was done, Takemichi once more made his way to the swings that he had claimed.
Only to once more be stopped as the boy spoke up to him again, "Um, thank you for helping me."
Sighing loudly, Takemichi could not help but turn back to look at the kid exhaustedly. It was becoming more apparent with time, why the kid was probably targeted by those boys, to him. "Listen up. When guys like that bother you, show a little more confidence. You gotta have some guts." Takemichi began to advise. "Prepare to get punched! But don't flinch." Takemichi ranted, stopping as he noticed the boy pull out a notepad and pen to start writing down his words. "You don't need to take notes!" He exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head as became embarrassed by his own interaction with the boy. "Anyway, just face them head-on! That'll be enough to scare off half-assed punks."
"O... Okay!" The boy responded, and Takemichi could not help but fall silent as his own words fell heavy in his mind.
'Confidence and resolve... Guts... All shit I never had.' He thought, before asking the boy an important question. "So, hey... what's your name?"
"Tachibana." The boy simply replied, shocking Takemichi, "I'm Tachibana Naoto."
"Huh?! Wait, are you Tachibana's little brother?" Takemichi exclaimed as the boy, Naoto stared up at the older teen surprised.
"Oh, I do have an older sister."
"The hell, man? You should have hurried up and said something!"
"Wait, are you one of my sister's friends?"
Now sitting side by side to one another on the park swings, Takemichi could not help but think about the younger boy's future as they sat beside one another. 'Tachibana Naoto... That's right. In twelve years, he's going to die, too.' He thought before finally deciding to introduce himself. "I'm Hanagaki Takemichi. You can call me Takemichi."
"Uh, I won't, but okay... Are you by any chance related to Meiko-senpai?"
"The hell! Has she already met you!"
"Yeah." Naoto nodded, "She came over a few days ago with my big sister to do some studying I think." Naoto explained, causing Takemichi to slump with a sigh as he muttered.
"Course she did, couldn't wait to just wedge her way into my own girlfriend's life. Is nothing sacred?" He could just imagine his sister giggling and mischievous smile at him as she held Hinata away from him. Still, it warmed his heart, knowing his sister had tried to form a friendship with the girl he liked. "You like your sister?" He decided to ask.
"Huh?!" Naoto exclaimed, turning embarrassingly to a grinning Takemichi. "Where'd that come from? No, I don't! I hate her!." He childishly lied, a blush lightly dusting his cheeks.
"Really? Why so?" Takemichi playfully asked, though in his own mind he wondered. 'Was I the same way back then?'
"Because..." Naoto began to stutter out, "She's always bossing me around and telling me what to do."
Grinning at the younger teen Takemichi could not help but chuckle, "I see. I guess I can get that, my sisters, the same way."
"No way." Naoto gapped, "Is it a sister thing?" He asked as Takemichi could only shrug.
"Who knows, it could just be a sibling thing." Takemichi simply replied, before frowning as he became more solemn. "Still, though... Take good care of your sister." Takemichi seriously ordered, Naoto becoming confused as noted the change in demeanor from the older teen. "I love your sister." Takemichi confessed, "I love her so much that I don't know what to do with myself." He admitted looking down at his feet, "Not just her though... My own sis too, I've taken her for granted even though she's the only one I got. I remembered that today." Laughing at himself, Takemichi tried to brush aside the darkened mood. "Ha! You don't really understand what I'm talking about, do ya?" Naoto could neither agree or deny, a silence falling between him and Takemichi as they continued to sit in that park. Until...
"This is gonna sound crazy," Takemichi finally spoke up again. "But on this day in 2017, I fell off a platform onto the train tracks. I thought I was dead, but suddenly I was in middle school. I was me from twelve years ago again." Takemichi admitted, "What do you call that?"
"A time leap!?" Naoto exclaimed, turning to look fully up at the older teen.
Though this seemed to have helped Takemichi's mood as he exclaimed back. "Yeah, that!" Looking down as hands he muttered. "I might just be having a long-ass dream. But you know..." He pocketed his hands and rose up from the swing. "I think God just let me see Tachibana one last time... Let me say the things, I wish I could have to my own big sis, at least once." He solemnly starred up into the sky.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Naoto confusedly asked.
"On July 1st, twelve years from now... Both our sisters... are going to die." Takemichi solemnly admitted, shocking Naoto in his place. "And that's also when... you're going to die. Together with them." Dread struck Naoto's heart, "July 1st, 2017." Takemichi repeated before turning to stare the boy down, "Make sure you remember this date, Naoto. And protect your sister. Protect mine as well." He almost seemed to beg, before grinning at the frightened boy. "But yeah, I'm sure this is all hard to believe." He tried to once more brush off, though he was solemn as he silently thought. 'If this is real, then I want to change the future. I fell so far that I forgot about her,' His mind flashed to Hinata's determined gaze and his last meeting with her that day, 'And her.' His final conversation with her over the phone, 'until I heard they'd died. Feeling pathetic... Feeling grim and frustrated... I want to do all of this over.' He thought before holding out his hand to the younger Tachibana sibling, "I'm counting on you."
Naoto's gaze became firm and determined, and as he reached out to take his hand. "Okay, I will." It was as if a link had been set in place, the world fading from around Takemichi's eyes, before returning to find himself somewhere else.
A ceiling light now above his head, the man found himself lying in a bed much to his surprise as he sat up.
"He's awake!"
"Um... Where am I?" Takemichi asked as an officer walked up to him.
"The infirmary at the station. You fell from the platform onto the tracks." The station officer explained.
Takemichi taking this information in mind as he looked around the infirmary, stopping at the calendar stationed on a desk. 'July 4th, 2017!? Was that all a dream, then?' He wondered, "Wait.." His mind flashed back to the moment he was almost hit by the train, "I actually survived that?!" Looking himself over he almost shouted, "I don't have a scratch on me!"
"Could I have some time alone to speak with him?" A newcomer spoke up.
"Sure, go ahead." The officer agreed before looking towards the confused Takemichi. "This is the man who saved your life." He explained before walking away, leaving Takemichi more confused.
"Huh?"
"It's been a while." The new man said as he walked up beside Takemichi's bedside.
"Who are you?" Takemichi asked, confused and lost. Looking up at the unknown man dressed in a suit, even when something in him couldn't help but feel there was something familiar about the man.
"I'm Tachibana Naoto," Naoto replied smiling.
"Huh?"
"That day, you changed my fate." Naoto seriously explained, causing Takemichi to become more confused and lost.
"Huh? That day? But... wait, you died..."
"You traveled through time!" Naoto bluntly replied, "That's how I survived and saved you. You changed the present by traveling through time." Naoto declared to the shocked Takemichi. "Takemichi-kun, twelve years ago today, this is what you told me." Naoto recounted as both men recalled Takemichi's final words to the boy.
Now sitting by Takemichi's bedside, the grown Naoto explained himself, "I studied really hard and became a police officer... So that I could protect my sister, and help yours."
"Th-then they're..." Takemichi excitedly began to say, pausing as he noticed the upset look crossed Naoto's face as the man looked away from him.
"I'm truly sorry, Takemichi-kun. My sister... Both of our sisters... have died." Naoto frustratingly admitted, "I did everything that I could possibly think of! But... But..." Looking back up at the other man, Naoto glared in determination. "Please help me. I know you'll be able to save my, no, our sisters." Naoto begged, Takemichi's stomach becoming knotted as he realized what Naoto had said, and his fate, like Naoto...
"Me? I can... save Tachibana and Mei-nee?"
Altered.