his foot down and addresses the people gathered around the coffee table (yes , including Takemichi, ESPECIALLY TAKEMICHI!). "SHE'S A VERY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN I WANNA BE WITH HER!" He exclaims loudly, nearly bursting everyone's ear drums.

    "But Mikey said—" nope, NOPE! Takemichi was not about to embarrass him further than he already has.

    "MIKEY'S WORDS ARE BULLSHIT!" Shinichiro screams.

    "Y-YOU'RE WORDS ARE BULLSHIT!" Takemichi screams back.

    A collection of gasps resonate from inside the garage.

    "Bro..." Wakasa mutters softly, eyeing the curly haired boy who was on the verge of bursting out in tears. "You really gonna make your crush's kid cry?" Shinichiro groans in exasperation at Wakasa's teasing tone.

    "Look, Takemichi—"

    "Mama thinks you're weird anyways!" Takemichi exclaims angrily, scooching away from Shinichiro's touch.

    "Eh?! W-Weird?!" He asks incredulously, trying to ignore the snickers rising from the black dragon members.

    Takemichi nods, his eyes narrowing at Shinichiro's form. "Yeah! She hates your hair."

    "W-What's wrong with my hair?!" Shinichiro asks with a perplexed expression. How could michi's mom be badmouthing his hair when it's the latest hairstyle?! Pompadours are sexy, right?

    "What's right with your hair?" Benkei pipes in with a smug look, earning a high five from Takemichi.

    "I don't wanna hear shit from you, Benkei!" Shinichiro counters with a glare as he touches up his own hair, suddenly feeling a little self conscious.

    "Aye, don't diss the cornrows! Do you know how many bitches I've pulled with these?!" Benkei exclaims while patting the top of his head.

    Wakasa scoffs at the two teens and runs a hand through his white fluffy hair with a condescending look in his lilac colored eyes.

    "Oh please, my luscious hair has every chick crawling into my bed. You virgins are just ants beneath my feet~" Wakasa mocks with the flip of his hair.

    Everyone groans at the white haired teens' arrogance and turns to Takemichi who was watching the ordeal happen with big attentive blue eyes. He straightens up at the sight of everyone staring at him, which was um...oddly adorable.

    "Hey Takemichi, pal, buddy, comrade, who—out of everyone here—has the best hair?" Benkei asks while leaning into Takemichi's personal space with a glint in his eyes. The curly haired boy doesn't seem to mind the older teen's intrusion and instead eyes each and every person sitting around the coffee table.

    His blue eyes light up. Huh. Guess he's already decided.

    "Take-Chan has the prettiest hair!"

    "M-Me?"

    "HIM?!" Shinichiro, Benkei, and Wakasa exclaim at the same time, snapping their heads to stare at Takeomi's face of astonishment.

    "Yep!" Michi confirms, jumping out of his seat and skipping over to Takeomi with a giddy smile. "It's long and pretty—like a girl's!" Takemichi observes.

    Did...did Takemichi just call Takeomi a—

    "Huh?! Did you just call me a girl you little shit?!"

    "No, I said your hair is pretty like a girl's. It's a compliment!" Takemichi exclaims loudly with his arms spread out. Takeomi, the big bad God of War, begins to sheepishly avoid eye contact with the curly haired boy, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks.

    Is Takeomi embarrassed?! How funny!

    Thinking about it now, Shinichiro couldn't help but agree with Takemichi. Takeomi's black long hair looks silky to the touch and shines under the luminescent lights hanging from the ceiling.

    And yeah, it's pretty like a girl's.

    Amidst the arguing, petty comments, and soft spoken words used to try and win over Takemichi's mind, a familiar bell rang throughout the shop.

    Everyone stops what they're doing to peer at the door, the source of the sound, and—

    Shinichiro feels his blood run cold.

    A young lady stumbles through the door wearing revealing clothing, her hands clutching tightly onto the big fluffy coat that's wrapped around her body. Her legs were trembling and one of her high heels was missing—revealing her bloody ankle. Her skin is littered in bruises and wounds that have blood gushing down her arms and thighs. Black curly strands of hair are in disarray and are matted with blood.

    Her face—her beautiful, gorgeous face—was beaten black and blue. Lips busted, cheeks puffy and swollen, and big blue eyes shining with exhaustion and fear.

    Takemichi is the first to break the silence with a deafening cry as he scrambles his way towards the wounded woman.

    "MAMA?!"

    He launches himself at the woman who barely catches the sobbing boy.

    With a busted lip, thousands of bruises and cuts, covered in blood, she smiles.

    "H-Hey sweetheart, didja miss me t-that much?"

    Katsumi Hanagaki.

    The injured young lady was Katsumi Hanagaki.

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