#In the good timeline Baji is on Kazutora's side

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Kazutora did it once and would do it again

[whim513]

i think baji and kazutora’s dynamic/relationship is so so heart wrenchingly beautiful. Baji meeting kazu and immediately telling off his so called “friends” calling them out for fakes even though he was angry at kazutora, then after kazu got offended on their behalf and they fist fought, baji finding him admirable and asking to be friends, with no strings attached. Then going on to teach him everything he should’ve been taught, boundaries, and how to stand up for himself etc, and then slowly but surely healing his emotional wounds. With kazutora admiring baji the way one admires a hero, and then the downfall of them, with one of the last things baji said to kazutora before kazutora really lost connection with reality “no matter what hell awaits us i’ll be by your side” and he MEANT it, stabbing himself in the GUT for kazutora, ending his life 3 days before his 15th birthday for kazutora. Begging his friends not to be mad at kazutora, making SURE it wasn’t his fault. He loved kazutora with his whole soul, and kazutora didn’t realize what he had until it was gone. Then after baji’s death kazu dedicating his jail sentence (which he took because he knew he deserved it) to healing himself just as baji wanted. And then dedicating the rest of his life to righting his wrongs, saving his friends and honoring baji. They mean the world to each other, and in the good final timeline they are together again, and the love is so clear. Their entire relationship is based on love and devotion and forgiveness and they are SO beautiful. I love them so dearly

[seijorhi]

Tailspin

it's still the weekend somewhere, right??

Matsuno Chifuyu, Baji Keisuke & Hanemiya Kazutora x female reader

w.c 6.3k

tw: noncon, yandere themes, character death, manga spoilers, minor blood and gore, violence, nsfw, smut, murder

Chifuyu remembers things he shouldn’t.

Events that never happened, fights, brawls, the death of his friends… his own demise, drugged and tied to a chair, the muzzle of Kisaki’s pistol, burning from the prior shot, pressed to his forehead in the split seconds before he pulled the trigger.

He remembers other things too. Futures that clash and diverge, timelines that can’t have existed, they play out in his head, over and over again.

“Who’s that chick talking with Emma?”

Chifuyu doesn’t have to follow Baji’s line of sight to know who he’s talking about. Inevitably though, he does, catching you giggle at something the blonde says, sipping absentmindedly at the glass of champagne clasped in your fingers. 

His gaze slips to the dress you’re wearing, a satiny, floor-length floral and blush number, lingering on the slit at your mid thigh – the flash of skin he gets when you shift your weight.

His throat dries, and Chifuyu covers it with a cough, tearing his attention back to the table, his own drink in front of him, a bead of condensation slowly rolling down the glass. “A friend of Hina’s.” He shoots Baji a brief, pointed look, “And she’s got a boyfriend.”

Fuyu remembers him, too. 

Baji’s canines glint in a toothy smirk. “Yeah? He here tonight?”

As if on cue, a familiar, handsome brunet appears at your side, leaning down to drop a kiss to your cheek, his arm winding loosely around your side. There’s nothing all that possessive about the gesture – it’s unthinking. Instinctual. It has you smiling, mid-way through whatever it is you’re saying to the youngest Sano.

His chest tightens.

That same man, not nearly so good looking with his face all smashed in, leaking brains and blood onto the concrete–

“Shame,” Kazutora, sitting on his other side, murmurs, his dark, honey eyes still drinking you in as he downs another mouthful of whiskey. The corner of his lip quirks up, “She’s cute.”

‘There. Problem solved.’

Chifuyu returns the grin, leaning back in the chair with an exaggerated sigh, “Do not get into a fight on Takemitchy’s wedding day.” He side-eyes Baji, “Either of you.”

“You scared of him?”

“No, I don’t want to be kicked out of the reception because you two idiots started an all out brawl,” he laughs, and prays that neither one of them notice that his hands are all clammy, gripping too tightly at his drink. 

“What kinda wedding doesn’t have at least one good fight?” Baji scoffs, only half serious – enough of a concession that something loosens inside of him and his next breath comes easier.

Baji won’t start a fight, Kazutora won’t start a fight. It’ll be fine. 

You’re close with Hina and Emma and friends with Takemichi by extension. But gone are the days of Toman, where they’d spend the better part of their time screwing around together. Their lives aren’t all tangled up like they used to be. Another few hours, and this’ll be over. You’ll be gone, taking your stupid, handsome boyfriend with you and Chifuyu won’t have to worry about seeing you again. He can go back to pretending that you don’t exist.

Anything else is…dangerous. 

Moments later, they’re joined by Mitsuya and Hakkai, Yuzuha drifting to join the girls, and the conversation shifts to other, safer topics. Plates of canapes come by, and they eat and drink and talk stupid shit, most of it laughing and reminiscing over the dumb things they’d done with Takemichi as kids. 

For a while, it feels like he can breathe. Relax, and enjoy this, because it didn’t come easy. 

And you, you look happy enough with whatever his fucking name is. Chifuyu tells himself that that’s a good thing, too. 

The night wears on, slow, romantic tunes drifting from the speakers. In small groups and pairs, their friends have begun to leave, either heading home to crash or to find somewhere more lively to keep the party going. 

Amongst the few couples remaining, Hina and Takemichi cling to each other, swaying drunkenly on the dance floor, oblivious to anyone or anything but the other. It’s cute, in a disgustingly mushy sort of way. For his part, Chifuyu hangs by the open bar, nursing a glass of whiskey and doing his utmost to focus on anything but the space you occupy, dancing with your boyfriend. 

“You’re staring again.”

“Fuck off,” the words come out more tired than anything else. 

Kazutora drops into the empty seat beside him. “From the moment she walked in tonight, you’ve been all… weird about her. Why?”

‘Please, you’ve gotta help me get out of here, he– he’ll be back any minute.’

Chifuyu shrugs, “‘s nothing, really she just… reminds me of someone, that’s all.”

Kazutora hums, looking entirely unconvinced. For whatever reason, and much to his relief, he decides not to push it.

Bruised, split knuckles grip your chin tight, ‘You’re gonna be good for us tonight,’ Baji smirks. ‘‘Cause I’m really, really not in the fuckin’ mood, princess.’

“C’mon,” Chifuyu says, knocking back the last of his whiskey and slamming the glass down. “We should head out. Some of us have to open the store tomorrow.”

Kazutora snorts, but follows suit without complaint. The sooner they’re gone – the sooner you’re out of sight, out of mind – the better.

—

When Chifuyu shoots awake with a gasp, pulse racing, heavy beads of sweat rolling from the nape of his neck down his spine, it’s to the sound of his phone vibrating insistently.

Kazutora, he realises when bleary eyes adjust to the bright screen, and with a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, he answers the call.

Wide, panicked eyes meeting his, hands grasping tightly at his arms. Two bodies lie on the floor; only one draws breath.

‘It was an accident, I swear to fucking god– you have to believe me. You believe me, right, Fuyu?’

The sheer relief that hits when the first words out of Kazutora’s mouth aren’t some combination of ‘I fucked up’, but ‘It’s Baji’ nearly knocks the breath right out of him.

Least ‘til they’re followed up with ‘accident’ and ‘ER’. 

He’s never thrown clothes on quicker.

The stuff he remembers from before – the timelines that don’t exist – they’re not always clear. Sometimes it’s difficult for him to place certain events in the right order, in the right timeline. He doesn’t always remember the knock on effect.

Baji’s death isn’t like that. 

You don’t forget that kind of pain. And yeah, maybe he got Kazutora out of it in the end, but fuck it almost destroyed him.

They saved him, though. They went back and they fixed it. He survived and Emma survived and Mikey and Draken and everyone – this is the future they’d fought tooth and nail for. This is their happily ever fucking after, and he can’t–

He won’t consider the possibility of another future without either one of his best friends in it.

Bursting through the doors of the ER, he feels all jumbled, heart beating out a frantic rhythm, breath coming ragged as though he’d physically run the five miles to get here. He scours the room… and spots Baji half propped up in a bed on the other side of the ward.

Awake, looking like he’d been dragged halfway to hell but–

Okay. He’s okay. 

The tension – part of it at least – lifts itself from his shoulders with a shaky exhale. 

Kazutora, sprawled across a chair beside him, notices him before Baji does. “You look like shit,” he comments, a wry grin tugging at his lips.

It earns him a smack to the back of his head as Chifuyu slides on past, grabbing another nearby seat and plonking himself down. 

“What the fuck happened to you?” He tries to laugh it off, really he does. There’s a few bandages, what looks like a broken arm, some cuts and grazes on his face. They’ve all landed themselves in the ER in worse states than this and come out the other side perfectly fine, but he can’t–

He can’t stop seeing it play out in his head, over and over. 

Baji dying. The sense of utter helplessness that swallowed him whole, clutching his dead body in his arms. The sound of his best friend’s last breath, that fucking smile–

‘I’d kill for some peyoung yakisoba right now.’

Baji scoffs, “Some asshole clipped me is what fucking happened.” Side-eyeing him, he adds, “Relax, dude, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

He really needs to lighten the fuck up. 

“We’re waiting on–”

“–go already?! You got me here, I don’t need your help anymore, go home.”

Chifuyu’s eyes – Baji’s and Kazutora’s too– shift instinctively to the source of the outburst. Wheeled in by a nurse, your boyfriend trailing behind you like a kicked puppy, Chifuyu’s heart leaps into his throat at the sight of you, tear stricken, pain etched over every inch of the scowl you wear, clutching an ice pack to your ankle. 

‘Pick.’

Fearful eyes flicker between them, silently pleading for a reprieve. ‘But I-I haven’t done anything.’

He hums contentedly, and takes your hand in his, fingers entwining to bring it to his cheek, nuzzling against the soft skin. “Maybe not… but you were thinking about it. So pick one, or I’ll break them both.”

Something dark and unpleasant roils in his stomach.

“Babe, can we–” your boyfriend glances around the room, visibly cringing at unwanted attention the two of you have drawn. He lowers his voice to a hushed whisper, “Can we talk about this later? I get that you’re upset–”

Beside him, Kazutora’s head tilts, “Isn’t that…?” 

“…Yeah.”

“Considering it’s your fault that I’m here in the first place, yeah, you could say I’m pretty pissed!” you snap.

The nurse, doing her absolute best to ignore the squabbling and maintain some air of professionalism, gives you a sympathetic look as she parks the wheelchair next to a bed opposite the three of them and helps you up. “The doctor won’t be long,” she says, patting your shoulder before she turns to depart.

… Not without a sharp, pointed glare towards your harried looking boyfriend. 

That’s all background noise. Chifuyu’s too busy turning those words over and over in his head, waiting for them to click.

Your fault.

Your. Fault. 

And his eyes shift back to the ice pack you’re holding to a swollen ankle, the sheen of tears on your face, and a sudden, violent urge claws its way to the surface. It takes every ounce of self control he possesses not to launch himself across the room and start beating the shit out of him right there and then.

If he touched you, if that asshole fucking hurt you–

“That’s not fair. I said I was sorry–”

“Oh, you’re sorry?! Go to hell, Ginji! Actually, no. On second thought why don’t you go back to Rin’s instead, sounded like her bed was real cold without you there to fucking warm it!” 

While your voice quavers, the words are no less acidic. No less furious. You might be on the verge of shattering, but if looks could kill, your piece of shit boyfriend would be dead twice over.

Ginji stands there, mouth opening and closing soundlessly, floundering for words. 

He goes to touch your shoulder only to second guess himself, his hand hovering awkwardly in the air for a moment, then dropping back down to his side – a good decision on his part, considering Chifuyu’s half tempted to march his way over there and break it. 

Cheating? That piece of shit was cheating on you? 

Huh. Maybe the universe does have a sense of humour after all, twisted as it is.

Your boyfriend at least has the decency to look ashamed of himself, cheeks flushing pink. Rather than meeting your accusatory stare, his eyes are downcast, the speckled linoleum suddenly infinitely more interesting to the man. 

“It was a mistake,” he admits, choking the words out like they’re physically stuck in his throat. “I shouldn’t– I never meant to hurt you. I love you.”

Bitterly, you scoff, and Ginji flinches like you’ve struck him.

Good, Chifuyu thinks. Someone should hit the asshole. 

He, Baji and Kazutora aren’t the only ones drawn in by your argument. The doctors and nurses that breeze past, slowing their pace ever so slightly to catch a few seconds more, the patients in the beds around you, subtly leaning in, hushing their friends and families to better hear the drama unfold.

If you were less worked up, all the attention you two have drawn would probably bother you a hell of a lot more than it currently is. 

You weren’t the kind of girl who got off on causing a scene. The nosiness, complete strangers watching something deeply personal between you two unravel like it’s free entertainment, he almost feels bad for you. 

Then again, he’s seen you in far more compromising, vulnerable positions than this, and enjoyed it, too. 

Any guilt he might’ve felt – should have felt – was buried a long, long time ago. He’s not all that interested in digging it back up, and even if he wanted to, Chifuyu’s not so sure he could tear himself away.

“Just… go away,” you mutter. “Haven’t you done enough tonight?”

From your vantage point, staring misty eyed at your lap, you miss the way your boyfriend’s expression hardens. Chifuyu doesn’t.

He sighs, long suffering, “You’re being stubborn for the sake of it, you can’t get home on your own. You can barely walk, babe.”

“I’ll manage.” A curt dismissal.

“We can drive her home.”

Chifuyu’s soul ascends from his body, eyes incredulous – horrified – as he turns his head to find Kazutora staring straight at Ginji, eyes dark and glittering, a smile on his lips. 

It isn’t a pleasant expression. 

Your boyfriend rounds on the three of them, straightening his shoulders, shifting to hide you from view as though they’re some sort of a threat and he could in any way actually shield you from it.

(The first part is true, his subconscious reminds him. The second undoubtedly isn’t.)

“I’m sorry, who are you?” he sneers, shooting them a disdainful glower. “Mind your own damn business, we’re having a private conversation here.”

… A super private conversation with half the ER listening in. If he weren’t so on edge, Chifuyu might be tempted to laugh at that. As it is, his expression only tightens. 

Baji, bruised, bloodied and bandaged, matches Kazutora’s grin from his position propped up on the bed. The idiot barely escaped becoming roadkill, yet still manages to look like he wants nothing more than to start beating the shit out of your boyfriend right in the middle of the ER.

This is dangerous territory. His fingers twitch and flex, glancing uneasily between you, your boyfriend and his friends, trying to think of the right words to say to diffuse this situation, to get their attention off of you, you away from that asshole, and–

‘I hate you.’

Chifuyu presses a kiss to your naked shoulder, drawing himself closer to steal your warmth. ‘I know.’

“Oh my god, would you stop, Gin!” you snap, taking all four of them by surprise. Quieter, you add, “They’re Michi’s friends, don’t be rude.” 

That, it seems, is the breaking point for your boyfriend. 

He spares you an incredulous look, and shakes his head with a scoff, “Yeah, whatever. Call me when you wanna act like an adult about this and we can talk.” 

“Run along now,” Kazutora taunts, not quite quick enough to dodge the sharp elbow Chifuyu jabs into his ribs.

With one final huff, Ginji does exactly that. 

The moment his figure disappears through the sliding double doors, you let out a shuddering gasp, crumbling in on yourself as a fresh wave of tears bursts forth. On sheer instinct alone, Chifuyu’s halfway out of his seat before his brain’s registered he’s moved at all – only to stop dead in his tracks when one of the ER docs materialises at your bedside, chart in hand, and introduces herself. 

He swallows, forcing himself back into the uncomfortable plastic chair. 

“Dude, you good?�� Again, if he were in a better mood perhaps he’d appreciate the humour in Baji, laid up in a hospital bed, being the one to ask if he’s okay.

“Yeah.”

Nobody says much after that. 

He’s distinctly aware of the curious, borderline concerned glances from his friends – not to mention the ones they share with each other – he’s hard pressed to care when his attention keeps getting pulled over to where you’re getting your exam, every wince and muffled cry of pain like knives under his skin, all too familiar.

You clutch at him with hands like claws, desperate, wailing, crying, a gross mix of snot and tears dribbling down your face as fingers poke and prod at your injured leg.

‘Stop being a dick, we need to set it or it won’t heal properly.’

Another twist of his wrist and you choke out another scream, burying your face in his chest to sob. 

His hand now rubbing soothingly at your calf, Kazutora’s expression turns thoughtful, ‘…Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, would it?’ His eyes meet Chifuyu’s, ‘If it didn’t heal right, I mean.’ 

When they bring you back from getting an x-ray, rather than the bed you were in before, the one opposite them, the nurse wheels you over to the recently vacated bay next to Baji’s.

“So you can wait with your friends,” she says kindly, helping you up onto the bed. 

He waits for you to tell her that they’re not really your friends, that this has all been blown way out of proportion and you barely know them – which is the truth. 

You don’t, simply thanking her with a polite nod, and once she’s out of earshot you collapse back against the pillows with a sigh, “At least the pain meds are kicking in.” You turn your head to look at them, “Thanks, by the way. You don’t actually have to drive me home. You guys did enough getting him out of here.”

Baji opens his mouth–

“Did he do that to you?” Chifuyu cuts in before either of the others have a chance to reply, jerking his chin towards your swollen, most likely broken ankle. “You said…”

Your fault. 

There’s zero moral high ground for him to stand on, he’s perfectly aware of that, but it’s been bugging him ever since those words slipped out. If Chifuyu finds out that asshole actually laid a fucking hand on you, he’s gonna lose it.

If anyone – anyone – hurts you this time around, promises or not, he’s going to return the favour without hesitation; eye for an eye, tooth for fucking tooth.

Nobody touches you. 

For a second you frown at him, confused, and then something must click because you laugh, sad and more than a little sheepish, and shake your head. “No, no, not like that. We were fighting about the whole… sleeping with his ex thing.” His fingers curl into a fist. “I went to storm out of the apartment, he grabbed my wrist to stop me and I tripped. Pretty dumb, right?”

He doesn’t laugh with you. None of them do.

—

Chifuyu gets a text from Takemitchy the next day. Between all the emojis and the exclamation marks, it’s a thank you note. You’re practically a sister to Hina, and now that they’re married, a sister to him, too.

All he did was drive you home, and Takemichi’s acting like he stepped in front of a bullet.

Yeah, Chifuyu’s a real knight in shining armour. 

… A masochist, maybe.

Ignoring the fresh wave of self disgust that settles inside of him, he sends a thumbs up in response. 

What else is he supposed to say; yeah, no worries, it’s the least I could do after making her life a misery the past few goes ‘round?

They’ve all done bad things, he won’t deny that. Killed people. Hurt people. Kazutora stabbed Baji, Draken ended up on death row for murdering Kisaki, in multiple timelines Mikey was either directly or indirectly responsible for all of their deaths. Even Takemitchy lost his way once or twice before he caught up with himself.

And it’s not that he holds that against any of them. Takemitchy certainly doesn’t. Things were fucked up for a long time, and each of them became fucked up people trying to deal with that. 

But in the same way he can’t be around Kisaki without wanting to throttle him, Chifuyu can’t look at you without seeing every awful, horrible act they put you through play out in his head like a movie that won’t turn off. Rewriting the timeline doesn’t erase that. It doesn’t absolve him of the guilt.

So he stays away. Keeps Baji and Kazutora away. 

Or tries to, at least.

A few hours after Takemichi’s text, his phone lights up again, vibrating to announce a new message, this time from a number he doesn’t recognise. 

Hey, I got your number from Michi! Hope you don’t mind–

There’s more, he doesn’t read the rest. Deletes the message, switches his phone to do not disturb and shoves it back into the pocket of his jeans, forcing himself to focus on the inventory lists in front of him and not the pounding in his chest. 

Chifuyu’s trying, he’s trying so fucking hard. You’re not making this any easier.

—

A week and a half later, the weather outside is miserable and the store is quiet when, a little before closing, the bell above the door rings, announcing a customer. 

Baji with his busted arm sits at the counter, Kazutora busy with restocking the shelves, so Chifuyu, out the back working through the month's expenses and wondering (not for the first time) why he hasn’t yet hired an accountant to do this for him, ignores it.

At least until he hears an all too familiar sound trickling through the door, one that sends a pang straight to his heart. 

Your laugh.

Unmistakable, unforgettable, Chifuyu’s mind goes blank and like a dog with a scent he’s out, weaving his way to the front of the store, chasing after it. He finds you, moon boot and all, leaning up against the front counter, laughing at something Baji’s said.

The image of you, relaxed, perfectly at ease, happier than he’s seen you for a while – the wedding included – does a funny thing to his insides. And then you turn to face him, your countenance brightens and for a good few seconds he forgets how to breathe.

You’ve always been beautiful to him – smiling, though, it’s a gut punch. Palms sweaty, heart racing, he’s struck dumb. 

“Chifuyu!”

‘Fuyu–Fuyu, please–N-ugh!’

‘Don’t know what you’re begging him for, princess. Chifuyu’s not gonna help you.’ 

Baji’s hand curls through your hair, dragging your torso up to meet his bare, sweat slicked chest. Dark eyes glint, his tongue drags along your neck, teeth nipping at your earlobe, causing you to whimper. 

He laughs meanly, ‘He’s enjoying this too much.’

“You’re here,” he replies lamely, glancing to his left to find Kazutora watching him with thinly veiled amusement. 

You take it in stride, “Well yeah, you never replied to my message, so I had to ask Hina for the address. You’re a difficult guy to get a hold of.” 

The teasing lilt in your voice tells him you’re only joking, his cheeks flush anyway.

“How’s the ankle?” he asks instead.

“Better! Still a pain, but you know, it could’ve been worse. I can walk… kinda. More of a hobble, I guess.”

“Least you can take yours off when you’re showering,” Baji grumbles from behind the counter.

You laugh, “True.” To Chifuyu, you add, “I wanted some stuff for Bean, and since you never replied to my message, I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and swing by.”

“Bean?” Kazutora asks, completely abandoning all pretence of working to draw closer and join in on the conversation.

“My kitten. She’s a little terror.” 

… You used to play with the strays Kazutora brought home, he remembers that. Talked to them in that soft baby voice, coaxing them closer for pats and treats. Let them curl up and fall asleep on your lap when you were reading or watching tv. 

It was almost definitely an act of petty defiance, showering the felines in love and affection all the while ignoring them as much as they’d allow. Hard to take it to heart, though, when watching you fawn over them was pretty much the cutest thing he’d ever seen. 

“Anyway, there’s this new noodle bar that’s opened up down the road. You guys are almost finished up, right? Let me have a look around for a few things for Bean, you can close up and we’ll go. My treat.”

He arches an eyebrow, “Because we drove you home?”

“Because you didn’t have to drive me home, or stand up to Ginji, or keep me company in the first place,” you counter, still with that same open earnestness, that soft expression that has his insides all tied up in knots. “And because I want to. Are you really going to turn down a free meal?”

The universe is fucking with him. Punishing him, maybe. 

And it’d be so, so easy to blame you for it – you’re like one of those sad, beaten down dogs that keeps returning to its master no matter how many times they’re kicked – except there’s no version of this where he’s the good guy, and you don’t remember anything different. 

Chifuyu’s expression shifts into a paper thin smile. “Take your time looking around,” he tells you. “But dinner… It was just a lift, no need to make a big deal out of it. We’re good.” 

“Oh, yeah– no, of course! I um, I won’t keep you guys long.”

It’s Kazutora, watching the exchange with that same considering look he’d worn back at the wedding, who cuts in, saving Chifuyu from responding. “No rush, take as long as you want.”

Your eyes flicker back to Chifuyu, hesitant now, unsure. Still, you paper over that disappointment, your expression not quite as bright as the one before, but genuine all the same. “Thanks, I mean it. And… if you change your mind about dinner,” you shrug easily, “the offer’s open.”

He only nods, turning sharply on his heel to leave before you can get another word in. 

Before you can convince him that dinner is in any way a good idea. 

You shouldn’t make him feel like this – not guilty. No, he’d take the guilt in heaping droves, he certainly deserves it. You make him feel all off kilter, like his heart’s beating out of sync, and his whole body’s wired wrong. 

You stick in his head, refusing to budge. To give him a minute’s fucking peace.

And as he makes it back into the sanctuary of his office, firmly shutting the door behind him and falling back against it with an unsteady breath out, Chifuyu wonders if this isn’t your own brand personal of torture. 

If it is, it’s sure as hell working. 

—

Fingers wind into your hair, Chifuyu shudders, groaning appreciatively at the sight before him. 

Your eyes are big, swimming with desperate, pretty tears as you choke and gag around the cock stuffing your face. For him it’s heaven – the plush, wet heat of your mouth, the tiny spasms of your throat closing around him when he pushes in deeper.

He curses, moaning louder, dragging your face to his pelvis and holding it there, rutting his hips faster, fucking your face as you beat and claw at his thighs, unable to breathe. That blistering thread of pleasure deep in his core pulls taut–

Chifuyu’s eyes snap open, heart pounding, and he gasps for air. In his boxers, his cock twitches insistently, half hard and aching, the phantom sensation of your lips wrapped around it too fresh to ignore. 

If he had a shred of decency left in him, he’d go and take a cold shower. If he were more awake, if it weren’t the dead of the night, if his bed wasn’t so comfortable, and the memory of you swallowing him down any easier to banish.

His hand snakes down into his boxers, and as he bites down on his bottom lip to muffle any noise and takes himself in hand, rubbing the now throbbing length, he tries not to think about how disgusted you’d be if you could see him now. 

—

You’re at Takemichi’s birthday, chatting animatedly with Pah’s girlfriend when he arrives. You brighten when you see him though, and wave. Half heartedly, he returns it, then spends the rest of the night doing his utmost to avoid you.

Which in no way deters the birthday boy himself from plopping down beside him, beer in hand, and awkwardly attempting to set you two up. 

“She’s great! And y’know, she’s pretty and super nice. And um, she broke up with that Ginji guy so she’s single right now as well.”

He bites back an bitter laugh, and risks another glance your way. 

A few days later, Chifuyu runs into said ex on his way home from a late night beer and snack run. The brunet doesn’t notice him, minding his own business up ahead on the sidewalk. 

There’s nothing in particular that sets him off. He’s not even sure it was a conscious decision. One minute they’re walking, the next they’re down an alleyway out of sight and he’s on top of Ginji, beating the absolute shit out of him.

And he can’t stop.

His fists are slick with blood, knuckles split, and the wet thwacking of flesh hitting flesh drowns out the sound of his own haggard breath, the yelps that turn into grunts and groans, and then garbled nothings.

In his head, the images shift, coming one after the other, relentless–

You, flinching away from his touch, trying in vain to hide your tears.

Baji, panting, balls deep inside of you, forcing your lips together in a violent kiss. 

The sick, soft delight playing in Kazutora’s eyes, his fingers tracing idle patterns into your shoulder as you sleep. ‘She’s perfect, isn’t she?’

He can’t stop.

He can’t stop.

—

“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Chifuyu blinks, jerking back to the present in time to realise that the shelf he’s been re-stocking is already full, and he’s been standing there mindlessly trying to shove extra products into a space they physically won’t fit for god only knows how long. 

He shakes his head, clearing his throat and glances at Baji. “Nothing, it’s– I’m fine.”

From the disbelieving look on his face, the single raised eyebrow, he can tell Baji doesn’t buy it. Chifuyu can’t blame him, really – it’s been days of this, operating on some weird, malfunctioning autopilot, pretending that everything’s a-okay when he hasn’t slept and barely eats. He can’t close his eyes without seeing you.

He’d honestly be more surprised if his friends hadn’t noticed anything amiss. 

“I’m good,” he repeats, forcing a tight smile. 

Is this what it feels like to lose his mind?

—

When Takemichi calls him late one night a few days later, he’s expecting some sort of well intentioned – albeit clumsy and heavy-handed – attempt at an intervention.

‘We’re worried, you’ve been acting kinda… strange lately. You know you can always talk to us, right?’

He’d have to be blind to miss the shared looks between Baji and Kazutora at work. More than once he’d walked in on the two of them whispering between themselves, only for them to separate and act completely oblivious the second they noticed him. 

Chifuyu wouldn’t put past either one of them to confide in Michi about it, either. 

As it turns out, he’s wrong.

The day of your funeral, it rains all day. Not a light drizzle either; black skies and rumbling thunder, a deluge that won’t let up. It feels fitting.

Chifuyu puts on a suit, drives with Baji and Kazutora to join Takemichi and their friends at the shrine. Neither one of them ask why he’s adamant on going to the funeral of a girl he barely knew.

They don’t say much of anything at all. 

An older couple is standing by the doors when they arrive, greeting the mourners as they enter. It takes him a second to realise that they must be your parents. Your mother cries quietly, your father shaking hands and thanking them in a stiff, thick voice for coming.

Once inside, he spots Hinata in her kimono first, crying her eyes out on a misty eyed Michi’s shoulder, Emma standing to her left, not faring much better. But the others are there too, dotted throughout the room; Draken, Mikey, Pah and Pe-yan. Mitsuya with his sisters, Hakkai with his. 

Whether they’re here for you or in support of Hinata and Takemichi, he doesn’t know, nor can he muster the energy to care. 

Chifuyu says little the entire time, jaw set, bloodshot eyes rimmed in red, and the only thing he can focus on throughout the service – the only thing keeping him together – is the deathly tight grip Baji keeps on his shoulder and Kazutora’s hand locked around his. 

A mugging gone wrong. What kind of sick fucking joke is that?

They put you through hell, you suffered and suffered and suffered, and he fixed it. He did everything right this time; kept his distance and nearly drove himself insane, and for what?

You were supposed to have some kind of a future.

If you weren’t with them, then you were supposed to be happy. 

Instead you’re gone, and Chifuyu can’t feel anything. 

There’s just… nothing. A gaping, jagged hole in his chest, and he realises that he was wrong earlier. Losing his mind wasn’t forcing himself to give you up and stay away, losing his mind is staring at the coffin holding your dead body.

—

Takemitchy, tipsy and loose-lipped, told him once about how he’d gained the time leaping ability. How Shin had, before him. 

—

A fist pounds at the door, “Oi, hurry up. We’re gonna be late!”

Chifuyu lets out a breathless laugh. 

His shirt’s rumpled, tie askew, the waistcoat and jacket laid out on the bed in preparation for today carelessly shoved aside, and as for his pants – they’re unbuckled and hanging from his thighs.

His hips snap forward, drawing a sharp squeal from you, which he’s quick to soothe with another feverish kiss. “Shh, almost–” he pants, licking his lips, “almost there.” 

And true to his word, he picks up the pace, moaning at the way your tight little pussy clenches reflexively around him, spasming under the relentless barrage of his cock stuffing you full, molding your insides to the shape of him. 

You’re probably still sore and oversensitive from earlier. They hadn’t been gentle, Tora spreading your legs and shoving his face between your thighs before you’d even woken up, Baji quick to join in on the fun. You’d whined and sniffled and pleaded, tearfully begging for them to stop, but you always look so cute like that, shuddering and wrecked, cumming for them in a fucked out stupor over and over.

He knows they should treat you better, take a little more care with you – at least with stuff like this. Right now, though, it’s impossible to think of anything but chasing his own pleasure, fucking you deeper, faster, the sheer bliss of you milking every last drop of cum from his cock while he groans out your name.

He’ll make it up to you later. 

Your nails rake down his back, harsh enough to draw blood if not for his shirt, and he hisses in pleasure. Your tears, the breathless pleas, even the weak struggles beneath him, none of it breaks through that haze, he’s wholly lost to the pleasure of your cunt. His grip on you tightens, drawing you closer, your naked, heaving tits pressed against his chest. He can feel your racing heart pounding. 

His head tips back, mouth falling open. The rhythm of the onslaught gives way to urgency, hips faltering, punching himself deeper in short, rabbitting paps.

You hide your face in his shoulder, clinging to him, choking back a sob–

“Fuyu! For fuck’s sake, if you don’t hurry the hell up and finish, we’re going to miss the damn wedding!” Baji snarls through the door.

You tense, toes curling, and squeeze so tightly around his cock that Chifuyu loses control entirely, pleasure exploding like stars behind his eyes, ripping through him violently as spurts of hot, thick cum splatter your insides. His hips rock into you, and he murmurs your name in a contented sigh, riding out his orgasm with a few last, lazy thrusts.

When the wave eventually recedes and he catches his breath, he carefully eases his cock free, lowers you down to the bed – paying no mind to the cum that dribbles from your abused cunt onto the bedsheets below – and presses an affectionate kiss to your forehead. 

“You’re so good to us,” he mumbles, collapsing down beside you. 

You stiffen at the words. Fat, glistening tears well in your eyes and spill silently down your lashes. Gently, he thumbs them away, but you don’t say anything.

You rarely do these days, if you can help it. 

If he weren’t in such a rush, he’d take the time to clean you up, get you some water. Instead, he has to make do with a quick kiss, forcing himself to get up and fix his appearance, tucking his spent cock back into his pants.

Takemitchy’ll almost definitely have a meltdown if they’re not at the venue soon. 

Racing around the room, gathering up his clothes and throwing them on, he keeps a half an eye on you. You don’t move beyond a soft, shaking tremble, your quiet sobs tugging at his heartstrings. 

This is better than the alternative, though.

You might not see that yet, but that doesn’t make it any less true. And they love you. He loves you. If it keeps you alive and safe and with them, he won’t apologise for it.

The simple truth of it is he, Baji and Kazutora – they can’t survive without you, and you can’t survive without them. 

[gratuiciel]

@ttkinnie here's the one-shot that's ready for beta-ing!

and here are the warnings: major character death, cheating, suicide, mentions of sexual assault, alcohol use, smut, unhealthy relationships, manipulation, kisaki is his own warning

relationship: kisaki/takemichi

word count: about 5k words

summary: set a few years after the epilogue, during the final timeline. kisaki invites his two childhood friends for dinner. takemichi shows up alone.

i put it under a read more let's gooo

It had been a while since he'd cooked dinner for himself or someone else. In retrospect, Kisaki should have expected it would turn out poorly. Fortunately for his guests, he did fully expect that, although the smoke alarm ringing out in the middle of an important phone call was a bit of a surprise. In any case, he made the right choice having a spare dinner delivered to his apartment for tonight. He sets it on the table as if that had been his plan all along, windows wide open to get rid of the vague burning smell still lingering in the air.

The evening is warm but not suffocating, gentle winds suited for the end of spring. Kisaki takes some time to appreciate this, as he will likely forget to do so again for the next couple of months. Somehow, he has to be reminded that life can be good and beautiful despite it all and somehow, he can only remember that lesson when he thinks about his two best friends.

The doorbell rings. He closes the windows, fixes his shirt's collar and walks to the door. On the other side, a man in semi-formal dress. Alone.

"Hinata isn't with you?"

"Sorry, she won't be able to make it tonight. Too much work at the hospital these days," Takemichi scratches the back of his neck apologetically.

"That's too bad," Kisaki replies, acting like those words didn't cause a spike of adrenaline. "I hope she isn't overworking herself."

"Aren't you doing that as well?" His friend playfully scolds him, while setting his contribution to the dinner on top of the table.

Takemichi brought the alcohol, as always. Cheap beer, even though Kisaki has a whole cabinet of the world's best liquors on display, free for him to choose. But his friend simply never drinks expensive alcohol.

Kisaki pretends he doesn't know why. He drinks that cheap beer with him, straight from the can. It warms him just as well as any other spirit, and even the taste of it is something he's grown to appreciate. It is Takemichi's favorite brand, after all.

They catch up on everything, anecdotes from their respective works, movies they've seen recently, books they just started, and of course discussions about their mutual friends.

"Did you know Chifuyu, Baji and Kazutora are officially a throuple, now?"

"Is that what they call it?" Kisaki dubitatively pushes up his glasses, aware of the fact he sounds like a grumpy old man right now. He passes the blame on to his line of business, definitely less up-to-date with cultural shifts than the movie industry. "Most of my collaborators at work can barely fathom the concept of same-sex couples. Hearing that word might give them a heart attack."

"Wait, they don't know about Koko?"

"Inupi always dresses up and wears high heels during parties. Since he never says a word, I suppose they believe he's a very quiet and meek woman."

"Pfft!" Takemichi tries, and fails, to hold back a laugh. Tipsiness gives his face and ears a pinkish glow. It has been months since they last saw each other. Kisaki sometimes wonders if the feelings will fade away, eventually. If one day he'll look at this man laugh and his heart will keep quiet. It would seem today is not that day.

❦

Takemichi sits back against the couch with a sigh and cracks open another beer. Kisaki offers him a cigar, lights up the tip while his friend holds it between his fingers, in front of his lips.

In his mind, the same scene plays out with their roles reversed. Kisaki is the one smoking an expensive cigar. Takemichi holds the lighter. He is the one whose hands shake a little as he brings the flame close to his face.

The visions started early. Dream-like, fleeting thoughts, just on the edge of consciousness. It took him a little while to tame them, make them reveal their secrets.

Sometime in his teens, Kisaki reads a book about the War of Troy, a line about how the cause of the conflict was a woman, and in the back of his mind he can see a girl lying on the concrete, face covered in blood and bruises, legs wide open and more bruises between them. He asks himself Did I do this? but finds no answer as the image fades. He rationalizes. No, I'm not physically strong enough to hurt somebody like that. Then, almost as an afterthought: And besides, I wouldn't want to hurt anyone like that either, he tries to reassure himself.

Days later, as he watches a stupid crime show ― it's cold outside and Hanma crashed in his room for the night ― the answer invites itself into his thoughts while a coroner examines this episode's victim. No, I did not do this. I wouldn't leave my DNA behind as evidence. That's why I made other people do it instead. He accepts that answer, even though he knows for a fact he never did such a thing in his whole life. He is thirteen, and above all terribly afraid his best friends will hate him once they figure out the truth.

Over the years, more visions came to him, more vivid as he learned to recognize their presence, hold them in place and ask them the right questions. While Toman collected victories over rival gangs, while his friends began to grow up and work towards their respective goals, he could see these twisted versions of them, destroying themselves and the ones they loved. They all seemed to curse his name. Takemichi cursed it the loudest.

Sitting next to him, Kisaki watches as he takes a drag and exhales the blue-grey smoke, staring at the ceiling. Taking advantage of this moment of inattention, he swiftly takes the cigar from his hand and fills his lungs with the same poison. Looking falsely offended by the theft, Takemichi tries to get it back, without success.

"Careful, or you're gonna burn the couch." Scolding him, Takemichi dives in an attempt to reach for it, and Kisaki lets him. He falls onto his back, Takemichi falls on top of him. Too easy. Hanma was the one who came up with that trick, and it never failed him. Or so he says.

Takemichi looks at him with an expression that is less one of surprise and more I knew you'd do that. Fondly. He then takes the cigar from his hand, flicks it over the ashtray on the table behind Kisaki's head, before sitting back and taking another drag from it. All the while straddling his waist. His hand resting upon Kisaki's heart. Kisaki may be able to control his expression, but not the way his pulse dances under his fingers.

They shouldn't be doing this. Obviously. Takemichi doesn't want to hurt his wife. Still. He puts away the cigar and bows forward, like an apology. With his hands over Kisaki's chest, he buries his face onto the couch, just above Kisaki's shoulder. A moment passes.

"I told Hina about us," Takemichi finally confesses. "That's why she didn't come today."

"I see."

"Sorry..."

"For what?"

"I made her cry."

Kisaki remembers, then. The words he had said on their wedding day. If you ever make her cry, I'll never forgive you. Half in jest, mostly a stupid attempt to soothe his own broken heart and act like he'd accepted his defeat. Thus ended their decades-long rivalry.

Lying under him still, Kisaki raises an arm and slides his hand over his back.

"I'm not the one you're supposed to apologize to. Besides, I'm just as guilty as you are."

A sigh is all the reply he gets.

"Are you going to cry?"

"I don't really cry anymore these days..."

"Then I encourage you to think of what Draken and Emma will do to you when Hinata tells them what you've done. And they won't be the only ones."

"Ha ha..." A weak laugh reaches his ear. "I'm so boned."

Kisaki moves his hand to the back of Takemichi's hair, running his fingers through the short, curly locks.

"Not necessarily. Isn't there still a way for you to go back in time?"

A cruel question to ask, but his friend cannot resent him for being curious. Still, his body tenses upon hearing the words. The next moment, Takemichi shakes his head. The answer is no. Kisaki feels like it might be a lie. He wraps both arms around his friend. Every comforting gesture, he learned from him.

Kisaki figured out the truth about the time leaps on his own. The memories of things he'd never done were evidence enough, although he could not entirely rule out some delusion of the mind. Takemichi's knowledge about people he shouldn't know and events that had yet to come were tangible proof that something was afoot. So he confronted him about it one day, in their late teens. Takemichi didn't deny it.

❦

In the autumn of 2017, Kisaki invites Takemichi over for a drink. Coincidentally, a new series of visions had been haunting his thoughts at around the same time. Memories from a past life, he knows what to call them by now. Takemichi sets a few cans of cheap beer on his table while Kisaki watches himself-from-another-time spike his glass with soporifics.

He does not ask how the newlywed life goes. He cares very little for how their mutual friends are doing right now. There's only one question on his mind.

"Why did you save me?"

Takemichi seems slightly surprised, which is rare enough. He doesn't reply, though.

"Was that out of pity?" Kisaki insists, feeling something like panic bubble up within. "Did you find me so pathetic you just had to intervene?"

He'd seen right through him, hadn't he? Even after Kisaki pointed a gun in his face, shot him, drugged him, made him kill. Every display of wealth and power, a disguise. His emptiness so richly adorned, no one dared to question him or why he did the things he did. Least of all himself.

Does Takemichi know how it ends for Kisaki each time? With a gun to his temple and a smile on his face. None of that really mattered, did it? He can't even bring himself to look guilty for everything he's done. His contrition is for one man only. That man is gone, now. He was a real hero, it turns out, super powers included. So none of that really mattered. Takemichi will fix everything and then come back to kill him. Another time, maybe.

But it never happened. Instead, his hero came back, took his hand and never let go.

Why in the world would he do that?

Kisaki feels two arms wrap themselves around him. Like breaking a spell, it snaps him out of his thoughts, back into the present, and the tears falling from his eyes make the world around a blurry mess. Was he crying, just now?

"A long time ago, I used to be terribly alone," Takemichi replies, his voice low. "I just kept everything to myself and lashed out however I could, mostly against people who had nothing to do with my own self-inflicted misery. Pathetic, right?"

Kisaki doesn't answer.

"And then I died. The end. Except I somehow survived and got another chance at life. So I decided I'd try to do something worthwhile for once in my worthless existence, and save the life of someone who didn't deserve to die. That's how it all started..."

Kisaki cuts him off.

"I deserved to die, didn't I?" Unlike Hinata. Unlike Draken unlike Baji unlike Kazutora unlike Taiju unlike Emma unlike Izana unlike Atsushi unlike Chifuyu unlike Mikey. Unlike Takemichi.

"Maybe. But I needed you alive." Kisaki shivers as his friend softly nuzzles the side of his neck, holding him tighter. "I saved you because I wanted to understand. I saved you because I thought we might be the same, deep down." A short pause. "And you know what? I don't regret it. I love you."

Vertigo. Kisaki has to hold on to him or else he'll surely fall. Pressed against his chest, Takemichi's heartbeat is just as fast as his own, both drumming furiously as if begging to be let out.

"What..." Kisaki's mouth is dry. "What kind of love are you talking about?"

"I don't know. We've been through so much."

"And Hinata?"

"I love her too. In a much simpler way."

"That's why you married her?"

"Yeah. Two guys can't get married in this country anyhow."

"Give me ten years and I'll change the law."

"Ha ha."

"I'm not joking."

"Yeah, I know."

Holding the sun in his arms would be less overwhelming. Kisaki has killed men with his own hands. They shake harder now than they ever did before.

"You realize... that there's no way I'm going to let you go back home tonight, right?"

"Of course," Takemichi replies. Of course.

Thus started their affair. Takemichi didn't want to lie to Hinata, but Kisaki didn't want her to know the truth. They both knew how important faithfulness was to her. In the end, he managed to convince Takemichi not to tell her anything.

They saw each other every now and then. Both well aware of their transgression, yet unable to put an end to it. So they compromised, swore not to cross certain lines. Barely took off their clothes, never kissed each other's lips. Hands only. This paradoxical distance, these self-imposed rules they somehow never broke, only made their desire stronger. Takemichi kept coming back for more. Kisaki was happy to oblige.

Within these walls, Takemichi belonged to him and him only. And since they couldn't reveal their bodies, they bared their heart instead. They would sometimes talk for hours on the pillow or silently hold each other through the night. Maybe that was an even worse transgression.

❦

Takemichi is lying next to him on the couch, half-asleep in his arms. Resting upon the ashtray, the cigar has almost completely burned out.

"Are you going to stay overnight?"

"I've got nowhere else to go."

"Liar."

"I want to stay here."

Much better. Kisaki enjoys the little spark of pride knowing that between all his closest friends, Takemichi still chooses to spend this time with him.

"What do you want to do?"

"Everything." Takemichi replies.

"What does that even mean?" He chuckles.

"I don't know."

Kisaki disentangles himself from his lover and sits up, smoking what is left of the cigar before crushing it inside the tray.

"Let's find out, then."

❦

The bedroom is as wide as the rest of his apartment, with a large, comfortable bed at the center of it. Takemichi follows him inside and, as soon as Kisaki closes the door, hugs him from behind, breathing him in.

"I missed you so much." Takemichi whispers in his ear. God, he'd missed this, too.

It couldn't be helped. What kept them apart had been a shock to them both, leading them to take the same decision without even needing to consult each other. It was best to end this. Things were messed up enough as it is.

And yet, here they are again.

Kisaki lets his lover's hands distract him from any other thought, tilting his head to the side to receive his kisses.

"Takemitchy," he calls out, almost an order. Does he ever think about that time he was under his command? Takemichi stops.

Kisaki turns around, grabbing his wrists. He looks up. Tired blue eyes look back at him, waiting.

"Can I kiss you now?" Kisaki asks.

"Please."

The fact that they do not accidentally headbutt each other in their precipitation is a small miracle. Reflexes somehow still sharp from their delinquent days, they both pull back at the same time when they notice the other approaching a little too fast. Then Takemichi snorts and starts laughing, and Kisaki leaves impatient kisses on his cheek and next to his mouth until he has caught his breath again. After that, they get to kiss properly. At last.

With shallow breaths, hands over his shoulders, Takemichi guides him towards the bed before gently pushing him over. Kisaki lies back onto the soft mattress, panting. While his lover stands before him, observing, Kisaki holds his gaze, taking a more inviting pose. Opening his legs, he reaches for his jacket's buttons and begins undoing them.

"Are you going to keep staring or do you plan on joining me at some point?" He teases.

"Not sure," Takemichi replies, machinally unfastening his tie, eyes still fixated on Kisaki. "Both sound good."

He still looks torn between the two options as Kisaki is done taking off his shirt, and sits up to begin removing his trousers. Then, lying back against the pillows, he raises his legs towards Takemichi.

"Take them off," he orders, and both his trousers and socks are pulled off of him in an instant.

All that is left are his boxers, now. Takemichi finally looks ready to intervene, kneeling right in front of him on the bed, but Kisaki holds him off, pushing him with one foot against his chest.

"I'll take care of that."

In truth, he wants nothing more than to have them ripped from him in an instant, but knows better than to ruin a good show. Still holding his lover at a distance with one leg, he begins to stroke himself through the fabric, relishing both his own touch and the look on Takemichi's face. Moving his legs to give him a better view, he slowly uncovers the tip of his cock, running his fingertips over it.

"Please..." Takemichi begs, desperate to join him. And Kisaki, who just loves to hear him plead, moans as his cock twitches under his own touch, so close already.

"Not yet," he breathes out. With his left hand, he blindly reaches for the drawer on his nightstand and pulls it open. "Give me the lube."

Takemichi passes him the small bottle. Kisaki decides to get rid of his boxers already, throwing them across the room.

"Take off your clothes, too."

"Let me touch you..." Takemichi protests, watching him coat his fingers with lube and spread it where he needs it.

The cool sensation makes Kisaki whimper, and he has to take a few deep breaths before risking another move. He opens his eyes and notices Takemichi undressing next to him. Maybe a little too fast. That man works in the film industry yet clearly lacks showmanship. He's more interested in what Kisaki is doing at the moment, glancing back at him after he discards each new item of clothing onto the floor.

"Can I touch you, now?" He sits next to him, kneeling, with his hands over his lap. Behind his arms, Kisaki can see his cock stand fully erect.

Sliding his free hand over Takemichi's lap, Kisaki runs his fingertip across the length of it.

"Don't forget to put on a condom first," he teases.

Takemichi is by all accounts a patient man, but he still tears open that packet like his life depends on it.

"Good." Kisaki wishes he could reach high enough to pat his head. "Now come over here and fuck me."

❦

It is still nighttime when Kisaki wakes up, his room lit up dimly by the city lights through the half-open curtains. Feeling parched, he reaches for the glass of water Takemichi left on the nightstand, and drinks it all up. When he slides back under the cover, he notices his partner facing away from him. Kisaki can hear him hyperventilate.

"Takemitchy?"

He calls his name to let him know he's there before placing his hands over his shoulders and massaging them lightly. Takemichi leans back into the touch.

"Sorry, I must've woken you up..." He apologizes with a strained, shaky voice. As if his state was not a good enough reason to wake somebody up.

"I don't mind."

Takemichi doesn't say anything more for a few minutes. His breathing settles into a regular rhythm while Kisaki continues to massage his shoulders, sometimes laying a kiss onto the nape of his neck.

"Hey... Can I say something terrible?"

"Anything."

"If it weren't for you and Hina, I'd have died a while ago. Maybe right after Mikey."

"Hmm." Kisaki had already sort of figured that out.

"I should've returned right away. Should've found a new trigger and saved Mikey before he did it. That was the only thing to do, wasn't it?"

"That power of yours only works if two people have the same desire to change the past, doesn't it?"

"Everybody wants to change what happened that day."

"Why not do it, then?"

"The truth is, I already tried. With Draken and with Chifuyu. It didn't work with either." He turns to lie on his back, eyes wide open. "That means I'm the problem."

"Not necessarily." Kisaki also turns to stare at the ceiling, but reaches for his lover's hand under the cover. Something to keep him grounded. "Chifuyu's living his best polyamorous life, and Draken has a wife and children he would be reluctant to leave behind."

"They'd still do it for Mikey."

"And you wouldn't? Please."

"No, I would. I would, but... When I heard the news, it felt like something just snapped in me. I don't think I lost my power. But... Even if I used it again... Is there even a point? We made it so that everyone would be happy. We saved as many people as we could, we prevented all kinds of horrible stuff from happening. This was supposed to be the best possible timeline. And Mikey still killed himself."

Maybe that was the problem. Takemichi no longer thinks he's capable of saving Mikey.

"People can live in castles, surrounded by everything they could ever ask for, and still shoot themselves in the face. Mikey had plenty of reasons to be happy, too. But maybe there was something else in him that made it all seem worthless."

"Why didn't he reach out if it was so unbearable? I mean... It's not like I wouldn't understand..."

The usual Takemichi would definitely be crying by now. Instead, there is a sort of distance between himself and everything he says. Maybe he got that from him, or from Mikey.

Kisaki holds his hand a little tighter, and turns so that he can drape his other arm over him, shifting closer to feel his warmth.

"Takemitchy. Whatever it is you want, I'll grant it for you."

Takemichi raises his arm to squeeze the hand on his shoulder.

"I want... I want to forget everything. To be carefree again. I want to love people without seeing them lying dead in front of me." His breathing grows erratic again as he speaks through tears he can no longer hold back. "I wanted to die, too, you know! There were times when I thought I couldn't do it anymore, and I'd cry for hours or say nothing all day and make Hina worry, but I still held on! So why couldn't you do the same?"

Kisaki doesn't reply. That question isn't destined to him, anyhow.

"And you know what? Even through the shitty times, it's been worth it, dammit! There's always gonna be another chance if you keep looking for it! But the moment you give up, things will never get better again! Why couldn't you see that, you idiot?!" Takemichi's voice goes shaky with grief, and he turns around to bury his face into Kisaki's chest. "Why couldn't you see how much you meant to everyone? How could you think we'd be fine without you?"

Before his suicide, Mikey had written a note. It simply said Don't look for me.

Kisaki doesn't know what pushed him to do it. Maybe the weight of everything he'd done was haunting him to the end. Maybe it was just a chemical imbalance in his brain. Maybe he simply got bored with life, or disgusted with the world of adults as a whole. Hard to say. People kill themselves for a variety of reasons. Some even do it to save another person.

Within his arms, his lover seems to have cried himself to sleep. At least Kisaki thinks so, until he hears him speak out, a tired whisper: "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything."

"Hmm..." Kisaki tries to figure out what he could be alluding to. Telling him he wanted to die? Being mad at Mikey for taking his own life? He doesn't find either option that offending. He has felt that way, too. Saying he wishes he could love people without seeing them dead? Kisaki knows the feeling all too well. "I really don't mind," is what he replies.

He feels glad for everything he shares with Takemichi, although he won't say it out loud right now. This must mean he can be good, deep down. Either that, or Takemichi is capable of sinking to his level. Both are fine.

He holds on a little more tightly.

This life has been a gift. Takemichi has shown him kindness he never thought possible, taught him so much. Kisaki has made a place for himself in this crazy world, he's seen what he had set out to see.

They even became lovers. Surely he would be loath to part from such a life.

But Kisaki cannot ignore a call for help when it comes from his hero.

He asks, "are you awake?"

"Yeah."

"I could grant you your wish. You know the way, don't you?"

Takemichi doesn't answer. Maybe his mind isn't working that well at such a late ― or is it early? ― hour. Maybe Kisaki has to spell it out for him.

"If you gave me your power without acting as my trigger, I could return to a time in which you remember nothing about your past lives."

"Huh?"

"Since the first time leap can be triggered by death, it's most likely the case for subsequent ones as well. Even if I don't succeed the first time, I probably won't need another person to act as my trigger at all."

"Hang on... You're not..." Panic begins to gnaw at his voice.

"Don't you see it? This is the only way someone like me can still be a hero." His own voice comes out a tad unsteady, as well. "I'll shoulder everything. I'll keep everyone you love safe. You won't even know they were in danger."

"You... You're going to lose your mind!" Takemichi pulls away from him and gets up from their bed. He turns on the light and drapes himself in a bathrobe. "Nobody can face this alone. You're not strong enough for this. No one is."

"I won't be alone. I'll get stronger so I can beat those older kids in the park when we first meet. That way you'll definitely want to be my friend again. And I'll be able to protect you."

"I can't let you do that. I'm not letting you kill yourself." Takemichi walks up to the door, putting as much distance as he can between that idea and himself.

"Takemitchy..." Kisaki gets up and stumbles, body still aching from their earlier lovemaking. He holds on to the nightstand for support. His friend has come closer, ready to help but also hesitant to reach out. "You've always been scared of me, haven't you? I felt it from the start, but I didn't mind. I thought that if you saw how good I could be, eventually you'd stop being afraid." How quickly he'd fled from him, just now. After everything they've been through, everything they've shared. "So tell me," Kisaki lets go of the nightstand, his sore legs giving out from under him. "How much more is it going to take for you to trust me?"

Hands onto the floor, Kisaki hears the sound of footsteps approaching. Takemichi kneels before him.

They look into each other's eyes.

"If you die, Hina will never recover," his friend whispers. "What I said earlier... it doesn't warrant throwing your life away. Couldn't you wait a few more years?"

"Can you?"

Takemichi's eyes say it all.

Kisaki raises one hand to cup his lover's face, wiping away a tear from his cheek. He kisses his lips, as gently and lovingly as he possibly can. Perhaps in the same way one might try to reassure a cornered animal. He makes himself unthreatening. Don't run away. Please don't run away. I didn't even get to tell you how much you mean to me. Don't be afraid. All I want is for my life and yours to be so deeply woven together there's no telling them apart anymore. It doesn't matter in which shape or form. I'll take anything you can give me. If that scares you, I'll keep silent for both our sakes.

"Takemitchy, you know I can handle this. Let me be your savior."

Takemichi laughs, feebly. He runs one hand through Kisaki's hair.

"There's just no way you won't be cursed, taking away my power and then killing yourself."

"I know. You'll have to give it to me."

"I've spoiled you too much, haven't I?"

"Maybe." Kisaki buries his face into his old friend's shoulder. He may have wanted more, still. "I know you can't refuse anything to me. But you should know the opposite is true, as well."

There is a short pause, until Takemichi rests his head against him, too.

"Do you think there's a way to love people that'll make them never want to die again?"

"I'll tell you if I find it."

❦

Kisaki picks a green suit from his closet, the one he wore during a certain ceremony. His hand reached for it by chance, or perhaps there was something else influencing his choice. He feels ready to believe in fate.

Takemichi wordlessly gets dressed beside him, in clothes that entirely belong to his lover. He wears a black, striped suit. Strangely pragmatic of him. Kisaki fixes the collar of his shirt for him.

They kiss for a long time, before walking together towards the wide, open window. The sun is rising. Cool winds blow into their hair. It's a lovely day.

Takemichi takes his hand, and Kisaki feels a spark run throughout his body.

It all started with a fall, didn't it?

Kisaki holds him in his arms, then sways with him into the void. Once their bodies reach the ground, there will be no telling them apart anymore.

[ofsavior]

ship bias. || @kyukicho & @protectivemuses

Chifuyu

1. Baji - this doesn’t need an explanation really, but they were my first Tokyo Rev ship and I will die on this hill. Talk about heartbreaking. 😔

2. Ryusei - Because I’m a filthy from rivals to lovers stan.

3. Kazutora - I have mixed feeling about this one still, but I see a lot of potential behind it. Exploring Chifuyu’s feelings towards Kazutora has been really interesting and I want to delve into that more.

4. Angry - They are just wholesome, your honor.

5. Senju - Brotp or otp. I think they would have really good chemistry and I support it on all accounts.

( I have more Chifuyu ships than this — he has 100 boyfriends your honor )

Mitsuya

1. Mikey - This is all Kui’s fault.

2. Draken - Twin Dragons 🥺 I’ve only written like 3 meta posts about them ahahaa …

3. Hakkai - I like one-sides crush on Hakkai’s end because pining is my lifeblood, but I would be open to exploring mutual feelings there.

4. Yuzuha - I love them! First Mitsuya ship 🥺

5. Smiley - Big bro squad. Idk. It’s cute to me. They would balance each other out well.

Sanzu - basically Sanzu x any Sano

1. Mikey - I think this is a given…

2. Emma - You can’t convince me that Haruchiyo did not have a little crush on Emma-chan growing up.

3. Shinichiro - I like to think Sanzu had developed the classic first crush on his babysitter syndrome with Shinichiro. I don’t think they would ever date until the way later timelines if that was to ever happen.

4. Koko - I like to ship people who can’t stand one another for the lol’s.

5. Baji - I imagine Baji was probably the nicest person to him growing up. It could be something like the inverse of Sanzu/Mikey in which Baji is actually able to help Haruchiyo heal with time.

Honorable mention for ideas I leave you with: Baji and Mitsuya, Sanzu and Rin, Sanzu and Ran, Chifuyu and Hakkai

[shelly-ya]

Deja vu

I got this idea from @marthaitani on timelines and what the characters may do when they are in situations that was turning points in the original timeline. I would like to thank you for allowing me to expand on your head canon. I hope it was satisfactory. It is a reader insert as well.

"I'm not going to let you blame yourself for my death kazutora." Baji words painfully flowed from him. The knife still lodged in his body from him stabbing himself in the same spot kazutora not to long before had done the same to him.

"BAJI!!!!!!!" Chifuyu's pained screamed was heard through the air. Rushing to his fallen captain's side.

*static*

"Takemitchy Hanagaki I leave toman to you" he rasped out in a wheezing manner trying to hold the last of his life.

*static*

"BAJI!!!!! NO!!!!!!" Chifuyu's pained cried pierced the eerie silence as he held a lifeless baji close to himself.

"BAJI - SAN!" You sat up hand stretched out to grab at nothing. Drenched in your sweat you came out of your daze and looked around you. "The hell was that dream?" You said dropping back to lie down. Reaching under your pillow you pulled out your phone that you tucked away under there before you fell into the realm of dreams last night. Noting the time and day, you scuffed. "October 31st? Damn can't believe it is Halloween today already." Flipping your phone close you decide it was a good as any time to get up and go about your day.

Although it was halloween it was still a school day being Monday. However, even though you got ready for school you couldn't seem to arrive at said building at all. You ended up walking around and not really paying attention to where you were going. Finding yourself in front of a junk/scrap yard.

*flash*

There were crowds of people gathered around the area. You were hugging your commander from behind it almost looks as though you were trying to stop him from killing someone.

*flash*

The yard was devoid of people in front of you. #what was that? Why did I see so much people in a clearly empty space?#

"You are always the first to reach anywhere aren't you... come to think about it you were the first one there as well?" You heard a familiar voice behind you. Spinning quickly you locked eyes with the commander of toman, your commander Manjiro "Mikey" Sano. Alongside him stood the acting commander takemitchy hanagaki.

*flash*

"Takemitchy Hanagaki I leave toman to you"

*flash*

The dream you had last night came rushing back to you quickly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The vice commander Ken "draken" Ryuguji spoke up behind his commanders. Collecting yourself quickly you bowed as low as possible.

"Good day commanders." You quickly stated. Feeling a hand on your head you feel your hair being ruffled. This made you flustered a bit.

"Come on raise your head you are a part of my family to you know." Mikey said not stopping from messing your hair up. Raising your gaze back to the commanders you see mikey's little sister emma behind them as well.

"Alright guys can we go to school now. I followed you guys here on a whim." She whined

"Let's skip school today. What do you guys say?" Mikey said grabbing your hand and started dragging you into the abandoned scrap yard.

"Uh commander?" You began to question but didn't when other captains and officers of toman started gathering quietly. Every one at a loss at what they were doing there.

"Ok guys listen up. We all just had this feeling to be here today so why don't we just skip school and have a party." Mikey yelled out to the crowd.

"YEAH!!" Was the collective shout. Pah telling hanagaki he just followed peh who had this feeling he needed to be there. Kazutora looking around as though he was remembering something. Chifuyu was stuck in a daze as though he could burn a hole at a specific spot in the yard. Kisaki tetta was looking up on the wrecked cars as though he was plotting something. Draken and hanma both challenging each other at arm wrestling to see who could out do who. Mickey sat at the top of the pile looking down at Every one. You lost in your own thoughts again with a cola in hand.

*flash*

"I'll punch you till you die"

*flash*

You and kazutora visibly trembled. Chifuyu turned to you both. His gaze shifting to both of you. Walking to kazutora first and then both of them towards you.

"Hey name chan" chifuyu broke the silence.

"Hey hanamiya San, matsuno san."

"Have you..." chifuyu's question was cut short when you all heard Mikey

"Baji you're late as always... name San is always first and your are always last."

"Ha ha funny mikey"

"Look at their faces they just got brighter after they saw baji" someone pointed out the look on chifuyu, kazutora and your face. Every one started laughing.

"I swear if you three start crying I will punch you" baji said walking towards the three of you. #bonk# he hit your head.

"Ouch what was that for?" You said holding your head.

"I did just say I would punch you if you started crying." He said running his thumb on your cheek. Touching your cheek lightly you felt the tears flowing freely without you realising it.

"Why?" You asked #pow# #pow# looking over to the other two you see they were also holding their heads from getting punched also crying like babies.

"Hey name Chan come up here." Mikey said patting the space next To him. Making your way carefully up the cars you finally made it up and sat next to him. "Thank you. For trying to stop me that day." He said leaning his head on your shoulder. Getting stiff with shock.

"What are talking about commander?" You ask cautiously not moving as to not offend him.

"Nothing"

*flash*

"Mikey please stop. Please I'm begging you don't do this" you cried holding onto him from behind.

"Let go of me. Or you will die as well."

"Then kill me let me join baji san!"

"None of you can speak for baji"

"Speak for baji? Speak for baji! He's dead mikey" takemitchy hanagaki spoke up. #throws jacket# #charm falls out# Mikey then stops struggling in your grip. He placed his hand on yours

"It's ok I'm calm now" his reassuring voice allowed for your decision to release him.

*flash*

Finding some courage you placed your hand on his just as he did to your hand in that vision. "You're welcome mikey" you whispered as you felt him stiffen a little and then relax again on your shoulder.

@angelsdevils @stxrmylxve

[chidoroki]

Tokyo Revengers S2EP1

aka: the boys are back in town ♫

Oh thank god we're picking up right where season one left off with no recap in sight. Exactly what I wanna see!

 Who the hell was quick enough to beat Kisaki up and save Takemichi when the lights went out huh?

This place at the side of the river where Takemichi is now.. I vaguely recognize it from some of the season’s previews.

BAJI???? I.. what? WHAT? Sir you died in this timeline didn’t you? They were just talking about you and how Kisaki apologized for it!

Wait, did they ever mention last episode that Baji was actually dead..? Okay yeah, looking back they did mention he died on Halloween. So.. I’m still confused on how he’s here now apparently? Unless that ain’t even him and I’m rambling for nothing. I dunno, I screamed and paused when this guy showed up.

Real talk though, I know how the series ends. There was a lot of chatter when the last couple chapters were being released, so naturally, I got curious and read the last three and yeah.. kinda disappointing how fucking quick everything was resolved and ended (I feel your pain, TPN did the same), but at least we’re all happy? I guess? Anyway I’ll shut up now. I know little to nothing of everything that happened in between last season and the very end.

Ohhh shit, it was Kazutora who saved him! I wished I would’ve recognized his voice more.. that would’ve helped. I love that he still has that little bell earring.

Okay well never the fuck mind then, now he’s beating up Takemichi.

Hold up, he wanted to save Chifuyu? Mmhhm okay, good. Good. I wish you did save my boy. I’m starting to warm up to you now.

Aww but he was there to pick Kazutora up when he was released from prison! Best boy!

Yeah Toman has really got batshit crazy. Y’all gotta fix that.

Ah cmon, Pah and Peh were murdered last night too? I’m trying to think who else at that table was part of the old Toman since they’re getting targeted apparently.. the dude that always smiles and the guy with the blue hair with the swirl I think (it’s been a long while, I’ll remember names eventually). And Hanma too, but he wasn’t originally Toman.

Oh, speak of the devil, there’s the blue haired guy. And these other two guys from Black Dragon I remember from last season and recognize from previews. Three of ‘em working close under Kisaki? Oh dear..

Good, so Naoto is alive, just who knows where.

Ah, there he is.. and he’s handcuffing Takemichi. Alrighty. So much for a touching reunion.

Oh even Kazutora was blindsided by this, oops.

Every time the episode fades to black I’m expecting to see the new OP and every time I get nothing! Ah! Stop teasing me.

Damn dude, Takemichi really changes when he moves between timelines huh? That video of him was totally unlike our crybaby.

Ah fuck, so he’s the one who gave Akkun the order to kill Hinata?

Okay so he didn’t know that it was her who was gonna be killed, the second video proved that, but still. How do ya go back in time to fix that when you’re sorta the problem? I mean, can’t we all just agree to kill Kisaki? Yeah? No? Okay.

“I can only go back to today 12 years ago! There’s no way I can save him [Baji]!” If I didn’t know how it all ended, I would’ve been far more upset with this.

“Tetta Kisaki clearly has some obsession with you and my sister.” I think I know the reason via my many random glances at the manga but not completely sure..? But if it’s for the reason I think, then he’s so dramatic.

Oooh back to the past and we’re on a bowling date with our lady. Not only that but he got three strikes? Nice going lad!

Oh my god, the way she tossed the ball was adorable.

Ah great, the blue haired guy got a strike in the lane right next to us. Hakkai is his name right? Pretty sure he’s already part of Toman at this point. I know I’ve seen him in previous fights.

And that was his sister off to the side too right? Only know that ‘cause I had tagged her in stuff already.

Aahh Chifuyu! So happy to see you even if only in the ending! (for now).

So many names I gotta go back and remember, oh boy.

There’s our tall guy Hanma! Ngl I’m kinda excited to see more of him? I dunno what changed in me since season one but yeah, went back and watched a few of his scenes again and I like him.

Those white jackets I thought were from Valhalla but these ones got “Tokyo Kai” on ‘em, so are we switching? Because honestly I loved that style of bomber jacket more than the black Toman ones. Not really sure though, since a bunch of other scenes have the originals.

Ending sequence and the song were nice though.

Well now, lot to take in from the first ep but so glad to see everyone again!

[nanaosaki3940]

The Grown-Up Way Of Love [Tokyo Revengers]

|| Tokyo Revengers ||

(Almost follows the canon storyline of TR & is up-to-date with the manga.) 

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Angst.

Pairing: Keisuke Baji X OC

Mentioned pairing: Mikey X OC, Shinichiro X OC

Note: A snippet from my original Tokyo Revengers fanfic "A Condition Called Love". I know this is an xOC fic but you can read it as self-insert if you want.

Read the first part here - Part 1

TR masterlist

3rd Person’s POV (Year 2012 – The New Timeline)

Let’s get married…

Will you marry me?

Wanna get married?

Marry me…

I think we should get married…

Be my wife…

“What are you writing in your notepad, Baji-kun?” Takemichi suddenly called out and this caused Baji to stop writing on his notepad.

In the year 2012, on one fine day, after finishing their classes at the college for that day, Baji and Takemichi were heading toward their part-time job by traveling on a train. And while on the way, Baji was writing down some important notes for Nana which eventually caught Takemichi’s attention.

“Huh? What’s this…? Are you still thinking about how you’re gonna do this?” Takemichi asked, slightly blinking a bit.

“I just need the proper words to say it. I seriously don’t know how to tell her…” Baji sighed in response, pursing his lips to the side.

“I’m sure you’ll do it just fine. So, don’t worry about it too much.” Takemichi reassured him with an encouraging smile but Baji gave him a doubtful look.

“How can you be sure?” Baji asked, narrowing his eyes in a skeptical manner.

“Because this is Nana-chan we’re talking about…” Takemichi replied as his smile widened a bit. “She’s someone who loves you unconditionally from the bottom of her heart. You know, in the previous timeline, when you died, Nana-chan totally lost herself. She became sick and her mental health condition worsened with every passing day. Even though Kazutora-kun and Chifuyu were there to take care of her in your place, they couldn’t replace you. Just that much you mean to her, Baji-kun. Her world only revolves around you and no one else. She’ll never reject you, ever… I’m sure of it.”

Hearing Takemichi’s reassuring words brought a smile to Baji’s face. Takemichi was absolutely right; Baji should have more faith in himself and also in Nana. Nana won’t turn him down like he was thinking. They had been in love for years now. Baji knew very well what kind of person Nana was. What she wanted, what she needed; Baji knew everything. And same went for Nana as well. She also knew everything about him. They were perfect for each other and Baji was aware of it.

Just then Baji snapped out of his own thoughts when he noticed an elderly man, standing a few feet away from him, was staring at the already filled-up seats of the train. The train was jam-packed at that very moment and so the elderly man didn’t have a place to sit down on.

“Sir, you have been standing there for a while now. Would you like to sit?” Baji asked the elderly man politely, getting up from his seat.

The elderly man stared at him for a while, contemplating whether to take Baji’s offer or not before finally speaking up.

“Granny, you sit here.” The elderly man stated and from the crowd beside him, he pulled an elderly woman towards the now empty seat, someone whom Baji didn’t notice earlier.

“No, you should sit down. You have a bad back.” The elderly woman stated and it seemed like these two elderly people were a married couple.

“You said your knees hurt. Stop talking back and just sit down.” The elderly man scoffed and with that let his wife sit on the empty spot.

“You are a stubborn old man.” The elderly woman sighed heavily, plopping on the seat.

“Excuse me, Sir. Please take my seat.” Takemichi stated, quickly getting up from his seat as well.

“What? No, it’s all right.” The elderly scoffed again, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. “You look weaker than me, young man. You’re too small and skinny.”

“He’s a good-looking man. What are you talking about?” the elderly woman countered back at her husband, with a frowning face.  

“No, Sir, it’s okay. I insist, please. Have my seat.” Takemichi let out a sheepish chuckle before finally getting the elderly man to sit on his spot.

“Did we make you boys uncomfortable? We didn't mean to.” The elderly woman smiled apologetically at the boys who were now standing in front of the old couple.  

“Oh no, not at all.” Baji and Takemichi reassured them in unison.

“You two look like college students. Are you going to your college now?” the woman asked with curiosity.  

“No, we’re actually heading to work. And we are late.” Baji responded back with a sheepish chuckle.  

“We are going to our grandson’s office too.” The woman stated in an excited tone, smiling again before pulling out her cell phone from her bag. “We want to see him, even if it’s just for a short while. Do you want to see him? He has a weird hairstyle, but he has a handsome face.”

“You silly old woman, you're bothering the young lads.” Her husband lightly scolded the woman.

“Not at all, Sir!” Takemichi reassured him with another bright smile.

“See? Isn’t he a cute little boy?” the woman asked as she held up her phone, her cell phone screen facing them and upon seeing the picture, the young boys then realized that their grandson was someone they knew of and were familiar with.

It was Atsushi Sendo aka Akkun. Meaning, this elderly couple was Akkun’s paternal grandparents aka Grandpa Sendo and Grandma Sendo.

Later the boys and the elderly couple got off at the same station together. The boys then finally introduced themselves as Akkun’s friends to his grandparents and after getting acquainted with them, they helped the couple by leading them to Akkun’s apartment where he lived there all by himself.

“Grandma! Grandpa! What a nice surprise!” Akkun greeted his grandparents warmly in front of his doorstep, overly excited and happy to see them there.

“Oh, my cute little puppy!” Grandma Sendo greeted back by pulling her grandson into a bear hug.

“It's so hot today. Why did you come all the way here?” Akkun asked.  

“School’s on break, but you haven’t come to see us. So we oldies came instead. We have a lot of time on our hands.” Grandpa Sendo scoffed in a sarcastic tone.

“Don’t be mean to my puppy, you old man. He's busy working!” Grandma Sendo snapped at her husband.  

“I didn’t say anything. I’m praising him, that’s all.” Grandpa Sendo responded with a frowning face, defending himself.

Akkun then turned to face Takemichi and Baji and his smile widened a bit in appreciation.

“Takemichi, Baji-kun, thanks for bringing my grandparents here from the station.” Akkun thanked them with a smile.

“It’s nothing, really!” Takemichi grinned back at his friend with a small blush on his cheeks. “Glad we could help!”

But Baji didn’t say anything back to Akkun in response as he was busy observing the elderly couple. Seeing them bicker and banter with each other back and forth reminded him of himself and Nana when they would also have playful arguments with one another, teasing each other from time to time; something that kept their relationship somewhat exciting and spicy. A smile curled up on Baji’s lips and a soft expression adorned his features when he thought about Nana at that moment.

Nana, I miss you already… even though I just saw you earlier this morning…

Hours later, after getting off from the part-time job, Baji and his friends decided to go out and grab something to eat at a nearby restaurant. With him were there was Takemichi, Chifuyu, Kazutora, and a senpai from the Mass Media Department where they all sat at a table together. Well technically, that guy was actually Baji and Kazutora’s batch mate, and since Chifuyu and Takemichi were a year younger than them, that senpai guy was an upperclassman to the two blonde-haired boys in terms of college campus relationship.

“I’ll help you.” The senpai stated to Takemichi with a nonchalant expression as he leaned back on his seat, taking a long drag from his cigarette.

“Oh, thank you so much, senpai!” Takemichi cried out happily, bowing his head to him.

The thing was Takemichi needed help to work on his graduation project which he had to submit within the next two months and since he and the senpai guy were from the same department, Baji decided to ask his batch mate to help out his fellow ex-gang member with the project.

“The most important thing in a human documentary is filming the natural aspects of the subjects.” The senpai started to explain to Takemichi. “That’s at the discretion of the person filming. You have to be sociable enough that the subjects feel comfortable around you as if you're not even there. Realism is also important for both nature and human documentaries. The viewer needs to feel the same things the subjects do, through sight and hearing. If you add visual beauty to that, the viewer can also feel a vicarious satisfaction.”

“Can you give me some tips on how to create visual beauty?” Takemichi asked in a serious tone as he wrote down some notes. “Like tips on directing or technical tips…”

“Shoot with an expensive camera.” The senpai replied with a stern expression and Takemichi froze in his spot. “If you have a good camera, you can shoot however you want and it will still look nice. Money doesn't lie. And I have an expensive camera. The market price is *beep* yen.”

The price was so high, Takemichi blocked out that specific portion of the sentence. But then he realized something.

“Senpai… do you mean, by any chance, you will…” Takemichi trailed off with anticipation.

“I’ll lend you my camera since you’re a friend of Baji’s.” the senpai replied, slightly nodding his head. “It’s an expensive one. The rental cost is 100,000 or 200,000 yen per day. I treasure it more than my own body. So be careful with it.”  

“A wealthy senpai is always reliable…” Chifuyu commented before looking back at Takemichi. “And what about the presentation topic, Takemitchy? Have you come up with any ideas yet?”  

“No, not yet!” Takemichi cried out in his own hopelessness.

“Dude, seriously?” Kazutora asked, raising an eyebrow. “You need to come up with something fast or else, you’ll have to rush things in the end. And filmmaking is something that shouldn’t be rushed. It takes a huge amount of time, effort, and dedication to make a good film.”

“Kazutora’s right.” The senpai chimed in. “Hurry up and come up with an idea already.”

“Takemitchy…” Baji called out in a low yet deep tone, causing everyone at the table to look over at him. “I have an idea for your film. Will you listen to my suggestion?”

“What is it, Baji-kun?” Takemichi asked and Baji smiled at him in response.

“So, this idea is…” 

A few days later in a small town in Chiba Prefecture (3rd Person’s POV)

Takemichi and Akkun were now in the town where Akkun’s grandparents lived, standing in front of their house with Takemichi holding the senpai’s camera in his hands which was lent to him by the upperclassman a week ago.

“The shoot will be for two nights and three days. Please try and pretend that I’m not even here. I would like you to feel comfortable and just be yourselves.” Takemichi explained the situation politely to the elderly couple and Grandpa Sendo hummed in response.

“Just be ourselves, huh?” Grandma Sendo chuckled bashfully at them as she had her makeup on, also dressing up nicely for the occasion. “You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I made chicken soup for you, my dear Atsushi.”

“Huh? Would that be okay?” Akkun asked, looking over at Takemichi and the latter nodded his head in response.

“Yes. You should eat before you start.” Grandpa Sendo added in a stern tone.

“But, Grandma, I’m not supposed to be in the film…” Akkun trailed off with a nervous smile.  

“Why not?! You're my handsome grandson!” the woman gasped in surprise.

“That’s not what we’re talking about. Pretend I’m not here and just be yourself, Grandma.” Akkun explained.

“But you’re already here. How can I pretend that you’re not?” Grandma Sendo pouted.  

“Um… I’ll just start filming then…” Takemichi called out nervously before holding up the camera.

The first scene they were shooting was Akkun and his grandparents sitting at the dining table and having lunch together.  

“My baby say ah!” Grandma Sendo smiled widely as she held a spoon in front of Akkun, feeding him the soup that she made for him.  

“Aren’t you going to eat, young man?” Grandpa Sendo asked Takemichi, looking at the camera.  

“I’ll eat later…” Takemichi whispered from behind the camera with a reassuring smile.

Grandpa Sendo then looked back at his wife and grandson again and that’s when he noticed some bread crumbs were stuck on the corner of his wife’s lips. He took a tissue paper from a nearby tissue box and leaned towards his wife who was sitting in front of him across the table.

“There’s a camera here.” Grandpa Sendo scoffed as he wiped the crumbs away from her lips. “Stop getting food everywhere. You're so old and you're still clumsy.”

“Can’t you speak politely? You’re a shame to the whole neighborhood.” Grandma Sendo scoffed back and seeing their interaction brought a smile to Takemichi’s face.  

‘The neighborhood isn’t watching though… They must be uncomfortable in front of the camera just as I thought so… They’re acting unnaturally…’ Takemichi thought to himself.

After that, a few more scenes were shot here and there before Takemichi called it off for today, giving the elderly couple a breather. Now, it was in the middle of the night and Takemichi was working on the camera as he sat outside on the porch of the Sendo household all by himself, enjoying the cool night breeze of the summer that blew by past him.

“The moon is so bright… Wow! The moon looks so sharp!” Takemichi gasped softly in awe at the full moon in the sky as he held the camera at the moon, looking at the celestial body through the lenses. “The stars too! So this is what an expensive camera does! Senpai did say money doesn’t lie. He was right…”

“Young man, why are you still awake?” a familiar voice spoke up and Takemichi looked around to see Akkun’s grandparents standing behind him.  

“Oh my gosh, are you still filming?” Grandma Sendo asked.

“Yes… Are you going somewhere?” Takemichi asked.

“This woman is making a fuss about going to the toilet in the middle of the night.” Grandpa Sendo replied, pointing at his wife.

“That’s why I said we should move to a house with an indoor bathroom.” Grandma Sendo snapped back, furrowing her eyebrows a bit.

“Oh, I see…” Takemichi chuckled softly as he watched the elderly couple walk toward the bathroom stall that stood just a few feet away from the main house. “Where’s Akkun though?”

“The boy is sound asleep in his room.” Grandpa Sendo replied before his wife went inside the bathroom.

A few seconds passed by since she went inside the bathroom stall while her husband stood there outside the stall, waiting for her to get out with his hands folded behind his back. Taking the opportunity, Takemichi held the camera in their direction, filming them once again. He didn’t find any trouble filming outside at night like this since it was a full moon night at that moment and the moonlight was illuminating the scene brightly enough for him to capture anything in his camera.

“Old man, you are still out there, aren’t you?” the wife asked out from inside the stall.  

“I said I would.” The husband replied calmly.

“Sing a song for me.” she demanded and Takemichi stifled a giggle at their interaction.

“A song this late at night…?” the husband asked in confusion at her ridiculousness before giving in. “Gandhara or Sukiyaki…?”

With a satisfactory smile, Takemichi captured the moment between the elderly couple successfully and thanked Baji in his mind for giving him this idea.

I hope the two days and three nights of filming would come together successfully without any interruption just as I planned… 

Meanwhile next day in Kyoto (3rd Person’s POV)

“Tada!!”

A smug Baji held his driver’s license proudly in front of his father’s face, smirking widely at the older man as they sat on a bench outside the alcohol treatment center where his father was now at currently. 

“A driver’s license? So you passed the test on your first try?” his father asked in awe.  

“Of course! The instructor said I’m a gifted driver! Now all I need is a car!” Baji gushed about himself and a small smile appeared on his father’s face.

“You’re still a student. What do you need a car for? Just borrow your mom’s car.” His father advised.

“If I start saving up now, I can get myself a second-hand compact car, you know?” Baji pointed out.

“Graduate, get a job, and then buy a car. What with insurance, gasoline, and all that… The cost of maintenance is much higher than you think.” His father pointed out and Baji pouted a bit in response which brought another smile to his father’s face. “This is for your girlfriend, isn’t it?”

“I just wanna drive her home when she’s tired. I just wanna have fun with her on our late-night dates without worrying about missing the last train.” Baji admitted sheepishly, looking away with a blushing face.

“You’re so naïve, Keisuke.” his father chuckled in response. “But don’t you already have a motorcycle?”

“Nana is always tired these days. She has been overworking herself lately. My motorcycle isn't a comfortable ride for her.” Baji explained before his eyes traveled to a paper bag that sat between them on the bench. “Well, that’s what I think… Anyway, what's this bag for?”  

“Oh, this. Akari packed the stuff you left behind.” His father replied as Baji went through the items inside the bag.

“I was wondering where my earphones went. I guess I left them behind the last time I came here. And my cigarettes.” Baji muttered, pulling out the cigarette packet from the bag.

Seeing his son’s innocent and naïve young face made his father feel relieved in contentment. How young and energetic he was, how innocent he was, how in love he was – his father thought to himself. Baji really did grow up into a responsible adult; Ryoko taught him well.

“Keisuke, my son…” his father called out with a warm smile on his face. “Don’t make the same mistake I did.”

And hearing that from his father brought a smirk to Baji’s face before he stood up from the bench and tossed the cigarette packet away into a nearby trash bin.

“Never, ever.” Baji replied, with full of confidence in his voice.  

Later that day (Nana’s POV)

After getting off work this evening, I tiredly dragged my feet across the street as I was making my way back home while letting out a big yawn in my mouth.

“I really can’t be bothered but I should eat dinner…” I mumbled to myself, clutching onto the straps of my bag. “What to eat? I have lost my appetite. Maybe I should get some rice porridge at the convenience store or something…”

Just then my cell phone started to ring and I pulled out the item from my bag. It was Keisuke calling.

“Hello?” I answered the call, letting out a heavy sigh.  

“What’s up?” Keisuke asked from the other side of the call.

“I just got off work…” I replied tiredly.  

“Why do you sound so weak?” he asked and for some reason, he sounded a bit playful in my ears.

“I’m tired, that’s all.” I sighed again. “I wish I could just teleport myself home…”

“Should I teleport you home then?” he asked in a teasing tone.

“What are you getting at now?” I asked in confusion, furrowing my eyebrows a bit.

“Turn around.” He asked from the other side of the call.

Upon listening to him, I turned around to look behind me. There I saw a black car standing a few feet behind me and inside the car was a grinning Keisuke in the driver’s seat with his head poking out of the window. I didn’t even realize that there was a car behind me until now. It just further proved how much tired I was at that moment. Keisuke then got out of the car and opened the passenger’s door for me.

“Get in, sweetheart...” he smirked at me, obviously showing off and I returned the gesture with a playful smile.

I can really tell that he really cares about me...

“I didn’t know you were coming back from Kyoto today…” I stated, getting into the car before Keisuke closed the door for me and then got into the driver’s seat again. “This is Ryoko-san’s car, right? It's been such a long time since I rode this…”

“Has it?” Keisuke asked as he started to drive the car down the streets of the busy Tokyo.

As I silently watched him drive the car, I noticed how different he looked at that moment.

Keisuke…He's an adult now… A real adult… All he’s doing is driving his mom's car, but he seems so different and grown up… He looks so cool, it's frustrating… Why didn’t I get my driver’s license…?

My lips curled up into a small smile and I leaned back into the seat to get even more comfortable, the cool air of the AC hitting my warm face which was helping me to calm down my nerves.

Anyway, geez, it's so nice riding in a car. So comfy…

“If you’re tired, get some sleep...” Keisuke stated softly with a smile while his eyes were glued to the road in front of him. “That’s why I came here with the car.”

“They say you shouldn’t sleep in the passenger seat…” I muttered sleepily, closing my eyes for a moment.  

“That’s just in case the driver falls asleep. But I’m not tired at all, so you can sleep if you want.” Keisuke reassured me again.

“But you are a new driver, you heathen. How can I… fucking trust you…? Who knows, you might actually start driving crazy like Vin Diesel from Fast & Furious, thinking that you’re in Tokyo Drift…” I drowsily spoke up those words.

“Maybe I should do that one day, you know, car racing… Down the streets of Shibuya…” Keisuke replied with a chuckle.

“That’s a crime, Kei.” I threatened him but he only chuckled back in response.

“I am the law, babe.” He smirked at me once again, causing me to scoff with a frowning face before I turned away to hide my own smirking lips from him.

“Fucking menace… You’re lucky you’re cute…” I mumbled a comment and before I knew it, I was wrapped by the darkness around me which eventually pulled me into a deep slumber.

Sure, he’s a menace to society… but he’s my menace… my Keisuke…

And what I didn’t get the chance to notice at that moment was a soft, warm smile that was adorning Keisuke’s features when I finally fell asleep on the passenger’s seat.

I wasn’t sure for how long I was sleeping in the car but when I did come back to my senses, I felt a hand gently yet lovingly stroking my cheeks as if I was the most delicate being in the entire world. And I already knew who was doing that. When I fluttered my eyes open, I noticed a pair of sharp bronze-colored eyes staring into my brownish-amber ones.

“Oh… are you awake…?” Keisuke asked so softly with a smile that I melted my heart away.

God, I love this man so fucking much…

“How long have I been asleep?” I asked in a low sound, waking up a bit. “It seems like it's been quite a while… where are we now?”

“In the parking lot of our apartment complex. Do you want me to carry you back to our apartment?” Keisuke asked and I immediately shook my head as a no.

For some weird reason, it felt nice sleeping in the car with the AC also turned on, and for that, I didn’t want to get off the car just yet.

“Feels nice here… the AC…” I mumbled, closing my eyes again and Keisuke chuckled softly again at my words.

“Go back to sleep. It’s okay.” Keisuke reassured me, stroking my cheeks, sending me back to the land of dreams once more with a smile on my face.

His hands are so cool… It feels nice… His cool, kind hands stroking my face, my hair… makes my heavy head feel so much lighter... I fell back into a deep, pleasant sleep like a little baby... 

A few months later at Tokyo University (Nana’s POV)

Today was Takemichi’s graduation presentation which was held at the auditorium hall by his department. A lot of people including students and professors had gathered around in the hall room and some of our old friends were also present there which included people like Chifuyu, Kazutora, Manjiro, Draken, Mitsuya, Emma, Hina, and Kisaki. Keisuke and I arrived at the auditorium just a few minutes ago and we sat a bit far away from where our friends were all sitting together because Keisuke said that he had some sort of surprise for me.

“Hello, everybody.” The host started the presentation, standing on the stage in front of us. “My name is Makoto Hayashi. I will be your host for Tokyo University’s 22nd graduation presentation by the Department of Mass Media. I would like to first thank all the colleagues that worked so hard the past several months in preparation for today's presentation. And to the professors who have shown their full support and consideration. And finally to all our guests for coming here today. The presentation consists of two parts. After the first part, there will be a 15-minute intermission. So please remain seated during the screening.”  

“It’s about to start…” Keisuke pointed out in a low tone before reaching out and grabbing my hand in his larger one, intertwining our fingers.  

“When is Takemichi's?” I asked in a whispered tone.

“His film is the last one in part one. I was told that part one is mainly small projects, so they’re gonna be a bit boring. Part two are all short films with funding, so just bear with it until then.” Keisuke whispered back and just then the show started as one after another short films or documentaries began to play on the screen.

Without a doubt, most of the films in part one were cheesy and crude, so I had trouble focusing…

I looked over at Keisuke from the corner of my eyes and noticed him staring at the screen in front of us with a serious look on his face.

I would rather stare at Keisuke instead though…

Right at that moment, I noticed Chifuyu making his way over to us as soon as the last film ended playing.

“Baji-san, Takemitchy is next…” Chifuyu informed and Keisuke nodded his head at him before the blonde boy looked over at me with a bright smile on his face. “Nana-san, you know, Baji-san was the one who gave ideas to Takemitchy for his film.”

“Really?” I asked as my eye widened a bit in surprise, but Chifuyu simply smiled at me again and walked away from there.

“Nana…” Keisuke muttered out my name from beside me, causing me to look over at him, his bronze-colored eyes boring into my brownish-amber ones while a warm smile curled up into his lips. “This film is made for you. So enjoy.”

This film? Does he mean Takemichi's film? For me…?

“Next is a documentary by our colleague, Takemichi Hanagaki. The title is ‘Tomorrow, Just Like Today’…” the host announced.

Keisuke tightened his grip on our intertwined hands and right then, Takemichi’s film started to play on the screen.

The film opened up with a scene where it showed a scenery of a small town and the beautiful nature around it before it slowly transitioned to a scene of an elderly married couple walking down a quiet narrow road on one sunny day while holding onto each other’s hands, their back facing the camera.

“Grandma and Grandpa Sendo live in a small town in Chiba prefecture. They married when they were both 18 years old and have been companions in life ever since.” Takemichi’s voice began to narrate the film.

Grandpa and Grandma Sendo…? Like Atsushi Sendo…?

So, that’s Akkun’s grandparents, huh…?

“It’s nice to see you holding hands...” Takemichi stated to the elderly couple; although we couldn’t see him in the scene as he was the one holding the camera and shooting the scene. 

“This woman is too slow.” The elderly man named Grandpa Sendo looked back at the camera and scoffed as he pointed at his wife. “She keeps falling behind. That’s why I’m holding her hand.”

“Excuse me, you're the one who walks too fast!” the wife named Grandma Sendo scoffed back. “And when did I ever ask you to hold my hand? It's such a bother and my hand gets all sweaty.”

“Let go, then. Let go.” The husband snapped and swatted her hand away and this scene made almost everyone in the auditorium let out small chuckles and giggles.

“They had a little fight and in the end, stopped holding hands. Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken to them. I felt a bit sorry then. However, Grandma Sendo has a sore leg and starts falling behind. Soon Grandpa Sendo holds her hand again. The two of them keep walking as if nothing happened.” Takemichi narrated the ongoing scene which brought a smile to my face.

The scene then transitioned to them going shopping at a flea market where Grandma Sendo noticed a jacket for her husband before taking it from the clothing rack and holding it in front of him to see how it would look on him. There also they started bickering again, but yet at the same time, the entire scene was really beautiful and wholesome. After that one after another scene transitioned onto the screen, showing the elderly couple enjoying their meal with their grandson Akkun or Grandpa Sendo taking his wife to the bathroom stall in the middle of the night which was located outside the main house or him singing an old classic song upon his wife’s request while she was inside the bathroom stall.

Takemichi’s film showed the everyday life of an elderly couple, finding the meaning of life through his narration. He was telling a story about love. It's something we all knew about and we all took it for granted, so sometimes we would neglect its true value. Last semester, Takemichi kept saying that he didn't know what to do. So I thought he would just join some team. But it turned out that Keisuke helped him with the ideas and Takemichi made this at the very end.

Keisuke said Takemichi’s film was made for me. At first, I didn’t understand what he was talking about. But now everything was clear to me. The film touched my heart, truly. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It made my heart race like crazy, like a free wild horse. It overwhelmed me so much that I wanted to cry. Keisuke was thinking far into the future; maybe much more than I was.

I was so engrossed in the film that I didn’t even realize my own vision was getting blurry before small teardrops started to roll down my cheeks. My face was turning warm and red while my lips began to quiver, but I tried to keep myself calm and composed.

Wow… What should I do? I’m so happy that I actually ended up crying… I’m so touched, I don’t know what to do…

The film went on for about 10 minutes and although I didn’t major in Mass Media, even I could tell how much effort Takemichi had put into making it. All throughout the film, I felt so grateful and so moved. I never thought it was possible to fall deeper in love with Keisuke. But maybe I was wrong.

“For this couple, the day ends a little earlier than for others. As Grandpa Sendo has a sore back, Grandma Sendo lays out the bedding for him.” Takemichi narrated the scene where it showed the wife laying a futon on the floor for her husband.

“You’re going to bed quite early…” Takemichi noted to the couple, causing them to look at the camera.

“The early bird catches the worm… Don’t you know that?” Grandma Sendo asked.

“You go to bed too, young man.” Grandpa Sendo advised as he walked toward where the switches were. “I’m turning the lights out.”

“All right...” the wife responded back.

And with that, the husband closed the door shut and then turned off the lights in their bedroom. The scene then transitioned to what seemed like the outside of the house, capturing the nature and its beauty around it which was illuminated by the brilliance of the full moon gleaming brightly in the night sky.

“So this is how their day ends. Tomorrow will be another day just like today. One could see the precious, ardent feeling of just being together… had become a natural part of their everyday lives…” Takemichi narrated and with that, the film came to an end.

Everyone in the auditorium gave a big round of applause and the host returned to the stage.

“That was the short documentary film ‘Tomorrow, Just Like Today’…” the host stated. “We will close part one with commentaries from our colleague, Takemichi Hanagaki, the director and producer of this film.”

Takemichi then went up to the stage, all dressed up nicely, before looking back at the audience in front of him with a mic in his hands and a smile on his face.

“It was a short documentary film. I hope you all enjoyed it…” Takemichi started. “Thank you for watching it until the end. I met the couple by chance on the subway and it was quite memorable the way they quarreled and took care of each other at the same time. They turned out to be one of my close friends, Atsushi Sendo’s grandparents, so I got a chance to film them. And the one who gave me the idea to film them was a senior from the Veterinary Medicine Department, Keisuke Baji. I was in a dilemma with my presentation for months and because of Baji-kun’s help and idea, I was finally able to make the film. And Baji-kun dedicated this film to his girlfriend, Nana Osaki, another senior of mine from the Medicine Department. Throughout production, Baji-kun kept saying that he would like to age with Nana-chan as well, just like Grandpa and Grandma Sendo, because she’s really precious to him. So I really hope both Baji-kun and Nana-chan liked and enjoyed the film. Also, thank you once again. To those who helped me make this film and to everyone who watched it.”

Upon hearing Takemichi’s words, my eyes widened a bit in surprise.

Is this what the film is about, Keisuke? A future that you dream of for you and me? For us…?

“Nana…” Keisuke called out in a whispered tone and I looked back at him. “Wait- You’re crying?”

“Huh?” I asked in confusion, tilting my head to the side and then it hit me; I was tearing up just a few minutes ago and maybe my eyes were still red at that moment. “N-No… I wasn’t crying, like… Um, okay, maybe I was, a little, but it’s not that big of a deal…”

“Do you wanna step outside for a bit?” Keisuke asked in concern as his eyes softened a bit. “Part two will begin in 15 minutes, so we can go and take a breather.”

“Okay, let’s go…” I muttered in response, slowly nodding my head.

Keisuke grabbed my hand and pulled me up from my seat before walking out of the auditorium hall with me, hand in hand. We then made our way outside the building when I noticed that it was already dark outside. Time really did fly by that quickly, huh?

“Let’s go on for a ride. What do you say?” he asked, a small smirk curling up on his lips.

“We can do that.” I smiled in response and his smirk widened a bit.

Hopping into his mother’s car, Keisuke drove us through the streets of Tokyo as I watched the city lights from the window, enjoying the view of the night. While zooming through the city, I began to wonder how my relationship with Keisuke used to be back in the days when we were still teenagers and used to be a part of Toman. 

In the warmth of his friendship, I found love blossoming like a beautiful flower in spring. We were destined to be more than friends, and now, as I fell for him, I understood why. When I looked into his eyes, I could see the memories of our childhood, and in my heart, I felt the promise of our future together. Keisuke was my playmate, my confidant, and now, my heart's desire when I realized I had fallen in love with him. I used to think that love stories were meant for others, but with him, I found that my own fairy tale was unfolding. In the moments we shared as friends, I never knew that love could be so magical until I fell in love with him. The depth of our friendship had paved the way for something extraordinary – love that knew no bounds. 

As we grew up together, so did the love inside me, and now I couldn't even imagine a life without him. Keisuke was my constant, my rock, and now, he was the one who made my heart skip a beat. In the laughter, we shared as kids and the secrets we kept as teens, I found the love that was always meant to be, only for us, only for him and me. It took a lifetime of friendship to realize that my heart had always belonged to Keisuke only, not Shinichiro or Manjiro, not anyone else. In the story of our friendship, love wrote its own chapters, and I was eagerly waiting to discover what would come next.

They say the best relationships are built on friendship, and with Keisuke, I knew that was true. Falling in love with him felt like coming home to a place where I had always belonged. With each passing day, I found myself falling deeper in love with my best friend – the one who knew and understood me like no other. The beauty of our friendship lay in the way it transformed into the most beautiful love story. From the very beginning, Keisuke held my heart in his hands, and now, it was his to keep forever. As the seasons changed, so did my heart, and now it was filled with love for him, my childhood companion. Keisuke was there for me in every phase of my life, and now, I wanted him to be my forever and always. I used to wish upon stars for the perfect love, but I found it in him, my childhood best friend.

Falling in love with Keisuke Baji as a teenager meant wild hair and loose morals; it meant black leather jackets with jeans and combat boots, soda cans in hands. Our love included the neon lights smattering a kaleidoscope of colors across his warm ivory skin and the sarcasm dripping from his smirking lips. It included the adrenaline rush and the bruised knuckles; the champagne bubbles and the contagious smiles; the blanket forts and the late-night squabbles; the roller coaster rides and the guitar solos. Our romance had the bonfires and the sparklers, and the warmth of terrible decisions in his smiles.

Loving Keisuke Baji was like dancing in the rain; refreshing, invigorating, and filled with joy. Like a gentle breeze on a summer's day, it made me feel alive and carefree. Loving him was like watching the sunrise, it brought light to my darkest moments. Like finding a hidden treasure; a precious gem that made my life more valuable. Like being lost in a beautiful melody; every note resonated in my heart. It felt like stargazing on a clear night, I felt a sense of wonder and awe in his presence. Like it was a rollercoaster ride; thrilling, exhilarating, and occasionally nerve-wracking.

My love for Keisuke made me see the world through rose-tinted glasses; everything seemed more beautiful. My love for him was like a delicate dance of vulnerability and strength; I learned to embrace both sides of myself. It was the first blooms of spring that brought a sense of renewal and hope into my life. Like the gentle touch of a feather; soft, comforting, and full of tenderness.

We became best friends to lovers where our romance was like the soft humming of a love song and the long bike rides on midnights. It was our laughs that were a little softer and me holding his hand a little tighter. It was like befriending all the neighborhood dogs and sharing peyoung yakisoba while sitting on the sidewalk. And something about the way he always looked at me with the late-afternoon sunlight twisting over his skin, the almost evening breeze mingling with his long raven hair with a puppy in his arms, made me realize how much I was in love with the man named Keisuke Baji.

It was my love for Keisuke that made me feel like exploring a vast, uncharted territory. Every day, I discovered something new to adore. It felt like sipping on sweet nectar; it left me wanting more with each taste. When I was in love with him, it was like witnessing a work of art come to life – his every move was poetry in motion. I was so madly in love with him that my love for him felt like reading my favorite book over and over again; our love story that never grew old.

It was like a sweet addiction and I couldn't get enough of his love. It was the missing piece of a puzzle that made him complete me in every way. My love for him was like walking on air – he lifted me up and made me feel weightless. It was a fairytale come true, a love story beyond my wildest dreams. Like the calm after a storm – he brought peace to my chaotic heart. A summer rain shower that washed away my worries and refreshed my soul. Like dancing under a starlit sky, a magical and unforgettable experience.

Falling in love with him was like stepping into a world I never knew existed, a world filled with wonder and enchantment. It was like discovering a hidden oasis in the desert – a source of comfort in the midst of life's challenges. Or like watching a beautiful sunrise that filled my heart with warmth and hope.

Soft wasn't a word most people would associate with Keisuke Baji, it wasn't a word he would associate with himself, but I knew better than anyone else. Keisuke had quite a presence; an energy and aura that made him seem so much bigger and threatening, but when he was with me, he wasn't that man. He didn't scare me, not one bit. Sometimes I also thought to myself – how did I ever find my way into his orbit, the hurricane that was his existence?

But then again, this was Keisuke Baji we are talking about. Falling in love with him was like a gentle breeze on a summer's day that caressed my soul and made everything feel right. Like finding the missing piece to my heart's puzzle and him completing me in ways I never imagined. It was like unwrapping a precious gift; with each layer, I found more to adore. His love was a sip of the finest wine that intoxicated me in the most delightful way. It made me stand on the edge of a cliff; thrilling, yet a leap I was willing to take. It was a beautiful melody that made his presence create a symphony in my heart.

Our love was like the wings of a free bird which made us fly together high up in the sky. Our love had freedom like no one else. Our romance was gentle and sweet, like honey and blossoms on a Sunday morning, yet sometimes, it was also very hot, fiery, and passionate like drugs and firecrackers. Sometimes, it felt like there was this tender thing, this absolution, this lingering docility in my fingertips that would come out whenever I traced the outlines of his face. I would kiss every inch of his face and that was enough to make me feel euphoric as if spring flowers would rain in my steps.

When I fell for this man for the first time years ago, it made me feel like walking through a field of wildflowers where his love painted my life with vibrant colors. It was similar to the feelings of stars aligning like destiny had brought us together. It was a fairytale, a magical romance beyond my imagination. Like chasing a shooting star; I knew it was rare and special. A sweet addiction making me crave more with each passing moment.

Falling in love with Keisuke was like writing a love letter where every word was filled with passion and affection. It was discovering a whole new side of myself and he awakened parts of me I didn't know existed. When I fell for him, a gentle rainfall touched the dry earth and it brought life to my heart and soul. It was like walking hand in hand with destiny as our paths were meant to intertwine.

Being with him felt like basking in the warmth of the sun – his love brought light to my life, his presence was my place of comfort and solace. It felt like dancing on air, every moment was filled with joy and grace. He made me feel as if I was floating on a cloud where his love lifted me higher than I had ever been. To me, his laughter was music to my soul, the sweetest melody, and being with him felt like a perfect dream, one I never wanted to wake up from.

We loved each other with poetry, prose, and profoundness. We loved each other with deliberateness; like handwritten love letters quietly snuck into the back pockets. We loved each other with buckets full of affection in the simplest of ways; like me falling asleep on the way home and resting my head on his shoulder while he drove his motorcycle. We loved each other with kindness and our love meant noticing little things and remembering them. Our love meant listening and being listened to. Our love meant wanting and needing and being wanted and needed. Our love meant choosing to fall in love with each other, again and again, every day.

With him, watching the stars twinkle and I could see his eyes would light up my whole world. In his arms, a warm embrace, I found safety and love. With him always felt like time standing still; every moment together was timeless. It was like a journey to the stars, his love took me to places I had never been. Like a gentle breeze on a summer's day, his presence soothed my soul. Like discovering a garden of flowers, his love bloomed in my heart. A fairytale adventure, a love story for the ages. A walk in sunshine, his love filled my life with brightness.

Being with Keisuke always felt like a masterpiece in the making and our love was a work of art. A feeling like finding my home; he was where my heart belonged. Our love was like a sweet melody, a song that would never end, ever.

Being in love with my childhood best friend for years now was like a beautifully woven tapestry, each thread representing a cherished memory shared over time. It was a feeling of comfort and familiarity, like coming home to a place where I was truly understood and accepted. The love I had for him had grown gradually, much like a flower blooming from a tender bud to a full, vibrant blossom. It was a mixture of joy and nostalgia, as I would remember the innocent games we played as kids and the secrets we shared in whispered tones. Through the years, we witnessed each other's growth and supported one another through life's ups and downs, building a bond that felt unbreakable.

Being in love with my childhood best friend evoked a sense of safety and trust, knowing that he had always been by my side, and I had been there for him too. Our connection ran deep, transcending the passing of time and the changes that life brought. At times, it might have felt like a silent longing, a gentle ache in my heart whenever he was near, but I treasured the friendship too much to risk its foundation. Sometimes I caught myself stealing glances or daydreaming about what could be, while still valuing the present and the beautiful memories we already shared.

The feeling was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking when I considered taking the leap from friendship to something more. The fear of losing the friendship was overwhelming, but the possibility of a deeper, more profound love kept pulling me closer to him. Loving Keisuke was a journey of self-discovery and emotional growth, a realization that this person, who had been an integral part of my life for so long, had become my anchor, my confidant, and my partner in every way, including romantically.

It was a love story of hope and possibility, where two hearts, entwined by years of shared experiences, finally found the courage to step into uncharted territory and explored the beauty of love in a new light.

Although time passed and we aged into mature adults, our love and romance were still the same, like two idiots falling in love for the first time in middle school.

Half an hour later, we reached Odaiba beach in Central Tokyo where Keisuke parked his car in the parking lot before we made our way towards the water and the sand.

Boasting excellent access from central Tokyo, the artificial island of Odaiba offered a variety of exciting spots such as a theme park, museums, shopping malls, and hot springs. Especially famous was Odaiba’s stunning night view of Tokyo Bay, with the illuminated Rainbow Bridge and both Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower twinkling in the distance. It was a breathtaking panorama of city lights, best enjoyed after spending an entire day of sightseeing in Odaiba. This island had the best night view spots I had ever seen.

From where we were standing, we could see the Daiba Park, the Aqua City Odaiba Shrine, the Odaiba Statue of Liberty, the Center Promenade, and the Odaiba Marine Park.

The Daiba Park boasted a beautiful view that was thoroughly unique to the island, featuring the sparkling city lights and Rainbow Bridge on its north side while Tokyo Bay and Odaiba sprawl in front of us on the south side. No matter what time of day, the park and its iconic view were always a sight to behold and one of Tokyo’s most representative.

The Shinto shrine was on top of the massive shopping mall Aqua City and from there, if we looked down on Rainbow Bridge in front of the sprawling lights of central Tokyo, we could find ourselves getting lost in the mesmerizing view.

The Center Promenade connected Aomi and its Palette Town to Ariake and Tokyo Big Sight, leading us right across Odaiba. It was surrounded by greenery, seasonal flowers, and plenty of water, with a variety of shopping malls and other entertainment spots to be found on either side. It was also often the venue for food festivals, sports events, and flea markets. On sunny days, we might even be able to see Mount Fuji in the distance from Deai Bridge and Yumenoo Bridge. Every spot on Central Promenade was lit up after sunset, creating a wonderland of colorful illuminations and a dreamlike atmosphere. The many twinkling, colorful lights are one of Odaiba’s most popular night views.

And from far away we could see the Odaiba Marine Park sprawled right in front of Decks Tokyo Beach and Aqua City Odaiba, offering an oasis of calm on the modern island. Next to various fun activities such as shell gathering and windsurfing, the park also offered what was possibly the most iconic view of Rainbow Bridge and the Odaiba Statue of Liberty. Especially stunning was the transition from sunset to nighttime and the park was the place to go for events such as the Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks and the Tokyo Fireworks Festival. The plethora of colorful cruise ships sailing peacefully right in front of Rainbow Bridge was a symbol of the mesmerizing Tokyo night.

“It’s so pretty, right?” I muttered, staring at the amazing view in front of me in awe.

“Yeah, it is…” Keisuke muttered before looking over at me, grabbing my hand in his before intertwining our fingers again. “Nana, I have been wanting to ask you this but… did you enjoy the film?”

“Yeah, I did actually. I loved it. It made me so, so happy that I ended up crying…” I smiled in response, causing him to return the gesture.

“You know, Nana…” Keisuke trailed off, his eyes now locked on the stunning city before us. “While being with you, I made many big decisions in my life. Perhaps if I had not met you, I probably would not have made those choices, you know.”

“What kind of choices would you have made?” I asked.

“Begin with... If you were not here, what urges would not have come into being? Things such as how to fulfill my own hopes while considering other people's happiness at least in this way, I think they would not even have crossed my mind. But now, I have already set up my goals and I know what I want to do in life. I want to expand my outlook more, meet a variety of people and improve my own worth. Because originally I thought I was fine with anything that life has to offer me. I didn't have many dreams and desires. But then when I meet you, knowing that you come from the prestigious traditional Osaki family, I thought about it more and more. In the future, this might be wishful thinking, but... If I were good at a job where I can gain appreciation working nationally or even maybe internationally, I would be able to stand next to you with pride. That's what I have been thinking of, you know…” Keisuke revealed and my eyes softened at the sight of him.

“But for such a beginning, I think anything is fine. After all, it's about you, Keisuke. Whatever you do, I mean. Besides, you always do things wholeheartedly with all your might and I love that about you.” I responded back with a chuckle while Keisuke gave me his signature wolfish grin.

“Say, Nana… We both are still very young and we have a long way to go, so that's precisely why we should construct. Definite dreams of a happy future before it's too late, isn't it?” he asked and I gave him a curious look.

“What do you mean?” I questioned back and just then Keisuke pulled out an envelope from the pocket of his jacket.

“I’m not that good with words when I’m talking, so I wrote my words down in this paper. It took me days to write this…” he stated as he handed the envelope to me.

I took the envelope from him and carefully opened it. Inside it, there was a piece of folded paper. It was a handwritten letter from Keisuke.

~~~~~

Nana,

I love you. I have loved you all my life. I probably loved you the minute I saw you for the first time. You’re the love I chose. Out of everyone in the world, out of everyone I have ever known, I chose you. At the edge of everything, love and faith have always brought me back, and back to you. I love your grit, your resilience, your light, your heart. I love you through the perfect moments, and there are so many, but I will always love you through the imperfect ones too. I can promise you that I’ll love you on your best days, but I’ll love you even harder on your worst. And I’ll love you all the days in between. I promise you, I’ll do my damnedest to love you like you have never been loved before. 

I want your dirt, your pain, your darkness. I want your weakness and your flaws. I don’t want you for good; I want you forever. I would love you completely, wholly. I won’t hide behind the shadows. I won’t love you from afar. I won’t only take parts of you. I want all of you; mind, body, and soul. I want to be with you, always. And even if something happens, know that I will find you in every lifetime. You are mine, and not even death can keep you from me. I’ll never stop being greedy when it comes to you. You will always be the exception to any rule and the only person I’m willing to screw the world over for. Because if you’re not happy, I’ll ruin whatever stole your smile, myself included too. 

I want you to be my first. I want you to be my last. I want you to be all the in-betweens. I want you. Just you. Only you. We’re meant to be. My heart is yours, my love is yours, my days and all my nights are yours. I’ll hold you up, stand by you, and give you everything I have. I’ll love you with all that I have. Wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, alive or dead, young or old, my heart will always be with yours. Every beat you feel against your fingertips is me calling out to you. It's us, communicating, bonding, sharing; it's us living. 

I’m hopelessly, irrevocably in love with you. The desperate, aching kind of love. The kind there’s no coming back from. The kind there’s no way out of. The kind that’s going to be the death of me one day. You put me in my place when I need it, and you listen to me when I need a listening ear. Plain and simple, you complete me, and I know for certain, I can’t live this life without you in it. There’s no one who loves you more than I do. I will argue that point until I die, vehemently and with great pride. You’re the reason my heart beats, and even if I don’t deserve you, I’ll go to my grave doing everything I can to be the one you deserve.

I loved you then and I love you now. And if you’ll have me, I’ll love you until my last breath. You’re the love of my life, my best friend, my partner. I like you as much as I love you. I could have a million lifetimes with you and it still wouldn’t be enough. I promise that I will spend the rest of my life taking care of you, the way you deserve to be taken care of. You are it for me. I will always be here if you need me, no matter how far in distance or time. I don’t care if we’re on different continents or if it’s five, fifty years in the future. I never want you to wake up and feel like you’re alone because you’re not. You’ll always have me.

You’ll never be alone. As long as there is a beat in my heart and breath in my lungs, you’ll never be alone. No matter what happens, I want to be the person you know you can turn to. The place where you feel safe. I want you to feel like you can just be human, in front of me. Like you don’t have to always show your best side. To call you the love of my life does not do justice to how much I love you. My existence doesn’t make sense without you by my side. For the rest of our lives, in the next life, in every alternate reality, I’ll be yours if you’ll have me. 

~~~~~

“That’s a beautiful love letter, Keisuke. Glad to see no misspelled words here.” I joked with a light-hearted chuckle as my face started to heat up a bit at the beautiful words in his letter before looking back at him again.

And that’s when I noticed him holding a small box in his hand and inside the box, there was a beautiful diamond ring in it. Immediately, my breath hitched and I went stiff on my spot while my heart started to hammer hard against my chest, so loud that I could hear my own heartbeats in my ears. Keisuke gently took my left hand in his and put the ring around my ring finger while I stood there in shock and confusion.

“Definite… Of the future, you mean...” I trailed off and Keisuke flashed out a genuinely warm smile at me.

“I want to be with you forever, Nana…” Keisuke confessed and my eyes widened a bit when I finally realized what he was implying. 

First that film and then this letter… Keisuke, is this what I think it is…?

My face was now too hot and red and I could feel it, even if I couldn’t see it. All my emotions within me were now swirling around like a tornado. It felt as if my brain had stopped working and at such a rate, my heart was beating, I might faint or probably die at any minute now.

“What? You don't want to?” he asked with a sexy wolfish smirk, flashing out his sharp upper canines as he pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning closer to my face, and looking deeply into my eyes. “Tell me your feelings, Nana... Lies are out of the question because if it's your hopes and dreams, I will fulfill whatever they are, completely. Tell me your dreams…”

As I stared into his beautiful bronze-colored eyes, I found myself getting lost in them. They were so deep like the ocean, making me want to dive into them. Keisuke Baji really did know how to sweep me off my feet.

“I-I… I… want to be with you forever too, Kei…” I mumbled as tears started to form in my brownish-amber eyes.

They weren’t the tears of sadness. They were the tears of absolute happiness and joy. My bottom lip started to quiver, so I bit it down to keep my emotions in control, trying really hard not to break down in tears of joy. I also wanted to be with Keisuke forever. I also wanted to grow old with him like Akkun’s grandparents. Love him over and over again until I got perished away from this world. Keisuke’s smirk then turned into a mesmerizing smile before he leaned even closer and gently connected his lips with mine.

“Then, be mine forever, Nana…” he whispered against my lips, and in response, I leaned forward even more against his lips and kissed him back.

Yes, just you and me, always and forever….

My other TR fanfic snippets - Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6, Link 7.

Read the entire fanfic on Quotev & Wattpad -

[appreciatingtokrev]

yw yw!! no no understandable. big big hyperfixation that motivates me to get rid of comfy things happens like twice a year to me lmao. alsooo still expecting that bandom paragraph you said you’d send me !! i mean... okay. okay, yeah.

hehe ty >:3 yeah shakey time is a wonderful thing lmao idk it just helps. anyways. tenjiku!!! yes!! generally i am like. tokrev lexicon and my friends kept forgetting things so i was telling them who’s who and bla bla all of the time but i def overdid it at the tenjiku reveal i was just so excited ajfkgjjsk pointing at the screen, clapping, going ‘‘omg omg it’s [character]!! look at them :D !!’’ bc. i DO love them all. also autism. conclusion it was really fun + i finally saw my friends again after half a year and. so much happiness in me asfhjhdhg

TY AA. honestly idk how i came up with all of these i read one (1) thing abt kazutora kissing the inside of baji’s wrist where his pulse is and then i started going insane abt him doing that to reassure there still is a pulse... and then i brainrotted so hard i came up with the whole rest of this lmao

tyty hehe

yes <\3 personally also insane abt timetraveler!hanma who figures there’s no way to save kisaki so he just enjoys his time at his side. but secretly he still hopes...

yes man aaaa i have v personal feelings abt izana, kaku, and especially the two of them together so. ahdjfkdjsjgsjajdgj. they make me wanna cry fr i already get so damn emotional seeing them as kids lying in the snow at this point. screams also especially bc kaku is pretty suicidal tbh during the times he’s without izana and like. when he says he wishes he would’ve died instead of izana (or at least die alongside him) he MEANS it and he will ALWAYS mean it and that. god fuck

yes happy sano family house is a need in my life omg

yeah :((

nod nod nod

yes the ending 💀💀 i could write a ten page essay abt it tbh analyzing what it means for the whole plot, and what i think is good & what bad, and what i’d hoped for instead. i have so many opinions abt this timeline (mostly bad ones tho) you don’t even know. yes very true. generally happy kisaki is live laugh love tbh. love that for him fr. yep very agreed abt chifuyu remembering!! personally i’m just too busy being upset that kazutora doesn’t remember (which wouldn’t really make sense but that is exactly why i dislike the way the ending was handled) bc he went through a ton of character development that would not play out the same way if he doesn’t go through it the way he did 😭 but yeah that’s for my hypotetical multiple page essay abt this timeline ajhakdjdjsk

taku it feels like i haven’t talked to you in ages. cries. also also i love the new theme!! even if i miss the mizo mid pfp

anyways i am here to tell you that i FINALLY watched s2 of tokrev omg aren’t you proud of me 😌😌 i don’t really have much to say abt it tbh bc i mean i knew everything that happened already you know everything that happened already soo... but i gotta tell you abt the moments that made me feel the most things bc well. i gotta tell someone and my qpp was live experiencing everything bc i watched s2 with them & three of our friends so it’s only you left. okay so first i gotta explain shakey time bc uhh my qpp & i are both shit with ~emotions~ and ~feelings~ so basically when either of us Feels Too Much TM we grab the other by the shoulder and shake?? honestly i have no clue why but somehow it helps with processing ??? well i’m calling whatever that is shakey time. so. too much shakey time in those 4 hours i swear. most notably the whole manila mikey shit (i mean i knew ehat was gonna happen but still 😭😭😭😭) and then on a wayyy happier note izana!! izana <33 and shion and mochi and the haitanis <33 so much shakey time. love izana’s japanese va (idk abt others we only watched it sub so). very happy and i have newfound motivation for sm stuff now help. also do you happen to know who that guy beside mochi was in that one shot where we see him, izana, shion, kisaki iirc, and the haitanis? bc my only guess is mucho. or some random unimportant guy. but like both of these don’t make that much sense. maybe i’m just forgetting smth idk

also i have no clue how the bd arc would do that but i am now going insane over the final timeline?? specifically the final timeline but everyone still has their memories from before the final jump. except maybe kisaki or smth idk but i haven’t figured good criteria for who remembers n why yet. i most specifically need bajitrio to remember bc i think that makes for fun hcs hehe. just kazu & fuyu subtly trying to check for baji’s pulse (or heartbeat) to make sure he’s actually still alive in this timeline n eventually it becoming a habit/subtle sign of love kinda thing bc they do it so often lol. also kazu & fuyu def have an obsession with falling asleep on baji’s chest while listening to his heartbeat. i feel it’d be very reassuring to them idk,, and i think kazu holds baji’s waist 24/7 when they’re the age he would’ve died + older bc there isn’t any injury or scar there (where he stabbed him in the other timeline-) and he sometimes needs to reassure himself that there really isn’t afjkfgjffh

while i’m on that mitsuya repeatedly calls draken in the middle of the night around the time where he died in the other timeline to make sure he’s alive. mikey just makes draken sleep over in his bed and solves the problem with that lol

also. hanma. hanma keeps forgetting that kisaki’s alive in this timeline at first and scares himself shitless every time they interact bc for a split second he thinks he’s going crazy seeing a ghost

kakucho simply never leaves izana again. problem solved 👍

mikey lives with emma & shin (& maybe izana... maybe......) so he knows they’re alive and well and since he makes draken sleep over anyways draken also knows they’re alive & well.

wakasa, benkei & takeomi call each other at ungodly times of the night n go ‘‘shinichiro is alive, right?’’ ‘‘last time i checked, yes’’ ‘‘good, thanks’’ and then hang up and go to sleep bc they don’t wanna bother shin but sometimes... sometimes there’s just doubt yk

while we’re at it i believe in takeomi being a better brother this time. like he still fucks up sometimes and all that but he genuinly tries and he actually pretty much fixes his relationships with his siblings bc they all learnt from the other timeline (and i want them to be happy okay). not sure if i believe in taiju being a better brother this time...

i’d like to say i’m normal abt this (au version of this) timeline but uh.... uh...... ngl i used to HATE hate the ending and i still don’t like it much but i am slowly starting to like it more but i’m not sure if i should be happy abt that ngl 😭 idk i think i mostly like the characters & some of the new interactions n dynamics, not the actual timeline. bc to me it will always be the final timeline’s biggest fault that basically nobody remembers anything from any of the other timelines bc all of the character development n shit is gone. but oh well

elys my love, hello! it really does feel like forever since we've talked youre righttttt. thank you haha!! my emo bands hyperfixation got so bad to the point of me putting in the effort of changing my theme, can you believe it? ok look, the mizo mid pfp aged like fine wine. still nice, but still aged

yayyyyyy!!! i am indeed very proud tehe. but that seems pretty effective? if it works for the both of you then good job!! yes the reveal of tenjiku!!!!! was screaming and pointing them out to my siblings the whole entire time so real. omg yes thatz good! [will answer that second ask of yours after this bcuz ik it was related to it lol]

STOPPPP THOSE ARE REALLY CUTE AND SAD AT THE SAME TIME I LOVE THEMMMM

big brainers i tell you

hanma :(((((((((

no cuz istg izana's whole death has to be one of the worst in tokyorev. like what did my boy kaku do to deserve this man :((

would be a nice house to live in / visit!

true theyre probably some of the characters that had it the worst ngl. like everyone went through an equal amount of shit with everyone's deaths but the bd's losing shin must've been horrible :(

YES LIVING FOR THE OMI GOOD BROTHER AGENDA this reminded me of that clear shot of him in s2 im gonna cry i love him i love him true i mean im sure he learns along the way tho, i'd hope so.

like the ending of tokyorev??? cuz boyyyy 💀💀 my thoughts on the ending is for another time but fr letz just say the ending wasnt the best thing ever like ong. i mean it was a good ending for the characters and its pretty much what everyone wanted but the way it took place was just not it T T ok but the koko n kisaki agenda is REAL they are so bffs honestly i live laugh love them. yeah nobody remembering what happened was shitty but at least chifuyu remembered? that was a nice detail during the ending ngl

[toloveawarlord]

♥ Pairing: Keisuke Baji x Fem!Reader

♥ Timeline: Toman Timeline post timeskip

♥ Event: Kinktober

♥ Day 2: Friends with Benefits

♥ Warnings: semi-public; jealous behavior; mean baji

♥ wc: 1.3k

You were fucking with him.

You had to be.

Why else were you sitting on Mikey's lap, absently playing with his hair while mid-conversation with him and Mitsuya. Ignoring him, like you weren't making out with before joining him to meet the Toman members at the bar.

Baji polished off his beer, not so subtly staring. It was even more fucking irritating that you wouldn't even glance in his direction. He'd brought you along to show you off.

But they were supposed to be jealous of him.

Not him sitting at the bar counter, watching them fawn over you. Flirt with you.

Have you sitting on his fucking lap.

"And here I thought you two were just friends," Kazutora said, poking at his friend who looked like he was being blue-balled by a girl that he vehemently denied having any type of feelings. Physical or otherwise. Kazutora didn't buy into the bullshit. "She's hot. What did you expect them to do?"

Bastards. All of them.

He fucking knows you're hot. It was the very first thing that popped into his mind when he met you. Going to feed his neighborhood alley cat and perhaps get some snuggles, Baji had found you there with his little scoundrel. He was greeted with your lovely ass in tight shorts that left little to the imagination, bent over and petting the black and white speckled kitten.

"Fuck all of you-" Baji cursed under his breath, landing a decent punch against Kazutora's side. He couldn't take it. Your face inches Mikey's, like the two of you were going to kiss. Your fingers still intertwined in his blond hair.

The glass in his hand nearly shattered as he slammed it against the counter, gathering the attention of everyone. "Aye, let's blow this joint. I'm bored." Bored. Pissed. About to punch his commander square in the nose.

"What crawled up your ass?" You asked, not pleased with how he jerked you off Mikey's lap and hauled you toward the door without a care about how you felt about it.

"Hey, where are you goin-" "Yo, Baji, the fuck man-"

But the two of you were on the street before any explanation could be given.

"Keisuke? Hello?" You called to him once again, receiving no response but a loud huff. Taking a quick step to catch up to his pace instead of being dragged along, your mouth dropped open in a wide, knowing smile. "Oooh. I get it. Didn't like me and Mikey together huh?"

His silence only drove you to tease harder.

"His lap was very comfortable, you know. And his hair is so freakin soft, and I'll bet his lips are too."

Baji rolled his eyes, bottling up what little self-control that he could to not shut you up with his hand around your throat. Too many witnesses. Grabbing the helmet on his bike, he practically slammed it onto your head. "Get on."

"I'm touched that you're thinking about my safety right now."

"Fucking get on or I'll throw you on."

The bike roared to life and took off down the road at a speed that would land him in jail if pulled over. His whole body was tense, holding in so much pent-up aggression.

You had no reason to hold onto him, other than to touch him because you wanted to. Arms around his waist, fingers finding their way under his shirt. It wasn't surprising that Baji was jealous. He may act like a badass who doesn't care, but he's possessive, even with you.

Even when it wasn't anything.

Just two friends who liked to see each other naked.

He was going to wreck. You must want him fuckin dead to be feeling him up like that right now. Baji found a suitable spot without any people. It was as good a place as any. The helmet on your head clanked against the ground as he threw you over his shoulder.

"An alley? Am I just a common whore now, Keisuke?" The idea of pissing him off more stirred your desire for him. He was wild and rough when it came to banging but you wanted him to go absolutely feral this time.

"Might as well be when you were basically fucking my commander in the bar."

"We both had our clothes on."

Your world spun with how fast Baji dropped you and spun you around to bend your body over a stack of boxes that would surely collapse before he was finished. "It's not their fault. They don't know that we hook up."

Baji jerked both your shorts and panties down to your knees at once. He needed to remind you that he was the one who made you scream in pleasure. "Shut up already. I'm tired of you damn mouth." He wasted no time in sinking balls deep into you.

"Oh my god-"

"Jesus, you're fucking wet from sitting on Mikey's lap? Were you thinking about him fucking you like this? Huh?" The boxes rocked beneath the two of you as he slammed into you. Thinking about what may have been going on in your head while you were with Mikey pissed him off more. "Got nothin to say now?"

What could you say? His cock stretched your hole so wide it was painfully amazing. This was why the two of you hooked up. The sex was just too good to stop after one time. Like magnets, you were drawn back together again and again.

"Seriously? Ya gone dumb already? I've barely fucked you," Baji said, slapping his hand against your ass. Your hands reaching for something to hold onto were snatched by him, locking them behind your back with his strong hand.

"Keisuke-'' God, how did he make you cum so damn fast? Your voice echoed down the empty alley, letting anyone nearby hear you being railed to a fucking amazing orgasm by your best friend. You squirmed in his hold but had absolutely nowhere to run to.

He jerked your head up, fingers gripping into your hair tight enough to nearly rip it out. "Louder, come on. The whole neighborhood can't hear you yet. Let 'em know who it is that fucks you this good."

But he would be lying if he said that he didn't love your pussy. Some girls like that soft and gentle crap. He could get soft just thinking about it. You, though. You allowed him to do as he pleased, for as long as he pleased. Begging for more.

The box that held you started to cave in, threatening to ruin the good time. Baji pulled out long enough to turn you to face him, hands gripping the plush of your thighs. Up was that he gruffed out, hoisting you up, legs around his waist.

And then he was back inside your warm walls.

Your back hit the brick wall, hands gripping onto his shoulders as he managed to thrust faster than before. The angle deeper, hitting that spot inside that made you tingle all over. "Fucking-- shit 'm gonna- again-" Him holding you up like that was so damn sexy.

"Good- fuckin cum on my cock again." He grunted, nearly there himself. Your pussy milking him again was enough to drive him mad. "So damn good- takin it-" He wasn't the best at compliments, never calling you any sweet nicknames. That crap was for losers who fell in love.

The mixture of your juices dripped onto the ground beneath you. Baji accepted your lips against his, sloppy kisses exchanged between gasps for air. Coming down from the high quickly.

You left the alley as if nothing had happened, returning to Baji's bike to leave. Plucking your helmet up off the ground, you watched him fish in his pockets for the key. "So, round two at your place?"

"Damn right."

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Heeey have you already done Shinichiro headcanons? Do you have any? Thanks!!!

Sure here are some for Shinichiro!

Attends all of Mikey's races in the good timeline, also brags to everyone that Mikey is his brother and talks about how proud he is

Inui once called him big brother by accident, Shinichiro was thrilled.

When Emma started to grow older he bought a book on menstruation and tried to learn about it to help her. 

Even though they're all adults he still occasionally grabs Mikey, Emma's and Izana's hands if they're walking together out of habit.

Cries when someone actually accepts his confession 

He recorded a whole bunch of home videos of his siblings growing up, will show Draken and their other partners. (He sees it as something cute not embarrassing)

We didn't get to see it but he gave Emma a few lessons on driving a bike as well as Mikey and Izana.

Goes with Wakasa on his fishing trips a lot

After his fight with Izana, he never gave up on trying to call and text him.

Always has tissues on hand in case he or someone else starts crying

Doesn't celebrate his own birthday too much, but it's ok since his friends and siblings always do a lot for him.

Is terrible at cooking and baking

He has the cheesiest pick up lines

Always considered school to be very important and tried to pass that on to his siblings

He's the one who taught Mikey to not hit girls 

Is actually very good at multi tasking.

When he has a partner he offers to drive them around everywhere. He likes to feel them pressed up against him while driving and wants them to experience how much fun a bike is.

Basically considers Baji as another sibling, he tries to teach him things the same as his other siblings.

If he'd lived through Kazutora's attack then he would've forgiven him. 

Found his first bike broken and ditched on the side of the road. He then practically self taught himself with books on how to fix it up.

Has had a heart to heart talk with Sanzu before over the difficulties of being a big brother and being responsible for your younger siblings.

He's also tried to talk to Takeomi about going easier on Sanzu before.

Gets along very well with Ryoko, she trusts him with Baji a lot.

He has a sweet tooth and also snacks a lot

Is a very fast runner, actually being faster then Mikey (even as adults Mikey still demands races)

Can play the guitar and taught Izana

Sometimes he arm wrestles with Benkei, he knows he won't win but still finds it fun.

In a relationship, Shinichiro is the first to tell you he loves you. But not in a typical way, he actually says it sleepily one morning before realising what he just said and cursing because he wanted the first time to be more romantic.

And finally, after meeting Izana he bought extra taiyaki so he could take one home to Kakucho. 

[chikaiomoi]

more tokyorev overprotective bf headcanons! here’s part one if you haven’t seen them yet! smutty content mentioned below! same as before, set during timeskip/alt timeline. minors DNI.

baji (he’s in this timeline, i don’t make the rules)

man gets jealous SOOO easily but he’s not the type to tell you that you can’t have male friends

but when you’re friends with kazutora?

he loves kazutora so why is he so jealous when the two of you are laughing together?

don’t make a scene, don’t make a scene…

he’s gonna make a scene

he throws his arm around your shoulders and joins in with the laughter, spooking the bunny in kazutora’s arms 

“wanna get out of here, babe?” he asks but it isn’t really a question

you want to stay and see the new animals the store has in, but baji wants to leave — his shift is over, you don’t need to be there any longer

the walk home is a little awkward, and only when you’re back at his place do you question his strange behaviour 

“huh? nothing was strange”

“mmm, are you jealous, keisuke?” 

he turns red and huffs, crossing his arms as he looks away and you just know that you’re right so you tease and tease and tease until he can’t take it anymore

he pins you to the wall, dark hair falling over his features

“if you’re gonna keep being a brat, i’ll have to treat you like one. brats get punished, don’t they?”

kazutora

“i’ll come with you!” “i’m an adult, i can go alone.”

kazutora pouts at you and looks at you with those puppy-dog eyes. “what if someone steals you away?”

you laugh and pat his head, leaning across the shop counter to kiss his cheek. “it’s broad daylight and the konbini is just around the corner.”

“i want to come” “you’re at work” “i’ll take a break” “tora, i’ll be fine”

he knows you’re an adult and you do adult things every day but he can’t help how worried he gets for you every time you leave his side!

he knows the kind of bad people that are out there and he just wants to wrap you up in bubble wrap and keep you safe

he wants to protect you

so, even though you walked out of the shop on your own to head to the convenience store, he follows — just in case

kokonoi

this man doesn’t let you pay for a damn thing

your car? he bought it. your apartment? he pays the rent. your phone? yeah, he bought that too

and that’s why he feels entitled to tracking your phone constantly

he’s just looking out for you after all

of course, you don’t know about it, because you’d freak out if you did

his eyes are constantly on that tracker whenever you’re not with him. if only he could track who you were with, too, that would make things a whole lot easier

he’s possessive even when you’re together. his hands are always on you, no matter where you are, he’s touching you in some way

when he makes love to you? he needs to hear you say his name. he needs to hear you say who you belong to

“to you, h-hajime… j-just you… swear it… i belong to you” those words are like music to his ears

sanzu

you’re dating sanzu? you’re good, you never have to worry about anyone trying to steal you away

why? because anyone that dares to flirt with you suffers immensely 

you always wonder what happened to the regular at your local coffee shop. he was there every day, but now it’s like he never existed

sanzu knows what happened, though, he remembers every detail of it

the guy screamed far too loudly but sanzu had too much fun putting him in his place. took a lot to clean the blood up, though

however, sanzu is so gentle with you, despite the scars and callouses on his hands

well, he’s gentle unless you want it rough, then he’s happy to oblige. 

[seijorhi]

Hihi Rhi :))

ART&RCSW - Special Edition

This week (??) I'll talk about two fics, because I absolutely have to talk about Tailspin <33 And since I'm talking about that, it'll be a Tokyo Revengers themed week I guess

Firstly, The Shape of Your Name?? I have a thing for Kazutora, 100%, and it's like, partly your fault tbh

Anyway, I love this fic so so much, because it's 100000x more painful than any normal soulmate fic you've written, and that's saying something

I love Baji so much and this poor boy just does not get a break, not to mention his poor soulmate

And the twisted way Tora is drawn to the reader just ticks all the right boxes, not to mention how his sense of indebtedness towards Baji translates towards the reader - because obviously, as much as he seems to like her, she is still an extension of Baji, the only one he still has

Just, the entire fic is so mouthwateringly delicious <33

Now, on to the star of the show

Tailspin <33

I like how this fic is centred around Chifuyu and the fact that he remembers - that he's trying to do the right thing and still fails miserably

I do have a question before I get into it - did he kill Takemichi to get the time leaper power?? Or??

Anyway, the way he tries to keep Baji and Kazutora away from the reader, all for it to amount to absolutely nothing in the end - also the fact that we read it from his pov and see how much it strains him to stay away, it almost seems like he was being punished for not taking the reader when he had the chance - she died because he went against the grain and all that

It's like one big cosmic joke because he tried to do the "right" thing

Also the reader's piece of shit boyfriend?? Man, him getting beat up was satisfying as hell, thank you for that Rhi :))

It was such a beautiful fic, and I loved the attention to detail, and the idea that he remembered bits and pieces from previous timelines

Also, I'm curious about Baji and Tora's reactions to him kidnapping this random girl - obviously they were happy and went along with it, but like, what was the process?? Did they ever question how and why Fuyu noticed her and decided to kidnap her??

Anyway, I loved this fic so much, I love all of your writing <33

Sorry again for being a bit late, but by this point, I guess we're both used to it - I hope you've had a good weekend :))

See you (maybe??) on Thursday for another round of fangirling over your writing <33

art, bby, i adore you <33

okay so y'all know (or maybe you don't idk) but tora, baji and chifuyu are my absolute faves in tokyo revengers ... hence why at least half of my tokrev fics features at least one of them hehe

i will gladly take the blame for any Kazutora love, he deserves it all and i am just a vessel to share that with you guys.

the shape of your name is i think the first time i've written a non-soulmate pairing in a soulmate fic? cuz that's such a fun concept to play with, especially when it's yandere, and especially when it's someone clearly fucking unhinged <33

but yes. tailspin :))

YES! HE! MURDERED! THE! FUCK! OUTTA! MICHI!!

again there was gonna be a full scene but i kinda liked the idea of leaving it more up to y'all imaginations as to whether he went and 'asked' or picked the less noble path which involved a pipe but uhhh, in my mind he definitely went with the latter. more because it was a, i guess, sort of proven method? there was no guarantee that even if takemichi agreed to give him the power that he'd know how to do it, that it'd work properly.

and takemitchy wouldn't have given it to him anyway.

but yeah, the universe i guess has it out for the reader fhjdekfhjrek

it wasn't all that intentional, but i never really loved (from a narrative side) the whole 'everyone lives and we're all happy best friends forever uwu' ending that we got. ofc i was thrilled my faves got a second chance, and draken and emma got together and takemichi saved his friends yes, but... life doesn't work that way.

i also liked the idea that certain things are just set in stone within that universe, and yes, maybe chifuyu trying to stray too far from that inevitably made things a thousand times worse for everyone involved.

as far as ginji goes.... gbfhdjkjhvfjdks after getting in trouble for making oc's that you guys liked and then putting them through hell i decided to go the opposite direction. initially when i started the fic he was gonna be a loving, good bf but... where's the fun in that? >:)

chifuyu operates on the belief (or at least tries to convince himself) that the reason they did what they did with the reader in the past was that they were essentially broken people. they lost their way, they lost their friends, and as sad and as sick as it was a kind of coping mechanism. they were beyond healthy relationships, and while they loved the reader, that dependency and the fear that she'd be taken from them too made them go to those lengths.

therefore, in this new, shiny timeline where they're all better people without mental illness, trauma and ptsd who don't kill their friends and beat people to death for the fun of it, they should be able to have a fresh start and be better versions of themselves.

unfortunately for him, they're just broken, fucked up people to begin with, there's no changing that.

i think i sort of explained it badly in the earlier ask, because it wasn't like 'oop, there's this pretty girl and we've noticed you stalking her, but hey if you wanna keep her down here that's cool with us as long as we get to share :))' fghdjkdjhvfjdks

in the original timeline they clock on pretty quick – almost from the get-go in tora's case – that something is up with chifuyu and the reader, and when he starts to spiral... they piece things together. they're both incredibly perceptive, even in canon.

between him leaping back and actually physically abducting the reader, months pass. he sort of leaves a trail of breadcrumbs, waits to see the reaction they'll have to that. i refuse to believe that none of them knew anything about the time leaps, even if they didn't remember anything like fuyu does. there is no way loudmouth, awkward as fuck takemitchy (or mikey) at no point said some weird shit that twigged something between their friends.

it isn't difficult to put chifuyu's strange behaviour and his 'sudden' obsession with this girl together with what they know – or at the very least suspect – and come up with some interesting conclusions. chifuyu wouldn't come right out and blurt the whole story, but over time he'd let things 'slip'.

but i also don't think they're all that interested in pushing him for reasons or justification. if chifuyu wants to keep his secrets, fine.

it's not like they don't feel that draw towards her. it's not like they don't have those same, dark, selfish impulses lurking beneath their skin.

[ja-mi-sa]

Mikey is not a villain.

I noticed that lately there are a lot of people who believe that all the troubles that occur in the plot are caused by Mikey. There are even those who wish him dead. Therefore, I decided to make my own mini-analysis of Mikey's character, refuting such statements.

It will consist of two parts:

1. A good guy worth saving (Reviewing Mikey as a person)

2. The useless king of the criminal world. (Reviewing him as "King")

1 part. A good guy worth saving.

From love to hate one step. That's how you can describe Manjiro Sano's situation. The former favorite of most readers, began to be seriously persecuted by his "fans". He is called a villain, unworthy of salvation. But is he really worse than the rest of the characters? Is he unworthy?

For me, the answer is “No” and here’s why:

Manjiro Sano, also known as "Mikey", is a man who, despite all the difficulties of life, tries to be a protection for those who are dear to him. This is his family, friends and Toman, they are all in Mikey's heart and are his treasure. As a leader, brother and friend, he tries to take responsibility for others, even if it will harm him.

Initially, when we and Takemichi meet Mikey, he seems like a selfish guy who only cares about himself. But the fight against Moebius completely refutes this.

During the fight between Pa and Osanai, Takemichi and I might have thought that Mikey was just bullying Pa, and after a couple of pages it becomes clear that Mikey was worried about him the most. He sincerely wanted to believe in his victory and give him a chance to take revenge. Then came Peyan's forgiveness, despite the fact that he could make the biggest mistake of his life and take away the “heart” (Draken) from Mikey.

I think that although the conflict with Mobius did not have any serious consequences at first glance (! I mean, no one died, but this was the beginning of Mikey's further actions that led us to the current story arc!), it finally showed us that Mikey is a good guy.

Bloody Halloween. The event where we and Takemichi realize that Maika has a dark side. The part that makes him dangerous. But even so, thanks to our hero, Mikey did not commit a crime that could destroy him (in the timeline where he still killed Kazutora, Mikey eventually separates from his friends and does not appear in the world for many years. Knowing the nature of Mikey, I think he already then tried to protect Toman from himself). The event ends with Baji's death and Kazutora's forgiveness.

By the way, Mikey is a liar, he told Tora that he planned to kill him but changed his mind because of Baji. But Mikey never hated Tohru. In the first book of characters, he did not have anyone listed in the “hates” column, at the same time, Kazutora was listed in Draken. In addition, Mikey, in principle, is not the kind of person who will take revenge on others. And the fact that he still tried to do this is caused by the death of Baji.

Black Dragon Arc, strange thing. It's kind of important, but kind of not. The conflict in the Shiba family affected so many people that in the end Mikey expelled Kisaki, but at the same time replacing their family showdown with something else, nothing would have changed for the current arc (for me, this arc itself and its role in the plot are not clear). That Christmas night, we realized how vulnerable Mikey was. He misses a Taiju punch to punish himself. Says strange things about Baji and Sheen. We realize that even then he needed help.

Incident in Kanto. February 22, 2006, an event in which we lost 4 important characters. Emma Sano, a 14-year-old girl who had a simple dream of becoming a bride.

Kurokawa Izana, a guy who suffered from loneliness. Kisaki Tetta, a genius who directed his mind to bad deeds. And Mikey, because it was on that day that he lost Emma, ​​for whom he became "Mikey" (he just has a dead look).

And this guy is a villain? Even if we consider all versions of the future, we cannot say that he was a truly bad guy. At the time of the first timelines, many people did not see Mikey for many years, and Kisaki took over the power in Toman. With Manila! Mikey, everything is not clear. I never believed that he killed all his friends. Then I came across this theory:

I also want to note that all the murders are not Mikey's style. Draken was killed by a katana, in order to kill a person with this weapon, you need to be able to use it. Either you will simply inflict severe wounds with your inability, or it will be a painful death. Mikey is a character who didn’t even hold a knife for all the chapters, not to mention the katana (the only one who was shown with a katana was Sanzu). The Hakkai was burned alive, one of the most painful ways to kill. Mikey is not a sadist and why Hakkai? This murder is more like revenge. Mitsuya was killed at the police station, behind closed doors. 1. How could Mikey get there; 2. I'm pretty sure if Mikey was choking someone, then with the strength of his hands, he would break the person's neck faster. He could have killed Chifuyu, but I doubt he did it.

(Bonten! Mikey will be in part 2.)

Every time Mikey "kills", his victims have every chance of surviving if they are given medical attention. In the case of Kazutora and South, we cannot say whether they died immediately after the beating or whether they were still alive but unconscious. But no one checked their condition, so maybe Mikey just beat them up and left them, and general inaction killed them.

Even when Bonten!Maiki fired at Takemichi, Takemichi was able to stand up and walk some distance. So perhaps his wounds, although they were terrible, but not very fatal (provided that medical care was provided on time).

Or the recent chapter where Mikey lost control of himself. He was under the influence of the Black Impulse and beat up Kanto members Manji and Toman, but didn't kill anyone. Most likely, in this state, his goal is not to kill a person, but to remove the irritant that caused a surge of emotions. And that happened to Kazutora, South and Takemichi. They aroused his anger and he wished they would shut up.

He did bad things, but also good things. Became a brother for Emma, ​​which one could only dream of. Were a leader you can rely on. For some, it was even a lifesaver. At the start of the story, Mikey frees Takemichi from Kiyomasa's influence, and Michi can finally be herself. Now Michi is trying to free Mikey from the Black Impulse and save him.

He has the right to salvation, because in his soul he longs for salvation from darkness. A person who wants help should get it.

[cafedanslanuit]

♡   —   pairing: kazutora x reader

♡   —   summary: after a long day at work, you want nothing but to spend a calm night with your boyfriend. however, you have no idea this is the night were all his demons finally get the best of him.

♡   —   tags/warnings: female reader, angst, breakups, hurt feelings everywhere, mention on mental illnesses and nightmares, based on ben platt’s song ‘carefully’, mention of tora’s job in one of the future timelines.

♡   —   a/n: i enjoyed writing kazutora so. damn. much. also, i’m quite proud of this one and the small details i added~ thank you @ofoceansandtombstones​​ for being my lovely beta <3

♡   —  masterlist

And all this time you've had a gentle way of holding me

So could you please release me that way too?

— “carefully” by Ben Platt

“It’s open, come in!”

The first thing Kazutora sees when he opens the door of your apartment is you, kneeling on the kitchen floor and picking up pieces of a broken baking dish. Red sauce has splattered everywhere and his mind betrays him for a second, imagining an accident far worse than what has truly happened. He blinks twice and starts to notice the small details that finally slow down the fast beating of his heart. There are pieces of chicken breasts next to the open oven door and what he thinks are sliced carrots next to your right knee.

You hiss when you pick up a piece of the shattered glass, the sharp end pinching your finger. Kazutora comes back to his senses, widening his eyes as he realizes he’s just been standing there.

“Hey, let me. You’ll cut yourself,” he warns, walking up to you. Grabbing both your hands, he eases you into your feet and then guides you to the living room. “I’ll take care of it,” he promises as he goes back to the kitchen and starts cleaning up the mess.

You let yourself fall on the sofa with a loud thud and let out an exasperated sigh.

“I just had the most awful day,” you whine, taking off your apron and leaving it on the arm of the sofa.  “Work was hell, I got scolded by something that I didn’t do— like always, only this time my boss was all like: ‘You gotta be more careful, we wouldn’t want to lose such a valuable employee’. Like he was going to fire me over someone else’s mistake?!”

Your voice is getting louder by the minute and you take advantage of the fact Kazutora is in another room to keep the volume. You have been waiting the entire day to see him and vent about what a trainwreck you day had been. Just as always, he listens intently, the only noise coming from the kitchen being a soft scraping sound as he picks up everything and throws it to the trash. 

“Then, I went to the store and of course they had run out of basil. Tell me, how does a store that big run out of basil?” you ask. There’s no answer from the kitchen so you continue. “I mean, yeah, I could have gone to another store but my feet were killing me. I’m just not meant to work in heels the entire day,” you sigh tiredly, swinging your feet.

You reposition yourself, now sitting cross-legged on the sofa. Putting your right hand on your left shoulder, you stretch your neck, feeling your sore muscles releasing a bit of tension with a small ‘pop’.

“I ended up preparing something entirely different than I had planned for dinner. I tried to let it go but just as I was going to put it in the oven, it slipped my hands and—”

“I think we should break up.”

Words die in your lips the moment you listen to your boyfriend speak. The silence becomes loud and abrasive as you struggle to understand what was happening. Why was Kazutora breaking up with you with such a small voice? What had triggered him to come to that conclusion? Why had he decided to bring it up now? You turn your head to the kitchen door and watch him slowly make his way towards you, doubtful steps as he takes a seat on the other side of the sofa, avoiding your eyes at all costs.

“What?” you ask, your voice hoarse. His lips form a tight line and you see him swallowing nervously.

“I’m not doing okay— haven’t been for a while. I— it’s been two years since I left prison and I still haven’t— I don’t— I don’t know what I’m doing,” he explains, looking down at his hands.

You nod slowly, trying to comprehend where he’s coming from. Turning your body towards him, you take a deep breath before speaking.

“It’s okay not to know,” you assure him in a soft voice. “Just… take it slow. One day at a time and then I’m sure you’ll—”

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Kazutora confesses and you notice his voice wavering a little. “I— I keep having nightmares about— about that day and— and also about the motorcycle shop. Those two mix up and…” he takes one of his hands to the side of his head, his fingers grazing his temple. “And I’m hitting Baji in the head. And there’s so much blood— so, so much blood and—”

Leaning forward, you take his hands. They’re shaking and extremely cold and you rub your thumb over his knuckles, trying your best to soothe him.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now, Tora, you’re—”

Kazutora pulls his hands away hastily, leaving a tingling sensation on your palms.

“I can’t!” he says as he shakes his head. You spend a moment looking at your empty hands, never before having felt your boyfriend’s rejection. “I feel like I’m drowning and— You know what? I think relationships just aren’t for me,” he shrugs, his hands moving in exaggerated gestures. “That’s why I never cared for dating, never got myself involved in that kind of shit, not until—”

He finally looks at you and, fuck, you wish he didn’t. You’re not sure if you have the strength to deal with such hurtful discourse. You lick your lips and take yet another deep breath, deciding to ignore his hurtful remark.

“I’m… so sorry you’re feeling this way,” you say, slowing down your words, trying your best not to show how hurt you were. This isn’t him, you tell yourself. So no need for that tightness in your throat. “But you have to understand it’s not because of me. It’s because of everything that you’ve gone through and how hard it’s to deal with them. I don’t blame you, it is hard. But this… us,” you gesture to the both of you. “This is a good thing. Despite all the pain and hurt we’ve both been through, we—”

“Please, stop,” he says, raising his hand and pressing his eyelids together. “I can’t be with you anymore. That’s it, that’s all—”

“So you don’t love me anymore?” you counter. You scoff in disbelief, shaking your head. Kazutora’s eyes shoot open and you notice his pupils shaking in fear, like a deer caught in headlights.

“I love you,” he breathes out, and for a moment you see the boy you fell in love with in his amber eyes that are quickly filling with tears. “I do love you but it’s killing me. I feel like I’m dying,” he chokes out. He looks away from you once more and starts tugging at his fingers. “I’m rotting inside and I don’t know what to do to make it better. I just want it to stop. I want it to stop and— I don’t want you around when I’m like this. I want to figure out what the hell is happening and—”

“But if you love me and I love you then why—”

“I’m not happy with you!”

Kazutora widens his eyes, scared by his loud outburst. He parts his lips, silently muttering nonsense as he tries to come up with words that can make it better. You lower your head and he wants to punch himself over it. He doesn’t want to make you cry, not after everything you’ve done for him. Is he really going to be the person that hurt the one that made a home for him in her embrace? Is he going to hurt the only person that was brave enough to pick up the pieces of his shattered soul?

“I’m…” he babbles, in a soft voice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

You snort. “No, you really did mean it, Tora.”

He can sense the hurt and sadness in your voice, even if now you’re the one that won’t look at him. He watches helplessly as you stand up and walk towards the living room window in complete silence. The apron you took off is still on the couch and the vast memories of all the times he embraced you while you were wearing it quickly fill his mind.

He wishes there was a way he could keep you. But no matter how much he wants to, he knows there really is no other way. He’s thought about this countless times. He has gone to work without getting proper sleep, stared at his blank tv screen for hours on end, trying to come up with a plan where he could keep you. Was staying with the person he loved the most too much to ask?

No matter in how many shades of light or with how much care he handled the memory of you, the only way he could spare you the greatest amount of pain was to leave you— even if he knew he’d end up shattering your heart as well.

Kazutora notices the way your fingers tightly close around the edge of the window, your knuckles turning white. He had come to terms that he’d lose you today, yet he never expected for it to be this way. It doesn’t matter, he tells himself. If hating him would mend your wounds faster, then he’d take it. Anything that would make the heartache he was causing you a little bit lighter. He knew you were the last person on Earth that deserved to go to bed carrying that much pain in her soul.

Looking out the window, you focus on a small girl walking her dog on the street. It’s a brown labrador and by the size of it, it’s barely a puppy. Rather than walk, it jumps on its four legs, his little head looking back at the girl every chance he has as he happily wags his tail. The pet shop Kazutora and Chifuyu work at immediately comes to mind. Would it be like this from now on? Small things eliciting memories of your days together without your consent and leaving a sour taste in your mouth?

You will need to find a new commute, you think, as you had been stopping by the pet shop on your way home for the past year. Is there another bus that you could take? As you try to remember the lines and their respective routes, you’re engulfed by the memory of the first time Kazutora dozed off with his head resting on your shoulder as you rode the bus together. You close your eyes and you can clearly see his peaceful expression and slightly parted lips as he slept, his fingers tightly intertwined with yours. His breathing is slow and his hands are cold and you wish you could go back, even for a minute and place a kiss on top of his head, since you wouldn’t be able to do so from now on.

Where exactly had you failed? You had just been complaining about your day when he dropped the bomb. Did you complain too much? Did you talk too much? Or was it you the one that was too much? You tried your best and supported him as much as you could but as it turns out, it hadn’t been enough. Good intentions were nothing but useless as you were now saying goodbye to the man you had loved the most.

You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt Kazutora’s cold knuckles against your cheek, wiping your tears. You gasp, startled by his touch and take a couple steps back until your back hits the wall. It takes a few seconds for him to bring his hand now, unsure on what to do next.

He looks so scared and small— it fills your heart with frustration. Your whole body is screaming to take a step forward and comfort him, cradle him in your arms like so many times before, assure him he’s safe with you and that he doesn’t have to worry anymore. That, if you can still go home to each other at the end of a bad day, you can take anything life throws at you.

But that’s the thing. You’re not each other’s home anymore. You don’t get to bury your face in his neck and hum happily when his perfume reaches your nose. You don’t get to have him take a nap on your lap as you watch a series or feel his lips ghost against yours seconds before colliding in a kiss.

You hate it. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking down at his feet. “Please, don’t cry.”

“You know what, Kazutora?” you say, wiping your tears with the back of your hand. You taste venom in your words, yet that doesn’t stop you. “If you’re not happy with me, then what are you doing here?”

He flinches at your words. Biting his inner cheek, he nods, still incapable of holding your gaze.

“Yeah, okay,” he mutters. “I’ll go. I really am sorry.”

Kazutora turns on his heel, walking towards the door. Maybe it’s the way you know he’s not coming back this time that makes your desperation afloat. You don’t want him to go and you also know you can’t make him stay. And even if somehow you could find a way to keep him by your side, it would be worthless.

He’s just not happy with you.

“Are you happy somewhere else, though?” you ask, your words leaving your mouth before your head has time to process them. He stumbles on his feet and stops. “Because if you just can’t manage to be happy, then it’s not on me.”

Kazutora doesn’t have to turn for you to know he’s second guessing himself. The next seconds feel like years as he just stands there, mid-way to the front door, thoughts so messy and loud you can almost hear them.

“That doesn’t matter,” he finally says with his back to you. He closes his fists and you see his shoulders rising and falling as he takes a deep breath. “This way you don’t have to deal with... with the mess I am and—”

“Oh, please, I knew what I was getting into when I started dating an ex-convict.”

The weight of your words fall onto you the moment they leave your mouth. You squeeze your eyes shut, muttering a curse. It takes no time for you to walk towards Kazutora, standing between him and the door.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Tora, I didn’t— you know I didn’t mean it that way. Fuck, I’m so sorry,” you whimper, tears flowing free down your cheeks. Your wave your shaky hands, desperate to make your point across. “I just wanted to say I knew things would be difficult but I loved you— I love you and I—”

Kazutora shakes his head, a gentle yet sad smile on his face as he takes your hands in his. He holds them in front of his chest, squeezing them gently as they don’t stop trembling.

“Stop, it’s okay,” he assures you. “That’s what I am.”

“It’s not,” you protest. “I mean— yeah, but you’re more than that. You’re so much more than that. You’re caring, you’re noble— you’re so tender with the animals at your shop. You’re so sweet with me, always checking if I’ve eaten and offering to help me out if I have chores I need to do. You always come pick me up if I’m working late. You— you’re so fucking special to me.”

Kazutora’s lips form a tight line. “I wish I could see that,” he whispers.

“Then just— let me try. Let me try until you can look at yourself the way I do,” you almost beg. You let go of the hold he has on your hands to gently cradle his face. “I’ll do anything, but... don’t patronize me. I’m not a little girl. Whatever life throws at me, I’ve always been able to handle it. No— we’ll handle it. Together. Like it’s always been, you and me, I just— please, I don’t want you to go,” you cry. “We were going to be happy together, you were going to live with me and I’d give you half my drawers and half my closet and half… half everything. Please, don’t go. Don’t go, Tora.”

The sadness in his amber eyes only confirms what you’ve been fearing this whole time. You sob, your thumbs softly stroking his cheeks as you feel the world crumbling around you. This time, he doesn’t stop you, letting you cry as you hold his face, coming to terms with the fact he’s really leaving after all.

Your hands move to his hair, gently threading your fingers across his long, dark locks. Tracing the outline of his face, you push one of the dyed streaks away, only for it to fall back right where it was before. You can’t help the small smile that forms on your lips. He’s so pretty, you think, as the pads of your fingers gently caress his face. Your thumb grazes the space between his bottom lip and his chin and you dream of a world when he’s not saying goodbye, but rather falling asleep under your touch on your shared bed. You never knew loving someone as much as you loved him was possible-- yet the way your heart was crumbling in pieces was evidence of how much your soul was aching by being separated from the person it belonged to.

Sniffling, you rub your cheek against your shoulder to wipe your tears. You swallow before raising another question.

“Is this a… temporary thing? Or for good?” Your voice comes out in a whisper as you place down your hands on his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” he answers. He wants nothing more than to put his arms around your body like so many times before, but he’s aware that it will only make things more difficult. “But I don’t want to keep you waiting in vain. You should move on.”

Kazutora realizes how much he hates the idea as it leaves his lips. The idea of you starting over with someone else rots in his tongue. He doesn’t want you to hold anyone’s face the way you were just holding his. He wants to keep you all to himself, to go to endless visits to the grocery shop, to watch you fall asleep during movie night and then pretend you didn’t, to massage your hands as you tell him about his day.

But you don’t deserve the guck that’s forming inside his mind. He knows it’s only a matter of time before it comes out pouring and reaches you. And he’ll be damned if he lets himself ruin the one good thing he’s had in his life for many years. He promised to himself he wouldn’t let his ill state of mind touch his loved ones. Never again.

He watches you nod and feels his heart shattering, even if everything is going just the way he intended. You rub his shoulders and look into his eyes, a sad smile on the pretty lips he would never get to kiss again.

“Okay,” you sigh. “We’ll end this but… when you leave, never doubt how loved you were. No— how loved you are. I don’t know what is coming for either of us but… I do know a part of my heart will always belong to you, no matter who I hold hands with. I will always love you, Tora.”

Your words are enough to finally break him. Kazutora clutches your body tightly against him as he loudly sobs against your shoulder. You hold him, tears flowing free once again as you try and soothe the man you love, leaving small kisses on the side of his head and whispering soft reassurances that it’s okay. It’s not, you tell yourself. It’s never going to be okay. But it has to be.

Carefully, you move him back to the sofa, helping him sit down while he refuses to let go of his hold on your body. You lean on the back pillows, both your arms cradling him while he whimpers like a small child. Kazutora clutches the fabric of your sweater with desperation, wishing there was a way he could stay with you.

Why does he have to give up the person that had put a smile back on his face? He can’t quite remember a time when his stomach had hurt out of laughter before he ever met you. Or when he’d experienced such peace as the night he stayed at your apartment and got to see your sleeping face first thing in the morning. He’s never loved anyone as much as he loves you and, for all he knows, he may never love like this again. 

But he could never risk tainting you. He would never be able to forgive himself.

Kazutora softly pulls away from your embrace. His eyes are blotchy and red and you’re sure yours look the same or even worse. His nose is red, like it always does when he cries. It’s endearing, you think. Everything about him, from his hair, to his eyes, his hands— you’ve come to love every part of Kazutora. And that’s exactly why it’s so hard to let him go.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he says in a whisper, resting the side of his head on the back pillows of the sofa.

“Like what?” you ask, gently pushing his hair away from his face and behind his ear.

“Like I matter to you. Like I’m making a huge mistake.”

You take a deep breath. Imitating him, you rest your head on the back pillows as well, so you’re both facing each other.

“I don’t— I don’t fully understand what you’re going through,” you admit, your eyes locked on his. “But if you need to… get away, then you should. You’ve been nothing but loving to me. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy, whether it’s with me or not. You deserve to fully experience all the beautiful things life has to offer.”

Silent tears fall from both your cheeks and his.

“I should be thankful I got to love you for this whole year. Because even if it ends this way… God, I loved you so much,” you sniffle, letting out a small laugh. “And I felt so loved. Isn’t that magical in itself? That we got to love each other at the same time?” you wonder with a sad smile.

Kazutora parts his lips, yet the doorbell interrupts him before he can even speak. You look at the front door, your eyebrows furrowing for a moment before you realize who’s probably there.

“Food’s here,” you say, wiping the tears from your face.

“Food?” Kazutora asks, confused.

“Yeah,” you sigh. “Didn’t I tell you? The baking dish broke so I called that restaurant, the one with the burgers we like.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t really listening back then,” he admits with a pang of guilt. He sits up on the couch and turns his head at you. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

You sit up as well. “I ordered for the two of us. C’mon, stay for dinner. Let’s… remember us this way, okay? Without so many tears and sadness,” you offer, tilting your head towards him. “I even ordered your favourite one.”

Kazutora rubs his face with his sleeve, erasing the trail of the tears he just shed. Looking at you, he nods, drawing a small smile on his lips.

“Okay. I’ll get it.”

He only walks a few steps towards the door before he feels you tugging at the back of his shirt. Turning around, he notices you’re standing right behind him. Your eyes look up to him, biting your bottom lip and not even a ghost of the smile you previously offered him.

“Before that, uh— I want you to know I… I mean it,” you firmly say, taking in all his facial features, loving how they soften every time he looks at you. “I’ll always love you. No matter how many years go by or if I ever stop being in love with you— I’ll still love you.”

“I’ll always love you too,” he replies, taking your hand and squeezing it softly. “I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.”

You finally let out a soft chuckle and squeeze his hand back. The doorbell rings again and you walk around Kazutora to get to it. This time, he’s the one that stops you, not letting go of the hold of your hand. Looking back at him, you notice the soft pout in his lips and how they softly tremble, looming more tears.

“It’s okay,” you assure him, and you know you’re saying it to yourself as well. “Who knows, we might get together again someday. Have our own Casablanca moment. We’ll always have the pet shop,” you joke, trying to fight back to tears that threaten to fill your eyes as well.

It’s Kazutora’s turn to chuckle, only this time he does it along with you. You let go of his hand only to hold his face tenderly, a soft smile as you look at the man you love. Standing on your tiptoes, you press your lips against the beauty mark under his right eye. You feel his hands setting on the small of your back and watch his smile widen when you fall back on your heels.

Locking your fingers with him once more, you open the door.

[emzmuu]

TKRV

FLOWER FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

On How Well The Flowers Suit The Characters!

[contains manga spoilers]

Hanagaki Takemichi:  White Clovers

- Revenge, Promise, Good Luck, Protection, Happiness and prospering marriage

- The White Clover is close in sharing the meaning and theme of Takemichi's goals in the story. He makes promises of protecting and saving others and does everything he can to achieve it. He protected Naoto the first time from those teens in the park at the start of his time-leaping journey, and later made a promise with him to protect Hinata. His next goal was to protect Draken from getting stabbed; who later asked him to take care of Mikey, like Emma also requested of him. He teamed up with Chifuyu to save Baji, but instead was left with Baji's request of leaving Toman up to him to take care of. Inui had asked him to save Koko when Koko became a part of Tenjiku, and Kakucho also asked Takemichi to save Izana during that arc. He went to protect Hakkai as well from Taiju during Black Dragons arc. 

Takemichi was asked and made promises of protecting people and keeping their dreams alive. To keep his friends true to themselves and to not stray away from their own morals.

As for good luck, happiness, and prospering marriage. He made that promise to Hinata that he would marry her in the future with a promise ring, which she keeps close to her along with the four leaf clover pendant he gave to her. And in that future (ignoring Bonten) everyone was happy with their chosen path that they took after Toman disbanded. Takemichi and Hinata were also set to get married, like he had promised her.

Finally, white clover also symbolizes revenge. In many stories involving broken promises, white clovers are involved. A promise is broken and people get their revenge. With Takemichi, that's his overarching theme. He wants to get revenge for the future, since all his promises are broken in the future, he goes to get his revenge in the past. Once that is achieved, that is when white clovers will bloom and prosper after being trampled on.

Sano  Manjiro (Mikey):  Red Roses

- Strength, Respect, Devotion, Passion, Love, Sacrifice

- The Red Rose represents Mikey's character and how he is towards others. Mikey is respected in Toman for his strength, even to his enemies he is known to be formidable and even garnered the nickname 'Invincible Mikey'. 

Red Roses are used to symbolize strong emotions and emphasis on love. Mikey loves passionately and strongly for Toman. He views his close friends as 'his', as seen with taking Takemichi from Kiyomasa, and being defensive about him towards Inui. Also in the side stories he claims that Kazutora is his, and that he will bear his troubles for him. That's when his friends become devoted to him too, for how much he sacrifices for them. 

Mikey is devoted to taking the burdens of his friends and making it his, as well as devoted to his dream of making an era of delinquents or perhaps an era for delinquents. For people who have no place in society, as when he thinks about his own future it's hard to think about where he'll be. 

He is always involved in gangs in every future. Yet even in the most recent future timeline that we have seen, Mikey stayed in the dark to sacrifice his own happiness for his friends. He gave up a lot of himself to others. But he also still retains his gang life like it's unable to leave him, which brings in the four roses, as they mean "nothing will come between us." He never did make his own era for what he envisioned, and could perhaps still be chasing that.

Red roses are also used at funerals in some cases, they can symbolize grief for the loss of life and love. Mikey carries his grief with him in his heart, and physically with Baji's charm and Shinichiro's bike. He lost a lot in his childhood and missed out on just being a regular kid.

His grief is the love he has for his friends, family, and childhood, the love he was unable to express.

Ken Ryuguji (Draken):  Platycodon

- Unchanging love, Honesty, Obedience, Friendship, Desire for a friend to re-enter one's life

He's honest with others and doesn't sugarcoat his words or beat around the bush. Draken is honest with his actions, expressions, and what he says. He has an honest will to work hard for others too, like how he joined Brahman just to knock Mikey back to his senses and protected Takemichi. He values his friendships with others and the days he had with Toman, like his wall of photos with everyone in them. No matter what, he treasured his friendship and almost every scene he's in, he's always interacting with a friend.

Draken was in a way obedient to Mikey with his flag meals and giving piggybacks, even if he seemed annoyed by the immaturity. Always looking out for the other. Even if they went separate paths, Draken was always still thinking about Mikey and the dreams they wanted to accomplish.

He had an unchanging love for Tokyo Manji Gang, as when he joined Brahman— it was to protect his friends so they wouldn't be asked to be involved in the conflict. For them to avoid re-entering the gang life, he only allowed himself of that lifestyle. Draken also had an unchanging love for Emma, back in 2005, 2018, and 2008. He never once stopped loving her, even his last thought was of Emma. He has a big and strong heart that won't bend to the willfulness of others.

- Draken has always been shown to look out for others and to be the heart of Mikey, while also being a devoted member to Toman. With Kazutora, although bitter feelings aside, he still said Kazutora was his friend and had a photo board of all his friends on it— including Kazutora. 

Through it all, to the end, he always thought of Mikey and the burden he carries. It seemed in every timeline he wanted to reconnect with Mikey, for Mikey to come back. Draken stays true to himself while loving his friends (family) fiercely.

Mitsuya Takashi:  Chrysanthemums

- Loyalty, Devoted Love, Joy, Purity, Sympathy, Condolences

- Mitsuya is a caretaker. He has a devoted love for family and friends. With the founders of Toman, he made the uniforms for all six of them, even Takemichi's uniform later. He creates for those he values and loves. 

He takes care of his own siblings when his mother can't, along with Hakkai and Yuzuha. He didn't want his sisters to grow up alone without an older-adult figure, he made sure that their childhood stayed pure and full of joy. Mitsuya even crafted a doll for them when he was young. In contrast to the Shiba family who were being abused by their own older brother. Mitsuya tried to bring in some semblance of purity into their lives, such as "violence should be used to protect". After the Black Dragons arc, he spent time with Taiju, sympathizing with the expectations placed on the eldest son. An official sketch showed the two getting crepes together later. Mitsuya overall is a very family oriented man. 

As for staying loyal to himself and his core beliefs/morals, he was either already killed during the timeline after Bloody Halloween for not agreeing with the new rotten Toman or tried to distance himself from the organization altogether. Within the Bonten arc he followed his path of designing as well; one of his other core strengths and interests not associated with the delinquent lifestyle. He never lost sight and stayed true to himself, the white purity never became tainted by outside forces.

During the Manila timeline when he died, condolences from friends and family were sent to him during his own funeral with care and love, to show that he never changed from who he was in that darker future. He still loved Toman, just not what it had become. 

He's loyal as well; loyal to himself with his beliefs and loyal to Mikey by putting his life in his hands during the Manila timeline. He understands others but doesn't lose his own way of thinking, doing what he believes is best for everyone. He keeps a level head and doesn't act first. 

Matsuno Chifuyu:  Japanese Primrose

- Young love, Desperate, Safety and Protection, Passion, Imagination, Youth

Primroses symbolize young love and within that, it meant "I can't live without you". Chifuyu took what was left behind by Baji and made sure to cherish it.

He had love and respect for Baji, along with the values Baji held, which he took upon himself to see through to the end. During the arc with Valhalla he wanted to save Baji and protect him during Bloody Halloween. He was desperate to keep the only person he respected alive— unable to, Chifuyu went on to keep Baji's dreams alive. It was the least he could do for him. Take care of Toman, Kazutora, the pet shop. In every future, Chifuyu was passionate about protecting Baji's wishes and dreams.

During all his years with Toman and the bad ends with future Toman, he kept fighting for what Baji envisioned it to be. Even to die for it in some cases.

Chifuyu always believed Toman could be saved, and with Takemichi admitting his time leaping abilities to him later on, Chifuyu knew he could entrust the future to his partner to make things right. 

Baji Keisuke:  Forget-Me-Nots

- True Love, Respect, Promise, Faithfulness, Remembrance 

- Just like the Primrose, Chifuyu embodies the spirit of it. Youthful and passionate, he gets excited over shoujo manga which features young love and something he looks forward to in his own life. He has a vast imagination from it as well, he helps Takemichi develop a plan to  'time leap' back three days with Hina's forgotten gift. He is invested in the imaginative world of shoujo and the possibilities it brings. 

- The story of Forget-Me-Nots fits the Valhalla arc for Baji. He was the one who kept a strong hold on the values of Toman, as he was the one who started it. Sacrificing himself to try to gain back a friend to where they truly belonged, yet leaving his loved ones behind as he was unknowingly swept along in Kisaki's plans. With his last words, he brought back their memories of why Toman was created in the first place. 

Baji kept the promise they all made as kids to lookout for each other close to his heart, he kept hold of the charm in faith that he could bring everything back again to how it should be. He never once forgot the vows the founders made to each other and went out to save a friend he loved, in the only way he knew— and Chifuyu went along, never once doubting because he respected Baji. 

Baji carried on proudly with everything he did, his heart held Toman in it the whole time and Toman consisted of family to him. His death and the charm that symbolized it all, finally had the founders remember the promise and foundations that Toman was built on. Baji left in good faith that they wouldn't forget again.

He likes to take care of those close to him but won't exactly allow others to care for him. He felt he needed to shoulder it all on his own, but in doing that, it caused him to go against one of Toman's core values: All for one, One for all. 

He wanted to have faith that Kazutora could come back from the brink, that going along with his plans could somehow help him. Of course, he always considered Kazutora as a member of Toman and stood up for him even before Toman was created. Back when they first met on Kazutora's birthday, when lowering his jail sentence, and making sure Kazutora wouldn't get blamed with Baji's death. 

Hanemiya Kazutora:  Daffodils

- Rebirth and new beginnings, Memories, Forgiveness, Resilience

- Kazutora and daffodils go hand in hand. Inside of himself, those memories of killing Shinichiro haunted him that it was the only thing he focused on. But what he really wanted on the inside was to be forgiven, and again for Baji. For destroying those precious to not only him, but others too.

He was given a rebirth and new beginnings after Bloody Halloween because his old self died there in the original timeline. In the change, He was given a new chance at life for owning up to his mistakes and taking responsibility. It was thanks to the efforts of Baji and Takemichi, that he was able to see clearly again. Daffodils when paired with clovers also means hope for change, that's exactly what Takemichi did for him. 

When visited by Draken and Takemichi and hearing he would be forgiven, Draken also mentioned that he shouldn't go killing himself. Kazutora stayed true to his word that he would take responsibility and spent the full 10 years in prison to be released. He is resilient— for getting the help he needed while locked away, and for helping Chifuyu on the outside to fight the Toman corrupted with Black Dragon money. As Toman was always shining in his memories, but not anymore. 

In the end, he was able to live his second life properly while creating new memories during the Bonten arc, thanks to Chifuyu. He took everything that happened to heart and learned from it. For him, things won't ever go back to how they were before, but it's a new start to his future.

Tetta Kisaki:  Black Roses

- Death, Mourning, Hatred, Despair, Farewell for Good, Obsession

- Kisaki is a black stain in Toman's history. His actions caused a collection of events that hurt Toman and those associated with it. Rather than bringing out the best, he brought out the worst in everyone. Black Roses suit the way he has affected everyone, and what he is on the inside.

His obsession with getting noticed and loved by Hinata caused the downfall and despair of everyone, especially when she rejected him. He plotted to kill everyone in the way of his plans and even when that wasn't enough to receive her affections, he killed her too. He was involved in a lot of major deaths, but even when he couldn't win Hinata's love and believed the feelings of love for him to be dead— he went straight from mourning of love lost to hatred and killed her and everyone she was involved with (Naoto and Takemichi). He caused the deaths of others, whether directly or indirectly multiple times.

Just like a Black Rose, the only true ones are found in Turkey, while they are mostly dyed black. Kisaki as well, could never be a true gangster or delinquent. He understood that very well and instead would use others as stepping stones to get to where he wanted. He used Mikey's charisma to guide his plans and would become his shadow, with Mikey shining as the figurehead. A rose stained black. 

Farewell for good, unlike others who died in the future and still had a chance at being saved in the past, Kisaki died in the past and could no longer be saved to have a better future or to continue to harm others. His story ended there permanently. 

Kisaki, like Mikey, is also holding four roses for "nothing will come between us". His obsessive love wouldn't allow anyone to get in the way of what he wanted to accomplish. In all the timelines before his own death, he always planned meticulously to still reach his goals, even when parts were disrupted.

Like how Mikey was filled with so much love and would sacrifice his own love for others, Kisaki was the direct opposite and had no love. He was selfish and destructive, obsessing over Hinata with feelings he couldn't even fully understand. He saw no one as an equal or worthy of love; just tools for him to feel the self-gratification of being on top. He was a foil and antithesis to Takemichi's motives and Mikey's dreams.