A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on july 30th, 2022 @ 9:18pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃,

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"AND NOW, WE CUT THE CAKE!"

"Tell 'em you're the man, Pah-chin!" Peh-yan shouted.

"Faster! Faster!"

"Shut up!"

"I knew, Takemichi-kun." Hinata said, causing Takemichi to look towards her. "You just came back from 12 years ago, right?

Hinata places her hand over Takemichi's. "It's so amazing, thinking about you back then. I'm now the same age as you. I've always waited for this day to come. Welcome back, Takemichi-kun." She said as Takemichi teared up.

"This has to be a dream..."

"Want me to pinch your cheeks? I'm not the only one who's been waiting too."

"We're putting on smiles! We've been waiting for 12 years!" Chifuyu spoke, getting Takemichi's attention. "So what are you breaking down for?!"

"This is some crazy talk. But the fact that we are all alive today, is all thanks to you." Draken said.

"Chifuyu... Draken-kun..." Takemichi sobbed.

"Thank you, Takemichi!"

"You're really cool, Takemichi. You saved so many lives." Hinata said.

"I wouldn't have succeeded alone. You guys helped a lot too." Takemichi admitted.

"Hey hey hey! Why is it so noisy over at that table. The main guy for today is me, isn't it?!" Pah-chin shouted.

"The main person of the day is your bride, you dumbass!"

"Pah-chin you're just a side character."

"What did you say?!"

"Pah-chin inherited his parent's business. He's a rich guy. His bride seems to be a childhood friend. Peh-yan is as always, Pah-chin's advisor. Mitsuya-kun is a rookie fashion designer. He's definitely going places!"

"Hakkai became a successful model working actively overseas!"

"Get on my level soon and work with me, okay Taka-chan?" Hakkai said.

"You're getting too arrogant!" Yuzuha exclaimed.

"Yuzuha-chan is Hakkai's manager."

"The Kawata brothers own a ramen shop."

"Come and eat our ramen sometime, okay?" Angry suggested.

"It's murder-tier good!" Smiley added on.

"Their shop name is, of course, 'Sugoaku.'"

"Chifuyu owns a pet shop. And Kazutora helps Chifuyu out with the shop."

"What're lookin' at?!" Kazutora asked.

"Draken-kun and Inupi own a bike shop together."

"Inupi, have you ordered the carburetors yet?" Draken asked.

"Yes, it'll arrive tomorrow." Inupi replied.

"Imaushi is the top detective in Japan. He's also engaged to Inupi."

"I'm so bored, Seishu." Ichirou complained.

"Don't be rude, Rou."

"Takemichi-kun." Naoto's voice was soon heard. "The day has finally come. I know you can make it."

"Naoto!" Takemichi exclaimed, hugging Naoto tightly. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

"Well... As a trigger to your time traveling, if I'm gone you wouldn't even be able to return." Naoto reminded him.

"Yeah but still..."

"Mission complete, Takemichi-kun. We've reached the world where my sister is alive." Naoto said.

"Naoto! There's my favorite work partner!" Ichirou exclaimed.

"I'm your only work partner, Imaushi-senpai."

"By the way... Where's Mikey?" Takemichi asked Chifuyu and Draken.

"Mikey is currently managing a restaurant overseas." Draken said.

"His restaurant is a huge success! He really wanted to come over today, but he's busy and his work load held him back." Chifuyu added on.

"I see... That's so cool!" Takemichi exclaimed in awe.

"Mikey really wanted to see you!" Draken smiled as he stared at Takemichi.

"Well, that's Mikey for you!" Takemichi smiled back.

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"I can't accept Mikey as is."

"Who's there?!" Takemichi asked, seeing Kazutora. "Kazutora-kun!?"

"For 10 years... It's as if time froze in prison. And as soon as I came out, Toman was not there anymore. With no Mikey around, and everyone having fun. It's like the tale of Urashima Taro." Kazutora continued on.

"Kazutora-kun..."

"But... There's one thing that I'm sure of. Mikey has not changed at all." Kazutora spoke, making Takemichi get taken aback. "He's not the type to show his vulnerability to others. He keeps everything to himself."

"Yeah... That's right..." Takemichi noted.

"The life that Mikey is living now... is not the life that he chose!" Kazutora concluded.

"Then that means... we can work together!" Takemichi thought.

"I got your back, Hanagaki Takemichi!" Kazutora claimed. "I also have an informant working next to me. You might know him."

"Yo, Hanagaki. Been a while."

A black and white haired male showed up with a lollipop stick in his mouth.

"Imaushi-kun? Why are you searching for Bonten?" Takemichi asked.

Ichirou looked down. "I don't... give a shit about Mikey. I just want to get Hajime out of his reins." He revealed. "Seishu might not show it, but he misses him. That's why I've been working so hard to track Bonten down."

Takemichi then widened his eyes in realization. "That's right! In every timeline since Black Dragon..." He trailed off, remembering.

"Hanagaki... please save those two. I beg you. I... want Seishu back in my life."

"I wanted to save Seishu and Hajime."

"... Imaushi-kun devoted himself to saving those two! Now that Inupi is okay, he's devoted to saving Koko!" Takemichi realized.

"Let's start off by meeting old acquaintances!" Kazutora said.

"Okay!"

"If I can't go back to the past... I can continue to search for Mikey right here and right now!"

"See ya later!" Kazutora bid farewell as Ichirou just waved.

"No matter how long it'll take."

"Sure!"

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Takemichi and Kazutora were currently sitting in Ichirou's office as the older male sighed. "It's no use. Not even my calculations can help us." He spoke, turning around as Takemichi seemed to be staring at his board. "What's got you spaced out, Hanagaki?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I just noticed your style to figuring things out is similar to Naoto, that's all." Takemichi replied.

"Who do you think taught him everything he knows?"

"Huh?"

Ichirou grinned as he sat down in his chair lazily. "Hanagaki, Naoto never actually told you how we met, did he?" He questioned.

"Now that I think about it, I don't know how Naoto and Imaushi-kun met." Takemichi realized.

"I was in my third-year at the police academy. Naoto was just a first-year." Ichirou began explaining the story.

"Are you Imaushi-kun?" A first-year Naoto asked, which caused the older male to stop writing and turned to him.

"Huh? A first-year?" Ichirou questioned. "What are you doing here?"

Naoto sits across from Ichirou. "I'm Tachibana Naoto." He introduced himself. "I overheard some second-years say you're the top of your class. But you're also a former delinquent. So what made you want to become apart of the police force?"

Ichirou fidgets with his pen. "I had a friend who was in the same gang as me... We would bicker a lot but I still considered him as my friend. He ended up leaving and going down his own path. So I want to save him and get him back, also becoming the top detective in Japan." He responded before snorting. "Why am I even telling a pesky first-year my reason to become a detective?"

Naoto's eyes brightened up. "We have a similar goal, then! I want to save my older sister from dying." He announced.

Ichirou wasn't even gonna question how this kid knew that. He simply didn't care.

"You wanna get to the point on why you're bothering me, kid?" Ichirou asked.

"Please take me under your wing!"

"Hm... Denied!" Ichirou said, closing his notebook shut. "I don't have time to help a first-year brat like you."

Ichirou gathers up his things before leaving.

"Since that day, Naoto wouldn't stop bothering me until I agreed to be his mentor." Ichirou finished. "He also won't stop adding 'senpai' to the end of my name to this day. How annoying."

Takemichi smiled. "It seems Naoto has found an interesting work partner..." He thinks to himself.

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Kazutora and Ichirou were waiting for Takemichi when Kazutora finally spotted him. "Takemitchy! We've been waiting for ya!" Kazutora exclaimed.

"Listen, man! We've got some leads! At Shinjiku Ward..." Kazutora informed.

"Kazutora-kun..."

"Yeah?"

"It's fine, I don't need it." Takemichi said.

"... Huh?" Kazutora said in confusion as Takemichi began walking away. "... Hey Takemitchy? What's wrong?"

"I don't want to meddle with Bonten anymore. That is Mikey's wish." Takemichi claimed.

"Huh!? What'dya mean!?" Kazutora asked.

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"Takemitchy, you gotta take it easy..." Kazutora warned.

"But!"

"Why are you in such a rush?" Kazutora asked.

"You know, Kazutora-kun. This is the 4th place... I've went to all the Bonten's hideouts that you and Imaushi-kun suggested, but I couldn't find a single clue about Mikey!" Takemichi informed. "There's no way I can take it easy!"

"Those are Bonten's official hideouts, no doubt about it! So get deeply involved and you'll get into trouble! I don't wanna help you out on a suicide mission! Let's end this." Kazutora claimed.

"Hold on, Kazutora-kun!" Takemichi argued.

"Your wedding is in 3 days, so no! If anything happens to you, I don't know how I'd be able to face the others! Just lay low for a while!" Kazutora said as he walked away with Ichirou following him.

"On a much better note, I finally found Hajime." Ichirou spoke, causing Kazutora to look towards him.

"Are you really going through with it?" He asked.

"I have to." Ichirou responded. "Don't tell Seishu. He'll flip out if he knows what I've been doing."

"Don't get yourself killed, Imaushi-kun."

"This is Hajime. I'm sure I'll be fine."

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Ichirou walks into one of the many clubs that Bonten owns.

"What do you want, Ichirou?"

Ichirou smirked. "Is that how you greet a friend who you haven't seen in 10 years... Hajime?" He asked, facing a long white-haired male with the Bonten logo tattooed on the left side of his head.

Bonten's Executive.
Kokonoi Hajime.

"You still haven't answered my question." Kokonoi told him, taking a seat next to him.

"Here."

Kokonoi looks over to see Ichirou holding a white envelope between his two fingers, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Am I supposed to know what that is?"

"An invitation to mine and Seishu's wedding." Ichirou explained. "It's not until next month, but I want you there."

"You, the top detective in Japan want me, a criminal executive to attend your wedding?" Kokonoi snorted. "Do you know how idiotic that sounds?"

"I don't care what it sounds like." Ichirou replied. "Hajime, do you want to know why I strived to become the top detective in Japan? Not even Seishu knows why."

He didn't receive a response from Kokonoi. "When you made that declaration that you were going your own way, I decided to become the best of the best. So I could save you. You, me, and Seishu— We could be a trio again. Like our Black Dragon days." Ichirou said.

"You're living too much in the past, Ichirou." Kokonoi informed.

"Right back at you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." Ichirou responded. "Black Dragon, Tenjiku, and now Bonten. Are you going to spend the rest of your life being the wallet for gangs all because you can't let go of someone who passed away years ago?"

That seemed to trigger something within Kokonoi as he quickly stood up to attack Ichirou. But the bi-colored haired male was quicker as he instantly pulled out his gun, aiming the barrel at Kokonoi's head.

"Yikes, hit a nerve. My bad." Ichirou said, though he didn't sound apologetic.

"Thought we agreed on no weapons."

"I'm not stupid enough to meet a criminal executive without being armed, Hajime."

"Then I believe we're done here."

Ichirou watched as Kokonoi left the club, causing him to sigh.

"God damn it..." He mumbled to himself.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1939 words.