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tobifuyu · 2 years ago

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Die For You • Chapter 01

RAN HAITANI x f!reader

You’re losing me: And I wouldn’t marry me either, a pathological people pleaser, who only wanted you to see her.

cw: nsfw, mdni, slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, eventual smut, smut, fluff, angst, references to depression, drugs, panic attacks, blood and violence, prostitution, basically anything that has to do with bonten, protective haitani ran, sanzu haruchiyo is his own warning.

Masterlist. | Previous Chapter.

Pah's wedding had finally come to an end. Straight out of a fucking movie, Chizu had whispered to Chifuyu when Hina had caught the bouquet.

They are now walking back home, just the two of them, Kazutora had chosen to stay behind and have a drink with Inupi. The odd pair had become unusually close through the years despite how she thought their past would clash. After all, Kazutora was the one who had killed Inupi's mentor.

Chizu guesses people could say the same about his relationship with the pet shop's owner and herself. They had picked up Kazutora when he got out of juvie and offered him a place to stay, a job, and comfort as he navigated back into the world after 10 years of being locked away. But most of all, forgiveness.

It took Chifuyu a couple of years to come to terms with it, not the fact that Baji was gone itself, but how it wasn't Kazutora's fault entirely. For Chizu, that had never even gone into question.

She grow up alongside her brother and Kazutora and knew how much the former loved him. So much he was willing to die for him. So who was she to question it?

She had always thought of how unfair it was, that Keisuke chose to die for Kazutora and Mikey, instead of living for her and Chifuyu.

"Hold onto each other." He had told them. Maybe that was why when the two had to be dragged away from his cold body, they had grabbed ahold of one another, with blood still staining their clothes and held on for days on end, until no more salty tears were coming out of puffy eyes and the sobs stopped shaking their smaller bodies.

Baji Keisuke had died to protect Kazutora and Mikey, to protect Toman.

So when the first stages of grief stopped clouding the mind of a then-younger Chizu, she decided her life purpose was to make sure her brother had not died in vain.

She would hold onto Chifuyu, forgive Kazutora, and save Mikey for her brother.

Not too long after it, Chifuyu and her had come to their first agreement of many.

"So he's back, huh."

"Fucking finally, that moron."

"Y'know it's only been something like 2-3 seconds for him, right Fuyu?"

"Yeah, but he made us wait 12 freaking years, I get to be mad." But he isn't and she knows, 'cause a smile is stretching his pretty lips so hard that his pearly whites are showing. Chizu likes it when he gets like this, he hasn't been this happy in a while.

She'd hate to ruin the mood but she feels like if she doesn't ask she might just choke on it, the question that is rising up her throat so fast she feels like vomiting.

"Is he happy?"

"Seems like it, yeah."

"Does he know, babe?" She adds the pet name to sweeten the pill.

At a very young age, surrounded by mostly boys, she quickly realized that her womanhood was a double-edged sword, so she learned how to use her voice, her manners, and her body to get what she wanted. It's not like she ever enjoyed flaunting herself, far from it, but even now she doesn't know any better. Most men are simple, and she is not a woman of many talents, but a smart one at that, always trying to make do with what she is given.

"Draken-kun and I stuck to the plan, he doesn't need to know as of now..."

"That's the dumbest thing I've heard this week!" But with Chifuyu, Chizu never learned to hide her rough edges. "You and Draken both, are dumb pieces of shit. Withholding something like that from the man that saved your asses!" She shakes her head disapprovingly, freeing herself from the grip he had on her hand. "Just know that if it comes to it, I won't lie to Takemichi. He deserves to know the truth. I don't care if you both selfishly wanna keep your perfect little future. Mikey is lost, and after all Michi has gone through to save him, he deserves to know."

Hearing her words, it's like a switch flips off inside Chifuyu's head, and all the pent-up anger comes rushing out of his mouth like an avalanche carrying away sweet little old Chifuyu.

"You're joking, right? Me and Draken, selfish? Perfect little future? Emma-chan is dead, and Draken-kun’s plan after having to sit through that fucking wedding is to visit her grave. Baji-san died in my arms twelve fucking years ago and I dream about it every single shitty night you don't come back home because you're out doing god knows what-" He grips her shoulders to steady her body and looks into her wide eyes.

He realizes her lower lip is trembling, and he knows he's gone too far. He also knows she can take it, Chizu's a big girl, but whenever her brother is mentioned it's like her mind goes back to that junkyard. He can sense she's far away now.

"I just- he just came back, give him some time to adjust. Some time to be with Hina-chan, that's what he deserves." At this point, his thumbs are rubbing circles on the skin left bare by the sleeves of her pale lilac dress, a color he'd always found pretty on her, and always made sure to tell her so. "And what if... even if he came to know, doesn't mean he'll want to go back again. I hope he doesn't, Chizu. I- call me selfish, I don't care. I don't wanna lose you too."

She's rotating the ring on her finger as he speaks, feeling the weight of it and the friction against her skin. She doesn't know if it feels comforting or foreign, but when she raises to meet his stare, Chifuyu's eyes are so green that all she wants to do is kiss him, now.

She understands. Chifuyu, just like Takemichi, has spent years of his life sacrificing himself to make others happy, her included. For Chizu to be calling him selfish just because he wants to hold onto her a little longer is very ironic.

Isn't she doing the same thing by not telling him?

So when they reach their home in silence, she's the one who kisses him once the door closes behind his back. The pillowy feeling of his lips against hers is so welcomed after such a long day of pretending, just like the heat he brings to her body when he grabs her waist and presses against her. The slip dress is thin, she can feel the rough fabric of his suit and she drops her head back while he descends his kisses down the column of her neck, holding the back of it with one of his hands tangled in the root of her hair.

She wants him to pull, she likes when he's rough. They've only ever been with one another, and the other's body is no secret to either one of them. When she begs “Fuyu, please” with that whiny voice of hers, she doesn't have to ask twice. He would give her anything and everything.

So he makes his hands run down the side of her body, ‘cause he likes to touch her just as much as he likes to taste her, and grasps a handful of her tighs, lifting her with her arms around his neck while he walks the way to their room, mouths never parting from each other if not for the occasional moan that leaves her pretty, now kissed raw, lips.

—

The morning after, Chizu decides to bring Chifuyu lunch at work (which she used to do all the time when he first opened up the shop, mostly to have an excuse to see him throughout their busy and different work schedules). Her off day is not an eventful one so far. She still has to pick up her crappy car from Draken and Inupi’s, but she has no rush to do so.

As she walks to the building her mind is somewhere else. She can still hear Naoto’s words ringing inside her ears from previously this week. She had been feeling guilty for a long time, but ever since his reprimand she kept picking herself apart for not being truthful with Chifuyu about her job, and her clouded mind ends up being her demise. This time, Chizu cannot stop herself from noticing them, as she has done in the past.

She has a hand on the handle while the other is holding onto the bento box that she has happily prepared, still giddy from the night before, and the cloth tied with a ribbon over it is as red as the apple of his cheeks when the noise of the bell startles him, making him take a rushed step away from the brunette who’s back is to her.

He doesn’t have to turn around, she’d recognize him anywhere, and she mentally chastises herself for realizing too late how their similarity is most likely what makes it so enjoyable for her to drive around on his bike.

Kazutora looks just like Keisuke with his back turned, damned be his dyed hair. That’s the same view he must’ve had of my brother right before stabbing him, she thinks.

Chizu also realizes it must be the reason why Chifuyu never opens his eyes when he kisses them both, any long dark hair he can grab onto will do, right?

Standing still and lost in thoughts, she flinches the moment the box of food reaches the ground filling the silent space between them with a resounding thump. Her grip had wavered, and now with wide eyes and anger pumping through her veins as if it were laced with her own blood, she fully takes a step inside and lets the door of the shop close behind her figure.

She doesn’t know exactly why she’s mad. Didn’t she know about it already? She had always known about Chifuyu’s little crush on her older brother, ever since the day the latter brought him home to eat that cheap yakisoba of his. Keisuke had approached her after the blond had left to enthusiastically tell her how he had “Found a nice guy for you to get over stupid Mikey”. But in actuality, he hadn’t, and she hadn’t.

Is she mad because the last 12 years were nothing but a lie she had gladly believed? The bruises of last night are still fresh on her skin and now stinging like an open wound, reminding her of how she had given herself to him willingly and had selfishly believed his “I love you”. Or is it because she suspects Kazutora is just as much of a victim in all of this?

Kazutora, whom all his life had never been able to tell apart who cared about him from who didn’t.

But Chifuyu isn’t cruel like that. Then is she mad because he finally found what she had failed to give him for over a decade in someone else?

Maybe… just maybe, she’s mad because she feels like she has to be. She has to keep pretending, holding onto her façade so that everything can go as smoothly as planned. The timing is excellent, this is her way out.

This is the only way she can do this without ending up as the bad guy. She has unfortunately always cared about appearances. She could come out of it clean, without ever having to tell him about that and then inevitably alarming every single one of their friends.

The problem is, she has also always been incredibly proud, and nothing but a sore loser. And when you mix these two, you get a cold-ass bitch who doesn’t know when to hold her tongue, ready to pierce through people’s hearts with it.

She craves to hit where it hurts the most and takes pleasure in knowing that she can knock people down a couple of pegs by simply not giving a fuck. When she gets like this, no remark can even phase her.

Until she comes down from the high and ends up crying about it alone in her room. She doesn’t enjoy being mean, it just happens. And there’s no stopping it now, not when Chifuyu pretends like nothing has happened. Yeah, she might’ve been willing to close a blind eye in the past, but she was done being played with like she was stupid.

A slow clapping is what accompanied her bittersweet laugh, “Oh, I see how it is.”

Both of them stay uncharacteristically quiet, but they know nothing could be said to save the situation anymore. Kazutora finally turns to face her, and the sight of his apologetic face sends her over the edge. He pities her, she doesn’t like it.

“I hope you know Kazutora, that he’s just using you because you’re the next best thing to my brother. You definitely have something that I don’t.”

His eyes are big like saucers, but he doesn’t dare to say anything back. Chifuyu, on the other hand, looks offended, as if he wasn't shoving his tongue down their friend’s throat just now.

“Chizu, I understand you're mad but don't take it too far.”

“I don’t even know what to say to you,” she scoffs, and he moves closer to her, extending his arms to grab at her frame and rub over her skin like he usually does when she gets distraught, “Don’t touch me.”

Chifuyu drops his hold, and Chizu moves as if to leave but he calls out to her, “Please, we need to talk about this, just hear me out.”

She can see Kazutora in her peripheral, rubbing his neck out of embarrassment.

“You need to move on.”

“Rich coming from you out of all people.”

He’s right , I’m a hypocrite. I’m doing all of this so that I can finally run off and look for him , and he doesn’t even know.

“Well, at least Mikey is not dead.”

The moment those words leave her lips she knows there is no going back. Chifuyu looks at her as if she’s the one who had stabbed Baji in the first place. The sadness in his emerald eyes reflects the feeling of betrayal that she, herself, is feeling on the inside

Serves him well.

“Don’t come looking for me.” she warns both of them as she leaves the shop, heart-wrenching as those words resound in her head.

She will never forget the faces they made as she walked away. Chizu wishes that in another life – another timeline – all four of them could have been happy together.

—

Chizu doesn’t cry as she walks to the bike shop, nor when Draken takes her upstairs to his shared apartment and sits her down on the couch.

“What happened?” He knows her, so he can tell something is wrong.

“I found Chifuyu kissing someone else.”

She doesn’t have to say whom, Draken already knows, but he is taken aback all the same. He had never thought Chifuyu would do such a thing to her.

“I’m gonna kill him,” He whispers as he gets up from his crouched position in front of the couch, but she grasps his forearm before he can make his exit.

“No, I don’t care. I just needed to leave, can I crash here for a couple of days? Just until we move forward with the plan and I can get my shit together.”

“Knock yourself out,” he holds the hand that was grabbing at him and rubs over her knuckles with his thumb, “you know where everything is. You can wear some of my clothes.”

“Thank you, Ken, I appreciate it.”

When Drakes comes back to the apartment later that day, Chizu is trying to whip up something for dinner. She has never been much of a cook, so instant Ramen will do. She wanted to repay Ken’s kindness with a hot meal, so she plates it to make it look more presentable.

Inupi is trailing behind him, their faces look tired and their slumped shoulders are covered by overalls stained with dark greases.

When Inupi sees her he asks how she’s doing. He doesn’t know and she appreciates Draken for not airing out her dirty laundry, but she tells him all the same.

“I’m gonna kill him.” Same reaction.

God, these two spend too much time together.

Chizu calms him down, puts on her display of indifference, and doesn’t stop to think over what she’s feeling as she asks them to get cleaned to eat together.

Over dinner, they talk about what will happen this week. They go over their plan of staking out The Chano Club one more time. Chizu is excited until she isn’t, exhaustion catching up to her and making her fall asleep with her hands crossed over the table pillowing her heavy head.

The day after she wakes up in a bed. Draken must’ve carried her there, and she finds him asleep on the couch when she leaves the room for breakfast. Today the shop doesn’t open until the afternoon, so she lets him rest.

She thinks it’s sad how uncomfortable he looks with his big body resting on such a tiny piece of furniture, and swears to take the couch tonight.

The boredom makes itself known as she lazes around the apartment while the two are working till the evening, avoiding visiting them at the shop downstairs in fear of Chifuyu or Kazutora showing up looking for her.

Inupi comes up to check on Chizu and finds her cleaning the apartment. “You don’t have to,” he tells her, but she’s trying to do everything in order not to think.

He realizes and suggests she orders takeout for the night, he’s gonna pick up some beers so the three of them can have a small party to clear their heads.

Chizu can hold her alcohol, but she figures out pretty soon that Draken and Inupi out-drink her, most likely because she is not one to do so often.

Her problem, whenever she gets drunk, is that her filter completely shuts off and lets her air her thoughts without a single care in the world.

Mid-dinner she starts to feel the beers get to her and is suddenly reminded of the ring she has yet to take off. It’s like its metal is burning around her finger, shiny emerald stone – the color of his eyes – staring back at her, judging Chizu for her lack of sadness.

Her face is now wet with tears, and sobs shake her body like an unexpected earthquake.

The rest of the evening is spent on the couch, Inupi and Draken trying to sober up and comfort a tipsy Chizu.

“I don’t even know who’s truly at fault,” she whispers with her head resting on Seishu’s shoulder, he’s rubbing her side as she finally talks about what’s been bothering her for the past two days, “He never looked at me like that, right?”

Ken and Inupi look at each other, confused as to whether she wants them to reply or just sit and listen.

“‘s not his fault anyway… I have a picture of Mikey on my nightstand,” Chizu laughs at that, playfully shoving Draken before adding “He thought we were sleeping together some time ago. Crazy, right??”

Inupi decides that’s his clue to head to bed, and leaves the poor men to deal with a now sleepy Chizu, who falls asleep on the other’s shoulder soon after she was pushed against it by the former.

Chizu comes to a couple of hours later, Draken is still sitting near, on the couch, phone in hand as he scrolls through it. When he notices the girl is awake, he grabs the glass of water sitting on the small table in front of them before she can complain about getting a headache.

“You were saying all kinds of stuff, you know?”

“I’m sorry Ken,” she says as she swallows the pill he passes to her, “I think it didn’t hit me until now.”

“It’s normal, your life is changing. It’s more about losing that comfort. But I’m here for you,” he brings up a hand to stroke one of her scrunched brows, “I want you to know that.”

She raises her gaze to stare up at his big frame, dark eyes fixed on her reddening face. Draken truly is a sight to see, his black hair is now out of his usual ponytail and framing his pale skin, making the rosy of his lips stand out even more. She reaches out to brush a strand away from his face, “Thank you, Ken. I’m sorry for giving you this much trouble.”

“Don’t even say that, I love it when you’re here,” her breath catches in her throat, but she doesn’t stop stroking his cheek with the pad of her thumb, “Inupi does too, of course.”

He coughs to cover up his embarrassment, but as she leans her head over his hand, his heart rate picks up. She’s so pretty, he thinks.

He’s too scared to move and curses himself for his selfish thoughts. She was crying about her broken engagement not even two hours ago, he reasons, and she’s still wearing the ring. He realizes he’s never seen her wear it before, if not when she was out with Chifuyu himself.

“What are you thinking about?” Chizu asks because she doesn’t like being kept in the dark, but also because she recognizes that glint in his eyes.

“It’s nothing-“

“Ken, it’s okay.”

“I want to kiss you.”

She doesn’t know if it’s because she’s so used to having someone by her side and she’s withdrawing, or because his dark eyes remind her of someone else.

Or it might be simply because Draken is Draken: he’s loyal, caring, and – honestly – so fucking hot. Her mind is fucked up, she’s aware of it.

No matter the reason why, she’s the one who gets closer to him, chest pushing against his side as her hand cups his strong jawline, redirecting his face towards hers, a couple of inches below.

He stares at her while she presses her soft lips against his and doesn’t dare close his eyes while she simply pecks at them.

“Are you sure you wanna kiss me? You seem quite unresponsive,” she giggles against his mouth, making him let out a groan as he finally gives in.

He wraps Chizu in strong arms, making her sit on his thighs to get her as close as possible, mouth parting to slot their lips together, kissing her back with fierceness.

Chizu shivers in his grip when he tangles one hand in her hair, pulling as he exposes her neck. Needy wet kisses are pressed against the skin as she pants for air, “Fuck, Ken.”

“Don’t say a word,” he hushes her, covering her mouth with his once again. This time he runs the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip, asking for entrance, she gladly accepts and moans at his taste, not even bothering to fight for dominance as he’s overpowering her in all aspects.

She feels herself getting wet and knows they’re pushing their boundaries. She has never hooked up with anyone, but Draken feels so good under her.

Unconsciously, she starts moving her hips against his, chasing the friction that so deliciously comes from rubbing against the cock hardening underneath his sweatpants.

He grunts at that, grabbing her hips with two big hands and angling her so that his tip can slide against her covered clit.

“Fuck, I can feel how wet you are-“

“Ken, please.”

“Tell me to stop, tell me to stop now or I’ll fuck you right here on this couch.”

That line is tempting, the feeling of his cock, and how big it is, even more so. But when she meets his eyes once again, she’s reminded of who’s the man underneath her.

Her best friend, for fuck’s sake, they’ve known each other for years.

Chizu still remembers when Emma died. They shouldn’t be doing this.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers as she pulls away from him. Draken is not mad, just slightly flustered. He makes sure to reassure her by leaving a caste kiss on her forehead.

“Let’s get you to bed, shall we?” He says after they’ve spent some minutes trying to catch their breath and calm themselves. He’s silently rubbing her hips with both of his thumbs as they look everywhere but at one another.

“Do you mind if I sleep on the bed with you, tonight? I won’t touch you, I swear.”

“I was thinking about taking the couch, you looked uncomfortable this morning.”

“It’s fine if you don’t wanna, but I won’t let you sleep out here.” He says while standing up, holding Chizu to him as they head to his bedroom.

“I guess we can cuddle then.” She accepts while giggling. Draken is a gentleman, and he’s too good to her. He doesn’t deserve to be used. She wants to make sure there’ll never be any awkwardness or hard feelings between them.

—

When Chizu wakes up her head is pounding, a headache due to the big crying session she couldn't escape from the night before. Light is peering from the white curtains shading the small window and as she reaches around the bed, she realizes she was left alone in the room.

She can hear the sounds of cooking and hushed arguing behind the door, so she makes her way to the kitchen without even checking her appearance in the mirror, knowing the two of them had seen her in worse conditions already.

Draken and Inupi are moving around the small area, bodies too big to not be knocking against one another every now and then, but their dexterity comes from living under the same roof for such a long time.

Inupi is not surprised to see her, nor particularly happy, probably having been made aware of the situation. She has stepped out of Draken’s room wearing one of his white shirts.

The thing is that Inupi cares about both of them deeply, and doesn’t want either to suffer over something so stupid, a kiss that could’ve been avoided easily if only they had not given in to the heat of the moment. Even more so, the crazy plan they’ve been devising for tonight.

He moves out of her way then, sending her a glare as he brings his plate of food along to his room, planning on eating alone.

When she meets Draken’s eyes she shies away from his gaze. And that’s exactly what she has been dreading since the night before. Even her sleep got messed up from the idea of fucking up their lifelong friendship.

“Here, eat something. Gotta be in top form for tonight.”

Yeah, tonight. She has been staying at their apartment for a couple of days now, and her and Draken’s plan – mostly hers, but he will only come to find out about that later on – has been refined up to the littlest detail.

“Don’t mind Inupi,” he adds, “he’s just being protective, as always.”

She knows that. Chizu had met Inupi when he joined Toman years ago and was taken aback by his brashness at first. They hadn’t gotten around to talking to each other for a couple of years, as she was intimidated by his aura, and figured he didn’t care about getting to know her. On the other hand, Inupi just didn’t feel like making an effort whenever he got a glimpse of her ever-present angry face, considering she was known in the delinquent world for having the same short temper as her brother and a knack for picking up fights with any men.

When the time had come for Inupi and Draken to open up the bike shop together, they got used to each other's presence and eventually became close friends. Draken had been elated, Chifuyu a little less, considering he felt disrespected by the men for whatever reason (she figured both their obsessing over Takemichi had something to do with it).

Inupi had shared with Chizu, on a drunken night at first, but then again with a clearer head, the story of his scar. He had told her about Kokonoi Hajime, one of the very men she is after.

She knew about Seishu’s sister and what it did to their relationship, and she had watched him cry as he, still, silently grieved both his older sister and his missing friend – or lover, she had reasoned.

Seishu and Chizu had boned over the grief of losing their loved ones: siblings to death, and lovers to Bonten.

So she had come to know him eventually and could read his mood even from his apparent apathetic face.

“He’s right, the kiss was a mistake-“

“He’s just anxious about tonight-“

They speak in unison, and it takes her a second to understand that he’s not concerned about that at all, unlike her. He looks distraught for a second but composes himself before gesturing at her to sit down and have her breakfast. He leaves the room without another word.

Chizu knows he’s mad, and wonders if they both hadn’t fallen for the Sano siblings back then, maybe they could’ve worked out.

As night falls, Inupi had to shake off his fears and concerns to help Chizu get ready, as promised.

The dress he had bought for her was a simple black one, on the shorter side, with arms covered and a low neckline. They had tried going for the classy look, knowing they would have to look the part to get inside the expensive club in Roppongi.

“Wish I could borrow your Louboutines, ‘nupi…” she sighs, acting sad as to strategically make him feel bad enough to give in.

“My feet are like twice your size. And you can barely walk in heels as it is.”

That’s not true… she pouts. Inupi thinks sometimes she reminds him of Akane. They’re nothing alike, really, so maybe he’s lying to himself because he can��t help but like the idea of the two of them being somewhat of a sibling figure to one another.

He hopes tonight will go smoothly, he can’t bear the thought of losing another person.

Draken makes his way inside the room and shoots them a smile, “Ready? You look lovely, by the way.”

Chizu genuinely smiles at that, Draken has always been nothing but a gentleman to her, and after feeling like an ugly and crying mess for the past week, she deserves to get a compliment.

He’s dressed in a simple black shirt and dress pants, it reminds her of his early complaints about feeling like a clown when they had first started their search for Bonten from club to club, months ago. He must’ve gotten used to this by now, she thinks. He looks good.

Seishu does something so uncharacteristically sweet that would have nearly made her cry right there and there if she hadn’t spent the past forty minutes or so carefully applying makeup. He hugs her to his side, patting the top of her crown before releasing her.

“Don’t do anything reckless, Chizu.”

—

The inside of the club is dark, they have yet to approach the dance floor but they can already feel their skin starting to dampen with sweat beneath their clothes at the sight of the crowd swaying amongst each other. The air is anything but breathable, smoke swirling up from the elegant red booths circling the perimeter of the lower level of the club.

Above their heads is a balcony-like area that allows the VIP patrons to stare down at the sweaty mass with a lustful gaze from the privacy of their lounges, each of them looking for the innocent victim of the night, ready to max out their cards in exchange of pleasurable favors.

Chizu and Draken have already been to this specific club, in one of their past scouting they even managed to get a glimpse up the stairs at the closed doors of the rooms inhabiting the upper floor. The private spaces have been known to accommodate a particular kind of crowd. The kind of crowd that would engage in prostitution and exchange of illegal substances.

Unfortunately, without a mandate, this kind of underground work is the only thing that could help her confirm that.

Draken walks a few steps behind her frame, taking seriously his role of personal bodyguard, under Inupi’s vehement advice. In reality, he knows she can take care of herself, but having someone to watch your back in a situation as dangerous as this one, makes both of them feel better about it all.

What if we find Mikey tonight? he wonders. They have been trying to bait him out of the shadows for a long time. They are the only appropriate people who can complete the job.

The three of them had always been together.

Mikey, Draken, Chizu. Toman’s strongest.

Ten years have passed since their time together, how would any of them react to seeing each other after such a long time? Would Mikey even care enough to spare them? Chizu’s a detective, snooping around Bonten’s business. Draken thinks it over, and feels scared for the first time in a while, watching her walk in front of him with the confidence of someone who has nothing to lose, and finally realizes his mistake.

She has nothing to lose, her ten years long relationship has just ended on an ugly note, the promise of living a peaceful and happy life gone just like her brother; her job is the one thing pushing her towards this madness in the first place.

“Chizu, I think we should-” he tries to talk over the bass shaking the ground, but as they keep merging amongst the partygoers, they reach the center of the oval dance floor.

The DJ booth is in front of them, a raised platform extends behind it, a railing protecting the people in its confinement from falling over as they lean forward.

Chizu stares ahead, right at that area, the LED lights of the screen behind it making it hard to focus on what or who resides in it. She can make out the silhouettes of those peering down at them. Strobe flashes blinding her as she tries to meet their eyes. She squints, nothing still.

“I liked you when we were kids.” Draken has gotten closer, his voice more clear over the tune of a catchy pop song.

“What?” she’s taken aback, but acts like she didn’t hear him properly, and keeps facing the direction of the spot hidden in the shadows.

“I liked you, back when we were in Toman, for a little bit. The kiss yesterday meant something, to me.”

She thinks Draken is rarely this straightforward. He is blunt, but not very honest when it comes to feelings. That’s what made him lose Emma years back. She feels sorry for him but doesn’t turn around.

What Draken doesn’t know is that she never had anything to lose to begin with. She doesn’t think she has felt that sense of happiness and belonging that she used to feel in Toman ever again, since her brother died. After that, she only ever felt buried. Under an ever-growing pile of responsibilities she took on to make sure she could go back to those times.

“Take care of each other,” Keisuke had told her and Chifuyu as he was dying. And they had done that for the longest time until it was unbearable. “Forgive Kazutora,” Check.

“Save Mikey.”

Had her brother known back then that Mikey’s mental illness would deteriorate to such an extent? She doesn’t know, but she was never one to back out from a fight. That’s what most people liked about her. Some more than others.

—

Leaning on the railing and staring down at the crowd are the lazy eyes of Haitani Ran.

He looks pensive, two long fingers balancing a cigarette he’s barely smoking as he thinks of a reason why they’re all standing in one of his best clubs. Bonten executives rarely hit nightclubs together, especially not any of his, for safety reasons and also because, except for him and his brother, most of them are not really the partying type.

He wonders what he must’ve done to piss off Mikey so much he’s being put through this hell. He hates being left without a clue of what is going on.

Haitani Ran is one of the most perceptive people there is out there.

At first glance, people would think of him as the less intelligent brother. His downturned eyes never fixated on anything, and the blank stare giving the impression of someone who’s spaced out. Not a single thought inside that pretty head of his. But, as much as he doesn’t like when people underestimate him, he also truly doesn’t give a shit.

Being underestimated has brought him so far as being one of the top executives of Bonten, his skills unrivaled even amongst them.

The truth is that Ran knows how to read people and how to manipulate them, a little too well. Some would say it must be a mix of luck and pretty privilege, but in reality, he’s just too smart for anyone’s good.

That’s why, whenever he fails to foresee what goes on behind Mikey’s blank stare and firm orders, he gets unreasonably annoyed. Especially if it has something to do with his own business, his and his brother’s very first club, which had cashed them a pretty penny back in their starting days.

“What are you looking at,” Rindou, who’s as always standing right beside him, asks with his usual brash tone, “You’ve been staring intensely at the dance floor like it has all the answers you need in this world.”

“Nothing,” he flicks his cig before taking a puff, “Thought I recognized someone in the crowd.”

Is that what they’re all here for? Mikey has never really given a fuck about the police. The thought of being caught not even on his mind as they have always been able to buy their way out of anything, thanks to Kokonoi’s funds and Akashi’s experience and connections in the underworld. But lately, he seems to have been stressing over something, or rather someone.

It was Ran himself who had caught her at first. He could recognize her face even after all these years, especially as she kept reappearing in most of his clubs, wandering around with none other than Ryuguji Ken, whose tattoo was hard to miss or mismatch.

He quickly put two and two together, understanding that the detective was trying to get dirt on them by starting in the easiest place, a place where she could see all of it go down at once.

Drugs, prostitution, money laundering. Their clubs were the starting point of it all. But he had let her do so, making sure to tell his bouncers to always let her in when he was around.

Honestly, he had always been intrigued by Baji Chizu. Ever since their first meeting 17 years ago. He knows she doesn’t back down from a fight, so he’d like to see how far along she can go before Mikey himself decides to kill her. He guesses the time has finally come.

As he tries to look for her in the crowd, Mikey calls them over. Rindou sits beside him on the leather seat, Kakucho on the other side, the one closer to Mikey.

Behind their boss, with his hands clasped behind his back and a straight, military-like, posture, stands Sanzu. Ran thinks Sanzu looks different tonight, vigilant, lucid. The drugs must have yet to hit.

When Mikey starts to talk they all lean closer to hear him over the music. He’s not one to yell, but he doesn’t expect them to miss a single word.

“A detective that has been insistently looking into our affairs is present tonight. I had a fake leak go around about the Haitani selling the place to specifically loom them here.”

Right on the money. Ran is rarely wrong, after all.

Mikey is slouched back in his chair, careless demeanor as usual. Black eyes fixed on his executives as he calls their attention, “Rindou, Ran. I need the two of you to drag the detective’s chaperone out of the club. Hold him down, knock him out for all I care. But he has to leave. Alive.”

Ran knows why he’s asking the two of them, Draken has quite a big frame and is known to be undeniably strong, their underlings would have to put up a fight and cause a scene to drag him out of the place. Rindou can easily block his joints as Ran dirties his hands after what feels like such a long time.

He’s gotten so used to guns he barely has any time to whip out his trusty baton, as of lately. So this will do. Where’s the fun in letting others do his job, after all?

“Sanzu, take care of the detective. You can choose how, but I need her alive.” Once again, he doesn’t seem to be willing to let his annoying friends die, yet.

Mikey never has to repeat himself, the executives stand up as they make their way down to the lower level of the club.

“Are you sure sending those three is a good idea?” asks Takeomi, who knows by now how hot-tempered and messy they can be. “We’re talking about your friends, after all. Someone is gonna end up dead.”

“Old acquaintances, and they’re gonna do what Mikey asked them to.” The one replying is Kakucho, whose calmness is ever-present as he sits back with his torso exposed. He doesn’t defend Mikey to Sanzu’s extent, but especially in front of other people, he likes to keep up with appearances.

Kokonoi is smirking while sipping on a martini, the classy drink looks fitting in his elegant hand. Kokonoi gets entertained with very little, relaxing comes easy to him when money is not on the table. However, if it were, you would see him fidget and panic by now.

“I’m gonna get our drivers know to go out back, I figured we’re gonna make a quick exit,” announces Mochi.

Mikey mumbles something in accordance while trying to peer down at the crowd for his spot, cross-legged.

He can’t see much, he’s gonna have to wait.

—

Chizu wants to rip the strobe lights from the hinges with her bare hands. It’s so annoying, how she’s getting momentarily blinded every time she stares up.

She turns around to tell Draken that she wants to get closer. She wants to try and get upstairs this time. But Draken is not there anymore.

“Ken?” Chizu calls his name loudly, but she knows it’s unlikely for him to hear her, mentally cursing herself because she should’ve stayed closer.

Chizu guesses she must act on the second part of the plan now, the one Draken was not even aware of. The one she needs to carry on by herself. She just wishes Inupi and Draken will forgive her for it.

But as she takes some steps towards the stairs, she catches Ken’s big frame getting carried away by two others.

It’s a blur of purples, so she runs to follow them, getting closer to the exit that by now she knows opens up in a back alley.

One moment she is pushing against people to make way, the next her body is being held back by two long arms.

“Eh eh,” she hears the man snicker, his sinister and familiar voice making dread fill her throat like bitter bile.

Something is so terribly wrong in his embrace, but because of the adrenaline cursing through her veins, she can’t feel the sting of the blade piercing the skin of her belly until she looks down and sees his blood-stained hand, Bonten tattoo branded on the inside of his forearm.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, Chizu-chan,” strands of pink colored hair slip past her shoulder as he leans forward, but she can barely see anymore, her eyes foggy, the crimson of the blood fresh in her mind like the day her brother had died.

She doesn’t feel herself falling, Sanzu holds her tight as she passes out. He thinks she’s weaker than she used to be, he could slice her neck open right there and get this over with, but he can feel the wrath of his King looming over him.

What a stupid girl you are, Sanzu thinks as he lifts her body into his arms.

—🎴—

Next Chapter.

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