Sunshine in Chains

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/32889745.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Category: M/M
Fandom: 東京卍リベンジャーズ | Tokyo Revengers (Manga), 東京卍リベン
ジャーズ | Tokyo Revengers (Anime)
Relationship: Mikey | Sano Manjirou/Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Koko |
Kokonoi Hajime & Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Takeomi Akashi &
Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Kakuchou & Takemitchy |
Takemitchi Hanagaki, Sanzu Haruchiyo/Takemitchy | Hanagaki
Takemichi, Haitani Rindou/Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Haitani
Ran/Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Takemitchy | Hanagaki
Takemichi/Everyone, Bonten Gang Members & Takemitchy | Hanagaki
Takemichi
Character: Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Mikey | Sano Manjirou, Sanzu
Haruchiyo, Haitani Rindou, Haitani Ran, Koko | Kokonoi Hajime,
Takeomi Akashi, Kakuchou (Tokyo Revengers)
Additional Tags: Yandere, child takemichi, Bonten Future Timeline Mikey | Sano
Manjirou, Possessive Behavior, Obsessive Behavior, Drugs,
Kidnapping, Swearing, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone Has Issues,
Everyone Loves Takemitchy | Hanagaki Takemichi, Possessive Mikey |
Sano Manjirou, Tags Are Hard, The Author Regrets Everything, Crack
Treated Seriously, Twisted, Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced
Rape/Non-con, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Series: Part 3 of A crybaby's Hell.
Stats: Published: 2021-07-29 Updated: 2023-05-14 Words: 52,010 Chapters:
22/?

Sunshine in Chains
by Chagama_uWu

Summary

Life is far too unpredictable at times, no one ever knowing whether tomorrow will be their
last.

To Hanagaki Takemichi, he never expected that two weeks into his happy marriage life
could end so abruptly along with his life when he is accidentally pushed off to the train
tracks.

It is also unpredictable in the way with him opening his eyes and waking up as a ten year
old under the care of what was definitely the most dangerous criminal organization in
Japan.
Notes

Takemichi never got involved with toman, and was married to Hina but dies and
reincarnates...as a ten year old child....taken by Bonten.

See the end of the work for more notes

 Dead and Deader.

Life is far too unpredictable at times, no one ever knowing whether tomorrow will be their last.

To Hanagaki Takemichi, he never expected that two weeks into his happy marriage life could end
so abruptly along with his life when he is accidentally pushed off to the train tracks.

His life with Hinata Tachibana had been blissfully beautiful. They both had grown up together and
fallen in love over the years. They both had gone through plenty of ups and downs, and were more
than ready to take the next stage in their relationship with the blessings of their friends and
families. Their wedding day was the most momentous day in Takemichi's life, seeing everyone he
loves be the witnesses to him and Hina swearing their vows together.

Their honeymoon was gentle and loving. Moving into their new house was a tiring but fulfilling
day. Each day with Hinata was nothing but happiness. He vividly remembers the cozy interior of
their humble house. Cream colored walls, child friendly furniture, and their place always being
filled with laughter and love-

-So why?

"MMF!!"

"MMFF!"

"MMMFFF!"

Muffled screams and groans of pain echoed and Takemichi blinked. Right, three men were about to
die in a few moments.

Three unfortunate men who were gagged and tied and forced into kneeling positions, facing away
from their executors.

In a blink of an eye Takemichi's paradise was cut short, his body going as cold as the fish
warehouse he currently was in along with several others.
The scent of blood and fish carcasses lying here and there invaded his nostrils, creating a putrid
smell that he will never be able to become familiar with. There was a tray of sharp utensils dyed
with fresh sanguine liquid.

Takemichi grimaced when the scent of taiyaki joins in, and he remembers the casual grip of a
lanky arm wrapped around his ten year old torso.

Ocean blue eyes trembled as he hears gulping and flinched.

"Bring down Bonten's Hammer of Judgement on the traitors!"

The familiar manic and drug addled voice of Sanzu Haruchiyo rang loud and clear, and Takemichi
couldn't even be granted with the luxury of covering his eyes or ears from the madness that was
unfolding behind him. Instead, he only leans back to the lean chest of his 'captor', who's grip on
him tightens for a second before letting go, patting raven locks in what could be deemed as
fondness.

"Shush Shush Shush" Sanzu says in mock gentleness, leaning uncomfortably close to one of the
soon to be human corpses. "Pay attention to Mikey's words."

Mikey, who was sitting on a crate a few distances away from Sanzu, who also had a handcuffed
Takemichi on his lap and was leisurely eating a piping hot taiyaki on one hand. The gentle patting
on the younger boy's head never ceased, even as the older male calmly and indifferently seals the
fate of three lives.

"Kill them."

More muffled screams were then followed by three gunshots. The sickening sounds of blood
splattering on concrete ground and three lifeless thuds entered Takemichi's ears, and his eyes
closed-inwardly murmuring a quick prayer for the foolish souls.

They truly were foolish for deciding to mess with Bonten of all groups.

Bonten, the worst and most prominent criminal organization in all of Japan. Bonten, who had
insane executives all swearing loyalty to one fearsome man.

And said fearsome man, Sano Mikey Manjirou, who owns Takemichi.

Takemichi had to hand it to them, they were able to keep him captive for a solid two hours before
they were tracked down. There was only a handful of kidnappings where they were able to keep
him for an hour at least. Props to them for effort.

His first kidnapping had been the worst way to wake up from death, yet after a couple more and
the young boy had learned to discipline his reactions to an eerie degree. From death, he wakes up
to what could be the most unfortunate and gruesome life.

Yes, Hanagaki Takemichi died from being accidentally pushed off to the train tracks, a complete
mistake that ended with him dying early at the age of 26.

And by some sick twist of fate, wakes up as a crying ten year old gagged and handcuffed-
surrounded by armed crooks. Armed men who quickly dropped like flies as bullets flew here and
there, and Takemichi being the witness to their pitiful and painful deaths as his 'rescuers' come into
the picture. His rescuers, who were all Bonten executives, casually releases him and takes him in
their blood soaked arms.

Who would've though he would be the last living relative of Sano Mikey Manijirou, the head of the
bloody organization that is Bonten?

Sano Takemitchy was the boy's-his name now. A young scrawny ten year old boy with a Hanafuda
tattooed horizontally around his neck.

Sano Takemitchy, a boy who smiled like sunshine rays no matter the occasion, no matter how
much blood was spilled.

"Those who don't fit in Bonten are scraps!" He hears Sanzu, Bonten's number 2, confidently state
with demented chuckles.

From a distance, the emotionless but firm voice of Bonten's number 3, Kakucho, echoed. "Make
sure you properly clean the dead bodies."
"Crush and freeze it. Turn it into fish bait." Was the callous suggestion of Mochizuku Kanji, one of
Bonten's executives.

The other executives, Haitani Ran and Rindou, remained silent along with Bonten's advisor, Akashi
Takeomi. Meanwhile Kokonoi Hiajime, another Bonten executive, smirked.

"Keep it in your heads everyone. Even between us, whoever betrays will eventually become scraps
too."

Takemitchy feels himself be lifted off and gently placed on the ground by Mikey-the leader of
Bonten. The young child doesn't show an ounce of fear, all his fears and feelings of disgust tightly
kept on a leash within the deepest recesses of his mind.

The raven haired boy looks up to his older brother, meeting abyssal black eyes-there truly was no
light of life in those eyes of Mikey. The older male reaches out a hand to him, and Takemichi takes
the outstretched hand with a thousand watt smile. With a cheerful tone, the younger Sano chirps.

"That's how Bonten works!"

Hanagaki Takemichi may be gone, but he will make sure Sano Takemitchy lives on.

He has to live, no matter what.

 Sano Takemitchy
Chapter Summary

Hanagaki Takemichi learned to live as Sano Takemitchy.

He worried at first that posing as a ten year old around the most dangerous men in
society would wound up with him dead.

He is proven wrong when he realizes there is more to Sano Takemitchy than just being
the little brother of Sano Manjirou.

Takemichi respected a little boy named Sano Takemitchy from the bottom of his heart.

Exiting the warehouse was uneventful but secured as Takemichi and the rest of Bonten's executives
along with their leader were escorted in separate luxury cars. Of course, Takemichi is automatically
put in the same ride as his older brother. Sanzu and Kokonoi followed right after them. Now the
young boy sits comfortably between the two white haired males-with Koko at his left and Mikey to
his right. Sanzu seats at the front passenger seat.

"Good thing you're didn't get hurt this time eh? Takemitchy." The familiar voice of Kokonoi
Hajime drags Takemichi back to reality as the boy feels his hair be affectionately ruffled. "We
would've no choice but to go all night if they hurt you."

"Yep! I got lucky with the misters.." Takemichi innocently replies back before pouting adorably.
"Ah~ I remember Mr. Baldie telling me I'm going to be sold off abroad after getting the ransom
from Bonten though!"

"Fish bait is a pretty light sentence then." Kokonoi's grin was sharp, his eyes holding a cruel glint.
"Should've harvested their organs without anesthesia first, Sanzu."

"That I should've." The pink haired male slowly turns to give a remorseful look at the only child in
the car, "Don't worry Takemitchy, I'll make sure their friends and families get their organs
harvested. They'll all pay the price for laying hands on you."

The ten year old boy, who was internally a twenty six year old man that grew up in a normal life,
wanted to scream profanities at the madmen around him.
'Whose faults is it that I got kidnapped in the first place anyways?! I'm pretty fucking sure you all
let this thing happened-' Despite the frustration settling deep in the pits of his stomach, the smile
on Takemichi's face doesn't twitch nor let up-revealing nothing of his ire towards the three adults.
Not wanting to add more innocent corpses on his list of dead bodies, the boy beams. '-I need to
distract them quickly...'

"No need~ If you do that you guys can't play as much with me." He then childishly pouts, chubby
cheeks puffing for extra measure. "We snuffed out the traitors already, didn't we?" Pointing at
himself, Takemichi grinned as he sees lanky arms reach for his sides. "I want a reward!"

The young boy allows himself to be placed on Mikey's lap, unminding the amused chuckles of
Sanzu and Kokonoi.

Mikey's insomniac appearance didn't garner any negative reaction from the younger Sano, who
only giggles. Instead, the older Sano stares unblinkingly at his little brother before slightly tilting
his head to the side.

"I'll give you anything you want."

Ocean blue eyes crinkled in delight as he leaned forward, gently placing his forehead on Mikey's
with gentleness.

Beautiful ocean blue orbs locked with pitch abyssal black ones.

"I want a whole day with Mikey-nii!"

"I'm all yours then, Mitchy."

He considered the small smile on the older Sano's usually emotionless face a win.
Hanagaki Takemichi learned to live as Sano Takemitchy.

He worried at first that posing as a ten year old around the most dangerous men in society would
wound up with him dead.

He is proven wrong when he realizes there is more to Sano Takemitchy than just being the little
brother of Sano Manjirou.

Takemichi respected a little boy named Sano Takemitchy from the bottom of his heart.

See, after Takemichi woke up as Takemitchy, he gained the young child's memories in life. And
from there the adult male learns of the younger boy's trials and tribulations in life. He learns that
Takemitchy was a child from troubling circumstances.

Takemitchy had a mother who was hooked on drugs, leading to a turbulent life of constantly on the
move and parental neglect. The young boy having to see adults come over and snort white
substances, turning into a completely different versions of themselves.

Takemitchy learned early on to hide when the parties happen, to fend for himself when the adults
around him clearly couldn't.

Even when his mother unceremoniously drops him off at the Sano Dojo with little to no
explanation, the young boy never complained.

Eight years old and abandoned, Takemitchy was unfazed at the odds stacked against him.

There lived one old man in the huge Sano household. He was kind enough to take Takemitchy in
without questions, didn't question the blood of Sano flowing in him. He gave Takemitchy roles in
the house and was always satisfied that the young boy was not only polite but a quick learner.

Takemichi learns that at eight years old, Takemitchy already envisioned his goals in life.

The young boy would always draw in his spare time, doodling a simple house by the sea.
Takemitchy wanted nothing in life but to live a quiet life by the sea. To live by himself surrounded
by pets and always close to the sea to hear its calming waves.

That's why the youngest Sano never complained with whatever task the elder gave him.
Takemitchy wholeheartedly believes that by being in the good graces of his grandfather, he can
live a normal life and work for his goals like any other driven individuals without having to worry
for food, safety and shelter.

However, good things must always come to an end.

Takemitchy noticed the deteriorating health of his grandfather, and worried for the future.

Little Takemitchy didn't waste any time, quickly going back to his room to begin thinking his next
steps.

At eight years old, he enters the rooms of his other siblings. He deduced that two of them were
dead, and the living one was out of contact. He calmly predicts that he might be thrown in an
orphanage once his grandfather dies. To which Takemitchy doesn't lament on, anything was better
than being shoved back in with his drug addict of a mother.

However, Takemitchy still kept on revisiting the rooms and absorbing any information he could
get. He spends sleepless nights looking through albums and coaxing his weakening grandfather to
tell stories of his 'siblings'. He did so with the intention of replicating his dead siblings' characters
if ever the living one, Sano Manjirou, decides to show up and take him in.

Little Takemitchy knew he can never fully imitate his dead siblings, and only focused on getting an
overall feel to their basic gestures and facial expressions.

All for the sake of surviving.

Most people would be frightened of how calculating and calm the eight year old was being, but
Takemichi only cried for the little boy.

Because Takemichi sees that Takemitchy never actively harms anyone, despite the brilliance of his
mind-he never boasts or has driven ambitions to trample on others. No, Sano Takemitchy
genuinely only wanted a quiet life by the sea. That was all his little heart desired.

That's why, when Takemichi wakes up as Takemitchy, the deceased twenty six year old wept for
the ten year old.

The executives were all surprised to see the usually unfazed and cheery Takemitchy crying himself
to exhaustion when they arrived at the scene.

Even when forced to live in Bonten, Takemitchy never let up his fears to anyone-having a solid
control of his emotions and knowing just how much can he take advantage of the new privileges'
given to him as Sano Manjirou's little brother. The same boy who never complained when his
older brother calls for a tattoo artist to have the symbol of Bonten tattooed around his neck. Never
uttered a word of complaint at the blood and gore around him.

Sano Takemitchy single handedly became the strongest person Takemichi ever knew.

And Takemichi vowed to achieve the little boy's dreams.

-As well as his own, to see his wife one more time.

Slowly but surely, the silence and gentle rocking from the car along with the pats on his back lulls
Takemichi into unconsciousness. Once his soft snores filled the car, Mikey opens his mouth.

"Sanzu." The reply was immediate.

"Yes boss?"

"Kill the families. Harvest their organs as well." A beat of silence, and Mikey adds as an
afterthought. "Give the wives to Rindo and Ran."

Sanzu's grin and wide manic eyes was nothing short of insane. "It will be done, my king."

"Poor little Takemitchy, and he tried so hard to distract us too." Koko's twisted smirk widens. "It's
always cute to see him try though. Can't get enough of our little sunshine and his endearing antics."

"Bonten is your only home, Mitchy."

The fearsome leader of Bonten softly murmurs, only adjusting his hold on his younger sibling who
peacefully sleeps away-oblivious to the all encompassing darkness in his older brother's unblinking
gaze..

"I am your everything."

 Heart
Chapter Summary

Bonten, for better or worse, needed Takemitchy to keep the organization alive.

And so, for as long as he breathes, Sano Takemitchy's fate is chained to Bonten.

To its executives. To its leader.

To Sano Manjirou.

Chapter Notes

TW: Suicide attempts.

The day Sano Takemitchy's existence was discovered, Bonten was at a risk of falling apart at its
very core.

Sanzu Haruchiyo was a hair string away from blowing all his underlings' brains out with the
amount of stress his mind and body was going through.

The rosy pink haired male with blue eyes can be seen downing more of his illegal drugs at the
sheer stress of it all.

Well, Sanzu would down more of it if he wasn't busy tackling his boss to the ground and wrestling
to pry the gun off his hands. Blue eyes were wide with panic and madness as he yells for the
nearest bodyguards to enter the room.

"Bring the fucking sedatives NOW!"

"Get off me Sanzu." His boss, his god, Mikey curses him up a storm-mercilessly kicking and
punching to take the gun back. "Stop being a goddamn pest every single time."

The rosy pink haired male grunts in pain at the force, Mikey did not hold back on his kicks.
Thankfully at last, the grunts have arrived with the sedatives' and it doesn't take much time before
the leader of Bonten enters a deep slumbering state from the amount of shots injected to him.
Sanzu doesn't let himself rest until he had carried a knocked out Mikey back to bed and
confiscating any other possible items his boss can use to kill himself.

"That's the third time this week."

Sanzu doesn't bother sending Akashi Takeomi a greeting, only slumping on the wall with a tired
sigh. The older male had a lit cigarette dangling on his lips as he continues. "Our boss might not
last long at this rate. Even with you treating him like a mental patient..."

"Shut the fuck up Akashi. You continue with that line and I'll shoot a hole in your head." The
smoking man raises his hands placatingly at the venomous glare directed at him. "What? You got
any better fucking ideas?"

"Sure do. Whether it'll work or not though is up for debate but still worth giving a shot." Akashi
passes him a slip of paper, in which Sanzu grumpily takes and opens with an annoyed stare. His
gaze narrowed. "A new Sano's been registered in the family. Get Mikey to meet the lad, see if it'll
get him taken off his suicidal tendencies."

"He hasn't contacted anyone from Toman and family for a decade already, are you fucking
retarded? What makes you think he'll believe he has a little sibling all of a sudden?"

"He will." Both men snapped their heads at the arrival of a new but familiar voice, seeing Kakucho
coming out from the shadows. "Kurokawa Izana is proof of that. His other sibling, Sano Emma is
half blood but he loved her all the same."

"Even better." Akashi grins, pulling out a picture from his suit pocket. "He smiles exactly like him"

In the picture is a young boy with raven black hair with the bluest eyes in existence, he was sitting
next to the elder Sano, smiling with a gentleness so achingly similar to that of the charismatic Sano
Shinichiro.

Even Sanzu was not blind to the level of affection Mikey held for his siblings, Sano Shinichiro
especially.
There wasn't much grounding his God to this world anymore, and if dragging one kid into the
hellish web of Bonten is what will work then...

Sanzu crumpled the paper in his grasp.

"When's the funeral of the grandfather?"

Akashi grinned.

"In three days, make sure Mikey meets the kid before anyone from Toman does." Sanzu glared at
him at the mention of the old Toman members. "You know they'll take him under their care."

Droopy eyes sharpened.

"That kid will be Bonten's property."

Convincing Mikey to visit his grandfather's funeral nearly costs Sanzu an eye and a leg. However,
there was nothing the rosy pink haired male wouldn't do for his king.

Akashi supposes he should thank Bonten's number 2 for having such devout loyalty. At least that
spared him the effort and risk of convincing Mikey who was becoming more happy trigger far too
frequently these days.

The funeral had already began for visitors, and revisiting his dearest friend's house triggered the
feeling of nostalgia within the grown male.

It seemed as if time had stopped in the Sano household, everything was where it was. And it
honestly looked like Shinichiro would pop out of one of the rooms to give them a friendly and
warm greeting.

'I miss you, old friend.'

Akashi doesn't let his stony expression lift, soldiering on as he follows the leader of Bonten
through the Tatami hallways.

Entering the room where the funeral is being held, there were already a few elderlies that were
friends with the late Sano. Their presence alerted the old people, all of them giving Mikey and his
entourage wary glances. Their reactions were understandable, given their appearances and the
intimidating aura they exuded.

However, there was only one soul who didn't turn at their entrance. One particular child whose
back remained facing them.

One child who continued to pray for the deceased Sano.

Despite the gasps and the murmurs, the boy doesn't turn back until he finished. Mikey doesn't so as
much breathe a word of greeting to anyone in the vicinity, only making his way to the only child in
the room. Sanzu and Akashi right on his heels.

By the time they reached him, the young child slowly turns towards them as he finished the last of
the funeral rites.

The first thing Akashi thinks is that the pictures did his eyes no justice.

'If those ain't the bluest things I've ever seen in my life, I don't know what is.'

Facing them now was a small scrawny boy with fluffy looking raven hair and glistening ocean blue
eyes. His youthful features were unreadable, except for the fresh stream of tears running down his
doe eyes.

The other visitors exchanged worried glances and murmurs but Akashi only focuses on the two
Sanos facing each other.

Sano Takemitchy looks up to Sano Mikey Manjirou, and smiles gently. Eyes closing and lips
lifting up to smile so softly and warmly just like Shinichiro.

The kid, barely eight years old and brimming with innocence, opens his mouth. Akashi notes that
there wasn't a trace of fear in the boy's eyes, only taking in their appearance with amicability.

"Hello."

From the lack of a violent response from their leader, Akashi knew they've found the cure to
ending Mikey's suicide attempts. He lets out an inaudible sigh of relief when the older Sano replies
back.

"You're coming with me."

Sano Takemitchy was a strange kid.

He never once put up a fight nor showed any signs of alarm at the intimidating figures surrounding
him. When he was told to his face that he will be moved to a different location permanently, the
boy only smiled and nodded politely back.

Being taken to the main quarters of Bonten's most important members, the little boy only bows to
each of them in greeting with the same kind smile.

He even thanks them for giving him his own room, even with the lack of decoration. Just like that
the boy quietly fits himself in Bonten. Mikey had given him the exclusive rights to wander within
the luxury penthouse of Bonten, The executives found it oddly fascinating to see a little child
curiously walking through the halls and balconies, always having the same soft smile thrown their
way when their gazes meet.
Takemitchy was given more than enough allowance to buy whatever he wanted, but the boy only
indulged in arts. Often times he can be seen drawing and coloring at random spots of the penthouse
throughout the day if he wasn't called by his older brother.

Speaking of which, Mikey's suicidal tendencies had lowered significantly since the arrival of the
youngest Sano.

It would only be one particular night that Bonten's executives truly understood Sano Takemitchy's
worth when they couldn't find the two Sanos in their usual spots. Worried that their leader is once
again attempting to commit suicide, and this time possibly adding his younger brother on the list,
everyone had searched high and low in the penthouse-desperate to put a stop on Mikey taking his
life.

Imagine their surprise when they find the missing two in Takemitchy's bathroom, with a sleeping
Mikey holding tightly unto his younger brother.

The razor blade and pill containers spilled on the tiled floor doesn't escape their notice.

Despite the uncomfortable position they were in, Takemitchy only looks at their shocked
expressions with a calm smile so off putting on an eight year old's expression.

"Mikey-nii is sleeping, can you take him to bed?" Is the first thing that comes out of the little boy's
mouth. Even when Mikey was successfully moved back into his bedroom, Takemitchy stayed
close to his older brother, carding his little fingers through ivory white hair-watching with a gentle
gaze as the older Sano relaxes further into the touch.

From then on, Mikey never attempted another suicide.

Mikey always called for Takemitchy's presence, which the younger brother never denied him of.
The older Sano could always be seen sitting beside his little brother, granting him anything his
little heart desires. The leader of Bonten appeared to be just like a stoic but doting older brother
when not busy with Bonten's affairs.

Takemitchy remained cheerful and began acting more like a kid slowly but surely as his
relationship with his older brother solidified.
Yet his his wishes were all so simple.

"I want to spend the day with Mikey-nii."

"Can we all eat together?"

"Can I have more art supplies?"

These three things were all he ever asks for, and Bonten's executives didn't know whether to be
fond or baffled at the boy's selflessness. Perhaps they already were doing both.

Takemitchy became the perfect stabilizer for Mikey and Bonten.

He was the perfect child who is always lovable no matter what he did. Never throwing tantrums
and only showing enough playfulness that the adults around him can tolerate. A child who only
wanted three things: Time with his older brother, meals with everyone, and art supplies. A boy
who never has any interest in power, only wanting to be a soothing companion for the leader of
Bonten.

They do not acknowledge the longing looks on Takemitchy's face whenever he sits on his
lonesome on the windowsill in his room.

They do not comment on the tears of pain streaming down the boy's cheeks when the mark of
Bonten is forcibly tattooed on the eight year old's neck.

Not a word escapes them when they have to wake the boy up from the terrible nightmares he'd
have from the amount of blood and gore they'd brutally exposed him to.

Bonten, for better or worse, needed Takemitchy to keep the organization alive.

And so, for as long as he breathes, Sano Takemitchy's fate is chained to Bonten.
To its executives. To its leader.

To Sano Manjirou.
 Sano Takemichi
Chapter Summary

Sano Takemitchy preferred not to be the center of attention.

When Hanagaki Takemichi took over, 'Sano Takemitchy' formed a new dynamic with
Bonten's leader and its executives.

It was time to test just how long their shackles on him go.

Sano Takemitchy preferred not to be the center of attention.

Although he was polite and kind to whoever he interacted with, there was always a sense of
distance that the little boy kept with the executives and even Mikey himself. Little Takemitchy
lived life with one unspoken rule.

To never dabble heavily in the affections of others.

His mother imparted him with one valuable lesson, the only time when she was sober and sharing
pearls of wisdom that allowed Takemitchy to survive for so long.

'Takemitchy, people need to hold something warm and soft at the end of the day..' His mother
would tell him, gently combing raven locks with perfectly manicured nails, 'If you need them for
longer, you can't take too much of their 'love'...Take too little and its an insult, take too much and
its greed talking.'

"Give them lies that they'll see as the sweetest truth, but never fall for their 'love'." His mother
would then smile gently. "You are there to survive, not stay."

Takemitchy never liked or hated anyone, regardless of how badly they mistreat him. If he had to
rely on them to survive, the young boy only sees adults as a means to an end. By never having
feelings for his guardians, he can easily act genuine with his "affections". He would only take the
minimum amount of their gifts, always on his best behavior to make sure that they don't find his
existence too big of an annoyance.

He only required the minimum of their affections to survive. He needed just enough to be given
shelter, food and water. Too little and he'll be quickly disowned, too much and running away
would become more difficult.

He learns of Mikey's quirks and when to act 'spoiled'. He learns of each executives' likes and
dislikes, enough to make sure he never steps on their toes and incur their anger. Yet he always
makes sure that a certain distance is maintained, never interacting too little or too much with
anyone.

Everything Takemitchy learned in his two year stay with Bonten, all passed on to Takemichi.

Where Takemitchy hated the spotlight, Takemichi thrived.

Takemichi was brighter than Takemitchy, his smile sunnier and wider than Takemitchy's gentle
rays.

His drive to escape burning hotter than Takemitchy's.

When Hanagaki Takemichi took over, 'Sano Takemitchy' formed a new dynamic with Bonten's
leader and its executives.

It was time to test just how much can he explore within the lengths of his shackles.

Six months into his stay in Mikey's penthouse suite, Takemichi can say for certain that he was
going to die of boredom.

That is, if being kidnapped doesn't end up getting him killed first.

Six months into the madness that is his life as Sano Takemitchy and he had been kidnapped about
three times.
And each kidnapping seems to end faster than the previous one. Takemichi is certain it had
something to do with him bawling uncontrollably the day he woke up as Takemitchy. Ever since
that day, everyone in Bonten was quite on edge for a solid few weeks. They were much stricter and
hovered around him like helicopter parents. That's a total of eight grown men with eight different
classes of insanity attached to their already dangerous profiles breathing down his neck for weeks.

Sanzu and Kakucho were the worst next to Mikey, their overprotectiveness definitely leaving the
little boy with little to no room for privacy when Mikey isn't present.

He barely survived their weeks long scrutinizing gazes. Thank God Takemitchy's superb facial
muscle controls remained the same.

The latest kidnapping had been a week ago, and Takemichi would never say he misses being taken
captive by criminals.

The only times he has been able to leave the penthouse is only to go to the other members' places
or Bonten's headquarters where most of the meetings are held. To and from the windows are
always heavily tinted and he's always placed in the center or kept busy with Mikey hugging him on
his lap.

How? How did little Takemitchy survived 2 years of this monotonous captive life?!

Granted Takemichi hasn't forgotten that he was still pretty much in an everyday life or death
situation as long as he lives within Bonten's grasp, but...

"...Takemitchy?" The boy blinked, and a thousand watt smile automatically plasters on his youthful
features. He was currently sitting on one of the spacious sofas in the living room with his older
brother, the Haitani brothers and Sanzu. Haitani Ran sits on his left and was staring down at him
with his default whimsical smile, but Takemichi wasn't blind to the slight concern flashing in the
older man's eyes. "You alright there bud? You got real quiet for a minute."

Takemichi's brain racked itself for the possible outcomes of what was about to come out of his
mouth.

'This can go fifty fifty. The Haitani brothers are always in for trips so no doubt they'll say
yes...Sanzu would probably say no unless Mikey says yes...And Mikey might say yes if he's in a
good mood....I mean, he looks passive enough today...'

Best case scenario, his older brother says yes and they go. Worst case scenario Mikey says no and
he gets lectured by Sanzu to not be a burden to Bonten's leader and to understand his own position
in Bonten...The rosy pink haired male's lectures definitely involved some sedatives and a few days
worth of bed rest, but Takemichi has little to no choice by this point.

These people truly had no problem keeping a kid here. He had to take the chance less he risk
rotting his brain with stagnancy. He was given a second life, he wasn't about to waste it forever
caged in an criminal orginization.

He had two goals in mind: Check on Hinata and live peacefully by the sea on his own away from
Bonten's grasp.

Nothing was going to change unless he makes a move.

"I want to go shopping!" The lilac short haired male then hands him a couple of magazines, which
was the usual if the little boy ever wanted anything all he'd have to do is pick from the catalogues
and they'd order for him. Takemichi shook his head, raising a few brows at his unexpected
reaction. "I want to go outside and shop."

The silence that comes after his request was nothing short of unnerving.

All pairs of eyes were now on him, but Takemichi's face remained as sunnily as always.

"Well, I don't see why not." Rindo expectedly answers for Takemichi's case, "He's been cooped up
here for a solid two years already, time to get some fresh air, don't you think?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely not!" Sanzu sharply inserts, the overprotective glint flashing in his droopy
eyes. "There's plenty of fresh air to get on the balconies. Takemitchy, you know there's no need to
go outside unless you're needed in meetings. Your safety takes priority over your enjoyment."

"B-but! I haven't gone outside in two years...I promise to be good!" Ocean blue eyes watered with
unshed tears as Takemichi pouted, reminding the inhabitants in the room of a kicked puppy. "I'll
listen to the guards and promise I won't run off anywhere."
Bonten's number two had long risen from his seat and just when Takemichi starts to think the
druggie executive was going to have a field day, the rosy pink haired male goes to him and pinches
both of his chubby cheeks.

"Owff!"

"Puppy eyes aren't going to work wonders on me Takemitchy." The little boy doesn't back down
from Sanzu's stern stare, only whining childishly. "No means no."

"I wanff to gwo woutswide!"

"Well I'm not against it either, its hardly of any difficulty to babysit Little Takemitchy." Amused
chuckles left from the older Haitani brother as he observes the two. Sanzu and Takemitchy did tend
to have the most childish interactions out of everyone in Bonten.. "As long as you promise not to
wander off and stay with us the entire time there shouldn't be any problems then, no?"

Takemichi's nodded furiously as Sanzu gives him one more firm pinch before pulling away. Ocean
blue eyes were determined and unrelenting.

"I'm a Bonten executive too, I will never betray my promises!"

Mikey who had his unreadable gaze focused on Takemitchi the entire time raises a hand and gently
pats him.

"Get dressed, we're going out." At his answer, the little boy's grin widens and launches himself at
his older brother who steadily catches him. "Stay close with me. If you run off you're grounded in
my room for two weeks and Sanzu's giving you sleeping meds every two days. Are we clear,
Mitchy?"

"Mhm!" Takemichi then leaves a peck on his older brother's cheek before scrambling off his lap.
"You're the best Mikey-nii!!" He yells over his shoulder before zooming off to his room-unaware
of the fond smile the older Sano directed at him.

'Finally! Some goddamn progress!!'

"That's the most excited I've seen him in the whole two years he lived with us." Rindo comments
with a smirk. "Took him two years to start acting like a kid? That's impressive."

"It's better this way now, no? We could use some youthful energy here." Ran quips, his amused
gaze leaving the direction Takemitchy headed off to land on Sanzu. "Are you bitter that our little
bird is starting to flap his wings, Sanzu?"

"Shut the fuck up Ran. Takemitchy is our king's caged bird." Crossing his arms, the rosy pink
mullet haired male lets out a sigh. "He needs to understand how important his position in Bonten
is."

"Trust the little man a little, would you? The boy even promised so adorably that he won't break
his word. Even Boss here approved."

All gazes flickered to their leader as he remained comfortably leaned back to the sofa, eyes closed
for a moment before opening.

"Sanzu, prepare the car. Rindo, get the guards. Ten would do. Make sure five of them can't be
seen." The two men immediately stood to attention and bowed before leaving, hands on their
phones to make calls to ensure that their outing was secured and entertaining for the youngest
Sano. "Ran, look for a mall kids like."

Mikey didn't mind that his little brother wanted to go out, he was most lenient on Takemitchy after
all. His adorable little brother shines the brightest when he's happy.

No one could make demands on Mikey and get away with it alive on an everyday basis like Sano
Takemitchy.

"I don't mind you flying, Takemitchy." He says in a casual tone, abyssal black orbs flickering to
the set of stairs as he hears little footsteps gradually getting louder. "Enjoy as much as you want.
After all..."

"Your cage is big enough to make that happen."

 Eyes
Chapter Summary

Takemichi found it hilarious that he lives a life of endless luxury.

Living in a luxury penthouse deep in the city, highly trained staff at their beck and call.
Armed guards that accompany them 24/7.

Endless gifts most people would kill for given to him, cards that know no limit,
anything Takemitchy wants-one word and its his. Countless high end shops owned by
Bonten all try hard to cater to their needs.

This should be a sign of ultimate freedom.

Yet for Takemichi, it only serves to wrap a noose around his neck as all eyes focus on
his every move.

What good is a life of elite luxury when his life depends on the whims of a crime lord?

Streets were filled with life and bustling, even more so now that evening has fully set in. City lights
all bright and colorful, showing a pleasing aesthetic of Shibuya city.

In a high end area where all kinds of shops, restaurants and entertainment can be found, people spot
at least five men decked in black suits standing straight as a luxury Lincoln navigator pulls up to
the side of the street, in front of another high-end department store that had multiple floors. The
driver exits first and two from the five men opened the car doors, allowing the passengers to come
out.

"Ah, Shibuya, it's been a while since we visited purely for shopping. I hope our little Takemitchy
shops to his heart's content."

The first one to come out was a tall, slim but muscular male with a Hanafuda tattoo on the front of
his neck. He was wearing a form fitting 3 piece lilac suit and sleek designer shoes. The attractive
man has burgundy and light lilac striped short hair gelled to the side and violet eyes, easily
capturing the attention of people as he stood to the side to wait for the other passengers with a lax
smile.

"After shopping we should eat at this restaurant in Akasaka, shouldn't take less than twenty
minutes to get there. It has a great view and the service is commendable."
The next to leave the car is at least a head shorter than the previous male, but was muscular all the
same as he wore a light blue 3 piece suit that was also form fitting. The model-like male had
pinkish-purple mullet with dark blue streaks, along with the same Hanafuda tattoo on his neck's
front similar to the first male. His undeniably attractive face was set with disinterest, making his
way beside the first male wordlessly.

"This way please, Boss.Takemitchy you know the rules. Don't walk away from Mikey and us no
matter what."

The third to leave is a young man wearing a formal white shirt that had its sleeves rolled up-
revealing a Hanafuda tattoo on his right forearm-with matching bluish purple vest and dress pants
with thin vertical stripes. The feminine looking male has a rosy pink mullet that reaches to his
shoulders and blue droopy eyes. The corner of his lips had scars on both sides. The rosy pink
haired male stands dutifully on the opposite side of the two males with a stoic gaze.

Men and women alike were now murmuring to each other as they watch with awe and envy at the
three gorgeous males that came from the luxury car surrounded by guards left and right. They
wondered if the next passenger was going to be yet another ikemen.

"Didn't I already promised that back at the penthouse?? Ah, Mikey-nii, hold my hand please!!"

To their surprise the next passenger to leave is helped down by the rosy pink haired male. It was a
short young boy with petite figure, dressed in an adorable matching black set of striped sailor lolita
fashion. His shorts ended just shy above his knees and he wore black knee high socks paired with
black doll shoes. The boy had fluffy raven black hair and ocean blue eyes that seemed to sparkle
with life, it didn't go unnoticed to people that he also had the same tattoo, placed horizontally on
his neck. As he is helped put on paved ground, the boy adorably turns to the last passenger with an
outstretched hand and a radiant smile.

A lean arm stretches out and takes the boy's outstretched one, and people around them felt their
breath hitched at the sudden cold and overwhelming atmosphere despite the bustling streets.

A lean and slim male wearing a simple matching black long sleeved shirt and pants, his footwear
was a simple pair of white flip flops. The male was below average height, and had ivory white hair
with a middle part undercut hairstyle and a Hanafuda tattoo on his nape. Yet the most intimidating
feature about him were his lifeless eyes. Abyssal Pitch black and layered with eyebags that scream
lack of sleep.

The men waited patiently until "Mikey" has walked to the center with the younger brother holding
one of his hands.

No one dared to look the white haired male in the eye, people instinctively clearing out of his and
his entourage's way.

His voice was bland and authoritative at the same time, demanding the attention of those nearby.

"Let's go."

Takemichi found it hilarious that he lives a life of endless luxury.

Living in a luxury penthouse deep in the city, highly trained staff at their beck and call no matter
where they go. Armed guards that accompany them 24/7. Feels like a movie kind of life.

Endless gifts most people would kill for given to him, cards that know no limit, anything
Takemitchy wants-one word and its his. Countless high end shops owned by Bonten all try hard to
cater to their needs.

'I know I said I wanted to go shopping but this...'

"Oh? Not bad...Preferably the blue lantern sleeve blouse and black slip on dress on top is an
interesting mix of cute and chic. A long thin necklace and a black beret hat would complete the
look. It mixes really well with Takemitchy's eyes and hair color."

"A good choice Rin, but personally I think Takemitchy should go for a more comfort or sporty
theme. This baggy beige grey crop top and baby blue skirt really screams cozy, just like the
precious little boy, don't you think so too? Oh, I think a cute watch should go with it too."

"Hmph, he should match with Mikey. A white crop top with a black vest over it and black trousers
paired with white sneakers is acceptable."

A flash of a camera and Takemichi pouts with watery eyes.

"Wait a minute," His voice easily captures the three men's attentions. He points at the clothes in
their grasps. "Those are all girl's clothes! I'm a boy!!" A finger to himself and Takemichi faces his
older brother who's made himself comfortable draped on one of the sofas in the private section of
the shop. "Mikey-nii, tell them to stop giving me girl's clothes...AND STOP TAKING PICTURES
OF ME SANZU."

"...." Mikey gives him one long look, eyeing the creamy short sleeved collared chiffon dress
Takemichi was coerced to wearing at the moment, and answers with no hesitation. "We'll take 'em
all."

Takemichi can hear the suppressed chuckles from the Haitani brothers and the unrepentant cackles
of Sanzu the bastard as he hears another flashing noise.

"Don't get mad Little Takemitchy," Haitani Ran raised both of his hands in a placating gesture, a
disarming smile on handsome features. "You're just so cute any kind of clothes works out for you."

"Don't think that certain clothes should be for one gender only. Beauty transcends gender." Haitani
Rindou inserts in a matter of fact tone, yet Takemichi doesn't miss the twitch in his lips as he tries
not to show his amusement.

"I'll show all of this to you again when you're an adult." Sanzu dastardly admits with a cackle.
"Better keep being a good kid or you'll get a whiplash on your rebel phase."

Assholes. All of them were complete unrepentant bastards of the highest degree. Man-children!!

"Huwu...." Sniffling, he gives them a teary glare before stomping to the nearest guards. "I'm going
to the washroom! None of you can come with me!"

They all burst into laughter as he exits the shop, still in the same chiffon dress.
Takemichi was glad that only the guards followed him.

It made it easier for his next moves to be as seamless as possible. Since he was still wearing the
dress, the men in the washroom ushered him to the female's. The guards with him were all men
and couldn't enter, giving him the brief moment of privacy he so desperately needed. It was a
bonus that there were no women in the washroom.

Sitting in one of the empty stalls, Takemichi calmly thinks of his current situation.

'Okay Takemichi, you can request for shopping trips now...Shouldn't be too difficult to ask them to
hang in museums, anything that can ease them into the notion of me leaving the penthouse. I need
to get a feel of outside again, especially the subway...Although they chose to do the shopping at
nighttime...Not that I'm complaining, it'll be easier to lose them in a crowd if it comes down to it.'
Sano Takemitchy truly was a saint with his never-ending patience of being cooped in a penthouse
for two years without a single peep of complaint. 'Kinda weird we only have five guards
though....Hmm, there's gotta be more of them lurking in the background.' He lets out a big sigh,

This trip was essentially an experiment, it was a relatively successful one so Takemichi finds it
okay to simply just let his older brother and the other executives to shop for him as they please. It
took attention off him and he can observe his surroundings more. He couldn't afford to make
reckless decisions even though all he wanted to do was lose them in the crowd and book it.

He snorts at the chiffon dress, trust them to bully him on his first shopping trip. Yet the staff
allowed him to leave even though he hadn't paid for the dress as the shop was one of the many
owned by Bonten.

This should be a sign of ultimate freedom.

Yet for Takemichi, it only serves to wrap a noose around his neck as all eyes focus on his every
move.

What good is a life of elite luxury when his life depends on the whims of a crime lord?
The young boy flushes the toilet just to mimic an ordinary action and exits the stall. He shouldn't
make the guards wait for too long.

The raven haired boy hums a mindless tune, washing his hands and taking a lovely time.

One of the stalls door opens slowly, and Takemichi abruptly says.

"You know, I hate wasps." He starts off randomly, watching the water running down his hands.
"They just like to hurt people and they don't even contribute much unlike bees. They don't even
attack for self-defense, they just go out of their way to hurt someone."

His gaze flickers back to the mirror, where he sees a casually dressed female holding ropes and a
handkerchief that has left the stall to make her way to him.

There was no fear in the boy's ocean blue eyes as he smiled gently at the lady, who looked baffled
at his calmness.

"You just have to pray that you're not in the same vicinity as them."

The door abruptly opens and in rushes Sanzu who delivers a solid kick to the unsuspecting lady's
side. Without waiting further ado, the rosy pink haired male roughly grabs the woman by the hair
and drags her to one of the stalls. Two more staff females, probably hired cleaners of Bonten, enter
the scene with large cleaning supplies and a covered cart as Takemichi finishes drying off his
hands.

None of them comment on the choking noises and the sadistic chuckles of Sanzu.

The closed stall eventually opens, and Bonten's number two exits with an indifferent smile as his
gaze locked on Takemichi's cheerful one.

"Seems like there's another mole if they knew right away that we're here." The rosy pink haired
male leisurely comments, a bloodthirsty grin on his feminine features as he cleans his hands.
"Trying to kidnap the most important executive, they're asking for the wrath of Bonten to smite
them!" Takemichi's smile remained unperturbed as he chirps.
"Mhm!"

"Mikey says it's time for dinner, Takemitchy." Sanzu then says, escorting the youngest Sano out of
the washroom as they head back to where the others are. "Everyone's waiting for you. Koko and
Kakuchou will be joining us for dinner at Akasaka."

The youngest Sano doesn't show his fear, never letting up the way his heart thumps so hardly in
his chest out of fear. Instead, he only smiles cheerfully, voice light and happy as always.

"Meals with everyone is the best!"

Takemichi hoped he can force himself to eat enough to convince them he wasn't shaken by yet
another death.
 Phantom
Chapter Summary

In which Takemichi eats dinner with Bonten executives.

As per usual, it doesn't spell for a good time.

Chapter Notes

TW: Mentions of prostitution. Child abuse. Animal abuse. Non-con drug use.

The place Rindou suggests is a luxury fine dining restaurant. The Bonten executive wasn't lying
when he said the food and service were commendable.

Takemichi certainly would never be able to afford this on his own with his meagre middle class
salary, not without suffering a heavy loss anyways.

He obediently follows Mikey and the others as they were escorted to a private room-Sazanka-
before one of them took their preferred seats. The private room was grand as expected, with two
chefs already on standby, marbled counter, fancy lighting, pretty plates and cups-everything was of
high quality. Yet Takemichi found himself liking the wide window that revealed the beautiful
nightscape of the city. With one look he was able to convince his older brother to take the seats
closest to the window.

Kokonoi and Kakucho were both seated already, waiting for them.

"Koko! Kaku-chan!" Both males leisurely stands up to greet him, accepting the little boy's
welcoming hug. "I'm so happy you guys are joining us."

"Happy to be here and celebrate your first night out, Takemitchy" Koko playfully grins, ruffling
the boy's hair. "I'll join you on your shopping adventures next time. I'll buy you actual boy's
clothing."

"You're my new top 2 now, Koko." Takemichi immediately gives him a thumbs up, smiling when
the men around him laughed.

"I'm glad you're unharmed, Takemitchy." Kakucho says, briefly hugging the boy tightly, smiling in
relief. "I hope to accompany you on your next trips soon too."

"Mhm! Let's go together next time."

Once everyone was seated, the chefs started showing their expertise. From a wide variety of
appetizers: Finely made salads, soups, grilled seafood and vegetables. It doesn't take long before
everyone has plates elegantly filled with mouth watering cuts of grilled high quality beef steak.

Takemichi is seated between Kakucho and Mikey, not-so-discreetly placing his food on their plate
as he lost most of his appetite from the unwanted front line view of his kidnapper's execution.

'Not exactly helping that they're still talking about it....these people I swear to God...Takemitchy is
just a ten year old!'

"This time's kidnapping was poorly made. I mean, even the guards actually saw her coming from a
mile away." Ran comments with an amused smile, elegantly chewing on a cut of grilled beef steak.
"Is it a civilian?"

"I checked her I.D. Turns out she's one of the relatives of the goods from one of the new recruit's
sopu." Rindou bluntly inserts, taking a sip from the sake on his cup. "Typical sob story. The whore
couldn't compensate the roses it owed us. Family member decides to do something about it yada
yada."

"And they really went for Takemitchy thinking they could make a negotiation. Bah, this is why I
fucking hate civilians. Scraps, all of them are." Sanzu grumbles out, slamming his sake cup on the
marbled counter, before proceeding to take a pill container tucked in his pocket and consuming
one. "Coming after Mikey's little brother, fucking imbeciles!"

Kokonoi rolled his eyes good naturedly, "Should've kept her alive man, we could always use more
goods to collect roses."

"I agree." Ran's lips quirked up, sadism present in his gaze. "I know a friend with a special pinsaro
in Kabukicho. The gentlemen there would've loved to take turns at her."
"Even when she dies, that is." Kakucho scoffed, gently accepting the slices of meat a smiling
Takemitchy keeps handing him. "The savages you call regulars there can't seem to tell the
difference between a living human and a corpse."

Takemichi wanted nothing more than to throw himself out of the window, sickened beyond words
at their depraved discussions. He had spent far too much time with these abominations to know
certain names for certain things. Sopu is an establishment where women primarily washed men in a
bathhouse, however it was just more of a front as customers majorly paid for a separate fee for a
'massage'-in which the woman and the man would become 'acquainted'. Pinsaro was a brothel
focused on oral sex, where it is the usual for the girls to serve dozens of customers per shift.

He felt truly pain for the women the executives heartlessly labelled as 'goods'. It was as if they
weren't even humans in their eyes anymore.

He doubted most of them chose to work in that soul-draining industry willingly, at least-not the
ones that were hooked on drugs or owed money to Bonten.

Takemichi may have completely lost his appetite by this point, but facades had to be maintained.

"Mikey-nii, you need to eat more vegetables and meat. You need to grow thicker and healthier!"
The only child in the room says, his bright ocean blue eyes looking expectantly at his older brother
as he holds up a piece of steak and lettuce with his chopsticks. "Eat more, pretty please??"

Ever the lenient big brother, Mikey leans down and eats the offered food, patting Takemichi on the
head. "It's good, 'Mitchy."

The two brothers shared smiles, with the younger beaming and the older having a small but gentle
one.

Thanks to Takemitchy and Takemichi's caring younger brother act, they had succeeded on bringing
a semblance of recovery to Mikey's unhealthy status. The leader of Bonten was able to sleep better,
committed less attempted suicides till he doesn't anymore, and was better fed-all thanks to the
gentle insistence of Sano Takemitchy.

None of the kitchen staff ever dared to comment that the younger Sano barely finishes his food,
always seeming to be on the verge of vomiting if forced to eat anymore than his limit. While
Mikey continues on a slow but steady road to a healthier diet and sleep, Takemitchy continues to
remain physically frail from the constant exposure of traumatizing events that badly dented his
sleeping patterns and appetite.

Both Takemitchy and Takemichi felt that it was only appropriate that they suffered this much, if
not more. They were using the money that killed, pimped, and made so many people suffer. Their
consciences far too kind and bleeding to happily use Bonten's blood money.

Another unpleasant dinner with Bonten.

Takemichi hoped that he can escape before he loses it and begin to indulge in this bloody luxury
world of criminals.

The night goes on, with the executives still deep in separate discussions as the food keeps coming.

"Whew, I'm stuffed." Takemichi pats his stomach contently, leaning on his older brother's
shoulder. "S-so much food is still coming...Wow."

"Mitchy, have a little bit of sweets." Unsurprisingly, Mikey seemed to have an extra stomach
purely saved for desserts. As soon as he was handed a bowl of freshly cut fruits, the leader of
Bonten stabs a piece of fruit and brings it up to Takemichi's mouth. "It's Hami melon, your
favorite."

'Hami melon is Takemitchy's favorite? How come I don't know about that?' Before Takemichi can
think deeper into the matter, he blinked. Eh?

He registered the changes far too late.

The conversations among the executives become muffled until it became all one white noise. The
chefs utensils suddenly losing all the clangs and the grilling noises. The music playing in the
background abruptly stopping. He sees his older brother mouth something else, but no voice comes
out.

Takemichi blinked.

'How am I back here?'

No longer was he in the fine dining restaurant, but back in the penthouse.

"Arf!" He looks down to see an adorable puppy snuggling on his lap as he sits on the window sill
in his room. The puppy had a healthy, beautiful shade of yellow fur. Takemichi felt his lips curl up
at the sight of the lovely animal.

"You're so pretty...You remind me of my favorite fruit, Hami melon." A pause, and he continues.
"I've decided, from now on your name is Hami."

The puppy reaches up to lick his cheek, and Takemichi feels himself laugh. He hears the sound of
his door opening, and looks to see an old man in formal clothing holding a bowl of his favorite
fruit.

"Young master, I've brought you your afternoon snack." The old man gives him a gentle smile, one
that warms the little boy's chest as he felt nothing but genuine affection from the older man. "My, it
seems that the pup is taken with you."

"Really? I've decided to name him Hami." The old man laughs, a fond gaze solely directed at the
younger boy. Takemichi felt himself breathlessly chuckle-free of stress and deception."Hami and
Hami melon, two of my favorite things in the world...Oh, and you as well Albert..." He adds shyly.

Albert? That's the first Takemichi has heard of the name. How come nothing from Takemitchy's
memories popped up?

"This old man is honored to be included in your list of favorites."

Takemichi blinked.
The scene abruptly changes, and this time he was in the living room.

Takemichi can feel himself sweat profusely as his body trembled. Gaze nervous and shaky but
overall focused on one thing.

Hami the puppy was held by the scruff of his neck by none other than Mikey-whose arm was
bleeding slightly from a bitemark.

Takemichi had never seen Takemitchy so deathly afraid. The memories that he had access to were
all him being calm and calculative-always having a purpose for every action he makes. To see the
little boy so out of composure truly brought out the reality that Takemitchy was only a child.

"I'm so sorry Mikey-nii!" His mouth opens to blurt out hasty apologies. quickly making his way to
sit beside Mikey on the sofa. "H-Hami didn't mean to bite you, he was just-"

"-Relax Mitchy." His older brother says in a soothing manner, placing the whimpering puppy on
Takemitchy's lap. "I would never blame you for anything. I love you too much for that."

Takemichi notices his body's shaking lessening in relief, but he also noticed the brief glance his
brother sent to Albert-whose face was drained of all color.

The lack of life and emotion in Mikey's eyes made dread settle deep in the marrow of his bones.

Takemichi blinks, and he desperately wished he hadn't.

They were still in the living room, but this time it was night and a rainy one at that.

"Albert...What did you do?" Horror and sadness were greatly prominent in his voice as he kneeled
on the floor, where the puppy lays. "No....Hami....Hami!"

Half of the puppy's body was covered in acid. The beautiful golden fur was shaved off, and its
healthy skin has melted off.
"I'm sorry young master." Albert looked stricken with so much guilt and sadness. In his hands was
a container of the deadly chemicals that caused Hami's dying state. "They had ordered me to do it."
Tears streamed down the old man's face, and he crumples on the floor-performing a dogeza. "I'm
so, so sorry child."

Takemichi doesn't waste any time, quickly grabbing a towel and carefully wrapping the puppy
before rushing back in his room.

His little feet rushes as fast as it could, entering the bathroom and Takemichi places Hami on the
bathtub.

"It'll be okay Hami, I-I'll fix you. You'll be fine." Takemichi murmurs, grabbing a nearby first aid
kit and doing his best to stop the bleeding. He then feels himself bite his lip in frustration when the
puppy's whimpering weakens. "Shit! I don't know how to treat acid wounds...Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Takemichi never knew Takemitchy can curse up a storm when in distress. It really shouldn't be that
much of a surprise given his background, but Takemichi was nevertheless still shocked at the
revelation.

Endless stream of tears rolled down the panicked boy's cheeks, and Takemichi moves, grabbing a
razor blade so well hidden in one of the cabinets.

Takemichi sees his shaky hands move to gently stroke the undamaged patch of skin of Hami. The
puppy weakly darts its tongue out to lick his fingers.

"....It's okay Hami, I won't be selfish anymore." Takemichi feels his mouth move, a sorrowful tone
etched on both his features and voice. "I'm so sorry you were stuck with me. This...T-this wouldn't
have happened to you if I stayed quiet. You could've been in a much more loving family, safe and
sound if it weren't for me. If only I didn't love you..."

Takemichi paled as Takemitchy moved-

"I can't join you in heaven, but I hope you'll live a much better life there with the angels, Hami."
-And kills the pup he so loved with a razor blade. A razor blade that Mikey nearly used to kill
himself.

Broken sobs wrecked the boy's frame as he gently wrapped the deceased pup in towels and cradles
the corpse to his small chest. Apology after broken apology leaving the boy's lips like a mantra.

"They needed to learn their lesson, Mitchy." Mikey was leaning on the doorway, an indifferent
look on his face as per usual. "That butler shot himself on the head, said he'll continue to apologize
in hell."

"As he should, the fucking scrap. Making a mess on Mikey's carpet." Sanzu adds venomously,
holding a small case and opening it. "Can't even train a fucking puppy properly. They deserve to
die for hurting Mikey...They would've hurt you too eventually, Takemitchy, we were only doing the
right thing."

"Hmm? Mitchy, so you were hiding my razor after all. Bad Mitchy." Mikey casually comments,
taking the small case and pulling one syringe filled with yellow liquid. "Guess you haven't
completely learned your lesson yet. No worries, I-"

"Fuck off."

Takemichi shuddered as the atmosphere in the bathroom lowered to a freezing degree.

Yet the little boy turns and despite the tears endlessly streaming down his face, he didn't have to
look in the mirror to see the sheer hatred in his ocean blue eyes.

Even when Sanzu quickly grabbed him to bring him closer to Mikey, Takemitchy's hateful glare
didn't let up.

"I hate you so much, Sano Manjirou. I'll never fucking love your rotten soul." He can feel himself
smile emptily, a perfect replica of Mikey's unnerving one. "You and your goons should eat shit and
go die in a ditch somewhere."

The smile on Bonten's leader's face was alarmingly sadistic.

"That's okay Mitchy, Hate and love are two sides of the same coin." The boy weakly struggles in
Sanzu's vice grip as Mikey kneels down to inject the syringe on Takemitchy's neck. "You'd be
surprised at how fast that could change under the...right circumstances."

Indescribable pain invaded his senses and Takemichi didn't even know that he was screaming his
lungs out.

Mikey laughed, pressing a kiss on the crown of his head.

"Time for another session, Mitchy~"

Takemichi blinked.

Everything had gone dark. Complete darkness and not a speck of light on sight.

He hears weak sobs behind him, and he turns to see a little boy.

"...Takemitchy?" Takemichi asks in confusion, but reaching out for the sobbing boy, wanting to
comfort him.

"...sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Takemichi had closed the distance between them, hugging the boy close.
"What's going on-"

"-You have to find me." Takemitchy abruptly says, pulling away from the hug and staring at him
with a broken smile so unfitting on an innocent ten year old.
"Please, you have to search for me, Takemichi-san."

"What do you mean search for you-" Takemichi blinks, and Takemitchy is gone.

He was back in the penthouse, this time in Mikey's bedroom.

"-Mitchy, are you back?" He sees his older brother laying beside him on the bed, an arm draped
across his shoulders. "You were gone for the rest of the dinner."

Takemichi finally becomes aware of how badly he was shaking, how the tears never stopped
falling from his eyes and how shallow his breathing was.

Takemichi couldn't find his voice, and Mikey seemed content with the silence.

The older Sano pulls him closer, tucking the younger one's head in his chest.

"It's okay now, Mitchy. I'll always be with you."

 A big brother's love
Chapter Summary

Sano "Mikey" Manjiro loves his little brother so, so much.

So when Takemitchy begins to 'act' strangely, Mikey is more than happy to help.

What loving big brother wouldn't?

Chapter Notes

TW: Non con drug use. Mikey being a questionable twat.

The sounds of gentle waves arriving at the shore was the first thing Takemichi senses.

It's all so calming.

The cool and salty sea breeze caressing his face, the sand underneath him soothingly warm as the
gentle sunlight hits his body=this was relaxation at its finest.

Takemichi couldn't remember the last time he went to the beach and relaxed so deeply.

Right, there were days he and Hinata would visit the beach. As children, as teens, as adults. Every
visit was worth the effort, surrounded by friends and family and laughing under the golden skies
and the beautiful blue in the horizon. How relaxing, he can just lay down for hours at this rate.

"Arf!" His moment of silence is broken short at the tiny bark of a dog.

Takemichi opens his eyes, relishing in the warm rays gently waking him up.

The grown male slowly sits up, looking down at the puppy wagging its tail at him excitedly. He
takes the puppy in his arms and laughs as the adorable creature eagerly licks his face.
"Easy there Hami!" After snuggling with the golden puppy, Takemichi stilled.

Hami? How does he know this puppy's name?

He looks at his surroundings, he was by the beach alright-with no one in sight and only a cottage at
the distance.

"Arf!" The puppy squirms away from his lap and barks at him, heading off to the direction of the
cottage before looking over him again. "Arf! Arf!"

Takemichi curiously follows after the eager puppy, leisurely making his way to the cottage. Upon
arrival, he sees that the cottage was cozy and welcoming beyond words. It was wholly white with
baby blue tiled roofs, with ivory fences and a small patio with a beach umbrella to provide shade.
The fences were fashionably draped with vines and flowers, and under the window were an
organized column of flower pots-all clearly well taken care of.

Whoever was living here must be quite fond of the place. It brought a smile to the raven haired
male's face to see such love brimming from just the state of the cottage.

The door slowly opens, and Hami the puppy rushes to the person.

Takemichi sees a little boy, with exactly his features, smiling down with nothing but affection at
the small pup.

The little boy, no older than ten, turns to him with an achingly gentle smile.

Takemichi spots the bouquet of pink and blue hydrangeas in the little boy's arms.

"I've always wanted to give them to you for the longest time." The little boy starts, walking towards
him in a calm manner. "Care to join me? Takemichi-san."

Takemichi follows the little boy as he walks towards the shore, letting the waves touch his feet.
A comfortable silence befalls them, and the young boy turns to him with the same smile.

"I never thought I would ever achieve this little dream of mine, Takemichi-san." Takemitchy starts
of with a murmur, gaze forlorn and seeming to look past the horizon. "It means the world to me, to
be with Hami again and to live in a cottage by the beach. To hear the waves and feel the sea
breeze..."

The boy then grinned, a youthful feat rarely present on the normally careful façade of the usually
calculative young boy.

"This was all I ever wished for, and I now can proudly say that I lived a good life!"

"I've made my peace that I would always be stuck in that hell. Forever living with those monsters
and their sickening affections." Tears well up in the boy's eyes, falling like sparkling jewels. Even
when he cries, Takemitchy manages to appear like an ethereal porcelain doll. "Thank you, for
giving me a safe haven. For making me know what feeling at peace is like."

A gust of wind, and the flowers scattered all over the place, petals swirling around them.

"That's why, Takemichi-san. You need to escape big brother's love" Takemitchy's voice lowers,
and Takemichi flinched at the unnervingly empty look in his ocean blue eyes. "You have to find
me."

Takemichi blinks, and this time Takemitchy was once again gone, his last message being carried by
the wind.

"I'll be waiting for you here, always."

"Please, you have to search for me, Takemichi-san."

"-mitchy?"

"I'll be waiting for you here, always."

"-Takemitchy?" Takemichi's eyes opened, revealing confused ocean blue eyes.

He takes in his surroundings, being in the dining room with only Kakucho today. Mikey had left
much earlier due to his presence being needed for multiple meetings, and mercifully decided to let
Takemichi sleep in for today. The other executives had left soon after to do their usual tasks of
managing Bonten's other affairs.

Kakucho was bound to leave soon after brunch, but the older male had insisted on spending his
meal with Takemitchy-wanting to make sure the child had someone to eat with.

"Sorry Kaku-chan, you were saying?" Takemichi instinctively smiled, a sheepish quality on his
innocent features.

Kakucho, bless his heart, patiently repeats himself. "I was just calling you out, you weren't
touching your food for a while now." His brows furrowed, uh oh, that spelled for trouble... "Is the
food not to your liking?"

Before the Bonten executive can come to a conclusion of firing innocent kitchen staff for serving
unpalatable food to the youngest Sano, Takemichi grins brightly and shoves the fancy French toast
in his mouth without hesitation.

He paused mid-chew. "Eh, what are you talking about Kaku-chan?" Another bite, "Ish good!"
Drinking from the glass of orange juice, Takemichi looks up at him with crinkled eyes. "'was just a
little sleepy still."

Fortunately, Kakucho doesn't probe deeper, buying his little lie. "That is understandable, it must've
been tiring to be out all night."

"I had so much fun though! I wanna do it again with everyone."

"We'll see what we can do for you, Takemitchy." The older executive smiles softly, fondly petting
the raven haired boy's head. "I'm sure you'll be allowed out again as soon as our schedules let us."

Takemichi counted today as a lucky one. Waking up not being stared at or not in the vice grip of
Mikey and not having to deal with the rest of the executives and their favorite hobby of discussing
morbid subjects during meals was a breath of fresh air. He can inwardly admit that out of the
executives, Kakucho and Akashi Takeomi were about the only ones he can count not to actively
discuss traumatizing things unless asked. Therefore, spending brunch with Kakucho was the
breather he so desperately needed after the.....shocking event from last night.

Yet it would only be after Kakucho leaves that Takemichi sat down in his room and allowed his
mind to wander.

First...The flashbacks he had. They were far too vivid to not be memories. Too specific to be a
hallucination. And they could only belong to one person.

Sano Takemitchy.

Takemichi though that he had the youngest Sano figured out when he took over his body, what
with all the memories that rushed in his mind.

'So how come I had those flashbacks and can't recall them from Takemitchy's past?' Takemitchy
stayed with Bonten for two whole years, Takemichi stayed with them for 6 months. It wouldn't
make sense for him to be able to recall Takemitchy's early childhood memories with his mother but
not certain events from the youngest Sano's stay with Bonten-which had to be recent memories
before Hanagaki Takemichi replaced him.

Not to mention the sheer loathing Takemitchy directed at Mikey. Takemichi never recalled any
memories from the ten year old's life expressing such intense emotions, and negative ones at that.
The twenty six year old truly believed that while the youngest Sano never liked Mikey, he was at
least amicable to be able to pull a convincing act of being a caring younger brother to Bonten's
leader.

Then again, it seemed from the memory that Mikey had caused Takemitchy's puppy's death, it's
only understandable that the little boy would harbor so much hate to his older brother just from that
crime alone. Takemichi wanted to strangle Bonten's leader and number 2 for unhesitatingly
injecting drugs in the system of a child. And it didn't seem to be a one time thing too, based from
Mikey's words alone.

"Time for another session, Mitchy~"

Takemichi shivered. Sano Takemitchy truly was one unfortunate soul to be stuck with Mikey and
his bloody organization.

'Just what the fuck is wrong with these people?!'

This was nothing short of puzzling, top that with the faint 'memory' of Takemitchy actually
addressing him and requesting to be 'found' by Takemichi only made the gears in the twenty-six
year old's brain grind to a halt.

Takemitchy.....The ten year old was aware of Takemitchy's existence. Aware that Takemichi is in
his body.

'But...He never asked for his body back...Just, he only asked to be found.' Takemitchy repeated the
same request, which was to be found.

Why? Why would the ten year old request to be found but not ask for his body back?

Where was Takemitchy now, if Takemichi's body was dead? The grown male was definitely
certain that his body had perished from being hit by the train. There was no way he could've
survived that kind of accident!

Unless...Maybe Takemitchy is stuck in Takemichi's grave?

Takemichi paled in horror for the young boy. Just how much trauma was life going to put Sano
Takemitchy through?

The only plausible conclusion he can come up with is that Takemitchy is 'alive' and can possibly be
found in his grave...which means Takemichi would have to add locating his grave to his list of
goals now. Great, more things to do and little to no freedom to get shit done.
Takemichi gritted his teeth, he had to find a way out of the penthouse somehow. Find a way out
without garnering suspicions from his 'guardians'. He needed to have his own network of
information...

His eyes widened.

He recalled in the flashback that the young Sano hid a razor blade so well that not even Mikey
found it until it was exposed by Takemitchy himself-and that was only because he was under
emotional duress. Perhaps....Yes, Takemichi wouldn't put it past the brilliant Takemitchy to hide
layers of clues all over the house to aid in his escape.

Takemichi truly was in awe of Takemitchy's silent tenacity. Were all Sanos this extremely
talented?!

'It can't hurt to check. Especially while everyone is still out! The raven haired boy looks all over
his room, and sweat-dropped.

The question is, how and where did he hide what in this ridiculously large penthouse?

Takemichi really wished he was a genius too, if only to understand the clever Takemitchy's thought
process.

He felt his eye twitch at the incoming headache.

'Hang in there, Takemitchy, I'll definitely find you!'

By the time Mikey returned to the penthouse, Takemichi was long asleep-dead tired from searching
spots in the house and making sure to meticulously put things back the way they originally were to
prevent suspicion. Night had long settled in, and the older Sano dismissed his number two to turn
in for the night.

The ivory white haired male silently makes his way to his little brother's room, footsteps silent and
in the grasp of his hands was a small silver case.

The room was completely dark, but Mikey had little difficulty navigating his way to the little boy's
bed, Pitch black orbs unblinkingly observing the slumbering boy snuggly tucked in, arms on top of
the blankets-asleep and defenseless to anything. Fortunately, nothing and no one can harm his little
brother. Not when they were deep in the grasp of Bonten's fortress. In Mikey's clutches.

Sano "Mikey" Manjiro loves his little brother so, so much.

So when Takemitchy begins to 'act' strangely, Mikey is more than happy to help.

What loving big brother wouldn't?

Sitting on the edge of the bed, the older Sano gently strokes the little boy's fluffy raven hair, a
small smile spreading his face when the boy continues to snore softly.

Mikey opens the case, revealing three syringes with blue fluids. And carefully takes Takemitchy's
nearest arm.

Picking up one of the syringes, the ivory white haired male unhesitatingly injects the syringe's
contents into Takemitchy's bloodstream.

He patiently waits for a few moments before the effects kicked in.

The young boy's eyes flew open, and his body began to twitch and tremble badly-all the while
beginning to sweat profusely.

Yet the boy remained silent, his usually clear ocean blue eyes were listless and hazy-unseeing to all
that was currently transpiring.
"You'll be out for a few days, Mitchy." Mikey murmurs, taking the shaking boy in his arms,
unbuttoning the boy's pajama shirt to help him cool off. "Can't be helped, you're showing your tics
again. We can't take anymore chances after the last stunt you pulled."

The older Sano sighs. "You've been doing pretty really well these past few months too...I really
enjoyed the energetic you so, so much." A beat, and he clicked his tongue. "Tch, should've kept up
with the treatment if I knew this was going to happen."

He adjust his hold so the twitching boy's head rested on his shoulder. And Mikey leans to snuggle
to Takemitchy's neck.

His mouth opens.

"Let's not put ourselves in the same shit from before okay? We're brothers, we only have each
other." Breath hovering inches above the younger Sano's neck-

-And harshly bites, not letting go until the familiar copper taste entered his lips. Pulling away,
Mikey looks at his handiwork and laughed.

"There's no saving you Mitchy, your only place is by my side. Forever."

 Sano Manjiro
Chapter Summary

Mikey goes on about his day,

As always, Takemitchy has to be present-drugged or not.

The slight creak of a door to a bedroom was the first thing that registered Mikey's mind.

Instinctively, the grown male tightens his hold on a sleeping Takemitchy before sitting up.
Impossibly pitch black eyes locked on the figures at the doorway. Sanzu and Kokonoi bowed, a
fresh set of clothes for him and the younger Sano along with a noise cancelling headphones, set of
bandage rolls and medical tape in the pink haired male's hold while the silver haired man held a
small basin of lukewarm water with a towel already soaked in.

"Good morning, boss." Sanzu greets pleasantly before handing him the clothes. "You have a
meeting in two hours, everyone is waiting for you two downstairs to start for breakfast."

Kokonoi eyes the sleeping Sano with an unreadable gaze before smiling. "Figured you'd disciplined
him last night, brought a basin to clean him up enough and to dress up the wounds."

Mikey doesn't bother replying, only placing his little brother back on the bed and using his number
two and executive as attendants. Silently and carefully, the older Sano cleans Takemitchy's body
with the wet towel, dries him, and bandages his neck that was littered with harsh bites.

"...Mggh?" The sleeping boy stirs in his sleep, groaning as he was moved and touched. The
youngest Sano's eyes opened, revealing hazy ocean blue orbs, unseeing and unfocused to his
surroundings. "...nii? Nii is....D....Double?"

"I'm here Mitchy." Mikey places a hand above his little brother's eyes, "Relax, leave it all to me."

The boy's breathing steadily evens out, snoring softly as Mikey changed him into a fresh set of
clothes-a simple breathable baggy black shirt and shorts that was matching with the older Sano's
usual wear. He then places a sleeping mask and the noise cancelling headphones over the young
boy's head.

The older Sano carefully picks up his little brother as they head downstairs to the dining room
where everyone was already seated and patiently waiting for them.

No one bats an eye at the unconscious boy in Bonten's leader's arms as he takes a seat and leisurely
eats his meal.

It had long been established within Bonten that the executives and their leader that everyone is to
have at least one meal together per day. They had grown so used to Takemitchy's simple request of
having meals with everyone that Bonten's most important people had ingrained in their schedules to
share at least one meal together in a day.

Even when the boy himself was not in a state to eat nor think much of anything, Mikey had been
firm to uphold on keeping a consistency with the wishes of his little brother. Naturally, the
executives wordlessly followed their leader's words less they incur his wrath and end up with a
body riddled with bullet holes.

Mikey only hears his men's conversations as background noise. He only focuses on the meal
before him.

He thinks of the times he ate food purely to sustain himself and nothing more.

Boring. Bland. Dirt in his mouth.

The only exceptions before he met Takemitchy were taiyaki and dorayaki, anything else was a pain
to consume. Not even Sanzu can force him to eat more than a spoonful of food that weren't his
favorite sweets.

However....

"Mikey-nii...Can we eat together?"

A gentle smile.

"Food always tastes better with company, especially family Mikey-nii."

And a just as tender insistence.

"Mikey-nii, you need to eat more vegetables and meat. You need to grow thicker and healthier!"

A vibrant grin.

"Eat more, pretty please??"

And a carefree insistence.

A small smile graces the leader of Bonten's face. No matter the approach, his little brother
produced a warmth like no other.

Mikey thinks that 'Yes' He can live with eating more than the amount he's used to. 'If Mitchy wants
to eat his meals with me, I'll eat a little more.'

All the smiles and care Takemitchy had dedicated to his health will not go unrewarded.

For his lovely little brother, Mikey will try harder.

He'll recover to the fullest, and remain in top condition to protect Takemitchy.

Mikey calmly eats his breakfast with a determined gaze in his otherwise unfeeling eyes, his hold on
the younger Sano never faltering.

As if he'll ever let anyone steal what was his.

The meeting this time was fortunately filled with good news aside from some minor slip ups.

Bonten prided itself with the iron fist Mikey held. With the no tolerance policy to moles or traitors,
information regarding Bonten is carefully managed and rarely ever falls in the wrong hands. Deals
and other businesses that Bonten makes and dabbles with are heavily watched by the executives-
whom are all experts in their managed areas.

Mikey despised betrayals the most, and so he deals with majority of the executions. His kills are
never merciful, always so gruesome that it sets an example of what one's fate will be should they
choose to betray or go against Bonten.

Once Bonten's influence nearly occupied all of Japan, Mikey had seen it fit to take a less active
approach on deals, only appearing when his presence is needed and leaving most of the heavy
work to the executives who were more than enough to handle complex affairs. For the most part
he'd chosen to maintain an active part on executions and simply spending time with his little
brother.

The ivory haired male, however, was still Bonten's leader no matter how active or inactive he
chooses to be. As leader, he will participate in meetings and continue to cement fear in the hearts of
his own subordinates and keep everyone in their rightful place to ensure that his time with
Takemitchy is safe and unbothered.

Luckily, the reports for the current meeting were more or less all good news.

The nobody who was summarizing the reports can only inwardly sigh in relief at the pleased
expression of the executives and the nonchalant gaze of their almighty leader. Pleased that he
wouldn't have to worry about being shot or beaten for delivering unpleasant news.

"hmph, I'm going to take a long soak in the springs tonight." Kanji Mochizuki remarks as the
meeting concluded, a heavy sigh escaping the heavily muscled male. "There's barely been any
sting operations for the past six months, I'm toasting to this."
"You and me both, man." Cigarette smoke floats in the air, creating a false mist around Akashi
Takeomi's head as he puffs out from the drag he took. "The damn police had been grating on our
nerves with their incessant poking."

Ran laughs quietly, "Ah, we'd love to join in on the fun as well gentlemen." His gaze flickers to his
brother who nods before continuing. "It is always comical to see them try their hardest to get us
when our claws are buried so deeply in their superiors' throats."

"You guys are celebrating too early," Kokonoi adds in, a folder in his hands as he reads the reports,
"The sting operations may have stopped but we haven't gotten to the mole that's been leaking out
the biggest deals we secured during those times." A dark look takes over his features as his lips
formed a knife-like grin. "I still haven't forgotten that failed deal with the Shui Fong."

"Almost failed deal, you pulled through in the end didn't you? Koko" Rindo replies, arms crossing
across his chest. "Granted, we did suffer some loss on our side."

"That "win" cost us four million yen....When we could've won them over with just a million."

"Not to fucking mention the scraps we caught had no intel on who the main mole is." Sanzu
heatedly inserts, droopy blue eyes sweeping across the room with annoyance. "When I find that
mole I'll make sure they live till they wish they didn't. Son of a bitch will never know the word rest
even in the afterlife for getting in Mikey's way!"

As the executives talked amongst themselves, the guards only dutifully stand at the corners and by
the door, staying silent and alert at all times at the presence of their powerful superiors.

"...Mghh..." A light groan breaks the amicable atmosphere as all noises came to an abrupt stop, all
eyes focusing on the source of the unexpected sound.

The sleeping boy in Mikey's arms squirms with the speed of a sloth and eventually removes the
headphones and the sleeping mask numbing his senses.

Unfocused ocean blue eyes slowly flickered throughout the room before the boy leans back to his
older brother's hold.
"Good afternoon, Takemitchy." Kakucho, sitting closest to the Sano brothers, greets with a fond
smile.

"Mhm.." The boy only gives him a wordless reply before nodding. The rest of the executives were
more than happy to give their greetings to the only child before resuming in their discussions.

Mikey had been content to watch his little brother and leisurely listen to his executives talk
amongst themselves-

"Ah?" Takemitchy began squirming in his hold. Curious, Mikey looks down at his little brother
who gives him a pleading look. "M'key-nii...let me down?"

There was no need to try to be lovable when your name is Sano Takemitchy. The boy can ask for
the stars and Mikey will make sure his brother receives nothing but the finest.

Wordlessly, Mikey lets the young boy down and watches along with the executives as the youngest
Sano slowly makes his way to the far left corner of the room.

Standing in front of a stoic guard, the youngest participant in the room spreads his arms out. With a
wide smile, Takemitchy airily laughs.

"Albert." His smile was achingly bright and loving, clearly holding genuine affection. "You came
back for me."

The room's temperature might as well had shot itself straight down to the frozen circle of hell just
with the name alone. All the executives were now watching with a mixture of horror and morbid
interest at the scene unfolding before them. The guards have all stiffened at the unexpected event.

Mikey's gaze was terrifyingly blank.

"I....knew you would never....leave..." Poor Takemitchy was far too drugged up to mind the sudden
surge of tension and hostility in the room, only gesturing his weak arms, as if egging the man to
carry him. The little boy then turns to his older brother with a drunk smile. "Mikey-nii, I found A-
albert. He came back for me."
Facing back the guard, Takemitchy looks up at him with doe eyes. "Carry me? Please?"

The guard in question was sweating bullets. There was no question that no one is to lay a hand on
their leader's only sibling. Sano Takemitchy's safety was paramount over their lives. There was also
no doubting of the fact that their supreme leader was horrifyingly infamous for his possessiveness
towards his little brother.

Yet Takemitchy was also the youngest executive of Bonten up to date. Although he never took part
in affairs, the boy could easily order any guard to follow his whims at any given point of time. If
the guard displeased Takemitchy, it was no question he will disappoint all the most important
people that founded bonten.

Yet if he touches Takemitchy and Sano Manjiro is put on a foul mood, the guard's death would be
nothing but an inevitable fate sped up.

Either way he was well and truly fucked,

Surprisingly it was Kakucho who breaks the silence. "What are you waiting for? Carry him." His
gaze penetrating with a sternness that intimidated all the grunts into submission. "Or do you have
cotton in that empty head of yours for a brain?"

Ran snickered. "I'm sure we can put something else in there, make it more...definite and long
lasting."

"Like a bullet, that's a solid replacement." Kokonoi grinned, shark-like and a tinge of sadism in his
calculating gaze. "Or how about injecting boiling water into your brain?"

"My a-apologies sirs!" The guard bowed deeply, fear making his heart threatening to burst its way
out of his chest with how hard it's beating, With shaky hands, the guard carefully picks the ten year
old and stiffened when the younger Sano wrapped thin arms around his neck. The boy seemed
content to hum and rest his head on the panicking guard's shoulder.

"Bring him here." The guard didn't need to be told twice as he makes way to the leader of Bonten.
Once the pair stood beside the ivory haired male, his mouth opens. "Mitchy,"

"...Hmm?"
"That's not Albert."

This gets the boy's attention as his head slowly perked up, dilated ocean blue eyes blinking at a
turtle's pace before a frown marred his sleepy features.

"This...is....Albert."

"He isn't, I'll show you." Mikey's lips formed an empty smile, there was no telltale signs of any
negative reactions as the guard passed Takemitchy to him. Mikey then places him on his chair,
calmly turns around-

-Before a resounding thwack echoes loudly in the meeting room.

Mikey's eyes were void of all warmth and life, only making his way to the guard who flew to the
corner from the grown male's powerful punch. The ivory haired male grabs him by the hair and
ruthlessly slams the guard's head over and over to the wall without pause.

Not a single soul lifted a finger or a word in protest.

Mikey doesn't stop until the guard's face was damaged beyond recognition. Face all swollen,
broken, bleeding, and bruised to be identified. The terrifying male doesn't stop until there was
blood all over the wall where he slammed the guard. Doesn't break from the unrelenting act of
violence until he had his fill.

Standing up with the now unconscious guard's hair still grabbed by Mikey, the older Sano turns to
his sibling with an empty smile.

"Does this bag of flesh still look like Albert?" Takemitchy gives the severely wounded guard's one
look before shaking his head. Mikey smirked, "Mitchy, that traitor isn't here anymore."

"He killed himself remember? He betrayed you, Mitchy." The leader of Bonten uncaringly drops
the near corpse and heads back to his little brother to gather him in his bloody arms. The boy had
began to silently cry and tremble violently. Sanzu had long stood up from his seat, his hand holding
unto a small container of pills. "Hurts, doesn't it? Here, have some candy, it'll make you feel
better."

Placing a chaste kiss on the crown of Takemitchy's head, Mikey allows the pink haired male to
coax the boy to take two pills. Takeomi had been insightful to quickly pass them a glass of water to
help ease the consumation of the pills.

Immediately, the younger Sano drifts off to sleep, and falls limp in his arms.

No one utters a word as Mikey heads out with a sleeping Takemitchy in his hold. His executives
dutifully follow after him as they ready to head back home.

If anyone heard the sleeping boy groaning and twitching in his sleep, no one breathes a word of it.

Mikey preferred absolute silence whenever he's holding Takemitchy.

Takemichi feels his body was all over the place.

He felt as if his head's been stuffed with nothing but cotton. Body light yet shaky. His eyes were
lidded heavy with sleep.

"It's alright, Takemitchy." A soft feminine voice enters his ears, and the boy opened his eyes-

-and the first thing that greets him was the teary gaze of a young female dressed in maid clothing.

The girl's head was profusely bleeding, blood dripping from her wound and falling on his carpeted
floor. Yet the girl continues to hold one of his hands with her own, engulfing them with warmth.
The girl's smile was achingly gentle and fond, a tinge of sadness on her bleeding features.

"Albert and I....Never once do we blame you for anything." She starts off gently, one eye gradually
closing from the blood pouring out from the wound. "We always knew that you're a gentle, gentle
child deep down. Your kindness never lies, Takemitchy."

Yet Takemichi feels no tears escape his eyes, his face set in an empty expression so similar to that
of his elder brother.

Takemichi realizes with creeping horror that in his free hand was a golf club that was splattered
with fresh blood, making small puddles on his floor.

This...This was Takemitchy? Takemichi couldn't believe his eyes.

The maid cries in his stead, smiling ever so gently before letting go of his hands to give him a
ziplocked bag that had a folded piece of paper, batteries for a cellphone and a phone.

"You can use it anytime you want, it'll help you in your escape. Don't worry, none of those numbers
will give away your identity. Hell, they don't even know you're an executive." The female whispers
as Takemichi robotically hands her the golf club before hiding the items to a spot well hidden from
the eyes of the executives and Mikey himself. The young boy returns to the girl, who hands him
back the blood soaked item. "Everything is up to you now."

His lifeless gaze locked with her kind one.

"They're going to arrive soon." The maid calmly states, her sigh heavy and tired. "You know
Takemitchy, Albert and I may not be physically around anymore but we'll never die."

Her smile was bright.

"As long as you remember us, the times we spent and the memories we made together. Albert,
Hami and I will never leave your side." The heavily barricaded door was being hammered. "We
promised you, didn't we? We'll always be watching over you, through your ups and downs."
"Let's go live by the beach together someday, okay?"

Takemichi feels an indescribable sadness well up in his chest, spreading throughout his body like
poison.

Yet his hand holding unto the golf club raises, and the tears finally escaped.

The young adult doesn't seem scared in the slightest, only smiling fondly at Takemitchy like one
would to a younger sibling as she gives him a brief peck on the forehead.

"I love you Takemitchy, now and always."

Takemichi blinked.

His surroundings remained the same, yet this time the maid laid lifeless in the middle of his room,
lying on a puddle of her own blood.

Takemichi sits on the window sill, his head leaning on the glass, uncaring of the other three
bodyguards in his room that was dragging the body away...

Takemichi's mind was already formulating plans despite the unimaginable grief in his heart.

"I don't need anymore 'helpers', Mikey-nii." The raven haired boy slowly starts, acknowledging the
looming presence that stood on the puddle of blood in the darkness of his broken room. "I'm really
tired of all these sessions you and everyone else put me through."

"You're the only family I have that will never leave," Takemichi's head twists to the side as a vacant
smile plasters itself on his face that continued to cry endlessly.

Unreadable ocean blue met with void pitch black.

"Bonten is all I have left now. You are my only home, Manjiro-nii."
 Shards
Chapter Summary

Takemichi unearths more of a certain Sano's secrets.

On one side, he finds tragedy at every step of the way.

On the other, a newfound hope blooming in his chest for a more concrete chance of
escape.

And at a certain side, awaits a long lost child.

Four days of being in a drugged state of mind rendered Takemichi completely at the mercy of Sano
Manjiro.

It wasn't easy, being in and out of consciousness for countless intervals throughout the day. Wasn't
easy having random bursts of emotions so unlike his, emotions of guilt and sadness spreading
across him like wildfire every now and then.

Yet here he is, finally out of the devil's sickening affections temporarily and clear headed. Ready to
resume on his search for the potential ray of items that Takemitchy left behind hidden within the
penthouse. Takemichi does his best to concentrate on the matter at hand, as well as the fact that he
seemed to be having flashbacks of the youngest Sano's repressed memories.

He vividly remembers being in a meeting and absentmindedly calling out for an 'Albert', which
ended up horribly with Mikey beating the ever loving shit out of the unfortunate guard.

The twenty-six year old concluded that it could possibly be Takemitchy's trauma at work. That the
boy's body and mind was experiencing post traumatic stress disorder.

It wouldn't be far fetched, given the life the unfortunate boy has gone through.

'He could've instinctively buried his own memories...at least the ones that were too dark for his
mind to handle.' Takemichi felt his heart wrenched at the thought of the intense experiences the
boy could've gone under for his body to have forced itself to bury his own memories...Tears welled
up in his eyes before shaking his head. If he wanted to help Takemitchy, he needed to focus on the
matter at hand!
Takemichi had hoped that he would get more flashbacks, yet with a wary sigh he realizes that there
had been no signs of him recovering a 'memory' of Takemitchy's hidden past nor the Sano in
question contacting him again since the start of his 'bed rest' from Mikey's deranged antics. He
wondered how frequently these flashes of memories will appear, didn't know whether to feel glad
or frustrated that his head isn't bombarded with frightening memories of the poor boy's abuse.

All he knows is that:

-Takemitchy hated Sano Manjiro, even going as far as breaking from his calculating composure
and risking being severely disciplined.

-Albert was a...helper or attendant of sorts, and seemed to be included in Takemitchy's small list of
important people.

-There was a maid who knew this Albert and seemed to have been accomplices in helping the
younger Sano plan his escape.

-Albert and the maid were dead. With the male shooting himself, 'betraying' Takemitchy, and the
maid being killed....potentially by the boy himself.

-The phone was hidden under his wardrobe, taped on the surface completely hidden.

Time wasn't on his side today, but luck was.

Akashi was on babysitter duty for this afternoon, what with Mikey and the others being needed for
more important meetings a little further away from the usual meeting points of deals, but
Takemichi didn't want to risk being caught red handed. He was fortunate that Akashi Takeomi kept
to himself for the most part, content with letting him roam and stay in whichever room he pleased
all the while smoking leisurely on the wide balconies of Mikey's luxury penthouse.

Takemichi considered himself lucky that the item he needed to find was hidden in his room,
making it easy to find the zip lock bag securely taped on the small space underneath his wooden
wardrobe. The happiness that welled up in his chest was more than enough at the sight of the
phone.

With careful hands, the man-er, boy, opens the bag and reads the contents of the folded paper first.

Numbers, multiple phone numbers were listed, some being crossed out while others either had 'P'
or 'E' written beside them. Although three particular numbers stood out among the rest.
XXX-XXX-XXX - Albert

XXX-XXX-XXX - Mikoto

Both numbers with the only names were crossed out, and Takemichi can spot small dried spots of
water around the two numbers. He feels his heart clenched for the boy, knowing that the poor Sano
undoubtedly cried as he crossed out his biggest allies.

'IMikoto was probably the maid...Guess the numbers crossed out means they're either unable to
help anymore or....Are dead.' Yet Takemichi feels himself break into a cold sweat as he sees the
third number that stood out.

It wasn't crossed, and all too familiar.

XXX-XXX-XXX - P

Eagerly placing a battery on the deactivated phone, Takemichi hastily searches through the contact
list and goes for the message inbox.

There were multiple missed calls and messages from a few numbers from the list, but one number
stood out from the rest. Takemichi feels as if cold water had been poured all over his body as he
checks the conversation. Six months, their last conversation had been six months ago, at least a
week before his untimely demise.

XXX-XXX-XXX

We've confirmed the coordinates. Thank you for your cooperation as always.

Me

The Shui Fong are still fairly new to making big deals in Japan, make sure you eliminate the head
representative for their relations to permanently go down the drain.

XXX-XXX-XXX

Rest assured, your assistance will not go to waste. Our sting operations have all been successful
only because of you.
 Me

Best of luck. Do not initiate contact with me first, remember that and I'll continue providing the
information you need.

Takemichi realizes with growing horror that Sano Takemitchy was Bonten's most hated type of
person.

A mole, a traitor, a double agent.

Hell was a safe haven compared to what any traitors of Bonten faced on Earth at their last
moments.

He also realizes that the owner of the number Takemitchy last conversed with was no other than a
certain detective.

Tachibana Naoto.

His brother in law.

Gentle rays of sunlight pokes through thin blinds, providing a soft lighting in the cozy interior of a
certain cottage.

"The weather is wonderful today too." A pleasant melodious feminine voice gently remarks as its
owner pulls the blinds apart, and a beautiful woman with healthy coral pink hair wearing a long
light blue dress with embroidered flowers smiles. "I didn't know that you owned such a luxury
cottage, and somewhere so private as well."

"Try not to keep too much secrets from me," She then blushes before giving him a fond look.
"We're married now, all your problems and everything else-I'll be with you every step of the way."

"I'm not mad, just quite surprised, that's all." Her amber eyes slightly widened, shaking her head.
"You were.....sleeping for so long, and the week after you woke up you proposed to stay here so
adamantly, I was...worried. Akkun and everyone else were too."

"I'm okay with this, as long as I can be with you, we can work out the rest." The frown marring her
face fades, and an understanding smile appears. "We're plenty stocked up on our necessities, and
the drive from here to work isn't too troubling at all. The nearest market requires a drive but
nothing we can't handle!"

"Ah right, Naoto is coming over later. He's been such a worry wart recently. I wish he'd tell us more
about his work but he's really tight lipped..." Brows furrowing in concern, the grown woman sighs.
"Oh well, I just hope that spending time with us can help him unwind for a bit. That boy tries too
hard on taking everything on his own hands."

"Hmm? Honestly, I'm happy with this arrangement too. The city has been in unrest for a while
with....that organization terrorizing our country. This new location of ours is the breather we all
could use. I hope my little brother finds himself a nicer apartment too, somewhere he can breathe as
easily as we do."

A ringing tone, and she pulls out a phone from her pocket, conversing with the person on the other
line. She then turns with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I might take a while with this phone call. Call me if you need anything okay? I'll be in the
living room." She smiles, opening the windows. "I love you!"

Silence engulfs the room before the sound of a wheelchair moving across wooden floorboards
echoes lightly.

The figure, bandaged from neck to toe and wearing a simple loose white shirt and matching pants,
stares at the calming scenic view of the waves washing upon the shore with an unreadable gaze.

Sky blue eyes locked on the ocean blue waves.

The owner of the beautiful pair of sky blue eyes was a grown raven haired male who had a frail
stature due to a long period of bed rest and lack of muscle movements.

Confined on the wheelchair, the male grasps a fistful of his shirt, a determined glint on calculating
sky blue orbs.
"Until you find me, I'll keep them all safe for you. I'll make sure this body stays alive no matter
what." A small smile, tinged with melancholy and determination, graces his unnervingly calm
features. "No matter how long it takes, I'll wait."

His gaze, soft yet firm, looks unto the horizon-waiting for the arrival of a certain someone.

"I'll always be waiting, Takemichi-san."

 Stains
Chapter Summary

In which a certain detective is stressed.

A young Bonten executive is stressed.

And everyone's else's hands are stained.

Tachibana Naoto was certain he was balding at the young age of twenty five.

In his prime and he was already aging far too quickly from the stress of his line of work.

Not once had he regretted joining the police force to follow his dreams, it was a rewarding job
despite its high stress environment-especially being a detective in Tokyo's organized crime
department.

'But...' Naoto couldn't help but sometimes think that some battles were far too mountainous to
overcome.

Especially when that mountain of an enemy is Bonten itself.

Bonten is undoubtedly the worst criminal organization Japan has ever had the misfortune of
creating. There was no illegal business that the damned gang hasn't committed. From prostitution,
black market dealings, human trafficking, drug dealings, and organ harvestings-you name it,
they've done it. There wasn't a single good deed to be attached to the group, they were the darkest
ones that dominated the underground world of Japan.

Even an idiot can figure out that Bonten was the biggest hurdle the police have to deal with yet.

Years and years of countless sacrifices from their bravest officers and they had only accumulated
only a substantial amount of information. Bonten was an organization extremely tight lipped
regarding with just about anything. While it is known that they are heavily involved in seedy
dealings on the daily, there was no significant evidence to pin them for their crimes, even if there
was usually only one outcome is possible.
Bonten remaining untouched by the police.

Someone was always ready to take the fall in their stead, and the very few informants Naoto's
department had dealings with were now far and few between. Bonten was severely intolerant to
moles, and this has cemented fear in members and potential traitors.

'Speaking of which' Naoto's head throbbed. 'Our best one hasn't reached out in six months....'

Tokyo's department of organized crime only had a few members involved in a small but extremely
confidential project.

It had happened so suddenly, about a year ago when Naoto received a text from an unknown
number.

XXX-XXX-XXX

Is this Naoto Tachibana?

Me

Yes. Who is this?

XXX-XXX-XXX

Who I am doesn't matter.

I'll be providing you with information regarding Bonten's dealings.

If you can successfully catch them red-handed,

I will continue to provide you with what you police officers need.

Absolutely do not contact me first under any circumstances.

That unknown number had texted him coordinates of Bonten's next dealing. It was a huge risk,
considering this could well be a trap. Yet Naoto and a couple more detectives worked on the case
and sure enough, they confirmed that there was indeed a drug deal taking place. A deal with a
notoriously up and coming gang in Osaka. There were no Bonten executives to be found by the
time the police raided the hotel.

But this solidified Naoto's trust towards the unknown informant.

The mole continued to provide them information and locations on Bonten's dealings from time to
time, and the police felt victorious that their sting operations were actually working on their favor.
It was the most damage they've done to Bonten in many years. Naoto, his boss, and a couple more
veteran officers were tight lipped with their source of information-agreeing to the terms of the
unknown leaker.

-This person's existence mustn't be revealed to any higher ups other than Tokyo's organized crime
department leader, a few certain officers and Naoto himself.

-They would be the first to contact Naoto, and cannot take calls or texts from him first.

-There is an interval of when they could give information. Being given information every other
month was the usual pattern.

It surprised Naoto to no end that the mysterious informant was always so accurate with their
information, never missing a detail and always giving acute instructions and warnings to guarantee
a successful raid with the least causalities.

Their first few interactions were strictly business as most of their dealings went but Naoto found
himself beginning to harbor concern for their unknown ally.

On the rare times that they continue conversations past business, the informant would indulge
Naoto's inquiries.

Me

We're always grateful for your help...Are, are you doing well?

This amount of highly sensitive information leaking must be putting the executives on edge, please
be careful.

XXX-XXX-XXX

I am well. Thank you for your concern, Tachibana-san.

 Me

I see. If I may ask, do you work on your own?

XXX-XXX-XXX

…I used to work with a few close associates but they have been eliminated by the executives. They
didn't reveal any information about us, if that is a concern of yours.

I work alone now.

Please don't worry, the chances of our alliance being found out is slim to none for now.

This informant was truly extraordinary to be able to garner so much information but continue
working on their own. It was nothing short of a suicidal mission, to be in the heart of Bonten's
influence yet continue to betray the organization that will no doubt send any traitors to the deepest
parts of hell on Earth. They were so confident with their predictions and information. So fearless in
the face of death on the daily, even when their partners have long passed.

And this only made Naoto more concerned. It was odd for him to form a weird attachment to a
stranger, yet the detective only felt that the informant held no malice towards the police, and the
informant was always straight to the point and always helps them plan things out with the least
amount of causalities in mind. That person asked for nothing but to ensure that Bonten's dealings
go terribly sour and that the police force come out alive.

What seemed to be impossible, became possible thanks to one stranger who asked for no ransom of
any kind.

Until after the deal with the Shui Fong came, and their invaluable asset abruptly went to a flatline
of silence.

It was spiraling down to disaster from there onwards.

No new information, and the few agents they've planted in Bonten as per the informant's
suggestion were all caught. It was beyond horrifying to be sent a package of either the ashes or
dismembered limbs of your co workers with a cutesy letter stating that-

'Justice has been served.'

It made him sick to his stomach at how depraved Bonten is. The damned organization had cockily
rubbed to their faces that their informants were dropping like flies to a concerning rate, and even
going as far as making even bigger and more successful dealings.

To make matters worse, his brother in law gets into an accident. It was a close call to death, being
pushed off to the train tracks by accident. His sister, Tachibana Hinata, and his brother in law had
only been married for two weeks.

It was one bad news after the other, to simply put.

"Frowning will give you wrinkles, Naoto-kun." A gentle chide, and the detective is reeled back
from his grim thoughts. His gaze flickers to the owner of the voice, seeing the familiar thin stature
of his brother in law, Hanagaki Takemichi, wheeling himself slowly towards him. "It's too late to
be stressing yourself out, don't you think?"

Naoto sighed. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? Just because sister is out on a school trip for the
weekend doesn't mean you should skip on her instructions of proper meals and rest."

Takemichi chuckles, gentle and soft, quite the contrast to the lively tone it usually had before the
incident.

"I'm sure I'll be fine with one night of sleeping late." He then tilts his head. "Naoto, care to join me
on the patio? It'd be a waste to stay inside when there's a full moon out tonight."

Not finding any strong reason to say no, the young detective helped his brother in law outside of
the cottage and into the patio, where he helps the older man steady himself to one of the chairs.

It was strange, to see his jovial brother in law be so quiet nowadays. He was still talkative in the
presence of others, yet is so unnervingly quiet when left to his own devices. Always looking
towards the waves with an unreadable gaze, or looking at them with a detached fondness. It was
already strange enough to seem him on a wheelchair and look so fragile from months of being bed
ridden.

Like tonight, Takemichi gazes at the horizon, a small gentle smile on his face.

"Naoto, do you believe in miracles?" The detective doesn't hesitate in his answer.
"Yes."

"Why?"

He thinks of the mysterious informant, of their sudden arrival and the numerous wins they've
helped the police secured.

He thinks of his brother in law, a newly wed husband, who got into an accident that most victims
died from yet here he is, alive and slowly recovering.

Although the past six months hadn't been kind to his work and his health, Naoto knew when to
accept the small joys in life.

He smiled at the older male.

"You're here with us against all odds, making my sister happy and talking with us." He starts off,
his smile widening. "There's a few things that happened at work that should've been impossible,
yet turned possible against all expectations."

"Miracles exist, Takemichi."

A beat of silence, and Naoto thinks to himself that the beaming smile sent his way was the closest
he got to seeing the usual Takemichi before the train incident.

"Yes, they do. They really do." The older male reaches out a hand to grasp his shirt. "And I'll do
whatever I can to protect these miracles."

There was a determination to his voice, even with how calming it is. Takemichi then leans back to
the chair, the soft salty sea breeze caressing fluffy raven hair as he closed his eyes. There was a
content smile, and Naoto felt as if he'd been privy to something so intimate.

"Tonight is another peaceful one."

Takemichi hadn't touched the phone since then.

He had immediately removed the battery and placed it back where it belonged, and spent days
avoiding the dreadful item.

Sano Takemitchy, the youngest Bonten executive up to date. Mikey's last living relative. An
extremely intelligent child who knew the ins and outs of Bonten's dealings.

'He knows Naoto? Out of all the Naotos, it had to be my brother in law?!'

Takemichi was at a loss for words. He knew his brother in law works for the Tokyo organized
crime department and they were sure to at least work with some cases regarding Bonten, but to
think that it would run this deep left him speechless. To think that the mole was none other than the
youngest Bonten executive.....

He tries to think of Naoto's actions before he had gotten into an accident. The months before that
dreadful day, Takemichi had noticed that his brother in law was in better spirits. More driven to do
his work than usual, and always busy cracking one successful case after the other. The news had
been constantly reporting of successful sting operations, but Takemichi didn't know that those
dealings were a result of Takemitchy's betrayal and Naoto's department working hand in hand.

If he really thinks about it, it was an efficient partnership.....as well as it was a bloody one.

Bonten is unforgiving. And if Takemitchy's identity as an informant gets leaked out then it would
only be a matter of time before anyone else the young Sano contacted become hunted by the
executives as well.

Naoto will die, no questions asked.

Takemichi debated destroying the only evidences that can link up his precious little brother to
Bonten's traitor. It would be safest for them this way, Naoto's identity will be safe and Takemichi
gets to sleep with a sound mind that at least his loved ones are safe.

But he couldn't. Couldn't dispose of the only item he had to aiding him on his escape so far.

The list of contact Takemitchy had was no ordinary network of information. Albert and Mikoto
seemed to be his main allies, partners that were loyal until the bitter end. Their deaths never
revealing Takemitchy's true intentions and keeping his secret as a mole covered.

Takemichi didn't know where to start.

How did Takemitchy even ended up becoming a mole?

If Mikoto gave the boy the list of contacts and the phone, did that mean Mikoto the maid was an
undercover police officer of some sort? Was it the same for Albert?

Perhaps they manipulated Takemitchy into becoming a mole?

But then...why would they entrust such a role to a child of all people? And one who was the last
living relative of the leader of the goddamn organization?!

So many questions with little to no answers. Takemichi's head hurt. There was so much to figure
out, and he was only one person. No one to help him and certainly not in a place so hostile to
betrayals.

It wasn't as if he could go looking around for the next batch of clues, not when there hasn't been a
flashback and not when-

"Takemitchy~" The end of his hairs stood straight from goosebumps, but Takemichi only breathes
in deeply, ignoring the familiar voice.

He was currently trying, and failing, miserably to calm his nerves in Takemitchy's 'Art Room'.

It was a wide spacious room filled with white walls and art supplies. Buckets of paints, numerous
sets of high quality brushes, and different sizes of blank canvases. It was the one room where the
little Sano truly unwinds on his free time. Where even when he was dealt with the most horrible
cards in life, the little boy gets to be his age by expressing his creativity through painting beautiful
sceneries-mostly that of fruits, nature and the seaside.
It wasn't unusual for Bonten's executives to seek for a certain Sano's company in their free time.

They found his presence to be relaxing in its own way, whether the little one was in a daze or being
his recently jubilant self, it was all the same.

They loved observing the youngest Bonten executive. Or in some members' case, particularly Ran,
Sanzu and Koko, bother the little Sano.

For Takemichi, however, almost every moment spent with them felt as if it would be his last-
fearing for the day that he would either be disposed of if Mikey tires of his presence or if they find
that he's no longer the same Takemitchy.

Especially now that he found out Sano Takemitchy was a traitor.

It didn't help that his babysitter this time was Bonten's number two, Sanzu Haruchiyo.

Sanzu was his own kind of menace to Takemichi.

While sober, Sanzu resumes the role of a semi-stern babysitter that's a little too eager to stab
anyone that looks at Takemitchy and Mikey wrong. Whatever wrong was in his warped mind.
Although the rosy pink haired male seemed to take great pleasure in annoying the youngest Sano,
occasionally pinching his cheeks without warning and always recommending that Takemitchy
wears female clothing to everyone.

Sober Sanzu was an asshole....but a manageable asshole.

A drugged up Sanzu, however, was a whole different ball game of asshole babysitter.

He would always have a manic grin present, cackling at nothing, always sharing morbid ways of
torturing someone to Takemitchy's ears. If they were at the dining room and a kitchen staff was
unfortunate enough to earn his attention, that staff would be beaten to a pulp without so as much a
warning. That's not even adding the damn feminine looking man ranting endlessly to Takemitchy
about the importance of his position in Bonten as Mikey's little brother.
And he was now invading Takemichi's private bubble, offering a bowl of famous candies that kids
love. Takemichi thanked the heavens above that he retained Takemitchy's superb facial muscle
control skills, or else he would've been screeching bloody murder at the Bonten executive to stay
the fuck away from him.

"You've been holed up here for fucking hours, Takemitchy. Frowning like that dumbass Takeomi.
It's repulsive on your face." The druggie starts, grinning at him. "Have some sweets, kids like
sweets right? It'll make you happy. So happy~"

"Not now Sanzu, I still want to paint. Don't distract me please." Replies Takemichi, adamant on
continuing with his painting. He had actually began to feel relaxed painting a nice scenery of a
green meadow with azure blue skies. He was not about to let his free time go sour because of one
druggie babysitter. "I ate lunch already, I'm still full!"

"They're just sweets, Takemitchy, you'll love them." Sanzu was nothing but stubborn even when
drugged and Takemichi hated him all the more for it.

Just when he was about to tell off the grown male not to disturb him so much, two things happened
at once-

One, the door opens, revealing Ran and mildly distracting Takemichi as he says pleasantly-

"-Takemitchy~ Mikey wants you to meet him for the next rounds of executions! He's waiting for
you at the slaughter house-"

Two, Sanzu had chosen the same moment to grab a candy and abruptly place it in Takemichi's
unsuspecting mouth without warning.

Something in Takemichi desperately told him that he has to spit out whatever it was that Sanzu had
placed in his mouth. And so he does, and relief was the first emotion that registered.

Second was anger, as what was on his hand was not candy, but a pill.

A familiar pill that oh so painfully belonged to Sanzu. That turns him into a worse lunatic than he
already was.

For a moment, acting didn't enter Takemichi's mind, only righteous anger that this man would
unhesitatingly drug a ten year old kid just for the hell of it.

He doesn't even know that he had used his free hand to grab the older male by the hair, and
Bonten's number two immediately kneeling down in an unexpected display of submission.

Ocean blue burned bright with unfiltered fury.

"Didn't I tell you not to distract me?" His voice, although young, was tight with anger. Pulling
Sanzu closer until their faces were inches away, Takemichi glared at the man before him without a
shred of fear. "I'm not in trouble, so you don't get to drug me Sanzu. Not without Mikey-nii's
permission."

"Know your place, Haruchiyo."

That seemed to snap the man from his trance before a deep blush adorned the rosy pink haired
male's cheeks.

"Oh Takemitchy," Cackling with delight, Sanzu cups the younger Sano's cheeks with perverse
gentleness. Manic excitement flashing in those maddening baby blue orbs. "You really are my
king's little brother."

"You look exactly like my God!"

Takemichi doesn't hesitate to smack the hands away, and roughly pushing the male from him.

He doesn't even hesitate to hurl the brush dipped with azure blue paint at Sanzu's face full force
before finally allowing himself to be hoisted into Ran's arms as they exit the art room, leaving
behind Sanzu who was loudly laughing with demented glee.

"Ah, getting to serve my god and his little brother is the greatest pleasure-"
Takemichi closes his eyes, evening his breaths to the best of his abilities and blocking the
ramblings of Mikey's Loyal Mad Dog.

In the deepest parts of his mind, he wondered if it was perhaps better to accept the madman's pill.

Maybe then he could go for a day without suffering from so much conflicting emotions and the
never-ending fears that seem to just pile up the more truths he uncovers about Bonten and
Takemitchy.

Maybe then he can go for a day not having to think.

"It's been a while since I last saw you get physically involved, Takemitchy." Ran casually
comments, placing the boy in his lap as they entered the car.

The boy was silent, unresponsive, and only blinks with an unnervingly calm façade.

Ran wasn't deterred, far too used to pleasantries and genuinely enjoying his time with the younger
Sano to mind the uncomfortable silence.

"I think it was almost a year ago? Yes, yes. It was the first and last time you ever hurt someone."

'Stop.'

Takemichi doesn't give him the pleasure of a reaction, but Ran was nothing but persistent in the
most infuriating times.

No wonder he and Sanzu got along so well, they were absolute lunatic assholes, the both of them.
"That maid....Mikoto was it?" Ran eye's crinkled with sadistic delight. "We gave her a second
chance in life but she repaid us with attempting to take your life, I am quite sad that we couldn't get
to her earlier."

'Stop.'

"But I must say, I never expected you to be quite experienced with a gold club. I mean, that was my
gold club too!" The older male laughs, as if remembering a fond memory. "I still have that golf
club in my trophy room, Takemitchy, I never had it cleaned. It was your first kill after all. And via
my own item too, simply a delight I can look back on."

"Do you remember her? You bashed her skull in. About three to five times. You killed her at the
second hit, but you kept going and going-" Ran grinned.

'-stop!'

"-Almost like you wanted her to be nothing but dead by the time we broke into your room. You're
so kind Takemitchy, you didn't want her to die by our hands right? You knew she'd rather die by
your hands than ours." His voice was poison itself, threatening to corrupt the young child. "You
must've taken quite the liking towards her."

A beat of silence. And then Takemichi was looking up to face Ran's smiling one.

The younger Sano was grinning.

"I don't really know who're you talking 'bout Ran." Takemichi innocently starts, his doe eyes
closing as his grin brightened. "I didn't even know I had a maid!"

The young child giggled.

"If I can't even remember this Mikoto maid, then maybe she never mattered to me in the first
place." Ran's eyes widened before the older male began laughing in earnest and embracing the
youngest executive with mirth in his eyes. "I only remember Mikey-nii and you guys!"
The boy's eyes opened, revealing ocean blue sparkling with life and joy.

"Anyone else is either a servant of ours or scraps that need to be punished by Bonten."

Takemichi's smile doesn't break, he wasn't allowed to break character more than once.

"That's our little Takemitchy! You're well on your way to becoming a great executive~"

Takemichi's morning started with stress.

His afternoon was well and truly disrupted by a lunatic or two.

And now he has to spend an evening watching his older brother torture and execute several
unfortunate souls for what could last for the whole night.

He was well on his way to losing his sanity, is what he wants to tell the insufferable bastard
holding on to him.
 Notice, please read.

Hello everyone, Chagama_uWu here.

I'm terribly sorry that this is not another chapter, and I hope that it doesn't disrupt the flow of the
immersion too much.

I'm writing this notice because I felt that I really need to get some things out in the open. And I do
apologize ahead if there are grammar mistakes here and there, or everywhere.

First and foremost, thank you so so much for staying this long into my story. Sunshine on Chains
has to be the first ever story I have to have reached 20k hits, 1.6k kudos. It's unbelievable. Like,
words cannot describe how happy I am and how grateful I am to you guys. Every comment counts
and i want you all to know that you guys always made my day. Every chapter I posted was worth
the sleepless nights and I love that you guys are sharing your own thoughts and theories on the
plot. I know this is probably too cheesy or unnecessary, but I want to just thank you all for
everything.

So, thank you so much. Truly.

The second thing I want to share is not going to be anywhere near as pleasant.

Sunshine on Chains is not a happy story, there are many many dark themes that are used in this
story already. Non consensual drugging, child abuse, implied child neglect, drug dealings, explicit
discussions of prostitution and violence....the list goes on.

But I haven't been out in the open about a few more.

To the readers that wonder if Mikey and child takemitchy will have a 'romantic' relationship, there
will be.

I've tried to direct the dynamics of their relationship into more general? Something platonic but
make it yandere on one side. Writing an illegal age gap relationship is still freshly new territory for
me still, but its one that I want to venture in as I've always favored writing dark themed stories even
before I started in A03.
When I made Sunshine on Chains, it was really on a whim and a result of suffering from a really
bad case of Tokyo Revengers brainrot. And now that we are ten chapters deep, I realize I need to
get my bearings straight and think more of the plot, and I've always had a particular 'romance' in
mind for the dynamic between Bonten Mikey and Takemitchy/chi.

There will be mentions of Rape of minors-but no explicit scenes-in the story. By the time this
notice gets out I will have changed the tags or if not, then after.

I completely understand that there will be readers who are not comfortable with or just dislike this
topic and I apologize so much for taking this long to get this warning out. I'm very sorry for this.

I just want to say thank you kindly for staying this long, and for those that decide to read a little
more ahead, thank you very much as well but I hope that this notice will serve as a warning for
future chapters to come.

Sunshine on Chains, I repeat, will have themes of sexual abuse on minors.

This is not a light hearted story. I also do not condone any of these immoral actions, ever. This is a
purely fictional story just made from boredom and fangirling.

I am terrified of what you guys' responses will be, but I know I had to get this out in the open, and I
am terribly sorry for the inconvenience and my lack of warnings.

Thank you so much for your time if you're still reading this far, and I hope to see you all soon in
the next update.

-Chagama_uWu
 Reflection
Chapter Summary

It was jarring, looking at the mirror and seeing anyone but yourself.

To Takemichi, it was horrifying living the life of Sano Takemitchy.

It's not okay, no.

Never was, and never will be.

Time spent in the Slaughterhouse was one that was best left behind.

What happens in the Slaughterhouse, stays in the slaughterhouse.

Or at least, that's the case for the traitors.

For Takemichi, anything that he sees and hears in that god forsaken place stays with him whether
he liked it or not.

The slaughterhouse was something akin to the gallows for traitors and enemies alike. There was
simply no saving one's fate when you've been brought into the place as Bonten's target. It wasn't
only one place, the term slaughterhouse varied in building and location, but they were all named
the same for convenience's sake. Some Slaughterhouses were placed in the heart of the cities, some
off the grid. and some looking as if its exteriors has been abandoned for many years. With Bonten's
large influence over Japan, it wasn't far fetched to say they had a slaughter house of some sort in
every city.

Being the leader, Mikey can easily dictate where he wants the executions of the traitors to occur.
And he had long decided that the executions done by him would happen in the location closest to
his penthouse.

Anyone who knew of Takemitchy's value would know that Mikey finalized such a decision purely
for his little brother.

How devoted and doting he is as an older brother.

Takemichi only wants to vehemently scream profanities, because that meant he had to accompany
the clingy madman and have a front row seat to witness deaths so gruesome not even the media
would want to cover this and share it to the world.

Unfortunately, the slaughterhouse located in Shibuya was a warehouse that honestly appeared so
shabby on the outside that not even teenagers would dare to venture in for shits and giggles. Not
that anyone could just enter the premises, guards were positioned strategically here and there to
prevent mishaps like that.

The interior was comparably better, but Takemichi hated the slaughterhouse in all of its essence.
The smell of fresh and old blood penetrated his nostrils. The hallways were dimly lit and the lights
that were actually decently not flickering were only focused on where the soon to be corpses are
being tortured. The place barely passed sanitary requirements and Takemichi could swore that
there were splotches of dried or fresh blood on areas that weren't lighted.

He is glad Ran placed a transparent raincoat, changed his footwear to raincoat boots and even
medical gloves-all items that should cover him from the upcoming splash pod of blood. Otherwise
he'd have to deal with having to wash away fresh blood from his skin and Takemichi really could
do without gaining anymore trauma than he has to.

By the time he and Ran arrived, the executions were already taking place.

Or torture, more specifically.

Mikey never kills them all until Takemichi bears witness after all. He just had to save a few for his
little brother to watch.

"Mpmhh! MmpHH!"

All the soon to be executed were gagged and bound, kneeling on the ground. There were about four
dead, and placed at the corner carelessly thrown over one another, forming a pile of mangled flesh-
all disfigured beyond recognition. There's about five of them alive currently, and one was placed
on a familiar operating table.

'Not the electric chair this time...Huh...Whoop-de-fucking-doo.' Nothing made a startling

difference, everything that transpires in the slaughterhouse will never get easier to adapt to for
Takemichi. Be it Mikey or the other executives, they always seem to have a morbid creativity when
it comes to torturing their victims.

The one on the table was not gagged. and his screams penetrated Takemichi's ears as he sees
Mikey continue to peel off the unfortunate man's flesh from his torso with the precision of a
surgeon and the sadism of a devil when the older male stitches the hanging skin to the victim's
arms.

How the man is not dead, the youngest Bonten executive preferred to not know, and can only curse
Mikey's excellency in prolonging the suffering of his victims in such morbid ways no man should
ever bear witness to.

"Boss, Takemitchy and Ran have arrived." Mochizuki, another Bonten executive, aired out as he
stands behind the traitors.

The leader of Bonten paused in his actions and places the knives and needles in his hand on a side
stainless steel instruments table that had small puddles of blood.

The ivory white haired male slowly turned, and everyone sees their leader's hands soaked with
blood. On his cheeks were splotches of blood.

Pitch black orbs, utterly devoid of any humane emotions, locked on him. Takemichi doesn't
flinch.

His lips spread into a bright grin.

"Mikey-nii!" Waving at his older brother, the youngest in the entire warehouse eagerly walks to
the bloody male and unhesitatingly gives him a brief hug, which the older male returns-although he
was careful to only touch the raincoat and not his younger brother's skin.

Takemichi curiously peers at the tormented male bound on the table, gazes meeting. Takemichi's
smile remains unfazed at the horrified and agonized gaze of the unfortunate man.

He wasn't allowed to break character, not in Sano Manjiro's presence anyways.

"These are all the scraps for today?" The little boy innocently asks, and Mikey silently nods. "Oh
okay, ah Mikey-nii, you're already soaked though."

Takemichi pouted, his eyes turning watery. "I don't want you to take too long and lose sleep.
Please?" He hugs the male's waist tightly for a moment before letting go.

"Hurry up, okay?"

Mikey's smile more than enough of an answer, and Ran ushers the young executive to a
comfortable armchair that was specifically just for Takemichi.

Although he has yet to visit all the slaughterhouses owned by Bonten, it wouldn't be far-fetched to
claim that there is a special seat just for Mikey's little brother reserved in each establishment.

The tortured traitor is still focusing his watery and bloody gaze on the youngest, whose entire
appearance was startlingly clean and innocent looking compared to anyone and everything in this
demented place.

The little boy senses the stare directed at him and slowly mouthed with an unreadable smile, "Bad
move."

"Oi. Shithead."

As if on cue, indescribable pain blooms spreads throughout his skinned torso as Mikey
unhesitatingly pours salt all over the exposed muscles of the traitor.

"Don't lay your disgusting eyeballs on my little brother."

Screams rang loud and clear, and the rest of the bound men can only tremble in fear at the sheer
possessiveness and darkness in Bonten's Leader's voice.

"My Mitchy will never waste his time on scraps like you fucks, he's only here for me and me
alone."
All consuming and demanding, ruthless and bitingly cold. Mikey was an immovable frozen
mountain of a man despite his fragile looking physique.

The torture continues on, and the screams lasted throughout the night. One man after the other
joining the pile of corpses.

The other executives watches on as Mikey carries on, disregarding every single pleas for mercy
that the traitors could mouth off.

No amount of begging can satiate his need to kill off the bugs that dared lay their eyes on what was
his after all.

Takemichi watches the carnage unravel before him with an empty gaze and a just as empty smile.

At this rate, he would consider it a win if they can come back home before midnight strikes.

For now, however, he is left to his own thoughts.

Takemichi wondered what ran through Takemitchy's mind every time he witnessed these horrific
deaths.

Whatever it was driving him forward, it must be enough to overcome any fear of being killed in the
worst way possible as a traitor.

'You're definitely one of a kind, Takemitchy.'

"Mochizuki, Ran, deal with the bodies. We're done here." Mikey finally announces as he carelessly
drops the items on the side table before turning to his little brother. "Mitchy, we're going home."
A bright "Okay!" was all the leader needed before both Sanos headed out without so as much
looking back to the carnage created by one man.

The bonten executive gets to work, calling the grunts to begin inserting the corpses into barrels of
acid.

"And there they go, that pair of brothers always make such a dynamic entrance and exit no matter
what." Ran nonchalantly remarks as he sees the grunts cleaning the scene. "He's so endearing, isn't
he? Our little Takemitchy."

Mochizuki nodded. "He has certainly changed, for the better."

Both executives alongside the rest weren't blind to the sudden change of the youngest Sano.

Six months since that disastrous day, and everyone was focused on the little boy who was the sole
reason for Bonten's continuing existence. They had made sure to monitor his actions and never left
him without an executive to stay with him for the day if Mikey was unable to stay with Takemichi.

Perhaps it was the near death experience, but the younger Sano seemed to have become a
completely different person altogether.

His wishes remained the same, and his hobbies just as much. Yet how he approached others was
what surprised everyone.

Sano Takemitchy, who always displayed a mild mannered and gentle persona to just about
everyone became a boyish youth filled with grins as bright as the sun.

Ran smirked. "Almost hard to believe that it's the same boy that got disciplined by Mikey and
Sanzu for almost a year."

"Their treatment broke him, no doubt." It would be foolish to think of any other possible reason.
"The most break he'd gotten from their 'sessions' is six months. The boy was never meant to hold
onto any kind of rebellion by this point."
Both executives gave a nod of satisfaction once the bodies stuffed in the barrels have been taken
away and they head out.

"Ah, rebellious Takemitchy was so close that day wasn't he? He'd truly put us all through the
wringer when he pulled that stunt." Ran laughs light heartedly, as if finding no fear for the fact that
all the executives were almost killed off by their own boss and his younger brother. "Mikey was
one step away from killing all of us when he found out Takemitchy managed to do the
impossible."

Violet eyes crinkled with sadistic delight as Mochizuki's eyes narrowed to a warning glare.

"I mean, a ten year old managed to knock you out and run away long enough to get kidnapped by
an enemy gang. Quite embarrassing for a Bonten Executive, don't you think so?" Ran's sneer was
nothing surprising to Mochizuki, who was long used to the taller male's demented sense of humor.

"It won't happen again." As a black luxury car pulls up, The Haitani male chuckled with mirth.

"If you value your life, of course. Mikey barely forgave you after all." Ran smiles with ridicule
clearly present in his gaze, ignoring the bodyguards bowing to them. "Although if I'm being
honest, I like our current Takemitchy. He's just so much cuter, his fangs have definitely gotten
softer too."

Entering the car, both executives paid no mind to the guards and continued on.

"That boy..." Ran starts off, a wistful smile on his normally unreadable one. "He spent his first
year fooling all of us with his quiet docile act. Quite the clowns we made ourselves to be when we
found out just how much the little one can bite."

"A snake he might be, but he's young." Too young to defeat the dozen grown ones within Bonten.

"Yes, that is his only flaw." Violet eyes closed. "That and his kind heart. He always did care for his
'helpers'."

Mochizuki nodded, "Luckily, it seems he's forgotten their identities on surface level."
"Yes, but the mind is an interesting thing. His subconsciousness still retains some memories of
them, even after the number of sessions he's been forced through. The boss goes on a violent fit if
any of those traitors are mentioned. Especially by Takemitchy."

The heavily muscled one leans back to his seat, whatever the case was now, everything has more
or less returned to normal. Business goes on, Bonten continues to run with efficiency and
Takemitchy remains trapped in Mikey's grasp.

"It doesn't matter now, everything is in its rightful place."

"Indeed."

They'd make sure the boy remains in his golden gilded cage, where he rightfully belongs.

It was jarring, looking at the mirror and seeing anyone but yourself.

To Takemichi, it was horrifying living the life of Sano Takemitchy.

It's not okay, no.

Never was, and never will be.

"Mitchy." Takemichi blinked, gaze flickering to his older brother who languidly exits the
bathroom.

"Mikey-nii?" The older male passes him a towel.

"Dry my hair." Takemichi grinned.

"Okay! Come on over then."

The older Sano obediently heads his way to the dressing table which consisted of a rather large
circular mirror and a simply and empty wooden table. He sits before the younger Sano and turns
his back, closing his eyes as Takemichi gently dries Mikey's wet locks.

"Good job cleaning up the scraps today too, Mikey-nii."

"Mhm."

"Although you really should get more sleep, Mikey-nii needs to get healthier okay? You shouldn't
spend the whole night dealing with traitors!" And dragging me with you...sick son of a-

"-I'll try." Takemichi beams as he sees his older brother's shoulders slump with relaxation.

He wondered if Takemitchy ever thought of harming his older brother from this angle, so closely
within reach to lay hands to the root of all his suffering.

Being in Takemitchy's shoes, even Takemichi had no idea if he will ever harm Sano Manjiro.

Harming any of them, or god forbid, kill, was something he hoped to never have to deal with.

There was no turning back once he crosses that line, and Takemichi refuses to stain himself and
Takemitchy's body with murder on their hands.

"Thanks Mikey-nii, you're the best!" After some time, the grown male's hair was decently dried,
the two had headed off to bed.

And in the darkness of Mikey's bedroom, Takemichi lies awake even with his older brother
slumbering oh so peacefully beside him.

It was only when sleep finally comes to him, that Takemichi allows himself to curl deeper into his
older brother's embrace.
When his eyes open, the boy knew he was in yet another hell.

"Are you sure about this Takemitchy?"

This time, he was holding the hand of a familiar maid, Mikoto-his mind whispers-and the girl was
giving him looks of concern. The two of them were making their way downstairs, and even
Takemichi was surprised when they ventured to an unknown corridor.

His mouth opens, voice calm and collected.

"Mhm, I'll keep their attentions away. You have to stay silent no matter what." He feels the girl's
grip on him tighten. "Do you still remember the journal Albert gave me?"

"Of course, he told me where it's located...I also have the....counter kit ready." Takemichi feels
himself smile. "Takemitchy...Listen, whatever happens-"

"-nothing will happen to you, this isn't my first session with them." Mikoto's eyes trembled with
fear. "They're testing you as well, all you have to do is remain quiet the entire time and they'll let
you live. Whatever questions Sanzu asks you, never answer unless it's Mikey doing the
questioning."

"The purpose of their sessions is to break me," The words leave him with no emotion, as if he had
long steeled himself for the hell that awaits him. "You have to keep yourself alive Mikoto-san."

"You can't leave me too," The broken smile he sends Mikoto was tinged with sadness, "....Hami
and Albert...They're both gone...I-I can't lose you too..."

The older female easily gathers him in her arms, "I promise I won't die. I'll be with you every step
of the way, kid."

"You're the only one that can help me remember, Mikoto-san." Takemichi feels himself tremble in
her gentle embrace. "The serums...I don't know what they're using, but I'm starting to forget about
Albert and Hami. You and the journal are the only things that's keeping me grounded." Although
Takemichi didn't cry, the pain in his chest was more than enough of a sign of the overwhelming
grief.

"Don't let me forget, Mikoto-san. Don't let me forget any of you."

"Never Takemitchy, you will never forget any of us. I swear on my life."

He blinked.

Takemichi was now in a small room that was barely maintained with the wallpapers flaking off,
sitting on the ground with a coffee table in front of him and two familiar figures seated across him.

He knows Mikoto was positioned near the door, standing dutifully still and silent as promised.

"You still in your rebellious phase brat?" Sanzu then proceeds to stand, patting his head with a
sneer. "All this trouble and for what?"

Takemichi's eyes narrowed into a frosty glare.

"There is no rebellious phase" He starts off calmly despite the sheer loathing in his gaze, " This is
just a hobby for you two, no? An activity to pass the time."

The slight curl in his lips was nothing short of venomous, intentionally malicious and meant to set
off their nerves, directing their attention on him and him only. "Just admit that none of you can't
handle a truth and a lie, so you resort to this madness you call sessions. Cowards that see no way
out from their hell but to use drugs."

Takemichi felt vindictive of the veins that bulged in the rosy pink haired male's neck. "Why you
little piece of-"

"-Sanzu." At once, Bonten's number two stilled and headed off to one of the dressers. Takemichi
meets Mikey's emotionless gaze head on. "I guess it's the usual for you, Mitchy? I'm disappointed,
but not surprised."
"So I decided to change the game." The older Sano then smiled, blank and ominous. "You won't be
forced to take anything today."

At his wary gaze, Mikey's smile brightens. "Of course, that means someone else has to take the fall
in your place."

A beat of silence, and a gunshot rang clear in the room, Takemichi doesn't flinch as much as
Mikoto doesn't let out a shriek of pain.

The maid falls to the ground, clutching her bleeding foot as she bites her lip to stop any noises from
coming out.

"I prepared three gifts for you today, Mitchy. You just have to take one of them." Sanzu returns to
the table to place three damning things that had made Takemichi pale shades lighter.

One was the familiar syringe filled with blue liquid.

'Fuck, it's blue! This is bad-'

Second was a line of white powder and beside it was a rolled up bill.

The same powder that had ruined his mother for life.

And lastly, two white tablets.

Takemichi felt dread settle deep in the marrow of his bones, taking these tablets was nothing short
of a death sentence.

"Of course, again, you don't have to take them." Mikey starts off languidly, placing an elbow on
the table and chin leaning against his palm. "But, for every gift you refuse, Sanzu will shoot your
maid."

The darkness in the older Sano's eyes instilled fear in the younger one's nerves.
"It's up to him where he wants to put those bullets." Mikey cruelly smirked. "So, Mitchy, what will
it be?"

Shivers wrecked his body, but Takemichi doesn't try to stand and leave,

To leave this room would mean Mikoto's death.

Even when under such duress, Takemitchy's mind ran with endless outcomes.

IF he takes the blue syringe, he's bound to lose consciousness for a few days and suffer from
memory loss again. The grief that would follow him when he realizes that he had forgotten about
his most important people was going to break him, Takemitchy couldn't afford to inject himself
with such a drug.

Snorting the white powder was...tricky to say the least, he could easily be conditioned to Mikey
and Sanzu's drug adventures and end up an addict before he can even cement his plans to escape.
But this was his first time being offered cocaine, the effects would be there, but nothing too
damning just yet.

The white tablets were not even an option. If Takemitchy wanted to escape with a semi-functioning
mind, he had to make sure he doesn't end up broken like the unwilling prostitutes of the Haitani
brothers....Rohypnol was no joking matter.

Mikey and Sanzu will pounce on him the second he takes the tablets, that is an indisputable fact
that makes his stomach churn.

Takemitchy was well and truly trapped.

Takemichi feels tears escape his eyes, yet his face was set in a stony expression-devoid of showing
any more weakness.

With a shaky hand, he reaches for the rolled up bill and leans closer to the table.
Takemitchy's body was trembling in fear, but he doesn't hesitate to position himself the exact same
way his mother used to do when she was snorting the cursed white powder.

His eyes closed, and the last thing he hears were Sanzu's demented cackling.

Takemichi blinked, and the sight that greeted him was both a blessing and a curse.

He was surrounded by darkness once more, and there standing before him was none other than
Takemitchy himself.

"I see, it appears this is our only way of communicating..." The boy murmurs before gently
wrapping his arms around Takemichi's body. "Don't let them drug you frequently, especially with
the serums."

Takemichi only continues to cry in the little boy's arms.

"The more memories you uncover, the more likely I can visit you, Takemichi-san." The boy rubs
his back in soothing patterns, "Your memories have protected me for quite a while now, I wish
mine could as well but it seems all I ever do is hurt the people I care about one way or another..."

Takemitchy pulls back, carefully wiping Takemichi's tears with a fond but melancholic smile.

"They are painful and brutal, but they will help you find the items you need to escape. If I could do
it, so can you." Takemitchy waves a hand, and they were now on the seashore, the waves bringing
a cooling sensation to their feet. "If you have to kill someone, do it. It's my body anyways, Hanagaki
Takemichi will not be framed for any crimes."

Takemichi relished in the bright blue skies and the gentle rays of sunlight.

"Time is almost up, Takemichi-san. I'm working on my end too, your happy ending is waiting for
you."

Takemitchy's gentle gaze made his heart twist in knots so painful and yet at the same time, warm.
Their surroundings cracked into pieces, and Takemitchy began to fade.

"Everything will be okay, Takemichi."

 Bloody trails
Chapter Summary

A glimpse into the life of Sano Takemitchy.

A boy who can play the part of whoever he needed to be.

A liar dressed in innocence, a calculating menace, and the last living relative of Sano
Manjiro.

And a young, young, boy who just wants to atone for the endless stack of sins he's
committed.

Chapter Notes

TW: Child Torture, planned suicide. read at your own risk.

Hanagaki Hinata was no doubt, one of the most beautiful souls to exist in the world. Her beauty
shined in and out.

"I never knew you had a knack for painting." The soft female comments with a curious tone, sitting
beside her husband in the patio as he paints with the grace of a seasoned painter. A completely
unexpected side of her normally open book of a spouse. "It looks beautiful by the way."

Takemichi's laugh was seamlessly bashful, lips forming into a sheepish grin as his cheeks flushed
into a healthy pink.

"Not at all, Hina-chan." He starts off gently, still painting with practiced ease. "I have so much
time in my hands, what better way to recover than to pick up a new hobby?"

"Did you get tired of the jigsaw puzzles? You always love spending hours on them."

"I love them of course!" He briefly stops and gives her a pout. "I just thought that it'd be a waste
not to capture this view somehow..."
Hinata giggled, placing a chaste kiss on her husband's cheek.

Takemichi was still far away from fully recovering, but Hinata was nothing but proud that her
husband never lost the determination to remain active no matter what. He may have been a little
muted recently, but his drive to move and his bright persona remained the same as always.

She found it fascinating, watching her spouse go on about his day. Especially when he paints, it
seems as if he becomes a completely different person whenever he painted sceneries.

Although today's painting was a bit...interesting to say the least.

Her gaze flickered to the painting, it was the seashore as always but there was a flower bed of blue
hydrangeas and in the center of it was a golden-

"-puppy?"

Takemichi halted in his movements, and went unnervingly silent for a solid moment. Hinata didn't
feel threatened, heavens no, but...

Looking at her husband, she sees the melancholy tinging beautiful sky blue eyes.

'Blue hydrangeas...usually mean frigidity and apology.'

She doesn't press him for an explanation, patiently waiting for her beloved to share whatever it is
he wants to share.

His lips formed a small smile, eyes forming to an unreadable gaze.

"An apology, to the golden child that did no wrong."

He doesn't explain any further, picking up his brush and resuming to painting.
Hinata doesn't ask for more.

Takemichi visibly relaxes as silence blooms between them, relishing in the cool breeze caressing
their hair.

Sano Takemitchy remembers his death as if it were only yesterday.

Everything that had led up to his kidnapping, the faces of his kidnappers, the place he was brought
in. The chair he was bounded to and beaten senselessly after.

He remembered every single detail.

"So you're his little brother huh?" One of his kidnappers, perhaps the acting leader, starts off but
not without spitting at the bounded Takemitchy. "Your brother is a fucking menace, you know that?
He's the reason you're in this mess in the first place."

Takemitchy, only nine years old at the time, doesn't bother gracing him with a comment and
continues to look down.

His head snaps to the side as the barrel of a gun hit him without hesitation.

Pain blooms from the right side of his head, but Takemitchy doesn't let out a single noise.

"Look at the boss when he's speaking to you brat." The man closest to the leader snarled. "Ignore
him again and I'll punch your teeth in."

Yet the young boy, whose height barely reached their waists and figure so sickly and frail that he
looked as if the wind could take him if left unsupervised, was fearless as he finally looks up and
meets their hostile gazes with an indifferent one.
Takemitchy was not the least bit afraid.

Never.

Not once.

Not when he's seen what real monsters looked like. What those monsters were capable of and
being forced to have a front row seat of witnessing the truest horrors mankind can produce.

Their glares, threats, and sneers were comparable to a barking chihuahua by this point.

He doesn't grace them with a reply, and the leader breaks the unnerving silence.

"Well, don't cha look very confident for a hostage, Are you that sure your brother will save you in
time?"

Takemitchy smiles, a startlingly soft smile so different to the glacial ice that were his ocean blue
eyes.

There was no need to upkeep facades by this point, the boy knew death was sure to visit him
permanently this time around.

The boy refused to go down afraid. He simply never viewed these thugs as a threat despite the fact
that his own death was near approaching.

If Bonten ever taught him anything., it was that thugs and small gang members like his kidnappers
were below him. He was Sano Takemitchy, youngest Bonten executive and the apple of Sano
Manjiro's eye and was spoiled rotten by the other major executives.

It was odd, even for him, to take pride in such a title.

But what can he do? He's been robbed of every and any chance of a normal life.
And now, he was going to die. Takemitchy guessed he might as well go down as the monster he
truly was.

A young monster owned by Bonten. A little boy who had no other connections left but with Bonten's
leader and executives. He knew he was never going to be labeled as an innocent causality by
Bonten's enemy. As far as they know, he profits from the blood money of Bonten, and that is more
than enough to stamp the title monster to his identity.

Not that the boy minded their opinions, he's lived surrounded by one too many hostile people and
gruesome things. To expect empathy or kindness in the underworld is nothing but a foolish move in
every angle possible.

He was a monster, and will die from being killed. Simple as that.

"Whether I die or not doesn't matter," Takemitchy began, enjoying with a twisted sense of
entertainment at the ticked off expressions of his kidnappers. "My brother and his men will kill you,
plain and simple."

His head snaps to the other side as the lackey that hit him whacks him with the barrel of the gun
again, this time on the opposite side. Takemitchy's ears rang, but his composure never let up.

Poisonous words continue to seep out from him, they wanted him to talk? Well, he's more than
happy to indulge them now.

There was nothing left to lose. The value of his own life losing its purpose, Takemitchy feared not a
single enemy of Bonten.

Hell awaits him, dead or alive.

"Allow me to guess, you lot kidnapped me because of a failed business? No big fish to bite the baits
you've casted, not when Bonten runs the underworld and secures all the biggest deals. Especially
the ones abroad-guhk!" A groan of pain leaves his little body as a punch landed cleanly on his
stomach. Coughing, Takemitchy remained smiley. "So you all thought, why not make the biggest
bait to the biggest fish?"
"Shut the fuck up brat!" Blow after blow landed on his poor body, but Takemitchy remained
composed. Upon seeing that the smile was still plastered on his face, the leader glared at him.
"You...I don't know why I ever thought you'd be an innocent kid dealt with the shittiest cards on
the table, but you're no normal brat."

He lights a cigarette, and then abruptly decks the boy. Hard.

Disgust was present on the leader's gaze when Takemitchy only spits blood to the side and looks
back with the same amused gaze.

"You really are a monster, just like your brother." At that, the little boy laughed, blood spilling
from his busted lips. "Not even gonna beg for your life or to ease up on the rough treatment huh?"

"There's no need to. You and your gang are so incompetent I highly doubt you'd be able to keep me
alive by the time Mikey-nii arrives."

The leader growled, and grinds the lit end of the cigarette just a few centimeters below the boy's
left eye.

"ahhH!"

The scream that left the boy's body was involuntary. Yet Takemitchy doesn't beg or cry for mercy.
Not a single tear leaves him.

His breathing became shallow, but the insults never lost their sharpness and the venom in them
only worsens.

"I....I'm right, aren't I? You just want to see Mikey-nii lose me by this point. Because....You all
know that nothing will stop him from killing all of you, or even if you do get some money out from
them, he will target all of your loved ones." Takemitchy laughs, ignoring his body aching in
protest. "Would you be able to live with what meagre money you collected from Bonten when your
wives and children are sold off to human traffickers? Best case scenario they die quickly from
having their organs harvested and sold to the black market....Worst case? Your spouses are sold
off as sex slaves, your children will be groomed as sex toys for the sick rich old men and women
that adore children."
"Now wouldn't that be something? They'll grow up pleasuring pedophiles day in and day out, and
when they lose their "allure", they'll be part of the sex trafficking ring, recruiting and kidnapping
other children to repeat the cycle....And all this happens, because of jealousy and greed."

Each and every word that leaves him is intentionally malicious, both to his captors and to
Takemitchy himself.

"Shut up! Shut your trap right now brat!" The chair he was bound to falls as the leader kicked him,
and the boy felt the wind in his chest get knocked off almost instantly.

The boy doesn't complain, he deserved every bit of pain delivered to him.

His smile only widens, even more so when he hears the sound of the safety of a gun being
removed.

He had a part to play, and these thugs too. He had to make every insult count and make them as
angry as possible.

This was his only chance, if he fails, Takemitchy was certain that the fate that awaits him alive is
far too terrifying.

Time was running out.

His entire body was in pain, and he was pretty sure the bruises were a bluish red now. He was glad
they didn't hold back on beating the ever living shit out of him.

His eyelids were getting heavy, the boy only finds it useful that he hasn't slept for two days and can
still function just fine.

Takemitchy weakly gazes up to the leader, still ever so uncaring at the imminent face of death as
the barrel or the gun was now pointing at him.

The gun goes off, and he feels the surge of pain from his left leg. Then to his right, and moving up
to his arms. One bullet was embedded so painfully for each limb.
He was bleeding profusely now, and Takemitchy couldn't be any more pleased when the barrel
closes in on his forehead.

Takemitchy coughs out blood, his smile and gaze ever so composed.

"A-At exactly three thirty in the morning...." He lists off a certain date, and watched with
amusement when the leader flinched. "You received a message that...T-that Bonten w-will have a
failed deal with the...S-Shui Fong..." Weak gasps leave him, but Takemitchy perseveres. "That
failed deal will end up with the police raiding.....Bonten will be kept busy with...trying to make
amends with the Shui Fong and throwing the police off their trails....."

Ocean blue eyes never once lost the calculating glint.

"....You were given a tip...t-that Sano Takemitchy would only be guarded by one executive at a
certain l-location....that it would be the best time to kidnap Bonten's leader's little brother....You
were...tipped off that he could be...captured....at this specific area of the...b-building where there
were barely,...any guards..." He watches on as the gears on the leader's head worked overtime,
and watches on with sadistic glee when the older male's face contorts in horror in realization.

"You....YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" The leader stood to his full height, panic and anger
rolling off his body in waves. "YOU PLANNED ALL OF THIS?!"

He then whirls to the side and began barking orders to his grunts. " Get this fucking brat a medic
right now! Don't let this suicidal fuck get what he wants!!"

Yet Takemitchy was not done, and chuckles breathlessly.

"That's why...I-I said you lot wouldn't be able to keep me alive." His eyes crinkled with sadistic
delight, exactly like Sanzu's when the rosy pink haired male was particularly too drugged up and
up for torturing whatever unfortunate soul he could get his hands on. "If you couldn't even see past
the lies of a nine year old, how can anyone even expect you all to keep a hostage alive? You lot
couldn't even hold your tempers in check, every hit on me is a guaranteed way of receiving a death
sentence from my older brother, from Bonten."

The laugh that leaves him gave him an unbearable amount of pain, but it was the most satisfaction
Takemitchy have had since forever.

"I've seen plenty of stupidity in my li-life, but you....you have to be the b-biggest clown...t-there is."
His smile turns into a sneer, perfectly imitating Ran's, perfectly triggering the leader's wrath.
"Thank you...Really, you made my last moments oh so amusing!"

Contrary to the many Hollywood movies, deaths that happen in hostage situations were rarely
dramatic.

It was quick and abrupt, and that much was a god given mercy for Takemitchy.

The gun goes off, and the last few seconds of his consciousness registers the horror and disgust in
the older male's eyes.

This...This was it...A fitting end for a monster.

At least this way...he wouldn't have to grow an adult like them, and become the worst kind there
is.

"...Yet here I am now" Takemitchy murmurs, drinking a warm cup of tea in the comfort of the
living room. It was well past midnight, and the young male couldn't seem to find sleep. He had
carefully and painfully made sure that he doesn't wake Mrs. Hanagaki as he wheels himself to the
kitchen. "Life sure is unexpected in all sense of the word, how curious."

Once he has helped himself to a warm drink, the grown? male moves to the nearest window,
relishing in the comforting sound of the waves.

The nine year old couldn't believe it, to think he'd actually wake up as an...adult.

His first instinct had been to end himself right away, fearing that he was back in Bonten's grasp yet
again.
But Hanagaki Takemichi's warm and lovely memories have kept his suicidal urges at bay.

Takemitchy wouldn't dare damage the body of an innocent man like Takemichi.

Unlike him, Hanagaki Takemichi was free from the corruption of the underworld. He had no needs
to worry for his life everyday, instead he only looks forward for yet another normal day with his
wife and friends.

The normal life that Takemitchy found impossible to achieve for the likes of him, Takemichi lives
such a life.

It was heaven, this was the most relaxed he'd felt.

'Yet, monsters do not deserve to live in paradise.' His closed eyes open to reveal the calculative
glint so uncannily familiar to the youngest Bonten executive,

This life of normality and happiness was not his to live.

The body of Sano Takemitchy is alive and his soul was trapped in the body of Hanagaki
Takemichi.

His gaze hardens as an empty smile plasters on his soft features.

Sky blue eyes were frosty to the core.

There were plenty of things to do, and he had already laid out yet another plan.

Takemitchy could only hope now that Takemichi would make use of the contacts at his disposal.
That Takemichi would discard humanity to survive in Bonten. He had already given him
permission after all.

Unlike the innocent Mr. Hanagaki, Takemitchy is filthy to the brim and an abnormality. There
simply was no saving for a lost cause like him.
Therefore, if Takemichi commits a crime in Takemitchy's body, nothing would ever be traced back
to the 26 year old male. This was nothing but a golden advantageous position for Takemichi.

"If you don't, that's alright as well. However..." The male takes another sip, and all warmth in his
eyes vanished. "You will get your body back one way or another, Takemichi-san."

He just hoped that he wouldn't have to resort to underhanded methods, not towards Hanagaki
Takemichi at least. He wanted this alliance between them to remain good in a way...

That didn't mean he was willing to blind himself to the other possibilities, however.

Takemitchy was nothing but determined to retrieving his body back.

He had to.

He has to die.

There was no other acceptable outcome. Not for monsters like him anyways. Not for monsters like
him that had endless sins stacked on his list. Not when so many deaths and suffering were caused
by him.

Sano Takemitchy had to die.

This was the only way to atone, nothing more nothing less.
 Sanguine
Chapter Summary

"Being sanguine is your specialty, Takemichi-san, use it to the fullest."

Takemichi truly wondered if a certain Bonten executive's advice was for the best.

For better or worse, his relationships with Bonten's most important figures would
morph into something that not even the original Sano achieves.

To be sanguine, in the underworld full of sanguine liquid.

"....Takemichi-san"

A light tap. And another one.

"-Takemichi-san, wake up."

Takemichi groans, feeling the tapping on his cheek become a tad bit firmer.

Eyes opening, confused clear sky blue met with unreadable ocean blue.

The twenty-six year old abruptly sits up, and the ten year old boy was quick enough to lean back to
prevent their heads from colliding.

Takemichi was understandably surprised.

"Takemitchy-kun?!" The small boy softly smiled as the older stares at him and their surroundings
incredulously. It appeared they were back in the beach, where the little boy's dream cottage could
be seen from a close distance. "A-Already? I wasn't expecting to..."

Takemitchy nods, "Me too, this is a rather random encounter, but I'd like to believe that as long as
you are clear headed and can recover a memory of mine-it is possible for us to meet in our dreams."
The ten year old raven haired boy's smile faded. "I don't know how much time do we have left, but
I would like to use this chance to ask you a few questions."

Takemichi shouldn't be too surprised at the youngest Sano's straightforwardness and scheming
mind, but to see it in action was truly something else. All he can do is nod as the questions began.

"First of all, are my limbs still intact?"

The grown male nearly choked on air.

"What?!" Takemitchy's serious gaze remained firm, as he patiently repeats.

"Is my body missing any limbs?"

"O-of course they aren't!" How did this child even come to such a wild speculation?! "Why would
you even ask such a thing..."

Understanding dawned on the younger Sano's face before Takemitchy bows slightly with an
apologetic smile.

"I see you haven't recovered my memories before my death." The older flinched at the indifferent
tone of the child who so casually spoke of his own death as if they were discussing nothing
morbid. "Two days before I was kidnapped, I knocked out Mochizuki with a powerful sedative and
was on the run until I was taken and tortured to death by an enemy gang."

'What?'

Ocean blue eyes were undecipherable, and Takemichi doesn't utter a word as the boy continues.

"That person knew that I was set on betraying them by harming an important executive. By all
means, Mikey-nii should've amputated my legs already." Takemitchy lets out small sigh of relief.
"Not to worry, that man will never kill me, but it will be far too difficult to escape if he renders my
body immobile."
"It is a relief to know that my body is still has complete mobility, I was terribly worried my
decisions have led to you being further trapped, Takemichi-san."

The older male was already pale from the ten year old's morbidity, even more so at his nonchalant
approach and now, utter selflessness.

"What do you mean-" Takemitchy doesn't indulge him on his concerned gaze, only moving on the
next question.

"-Secondly, how is your current relationships with Mikey-nii and the rest of Bonten's top
executives?"

Understanding that the little boy won't be answering any questions that isn't considered vital to
their plans, Takemichi relents by only answering what is being asked of him.

"More or less pleasant, our dynamics have definitely changed. They're getting used to 'Takemitchy'
becoming more...." He cringed at the unblinking gaze of the intelligent child before him.
"...Childish? I can ask them to take me to places if their schedules allow it now...Or if Mikey just
really wants to spoil...'me'"

The child closed his eyes, and only the sound of waves hitting the shore were all both males hear
before Takemitchy finally opens his eyes, a new calculating glint in his unreadable gaze.

"Are you still trying to mimic my personality?"

"Yeah..."

Takemitchy doesn't hold back.

"I recommend you stop then." At the older male's confused gaze, the younger explains. "It seems
that your personality has created a new chemistry between 'me' and Bonten. Acting as 'me' would
only make them raise their guards around 'Takemitchy'. You'd be better off acting as yourself,
Takemichi-san."
Perhaps he wasn't nearly as pragmatic as the superb child before him, but Takemichi doesn't stop
the aching pain in his chest as this little boy so coldly instructs him to become less of the original
Takemitchy. To lose yet another part of his identity.

"But," He raises a hand and gently cups the younger male's cheek. "You are Takemitchy-
kun...Aren't you sad that you're losing even more parts of yourself?"

'You lost your body, your allies, and you're stuck in a grown adult's body and having to pretend to
be someone's husband and friend.'

Takemitchy only gives him a puzzled look.

"I had burned bridges with them as myself. Your escape and safety takes priority over something as
trivial as maintaining an identity." The boy smiles in assurance, oblivious to the sounds of
Takemichi's heart breaking to pieces at the callous words. "If anything, the fact that my body hasn't
lost their limbs even after betraying Bonten means two things."

"One, that they haven't found out that I am a mole. And two, that the new personality of
'Takemitchy' is going to be useful in regaining their trust."

It was unnerving, to see the child in front of him share his thought process, how quickly he can
assess a situation and begin plans after garnering an amount of information in a short period of
time.

The skies above them began to crack like broken mirror and Takemitchy lets out a sigh of
disappointment before returning his gaze to the older.

"Please believe me when I say this approach of yours is for the best," The ten year old murmurs,
his body beginning to fade into dust. "It is critical that you lower their guards, I know that with
your personality-you can make them form a genuine fondness for you."

"Being sanguine is your specialty, Takemichi-san, use it to the fullest."

'That's what he said but...'

Takemichi couldn't help but feel dread at his new task at first. After all, the owner of the body he
resides in just bluntly instructed him to a different person, to be wholly 'Takemichi' instead of
'Takemitchy'.

Granted, Takemichi had been slowly but steadily inserts more of his personality over Takemitchy's
but....He had also grown comfortable pretending to be Takemitchy in certain aspects. The grown
male trapped inside the child's body thought long and hard before finally relenting.

Takemitchy only had his best interests in mind, to doubt his only ally would be nothing short of
stupid on Takemichi's end.

And this is how he finds himself sandwiched between Bonten's leader and number two in the back
seat, on their way to the nearest convenience store, at exactly ten in the morning.

To begin with, Takemichi had woken up to his older brother clinging to him like a koala, which
made him miss breakfast as Mikey was not in the mood to get up from bed until much much later.
And when Takemitchy is with his older brother in bed, Mikey is less likely to be persuaded out of
bed. This meant by the time the Sano Siblings had left their room, everyone was already long
finished with their meals and it was just them two who had to fill their stomachs.

In his defense, he had wanted to be a bit more.....thoughtful with his approach, but he figured he
might as well continue on with the experiment....with the grace of Hanagaki Takemichi, which
meant no grace of course.

"I want cup ramen noodles....at the convinience store"

"Have your taste buds gone stale?" Mochizuki looked completely offended at his random demand.
"We can go to a restaurant instead, Takemitchy."

Rindo nodded. His serious countenance not letting up, "I have a list of recommendations of places
that have palatable noodles."

"What's wrong with a cup of noodles?" Takeomi queries, an amused glint in his indifferent gaze. "If
you ask me, they're a staple comfort food."
"Perhaps, but this is Takemitchy we're talking about, he shouldn't get used to too much junk." Ran
quips, a pleasant smile plastered on his disarming features.

Kokonoi only raises a fine brow, curious but not questioning at the boy's sudden interest. "Alright,
we can order some for you, sunshine."

"What's this now? Don't spoil him Koko, how can Bonten's little prince eat food for scraps?" Sanzu
gave him a disproving stare. "You get five star meals everyday, why crave for shitty noodles?"

Kakucho's reaction was no better as his gaze darkened. "I knew it, it's the staff isn't it? They're not
making your meals delectable enough."

"...What the fuck? Take me to the head chef right now. I knew those fucking pieces of shits have
been getting too comfortable on their high horses-"

Takemichi cursed his luck of being stuck with the two most overprotective members-Sanzu and
Kakucho-for today, and that's not even including Mikey who was his own breed of helicopter. Mix
the two together plus the fact everyone in Bonten is currently present and you have a clusterfuck.

He stands up from his seat on the couch in the living room, and yells out.

"No! No firing the kitchen staff! No killing anyone! And no fighting!" This effectively stumps the
rest of the executives as their shocked gazes locked on the teary eyed boy before them. "I don't
want anyone arguing! I'm hungry and I want cup noodles at the convenience store. Right now."

Everything that left Takemichi's mouth was nothing but the truth. He wanted no causalities this
early in the morning, no infighting between the members, and certainly he was quite hungry and
craving for some cheap cup ramen noodles that used to be a normal dish back when he was an
average citizen.

He sits back down and pouts, eyes watery.

"Can we just go? Please?"

Unsurprisingly, Mikey ends the chaos with a tone of finality.

"Find the nearest 7/11. Sanzu, Koko, and Kakucho. You three are coming with us. The rest of you
go on with your duties." Standing from his seat, the older male gingerly picks up his little brother
and nuzzles their cheeks together-as if in apology. "Mitchy wants his meal, get to moving."

In unison, all the executives stood and left to prepare the arrangements, and those that weren't
included took this as a sign to leave the penthouse and begin their day.

Takemichi truly wondered if a certain Bonten executive's advice was for the best.

For better or worse, his relationships with Bonten's most important figures would morph into
something that not even the original Sano achieves.

To be sanguine, in the underworld full of sanguine liquid.

It was easy to forget that Sano Takemitchy had only spent a little over two years and half within
Bonten.

Easy to forget yet so easy to remember that Takemitchy was only a ten year old.

Koko doesn't blame anyone who does forget, even he treated the little boy like a harmless adult for
almost two years.

Takemitchy acted so maturely and never asked for anything. it was easy to treat him casually with
how well put together the boy presented himself as. Always soft-spoken and not once ill tempered.

At least, not until the kidnapping after the failed deal six months ago.
On the fifth of April, 2017, just four days after Kokonoi's birthday, Sano Takemitchy betrayed
Bonten, injecting Mochizuki Kanji with a syringe of powerful sedatives at one of their hideouts and
meticulously escaping without being caught by the nearby guards-who were all executed for their
incompetence. The boy was on the run for almost two days, and then the biggest manhunt for the
runaway executive was instantly kickstarted the very second the news reached Mikey's ears.

It was perhaps one of the most, if not, the most stressful week Koko's had this year. And it takes
nearly two days to retrieve the boy.

How astronomically comical was it that on the seventh of April, Takemitchy's birth date would
literally be a sign of literal rebirth.

Exactly on April seven, Bonten recovers the missing Sano and could only observe in shock as the
boy cried his heart out-so unlike the composed yet spiteful child that stayed with them for two
years at the time.

Takemitchy had changed, whether from being weathered down by the multiple drugs he's been
coerced to taking or just from the madness of the underworld and all the horrors they've exposed
him too-The now ten year old has been reverted to....a ten year old.

Granted, Takemitchy was still mature than most other children his age, but the youthful energy
which used to be so absent in the boy's demeanor, was now in full force.

Now, he watches on with a conflicted gaze at the sight of Bonten's most feared figures stand around
the child and helping him with his cup of ramen.

It made for a truly hilarious scene that he wanted to take a picture to commemorate this little trip of
theirs.

Takemitchy's eyes were full of excitement as he walked around the isles and steadily filled the
basket Kakucho was carrying with snacks and cup noodles.

No one knew till today that Sano Takemitchy was a potato chip lover.

Right, Takemitchy was a commoner before Bonten picked him, of course he'd have cravings for
junk food-like any other kid.
Times like this that Koko is reminded that the boy was only ten, too mature to be young yet too
young to be mature at the same time. A living paradox.

"Don't fucking come crying to us when the spice hits you" The long white haired male eyes a
grumpy looking Sanzu nagging the youngest, though Kokonoi is not blind to the water bottle and a
bag of candies in the pink haired male's hold.

Not even an idiot can't tell that that water bottle and candies were purely for helping Takemitchy
just in case the spicy cup ramen he chose was too difficult to consume.

'And he says don't spoil...When he's the one who spoils him rotten the most next to boss.' Dryly
thought the finance powerhouse of Bonten as he rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"Here Takemitchy, mixing it with rice will lessen the spice." Kakucho was less prideful about it,
and Koko only takes their mother hen antics in stride before taking a seat in one of the empty
counters for eating. 'A real mother hen, this one.'

He might as well enjoy the leisure atmosphere, as far as he knows today was an unnervingly
normal yet abnormal day.

They were the highest Bonten executives, drowning in luxury and able to buy just about anything
they can ever wish for. Yet here they were, acting like a bunch of babysitters and arguing and
eating convenience store food.

What a sight they must be right now.

"Koko-kun?" The call of his name brings the older male to reality as he looks down to see
Takemitchy offering him an onigiri. "Eel onigiri is really good, want some?"

His sharp weasel like eyes locked on clear ocean blue.

'to think that six months ago those blue eyes of his were hazy and unpredictable...'
Clear ocean blue was a beautiful look on Sano Takemitchy.

His eyes were priceless gems, reminding him of all the beautiful things in life. Takemitchy
appeared warmer, human even.

There was no scheming in the younger boy's eyes, no calculating glint or tentative but planned
touches.

This was a child before him. Or perhaps, the child that Sano Takemitchy truly is.

He leans down, taking a bite of the offered rice ball, and stuck his tongue out.

"Too salty, sunshine." The boy's face scrunched. "All the foods you've chosen are high on sodium,
seems like we've gotta keep an eye on your cravings too eh?"

"What?! B-but salty foods taste delicious.." Takemitchy then turns to his brother, "Ah! Mikey-nii,
you won't put me on a diet right?!"

"Not unless you get sick, Mitchy. Say ahh" Was Mikey's reply as he blows on the cup noodles and
feeds the younger boy. "No eating too much junk okay?"

"Eh? But you eat taiyaki everyday-Owie!" Takemitchy rubs his forehead when Sanzu poked him a
little too firmly.

"Listen to your big brother, Takemitchy! Your health is more important that your shitty cravings."

"What are you, my doctor?! Stop being so mean to me!" The boy stares accusingly before running
behind Kakucho's legs. "Be like Kaku-chan! He's super nice!"

Kakucho cleared his throat, fighting to maintain an indifferent expression despite the apparent flush
on his cheeks.

Sanzu gave them both an unimpressed stare.

"Why you ungrateful-"

Mikey and Kokonoi sits beside each other, and the latter chuckles at the chaotic but endearing
scene before them.

"He truly is Bonten's treasure. A ray of sunshine in a world so filthy and ruthless."

Mikey places an elbow on the counter, cheek leaning on an open palm.

"Keep him alive, and you'll continue having a purpose, Kokonoi."

That's all the encouragement Kokonoi needed to continue swearing his loyalty to Bonten.
 Affection
Chapter Summary

It has been long established that Sano Takemitchy is the most vital essence of Bonten.

With him in their grasp, their leader will remain stable and the organization won't fall
into ruins.

However, with the recent changes in behavior of the little Sano, the executives along
with Mikey are in shambles as to how to deal with a Takemitchy who's now an open
book of innocence and warmth.

Affection proved itself to be quite deadly, both for Takemitchy himself and his
captors.

Chapter Notes

TW: Non con drugging. Mentions and vague descriptions of child sexual abuse.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sanzu Haruchiyo, or Akashi Haruchiyo, was loyal to no one but Sano Manjiro.

Whatever orders Mikey gives the rosy pink haired male, Sanzu will follow till the bitter end.

If someone disrespected his King in any way shape or form, they would be on the receiving end of
Sanzu's gun, fists, or katana.

Sanzu was named 'Loyal Mad Dog' for a reason, and he was committed to being Mikey's right hand
man for the rest of their lives. Any deed needed to be done for his King, Bonten's number two will
gladly do no matter how much blood stains his hands. Mikey was the peak of mankind, an
individual that is the personification of unbeatable strength.

To Sanzu, he wanted for his king to stay alive for as long as able, to remain in peak condition so he
can continue to worship the ground Mikey walks on. To enact Bonten's will. To remain as number
two to Mikey.
To have a purpose in this shitty world.

That's why, when Sano Takemitchy entered the picture, Sanzu made it a life mission to make sure
that the last living relative of his King remained within Bonten's grasp.

The little Sano initially had proven himself to be quite the smart child, so eerily quiet and only
responding in ways that pleases anyone he talks to. Sanzu was content to let the kid be himself, as
long as he stays by Mikey's side-all was good. Besides, he found the kid's amicableness towards
them pleasantly surprising. He didn't look at them with disgust, only smiling with a detached
politeness.

Takemitchy's smiles were genuine, yet not at the same time. And that was fine, for a while.

He just hadn't expected that the kid had an annoying set of morals on top of his begrudgingly high
display of intelligence.

Sano Takemitchy was smart, just not smart enough to know when to back off, that is.

The caregivers they'd initially assigned to him, the boy formed bonds with them-more so than with
his own older brother. Mikey is greatly possessive over anything he considered as his, and
Takemitchy was his.

To see the difference in the affections Takemitchy showed Mikey and them compared to his
caregivers served as a whiplash of the harsh reality that the youngest Sano truly had no love for his
true guardians.

It took quite the long while to make the child 'come around' to them, but Sanzu was nothing but
determined in assisting his king to making sure that the little prince is where he is supposed to be.

The prince is supposed to only acknowledge the existence of his older brother, and the executives
within Bonten. Anyone outside of Bonten's exclusive circle should be ignored and given very little
thought, nothing more than dirt underneath his shoes.

Slowly, but surely, Takemitchy does as he's instructed and the day he declared no longer wanting
any caregivers, was a day of celebration for Sanzu.
The prince only gazed at Mikey and them now. What a relief.

But Sanzu understood that there was more needed to be worked on regarding the boy's mental
fortitude...And sure enough with enough time he's confident Takemitchy will eventually fold.

And then one day, against all odds, Takemitchy broke free from their grasp.

After two days of being missing. Of being recovered from the hands of an enemy gang covered in
blood from head to toe, the prince was back in Bonten's grasp.

Yet, anyone in Bonten's highest ranks noticed that their prince had changed. He became
increasingly expressive, childish, and a poor liar.

He begrudgingly admits that this Takemitchy was far more pleasant than the previous one. Seeing
the boy's expressiveness in full display triggered Sanzu's senses and he finds himself addicted to
annoying the youngest Sano.

He knew how much Takemitchy found his nagging annoying. Knew how much he loathed getting
his chubby little cheeks pinched. How much much he hated being forced in girl's clothes. He was
so endearing all puffed up, staring at him with annoyance yet unable to push any of the executives'
advances away.

It gave the rosy pink haired male a sense of satisfaction that not even any of his drugs ever
provided him with.

He felt as is there was a genuine connection with the child now.

A genuine connection....With his king's little brother, the prince.

Sanzu prided himself that his king's family expanded. And with Mikey's health improving, Sanzu
knew he needed to serve Takemitchy for life as well.
The undefeatable king and the sweet prince. What a heavenly pair! Royalty at its finest.

Sanzu vowed to serve them both till his dying breath.

That change in Takemitchy's actions only increases, and Sanzu is left happily wondering what the
fuck happened.

As currently, Bonten's number two is gazing down at the boy in front of him who's happily holding
the quite large box of a jigsaw puzzle while staring up at him with a beaming smile.

Sanzu had initially bought the jigsaw puzzle as a way to annoy the little boy, thinking that most
children hated boring games just to get a reaction out of Takemitchy.

"Wow!! A jigsaw puzzle?!"

What he hadn't expected, however, is to see the little boy break into a wide grin before thanking
him repeatedly for the unexpected gift.

"Thanks a lot Sanzu, I really love this gift!"

Sanzu, unused to genuine gratitude and innocence thrown his way, stiffened to a halt-as if he'd
forgotten how to function as a human being for a solid moment.

"Is he okay?" Takemitchy asks no one and everyone in particular, slightly unnerved by the lack of
response from the usually annoying countenance of Sanzu.

"No need to trouble yourself, there's no understanding Sanzu." Mochizuki had only shook his head
before ushering the little boy to one of the sofas, helping Takemitchy get started on the puzzle.
"Allow me to help you, these things teaches patience and memorizations."

"Oh okay, thanks Mochi-kun!" Takemitchy eagerly starts on the puzzle, forgetting about Sanzu's
lack of response.
Takeomi, Sanzu's older brother, smirked at his stumped face.

"Guess you lost this one eh? Haruchiyo." That seemed to snap him out of his trance and Sanzu
glared at his older brother who shrugged. "Though it is a win too. You didn't annoy the kid for
once."

The older of the two saunters off to join the youngest Sano in completing the puzzle, and Sanzu
can only stare at the sight before him with mixed feelings.

There he, Sano Takemitchy, was playing a jigsaw puzzle that Sanzu gave him...With such child-
like excitement and a happy smile on his youthful features.

Sanzu fell hook, line and sinker.

Bonten was his pride and joy, and Mikey is his one and only true god.

And Takemitchy, his beloved little prince. Bonten's most precious gem.

If Takemichi knew the executives were going to be this annoying he would've gladly spoken with
Takemitchy and make him retract his plans.

Who knew that these extremely dangerous men of Japan's underworld were clingy bastards?

Sanzu was the worst out of them all.

The rosy pink haired male still made it a mission to annoy Takemichi as often as possible. Yet at
the same time, At the same time Sanzu would come with a gift or two whenever he could,
brusquely shoving said gifts in Takemichi's arms and saying some rather interesting...heartfelt
messages?

"Tch, Can't have you rotting your brain at an early age, here use these puzzles and exercise your
bird brain."

"Kids like dumb shit like plushies right? Take this stupid shit."

Takemichi can see why the man before him is still single aside from being so devoted to Mikey, no
girl would want to be romanced via Sanzu's erm, strong methods.

The gifts were one thing, but the clinginess is another matter in its own right.

Takemichi can't count the number of times he'd sit somewhere in the penthouse and Sanzu will slot
himself right next to Takemichi with little to no regard for privacy and comfort. If Mikey was at
one side, Sanzu would take the other. If Takemichi sat next to another executive member, the rosy
pink haired male would wedge himself between them and place a limb on Takemichi's.

It was annoying the first time, and still is quite irksome to this day.

The worst has got to be the few times that Takemichi truly questioned the sanity of Sanzu
Haruchiyo.

In particular, biting him.

He still remembered so vividly at one normal day, Takemichi was simply finishing a puzzle with
Rindo at his side-helping put the pieces together. He hadn't noticed Sanzu making his way to them
and plopping down next to him. Rindo only gave the rosy haired male a brief glance before
focusing back on the puzzle. Seeing a shadow cast over him, the raven haired boy had looked over
his shoulder and sees that Bonten's number two had a familiar smiley expression when drugged out
of his mind.

One can only say that Mikey had beaten Sanzu quite badly that day, and Takemichi discovers that
the druggie executive is a feral cat. Wonderful.

A sigh escapes him, he had no doubt that Takemitchy's reasonings were nothing but sound, but-

"-My my! What's an adorable little child doing in a place like this?" An unfamiliar yet familiar
voice enters his ears, and the raven haired boy is pulled from his musings.

Takemichi remembers now that he was in a different place, some luxury hotel's private lobby as he
waits for his older brother, Sanzu and Koko to finish. He had pleaded if he could stay out of the
meeting as he'd heard from Kakucho's briefings that their business partner this time was a foreign
arms dealer with a penchant for recruiting child soldiers....He shuddered.

Mikey reluctantly relented after being exposed to his puppy dog eyes, and yields but only if he
stays in one place and not attract trouble until the meeting is over.

And now here he sits, surrounded by at least five bodyguards and watching videos on the latest
model of a Samsung iPad given to him by Takeomi, who'd insisted the boy carry an electronic
device to 'save the kid from boredom' as he'd eloquently put it. Takemichi was more than happy
with the gift, able to kill the time without having to hear his brother and his clients talk bloody
businesses.

The raven haired boy hadn't expected that someone would dare to approach, given the number of
guards stationed around him.

He politely eyes the figure before him, a beautifully aged woman donning a crimson halter
bodycon dress, long black satin gloves, red glittery leather pumps, with expensive jewelry on her
neck, ears and hands. The woman was also accompanied by foreign looking guards, she must be a
VIP guest then.

Takemichi was used to the sight of glamorously dressed people, having had accompanied his
brother to the brief parties that he would attend for a short amount of time to finalize deals with a
few high ranking people. The few times he'd gone out were mostly nighttime as well, and
Shibuya's high end restaurants and stores always had people decked out in the costly side of
fashion.

Therefore, the woman shouldn't be anyone that could stun Takemichi, yet here he is, stunned
speechless.

The woman had to be middle aged somewhere, and despite the flawless make up on her face, he
can see the outlines of darkened circles underneath her eyes. Her naturally soft features were all so
familiar to the boy even when the hair color from what he remembered. A heart shaped face and a
crinkled gaze of disarming gentleness. He was highly certain that underneath the gloves are the
pocked patches of skin from needle marks.
Takemichi felt his heart thumping loudly in his chest, threatening to burst its way out.

Memories, not his, but Takemitchy's flowed in-and his mind helpfully whispers.

Hirano Yua

Unbothered by the silence, the woman-no, Takemitchy's mother, elegantly take the seat across him
and crosses her legs. Her gaze was gentle as she leans further back on the seat.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." Yua, seemingly amused at her son's stumped expression,
smoothly began. "Your grandfather must've had more money than I thought if you can afford to be
here and be surrounded by guards. How is he by the way? That Sano-san."

"Grandfather has passed away." Surprisingly, Takemichi finds himself replying to the woman with
a composed voice. "His grandson took me in."

"I...I didn't know he'd passed on, and that he had a grandson...How unexpected," Surprise flashed
in her eyes, as if unused to hearing her own son's voice, before the woman composed herself just as
quickly. "...How long has the grandson been taking care of you?"

"A little over two years and a half now..."

"I was looking for you, wondering why the dojo was permanently closed along with the house..."
The woman continues off, but Takemichi's mind was filled with confusion to properly hear her out.

Inwardly, Takemichi was sweating bullets. Thinking about it now, he'd never seen Takemitchy
ever converse with his mother-only ever seeing the woman doing the talking and the boy accepting
his mother's touches on the rare moments of sobriety. How did Takemitchy talk to his mother? Was
he polite as well? Maybe the opposite? Maybe-

"-Your eyes have changed, child." The woman starts, her voice soft and deliberate. "They're
brighter, clearer than ever....Like the skies...not...Not my beautiful ocean..." Her gaze remained
soft, but Takemichi wasn't blind to the hardened but knowing glint in her eyes. "That child, is he
okay?"
Takemichi's confusion grows, and the dread within him builds up.

"What?"

"That child....is not here anymore..." Yua patiently repeats, her lips quivering as she murmurs
softly-making sure that only Takemichi can hear. "You don't have his gaze....Our gaze."

Takemichi feels his face slowly be drained of color at her words.

"Mother always knows best." She gave him a knowing stare, a crooked smile on her beautiful
features. "That child, how is he?"

'Does she know?....Does she-'

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lifting himself from his seat, the unnerved Sano held
tightly unto his iPad and slowly turns away from the woman-who abruptly stood up in a panic as
she makes her way to him. "You've got the wrong person."

Of course, his guards don't take kindly of this, and blocked the woman from reaching Takemichi.

"Takemitchy!" Yua screams, her voice filled with unsteadiness and a certain kind of desperation.
"I...I just need to know....Is that child alright? Please answer, I, My son-"

"-What the fuck's going on in here?" The irate voice of Sanzu cuts in, breaking the small reunion of
the mother and son. His gaze was dangerously sharp, a clear warning and the promise of pain
present in his gaze. His eyes narrowed in on the woman being held off by the youngest Sano's
guards. "Who the fuck are you?"

Yua doesn't acknowledge his presence, much less hears his questions. Only continuing to reach out
to the little boy before her, struggling as she was roughly shoved to her guards' direction.

"Takemitchy, please, I need to know!" The woman pleads, her eyes watery and voice croaking
from a undecipherable sadness. "I-I won't bother you again, please, just answer my one
question-Takemitchy!!"

Takemitchy barely notices Sanzu and now Koko, flanking themselves protectively at each of his
side, creating a further wall between him and Yua.

His mouth opens, voice failing him as he struggles to think of an answer to deescalate the rising
tensions between them and his mother's guards. He doesn't fool himself into thinking that these
guards weren't armed in the slightest.

Although his biggest concerns now were that one, Takemitchy's mother might just rat him out with
her unstableness, and two Mikey will-

"Mitchy." If the room was steadily feeling hotter from the narrowed gazes of Sanzu and Koko
combined with the guards' hostile expressions, Mikey's arrival shot the temperature all the way to
sub zero. All heads instinctively turn to the leader of Bonten as he stood with a faux lax posture
surrounded by five other guards.

The guards from the opposing side became wary as they spot the familiar tattoos on the executives'
bodies.

Mikey only gives them a brief glance before his gaze locks on his little brother.

"We're going." Almost instantly, Koko and Sanzu place a hand on each shoulder and began
ushering Takemitchy towards Mikey. The little boy was content to just let things be, to ignore the
crying woman behind him.

But...

"Takemitchy!"

If Takemitchy truly had no feelings for his mother, why was Takemichi feeling so much hurt? Not
an ounce of anger, just...sadness. Were these his own feelings or Takemitchy's? There was no way
he'd feel anything for a stranger, so this has to belong to the young Sano.
The woman's broken sobs reached his ears, and Takemichi grit his teeth.

This was Takemitchy's mother, he doesn't know if he'll ever get a chance like this again....And he'd
never doubt the sadness within her as she wails for her son.

"Takemitchy?!" The alarmed cries of Koko and Sanzu barely registered in his mind as he briskly
walks towards the woman. Against all expectations, Takemichi returns the teary gaze of his
mother.

Takemichi recalls the brightest expression he'd ever seen from Takemitchy, and perfectly imitates
the youthful grin of happiness and gratitude.

The words that will come out of his mouth weren't meant for her, but no one had to know that.

"This was all I ever wished for, and I now can proudly say that I lived a good life!"

The woman's eyes went wide for a solid moment, stunned by Takemichi's radiant grin. The next
moment, her face scrunches with overwhelming grief before falling to her knees, her cries
deafening the lobby.

He swore he could feel a lightness in his chest, as if a weight was shaved off from him.

Tears fell from his eyes, and Takemichi turns to his heel-not once looking back as he takes Mikey's
hand in his.

"Goodbye, mother."

He wondered if the feeling of wanting to hold her hand instead of Mikey's was Takemitchy's.

The ride back home was dead silent, not a single word was uttered and everyone save for
Takemitchy was tense.
It would only be when they arrive at the penthouse did Mikey breaks the silence.

"Why were you with someone else?" Takemitchy was strangely calm even when the weight of his
frightening brother's gaze was directed solely at him.

"She's not just someone else, Mikey-nii. She's my mother." The younger boy softly tells him, tone
exhausted and calm at the same time. "She just wanted to ask how I was doing."

"That doesn't matter." Mikey coldly rebuts, pitch black narrowing. "I gave you instructions,
Mitchy, why did you break them?"

"She's my mother, Mikey-nii, I have rights to talk to her." Perhaps it was an act of foolish bravery,
but Takemitchy's eyes remained unwavering before the darkness of his brother's intense gaze.
"She's my family too."

Koko and Sanzu watched on as their leader began twitching, eyes shaking from madness and the
underlying tone of fear.

No one would ever believe that the immovable Mikey could so easily be thrown off his composure
just from the words of one little boy.

"No she's not!" The ivory haired male bursts out, snapping at his little brother who flinched at the
sudden rise of volume. "She's not your family, never was!!"

This seemed to trigger the little boy's nerves as he finally shouts back. "Yes, she is! She gave birth
to me! She raised me until I was eight Mikey-nii, she's family."

Mikey couldn't hear nor see reason, all he could feel was a gnawing feeling of dread filling his
lungs.

His Mitchy was showing care for someone else again, someone he doesn't know or trust. And to
top it all off it was someone who was biologically related to him.
No.

No!

NO!

There was no way, no way could his Mitchy have an attachment to his biological mother. No way
that he has family waiting for him out there.

All Mikey had was Mitchy, and all Mitchy should ever had is Mikey. That's how things go, how
things should be.

They were brothers bounded by fate. Together they will live in the darkness, ruling Bonten and
Japan's underground world.

No one else should be waiting for Takemitchy! No one. Not a single soul.

"I'm not going anywhere Mikey-nii, didn't you hear me say goodbye to her? I'm never leaving
Bonten's....Your side."

He doesn't hear Takemitchy's pleads of reason.

Doesn't hear his little brother's yelp of pain as he pushed him on the sofa-capturing his wrists in
one hand and the other other wrapping around his thin neck.

All he can think of is the only light in his cold and empty world possibly leaving him behind. For
someone better, someone who could give him the childhood any child Takemitchy's age deserved.

"You're lying again, Takemitchy." Mikey murmurs, pitch black eyes locking in on fearful ocean
blue. "You never cared for her, not once. I'd know."

"You never once mentioned her."

A manic smile plasters on his face, and he watches as Takemitchy's face contorts in horror.

"When your stupid mutt died. You cried. When your caregivers died, you cried non-stop for
them."

Mikey vividly remembers each and every day that his beloved little brother cries in his arms as the
guilt of losing his 'precious' people ate him alive. How he was eventually coaxed forced to taking
drugs to forget the unbearable sadness inside of him. Whether it was snorting, taking syringes or
swallowing pills, Mikey successfully convinces forces his little brother to be under the influence-to
forget anything that wasn't Mikey or anything his older brother wanted him to remember.

The first time it'd happened. It was in the 'session' room, and when the grief had been far too much
for Takemitchy to bear, Mikey had offered-forced-him cocaine. Helping-forcing-the little boy snort
the lines of white powder.

His beloved little brother was crying non-stop, begging him to stop and eventually his yelling
morphs into-

"-Mikoto....Mikoto!!" Were his cries, pupils dilated and body trembling as the effects took over. His
eyes were wildly flickering around, as if searching for someone-or some people. "W-where are
they? Where's Albert?! Where's Hami??"

"Where are they?!!"

Takemitchy was inconsolable. Crying out for his dead caregivers and his mutt non-stop.

Mikey found it all endearing, to finally see his little brother break into pieces. Finally, some
progress!

It was oh so satisfying to see hear his cries die down the more often he took drugs.

Oh so pleasuring to watch as his little brother stares up at him with vacant ocean orbs, devoid of
will or defiance, as Mikey continues to break him however he pleased.
Takemitchy would look up at him, and only him as Mikey forces himself unto the broken boy
repeatedly.

He let the other executives take their turns with Takemitchy too, having schedules of when can they
have the little boy in private....Or in some days, it'd be a group activity. Those days always ends up
with his Mitchy eventually smiling uncontrollably even when his eyes would cry rivers. Those times
he'd even beg for more drugs; To swallow more, snort more, or get more injected in him.

More.More.More! And Mikey gives it all to Takemitchy without complaint, making sure that he
never overdosed but have than enough to heavily muddle his senses.

"Please..ahhh..j-just kill me already."

"Kill me...I'm..nghh..begging...you"

"E-end me...please..."

Mikey ignores those pleas, only savoring the ones that begged for more of his affections.

Takemitchy was coming around!

He helped Takemitchy forget about the people that had caused him so much grief! He helped his
little brother!

But it also heavily pissed Mikey off that it took so much time and addictive substances to alter
Takemitchy's memories.

It just meant that was how much he cared for those dead low-lives.

"I know you at your lowest. Who you called for when you couldn't handle their deaths." Mikey
starts off, uncaring of the tears spilling from his little brother's eyes, voice low and unnervingly
calm. "You don't care for that woman. Not at all. you didn't talk to her for sentimental reasons."
 Abyssal pitch black locked on ocean blue.

All Takemitchy ever needed is Mikey's affections to survive.

He'd hammer that in his pretty little head until the day they die.

He'd just have to break his little brother again, as per usual.

An interrogation was in order.

"You're planning something again, aren't you?"

Chapter End Notes

I originally wanted to make this a 100 percent fluff chapter but...then again i've never
written a fully fluff chapter...
I'm sorry, I don't have any experience in writing happy stories....Hope it wasn't too off
putting!

See you all in the next chapter!

 Warmth
Chapter Summary

Takemitchy begins to pull on the strings, scheming for the finale of a tragedy.

The road to atonement is one that is bloody and unforgiving.

'That's alright' He thinks emptily.

Even if the boy had to manipulate and deceive everyone once more, he will do it.

He was a monster after all, he will dirty himself as much as required.

From start to finish, he will die as he lived, undeserving of warmth.

Sano Takemitchy finds that being in a wheelchair as Hanagaki Takemichi can be quite challenging.

He couldn't be as stealthy as he liked, and it certainly didn't help that the twenty six year old man
had quite the number of friends.

That meant, he was visited a little too frequently than Takemitchy was comfortable with. Not that
he was used to people genuinely checking in to see if he was eating well or sleeping right. It felt
strange, to be cared for without ulterior motives.

As Sano Takemitchy, he was used to the double meaning behind the affections of the executives
and his older brother. He knew that their touches always carried an agenda, all either meaning to
mock him or break him. He was used to the fake smiles of Bonten's clients and business partners,
all with a touch of deception, greed and malice. Words exchanged among those in the underworld
were barbed, ruthless and dishonest. Never talk about feelings, never show weaknesses, always
keep your guard up-these were warnings that Takemitchy adhered to in his stay with Bonten. Or
well, tried to adhere to.

As Hanagaki Takemichi, however, the boy has to unlearn what he had lived by. To be Takemichi,
he had to smile earnestly when in the presence of his good friends and family. People would visit
him purely for the sake of seeing if he's doing well and in need of company. Their conversations
never involved bloody businesses, of the shady dealings and executing traitors in the most brutal
ways possible. Hanagaki Takemichi is a normal person through and through, untouched by the
horrors of Japan's underground world and living blissfully in the surface.
And this was all the more reason for Takemitchy to work harder to return the body he resides in to
its original owner.

Now that he had established contact with the owner of the body, Takemitchy had long deduced that
he'd have to do plenty of unsavory acts in order to begin working towards their goals.

To return to their original bodies, and for Sano Takemitchy to atone for his sins through death.

Having full access to his memories thanks to the healthy body of Hanagaki Takemichi. the
youngest Bonten executive can perfectly recall significant details that would aid him in helping the
twenty six year old to escape Bonten.

Of course, the information that he knew could might as well be useless given that it has been more
than half a year since he had last explicitly heard a dealing of Bonten. He wasn't even sure if the
security systems of some of their businesses throughout Japan remained the same, but there is no
reward without risks.

And so, here the youngest Bonten busies himself in the darkness of one of the guestrooms, having
completely memorized Mrs. Hanagaki's schedule to a T and keeping in contact with her or those
Takemichi was particularly close with to ensure they won't catch him by accident. There were
certain items hidden courtesy of his late caregiver, Albert. Placed in the most conspicuous of areas
was a rugged latitude laptop, a small case filled with USB drives, a sat phone, a military grade
roland telephone voice transformer and hidden behind a sizable compartment was a satellite phone
jammer. Takemitchy recalls a few guns located in a few spots of the room but found it unnecessary
to have one by his side at the moment.

He didn't want to accidentally kill any of Takemichi's precious people after all.

Although the cottage his helpers had left behind was meant for a reward in escaping Bonten,
Takemitchy, Albert and Mikoto knew that a life free from the influence of Bonten would never
happen and as such, they'd need to have safety precautions in order to not completely lose their
touch. Albert supplied anything digitally related and the design of the cottage ensuring that there
were hidden rooms and getaways in case of emergencies whereas Mikoto was in charge of bringing
firearms and hiding them throughout the house. He was sure each room had at least two guns and
several knives hidden somewhere.

Takemitchy's dream home was far from what he had originally pictured. In an ideal world, he
wished for a simple cottage by the beach and free from the filth of his past. Even when he
remained in Bonten....When Hami, Mikoto and Albert were still alive and by his side, he wished
that all of them can be free and live in peace without thinking about whether today would be their
last or not.

He remembered a time before he knew how rotten his brother and his executives were, that he had
also wished for their well being. That was a brief period of naivety for the boy, before he knew the
horrors they were truly capable of.

The boy's eyes remained sharp, there was no more room for mistakes. His caregivers and Hami had
paid the price for his carelessness, for being vulnerable.

They were all dead, because he was too weak. Body much too frail and mind susceptible to the
drugs he'd been forced to take again and again.

It was risky, to make contact with Bonten's enemies in the body of Takemichi, but Takemitchy had
no other options available.

Gripping tightly unto the phone, Takemichi rings a number and patiently waits for the person to
pick up as the voice transformer activates.

It was time to test if his knowledge of Bonten's dealings and hideouts were still usable. If he hasn't
lost his edge just yet.

"Who's this?" A gruff voice answers on the other end, and Takemitchy had long composed
himself-gaze steady and face devoid of emotion as he calmly opens his mouth, where instead of
Takemichi's voice-was a deep feminine one.

"Shimazaki Jiro. Kumicho of the Taika Gumi?" The man on the other line went silent for a
moment, before giving an affirmative yes. "You have a rather admirable hold on Toyama and
Nishiwaseda, from what many of those in the underground world has sung praises about."

"Hmph, stranger you may be, at least you know your mannerisms." The arrogance in his voice
doesn't escape Takemitchy's notice, and the boy only looks at the door of the guestroom with a
cold gaze as his lips spread into a thin smile. Good, the old fool remained susceptible to flattery as
always. Albert did have penchant for giving him the ego-centric ones, they were always easier for
him to control. "What I don't appreciate though, is a random number contacting me and disrupting
my schedule, I'm having a good time playing gold right now you know?"
"Apologies for my tactlessness, but ever since I heard of your band I've been quite eager to
establish contact with the esteemed Kumicho of the Taika Gumi." Takemichi's gaze flickers to the
window, sky blue eyes void and calculating as his voice projected what seemed to be genuinely
apologetic and eager but polite enthusiasm. "I dare not waste any more of your precious time. I will
get straight to the point, esteemed sir." The pleasantry dies down, and Takemitchy makes sure that
there is a controlled hint of anger. "On the night of April 7th 2017, your second-in-command at the
time, Saito Mamoru, impulsively led a large operation of holding Sano Takemitchy captive to
strike an ultimatum with Bonten's leader, Mikey. That operation of his cost you the lives of a
hundred men. With sixty executed and the remaining...Well, their fates are certainly unknown but
we can all deduce that they're in hell regardless."

"Against all odds, your gang remained sizable despite earning the ire of Mikey. An impressive feat
dare I say. I can only watch in envy as you manage to get out unscathed against such a foe. Your
rationale and decision making has certainly caught my admiration. I thought to myself, 'Surely this
man must the one true honorable being that should watch over Tokyo's shadows.'" He can hear the
gears in the old man's brain begin to function as he heard him huff with pride. "In light of this
revelation, I wish to share with you some rather...useful information regarding
Bonten." Information that can damage your most hated enemy. Information that can help you make
your way to the top.

"You can keep singing me praises day and night, woman. But you do know that prodding at
Bonten's affairs can land me in hot water right? Why should I listen to you?"

"I am but one woman, without power and status of one as esteemed as yours or anything close
even. However, I do have inside information on Bonten. What you choose to do with it is up to
your grace's wishes of course. I merely give information to those that I believe will use it wisely."

A moment of silence, and Takemitchy inaudibly sighs in relief as he hears the gang leader of the
Taika Gumi laughed obnoxiously.

"You may sound young but you are a woman of talent! Very well, I will indulge you with my
attention. Savor it well, woman."

"A thousand thanks to the one true leader of Tokyo." After sharing enough details on a drug
storage of Bonten, Takemitchy ended the call after praising the leader with a couple more
compliments. Once the call ended, his smile fades.

The greed of man is what he was familiar with, and gluttonous egotistic men like Shimazaki Jiro
were figures that he can easily control as disposable pawns.
He makes a few more phone calls to several other gang leaders and members, sharing information
to them just like how he did with the Taika Gumi leader.

If his information remained accurate, he can begin to cause trouble for Bonten. Enough trouble to
bring even Mikey out of his penthouse. The gang leaders at his disposal may be small at the
moment, but with enough numbers, Takemitchy can create a ripple big enough to attract the
attention of the big fishes.

These gangs were nothing but stepping stones to achieving his goals. Whether they die or not is
none of his concern.

The road to atonement for someone like him is one that is bloody and unforgiving.

'That's alright' He thinks emptily. 'What's one more dead body to my list of corpses' anyways?'

Even if the boy had to manipulate and deceive everyone once more, he will do it without
hesitation.

He was a monster after all, he will dirty himself as much as required.

From start to finish, he will die as he lived, undeserving of warmth.

At least this time around, his despicable actions and his inevitable death will profit one person.

That was more than enough incentive for Takemitchy.

It would be a week later that Takemitchy's bait comes into fruition. And it would also be a week
later that he would reunite with Takemichi in their dreams.

To say that he was unnerved when his surroundings were the interior of Mikey's penthouse instead
of the usual scenic beach him and Takemichi frequently met was an understatement.
Takemitchy was terrified.

Being back in this hellish place he had no choice but to call home, rattled the young boy.
Something was amiss, and the boy sprints to action, going through all the rooms in search of the
twenty six year old male.

Each of the guest rooms were empty, his bedroom as well, and especially Mikey's. Which leads to
the conclusion that Takemitchy was either having a nightmare....or Takemichi was in that room.

The session room.

Takemitchy despised that room with all his being, feared that cursed room with everything he had
yet forces himself to check. He couldn't afford...couldn't handle it if someone like Takemichi was
placed in that room and experience the horrors that he had been subjected to.

And so, with a heavy heart, Takemitchy ventures to the first floor and to the hidden corridor that
led to the end where an ominous red door was located.

He can already feel his breathing quicken, his heart thumping too loudly in his chest, his brow
furrowing as he broke into a cold sweat.

Unwanted memories of the times he'd spent in that accursed room, of all the depravity he'd
participated in.

Yet the young boy opens the door with caution, willing himself to force his way through his dread.
As soon as he turned on the lights, Takemitchy felt his heart plummet down to his stomach.

On the bed, was an unconscious Takemichi, arms and legs chained to the bedpost. Without
thinking, Takemitchy had rushed to the older male's side and scanned his body for any injuries-for
any signs of needle marks on his arms and neck. finding none, a small sigh of relief escaped him
before the younger male shook the older awake.

"Takemichi-san! Takemichi-san!" Frantic in his actions, Takemichi stirs awake. When Takemitchy
sees the same sky blue eyes remain bright and full of life, only did the boy felt the tension leave his
small body. "Thank...Thank god, they haven't done anything to you....Y-you're not..."

Takemitchy was well acquainted with the soulless gaze of those who have been tormented and
raped. He was one himself after all.

He knew how much of a husk he had become when he looks at the mirror after another session
with Mikey or the executives.

Takemichi remained bright eyed and even appeared concerned for him, it brought relief in
Takemitchy to know that he was still whole as a person.

"Eh? Takemitchy-kun? How did you even know that something happened?" Brows furrowing in
concern, Takemichi reaches out to the boy, but stops when he hears the familiar clink of chains.
"Ah right, Mikey locked me in this room...."

"Did...Did he do anything to you?" Takemitchy asks, dread pooling once again in his stomach....He
couldn't...wouldn't be able to take it well if he learns that he had subjected someone as innocent as
Takemichi to the horrors that he experience in the session room...

Again....Another person he cared for was going to suffer again, all because of him.

All because he couldn't die properly.

Concern growing as Takemichi watches the boy slightly tremble, the older male gives him a
reassuring smile-it made Takemitchy feel warm and safe to see the earnestness of the older male's
kindness remained the same.

"I'm okay Takemitchy-kun, that bastard locked me up in this room but something seemed to have
happened in Toyama and Nishiwaseda in Shinjuku....Enough for him to be needed there right
away." Sighing, Takemichi looks around, gaze darkening. "Listen, Takemitchy. I'm...I'm sorry, it
was my fault that I got myself here in the first place."

Takemichi tells him of his unexpected encounter with his mother, of how things have quickly gone
sour and how Mikey had been royally pissed to see him interacting with his biological mother.
Takemitchy didn't have the heart in him to harshly scold the older male, he knew Takemichi only
acted with good intentions.

"Thank you, Takemichi-san." Instead, the young boy smiles lightly, gaze lowering. "I...I never
honestly thought that my mother would still be alive much less for recognizing me given
her...complex situation." His mother had been severely abusing drugs for years, Takemitchy didn't
find it out of the ordinary if she forgot her own son. "Thank you, for granting her peace. But...I'd
appreciate it if you remain interacting only with Mikey-nii and the executives." His tone was soft
but the words leaving his mouth were deliberate. "You mission is to earn their trust, interacting
with those they don't approve of will only earn the opposite of what we're trying to achieve."

"But...She's your mother, he had no right-"

"-Takemichi-san." At his tone, Takemichi's face scrunched before his shoulders slumped in
resignation. "My mother and I never had much of a relationship in the first place, I appreciate your
efforts and your indignation, but your survival takes priority over this kind of matter. What I
reccomend for your next actions to be should be to apologize to Mikey-nii and cuddle up to him, he
likes physical affection the most after all. If he is snuggled up to and whispered words of assurance
that I'm not leaving, he'll forget the blunder-"

"-You matter!" Takemitchy startled at the sudden increase of the older male's voice. "Your
thoughts and feelings matter! I know you're not the closest with each other, but I know you cared
for her!"

His words strike a chord deep in Takemitchy's chest, touching a spot he'd hidden well for years.

"When I took Mikey's hand instead of hers, I felt it." Tears well up in Takemichi's eyes as he wept
for the both of them. For Takemitchy and his mother "I felt a sense of longing, to hold her hand
instead of his." Sobs escaped the older male as he reached out for the smaller boy. "You miss her
don't you? Your mother, you missed her just as much as you missed the others."

Stop.

"That day she left you at the Sano dojo, you wanted her to keep holding your hand right? To never
let go."

Stop.
"Hey Takemitchy," Wrapping his arms around Takemitchy, Takemichi's voice trembled as he
sobbed unto the boy's shoulder. "You're only human, it's okay to cry and wish to be with your loved
ones. Kami...you..You should have all the happy things in the world. You deserve to have all the
warmth this world has to offer."

"You're a precious person to plenty of people, Sano Takemitchy. You're the kindest and strongest
boy I've ever known, and you matter!"

Takemitchy felt his eyes glisten with unshed tears as he does his best to reign in on his bubbling
turmoil of emotions.

His hands, hovering awkwardly and trembling so badly, grasped tightly unto the older male's back.
Swallowing back the sobs that threatened to make its way to the surface, Takemitchy blinks
rapidly, evening his breathing.

He couldn't afford to look vulnerable any more than necessary.

He couldn't do it again, not when it costed him the lives of Hami, Albert and Mikoto.

He had a role to play, and crying in front of Takemichi was not it.

Pulling away, Takemitchy smiles reassuringly at the older male, eyes crinkling.

"Thank you, Takemichi-san." He only lets out a sigh when Takemichi continued to cry, "Seeing
you cry is more than enough for me. You've done plenty of things for me, and I can't thank you
enough." Reaching out to hold the older male's hands, Takemitchy's gaze hardened. "However, I
need you to understand that we have many things to do. And nothing would make me happier than
to see that you remain free from the influence of drugs, that you stay far away from this room at all
costs."

His gaze locks on Takemichi's "Promise me Takemichi-san, that you won't do something this
reckless again, not for my sake anyways." When the older male hesitantly nods, Takemitchy sighs
once more. "That's more than enough for me then."
Against both of the males' wishes, Takemichi's body began to dissipate, and the younger can only
watch with an unreadable gaze as the frantic older male tried to reach for him once again.

Of course, by the time his arms reached Takemitchy, there was nothing left behind.

Takemitchy sits alone on the bed in the session room. He takes a deep breath-

-and breaks down into tears. Placing a hand over his mouth, the young boy tried his best to muffle
his broken sobs.

It felt horrible, to have someone have such an intimate access to his memories, but that someone
was none other than Hanagaki Takemichi.

Takemichi who genuinely cared for him and saw him as a child instead of the monster he truly
was. Who cares for him as much as Albert and Mikoto did.

He really couldn't afford to bask in the warm embrace of Hanagaki Takemichi, to do so would
mean that he'd lose another person dear to him. Such was the fates of his caregivers, of his pet,
and-his mother. He was most definitely certain that Mikey had began plotting his mother's murder.
Sooner or later, the corpse of his mother will appear-Mikey will make sure of that.

Weakly making his way out, the raven haired boy heads to the balcony at a painful pace, and
stands on the railings.

"God...I...I'll take responsibility for everything." He starts off with a murmur, clasping his hands
together as the cold wind blew past his face. "My sins, all the people I've used and will use, the
deaths on my name, I'll atone for them all. All the pain and all the decisions that are too bloody, I'll
shoulder them all."

His lips curled up into a broken smile.

"So please, don't let another important person to me die again."

He thinks of his precious loved ones;

Hami's beautiful golden fur,

Mikoto's carefree grin,

Albert's fond gaze,

His mother's warm hand.

Turning on his heels, Takemitchy leans back, his eyes crinkling despite the tears that run down his
face.

"Let's do this, everyone!"

He falls from the railings, falling to the depths.

Falling to his 'death'.

 Another Notice

Hello everyone, Chagama_uWu here.

This could be the second notice in some stories or the first, but I'd like to make an/another
announcement on all of my stories.

First of all, I apologize that this isn't another chapter for the plot. And that I ask you all to please
just give this notice a little attention.

I received a message from twitter from someone(Thank you very much by the way, I'm so so happy
for your help!!) that one of my stories was plagiarized. I checked to confirm and it is true. I will not
give any names. I already contacted the person and sincerely hope that they will take down my
story from their account as soon as possible.

I do not give my permission to anyone other than the accounts I shared on my profile page,
chapters or in my chapter notes. And so far, I only have a Wattpad account, a twitter account,
and quotev.

Wattpad username: Chagama_UwU or @Syvie999

Twitter link & username: https://twitter.com/chagama_u and @chagama_u
Quotev link & username: https://www.quotev.com/365365543 and Eve

If you see any of my stories published in accounts that aren't mentioned above, please contact me
immediately in any of my accounts.

I really am sorry that I may seem too emotional in this notice.

Please do understand that all of my stories, I've spent countless hours and sleepless nights typing
away.

These are all my works and to see it being posted on accounts that aren't mine and not even being
credited at the very least is very upsetting.
Writing is therapeutic for me, but when I see situations like this I lose my motivation to update my
stories. I don't want to stop writing, but I also do not want my hard work to be so carelessly taken
by someone else without my permission and not even be given any credit.

I will make an update on the situation in the author's notes if need be, and hope that this matter will
be resolved as peacefully as possible.

I hope you all will understand.

I will see you guys in the next chapter

Thank you so much for your time and patience,

Many thanks,

Chagama_uWu
 Tethered
Chapter Summary

Takeomi cares for a little boy named Sano Takemitchy, and all for the wrong reasons.

That's alright, he was a part of Mikey's gang after all.

Nothing is ever right in Bonten.

Being locked in the session room and chained to the bed with nothing to do was torture of itself.

And to not be given even access to the washroom except for measly bucket for him to waste on,
only added to his torture..

Takemichi can only sigh in relief that he never eats or drinks enough, only taking the barest
minimum. It left him feeling weaker, but he'd rather not pee or shit on a flimsy metallic bucket.
Perhaps it was also because Takemitchy has been used to starving himself for long periods of time,
but he wasn't craving much for food or drinks.

The first day had gone by slowly and painfully. Takemichi's only way of knowing the time was
when the executives or staff would come in and leave him a tray of food, watching him and then
leaving with the tray once he's "finished" his meal. There were no windows in the session room,
and not a single soul that visited him left the lights on for him-leaving the boy to his own devices
in the darkness.

Mochizuki had informed him helpfully after much pleading that until Mikey returns, Takemichi is
locked in the session room with no means of entertainment.

The twenty six year old took this as a win, it was a better alternative compared to any of the
experiences Takemitchy went through.

He shivered as he recalled the memory he had recovered. To drug a child...and for the original
owner of this body to bravely face them head on.

Hanagaki Takemichi had no interest in landing Takemitchy's body into further harm. The boy had
suffered long enough.
The fiasco with his mother is long over, it won't happen again. Takemichi doesn't plan to land in
hot water anytime soon. That being said, he only plans to follow the original Sano's advice and
well-

-Suck up to Sano Manjiro. Without triggering his unpredictable temper.

Should be easy enough, right? Well.

Takemichi hopes his honesty and childish persona can make push through the upcoming challenge
that is pacifying the leader of Bonten.

It's not as if he had much of a choice anyways, looking around the barely furnished room that had a
restraint chair of all furniture to have was already setting his nerves on edge especially knowing
that everything that is meant for torture in this room served one purpose only.

To destroy Takemitchy.

The little boy spent years with these monsters, who dedicated a mini torture room just for the ten
year old.

The bile that rose up was barely contained.

His heart ached for the tragic fate of Sano Takemitchy.

'Never again, Takemitchy-kun.' He swears inwardly, tears escaping his eyes. 'I'll never put you in
this room ever again. No matter what.'

If what he could only do at this moment is be affectionate to earn his place, then that's what
Takemichi will do.

He had to earn Bonten's trust. Mikey's trust.

'No more slip-ups, Takemichi!'

Akashi Takeomi was a man with a good number of titles on him.

Bonten's Advisor. The God of War. The Black Dragon's former right hand man. A killer. A famed
man in Japan's underground world. A crook. Brahman's former advisor.

Needless to say, they were all titles that aren't child friendly in every sense.

However, here he is now in the present playing babysitter for his boss's little brother. Life truly is
strange sometimes.

The grown man, who had little to no success in having a amicable relationship with his own
siblings, was babysitting his deceased best friend's youngest brother. Takeomi would consider
working for Mikey as a babysitting job to a degree, but was certain to be shot dead if he were to say
this out loud to either Mikey or Haruchiyo.

Haruchiyo will shoot him for spouting 'blasphemous' nonsense regarding his 'king'. The pinkette
would never admit that Mikey is with his own flaws and for him to be 'babysit' means that his god
is flawed-which is not true for the drug addict Bonten executive. Whatever his perception of reality
is, that druggie little brother of mine.

Mikey could care less that Takeomi used to be Shinichiro's best friend or right hand man, what the
ivory haired male wanted was consistent competency and unbending loyalty. He wasn't in need of
any babysitter, and would not accept any pampering from anyone aside from little Takemitchy
himself.

Nevertheless the fact that he is now babysitting the youngest Sano, Takemitchy, is a solid truth
even though he takes turns with the other executives.

When he had been given orders to stay with Takemitchy and handle affairs in Tokyo while Mikey,
Sanzu, Koko and Kakucho handle affairs in Toyama and Nishiwaseda. It had been abrupt, as there
were sudden attacks on their warehouses where a sizable amount of their ammunition in those
districts were being stored. Those firearms goods were to be used for an upcoming deal and Mikey
and Koko were relatively pissed.

Koko, for the potential spoil of the trade and Mikey, for pulling him away from Takemitchy
abruptly.

They were small territories, but the fact that several of them were being attacked at the same time
meant one thing.

A mole was working with outside forces.

Takeomi had little to no doubt that the Taika-Gumi was behind the attacks, knowing full well the
eventful day of Takemitchy's capture and near death experience. Their type had always been
leaning more on the type of greed that lands them in hot water and having barely enough hide to
cover themselves with. Kakucho had already informed him that the matter has been handled after a
solid two days of dealing with the gang, of course.

Their transgressions had been paid with blood and the fall of their group.

Koko and Sanzu had a field day with harvesting organs and making money out of their enemies'
body parts.

Yet despite the executions and interrogation of the leader, Shimazaki Jiro had no clue about the
informant that leaked the information of their warehouses to him. As soon as it was proven that he's
of little to no use, he'd been disposed of just as quickly and Mikey was long on his way back to
Tokyo.

Bonten had many enemies, although it was rather concrete that they were the top gang in all of
Japan, conflicts are just a given with their lifestyle choices.

Yet Takeomi can feel that this trouble was only the beginning of a headache, at least until they find
the mole. He sure hoped that it wasn't the mole from six months ago, but men involved in shady
industries like theirs rarely had that kind of luck, and Takeomi can only sigh at that. It was no use
stressing himself over the elusive mole, or if it was even the same guy they were looking for
several months ago.
Security would need to be tightened and the warehouse of their goods needed to be transported to a
different location. The problem that is the Taika-Gumi have been neutralized and Mikey along
with Sanzu have cooled themselves down by venting their pent up aggressions on their enemies-all
was good.

For now.

"I'm full." The small voice of his charge breaks Takeomi's train of thoughts, making the grown
man look down to see Takemitchy pushing the wooden tray that had a bowl of fruits, a bag of
potato chips and a glass of water. Again, the boy had barely eaten his meals, only a few nibbles
here and there. At this rate, Bonten's advisor was certain that even a rat could eat more than the
youngest Sano.

Takeomi, knowing full well how stubborn the little boy could get, lets him be stubborn.

Plus, it would be good to keep him as weak as possible, Weakens his mind and body from making
plans and moving where we don't want him to.

Still, it was far from pleasurable to see a scrawny little boy remain so unhealthy. Takeomi had to
'try'.

"Kiddo, when I said you're going to join us for dinner when Mikey comes back, I didn't mean you
can skip on your snacks. Look, I even went as far as to add your junk food."

"I'll just save my appetite for dinner then." Takeomi raised a brow at that, and Takemitchy pouted.
"I'm just...I'm just not hungry, okay? I wanna go back to my room, shower and sleep..."

He doesn't blame the kid, the poor boy has been shackled here for two days already with no means
of entertainment and not much freedom to move about wherever he pleased.

However, a punishment is a punishment.

"Bear with it for a bit kid, you know how your brother gets." Takeomi had been informed by Koko.
The executive giving him a brief summary of the little Sano meeting his biological mother, and of
course how that went horribly given Mikey's unstable temperament. Again, Bonten's advisor knew
that Takemitchy would never dare try something so direct out in the open with eyes and ears
tracking his movements, so he doesn't find any reason to deliver punishment on the little boy. "Tell
you what, Koko said the boss has calmed down, and since he wants you to join us all for dinner,
don't cha think he calmed down already? Heck, he even said your brother was buying souvenirs left
and right."

"...It's not my fault this time." The boy's pout fades, gaze lowering. "I was just talking to her, for
one last time."

"I know, kid, I know."

"She...She wasn't a good mother, I know that. She abandoned me after all." Hesitating, Takemitchy
turns to the side as he hugs his knees to his chest, chains clinking from the movement. "B-but, she
gave birth to me and kept me alive for eight years, I just...Didn't want to leave without saying
goodbye. At least now, we said goodbye, unlike that day when I was dropped off at the dojo. I
never said anything about leaving Bonten, about leaving Mikey-nii."

Takeomi keeps silent, only placing a placating hand on the little boy's head. In all honesty, he
could care less about the woman that gave birth to him and how that failed reunion panned out.
Takeomi only valued a few things in life now, and anyone who wasn't his family or Shinichiro's
last living siblings mattered very little to him.

All he could think at this moment was the pure existence that is Sano Takemitchy.

Even until now, the child remains as kind as when they had first found him. Even after living with
Bonten for as long as the boy did, Takemitchy remained with goodness in his heart.

He remembers the child's smile the very first time they met at the elderly Sano's funeral.

Gentle and welcoming, so much so like Shinichiro.

It wasn't hard to see his dead best friend in Takemitchy.

Black hair, a kind heart, weak but always filled with determination.
Nowadays, the boy was becoming brighter and more childish, wearing that kind heart on his
sleeve. And Takeomi is more often than not left with bittersweet nostalgia blaring his mind.

Sano Shinichiro is alive, living inside Sano Takemitchy.

Takemitchy had long gone silent, only looking up at him with those doe eyes.

Since the room was barely lit, the boy's eyes were darkened, and Takeomi takes pleasure in seeing
the closest being to replicating his deceased God.

Sano Shinichiro, his best friend, his love, his God.

The man whose death he never got over with even after all these years. Not once did Takeomi lived
a day not missing Shinichiro.

But....Looking at the little boy before him, Takeomi sees a ray of hope. I...I can raise him to be
Shin.

Mikey surely wouldn't object, he loved his older brother more than anything after all.

Takeomi would be there every step of the way. He'll introduce smoking to the boy when he's old
enough. Raise him to take a liking to tinkering with motorbikes. He'll make sure to feed the boy
well once he truly settles in Bonten, and will make him as tall as Shinichiro.

It would be a long term project that requires plenty of patience and effort, but Takeomi is long used
to playing the waiting game. He can be patient when he needs to be.

They've already broken much of the little boy's psyche, given how differently he acts now.

All Takemitchy needs to do is to simply grow up and stay by their side, forever theirs to mold to
their liking.

Takemitchy would never be entirely his, Takeomi knew that, he was an existence that needed to be
shared. Mikey had been gracious enough to let them interact with the boy the way they do after all.

However, that's alright, Takeomi was no child-adults were creatures that always comprise.

And as long as he gets to be with the closest imitation to his beloved deceased God, he'll take
whatever fraction of Takemitchy he could get.

Even if it means breaking the little Sano and manipulating him to become a different person.

Humans are beings that will always be motivated by greed after all,

Akashi Takeomi was nothing but a broken man filled with greed.

He will have his lover back, one way or another.

By the time Takemitchy was let out of the session room, the dining room had been set and
everyone was gathered around the table. With all the top executives seated, and of course, their
leader standing at the very end of the table.

And (un?)fortunately for him, the seat next to Mikey was empty. His gaze was relaxed as the older
male makes his way to Takemitchy, going down in one knee.

"I'm back. I missed you." Mikey starts off gently, as if not wanting to set off his little brother. "I
wanted to apologize, Mitchy. I lost my temper, and that wasn't a cool thing to do. Big brother is
sorry."

He looks down at the only child with an empty look.

"Will you forgive me?"

Takemitchy doesn't answer for a moment. All he can think of were the numerous eyes focused on
him, the expectant gazes of the monsters around him.

And the one kneeling before him.

",,,I said goodbye to her."

"I know."

"I said I'm happy being with you."

"I'm sorry." Sniffles left the boy's being as he was gathered in Mikey's arms. "I'm sorry Mitchy."

"Stupid Mikey-nii, I said I'm not leaving you." The boy was given one gentle kiss after the other all
over his face as Mikey peppered him with soft kisses. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Big brother is sorry, Mitchy. It won't happen again." Mikey only chuckles when the boy doesn't
respond, only embracing him back as he carries his little brother. "I bought some gifts. How about
we go out this weekend? You can choose wherever you want. I'll make it happen."

"Promise?"

"I promise." When Takemitchy nuzzles his head on the crook of Mikey's neck, all the executives
shared knowing and relieved glances as their leader visibly relaxes. "Let's go eat with everyone,
okay?"

"...Okay."

Everything was wrong, it really was. They were still torturing a little child and killing people and
doing just about every bad deed possible.
But they were Bonten.

This is about as 'right' as their situation could possibly get.

The closest they have to intimately bonding as a tight knit group.

"I love you Mitchy."

Pitch black locked with ocean blue.

"...Love you too, Mikey-nii."

 Bonten
Chapter Summary

Bonten was an organization ran by the most ruthless and sadistic individuals and led
by an even greater fearsome leader.

To many, the faces they will ever see were their intimidating visages, ready to make
illegal negotiations or end lives-the works.

Takemitchy, Bonten's gem, is the only soul privy to seeing a hidden side of the top
executives and their leader.

Who else but Takemitchy do they spoil so wholeheartedly?

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

In all honesty, when Mikey had given him the green light to choosing their outing for the weekend,
Takemichi had about a mini-breakdown.

First of all, his entourage weren't child friendly people, and two, they were all part of Bonten-the
most infamous criminal organization where their top members and leader combined were figures
that could only be seen in the most luxurious of clubs, hotels, and other....unsavory places to
conduct their shady businesses. Three, they were people that could kill anyone for even the most
ludicrous reasons.

Takemichi did not want to have the blood of any innocents spilled on a weekend.

However, the only perks he could see were the fact that they won't be trying anything too daring in
public if its daytime and that well, they all had more than enough wealth to rent certain places to
avoid triggering some of the members' hair-string tempers as well as the fact that they can't all be
present unless its for vital executions, meetings, or important deals. Given that losing them in a
crowd right now is not part of Takemitchy's plan, Takemichi is content to destress himself with
Mikey's 'gift'.

Takemichi did say they had more than enough money to rent places, but that didn't mean he was
going to give them that kind of peace.

This was a rare opportunity to come by, today is all about Bonten's top executives and leader
indulging his every whim.

He had every intention of making them suffer.

'Vengeance will be mine!'

Any kind of win is better than nothing.

It was no secret that among the executives Mochizuki and Takeomi never made it a mission, unlike
some members, to annoy or invade Takemitchy's privacy.

As a matter of fact, the two were quite confident that the youngest Sano preferred their company
over most of the executives. They never bullied Takemitchy and only ever assists him with his
puzzles, or feeding him when given the opportunity. They were the rare few, Kakucho included,
that gifted the young boy male clothes for heavens sake.

That's why when Takemitchy had told Mikey and everyone else his plans for the weekend,
everyone was more or less shocked at the boy's detailed yet....painful plan. Knowing that the
executives and leader being in the same place would garner far too much attention and concern,
Takemitchy decided that he would be spending the days with the executives of his choice.

Mochizuki and Takeomi were the first on the list.

The two grown men were oh so certain that their Boss's precious little brother would never do them
dirty like this.

Oh but he did, and little Takemitchy didn't hold back.

"What do you think?? I really like this blue overalls with sunflowers but~" Sparkling ocean blue
eyes were bright and wide eyed as the little Sano holds an overalls with each hand. "I also like the
one with spaceships!"
Mochizuki was certain his soul was leaving his body as the second goes by and Takeomi was in a
desperate need to smoke as the two fearsome Bonten executives sat on the plushy sofa in the
middle of what could only be a kid's clothing shop.

They could hear kids' cries every now and then, and see children occasionally running around the
shop with high pitched giggles. There were mostly mothers with their little ones, and Mochizuki
along with Takeomi were about the only ones that garnered the most gazes as they looked the most
out of place in this child friendly place.

"It's no problem to get both if you're having a hard time choosing, Takemitchy." Mochizuki begins,
his voice laced with a tiredness making him appear older than he truly is. "We could even buy the
whole shop if it's so hard."

"Man's right, kiddo.....Just...don't worry about the price and we'll buy ya everything ya want."
Takeomi tried not to glare at the few women in the corner whispering amongst themselves as they
kept warily shooting concerned glances at Takemitchy and them.

However, Takemitchy wouldn't budge, only pressing on with a pout. "Nuh-uh! I'm not done
shopping yet, I want to pick what I want, not just randomly buy everything-that's too wasteful!!"
Spinning on his heel, the little boy puts one of the overalls on the shopping cart that was steadily
being filled with clothes. "Besides, we just entered the shop, I still have two more hours before
Sanzu, Ran and Rindo picks me up!"

Without waiting for their replies, Takemitchy spun back to them with a bright grin.

"So, I like these summer dresses, which one fits me more, yellow or violet?"

Mochizuki truly felt defeat for the first time in forever as his shoulders sagged with exhaustion at
the possibility that the youngest Sano was truly planning on shopping kids' clothing for two hours.

Takeomi could only groan as the urge to light a cig rises when the little boy grins at them with a
childish radiance.

Takemitchy truly was a Sano. Charismatically selfish and making everyone bend to their whims.

No one aside from Sano Manjiro could drag them around whimsically like this.
Oh well, at least their boss's little brother was having fun.

A satisfied Takemitchy means they will be safe from Mikey's wrath after all. They knew better
than to disappoint their boss.

By the time a casually dressed Sanzu, Ran, and Rindo have arrived to pick up the youngest Sano,
they were faced with the exhausted forms of Takeomi and Mochizuki who wordlessly hands
Takemitchy over to them before leaving without so as much a greeting.

The three could only raise a brow at the little boy who smiles at them innocently. but they chose to
ignore the two and move on to their plans of going to the movies with Takemitchy.

They should've known better than to expect a pleasant movie experience.

"My power is overflowing...my soul is burning...and my magma is surging!"

The amazed oohs and ahs from the children could be heard as the male character in the screen
transforms into a....Kamen Rider.

Ran's smile remained pleasant, although his eyes betrayed whatever pleasantry he usually showed.
He would clap occasionally along with the children and let out fake laughs at comedic moments.

Rindo was surprisingly unbothered as he watches the movie play on, mildly interested but
otherwise more focused on eating his popcorn on Takemitchy's side.

Sanzu was having the worst time of them all, as his gaze was dead and the corner of his eye
twitches in annoyance as he could sense the stare of the older male sitting on his left burning holes
through his skull. No doubt the poor lad thought of Sanzu as a female what with the pink haired
male wearing a face mask and only showing his long. pretty lashes and blue eyes.

Takemitchy continues to watch with an energetic grin as his gaze was focused on the movie.
It was quite unfortunate but Ran settled with seeing his brother and Takemitchy sit beside one
another and watch the kid's movie with rapt interest. He may not enjoy it as much, but seeing his
two precious people immerse themselves makes up for the uncomfortable seats of the
cinema...almost...He really needs to stretch his legs soon or blood circulation was going to stop....

His smile becomes more strained as the movie stretches on, 'Please end already, I need to free my
legs...'

Oh, the woes of being tall.

Rindo's eyes were narrowed now, leaning forward on his seat as a weakened Ryuga Banjo is
taunted by the evil Evolto who was currently choking Yui, To say he was immersed would be
accurate, although if anyone aside from Bonten's executives and Takemitchy were to mention this
the younger Haitani would surely shoot them at point blank range. Well, he had to admit he was
glad Takemitchy picked him for the movie date, at least he gets to relive some of his childhood
movies. He ought to buy the little boy a gift after this as thanks.

He wondered if Takemitchy would like to have some action figures, Rindo would be sure to only
give him the best and even limited edition ones. Let him live the luxury he'd always wanted as a
child but couldn't. A smile blooms in the younger Haitani's face simply thinking about it.

'I'm about to become Takemitchy's number two. Heh.'

Sanzu, on the other hand, was certain to pop a blood vessel if the disgusting creep to his left doesn't
quit with the staring. If he had it his way, he would've already decked the pig's jaw so hard and
shoot him on the face multiple times. As if being forced to sit in a kid's cinema and watching this
unbearable movie wasn't enough, his legs were cramping and the creepy fucker won't stop staring.

His gaze flickered to Bonten's precious charge, who was enjoying himself and blissfully unaware
of his surroundings. Seeing the boy's gaze brighten and having that child-like wonder on his face
softened Sanzu. Right, he was here by Takemitchy's request. And he had a duty as Bonten's
number two to keep him safe.

Mikey needn't order any of them, it was common sense that his little brother's life would be above
theirs. His prince had to be kept safe at all times, taking a deep breath, Sanzu calms himself.
That's right, today was about indulging his prince's whims, and Sanzu had been chosen by
Takemitchy himself to watch movies with.

He makes sure to remember the face of the pig he'd need to kill at a later time. For now, all that
matters is that Takemitchy is safe and enjoying himself.

'My king and my prince's wishes will happen, no matter what.'

"-And then Ran was massaging his legs at the lounge, Rindo bought me some action figures and
Sanzu got followed by one guy to the washroom and didn't come back until way later! Ah....I think
only Rindo enjoyed the movie though...."

Koko's smirk was nothing short of sadistically delighted as Takemitchy recounts the movie
experience with the pretty trio.

"Don't stress yourself, sunshine, today's all about you not them. They should be happy that you
chose them to go to the movies with...Speaking of which," The white haired male's amused gaze
flickered to the other grown male seated across him. "Someone doesn't look as happy to be
spending time with you, what's wrong? Kakucho."

The scarred male's gaze narrowed before clearing his throat.

"It's nothing like that...I..." His face looked nothing short of pained as he eyed his surroundings
once more. "I just wasn't expecting to be drinking coffee...here..."

The three were currently in a Hello Kitty café, where majority of the customers were females and
couples. They certainly looked out of place despite both men being clad in streetwear, what with
Koko's flagrant white hairstyle and Kakucho's intimidating scarred face. Still, both males were left
with no choice but to indulge Takemitchy as he orders desserts and sandwiches with a radiant
gaze.

Kokonoi was certain that the little Sano was no doubt getting back at them for all the harassment
and pranks they've played on him. He supposed that him and Kakucho were rather safe
considering the tired expressions on Ran's and Sanzu's faces. Then again, he thinks that the slightly
troubled look on his colleague means that Takemitchy wanted to punish them too, however slight.

'Poor Sunshine, cafes like this don't faze me in the slightest.' The white haired male thinks with a
sly grin as Takemitchy eyed him with an adorable pout, catching on to the fact that Koko had
caught onto his ploy. "Better luck next time Sunshine, bad days never exist when I spend time with
you."

"This isn't really a punishment, you two don't bully me..." Gaze lowering, the raven haired boy
smiles innocently. "I just like this cafe, that's all."

"Well, their desserts are passable" Koko only chuckles with amusement. "I give you my thanks for
not making this a painful date, Sunshine."

"Yeah yeah don't get used to it, I don't play favorites all the time!" Was the boy's flustered
comment as he huffed. "You two are on the list if you play a prank on me though, okay?"

Kakucho observes Kokonoi and Takemitchy interact with a soft gaze once he figured out the
youngest Sano's intentions. He had an inkling of suspicion that the little boy was playing a prank
on all of them with the unlimited privilege's Mikey had granted his little brother for today. The
handsome scarred male could only sigh with relief knowing that he wasn't included in the boy's
list.

He was glad that he found no interest in bothering Takemitchy in the penthouse, and could only
smile at knowing that he was one of Takemitchy's preferred executives.

"You can try my sandwich Kaku-chan, they're good!" The blue haired male's gaze locks on
Takemitchy who pushes his plate of petite looking sandwiches to his side. "Sorry if this place
made you kinda uncomfortable, I thought you and Koko wouldn't really be bothered...."

The corners of his lips lifted up at the slightly guilty look on the little boy. Sano Takemitchy truly
is a kind soul, feeling bad for someone as filthy as Kakucho.

'You and Mikey are my reason for living now, Takemitchy. I will protect you with my life.'

"That's alright Takemitchy, anywhere with you is bearable and enjoyable." His smile widens as the
little Sano brightened, "I'm okay with my coffee, you go ahead and eat your food."
"Thanks you two." Grinning brightly, Takemitchy takes a bite of his sandwich. "You guys are the
best!"

The males only look at their charge with fond looks.

Sano Takemitchy truly was an endearing child.

Bonten was an organization ran by the most ruthless and sadistic individuals and led by an even
greater fearsome leader.

To many, the faces they will ever see were their intimidating visages, ready to make illegal
negotiations or end lives-the works.

Takemitchy, Bonten's gem, is the only soul privy to seeing a hidden side of the top executives and
their leader.

Who else but Takemitchy do they spoil so wholeheartedly?

"Mikey-nii, Mikey-nii, I want to play this zombie shooting game!"

Bonten's fearsome ruler, Sano Manjiro, allows himself to be pulled by the hand and play along
with his little brother in an otherwise busy arcade. There were guards situated in certain locations,
all dressed casually in order to avoid detection, and to give the brothers a sense of privacy. The two
stood on a large booth and held fake guns.

Mikey, who was wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck, a white bomber jacket that was hanging off
his shoulders and black sweatpants, stands with indifference as he expertly shoots zombies on the
screen. Everything was of relative ease to him, and he figured getting the highest score would not
only impress his little brother but also win tickets to get Takemitchy a prize.

Takemichi, who wore an oversized cream colored hoodie with Rilakkuma stickers and comfortable
denim pants, stands beside his older brother and managing to shoot a decent amount of zombies.

Takemichi's request for his alone time with Mikey was to simply hang out and play in an arcade.

Takemichi does this for two reasons. One, to annoy his brother. And two, to see Mikey alone and
in a public setting.

So far Bonten's leader looked unbothered by the noise around him, and can focus on anything
Takemichi forces him to play. Anything that requires shooting or strength is automatically a win
for the ivory haired male, and the youngest Sano didn't know whether to be happy or not to be
winning so many prizes. Heck, he even won a kid sized rabbit plushie in one of the crane games
Takemichi was so sure Mikey would lose in...

Just how overpowered can this guy get?!

Yet Takemichi couldn't fully gage out Mikey's reactions. He seemed mostly content to just be
holding hands with Takemichi and doing as his little brother orders him to.

'A doting, demented helicopter brother...' Who also happened to be a crime lord and the head of
the most infamous gang in Japan.....

The raven haired boy couldn't understand the madman called Mikey.

There was no putting Mikey in an uncomfortable spot, whatever games Takemichi tells him to play
Mikey does so without complaint. The ivory haired male only asks his little brother what prizes he
would like to have, and would win without difficulty. Twenty minutes in of forcing his brother to
play to make him uncomfortable and Takemichi had thrown the towel, settling with playing games
to destress for the failed mission.

In no time, he forgets the stress of it all as he immerses himself with the fun of driving in the car
racing arcade machine. This time he drags his older brother not to test him, but simply to play with
him. His smiles are a little less guarded and more genuine, sincerely having more fun now that he
had no other hidden agenda.

"Mitchy," An hour in and Takemichi looks up from his drum game to see Mikey peering down at
him with a small smile. "Time for dinner."
"Oh already? Are we going back to the penthouse?" Mikey's smile widens a tad bit more at
Takemichi's glum tone.

"No, we're going to a restaurant, just the two of us."

"Really?!"

"Mhm."

"You're the best Mikey-nii!!" Hugging his older brother by the waist, Takemichi grins up at him as
they headed for the exit. "What are we having?"

"Italian, Mochizuki recommended a place." Mikey casually replies as he holds Takemichi's hand,
and patiently waiting as a luxury car pulls up and one of the casually dressed bodyguard opens the
door for them. "Make sure to finish your meal, Mitchy."

"I will, I'm starving after all that playing!" Getting in the car, Takemichi settles himself and allows
the older male to pull up his seatbelt for him. "Mikey nii?" He says after a few moments as the car
started.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for today." Takemichi's eyes were wide and bright, full of life despite the slight tiredness
in them. "I had so much fun!"

The young boy thinks for a moment how human Mikey looked when he smiled so softly.

Yet he knows that the man before him was a monster wearing the skin of a human.

All Takemichi can do is smile sweetly as the monster that is his older brother pats him gently on
the head.
"Everything I do is all for you, Mitchy."

Unbeknownst to the pair, a figure emerges from the alley of the arcade's corner once their car was
no longer in sight. Under the dim light, reveals a handsome young man with long black hair tied
back into a ponytail with the framing fringes dyed blonde. The man's unblinking golden eyes
remained locked on the direction where the pair had headed off to.

He recalls the ivory haired male with pitch black eyes who held the hand of a little boy with raven
black hair and ocean blue eyes.

He recalls how both had the same Hanafuda Tattoo, the mark of Bonten.

"Mikey..." The male murmurs, regret tinging his voice. "You really went down this path huh?"
Memories of their tragic past flashed before him, but the man couldn't afford to wallow in regrets
right now.

Pulling his phone, the male dials a number as he walks away from the arcade and deeper into the
alley.

"It's me."

"Found anything?"

"Yeah,,." Golden eyes stared off into the darkness, gaze narrowing. "I saw the boy. Mikey's with
him."

"Well done Kazutora-san, I'll be informing you of our next steps when you get home."

"Will do, Tachibana."

Without another word, they both hang up on each other and Kazutora sighs as he looked at the
 time.

Matsuno Chifuyu was sure to nag him the second he gets home....

No matter, he can handle a lecturing. Kazutora had more pressing matters to tend to.

Namely, recovering Sano Takemitchy from Bonten's clutches.

Chapter End Notes

Hello everyone, Chagama_uWu here.

I'm so sorry for being away for so long without explanation.

My health had taken a turn for the worse and I had to be readmitted to the hospital for
quite some time....I just got discharged not too long ago and am starting to readjust
myself to being back home again. I honestly thought I was a goner this time but hey
I'm still alivee!!! I can't promise that my usual schedule of updating once or twice a
week is back as....I'm taking quite the intense medications and I need to well, start
functioning like a human again with the help from mom and friends(All thanks to their
support and love I continue to live and they made my stay in the hospital bearable). I
just want to say that I'm glad to be writing again for you guys and for myself as well.

I hope to continue writing takemichi-centric content, and keep entertaining you all.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all on the next one.

#I'mback-kindof, #medsaregreat, #whyaretheyallknockingmeouttho???,

#bontenbrainrot, #aslongasIlivemichiwillsuffer, #kekeke,
#Crybaby'sHellseriesperseveres, #shamelessplug-ins.
 Darling
Chapter Summary

In the eyes of Mikey, Takemitchy can do no wrong. At least, as long as he remained

the endearing child he is as of now.

Sparkling doe eyed ocean blue gazing up at him with happiness.

Mikey discovers the pleasure of spoiling his darling little brother.

Yes, dressed in the finest garments and whatever luxuries or small trips the little one
desires, Sano Manjiro is a slave to the whims of Sano Takemitchy.

It was love at its finest.

.....Takemitchy on the other hand, thinks its a bastardization of love at its worst.

Especially when he uncovers yet another horrific layer to Mikey's madness.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Mikey's mornings usually starts in two ways.

One, he wakes up to find the most precious little boy named Sano Takemitchy in his arms, sleeping
away without a care in the world. Mikey would allow himself to smile oh so softly before tugging
the boy closer to his side-burying his face on fluffy raven locks and falling back asleep until Sanzu
interrupts their sleep. Moments like these were frequent, as Mikey tries his best to come home in a
reasonable time to spend more time with Takemitchy. He wanted to spend his nights watching his
little brother amuse himself and just smiling ever so brightly until they both turn in for the night.

Another was Mikey waking up on his lonesome, bed feeling bigger and his room being much
colder than it should be. Takemitchy sleeps in his own room when Mikey cannot come home for
the night or arrives far too late. It wasn't much of a problem as the older Sano could just go to the
little one's room. Or...It shouldn't be a problem.

Most of the time at least, but sometimes.....Sometimes, Mikey couldn't bring himself to go to
Takemitchy after having done a long day of committing all acts of evil imaginable as a crime lord.

They were explicably rare moments of unwanted sanity, and Mikey despised it the most.
Being sane reminded him far too many things of the past. The ugliness of it all. The people he
failed. The lives he destroyed.

The filthiness of the existence that is him. And the filth he is staining his remaining family
member.

Awareness brought nothing but suffering to Mikey.

"Why did you let us die Mikey?"

"I'm disappointed in you, Manjiro."

"You're a monster! You were never human to begin with!!!"

"For a leader of a gang you sure are the most naive one there is. Look where all that confidence
got you, dead friends and family, ha! pathetic"

He takes sleeping pills on rare nights like these, and takes comfort in dreamless sleeps wishing for
morning to come quickly.

This was one such morning, as he hears the light creaking of a door being opened and in an instant-
warmth returns in his chest as small hands gently shook him awake and Mikey's ears are blessed
with the warm and cheerful voice of Takemitchy.

"Good morning Mikey-nii. Get up and let's have breakfast!" Mikey would crack one eye open and
the darkness festering in his mind much like maggots feasting on a rotten corpse would draw back
as if it never existed in the first place. Simply having those brilliant ocean orbs focusing on him
was more than enough to give Mikey motivation to live.

To bask in the love of the last light in his life.

Takemitchy's presence made it all the better. He made living bearable, shunned the harsh voices
brewing in his head, calmed his lust for violence.
The older male's lips lift up into a soft smile so startling in contrast to his normal lifeless self.

The boy lets out a yelp as Mikey took him in his arms and places a feathery kiss on his forehead.

"Morning Mitchy." Takemitchy would only blink at him in wonder for a moment before a bright
smile takes his youthful face.

"Morning Mikey nii!!!"

Mikey could live in this cruel cruel world for another day if it meant being able to savor the
existence that is Sano Takemitchy.

He will never let another sibling of his slip away from his grasp ever again.

On some days, Mikey is able to laze around for a whole day. And in some of said days, He has the
pleasure of seeing Takemitchy paint.

The boy loved painting, so much so that Mikey granted him a room for his own entertainment. He
gave little Takemitchy the finest sets of paints, brushes, and canvases. Made sure that the room was
well ventilated so he wouldn't inhale too much fumes.

Days like these, the older Sano doesn't cling to his little brother as physically as possible. No,
instead, Mikey sits beside the boy and lets him paint to his heart's content. The older male only
settled with bringing a bowl of snacks and juices with him to feed the little boy every now and then
as well as lending his hand whenever Takemitchy requests him to bring paint buckets or new
canvases to him.

Mikey could never get over how untouchable the little Sano could appear when immersed in
painting. Takemitchy loved to paint sceneries, and he does so with uncanny accuracy. Yet all the
ivory haired male could think was how precious the little boy is.
The delicate strokes, the attention to details, the calming melody of his voice as he hums away
without care in the world.

It felt as if Mikey was seeing a living painting in the flesh.

He felt immense content just from being able to sit beside Takemitchy in peace. He didn't mind the
presence of the other executives, but when it was just him and little Mitchy, it was a moment like
no other.

A special haven, just for the two of them.

Mikey pulls his knees to his chest, smiling gently and saying, far too comfortable in the privacy of
Takemitchy's art room.

"My darling little brother."

The boy flinched, his hand stopping in painting the canvas as Takemitchy slowly turns around with
wide ocean orbs.

Mikey can only tilt his head,

'Why does Mitchy look so pale?'

It should not have been a surprise to Takemichi that memories can come to him at the most random
of times.

Especially when said memories belonged to a child like Sano Takemitchy, whose entire life has
been deeply entrenched with trauma.

It all started out normal enough, with him painting away so as to not have to force himself to
entertain Mikey with the cheery brother act. The older male was content being a creep in peace and
Takemichi settled with that type of creepiness instead of having to walk in eggshells as always. He
was content just spending a quiet day mostly stuck in the art room until Mikey gets bored enough
or sleepy enough to leave him alone.

At least until the man opens his cursed mouth.

"My darling little brother."

darling.

The bodily response he gave was more than a red flag for an incoming trip down to a horrible,
horrible memory lane.

'Darling?'

Goosebumps broke all throughout his body, and without a warning, beads of cold sweat begin to
break out of his skin. His breathing becomes more labored by the moment as his surroundings
become muted once again.

Takemichi knew he was in for a horrible time as he blinked and sees the art room was nothing
short of destroyed. Everything was a mess; Brushes broken, canvases split or torn in half, splatter
of paint spilled everywhere, and in the far left corner of the room was the huddled form of a
familiar boy.

The twenty six year old male could only gasp in horror as he sees purple handprints all over the
boy's arms and what seemed to be bitemarks littered on his neck. Little Takemitchy was wearing a
soft yellow summer dress that had dried white splotches and his head was wrapped in gauze.
Broken sobs left the boy's form as he clutches his head with a painful grip. Takemichi could feel
dread pooling in his stomach as he walks closer to the severely weakened boy.

Takemitchy resembled a badly beaten doll, so thin and delicate and filled with damage. His blue
eyes were bloodshot and extremely frightened.

He felt bile rise up in his throat gazing at the poor state the child has been put through.
'What have they done to you, Takemitchy?'

His head snaps to the side when he hears the creaking of the door opening. Takemitchy's sobs grew
in intensity as the figure stepped in.

Mikey.

The older Sano was smiling brightly, and Takemichi was put on edge at the scratch marks on
Mikey's arms. Some areas of his clothes were also wrinkled and had blood stains on it....as well as
white? What-

"Mitchy, here you are." Mikey began gently, giving the room a single glance before taking a step
forward. "You destroyed your art room again, don't worry, big brother will take care of it for
you."

"No!" The little Sano was becoming more hysterical the closer his older brother gets. Desperately
crawling further into the corner, as if hoping for the walls to swallow him alive. "Stay away!! GET
OUT OF MY ROOM. Get out, get out, get ou-"

"-Sanzu said you were hurting yourself in your sleep." Mikey paid no heed to the little boy's cries,
simply shaking his head. "Until you stop banging your head against the headboard, you'll have to
sleep with me so that we can make sure you don't hurt yourself like this again."

"No! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO-" It was heartbreaking and extremely unnerving to see the

composed boy so desperate and in tears. "Stop touching me, please stop just stop-"

Takemichi felt nothing but ice in his veins as Bonten's leader grabbed his little brother, uncaring of
how uncontrollable the boy was being as he struggled with all his feeble might.

"Don't worry Mitchy, I'll help you become my darling little brother again." Mikey places a soft
kiss on the screaming boy's sweaty forehead. "You'll be back to normal in no time."

"Now, won't you smile for me?"

 When Takemichi comes to, he was standing in front of a curious Mikey, tears rolling down his
cheeks uncontrollably.

"Mitchy, what's wrong?" Mikey wasn't fazed, only staring at his little brother with an unreadable
gaze. "Do you need my help?"

Against his will, Takemichi felt his lips twitch up to form a crooked smile.

"N-not at all!" He starts off cheerfully, uncaring of the crack in his voice as his lips wobbled to
fight back the sobs threatening to surface. He didn't care if he was trembling like a leaf and looked
so unconvincing.

He had no control over his body at the moment, this was a reflex of Takemitchy after having been
through so much horrific experiences living with monsters.

All that mattered was that he smile and pleases the adults in charge of him.

Takemichi felt sick to his stomach.

"It's just," Trailing off to suck in a deep breath, Takemichi widened his already distorted grin and
laughs.

"I love being with you so much, Mikey-nii!"

Were his last words before he fell to his knees and vomited the contents of his stomach.

He didn't think Takemitchy's life could get any worse.

It seems Bonten has a knack for outdoing themselves in being irredeemable scumbags.

Chapter End Notes

I'm still getting used to writing, I apologize if future chapters are going to be shorter
than the previous ones. Also, I'm doing much better now, thank you all for your
patience and your kind messages!!! Ya'll gonna make me cry im just a depraved
fangirl having far too much brainrot my brain can handle.
 Monachopsis
Chapter Summary

Monachopsis;

The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

A feeling that both Takemitchy and Takemichi experiences on the daily.

Nobody genuinely cares; Takemitchy refuses to let anymore people in his life whereas
Takemichi knows that everyone in Bonten will never care to try to think of him
through the lenses of a sane and responsible adult.

'Takemitchy' must only be seen not heard.

'Takemichi' can only be heard but not seen.

That way. They can fool their surroundings.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Takemichi wonders in his free time how is it that Takemitchy endured living this hellish lifestyle.

Granted, the little boy had little to no choice but to suffer in the hands of his legal guardian.

Takemichi wonders how is it that late Elderly Sano had it in his heart to trust Mikey of all people to
take care of a child. Part of him will always despise the old man for making such a decision.

Although he is not disillusioned that Takemitchy remained firmly sane during his stay. With
everything he's seen and experienced, it was only a matter of time before the little boy crumbled the
way he did.

The amount of abuse they gave an innocent little boy all for their sick twisted pleasures made
Takemichi shake in disgust and rage.

He truly wondered why, why is it that people are capable of doing such despicable deeds to
children.
The hopelessness and frustration he felt made him cry on more than one occasion, nothing soothed
his heart. The twenty six year old grieved for the unfortunate life of Sano Takemitchy.

The worst of it all was that the executives along with Mikey didn't seem to be fazed with his
'random' crying episodes.

Meaning, they've hurt Takemitchy so often that him crying at random times is nothing out of the
ordinary. It was just something that will pass and soon enough the little boy would go back to
being a docile child with a pleasant smile. And if he throws 'tantrums'? Nothing drugs can't solve.
If the little boy is hurting himself while asleep from the sheer amount of trauma his mind couldn't
process? Well, just bind him and feed him more drugs to keep him sedated.

And oh god, the sexual abuse on top of it all.

Takemichi couldn't stop crying.

No one in this damn organization truly cared for the wellbeing of this child. Takemitchy was
simply a tool to stabilize Mikey. A source of relief to calm Bonten's unstable leader.

His heart felt as if it was being stabbed.

How could these bastards be so evil?

Yet he also felt that he failed Takemitchy at the same time.

To think that he lived in the little boy's body for months and did not have a single clue of the sexual
violence done on the innocent Takemitchy.....Takemichi felt indescribable hate towards himself for
that. To think that he was trying so hard to please these monsters even going as far as being himself
in order to fool them was no excuse.

Because he did treat them as normal human beings at times, even having 'favorite' executives. Guilt
infested his stomach as he curses himself over and over for his stupidity. While it was his and
Takemitchy's plan to lower the executives' and Mikey's guards with the personality of 'Takemichi',
it didn't comfort the twenty six year old in the slightest bit.
He had to make it up to the little boy.

For now, all he could do is try his best to get the most important people in Bonten to trust him
more, and to etch the boy's memories in his heart.

"Oi Takemitchy! Are you fucking done yet with your shower?" The muffled voice of Sanzu breaks
the silence as thunderous knocks on the bathroom door resounded. "Hurry the fuck up we got to get
you ready for bed, twerp."

Takemichi couldn't even muster a sarcastic reply or fake an energetic answer to the insane right
hand man of Mikey. All he could do was shake and keep his mouth shut as droplets of water rained
down on his naked body. The silence only went on for so long before the locked door opens.

Of course they have keys to his room and bathroom, leaving him with little to no privacy.

Takemichi truly felt like vomiting on the spot once again.

He didn't dare look up to see Sanzu's reaction. Takemichi had taken to kneeling on the shower base,
trembling like a leaf and crying uncontrollably.

He hears the older male click his tongue and no more than a moment later the running water
stopped.

Takemichi doesn't move from him spot, even when a towel is draped over his head and body.
Sanzu wraps him and gently carries him to the bed, patting him dry with such care that the twenty
six year old wouldn't believe it was the same person as the drug addict executive of Bonten.

"Oi," Breaking the silence, Sanzu's voice softens. "You know you're the most important figure in
Bonten right? Next to Mikey of course."

"You're a little shit but...." Takemichi doesn't respond, making the coral pink haired man sigh.
"None of us minds you being this type of shit.....Just..." lithe arms wrapped around him before
pulling the smaller boy to his chest. "-Fuck' sake, we're here okay? You have no one but Mikey and
us, who else is going to tolerate your dumb shit but us?"
The Coral pink haired male was horrible at comforting people, and knowing that he played a big
part in traumatizing Takemitchy didn't make it any easier to calm Takemichi down.
Maybe...Perhaps if Takemichi hadn't seen any more of Takemitchy's memories, he would have
been more receptive to Sanzu's poor attempts of consoling and maybe find it a little bit amusing.

However, there was no redeeming these people, they were all monsters. Every single one of them.

It wasn't as if he could start throttling everyone in Bonten now, all he could do is bite down the
insults bubbling up his throat and continue to hold himself to prevent Takemitchy's body from
suffering any more.

Thinking this, Takemichi slowly reciprocates Sanzu's awkward displays of affection by snuggling
closer to him, face comfortably snuggled on the older man's firm chest.

Both parties uttered no words, a 'comforting' silence befalling the bathroom before Sanzu calmly
heads towards the bed and gently placing little Takemitchy under the covers. The coral pink haired
male hands Takemitchy a glass of water, in which Takemichi takes without resistance.

It was strange, for as soon as he laid down on the bed, his senses become more and more muddled.

His eyelids were far too heavy to open, and his breathing evens.

Before they fully close, he sees that the lights have suddenly turned off and the twenty six year old
hears Bonten's number 2 muttering intense profanities as he rapidly pulled out a gun from his suit
vest.

"These bastards are really fucking-"

Takemichi's eyes closed, and he was no more in the land of consciousness.

Strangely, as sleep grasps him, he feels as if someone was gently singing to him.

"Hope is just a fantasy I'll never get from you"

Tachibana Naoto was not used to seeing an emotionless Takemichi.

It felt jarring to say the least, to see the usually radiant sky blue eyes look so void of all joy and
kindness.

He didn't know what to expect from this Takemichi who approached him demanding for his
cooperation in bringing down Bonten.

'Takemichi' had called for him while Hinata was away for more school trips, in which her husband
admitted to Naoto that he had pulled some strings to ensure she was away from home as much as
possible. For her own safety.

Takemichi introduced himself as 'Sano Takemitchy', the current inhabitant of Hanagaki

Takemichi's body.

Sano Takemitchy, one of the most important figures in Bonten, the last living relative of Sano
Manjiro who is the leader of the biggest criminal organization in all of Japan.

Naoto would stress about the sheer ridiculousness of the male's explanations if not for
Takemitchy's perfect recalling of all the interactions they've had in the past as the elusive informant
that contributed to a lot of successful sting operations.

The detective only sighs as he focuses on the situation at hand.

They were currently at the cemetery, offering flowers to what is mostly all the deceased members
of the Sano family.

Naoto pays his respects by bowing at the late figures who all died far too young for their age.

Takemitchy doesn't bow nor seemed particularly sad, only closing his eyes and singing in a low
and quiet voice. Carefully placing a bouquet of blue hydrangeas on each tomb.
"Hope is just a fantasy I'll never get from you" Naoto has no idea what type of relationship
Takemitchy had with the elderly Sano-the man who adopted him-but one would be a fool to not see
the soft glint in his gaze as he focused on the tomb of his grandfather. "You are the petals of the
life, You slowly growing on me"

"I do it all for you

I do it all of you "

He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket, and Naoto checks to see a message from Kazutora. Naoto,
standing behind Takemitchy, gingerly taps the man on the shoulder before giving him a pointed
look.

Immediately, Takemitchy's somewhat soft gaze hardened and went back to its eerie
unreadableness.

Not long after, two other individuals arrived at the scene; One is Kazutora and the other, a tall
muscled male with dark hair shaved and one side of his head showing a dragon tattoo.

The latter seemed to have little reservation given the hostile glare he sending Takemitchy but the
male crippled in the wheelchair was nothing but unfazed.

"So you're the one manipulating Kazutora." Ken Ryuuguji 'Draken' starts off heatedly, disdain
clear in his gaze. "Why the fuck are you here and what the fuck are you doing digging up the past,
dragging people who have moved on with their lives?"

Kazutora gave him a pointed glare. "Oi Draken, you-"

"-Kazutora-san, It's alright." The long haired male gaze became wary as he reluctantly backs off.
"You are Ken Ryuuguji-san, correct?"

"Yeah. Now explain why you're doing all this crap that could get my friends dead."

"Because I want Bonten to die." Takemitchy remained calm and unbothered. "And your assistance
will be needed to make my plans work."
"What makes you think I'll play along with your suicide plans huh?"

"Because you owe someone something." Takemitchy tilts his head to the side, eyes piercing and
empty all the same. "Sano Emma left Mikey's wellbeing in your hands, no? Those were her last
words before she died-"

"-DRAKEN NO!" Kazutora moved as quickly as the taller male to block him from getting to
Takemitchy, while Naoto steps forward and raises a protective arm to shield the fragile male. "Stop
it man! Just listen to him-"

"Fuck off Tora! This creepy bastard is up to no good, I can feel it!" Draken was seething. "How the
fuck do you know that?! How do you know all this?!"

"Bonten took everything away from me, everyone I ever loved is gone and any chances I have to a
normal life is forever ruined." Takemitchy's gaze was nothing but glacial, making the taller male
flinch at the eeriness of Takemitchy.. "But what I do have is information. Information about Mikey
and the others and everything relating to Bonten. I know what you want, Ryuuguji Ken."

"You and Hanemiya Kazutora-san both want to mend your mistakes and honor the wishes of the
deceased Sano's who only care for Mikey's wellbeing." Naoto takes this cue to hand Draken a
paper. "That letter also contains Sano-san's will, he had wanted for you to take care of his youngest
grandson, Sano Takemitchy after he passed away, but Bonten took the boy away and tried to
remove all evidences of the will."

"...Sano Takemitchy?" Takemitchy nods. "Mikey and Emma had a little brother?"

"Correct. And he is currently trapped within Bonten's main headquarters at the moment."
Takemitchy wastes no time before meeting the stunned male's gaze head on. "I need your help in
retrieving the youngest Sano. We get him, we can trap Mikey and his executives where we want
them."

"Help me and I will make sure you and Kazutora-san have the chance to get to Mikey privately as
well as making you Takemitchy's legal guardian. My plans all have death as its price should we
fail. I am asking for your help. You both can use my resources however you see fit as long as it
doesn't cause any type of disturbance to my goal."
It felt strange to see the little boy speaking like an adult, much more at the fact that Takemitchy
sees his body as a collateral-a means to an end.

But it wasn't too strange if one considers that Sano Takemitchy grew up with monsters for
caretakers all his life.

One had to become different in order to survive Bonten.

Takemitchy had promised Naoto that he will return the real Takemichi to his original body in
exchange for his active assistance.

And seeing Draken reluctantly nod to Takemitchy's terms, Naoto feels oddly confident that they
will get his brother in law back soon.

Seeing the pair of Mikey's old friends leave, the detective turns to Takemitchy with a sigh.

"That went better than expected." Takemitchy shook his head. "Is something the matter?"

"He would never say no....He cares far too much about Sano Emma and Mikey to back away
now."

Naoto raised a brow, "Didn't Kazutora warn us that Draken had moved on after Mikey disbanded
Toman?"

"Perhaps he did during that time, but now that he is faced with an innocent member of Mikey's
family trapped with the leader of Bonten as well as being reminded of Emma's will, that man will
be far too caught up in regret and emotions to make a rational choice."

"....You're involving innocent people in this, Takemitchy."

"I do not have the time and luxury to think of 'innocent' people and their safety." The male in the
wheelchair spares him a cold glance. "He has unfulfilled wishes and I can make it happen as long
as he offers his cooperation. In turn, he can use me and resent me as a cunning bastard who has left
him with no choice but to face his past once again....It is not my first time using others to reach my
 goal and it certainly won't be the last until we have Hanagaki-san back in his body and me in
mine."

"You're only ten years old, Takemitchy." Naoto weakly reminds him, sighing. "Have you at least
thought of what you'd like to do after we retrieve my brother in law and your body?"

"....I've left behind detailed written reports of Bonten's activities and some politicians they have
close connections with, you may find them in guest room once Bonten has been dealt with. You
don't have to worry." Without waiting for his reply, Takemitchy pushes himself forward, creating
distance between them. "Hanagaki-san will be returned to his rightful place and happily live with
all of you again. As for me, I will atone for all the sins I've committed."

"....Atone how?"

Takemitchy softly smiles, heartbreakingly bittersweet and eyes void of all happiness.

"With my death, of course."

The man before him truly was not Takemichi. While Takemitchy can fake a smile and pull a
convincing act being the warm and cheerful husband and friend to Hanagaki takemichi's close
people-the boy could never replicate the warmth in Takemichi's gaze.

Sano Takemitchy is only convincing when he speaks as Hanagaki Takemichi, but not when people
see him. Perhaps that was why Takemitchy came to Naoto in the first place, perhaps the boy knew
that sooner or later Takemichi's closest people will catch unto his act and be exposed.

Sano Takemitchy will manipulate the people around him in order to honor the very first promise he
made. Lying is breathing for him, done so naturally without any remorse..

Naoto was glad that Takemitchy was an ally, not an enemy.

Chapter End Notes

The lines came from the song "Lotus" By Galdive.

 Seek & Destroy
Chapter Summary

Takemichi goes missing.

Mikey continues to break as he raises hell to seek for his beloved little brother.

Takemitchy patiently waits for the end of a long long journey. To finally destroy the
root cause of all his suffering.

You push me past my own capacity, boy

Permission to crash, collecting damages, boy

No reaching and grabbing for more clarity now

Seek and destroy, all missiles deployed

Takemitchy never went in a cruise ship before. His entire life consisted of being confined to the
houses of his guardians and there was never a chance for him to entertain thoughts of trips when
his life always hanged by a thread. It was different from being in Alfred's safe house, where he is in
close contact with the waves. Instead, here he was high up on the ship's deck, looking over at the
vast sea.

He didn't dare entertain the thoughts of his dead family being with him to enjoy this view.

Instead, Takemitchy solidifies his will as he holds unto a revolver with one hand and a phone in the
other.

The hitmen he's hired has successfully gotten ahold of Takemichi.

Kazutora and Naoto would be in charge of picking him, Takemichi, up from the hired hitmen,
where he will be then transported in the ship.

Where the beginning of the end happens.

Takemitchy will never let his guard down until every person has arrived.....and certain people to
die.

He cared not for the survival of Kazutora or Draken. Their lives were related to Sano Manjiro,
therefore they're automatically unwanted by Takemitchy.

The less people who knows of Hanagaki Takemichi, the better. That way, it'll be easier for the
grown male to resume back to normalcy without strings attached. This was the ideal outcome for
Takemitchy's savior.

Everything was coming to an end. Finally. The wheelchair bound male grasps tightly unto the gun
in his hand for comfort.

"Just a bit more." And I can finally join everyone else....I can atone for my sins at last.

Takemitchy could almost cry in relief at his impending death. Yet he doesn't.

He will never allow himself to weep until Sano Manjiro dies, until Sano Takemitchy dies. Until
Hanagaki Takemichi is returned to his original body.

Dialing a certain someone's number, Takemitchy's gaze hardened as he readied himself to resume
the role of a monster once more.

'Monsters can only hate and destroy whoever they want however they want.'

"Where's mitchy?" The freezing tone of Mikey's voice was heard on the other line, it was a tone
that instilled deathly fear in the hearts of many-but Takemitchy was the least bit unfazed hearing
his older brother's intimidating voice. "Give him back and I' won't kill your loved ones."

"Good evening to you too, Sano Manjiro. It's been a while since I last made myself an
inconvenience to Bonten." Takemitchy wasn't surprised Mikey had sensed the caller would be the
mastermind behind Takemichi's kidnapping, but cursed him anyways for being sharp with his
instincts. "Not to worry, I'll be sending you the coordinates soon after this call. You will see your
brother again."
"....."

"I've been waiting for this very day. Sano Manjiro, you mess of a human being." Takemitchy
could care less that his older brother was deathly silent, instead taking this as an opportunity to
give him a piece of his mind whilst buying time. "If you thought you can have a chance to
happiness, you're as wrong as can be."

"....Who the fuck are you?"

"Surprised that I know your name? I know more than just your real name, Mikey. I know many,
many things about you." The monster sneered, venomous and filled with utter hate. "Your filthy
past, your dead family members, the people you've killed and the old friends you've pushed away-I
know it all. Your sins and Bonten's structure-everything."

"......" A beat of silence, and then Mikey's flat tone promised death. "What do you want?"

"I want the end." Takemitchy smiled, icy and unfeeling. "The end of the Sano bloodline.
Everything that you love and built, I want it all dead and buried-forever forgotten and
uncared for."

"Of course, that means I will kill your little brother too." His smile widens. "I won't kill him just
yet, I'll make sure you see him die in front of your own very eyes. And you won't be able to do a
thing as that little boy takes his last breath."

"Sano Takemitchy....I know how important that name is to you. I'll make sure his torture kills him
this time around, god knows last time was a failure. I'm sure you remember that day very well,
right Mikey?" Ocean blue eyes steeled itself as its own owner casually states his demise.
"Although...with how much you've messed your brother up, he's nothing but a living corpse by this
point."

"Drugging and raping a boy must be quite entertaining no? For you it must be paradise, but for
him....Is that brother of yours even human anymore? A doll maybe, but not a human." Takemitchy
chuckles, faux amusement lacing his voice. "You really are a monster that deserves every bit of
suffering to come your way."
"Mark my words Sano Manjiro, I will destroy you and everything you have."

"Ill fucking end you-"

With that, Takemitchy abruptly hangs up the call, and instinctively presses the barrel of the gun to
his forehead.

"No....Not with this body." I have to keep this body safe at all costs.

His eyes burned as tears desperately wanted to escape, but he reigned the urge in. It felt liberating
to curse his brother openly. It felt freeing to give him a piece of his mind after all these years.

But the role of the monster doesn't end here. There was still plenty things left to do before Sano
Takemitchy takes his final breath.

"Mother....Hami...Alfred....Mikoto..." Lowering the barrel of the gun to his lips, Takemitchy utters
a small prayer. "Please keep watching over me, for one last time."

Determined ocean blue gazed to the horizon once more. The dark skies didn't unnerve him, for he
was far too used to the other monsters that lurked within the shadows.

"Let this be the final night."

Do it to you

Do it to you

I had to do it to you

Do it to you, oh

I can't stand it, the urge

Is so demandin', the purge

So necessary, the art of war

 Goddamn it, I'm drained

"Sano Manjiro, you mess of a human being."

To say that Mikey is pissed was the understatement of the century.

He was fucking livid beyond reason.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt this much rage. The type where the darkness in him is
blaring out to kill anyone who so as much looks at him wrong.

The unknown caller had hung up on him after openly threatening his and Mitchy's lives.

The white haired male had gotten the alert that the penthouse was under attack, and by the time he
arrived Takemitchy was taken and Sanzu had been stabbed on the shoulder. Mikey had almost
killed Sanzu on the spot but was stopped by Takeomi as the older male yelled that killing one of
his executives right now will not help find Takemitchy any faster.

To add further into his fury, the unknown caller was no ordinary kidnapper.

That man didn't have any intentions to negotiate, he truly wanted Mikey dead. And that meant
Takemitchy was really going to die as well if they don't reach him in time.

"....Something tells me this bastard is the same slimy mole we're looking for." Koko speculates,
eyes narrowed in extreme irritation at the current situation as he opens his phone. "We're getting
reports from several branches of ours is under attack by the police." His lips formed a sinister grin.
"This asshole is really pulling all the stops eh?"

All pairs of eyes looked expectantly at Mikey who was drenched with the blood of the remaining
attackers of the penthouse.

"....Mochi, Takeomi and Koko will handle the other territories under attack. Don't go far from the
coordinates the rat has given us." Veins bulged in their leader's neck as Mikey barely controlled
himself. "Ran, Sanzu and Kakucho-you three are coming with me." Everyone nodded at his orders,
following them without question.

"I won't kill him just yet, I'll make sure you see him die in front of your own very eyes. And you
won't be able to do a thing as that little boy takes his last breath."

Bottomless pitch black orbs were wide with unbridled wrath.

Whoever this perpetrator was, he knew of Mikey's past and even Bonten's internal affairs. He knew
of Takemitchy's experiences. He knew too much. He had to die.

'Whoever he is, he has to die right away. He's a threat to Mitchy and I's happiness.'

His mind was going overdrive with thoughts of malevolence, of how he should torture the damn
bastard for taking his brother and trying to ruin his empire.

"Mark my words Sano Manjiro, I will destroy you and everything you have."

Were the vengeful words of the mastermind, who is dead set on giving Mikey hell.

Mikey was not one to back down from any challenges, and knowing that his little brother's life was
on the line-everything was now or never.

He was going to find that insufferable mole, find his brother and kill whoever is involved in his
kidnapping.

Every loved one of that bastard will face the most painful death without question. He will make
sure that criminal will regret the day he was born.

"Let's go."

He reloads the gun in his hand and coldly states, a deadly promise to all of his men regarding the
fate of the damned criminal.
 "Tonight will be that bastard's last night in this world."

All the pain I know

Is used to fuel my soul

No control

I do it to you, do it to you

A certain police officer lets out a sigh of exhaustion after securing a certain little boy, or man if
you're aware.

Kazutora continues to drive, knuckles tight with tension as they now have the sole living family
member of Bonten's powerful leader.

"Is he hurt?" Kazutora asks, his eyes fixed on the road.

"A couple of scratches but nothing concerning." Naoto shook his head, staring at the body of the
frail looking little boy. "Everything is going according to plan."

"You should go ahead and meet with that guy when we arrive at the port. I'll be joining Draken
after this." Kazutora murmurs. "MIkey will be murderous, no doubt. Hopefully you don't meet him,
Tachibana."

Naoto can only nod as he sighs once more before his gaze hardened.

Everything was coming to place, and sooner or later the truth will be revealed.

There was no room for mistakes or second thoughts, he will protect Takemichi and Takemitchy.

He won't let either two die on his watch.

End Notes
End Notes

Bonten brainrot let's g o.

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