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Draken shouts out an ineligible word. It’s something along the lines of ‘let’s start!’ and ‘slalalap!’ but Chifuyu’s exhausted brain is unable to string the words together. Draken claps his hands once, commencing the beginning of the meeting.
Chifuyu sighs, slouching slightly as the boy with the dragon tattoo starts to go over things he already knows. If it was up to Chifuyu, the meeting wouldn’t even be on today, instead, the Vice Captain of the 1st Divison would be passed out on his bed.
With a sigh, he looks to his side, where Takemichi stands in a similar position to himself. The dyed blond groans as Draken drowns on and on about a new gang on their territory — that’s the third one this month, and it’s only the 16th.
On top of the new gangs, there’s been word of a traitor amidst their numbers, so most of the captains have allocated their time trying to dwindle the potential traitors down to a few ten.
Chifuyu looks over the gang, watching for anything unordinary. Nothing really stands out as different, though, he realises, glossing over all of them who listen to Mikey’s word like it’s law. So far, they’ve cleared 150 of their lower members, but a few still remain to be checked.
Chifuyu takes another glance at Takemichi as he goes to whisper something into his ear, but he stops. Takemichi doesn’t look like how he did before, annoyed and tired, and that strikes Chifuyu as odd. It’s only been a couple minutes since then, how much could he change his whole body language that fast? There’s a strange glint in Takemichi’s eyes, almost predatory, but among that is hesitation.
Takemichi’s head whips over to meet his eyes, quickly as if he’s just been caught doing something bad, caching his gaze. They stare at each other for a second before Takemichi looks away with a nonchalant shrug.
This may work with anyone else, but Chifuyu isn’t ‘anyone else’. Takemichi looks more anxious than he did before, twitching as his eyes dart from the floor to Mikey, over and over again. There’s something happening, or going to happen, that Takemichi isn’t telling him about and it makes Chifuyu’s eyebrows furrow. He plays with the hem of his Toman jacket to get his mind off his partners strange behaviour.
Out of the corner of his eye, Mikey pushes Draken out the way, causing the taller to shout in alarm. It distracts Chifuyu momentarily and he turns his gaze to the commanders. “It’s my turn to speak now,” he declares, puffing up his chest, “you’re taking too long Ken-chin! I can do it faster,”
“It’s not about getting the information out fast, Mikey. It’s about making sure everyone understands,” Draken deadpans with a disappointed look on his face, groaning as he realises that Mikey isn’t taking any notice. The taller pinches the top of his nose.
“Whatever,” Mikey brushes off his best friend, not interested in anything he has to say. Mikey looks over the group of Toman members fondly before asking, “does anyone have any news of the traitor yet?”
Takemichi raises his hand instantly, smiling proudly. Chifuyu looks at him, that anxious, worried glint still swarms his blue eyes despite the grin Takemichi wears so proudly on his face.
Something is definitely wrong.
Chifuyu watches the way Takemichi’s smile falters slightly, like dread suddenly built in his stomach — or something like that. The younger can’t figure out what’s going on with Takemichi. Is the traitor one of his friends? Or is it one of the captains? Chifuyu can’t fathom why he’s acting like this.
Mikey stares at Takemichi in surprise, “you do?!”
“Mhm!” The younger hums, walking by Mikey’s side to announce the traitor in front of everyone. Draken raises his eyebrows, feeling like something is up, but doesn’t speak on his suspicions. He probably should of.
Instead of revealing the traitor, Takemichi whispers in Mikey’s ear softly. He whispers three words, quiet and quickly. No one is able to hear them but Mikey, but judging by the look on his face, it’s not good.
Disbelief covers Mikey’s face like a blanket. He steps back from the dyed blonde quickly, coming to Draken’s side. “You’re joking,” shock laces his tone.
“I’m not.”
“Takemichi,” Mikey mutters out, using his actual name instead of the nickname he so often uses. It raises alarm bells in Chifuyu’s head as he looks between the two blondes, as does Draken, staring in disbelief. Only, Draken not amused in the slightest, he actually looks worried. Mikey laughs, fatly and void of emotion, “if this is a joke, I will fucking kill you.”
Takemichi puts his hands up in mock surrender, a sly smile appearing on his normally joyful face. “I wish I was— actually I don’t, it’s funny seeing your reaction,” the younger’s smile turns into a menacing grin, wicked and scheming, “why don’t you tell everyone the information I just told you? Man-ji-ro!”
Mikey stares at him in complete and utter shock, not believing that those words are falling from Takemichi’s mouth. “Fuck you,” he hisses out, leaning slightly in a way that makes everyone think Mikey is going to pounce on the younger. Venom cakes his tone, making Chifuyu flinch back in disbelief.
“It seem’s like Takemichi has something to tell us all,” he starts, glaring at the boy in front of him, anger burning in his eyes like nothing Chifuyu has ever seen before.
Once glance to Draken and Chifuyu realises that he’s even more confused than the younger is, staring between the two normally friendly males, with confused, fast moving eyes.
“Takemichi.. Takemichi is the Toman traitor.”
The shrine’s quiet volume raises into an uproar, shouting coming from members who just don’t believe it, and others who always hated Takemichi, visibly displaying their anger.
An icy heat floods Chifuyu’s body from the top of his head to the tips of his toes and he finds himself heading towards Takemichi before he even has the thoughts.
“You’re not serious? Are you?” Chifuyu almost screams, twisted anger straining his heart. He quickly runs up the shrine before halting, standing in front of Takemichi’s smirking face.
At the look of utter betrayal on Chifuyu’s face, makes the smirk falter almost unnoticeably, but the younger sees it, knowing his partner like the back of his hand.
“Partner! Please, tell me it isn’t true, what about— about everything we’ve even through? Was that all lies?” Chifuyu shouts, placing his hands on either sides of his arms, trapping him in a box. The tears in Chifuyu’s eyes well before breaking, a stray tear falling down his pale cheeks.
“W—” Takemichi starts before he instantly cuts himself off as he jolts, not expecting Chifuyu to cry. At least he has the decency to be ashamed, looking down at the cobbled floor, his smirk almost completely wiped off his face.
“Why?!” Chifuyu let’s another tear fall from his eye. The younger longs for the times when Takemichi would lift his hand and pat it from his face softly. All that he does is watch it fall, not moving to wipe it away.
“I did it for my brother.”
“Your brother? Who- who is your bother? I didn’t know you had a brother! Who’s your brother?” Chifuyu rambles, asking question after question, unable to keep his mouth shut. He’s shaking and his hands are uncomfortably clenched around the plush of Takemichi’s arms. It’s probably hurting him, but the elder says nothing about it.
“Kazutora, Hanemiya Kazutora.” Takemichi tells them, almost reluctantly, like he doesn’t want anyone to know. Almost as if he doesn’t want to admit it himself.
“KAZUTORA?!” Mikey shouts, pushing Chifuyu away to stare Takemichi in the eyes, “what?! You’re actually Hanemiya Takemichi? That’s so fucking rich. I’m not even surprised, all the Hanemiya’s have ever done for me is cause me pain! This isn’t anything compared to what your ‘brother’ did!”
The Vice Captain falls to the floor from Mikey’s push landing with a thud and a small groan. Takemichi shakes his head, blonde hair swishing on his head, “we have different dads.”
“Like that matters!”
Chifuyu looks at Takemichi from his place on the ground and they meet eyes. “Is he threatening you?” the younger inquires, not being able to think that their time together was a lie. It wasn’t, Chifuyu knows that. They’ve been through so much together that it can’t possibly be fake, he refuses to even think that.
Takemichi doesn’t reply, but the widening of his eyes says enough. “Partner,” Chifuyu solemnly mutters, hurt swirling in his turquoise eyes. He rises from his place on the floor and looks his Partner in the eyes, “Why are you.. letting yourself be manipulated?”
Takemichi flinches back like he’s just been shot in the chest. Bullseye. “I’ve- no! You’re wrong! Kazu knows what’s best for me! I—I’m,” he says, stepping back hazardously.
At those words, Chifuyu feels sorry for Takemichi. He doesn’t know how the younger got into such a state with his brother, but something must of happened. Maybe Kazutora had a change of heart and decided to blackmail Takemichi, he just can’t be sure. Chifuyu thought everything was okay when Draken and Takemichi visited the banana haired boy in prison. So what could of changed during that time to make this happen?
“How is he manipulating you from prison?” Chifuyu asks, trying to get as much information as he can while Takemichi isn’t thinking so clearly. It’s a shitty move, he knows, but he has to save his Partner some how.
“I—I’m leaving Toman!” He shouts, backing away, not wanting to answer any more of Chifuyu’s questions. Takemichi rips off his Toman jacket, throwing it on the floor before sprinting away, through the trees at the back of the shrine. Chifuyu imagines him as a dog, running with his tail in between his legs, clearly scared.
Chifuyu collapses on the ground, confusion lacing every bone in his body. He’s so fucking baffled. What the fuck just happened?
Chifuyu feels someone rush to his side, and only then does he realise that he’s crying.
First Baji? Now Takemichi? He’s not sure he can do this anymore.
He has to get Takemichi back, no matter what. He has to.