Chapter Text
Ask any young boy in the TRC what their favorite show is and they would probably answer something that boils down to transforming into any number of Superheroes using a marketable toy to fight Monsters in very elaborately designed costumes. Despite not having been like those boys on a surface level viewing, I sharedt sentiment. But I always feel a bit out of the loop when talking to others about it. Karua always just said she thought the Male leads were pretty, which with the benefit of hindsight I can agree with, and the other boys my age usually only talked about how cool a fight or a new form was. Those things did excite me but what got my heart was the actual hero. They had the will and strength to protect what they loved. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be like them but always felt awful at the listless person I am. I could never be like them.
When I wasn't interested in anything currently running I checked out an older season I had seen be hailed as a masterpiece. The main Character was a man with no dream in a show about the power they have over your life. Needless to say, it resonated very deep in my soul. He was the kind of hero I wanted to be. The kind of person I wanted to be. The kind of man I wanted to be.
These grand hopes fell to the wayside when I got older, grew out of watching Saturday morning Tokusatsu (mostly so I could sleep longer). But when it came time to pick a new name for myself I remembered that old show and how it touched me.
He was who I wanted to be.
I wanted to be called Takkun like he was by those I love.
I wanted to be Takumi
I want...
to be a hero again.
Day 2, Night
“I am not going to let you hurt them again, Eito. I came back for this one reason and I am going to see it through to the end.” Despite the words being said to a defeated Eito Aotsuki, flanked by drones on either side, they felt more like words of affirmation aimed at myself. I guess even after the fact I still have my doubts about coming back.
"Hehe…You speak of yourself as the grand savior for those ugly humans, comfortably sleeping in their little beds but tell me Takumi-kun, what chance does a boring monster like you have for beating me in the long run…”, his monologue loses a lot of its impact when he’s panting after I beat the everloving shit out of him for the second time in a week from my perspective. That is until- “WHAT CHANCE DOES SOMETHING LIKE YOU HAVE AGAINST SOMEBODY WITH A GOAL- NAY A DREAM AS GRAND AS MINE”
It’s true. Unlike everyone else here, who have aspirations for what they’re going to do after these 100 days are up, I just want to return home to mom with Karua. I really don’t have any dreams. I stare down at the floor, small splashes of blood starting to dry up
Don’t have any dreams, huh…
That sentiment resonated with a part of me I had long forgotten about. I make it a habit to not think about the time before I was Takumi but before any unwanted feelings come bubbling back up, a sentence bubbles to the surface.
“You’re right. I don’t have any dreams…But” I raise my eyes, staring straight into Eito’s and ignore his visible disgust,” you know, I can protect dreams."
Eito is dragged away by the drones to the courtyard, no witty comeback to that i guess. Maybe next time I see him his cage he’s gonna say I pretend to care about others but fuck him.
I then hear a voice cut through the silence, knocking me out of my thoughts.
“Inui Takumi, huh?” were the first words I had heard from Sirei since I decided to spare Eito. They sounded…warm. I didn’t expect him to sound so kind after I had functionally disobeyed his order. Hey wait what name did he just say?!
“I didn’t take you for a Faiz fan, Mister Sumino. Did your parents watch it growing up and decide to name you after him?” Sirei asked, in a surprising attempt at genuine conversation. I didn’t think we would know that quote
“Ah actually, I…named myself after him.” My face started the flush and I scratched my cheek out of embarrassment. Hoo boy, here goes nothing, I really hope he isn’t a bigoted old man. “When I…transitioned.”
Unlike my expectations of him either awkwardly fumbling his words at best and calling me a slur at worst Sirei just…talked to me. “Well you picked a fine name for yourself, young man. Even if you did use the “Clear Sea” spelling of Takumi instead of how Inui’s name was written.”
A small smile made its way onto my face along with some tears. I really didn’t expect this.
“Hehe…thanks Sirei.” I wipe the tears off my face with my thumb. “Hoo! This has been a lot! I’m gonna go to bed if you don’t mind. Do you mind calling everyone for a meeting tomorrow so that we can explain everything to them?”
“Of course not, Mister Sumino. Now get some sleep, young man!” he says in a very playful way, almost like a parent messing with their kid.
“Haha, yes Sir! Oh and can you say thanks to the Boy made out of Undying Flames for me again? He was a really big help”
“Don’t worry, I will. Now off to bed with you, you scamp!”
I chuckle at Sirei’s old-timey words before waving him good night and going off to finally see the love of my life. My bed. God I need to start dating.
“So the Arch project did produce some results…I’ll need to call the higher-ups.”