Chapter Text
Takemichi never knew his life would come to such mundaneness. Apart from being a delinquent back in middle school, everything else after that was normal. Studying, graduating high school and getting a job.
He didn't manage to go to college as much as his mother (and he) would have wanted to, but his grades didn't prove to be that great either - expectedly. He wasn't that great in numbers too, which was the major factor in getting a proper position in the workforce.
So here he was, chipping his life away at an old, run down DVD convenience store at some district in Sangen-Jaya, Shibuya. His paycheck wasn't all that either, but it was enough to get by, he supposed. Although he would be more hungrier on some months than the others - to which he always called his mother as emergency -, it was all fine.
... At least he wasn't homeless. That much he was grateful for.
But still, Takemichi would want to change something if he could. All his life, he had not been really firm with what he stood for and for what he loved. He had not tried to do anything he wanted to, and always chickened out at the last minute. It was annoying. He felt like crap thinking about it, feeling so helpless at this point of time to even do anything to stop feeling that way.
Man, did he feel like shit again.
"Hanagaki Takemichi-ku-n. How many times must I say this?"
Maybe changing his job would be a good start.
Snapping out of his daze, Takemichi was brought back to his current situation - squatted in front of an aisle, staring at three misplaced products on it. His manager was standing just beside him as she put back a DVD on the shelf.
"Yes?"
"When a DVD gets returned, immediately put it back on display. Do you know how many complaints we're getting because some DVDs aren't back to where they were?" She reprimanded with a bored yet stern tone, something Takemichi thought wasn't possible.
He tried his best not to sigh in front of her, "I'm sorry-"
"Yes! All you ever do is apologize! Please do it before someone has to tell you," she shot a pointed glare at him before she dropped a small box of returned DVDs beside him. "Now put all of these back, I'm going to man the cashier today."
"Alright," he replied curtly. She didn't even wait for his answer when she walked away with a stomp. Takemichi grimaced, Demanding much.. But this was an every day thing. So he just got up and went to carry out his tasks as per usual, with a dull hope of what, he was not sure.
Takemichi noticed the sky had already turned dark outside. He checked his phone - it was nearing nine, so there were barely any customers. Takemichi stretched his muscles, groaning in pleasure as he relaxed them. Finally, it was almost time to go home.
"Hanagaki-kun, I have something important to attend to right now, so you'll close up the shop today. Please check all the DVDs are in place before leaving," she purposely emphasized on the 'all' with an icy tone. He looked over the corner of the aisle from the back to see his manager grabbing her things - apron off, all ready to go home.
He didn't even bother to watch her go, and just responded out of politeness. "Yeah, I will. Good work today, manager."
And he only received the door chime from the entrance. He clenched his fist, trying to calm himself. Of course, why would she ever say that. I always mess up, don't I?
Takemichi realized his vision was blurring and quickly wiped the tears away. Come on, get your shit together, crybaby. It wouldn't change anything.
For the rest of the remaining hour, he carried out the closing procedure - arranging the items, mopping up the place, sweeping away the dusts from the shelves, and counting the money earned for the day. As soon as he was done doing the final step, he stored it in a small pouch and kept it safely in the back room. He took off his apron and packed his things. He then locked the store room and headed to leave through the front doors.
It was all normal, mundane, and really an ordinary day until someone decided to run into him just as he was about close the glass doors.
"H-Hey! Sorry, can I please take a look inside for just a moment?!"
A guy around his height, with an undercut and blonde hair, was panting very heavily as he doubled over. Although it was summer, the nights were often cold and this guy looked like he was barely covered from the extremely chilly winds - with just a thin-looking shirt with black skinny jeans and Converse sneakers.
The male was gripping onto his arm a little bit too tightly and it was actually hurting him. Jeez, for such a skinny man he had a lot of strength.
"Sorry we're clos-"
"I know! I know!" The guy cried out, almost in agony. It took the ravenette by surprise. He then finally looked up at Takemichi straight in the eye, taking the other aback at the sudden firm eye contact. "I forgot it closes early on weekends. But I really have to get this CD before work starts or my boss will hang me by the neck! I've forgotten about it for too long and I cannot afford to go to work if I don't get it tonight."
Takemichi was conflicted. It was already fifteen past nine. If he didn't go back now, the food he had kept specially for tonight would go bad. He only had until ten to be able to eat his only food for the day. And he didn't exactly live very close to the store either.
"Please, he would actually fire me. I promised him last week that I would get it by the end of this week," the guy continued with clear desperation, his grip on his arm increasing in strength. Takemichi counted in his head, today is Sunday.
Damnit. He would have to eat tomorrow then.
He sighed in defeat and opened the store doors reluctantly. "Okay. But first, could you take your hand off my arm? You're hurting me."
The blonde's eyes widened and he quickly retracted his hand out of realization. "Oh I'm so sorry!"
Takemichi winced when he saw red marks on his left forearm. Man, he's strong.
"Here, go find what you need," Takemichi welcomed him inside as he switched back on the lights from behind the counter. He cursed himself as he was already beginning to regret when his stomach growled angrily for making that decision.
"Thank you thank you thank you so much! I'll be quick," and off the male dashed to a certain aisle at the back. From where he was, Takemichi could see the male was quite familiar with the place. However, confusion spread across his face when he kept rounding around the aisle, as if the CD he was searching for wasn't there.
Switching into his customer service mode, Takemichi went to approach him. "Is there something wrong, sir?"
"I'm pretty sure this CD is somewhere here but I can't seem to find it. Could you help me?" The other showed him the name of the CD he was looking for.
Takemichi remembered this one and he knew he had placed it somewhere here-
It wasn't. After endless checking.
"Shit, did I misplace it again?" he muttered loudly. He couldn't even put things back to where they were properly. Maybe that was why the manager was frustrated with him multiple times. Even when closing time, he couldn't even return things. No wonder they kept complaining.
"I'll go check the other shelves for you. Please wait a moment," Takemichi smiled a tired one. Just as he turned away, the male spoke.
"I'll help since I'm the one buying it! And um, you also seem really tired so... I wouldn't want to stress you out more than necessary."
Takemichi felt the heaviness on his soul lighten with those kind words. Someone realized his state, and he felt touched. More than necessary, since it was just a stranger. Even though he could be saying it because it was after working hours, it was still something he appreciated.
He nodded as a confirmation. "Sure. You check this side, I'll check over there."
The two went to their respective areas. After what seemed like eternity, it seemed that Takemichi found it squeezed in between two big DVDs. What was worse was that it wasn't even placed in the right genre and alphabetical order. He slapped himself for this mistake, sighing.
"I got it here. This the one?" He showed it to the other.
The male inspected it closely and nodded happily. "Yeah!"
"Alright, I'll go pack it for you."
The male followed Takemichi to the counter and watched him pack the CD nicely into a plastic package. Takemichi, on the other hand, could feel that he was about to yawn. His yawns were usually loud and ugly and it was definitely unsightly for the stranger to see. So he controlled it briefly by raising his arm and tapping on the cash register to calculate.
"That would be 1,530 yen-"
GROAAAAGH.
Takemichi never turned red so fast in his life as well. He froze in his actions of taking the money from the male, hoping the other didn't hear it. But of course, what could he expect from being in a quiet store and super silent area at night?
"Hold on." The male began to rummage through his wallet and seemed to be searching for something. Until he fished out something and he then handed it over to Takemichi's palm.
Takemichi's eyes bulged. He retracted his hand, leaving the note flying down to the counter. It was not often he came across such an amount and this was- "10,000 yen?"
The corners of the blonde's eyes crinkled when he grinned. "You keep it. Not for the CD, but for you to get something to eat. Your stomach growling has been the background music since we stepped in."
The black-haired immediately forced the note into the guy's chest hastily. "N-No wait! I really can't accept this. It isn't right."
"But you-"
"I can't," Takemichi said firmly. He mustered the small courage in him to say what he believed in. "I will only accept if it's for the CD."
Just to change something, he reminded himself as he curled his fist.
The male kept silent for a while, a low hum emitting from him. Takemichi stood firm, ready to fight if the male still insisted.
"Do you live far? Have you eaten lunch?" The customer asked suddenly.
"Huh?" That was unexpected. "Uh... yeah, about an hour from here. And no, I actually haven't eaten anything since breakfast," Takemichi replied sheepishly. Speaking of his commuting duration, he glanced at the store clock to see it was already 9:45. He mentally sighed, he really was going to starve the third time that week.
"Well, if that's the case, why don't I bring you to my workplace? I can whip up something for you there."
"W-what? Bring me... to where you work?" Takemichi stuttered a little, shocked at the sudden offer. What the hell was this guy working as? This late at night? And he hadn't even started work, he guessed.
Takemichi really would be stuck outside because he didn't even have a vehicle to get back with. And he would refrain calling his mother. Unless, he could quickly get this done and over with before the last train left.
"Yup. It actually isn't too far from here, and you could use some energy before heading back. You look like a total zombie," the male deadpanned. Takemichi glared though weakly. "This would be my payment to the CD, what do you think? Or, I could always insist until you accept. And people often called me annoying whenever I persist, you know."
The store worker groaned. The deal wasn't too bad actually, but he was also a little afraid to find out where this guy worked. If he could, he would just close the store, leave him on the streets and make him get fired for all he cared. But he was kind, he wouldn't do anything like that. Takemichi cared for people. He had a heart despite being a little rebellious before.
"Sure, then."
"The name's Matsuno Chifuyu!" The guy energetically reached out for a handshake.
"Hanagaki Takemichi."
And little did he know, going there was the turning point for his mundane life.
Takemichi was beyond shocked, he was pale at this moment.
He had never stepped into the red-light district of Shibuya. No, he didn't think he would even actually enter a club in his life. It just wasn't in his nature to hang around places like this. However, here he was, standing in front of a sign with neon lights spelling the name out loudly; Black Daisy.
At this hour, gangs would probably be inside and not just some delinquent gangs. Real ones. He was so against following this guy inside, no matter how good his intentions were.
Chifuyu was already walking down the staircase, but the male seemed to notice the frozen store worker. He stopped, and turned to the other. "Aren't you coming?"
Takemichi regained his awareness and shook his head a little. "Um... I don't think I want to go inside. You didn't tell me it was a club."
"Well I didn't see any reason why I should mention that," Chifuyu reasoned but he then wore a guilty look. "But I guess it bothers you. Sorry about that."
"No it's fine, I just never went this part of the city before," the other replied with some shame. "That doesn't mean I want to go in though," he quickly supplied.
Chifuyu smiled warmly as he came to get Takemichi by the arm. The man became even more resistant, staying still on the spot. "It'll be okay. I'll be with you."
The ravenette pursed his lips, about to protest some more until his stomach growled for nth time again that night. Right, he was only here for his stomach. "Fine, just for the food."
And down he went. The staircase was a spiral one, almost making his head dizzy by how deep it went. He lost count after the fourth round. Though, he thanked the heavens when finally there was a straight alleyway to a door, which he assumed was the club entrance with the name just above it - as bright as the one outside.
Takemichi observed the hallway - seeing both rated and general posters stamped around it. But there was one particular detail that caught his eye, there were a lot of the rated ones that had the name; Tokyo Manji.
For some reason, he had a chill going down his spine despite the hallway being a little humid and warm. There was something suspicious the more he followed.
Chifuyu opened the door and cool winds from the air conditioner immediately greeted them.
Takemichi was, thankfully, not blinded by any strong lights. The place was actually dim, with a rather dark aesthetic to it. The blue, pink and purple lights on the ceiling were softly lighting up the place. The only area that was more obvious was the bar counter on the right side - a cream-coloured lighting over it.
For a club, it was quite small. There were booths occupying the left side of the area, space for walking and then the bar on the other side. That was it. But that was when he realized something.
"Are you sure this is a club? It seems pretty small."
Chifuyu turned to him. "For someone who was wussy to enter, probably a virgin in this, you seem to know some things. Well, you're right and wrong. This is actually the bar. The real deal is downstairs."
Jesus Christ. Takemichi was even more hesitant to find out what the real deal was. "So, which one are we going?"
For some reason, Takemichi would hope they would go as far as this but Chifuyu gave a cheeky smile. "The club."
As he said that, they began to walk through another hallway from a door behind the bar. Up ahead, there was another door that had no signs but it was clear that it was their destination judging by the bright lights. Takemichi was surprised it went this far, if he were to be honest.
"Here we are! Welcome to my workplace. Also known as The Dragon's Nest."
To say he was overwhelmed was an understatement.
Takemichi observed the whole scene in front of him. He and Chifuyu seemed to be at the second level and they had only just came out from one of the many bars from the same level. What the fuck? He screamed. How many bars does this club own?
The music blared in his ears like a siren right beside him. He could feel the drums of the bass beating his whole soul, and there were excited screams from the crowd downstairs as the DJ switched up some music. The lights began to flicker on purpose as well, hyping up the people down there. Takemichi was aghast.
"Stay with me, this is the only way to get to the back room. Hold onto my hand tight!"
Takemichi only managed to process the fact that Chifuyu changed grip from his arm to his hand - this time more firmer and tighter. From when they went down the stairs from the second level, his vision became a blurring mixture of colours.
It was hot, it was squeezy and it was loud. Through his old track jacket he could feel their sweaty bodies grinding against it. He winced, closing his eyes and trusting only Chifuyu's touch. Hoping that they would reach wherever they need to be quickly before he passed out.
It was quite a while. Takemichi hated how big this club seemed to be. He was about to faint when the air suddenly became lighter and cooler as he heard a door slam open, followed by Chifuyu's greeting.
"Sorry I'm late!"
"Chifuyu-kun, where have you been? And- oh, who's that?"
An unfamiliar voice registered in his brain and Takemichi opened his eyes. This time, he was in a less crowded place. It seemed more formal and cleaner. Painted in off-white, there was an L-shaped sofa, some couches and a dining area, with some arcade machines at the back. There was also a large kitchen area, and nearby was a pantry. This must be the employees' room.
"Hey Inui-kun. This is Hanagaki Takemichi. I owe him some food for the CD Boss wanted so much," Chifuyu introduced briefly.
Takemichi turned to look at the said Inui-kun. The guy was sitting at the sofa, seemingly relaxed as he was reading a manga. He was dressed in black and white. Like a suit. He had a scar on his left eye and short light platinum hair, parted nicely in the middle.
"U-uh... hi," he raised a hand warily. "Sorry to intrude."
"Welcome, Hanagaki-kun. I'm Inui Seishu but you can call me Inupi. Well, that's my alias for work but I'm good either way," the silver-haired smiled welcomingly. "You want me to give that CD to Koko for you?"
"Thanks, Inui." After they made the exchange, Inui disappeared into another back door. Takemichi was pretty much done with secret doors at this point.
"Well, take a seat, Hanagaki-kun! Any food preferences?" Chifuyu tied an apron and waited for his reply.
"As long as it's edible. I don't mind anything," Takemichi replied quietly but he could still hear it from the cooking area. Chifuyu made a sound of confirmation and began rummaging through the fridge.
Takemichi was still wary of his surroundings so he decided to look around. He took a quick tour at the resting space, especially the pantry, taking note of regular chips and snacks you find at normal convenience stores. But there was a rack of alcohol bottles along the wall, and he gingerly took some of them out of curiosity.
There seemed to be a mixer too, near the coffee machine, perhaps for making drinks. Chifuyu was the other side of the kitchen so he probably wouldn't notice anything.
Now Takemichi had only touched alcohol once in his life and that was when he was in high school. He recalled he mixed a few drinks in and his friends told him it was really good. That he should become someone who made drinks.
Starting off, he took the bottle which he assumed was mainly the base, and poured it into the mixer. Then he added the cherry flavoured liquor and some vodka inside, finishing off with lemon without any ice.
And then he stared at it blankly. Not knowing what to do with this drink now that it was done. He hated the taste of alcohol anyways. Perhaps he should leave it there.
He then took a careful seat at the white sofa. His eyes widened in surprise when he felt the soft cushion under his butt. So soft and comfortable! Man, if only I could afford this.
When he laid against it, the pillows hugged his back like it was made for him. He groaned in pleasure, feeling a little too comfortable in this seat. If only, if only he was rich enough to buy these kind of luxury.
"How old are you, Hanagaki-kun?" Chifuyu asked suddenly.
The man snapped open his eyes, almost half asleep. Drowsily, he answered, "I'm 26 this year."
"Hey we're the same age! Guess no formalities then." There was a pause. "Oh and come to the dining table. Your food's ready."
Takemichi could smell carbonara and his eyes lit up in an instant. In a split second, he sprung from his seat and rushed to the dining table.
He was presented with a nice bowl of carbonara ham spaghetti, piping hot. His stomach squealed in happiness upon the smell he thought he'd never come across after leaving his mom's house. There was also a glass of apple juice by the side. Ironically.
"You alright with the choice of drink? We don't actually drink here despite being a place full of one."
"It's fine, I don't want to either. Tried that shit when I was young and hated it ever since," Takemichi stated with a grimace. He clasped his hands together to thank the gods for the food and started eating. As he tasted the sauce, he made a noise of approval, loving the heavenly taste.
Chifuyu laughed and took a seat beside him. "Young? You a delinquent before?"
"Well-" he choked on the noodle, suddenly feeling embarrassed when someone said it. "Yeah during middle school. Still attended classes and all. I bleached my hair though. Mom hated it but I didn't listen."
"Damn, gutsy."
"Not anymore, I guess," Takemichi shrugged nonchalantly. "Life's slapping my ass around now."
Both shared a laugh at the lame statement. "Well, I was a delinquent too. Still am, I think, but on a... serious level, if you know what I mean."
Takemichi paused his eating. "A serious level?"
"If you hadn't noticed," the blonde started. "We are actually a club run by a gang. Ourselves, basically."
Now that got Takemichi truly frozen like a caveman in ice. His blood ran cold, and he stopped eating although there was still about one quarter of the food portion left.
His mind clicked with the posters he saw before. "Is it, is it Tokyo Manji?"
"Oh! No no. We are the Black Dragons. Tokyo Manji is the bigshot and the mother of all gangs in Shibuya, though they don't own us."
"Yet."
Another unfamiliar voice surprised the two from behind. Takemichi really hated surprises at this point too. He turned around to see another guy with Inui. He had black wavy hair styled to the right and a shaved area on the left with some wavy empty hair lines. He had a long chain earring on his left ear, and cat like eyes.
"Koko, you're finally out of the office," Chifuyu said.
"Yeah, finally. Well about our guest," the man named Koko turned to Takemichi. "Welcome to The Dragons' Nest. I hope Chifuyu hasn't been troubling you."
Takemichi was so ready to run out of the club if he could. He was already meeting the boss of the club, which was owned by a gang. "Er yeah, he's fine."
"My name's Kokonoi Hajime. Inui and Chifuyu calls me Boss sometimes. I mainly run the club and bars of Black Dragons here since I manage the finances anyway."
"Oh..." Takemichi didn't know what to say to that introduction.
But Koko continued his answer from before. "The reason why I said, yet, is because there's a possibility we'll be taken over. Big Boss is on bad terms with the leader of Toman, short name for Tokyo Manji."
"What? What happened?" Chifuyu jolted, eyes wide. Takemichi did not like the situation at all. He was here just to eat dinner Chifuyu promised as payment and he just happened to be listening to something that was probably dangerous to normal citizens like him.
"Big Boss isn't willing to give up Black Dragons' areas to him," Koko explained, making himself a cup of coffee at the machine. Inui went to sit at the dining table with Chifuyu and Takemichi.
"He greatly honours Shinichiro-san and his creation of the gang as an individual. He doesn't want to be under anyone," the boss added with a sigh. "Hard to believe he was an ultra dick years ago, good thing he has some humanity now. I'm glad Yuzuha and Hakkai beat some sense into him.
"However, because of Big Boss' adamant objections, I've heard rumours that Touman is going to take us by force." That seemed to really anger Koko, by the way he was gripping his cup. "We won't let them though, they're tainted as fuck."
"By force? Seriously?" Chifuyu asked, jaw ajar.
"You bet. He was on the brink of declaring war on him. Thank fuck, Inui and I were there to keep his ass down," Koko cursed, sipping his coffee. "It's been six months since the meeting too. What's worse is that it was a vague closure."
It seemed that at this point it was time for Takemichi to get out of the picture. He had no single clue as to who the hell was Big Boss, leader of Touman, this Shinichiro-san or Yuzuha or Hakkai or whoever. Chifuyu seemed to be understanding all of it so Takemichi took this as a cue to leave.
"Um, thanks for the food Chifuyu. I think I better go. I have to catch the last train home," and he was right. It was already 11:30 and he had to catch the last one at 11:35.
Koko noticed a drink nearby the coffee machine and reached for it. It looked quite interesting, sky blue colour with a red base and a nicely cut lemon. He took a careful sip, and licked his lips after drinking it.
He side eyed the pair as Chifuyu stood up in guilt, realizing Takemichi was still there. "Oh shit, yeah! Do you want me to send you back? You can't reach the station in five minutes, it takes a while to get back up there."
"You have a car?" Takemichi was even more... never mind. He felt even more useless compared to Chifuyu. That man already knew how to drive.
"Use the emergency car, Chifuyu. He's a normal guy, don't bring any danger to him," Koko reminded softly with his back facing them. "And make sure he gets home safe."
"Roger, Boss. We'll be going now," Chifuyu removed his apron and began to wash the dishes before leaving. Takemichi looked at Inui, who gave him a friendly wave.
"Bye, Hanagaki-kun. Hope we didn't scare you," he smiled worriedly.
He was terrified, but if these guys were involved, he hoped they would be okay, at the very least. "It's cool. Thanks for the kind hospitality."
Somehow with a heavy heart, Takemichi left the room with Chifuyu.
"You alright?"
Takemichi kept silent. He was far from alright. He couldn't believe he had just witnessed a real gang discussion. Unusual names, bizarre circumstances... It was a ride. At any point of time, anyone could have just broken in and kill them with a gun. Takemichi wanted a better life but he definitely wouldn't risk it like that.
But what if those guys were targeted? Somehow?
"...guess not. I'm really sorry about it," Chifuyu nervously put a hand to the back of his head. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you about us being a gang."
"It's not your fault. I'm just not used to it," Takemichi clarified with a shake of his head. "But! I hope you guys will be safe. Whatever was going on back there, I mean. Your lives are precious."
Chifuyu gave him a long stare, an unreadable one at that. The ravenette began to feel uneasy after some time, squirming in his spot. "Uh, what is it? Something on my face?"
The blonde simply grinned and bumped his shoulder with a fist lightly. "Nah, I just think you're really cool, Takemichi. A breath of fresh air within the smoke."
Takemichi did not understand what that meant but with a grin like that, he smiled as well. For the first time in months, his soul felt like a feather. And that was when he understood, he made a friend.
It wasn't like he forgot Akkun and everyone else, but Chifuyu was the first stranger he talked to in a while - without feeling scrutinized or being expected. A breath of fresh air, he said. Well, he could say the same for him.
Takemichi mirrored his toothy grin genuinely, "yeah. I think the same too, Chifuyu!"
"Glad we think the same. Oh, seems like we're here!" The blonde announced. He opened the garage and inside, was a Honda SUV, CR-V car with a real license plate. Takemichi raised an eyebrow.
"This is your emergency car? It seems even more fancier than my mom's," the black-haired commented.
"The club's funds got us this. We worked hard for it, you know," Chifuyu proudly said with a long nose. Takemichi rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Hey! At least we don't have prostitutes. I'll have you know that Toman has them for God-knows-why."
"Yeah yeah. Hurry, I wanna go home already."
"Okay okay, hold on!"
Takemichi showed him the directions to his home on his phone, discussing the routes and the fastest ways. After deciding on the route, they shortly went onto the main road. Takemichi decided to talk more with him. "So, Koko. That guy would fire you over a CD?"
Chifuyu gave a nervous chuckle, his elbow on the car window. "I was just making an excuse, man. It was to get you to open the store just for me." He only laughed at the offended look Takemichi shot him.
"That guy has a thing for Doraemon. It's such an old show yet he desperately wants to collect all the old versions of the CDs before it went into someone's hands. Hell, I didn't even know they existed. Until he told me about an old second-hand store in Sangen-Jaya."
"You mean you didn't know about it? You looked like you knew the place."
"I just assumed it would be there since you know, children's section," Chifuyu said, eyeing the rear-view mirror closely. "But to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he did fire me though. This promise was way back so at any time, that particular CD coulda been gone. And he would've been mad with me forever."
"Damn, the gang world is harsh," he mumbled.
Sure is, Chifuyu thought seriously as he turned a right almost immediately. Takemichi was caught surprised, his eyes slightly wide.
"H-hey what's the deal, Chifuyu?! I could've slammed my head!"
"Someone's following us. Hold on tight," the blonde briefed seriously before he took another sharp turn. Takemichi closed an eye to brace himself for any impact, trying to get a glimpse of the vehicle on the rear-view mirror. His heart dropped to the gutter when he saw two black Mercedes right on their tail.
Their license plate had a weird sign on it. With a label on it. That was when the other spoke.
"The hell, it's really them," Chifuyu swore under his breath. "So the rumours were right."
"Wh-what?" Takemichi felt like he was truly in deep shit. And it was only the first day of knowing Chifuyu.
"Toman."
And the said man stepped on the gas, accelerating even faster than Takemichi had ever experienced. "I'm not gonna let you get involved in this, Takemichi. This will take a while."
After that, there were little to no room for any conversation.
The two cars were catching up to Chifuyu on both sides and they slammed onto each side simultaneously, trying to stop the car. Chifuyu gritted his teeth and slammed on the brakes. The SUV slowed down drastically, making the two cars slam into each other instead. They crashed hard, their speed unbalanced and swerving uncontrollably into both directions. Before they could recover from the crash, Chifuyu turned sharply to the left and into a smaller road in an alley.
"A-are we safe now?" Takemichi asked meekly.
"Not yet. They know where I turned. I'm gonna have to do some detours quickly."
Takemichi took note of how grim Chifuyu's face was. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white. He was shivering. Takemichi saw how he was scared.
Was Toman this high of authority?
Subconsciously, he placed his own palm over the other's carefully. Chifuyu seemed to have snapped out of his own thoughts, and half his attention was now on Takemichi's hand over his.
"I'm here with you."
Chifuyu tried his best not to stare at the kind gesture and focus on the road. With a crooked smile, he said, "Thanks, Takemichi."
Takemichi lost track of time. It had been some time since that mini encounter and Chifuyu was still making detours. "I don't get it... it's just a gang. It's not like they're a crime syndicate, are they?"
The driver closed his eyes in distress and heaved a sigh.
"They are one. They're the biggest criminals round here, especially their leader."
What."That's why Koko and Big Boss doesn't want to give up the club and our bars to them. We are one of the biggest moneymakers of Shibuya's night life, that is why they want to take us."
"..."
"We can be a gang, but we never go further than managing The Dragons' Nest and Black Daisy. We don't want to be associated with actual crimes."
"What is exactly Toman? What's their strength in the underground world like?"
The blonde side eyed him with a solemn expression. "This is as far as you go, Takemichi."
The ravenette silenced. He was unconsciously asking questions about the gang world already and Chifuyu had stopped him from entering even more. "Right. I'll... stay away."
The summer night felt colder than usual and it wasn't because of the air conditioner in the car.
"Thanks for the ride, Chifuyu," Takemichi grinned gratefully. "I owe you a lot."
"Please, I don't think your broke ass is gonna get me anything anyway," Chifuyu joked. "But of course. You better take care of yourself, Takemichi. I won't be there to watch you all the time!"
He was about to close the window when Takemichi called out. "Wait!"
"Hm?"
Chifuyu was taken aback when he was thrown a track jacket to the face. He quickly grabbed it, not letting it fall to the road. "Oi, what's the deal, Takemichi?"
"Stay warm. You've been shivering since just now. Summer nights aren't warm, you know."
The blonde now stared at Takemichi even longer than before. The black-haired only flashed a cheeky smile. The other was about to protest when he added, "I have an extra one, don't worry."
"Thank you, Takemichi."
The said male smiled and waved goodbye at the disappearing car. When it turned, Takemichi realized they didn't exchange any form of contact. No number, no emails, no nothing. Takemichi decided that was the end of it.
He clenched at his fist, holding it to his heart as he stared at the now empty road. Stay safe, Fuyu.
That night, Takemichi couldn't sleep well and he dreamt of an injured Chifuyu.