▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

𝟑𝟏 || 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ||

•

•

•

    Shinichiro has been to prison a couple of times. Well, not prison exactly—juvie—but it still counts as prison.

   Each visit was because of something relating to the Black dragons; whether it was running a stop light on his motorbikes while trying to race his pack of friends, or getting caught in the middle of a brawl between two gangs, he and his group of friends would be sent to Juvie for a short amount of time. The longest Shinichiro has ever been in prison was five months and it was all because of a misunderstanding that took place, which was complete bullshit.

    The prison that Shinichiro, Wakasa, Benkei, and Ms. Baji walk into is a little different from the juvie Shinichiro had grown up going to. Well, first things first, it's an all women's prison. The guards? Female. The workers? Female. The clean up crew? Female. The prisoners? Female. Shinichiro couldn't help the growing smile on his face as he met every lady's gaze, thinking about the relief Katsumi must feel upon realizing that she won't have to deal with any more men.

    The group of adults all sit in the lobby, waiting patiently for their turn to talk to Katsumi. Ms. Baji's occupying herself with completing some paperwork she brought from her job. Wakasa is picking through the jar of lollipops he stole from the front counter, his lilac colored eyes glittering with satisfaction. Benkei's reading through a Romance novel the man has mentioned once or twice while hanging out at S.S. Motors.

    And Shinichiro is flipping through a fashion magazine, his eyes constantly flitting up to observe the people around him. His eyes gaze over the pages, not really paying much attention to what's being shown. Most of it is just women's fashion anyways—but hey, maybe this is something Takmeichi would be interested in...

    Shinichiro looks around, making sure no one is watching him, and quickly stuffs the fashion magazine in Ms.Baji's purse, earning a questionable look from the older woman, but she doesn't stop him.

    "Didn't realize you were into fashion, Shin..." Ms. Baji mumbles, keeping her voice level and quiet so she doesn't stand out amongst the quiet lobby.

    "Ah, I'm not. I was hoping to give this to Takemichi later."

    "That's gonna be hard to do."

    Shinichiro tilts his head, raising his brow in question. "What do you mean?"

    "He's with Child Protective Services, Shin. They have strict rules towards gifts."

    Shinichiro's shoulders slump at the mention of CPS.

    He still can't believe Takemichi had been taken from them. Never, in a million years, did he ever expect to see the small sunshine child in the hands of Child Protective Services. The poor kid doesn't deserve to be separated from his mother. He doesn't deserve to be put in the system. He should be there with them, visiting his mother and talking to her and smiling wide with his bright sparkly teeth with a light blush adorning his chubby cheeks.

    But the Takemichi Shinichiro last saw wasn't Takemichi at all. It was a shell of a small, terrified boy; the joy that used to sparkle in his big blue eyes had disappeared, replaced with something dull. Tears ran freely down his cheeks, creating a trail in its wake. When CPS had taken him, their faceless figures grabbing hold of Takemichi's hand, telling him they'll take care of them, Shinichiro watched with bated breath as the color drained from his face, turning him into a lifeless corpse.

    And what did Shinichiro do? He stood there and watched it happen, the sirens blaring loudly in the background, shining bright red, blue, and white lights.

    Keisuke, Haru, and Takemichi's new friend was there, watching their friend being taken away by people in business suits. Keisuke had tried going after him, but Ms.Baji held him in place. He scratched and clawed at her arms, but she held on tightly, crying and apologizing to no one in particular. Haru attempted to go after Takemichi, claiming that they lived together, but after a look into Haru's file and seeing that Takeomi was still alive and well, they brushed the small boy off and practically told him to get lost. Takemichi's new friend had been the only one not going after him, his face carefully nonchalant as he eyed Takemichi from afar. Even though the older boy tried to appear tough on the outside, Shinichiro could still see his dark eyes staring after Takemichi in longing, regret, and despair.

    And Shinichiro did nothing.

    Nothing at all.

    He has the power to stop this kind of shit from happening, but he didn't fucking use it!—

    "Shin."

    Shinichiro looks up, meeting Ms.Baji's gaze head on. Her expression is soft and gentle, a sad frown present on her small lips. She brings an arm around Shinichiro's shoulder and pulls him in, pressing them together.

    "We need to stop blaming ourselves for what happened, Shin. Despite what others might say, despite what your heart might be screaming at you, we're not at fault." 

    Shinichiro can hear the words escaping Ms.Baji's lips, he can feel them brushing against the strands of his black hair, but he can't for the life of him let himself believe them.

    Shinichiro tries to release himself from Ms.Baji's hold, but she tightens her arm around his shoulder, keeping him in place.

    "Shin. Listen to me very carefully: this isn't your fault. This isn't my fault. This isn't Wakasa's or Benkei's fault. And, despite what might've happened, it's not Katsumi's fault either," Shinichiro feels himself opening his mouth, about to refute that he could've done something different to stop Katsumi from killing the man, but Ms.Baji keeps talking, not leaving any room for Shinichiro to pipe in. "We don't know half the shit that man put Katsumi through. From...from what I heard, he manipulated her, groomed her, raped her at such a young age and took away her childhood. So, if we truly need to blame anyone, it's him: the bastard that pushed Katsumi to the point where she felt she needed to kill in order to protect Takemichi."

    Shinichiro finds himself falling quiet, allowing the words to sink in. He repeats them in his head, analyzes every word, and wishes that he had been the one to impale the bastard with the glass shard Katsumi used to end his life.

    "Katsumi Hanagaki. She's ready for you guys," the worker says over the intercom, grabbing the group's attention.

    While Wakasa and Benkei get up to cross the threshold, Shin and Ms.Baji stay in place, relishing in eachother's embrace.

    "...You're right," Shinichiro says at last, feeling an enormous weight being lifted off his shoulders. "It's his fault."

    "Exactly."

    With that said, Katsumi pats Shin on the shoulder and removes her arm, taking away Shinichiro's only source of warmth.

    "Well, you ready to go talk to our favorite murderer?"

    Shinichiro heaves out a chuckle, more than a little disturbed by Ms.Baji's sense of humor, and nods.

    "Yeah, sure, let's go see her."

   
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    The small room Rika and the group is placed in is empty, save for a couple chairs, a speaker, and a glass barrier separating them from the prisoner.

    Or, if you wanna get technical, Katsumi Hanagaki.

    The prison guard left the group in there with very little instructions aside from a timer of how long they're allowed to talk to Katsumi. So, without further ado, the group of adults stroll in, take a seat in each chair, and take in the appearance of Katsumi Hanagaki.

    Her curly hair that usually trails down her shoulders in a graceful dance is tied up in a ponytail, black strands sticking out in all directions. The prison outfit the young lady is wearing covers up most of her skin; the gray button up shirt hiding the bruises and marks the old man had inflicted on her before the guys had shown up. Her face is slack, blank, showing no emotions, but she watches Rika and the group descend onto the chairs with the eye of a hawk.

    No one says a word. Rika desperately wants to break the silence, her fingers twitching on her knees as she forces herself to stay quiet.

    Thankfully, none of the visitors have to start the round of questions.

    "...How's Takemichi? Is he ok?" Katsumi asks, her voice weak and croaky from—what Rika assumes—disuse.

    Of course it's the first thing Katsumi says to them; everything she's done has been for Takemichi. If Rika were in her position, having suffered the same way she suffered, sitting in the same chair, she'd be dying to know how Keisuke is.

    "He's..." Rika says, trying to find the best words to explain the situation without setting off Katsumi. How is she going to react knowing that the CPS had managed to get their hands on Takemichi on their watch? Rika stares down at her trembling hands, a frown slowly making its way onto her lips—

    "I know he's with Child Protective Services, Rika," Katsumi huffs out, surprising Rika. Looking away from her hands, she meets Katsumi's cold gaze, instantly feeling a chill go down her spine at the horrid sight. "I'm asking about his well-being. Is he ok? Does he hate me? Is he...oh who am I kidding, he's not safe if he's with the CPS..." she mumbles, her eyes not entirely present, but still watching Rika like a dangerous predator, waiting for the right time to strike.

    Rika opens her mouth, ready to answer the lady's questions, but Wakasa beats her to it. "He's not doing good without you there, Ms.Hanagaki," Wakasa answers, not bothering to sugarcoat the situation into something more pleasing to hear. But hey—that's Wakasa for you. "But he might start to recover once a relative picks him up from CPS. Staying in CPS is a complete nightmare—trust me, I know."

    Katsumi doesn't say anything for a bit, probably letting Wakasa's words sink in. In the meantime, Benkei decides to speak up. "You got any sisters? Brothers? Parents that could help watch over Takemichi until you get out of...prison?"

    The young lady actually laughs at Benkei's words, but it's not genuine. It's full of hysteria and anger, no glee in sight. "I've been sentenced to twenty years in prison, Benkei...My baby won't need me anymore by the time I get out."

    "Not unless we get a lawyer involved—"

    "Shin, look at me. Does it look like I can afford a lawyer?" She spits out, venom laced in her voice as she directs her words towards Shinichiro. "And, to answer you Benkei, I don't. I'm an only child and my parents disowned me after I became pregnant with Takemichi."

    "...so what are we gonna do?" Rika whispers, her mind racing back to the scared boy who had screamed and cried upon seeing the blood splattered across his mother's walls. "What's...what's gonna happen to Takemichi? Are we just gonna let him be taken and put into the system?" She frets, already imagining the boy being transferred from family to family when the boy knows that his mother is still out there, alive and well.

    "...Well, I kinda have an idea."

    Everyone looks up at Katsumi, inspecting the woman as her expression falls into something a little more mellow. Silence falls over the adults as they wait in anticipation for the other shoe to drop.

    "I would...be grateful if one of you became Takemichi's guardian."

    And—dear god—did that shoe drop.

    Rika's already out of her seat the moment those words leave Katsumi's lips, more determined than ever before to make things right.

    "I'll do it! I'll become his guardian—"

    A hand rests on Rika's shoulder. Whipping her head around, she comes face to face with Shinichiro, his face set in the same determined expression.

    "You already have a child, Rika; Taking care of two kids will be hard on you. I'll be Takemichi's guardian—"

    Another voice pipes up, deep and rough, but just as determined as Rika and Shinichiro.

    "You both have kids to take care of!" Benkei nearly roars, his narrowed eyes switching from Rika to Shinichiro. "Shin, your grandfather isn't getting any younger. There's gonna be a time where you're gonna have to be the one to take over your gramps place in the family and adding Takemichi to the mix will only make things harder for you," then, after ranting for who knows how long, he turns to Rika and gives her the same treatment.

    "And you, Ms.Baji, are a single mother working a full time job with a menace for a kid. I've seen the type of shit Keisuke's gotten himself into and putting Takemichi on your plate will only entice the kid to show off, causing even more chaos to break out in your apartment. You think you can handle that?" Rika finds herself thinking it over, imagining the wreckage that would transpire if she were to take Takemichi in, and reluctantly shakes her head no.

    She can hardly handle Keisuke as it is. Even if Takemichi is low maintenance, it won't stop Keisuke from acting out more than he usually does.

    "I'll take care of Takemichi for you, Ms.Hanagaki! I'll protect him with my life—"

    Someone hits Benkei in the back of the head, effectively cutting him off. Wakasa, who had delivered the blow, walks past a barking Benkei and stands before Katsumi, his hands shoved in his pockets with a lollipop hanging from his mouth.

    "Benkei," Wakasa says without looking over his shoulder. "You're an idiot...like Shin and Ms.Baji."

    "Eh?!" The three adults exclaim at the same time, offended by Wakasa's casual insults aimed at each and every one of them.

    "I'm not an idiot, you bastard!!!" Benkei shouts, his face turning red in anger.

    "Unlike you, Waka-Chan, I graduated high school!" Shinichiro shoots back, an evident frown tugging on his lips.

    "I'm sorry, who went to high school, graduated with outstanding grades, got a diploma in college, and has a successful caree—"

    "Ok, I'm sick and tired of you guys arguing over something so stupid when the solution is simple as balls," Wakasa mumbles, refusing to look away from Katsumi. "Ms. Baji—you can't take in the boy because of how rowdy Keisuke is; your eye-bags are already terrible as it is, they don't need to get worse."

    Rika frowns and crosses her arms in front of her chest, secretly put off by the jab Wakasa delivered to her eye-bags. "Watch your damn mouth kid..." she bites back. Wakasa doesn't so much as flinch at Rika's words.

    Stupid delinquent...

    "And Shin, you've got a whole shop to run with two little siblings running around the damn place. Add Takemichi to the mix and you'll be growing gray hair in no time."

    "Hey! I wouldn't look half bad with gray hair—"

    Wakasa raises a finger, shutting Shinichiro up in a comical way. "I wasn't finished, you bitchless loser."

    "God damn...shin, you didn't deserve that..."

    "...thanks Ms.Baji..."

    "Benkei, you're tryna raise money for your mom's surgery. How do you expect to do that when you're spending all that saved money on a kid, eh? Kids are expensive, even the low maintenance ones. You gotta buy food for two, help pay child support, get them school supplies, send them off to school every morning, pay for school trips—"

    "Ok, ok, I get it, Waka. So what? Are you offering to take the kid?" Benkei asks, more than a little skeptical.

    Then, finally, Wakasa turns his head and smiles at the group of baffled adults.

    "Yeah. I am."

    Everyone goes fucking wild.

    "YOU? TAKING CARE OF A KID?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Shins shouts, tumbling out of his chair to walk towards the white haired adult. The angry man places his hand on Wakasa's shoulder, which Wakasa brushes off with a glare.

    "Probably, but I'm the best option. I'm financially stable, I have a job that pays well and doesn't occupy all my time, I'm not taking care of anyone else at the moment, and I'm decent with kids. Besides, me and Takemichi are cool with eachother—we both like the Beatles."

    "That's the thing, Wakasa!" Rika pipes in, feeling her frustration grow the longer she stares at the white haired bastard. "Do you even have any younger siblings? Do you know how to take care of a kid, a traumatized one at that?"

    And, with that stupid grin on his face, he says, "nope—I have zero experience with kids, but it can't be that hard," then in a stupid act of bravery, Wakasa turns to face Katsumi again who's been oddly quiet during the whole debate. "Besides, Ms.Hanagaki was thirteen when she had Takemichi and I doubt she had any experience taking care of kids prior to getting pregnant. I'll learn how to do it and I'll be damn good at it, I promise."

    Everyone's silent after the declaration. Rika waits with bated breath for Katsumi to say something, her eyes flickering from an overconfident Wakasa to an amused Katsumi.

    And, when she does speak, it's with a tight smile.

    "You're kinda a dick, Wakasa," she mumbles, her blue eyes flickering with mischief.

    "Yeah, I know, but I'll never be a dick to Takemichi. And...if I ever am a dick to Takemichi, then feel free to cut my dick off.

    Surprising everyone in the tense room, Katsumi laughs. It's bright and genuine, filled with humor and joy and Rika has never felt more relieved in her entire life.

    "Pfft, ok—I'll hold you to it, Wakasa."

    Wakasa tilts his head at Katsumi, his dangly earring swaying lightly with the movement. "So is that a yes?" He asks, his voice laced with barely contained hope.

    "Yeah, it's a yes. I'll put you, Wakasa, down as Takemichi's guardian."

    For the first time in Rika's life, the older woman watches Wakasa bow at the waist in a rare show of respect.

    "Thank you, Ms.Hanagaki. I promise to take care of Takemichi as if he were my own kid."

    "I know you will—and thank you, Wakasa. Now, go grab my son from those CPS bastards."

    "Yes ma'am!"

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    As the group of adults make their way out of the prison, Rika catches Wakasa staring at a piece of paper in hand, his lilac eyes wild with determination. Looking over the man's shoulder, Rika takes a peek at the piece of paper again despite already knowing it's content.

    Guardianship over Takemichi Hanagaki :

    Wakasa Imaushi

    Even though Rika is a little bummed about not being the one to be Takemichi's guardian, she's finds herself smiling at the white haired adult.

    He's gonna be