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𝟑𝟎 || 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 ||

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    "Oi, Katsu~mi~! Your boy is calling!" One of the older worker's shouts into the showers where Katsumi stays standing under the shower head, cherishing the drops of warm water that run down her skin.

    Katsumi peeks her head out, confusion written all over her face.

    "Takemichi? He's calling?" She asks, ignoring the way her muscles tense up at the notion of her baby being in trouble. She hopes it's a misunderstanding, that she heard wrong, but the older worker nods her head with a furrowed brow.

    "Sure is, hun—and he's with Kenny."

    A sigh leaves Katsumi's lips, knowing the older boy would take care of her son if he was ever in any trouble—that's just the kind of person Kenny is: sweet and kind but protective of those he deems as his family. Ken had taken a liking to Takemichi, which Katsumi is thoroughly thankful for. After the boys' first visit at the brothel, Ken began asking Katsumi all sorts of questions regarding Takemichi; the young lady had smiled down at the blonde boy and began telling him all about her little Michi. Ken had listened to every bit of information she gave out, his eyes wide and curious as he kept on asking questions.

    Takemichi should be safe with Kenny around. Ken is a strong boy who'll protect those he cares about.

    Katsumi steps out of the showers and reaches for one of the soft towels hanging up, wrapping it around her sore body to keep her workers from seeing her nude. Katsumi isn't shy about her body by any means, but it's proper etiquette.

    Plus, she's cold.

    With the towel wrapped tightly around her body, she steps into the changing room where the older worker from before stands quietly, her hand holding onto Katsumi's flip phone. The worker tosses the phone over to Katsumi who catches it on instinct; her blue eyes are immediately drawn to the name displayed on the device, a small shiver running up her spine.

    Home phone: Hanagaki
    2:03–...

    Katsumi brings the phone up to her ear, ready to hear the gentle voice of her son—

    "MOM!!! MOM!!! ARE YOU THERE?! MOOOOOM!!!" Takemichi cries loudly, causing Katsumi to pull the phone away from her ear to keep her eardrums from bursting. His voice is frantic and cracking under fear—fear of what? Katsumi's not sure.

    "Hey—hey!!! Calm down, baby, I'm right here. What's wrong?" She asks, trying to keep her own voice from rising an octave.

    "There's—there's a man outside our apartment mama!!! He knows my name mom! Who is he?!"

    Katsumi tightens her grip around the flip phone, blue eyes widening in both shock and fear as she continues to listen to her son's rambling.

    "Me and Ken were on our way back from-from the flea market and the festival, and he was just there!!! He's really old and he's smoking a cigarette and he's just really scary and old!!!"

    "O-Ok, Takemichi! One thing at a time ok? Are you and Ken safe inside the apartment?" She asks, keeping the flip phone between her shoulder and ear as she flings the towel off her body, her eyes searching for her change of clothes.

    "Y-yeah, we're safe! Ken locked the door and put a chair behind it..."

    "Ok—good, that's great, baby! Did the man do anything to hurt you guys?"

    A voice that sounds a lot like Ken pipes up. "He didn't get the chance! I kicked him in the balls and we headed right inside the apartment!" He exclaims a little too excitedly considering the situation the two boys are in.

    "I...y'know what, that's awesome Kenny. Keep up the good work!"

    "I can still hear him groaning in pain from behind the door! He—he just called Ken a little dick!"

    "That bastard isn't gonna have a Dick if he keeps running his mouth!"

    Katsumi finally spots her red colored bra on the floor and quickly puts it on. Her eyes then catch sight of a pair of panties that match the bra in color and slides them on as well.

    "Kenny, Takemichi, watch y'all's mouths around me and calm down!" She shouts in frustration, slowly being consumed by fear and nerves. "Did the man say anything weird or strange? Takemichi—you said he knows your name. How does he know?" Katsumi questions frantically, grabbing a random t-shirt from the floor and throwing it in on.

    "He—he did say something really weird! He said he was my—"

    Ken interrupts the boy with hysteria laced in his voice.

    "He's tryna knock down the door!!! FUCK!!!—"

    "SHUT UP KEN!!! MAMA, HE SAID HE WAS MY DAD!!!"

    And, upon hearing those words leave Takemichi's lips, Katsumi drops the flip phone.

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    BAM!!!

    BAM!!!

    BAM!!!

    The old man's fist kept slamming against the door, the loud noise reverberating throughout the Hanagakis' small apartment.

    Ken begins running around the apartment, gathering big pieces of furniture and placing it behind the door to keep it from caving in. Takemichi watches from the corner of the kitchen, unable to do anything but shake and tremble with the house phone clutched tightly in his hands. His blue begins to tear up, clouding his vision as the sight of Ken begins morphing into a small blur.

    "Mama?! Mama please help us, please!!!" Takemichi cries out, unable to keep his voice from cracking.

    His mother doesn't say anything. It's silent on the other side of the line.

    Takemichi's fear escalates with every second that passes that he doesn't hear his mother's comforting voice; the chippy voice that teases Takemichi to death, the one that makes Takemichi feel safe and cozy, acting as a campfire that warms the boy's insides and swarms his mind with happy thoughts. It's quiet. Too quiet. And Takemichi's mind begins to race uncontrollably.

    "Stop fucking with us, you bastard!!! We'll call the cops on your ass!" Ken shouts in the midst of Takemichi's turmoil.

    "Stay outta this, you damn kid! This doesn't fucking concern you—not let me in!!! I need to see my son!!!"

    Son.

    This man—this crazy person who's more than twice his mama's age—keeps claiming to be Takemichi's father.

    The boy's knees begin to buckle and—before he knows it—he's collapsing onto the kitchen tiles, the cold floor sending sharp daggers into his exposed knees. He hangs his head, exhaustion slowly seeping into his muscles like a volatile poison, keeping him from standing his ground. The tears begin to drip down his face, landing in a small puddle on the floor and Takemichi can do nothing but watch, listen, and wait.

    Takemichi's mother has never mentioned anything about his father. She never gave him a name, a face, or even an age to the man who helped bring Takemichi into the world. Granted, he never asked because the knowledge was never important to him; his mother is more than enough for him. She's the one who holds his hand when he's scared, whispering sweet words into his ears to keep him calm, combing his tangly black curls in the morning when he's too tired to do it himself, bandaging the small scraps and bruises on his skin with a frustrated pout on her lips.

    She's always been his parent and he would never ask for another one. He doesn't need another parent when he has her.

    "—michi? Takemichi?! Baby, are you still there?!"

    Takemichi snaps his gaze towards the phone in his hands, instantly recognizing his mother's voice. He quickly places the phone next to his ear, an exhausted smile tugging at his lips as he's once again graced by her angelic voice. "I'm here! I'm here, mama, I'm here!" He exclaims.

    "Ok, good. I need you to get Kenny too—he needs to hear this."

    Takemichi wipes his tears away with his free hand and searches for the older boy. He finds the blonde carrying a stack of empty cardboard boxes, his face twisted in concentration as he keeps barricading the door.

    "Ken! Ken, get over here!" The blonde doesn't answer. Instead, he drops the boxes off in front of the door and begins pushing it against the hammering surface, a permanent scowl painted on his face.

    "Ken! Get over here, now!!!"

    The blonde boy whips his head around to face Takemichi, his dark eyes blown wide and lips pulled back in a grimace.

    "Stop fucking distracting me! I'm tryna save our asses!" He shouts back before running deeper into the apartment to grab more furniture.

    "STOP!!! JUST STOP AND GET OVER HERE, PLEASE!!," Takemichi pleads, his voice trembling from screaming. It seems to finally do the trick as he watches Ken enter the kitchen, his face dripping with sweat and his chest rising and falling from exhaustion.

    "What?!" Ken snaps, his eyes switching between Takemichi and the phone that lays clutched within Takemichi's hand.

    "Mama's tryna tell us something, Ken!" Takemichi snaps back out of frustration. The older boy huffs out a breath of air and crouches down till he's eye level with Takemichi.

    "Ok, I'm here you crazy woman! What do you wanna tell us?!" Ken shouts, spit flying everywhere as he allows his frustration to get the best of him. Takemichi just sits patiently, waiting for his mom to respond.

    "I need you two to call Ms.Baji. Tell her what's happening and get her to call Shin and the boys. After you get off the phone, run into my room and hide in the closet. Got it?"

    "Yes ma'am!" The two boys exclaim at the same time, a feeling of hope blossoming inside Takemichi's chest.

    "Good," she says softly, then—surprising Takemichi—her voice gets quiet, turning into a mumble. "You two boys are being very brave right now, I just want you two to know that. Keep it up and try not to make a lot of noise, I love y'all. I'll see y'all soon."

    With that said, she hangs up the phone.

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    It's nearing eleven o'clock when Shinichiro gets an unexpected call from his work phone.

    Business at S.S. Motors have been exploding lately with the help of Wakasa, Benkei, and all of the old black dragon members that used to follow Shinichiro. The man is normally a very humble person, but even he can't help but flaunt his influence around the shop, getting people of all ages, backgrounds, and genders to walk In, more than a little curious about the delinquent-turned-mechanic.
  

    He'll share stories of his delinquent days with his customers who all crowd around him at a safe distance—giving him room to work and tell his tales of what it was like to rule over Tokyo.

    He first started telling these stories when he gained a new addition to the shop: Inui Seishu, a young boy with a burn mark on the left side of his face. The young boy had questioned Shinichiro about his delinquent days and—before he knew it—he had gathered an audience. It definitely helped rack up customers, but—in all honesty—he mostly tells them to reminisce about the man he used to be and the friends he used to hangout with from sunup to sun down.

    There are days where he finds himself missing the Black dragons. He'd think about the brawls they'd participate in, the euphoric feeling of landing a punch, and the overwhelming sense of victory that'd course through his veins with every win their gang collected. He would think about the way Wakasa would sling his arm over his shoulders, a cheeky smile gracing his lips with that stupid lollipop, Benkei at his side as they tease him about his lack of skill.

    And, of course, there was Takeomi...

    ...Shinichiro tries not to think about Takeomi, and—when he does—he quickly brushes the thought away.

    Shinichiro had just finished ushering Inui out the door ("Good job today! Take a few days off, ok?") when he heard his work phone ringing. At first, he elected to ignore it, but it just kept ringing. With a loud sigh, he marches deeper into his workshop and grabs the work phone, his finger pressing down on the answer button, and he places it next to his ear.

    "This is S.S. Motors, how can I help you—"

    "Why aren't you picking up your phone, Shin?! I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past five minutes!!!"

    Shinichiro momentarily takes the phone away from his ear to keep his eardrums from bursting into a million little pieces. Then, when he places it back next to his ear, he's hit with the sudden realization that it's Ms. Baji calling.

    "Ms. Baji?! Is that you?!" He exclaims, more than a little surprised to hear her voice. Shinichiro can't remember the last time he heard her voice and—god—hearing it full of stress and anxiety really sets his nerves ablaze.

    "Yes, it's me! We have a problem and we need you and the boys' help!"

    "We? Who's we?" Shinichiro decides to ask despite already throwing his shoes on, ready to drag Wakasa and Benkei out of the gym by force.

    "Me, Katsumi, Takemichi, and his little friend! This guy is trying to break into their apartment and—fuck I think he just broke the hinges—and he's claiming to be Takemichi's father!!!"

    Shit...

    A part of Shinichiro wants to ask about the man, if he really is Takemichi's father, but he keeps his mouth shut.

    Now isn't the time or place, you bastard.

    With his grip triggering around the work phone, Shinichiro heaves out a loud groan and fishes for his keys to his motorcycle.

    "I'll be there in ten minutes with the guys. Don't worry, we won't let that bastard touch either of you or the kids."
   

    "Thank you so much—and please hurry!"

    Rika hangs up the phone, leaving Shinichiro in his quiet workspace with nothing but his burning hatred and hysterical anxiety. His head is pounding with rage, an urge he never knew would surface back up after so many years, returns.

    Something dark and sinister.

    Filled with desperation.

    Shinichiro takes the keys out of his pocket and runs out of the building, reaching his motorcycle in a matter of seconds, and zooming off to relay the news to the guys.

    He won't let another person be taken from him—not on his damn watch.

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    "OI!!! LET US OUT!!! WE WANNA HELP TOO!!!" Keisuke screams, his fists pounding on his bedroom door. Haru tries to assist him by twisting and turning the door knob, but the door doesn't budge.

    Keisuke and Haru had been hanging out in the living room playing Mario kart when they heard the sound of someone smashing on the door. At first, he thought it was their door, but was thoroughly mistaken. It was coming from next door.

    Or, more specifically, Takemichi's apartment.

    Both Keisuke and Haru shot up from the couch and were making their way out the door, intent on sticking their noses into whatever was happening, but Keisuke's mom called them over to the kitchen, her face twisted into an expression of worry.

    Keisuke should've known better than to go along with whatever his mom told him.

    His mom—damn her—lured Keisuke and Haru into his room and locked the door, leaving the two boys to fight and pound on the wooden door.

    Then, with their ears pressed to the door, they eavesdropped on the conversation she had from the kitchen.

    "Takemichi? What's going on over there? What's all that noise?!"

    ...

    "A man?! Who is he—he's your dad?!"

     ...

    "Well let's hope he isn't. Don't worry baby, I'm calling for help. Just calm down and do what Katsumi told you to do, ok?"

    And that brings them to now: a couple of kids trying to break down a door to help protect their friend.

    Keisuke's fists begin to ache from pounding on the door for so long, but he doesn't care. He keeps hitting the door, over and over again in hopes of breaking it down. Haru swears and curses from beside him, trying and failing to get the door open. His heart is racing. His face is dripping with sweat. His throat hurts from screaming.

    And he needs to get out.

    He needs to be there for Takemichi.

    "From now on, I'll always be by your side, Michi! Let me protect you with everything I've got, ok?"

     Keisuke grinds his teeth together till his jaw feels like it's about to burst. Unshed tears glisten within his brown eyes as he glares holes into the wooden door. He tries, tries, and tries to tear the door down.

    But nothing works.

    "I NEED TO PROTECT HIM!!! I PROMISED HIM, MOM, I PROMISED!!!" Keisuke pleads, bordering on begging as he claws pathetically at the door like a stray cat. His mother doesn't say anything back. She just keeps traveling around the apartment doing who knows what while Takemichi is fighting for his fucking life!!!

    "Keisuke! This isn't gonna work! We're not gonna be able to knock this door down!" Haru exclaims, breaking through the inner turmoil swimming inside his head. "It's locked. We can't escape—"

    "Shut up, Haru!!! I need to get to him!!!" Keisuke screams, not giving a single shit about the spit that flies out of his mouth, landing all over a grimacing Haru. "Don't you care about him at all?! Don't you want him to be safe? Or do you want that—that bastard to get to Takemic—"

    "OF COURSE I CARE ABOUT HIM, YOU IDIOT!!!" Haru interrupts, his green eyes also glistening with tears as he stares at the door like he's trying to burn a hole through the surface. "I want him safe and sound, just like you!!!"

    "Then we need to find a way out of here!!!"

    "...wait Keisuke, I have a question."

    Keisuke whips around to properly face Haru, the fucking idiot who thinks now is the time to ask questions.

    "We don't have time for questions, Haru!!! We need to—"

    "Is that small peep hole still there? The one you used to fill the old neighbors apartment with cockroaches?"

    Keisuke stills at Haru's words.

    He can't believe Haru still remembers that. It seems like a lifetime ago that he, Haru, and Mikey had devised a plan to get the rude neighbors out of the apartment complex. They had spent a long time digging and carving into the wall till they could properly see into the closet of the master bedroom so they could send cockroaches to terrorize them.

    But now, that small little hole could be the very thing that could help Keisuke and Haru communicate with Takemichi.

    "I-I think so..." Keisuke says, a