(A/N: So, he we are at the 2nd chapter of the story. Nothing much going on here except providing a little bit of exposition to the story to finally keep the plot moving. Some sprinklers of internal angst, bickering, consoling and drama inside the head of our characters and the daily dose of existential crisis of our crybaby hero. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I did upon writing it. Future chapters will have more action and tension).
Chapter 2
By: Aztec999
What. The. Fuck.
Those are the first three words that sprang inside Kazutora's mind when he saw Takemichi lounging lazily inside his car like he owned the goddamn vehicle.
"What're you doing?" Kaztuora deadpanned, the mild annoyance seeping into his voice.
"What a nice way to greet someone who's just out of prison." Takemichi replied with an easy smile on his face.
Kauztora let out an exasperated breath, not wanting to have the other make his day crap than it already was. He was still trying to get in touch with this side of Takemichi who seemed to know how to push other people's buttons. Who knew that he had it in him behind his oblivious nature and innocent face?
"At the very least, tell me in advance if you're going to show up in my face and not have a surprise visit in front of me." Kazutora grumbled under his breath as he proceeded to make his way towards the car and opened the front door and occupy the front seat. He watched Takemichi from behind through his rearview mirror who seemed to be lounging casually inside his car like it was an everyday occurrence to him.
"Well, where's the fun in that hmm? I'd like to surprise one of my favorite people sometimes." Takemichi chuckled lightly as he leaned down on the backrest of the backseat.
Kazutora rolled his eyes and just revved up the engine and started the car.
"Stop patronizing me asshole." Kazutora grumbled under his breath as the car cruised along the highway of the city.
"But it's true! I'm quite hurt that you don't seem to think so. I mean you are kind enough to visit the little, ole me in the cell back then. Since probably half of the members in Toman hated me." Takemichi chuckled mirthlessly.
Kazutora shot him sideways glance, a certain question was at the tip of his tongue before he held himself back.
He needed to focus on the main goal. And the reason why he assisted Takemichi in getting out of the prison by bailing him out temporarily.
It certainly left a dent in his wallet. But he also had a few connections thanks to Chifuyu so he can probably cover the financial matters for now.
Besides, Takemichi here is a big shot even if he's both wanted by Kisaki and the police themselves. He was certain that the guy had a few private accounts under his name for his personal and emergency purposes.
Such as now.
"You should know by now the reason why I bailed you out." Kazutora deadpanned. "You already agreed to help me in taking Toman back and saving Mikey." He added simply.
For a moment Takemichi held a blank expression on his face to which Kazutora failed to notice since his eyes were focused back on the road now. Takemichi's lips curved slightly upwards and his brows spoke in volumes.
'Saving Mikey huh?' He thought wryly inside his head.
"Of course! What do you take me for Tora-kun? A promise is a promise meant to be fulfilled after all!" He giggled lightly at his words, leaning back his head on the headrest.
Kazutora could only sigh in response. "Okay before we get into that, we need to eat first. You must be hungry. Where do you wanna eat anyway? Better not pick on some classy shit where you and the Toman executives dine in previously unless you're the one who will be paying for the gigantic bill." He reminded him sternly.
"Nah. I'm not that picky Tora-kun. Even though my tastebuds miss the taste of a smoked salmon or a lamb steak, I know how to adjust living according to my means presently." He grinned cheekily at him.
Kazutora briefly wondered again on where on Earth had Takemichi found this strange yet audacious behavior of him. A lot of things can happen apparently in the span of 12 years and he can no longer see that awkward stance and naïve look on his eyes.
Kazutora felt like it's a double edge sword teaming up with him.
Even though Takemichi was cooperative with him, a thought at the back of his mind was telling him to keep his guard up no matter what the situation was. He sighed within himself. He didn't have many options left and if being Takemichi's partner for the meantime will make him progress on his goals and moved things forward then so be it.
They finally reached the corner of the street around the city where Kazutora parked the car at one of the open spaces parking lots for vehicles.
He got out of car with Takemichi following suit. He motioned for Takemichi to follow him and together they walked for a few minutes until they finally reached their destination.
In front of them was a regular looking ramen shop with few patrons inside. It's the kind of place where it's the usual hang out of ordinary citizens after a grueling day at work or in school. Not the ones Takemichi had frequented to previously with the Toman executives and Kisaki that boasted of resplendence and extravagant exteriors.
Well, it's not like he wasn't expecting anything from Kazutora who was fresh out of prison himself and was still navigating his way again to the society.
It's passable.
Going to this kind of place reminded Takemichi of the things he used to hang out with Akkun and the others when they were in the middle school. When he was still naïve and a simpleton back then. Of believing ridiculous things and thinking that he can attain what he wanted in life so simply.
What a fucking idiot he was during his younger years.
He was sure if he met himself during his brazen, younger years he would've probably laughed and mocked at him for being like that.
"Two tsukemen please."
Kazutora's voice cut off his wandering thoughts and brought him back to the present. He glanced at him to see that he was already sitting at the barstool after ordering from the waiter. The other sensing his gaze, looked right back at him and arched a brow as if what he was still waiting for and continued standing there.
It made Takemichi chuckled lightly before shaking his head faintly and took a seat beside him. Kazutora was like a cat sometimes. A striped, blond cat perching on the window and looking suspiciously at the other people who he did not know.
"Can you sit down now and stop looking at me like I'm some alien or some shit that you want to entertain yourself with." Kazutora scoffed lightly as he took the glass of water offered by the waiter and gulped at it.
"Relax Tora-kun. You always seemed to be rather frisky with me like you're allergic to my presence." Takemichi cajoled with a wide grin on his face as he took a seat beside him.
"When you're being like that, I can't really help it." Kazutora mumbled under his breath as he placed the glass of water at the side of the table.
It made Takemichi laughed lightly in return. "So, what's the plan Mr. Little Genius?" he asked offhandedly.
"I will tell ya after we eat." Kazutora remarked when two bowls of Tsukemen was served at their spot. He didn't waste his time as he scooped the noodles from his bowl and dipped it into the other bowl of soup before he started to eagerly eat it.
Takemichi watched the bowl of noodles and the bowl of broth laid in front of him with a blank expression on his face. Kazutora seemed to notice this and arched a brow before he spoke up again after swallowing the noodles.
"You're not eating that? You don't have any reason to be picky now considering of your current situation." He scoffed lightly.
That seemed to shake him out of his stupor and glanced back at Kazutora with an easy yet inscrutable smile on his face. "Nah. I just remembered on how I used to frequent at some cheap ramen stalls near the school after class to eat ramen or tsukemen. Been awhile since I did that." He then proceeded to scoop the noodles and dipped it into the bowl of broth as well before he ate it with much gusto, a contented sigh leaving his lips. "Well damn. I miss this kind of warmth and taste." He added after swallowing down the noodles.
"Who knew that you've got some tiny bit of a sentimental bone in you." Kazutora commented before shaking his head faintly. For a moment, a familiar flash of his expression brought him back to the past and how he used to know him. That look of genuine contentment and smile without any hint of mockery and supercilious intent reminded him on the times that he was still a new member in Toman and how he guided him back to the hideout in Valhalla.
Those were the times that he was sort of an open book and he can easily see the multitude of expressions crossing along his face.
But not anymore.
What happened to Takemichi inside the current Toman now had made something irrevocably changed within him. As if it hardened something inside of him… Well, that's what a crime organization did to you.
A certain aspect of yourself will be gone from you forever.
'Just like with yourself the day you killed Mikey's brother.' His mind supplied unhelpfully and Kazutora tried not to let it get to him even though his fingers twitched slightly at that memory that continued to weigh like an anvil inside his head.
Even though Kazutora was grateful for being rehabilitated at the juvie with the occasional counseling sessions with their resident counselor, it still never failed to haunt him on the 'what ifs' scenarios within him.
If he didn't commit that stupid plan and crime of stealing that bike in the first place…, would it make things different…?
Would Baji still be by his side and will Toman be standing until now and not fell into the darkest pit of criminal organization?
If Shinichiro was still alive…will Mikey be…will Mikey be…
…
He swallowed thickly as he couldn't even finish the thought.
"If you kept staring at that Tsukemen it won't finish itself." Takemichi droned out in a lazy yet amused voice.
It cut off Kazutora's spiraling thoughts and brought him back to the present. He sighed in response before scooping up some noodles again and just ate in silence.
Takemichi glanced at him sideways. It faintly amused him that Kazutora's face was an open book sometimes despite the other being closed off to him. If he was disturbed or annoyed by something, it will show in his face which made it a bit easier to know what's going on his mind.
Maybe a particular nasty thought had crossed his mind that made him like that. A wide grin was split into his face at that line of thought. Somehow the thought of the other distressed was entertaining to him.
"Stop doing that."
"Stop doing what?" Takemichi looked at Kazutora with feigned innocence.
"Stop doing that creepy smile. It freaks other people out." Kazutora rolled is eyes at him as he subtly pointed at the other people who was staring at them.
"I'm not even doing anything and if people would mind their own business, then it makes all of our lives easier don't'cha think so?" Takemichi answered in a cheerful yet ruthless tone, his voice slightly rising an octave and it reached the line of hearing of the other people which made them glance quickly back onto their own sides.
It made Kazutora blinked a few times at him before he shook his head faintly. "You just got out of the cell. It's not a good move to be attracting the wrong kind of attention from the other people." He reproached him, huffing slightly.
"Then I guess you'll be the voice of reason for me Tora-kun. Pretty sure that you'll do a fine job about this." He replied cheerfully as shot him a playful wink before he focused back on finishing his Tsukemen in front of him.
Kazutora narrowed his eyes at him, ignoring the strange feeling creeping up on his chest.
Somehow, he may end being the unofficial babysitter of this cheeky bastard after all.
And he didn't know if it's an additional blessing or burden to him.
"Partner? You're spacing out again. Don't overexert your body again. Look at how bloody and bruised your knuckles are." Chifuyu sighed deeply as he wrapped the gauze on his knuckles carefully.
The rain continued to pour heavily outside as Takemitchy watched from the windows of the living room of Chifuyu's house.
"It seems like everything is my fault Chifuyu…" Takemitchy murmured in a voice close to breaking apart. "If I just become stronger and—."
"Don't even go there partner." Chifuyu cut him off gently. "Not everything is your fault. Kisaki is at fault here. Damn that bastard. My death is fucking lame in the future because that asshole is the one who killed me." He added jokingly as if to lightened up the mood which had the desired effect as it made Takemichi smiled wryly at him even though his eyes glistened with the incoming tears once again.
"Okay… Sorry… I just can't help it sometimes." He murmured softly.
Chifuyu looked at him before patting his shoulder gently in understanding. "It must be so fucked up seeing us die like that. Don't worry about it partner, we'll get that asshole Kisaki so we don't end up in that fucked up future you saw."
Takemitchy started bawling once again which made Chifuyu panicked.
"Why're crying once again? Your eyes are a leaking faucet sometimes." Chifuyu tried to placate him.
"You're just too nice and kind to me Chifuyu." He sniffled as Takemitchy tried to wipe his tears away with the back of his hand.
It made Chifuyu chuckled softly under his breath, shaking his head slightly at his words. "You have an active tear gland sometimes."
"So, I have been told." Takemichi laughed wetly, wiping his tears away.
Chifuyu chuckled lightly along with him before he grew slightly serious. "Don't try to shoulder the burden alone alright? I'm pretty damn sure that there's gonna be a way for us to outsmart that damn bastard." He tried to reassure him as he gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Takemitchy could only offer him a small nod and a wobbly smile, not trusting his own voice to speak. His mind was in shambles and his thoughts were always racing. But it would do him no good in drowning himself in self recriminations and anxiety. Chifuyu was right. There was a way to defeat Kisaki and bring him out of Toman. They just needed to think clearly and brainstorm ideas. Also, now that he had an ally and a partner in the form of Chifuyu, his chest felt light and his burdens doesn't weigh heavily on him anymore now that he had someone to open to and share his ideas with.
Although there were some things that he kept mostly to himself.
He didn't want to worry Chifuyu with some unimportant things like a measly headache.
Takemichi took a deep breath. His headaches sometimes were becoming of a norm to him that sometimes it worried him. It seemed strange to him that when he came back from the past to the future… it felt like inhabiting another body once again.
But it was his body.
But at the same time, it seemed like it wasn't even his.
His mind was like a foggy lake in the morning where everything seemed blurry and murky. It seemed like a huge chunk of his memories were not there when he came back and he felt like he was being pulled up from the bottom of the ocean and he could breathe lungful of airs again.
A strange bewilderment overcame him. He was looking at a puzzle and trying to find the missing pieces of it. But Takemitchy didn't have any time for a deep self-reflection. He had to focus on the now. To get to the bottom of things and needed to get things right. If he wanted to prevent the clusterfuck of a future that he witnessed previously he better not fuck things up here and won't let Kisaki and his schemes win in this period.
Takemitchy looked at the reassuring smile on Chifuyu's face once again and forced himself to smile back, ignoring the throbbing headache and swirling thoughts inside his head.
There will the right where he had to resolve this annoying migraine of his.
But not today.
He didn't realized on how he made a fatal mistake that day.