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𝟑𝟖 || 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ||

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    As of lately, Takemichi's thoughts have been spiraling into dangerous territory.

    Questions that he would've never dared asked his own mother have been spilling from his mouth with rapid succession. While his friends have a hard time responding to them, Wakasa answers them with ease, his tone even and fair as if he were talking about the weather.

    Takemichi doubts there's a single question that could send Wakasa into a nervous fit. The boy remembers clearly how his own mom would react when he'd ask her grown up questions. Hell, she nearly had a heart attack when he asked where babies came from.

    But Wakasa? He answers them without judgment.

    It's because of this reason alone that Takemichi decides to ask him the most dangerous thought that's been swimming around his head for months.

    Takemichi waits until it's just him and Wakasa in the apartment; Haru had gone off to the arcade with Mikey and Keisuke–Takemichi got out of going by feigning a cough, making the boy disgruntled by his apparent sickness. Takemichi immediately used that to advantage and shooed Haru away. Wakasa, of course, sees right through Takemichi's plan, but does nothing to stop it. He just sends Haru with a handful of change and bids him goodbye.

    That leaves just Takemichi and Wakasa.

    Alone.

    With a deep sigh, Takemichi exits his bedroom with soft footsteps, his eyes trained on Wakasa's unmoving frame on the couch. The boy attempts to sneak up on him, walking as quietly as he can, but–somehow–Wakasa still manages to hear him.

    "You tryna scare me, kid?" He asks, a cigarette sitting between his lips as he turns his head to stare at Takemichi. The curly haired boy hangs his head in defeat and drops the silent act.

   "No–I just got a question," Takemichi says, making his way to sit beside Wakasa on the couch.

    Wakasa regards him with a bored look before turning his attention back to the T.V. "Hit me with it, Michi."

   The small boy gulps nervously before letting his thoughts escape past his lips.

    "Can–Can I visit mom?"

    The cigarette falls out of Wakasa's mouth.

    Wakasa's body freezes up at Takemichi's question. The sight of the adult visibly caught off guard leaves Takemichi feeling nervous and unsettled.

    Did Takemichi cross some kind of line he wasn't supposed to cross?

    He didn't think talking about his mom would make Wakasa act so...weird.

    Besides, Takemichi has been wanting to see her for a long time– He just never managed to gather enough courage to ask Wakasa.

    Well, until now, but apparently that was a massive mistake.

    Takemichi watches as Wakasa's mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. His jaw moves robotically as if he's being controlled by an outside force. His fingers twitch at his sides. His shoulders are almost hunched up to his ears, and his eyes are wide–

    Very suddenly, Wakasa shoots up from the couch.

    "Huh? Wakasa, where are you going?" Takemichi asks, observing the way Wakasa scrambles around the apartment like a worried parent who forgot their keys.

    "Uhhh I'm just gonna be next door, Okay kid? If you need anything then give Ms.Baji a call."

    "Wait what? Why are you–"

    Wakasa leaves the apartment with a loud slam of the door, leaving Takemichi to wallow in silence on the couch.

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    "What the hell do I do?!"

    "You take him to see Katsumi, obviously!"

    Rika glares down at the young adult that's sulking in her kitchen, a newly lit cigarette caught between his teeth as he tries to smoke the stress away.

    She's not sure how her afternoon turned into a therapy session, but here she is–consoling a stupid guardian with a stupid smoking addiction.

    Wakasa had shown up at her apartment disheveled and out of breath and–very dramatically, might Rika add– ran to her small kitchen and demanded a lighter from her.

    The audacity young men have nowadays! Seriously!

    Wakasa lets out a puff of smoke, the suffocating smell instantly making the kitchen reek, but Rika does not move to snatch the cigarette away. She can easily dispel the smell with some room spray after the young adult leaves. Besides, Wakasa is obviously stressed out–the last thing Rika wants to do is stress him out even more by taking away his coping mechanism.

    "Is Katsumi even allowed to have visitors yet?" Wakasa inquires, his eyes wide and pleading as he stares at Rika for some kind of answer.

    Rika shrugs her shoulders with a sigh. "I have no idea, Wakasa, but we can call the prison she's being held in and ask." Her words cause wakasa's shoulders to relax some, but the young mother can still spot the traces of some underlying tension. "But I have a feeling that's not what you're worried about, so wanna tell me what's really going on inside that head of yours?"

    Wakasa winces as if caught doing an unspeakable crime. Before answering Rika, he takes another drag of his cigarette, the smoke nearly taking up the entire kitchen area. "I'm–I'm worried about Takemichi," he confesses, his words dragging slowly as if trying to spell everything out clearly for Rika. "He's been doing good lately–no nightmares, no sweating profusely in bed, no weird flinches. I just...What if he starts having nightmares again after seeing his mom again?"

    Rika doesn't shy away from showing how shocked she is by Wakasa's words. She always had a suspicion that Wakasa would be a good guardian to Takemichi and Haru, but this? His concern for Katsumi's kids exceeds that of a normal guardian. Seeing Wakasa completely devoting himself to Takemichi is more than a little heart warming and surprising since Wakasa has never had any experiences with kids before Takemichi and Haru.

    It sure didn't take Wakasa long to get attached...but hey, can Rika truly blame him? Takemichi is a sweetheart and Haru is a snarky little shit who never fails to make someone laugh.

    With a deep breath, Rika focuses her attention back on washing away Wakasa's worries. "Takemichi will never truly be free from his nightmares until he receives proper closure–you know that as much as I do," Rika says softly. Wakasa nods along, agreeing with Rika's words.

    "Yeah...but what if prison changed Katsumi? What if she's not the same person? What if–"

    Smack!!!

    Wakasa's head nearly collides against the kitchen counter upon receiving an angry slap from Rika.

   "Hey!!! The hell was that for–"

   Rika, who's barely able to contain her rage, glares down at Wakasa. "If you really think Katsumi would let something like prison change her, then you truly don't know her," the young mother spits out, watching with satisfaction as Wakasa hangs his head in obvious shame and guilt. "She's a strong woman with a big heart who will never stop loving her kids, no matter what. She killed in the name of love. Protected Takemichi in the name of love. Went to prison in the name of love. How can you make those assumptions about her when everything she's ever done has been for Takemichi? Takemichi and Haru?"

    Her words obviously strike a certain chord inside Wakasa. His indigo eyes softened and the tension that had riddled his body practically disappeared. "I'm sorry–you're right, Ms.Baji..." Wakasa apologizes softly, his voice barely loud enough to be considered a whisper. "So...What do we do?" His purple eyes lift up, immediately making eye contact with Rika's brown irises, a silent plea radiating from his face.

    Taking a step away from Wakasa, Rika makes her way to the phone attached to the wall.

    "We call the prison and try to set up a meeting with Katsumi."

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    "Eh?! You–You're gonna take Takemichi to the prison to see Katsumi?!" Shinichiro shouts in surprise, his face flushed red from the amount of drinks he's drank.

    Wakasa nods his head, his face slightly flushed from the alcohol. Benkei gasps in shock from beside Wakasa, his cheeks and ears red from all the shots he's taken. The large man pats Wakasa on the back, a wide smile gracing the gangster's lips. "That's awesome, Wakasa! It'll be good for Takemichi to see his mama again after so long!" Benkei boasts loudly, making strangers at the bar send the three guys weird looks.

    Shinichiro smiles along with Benkei, a feeling of warmth developing within his stomach as he thinks of Katsumi and Takemichi reuniting. Ever since Shinichiro's known them, The two Hanagakis have always been very dependent on each other. He knows very well what it's like to be separated from your loved one;it can either make or break people and–in Shinichiro's case–it broke him until he willingly got blood on his hands.

    (He doesn't regret a single thing.)

    The smile on Shinichiro's face slowly turns strained and forced as he thinks of what could've been if he had never met that old man, if he had never taken his life–

    "I just hope Katsumi's doing alright in prison..." Wakasa's sullen voice snaps Shinichiro out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. He finds his eyes staring at his empty bottle of alcohol–the urge to request another one is too much to fight off. Raising his hand, he pays for another bottle, and he goes back to listening to Wakasa drunkenly ramble about the prisoned mother.

    "I'm sure she's doing fine, Waka!" Benkei exclaims loudly, his arm wrapping around the small man's shoulders. The beast of a man pulls Wakasa into his chest, earning a half hearted protest from the white haired man. "Katsumi's a fierce woman who doesn't take shit from anyone! If anything, she's probably made every inmate there her bitch!"

    Shinichiro snorts into his drink at the brash comment while Wakasa pushes and resists Benkei's attempts at a soothing hug.

    "Benkei's got a point, Wakasa. Katsumi's one of the strongest people I know so we shouldn't worry too much," Shinichiro pipes in, his lips grazing the head of the bottle. He tips the bottle back and relishes in the bitter taste of the alcohol.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Wakasa raising an eyebrow at him. "I thought you'd be more worried about her, lover boy. Did'ja finally get over that stupid crush?" He sneers, causing Shinichiro to almost spit the alcohol out of his mouth. Benkei laughs at the dumbfounded expression on his face and Wakasa smirks, knowing that he hit a nerve.

    Damn these idiots...

    "Of course not!" Shinichiro exclaims, his voice high and girly that could bring a j-pop idol to shame. "This–This has nothing to do with my crush on her–I just know that Katsumi can handle herself in tough environments..." He explains, his ears still burning at the thought of the radiant woman who he's been unable to confess to.

    Perhaps he could tell her once she's out of prison?--

    "Ugh, you're gonna make me hurl..." Wakasa groans, his tongue sticking out in distaste.

    "Nah man, I think it's the alcohol!" Benkei corrects while shaking the white haired man.

    "Yeah no shit, you big oaf..."

    "Oi–I hope you don't use that language around the kids!"

    "Only around people who deserve it, like you–"

    "Guys!" Shinichiro interrupts before they inevitably break out into a fight. Shinichiro's night has been great so far and he'll be damned if it gets ruined because they get kicked out for fighting... "If yall are gonna fight then do it outside!"

    Wakasa and Benkei visibility relax at his words.

    "You're right, Shin."

    Shinichiro puffs his chest out with pride, because of course he's right! He's always–

    "Benkei, pay the bill and meet me outside. I'm boutta knock your damn teeth out."

    Shinichiro's jaw drops to the floor as he watches Benkei slap money onto the table, his face pulled back into an evil sneer.

    "Wait what?! But–"

    Wakasa and Benkei both get up from their chairs and make a beeline for the exit of the bar, leaving Shinichiro alone with his half empty bottle of alcohol.

    Looks like he's gonna need to pull out the first aid kit tonight...

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    It's actually happening: Takemichi is finally gonna get to see his mom.

    The journey to the prison was a long one–Takemichi and Wakasa took his motorcycle and it's definitely worth mentioning that Takemichi has never been on a motorcycle before. So, the entire way over, Takemichi was screaming his head off as Wakasa took sharp turns and drove at unimaginable speeds that would leave a roadrunner to shame.

    And what did Wakasa do?

    He laughed!

    That disgusting bastard laughed at Takemichi's misery and told him to man up–AND SPED UP!!!

    So, If Takemichi ended up squeezing Wakasa a little too hard the entire ride over, that's between Takemichi and the driver.

    "Our long journey has finally come to an end, Takemichi," Wakasa says while stopping the motorcycle. Takemichi doesn't take the time to admire his surroundings–instead he immediately jumps off the vehicle and begins hitting Wakasa with half-hearted punches.

    "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT!!! YOU"RE THE WORST DRIVER IN THE WORLD!!!" He screams, probably gaining some unwanted attention, but Takemichi doesn't care. He just keeps on punching Wakasa's side while the man laughs with a wicked smirk.
   

    "You mean 'the best,' but that's ok, I'll let it slide just this once!"

    "No! The worst! I said the worst!!!"

    Takemichi watches with barely concealed rage as Wakasa rolls his eyes as if Takemichi is the insane one!

    The audacity of this man!

    "I'm firing you as my guardian!"

  
    Wakasa openly scoffs at Takemichi's words. "Too late kid–you're gonna have to get ahold of those top secret fbi papers if you wanna fire me," he taunts, batting away Takemichi's small fists with ease.

    "You're lying!"

    "I'm not–now do ya wanna see you're mama or stay out here in the parking lot and fight all day? I don't care what we do–I'm fine with either option," He teases lightly and–finally– Takemichi takes the time to look at his surroundings. The parking lot there is full of vehicles ranging from two trucks to motorcycles (like wakasa's...). And low and behold, the prison sits behind an intimidating security gate.

    That's where his mother is! There so close–

    A hand on Takemichi's shoulder snaps him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he catches sight of Wakasa giving him a mischievous smirk.

    "So? Ready to see your favorite criminal?" The word Wakasa uses to describe Takemichi's mom leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, but rather than calling the man out on it, he nods his head enthusiastically.

   
    "Yeah! Let's go see her!"

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    The waiting room is just as quiet and intimidating as the building itself.

    No matter what Takemichi does, he finds himself tense and anxious as he watches people walk past a door and leave through the same door, either with a bored expression or with tears trailing down their faces. To help distract himself from the people entering and exiting that dangerous door, Takemichi begins surveying the room, hoping to find something of interest.

   
    Something light suddenly plops down in Takemichi's lap.

    Takemichi gives Wakasa an odd look, but the man just shrugs his shoulders. "Flip through that while we wait for them to call our names."

    Looking back down at his lap, he surveys the magazine glossy cover and headlines that take up most of the front page. With unbidden curiosity, Takemichi flips through it, eyeing the pretty people that are posing on each page.

    "Woah...who are these people?" Takemichi asks, his voice quiet but full of interest as he points to the beautiful people on every page wearing the pretty clothes.

    "They're models," Wakasa answers, his voice nonchalant and bored as he follows Takemichi's finger. "They're people who get paid for wearing clothes and showing up on T.V.s and magazines."

    Takemichi nods his head, his eyes dancing along the unique tops and bottoms the models are wearing. He stares at the cute dresses the female models wear and the loose shirts the male models wear and finds himself enchanted. Enamored.

    What if that was him on the pages? Wearing cute dresses and shirts and pants?

    A big smile breaks out across the boy's face as he shoves the opened magazine in Wakasa's face.

    "I–I wanna be a model!" Takemichi declares excitedly, his finger almost poking a hole through one of the pages. Wakasa's gaze switches from Takemichi to the magazine, his face carefully blank.

    "Hm...Yeah, I'm sure you'll become one, Takemichi," Wakasa says at last. "You've got a cute face and pretty eyes. "Say, If Katsumi allows it, we can try to look into you being a child model." Takemichi gasps, the new information practically making his head explode.

    "Kids can be models too?!"

    Wakasa smirks. "Yeah–but remember, we need your mom's permission before we can actually look into it, ok?"

    Takemichi repeatedly nods his head, wanting nothing more than to wear cute clothes and pose in magazines.

    "Yes sir–"

    "Katsumi Hanagaki is ready for you two," The worker says over the intercom, nearly making the Takemichi's soul jump out of his body.

    Wakasa laughs–of course he does...–at Takemichi's startled figure and stands up from his seat, his hand reaching out for Takemichi's.

    With a fake pout on his lips, Takemichi hesitantly grabs Wakasa's hands and squeezes it for reassurance.

    He's doing this.

    He's finally doing this.

    He's finally gonna see her and talk to her.

    This is it.

    It's finally happening.

    Takemichi lets Wakasa drag him through that evil door, secretly scared of the person he will become when he exits out that same door.

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    Seeing his mother again after being apart for so long is a completely surreal experience for Takemichi.

    For starters, her hair is short. Her wild black curls now rest along her shoulders rather than her mid waist. The sleepless bags under her eyes aren't as dark, and