Chapter Text
The young Tsugikuni left the restaurant using the back door. Usually, Michikatsu would use the main door but being followed by Yoriichi is the least circumstance he wanted to happen at such a desperate moment. There was a growing crowd at the entrance. The young man took that as an advantage and sneaked out, pulling out the hood of his jacket as he sped up his walk.
Even the luxurious car parked outside stood out oddly. It was enough to make bystanders notice that someone special is nearby.
Michikatsu scoffed, hurrying away by pumping strength on his legs, not risking himself one bit to be seen. The man couldn’t afford to get a ride to the mall, so he simply walks. Luckily for him though, it wasn’t too far. So when he arrived at the mall, specifically, at the area where staff has to take their attendance first, the meeting was just about to launch. Michikatsu was right on time.
“Cleaning and maintenance staff, let’s huddle here.” Their manager called out as he waved in the air to catch everyone’s attention. Michikatsu immediately wore his work clothes, put away his stuff in a locker, and headed closer.
Once the group had gathered in an area, their manager didn't waste any time but to announce their daily meeting. He called out names one by one, stating their role for the day and where shall they proceed in their task. Michikatsu’s name was called at some point, “You’ll be assigned to clean at the Department store. Just some sweeping will do. Mopping the floor is kind of risky even though there’s a warning sign we can use, but you gotta expect some kids not paying attention and ended up slipping the floor.”
“At which area?” Michikatsu asked.
“The Men’s clothing, Women’s clothing, second floor. Then to the cosmetics next to it, and then head back to the storage room, you’d be carrying some boxes.”
Sounds easy enough, but Michikatsu had to complain. Internally, of course. He certainly doesn’t like to carry boxes. They can be a bit too heavy. Not only that but he’s expected to carry some stuff alone himself.
“Alright,” he accepted the challenge, rubbing his shoulders to prepare for the day as the manager called out another name to state their task.
The meeting was about to end after the manager finished speaking to the last member of the staff. Michikatsu was about to head out, already walking away, when the manager quickly inserted another reminder. “One last thing. This is important.” The manager glanced at every man and woman in the eye, “we might expect some fancy people. So you better do your job precisely.”
Michikatsu turned when he heard two words that caught his attention, eyes wide. “Fancy people?”
The manager simply shrugged at him, “Wasn’t told by the higher-ups who.”
Fancy… people?
“I see…” He lingered for a moment. Then he walked away, and his heart began accelerating.
To others, this is great news! His fellow workmates started whispering among each other. Probably excited to see who it was to visit the mall. However, there’s only one person who seems to be in such a bad mood. Michikatsu swerved away from the thrilled people as sweat formed on his face. He furiously wiped them away, it’s probably just the heat, the man mused. Even if it’s him, he can’t find me in such a crowd.
The man is utterly grateful he isn’t tasked at the main entryway. He’d be doomed right away once he is spotted. Luckily, he’d be working deep into the mall. The department store is among the busiest areas as people purchase items from left to right to satiate their needs. Even luckier, he is also to work in the storage room filled with stocks and newly brought items from trade. So no one could get in except the staff members.
The young man grabbed on to that hope. Everything will go smoothly and accordingly, and he will not encounter his brother once again.
And so, Michikatsu proceeds to do his work. Having swept the marbled floor too many times because apparently, the shoes of the shoppers are too dirty like they just came out from a muddy farm. It’s troublesome, but he has gotten used to his efforts being a complete waste. Afterward, he arranged some clothes in their respective sizes when he realizes that a bunch of kids was messing around. Michikatsu is kind enough to lend a hand to the other staff members in arranging the area into its proper state.
While he worked, slowly and surely, tension was eased off of his shoulders. Michikatsu found himself starting to calm down as he ultimately realized that his brother, Yoriichi, isn’t going to find him at such a busy shopping mall. He kept himself busy in hopes to forget the memory of his encounter with that luxurious man. It worked. However…
Michikatsu made a mistake lowering his guard.
When it was about time for him to start working in the storage room, he noticed that the place was too… silent. Eerily silent. Staff members should be working here by now. So to find the area empty gave him concern. There are always people and fellow workmates doing the same task as him; carrying boxes, wrapping up plastics, taping price tags, and more. But this is… odd.
Michikatsu looks around, initially having thought that he arrived too early. So he shrugged off that uneasy feeling and went straight to where the boxes are. Unbeknownst to him, two silent figures were creeping up behind him as Michikatsu started carrying one large and quite a bit heavy box.
“Michikatsu Tsugikuni,” a voice broke the silence of the massive room. It was replaced by the sudden crash of the box as it falls to the ground, and the fumbling noise bounced from the walls as it echoes loudly. The said man accidentally slipped the box from his hands from fright when he turned around to see who it was. His heart did not stop hammering in his chest when he realized who it was.
It was the two bodyguards that flanked Yoriichi from the cafe-restaurant.
This did not bode him well. “W-What is…” Michikatsu trailed off, blinking rapidly in disbelief. This is not happening to me right now.
The bodyguard who spoke to him is a giant built of a man. He had a long scar running horizontally on his forehead. His expression is firm and serious. But what made him terrifying is the pure whiteness on his eyes, which Michikatsu only assumed he is blind. Or not? Those eyes did look at him. Perhaps it’s a strange condition. But that doesn’t matter anymore as Michikatsu stood still out of nervousness.
“Sir Yoriichi wants you to come with us,” the giant said.
The following event turned out quite unexpected… The mention of his brother’s name is enough to light up the fury within him. Michikatsu forced his hands to stop shaking by clenching them into a fist and yelled out, “To hell with him!”
“Resistance is a futile act, sir.” The man with white eyes continued, “We only wish for you to comply as it makes it all easier.”
“No!” Michikatsu screamed out, “I already showed him that I don’t want to be near him again. Three years is proof of that. Tell that to him!”
“We can’t, sir.” This time, it was the second bodyguard who spoke. Unlike the giant man, this young bodyguard has too many scars plastered on his face. His white hair and scars made him look intimidating. “It is his orders. We are to follow it.”
“His orders? What, you allowed him to make the both of you become his pets, too!?”
“We are personally selected by sir Yoriichi to be his guards. It is with our consent that we allow ourselves to take such opportunity to survive.” The blind bodyguard said, “I am sure you understand that, too, sir.”
So they’re saying Yoriichi gave them jobs to help them in return for their loyalty? Must be nice. Michikatsu rolled his eyes, “Our situation is different. I don’t give a damn if you two are suffering from poverty like me. You two must’ve felt so lucky you found a job working for that man. But do you really think you know anything about him? How messed up his thoughts are?”
“To think that we are loyal is true, sir.” The white-haired man replied with a different answer, “It is not our business if sir Yoriichi is after something even if it means illegal.”
“Ha! So you don’t care that what you’re doing right now is ruining a life? You’re all just here for the money.”
“Aren’t we all, sir?” The bodyguard questioned, causing Michikatsu to flare up his anger.
The giant man stepped closer, “We do not mean to be rude, sir. But just as you said, our situation is different. You don’t know why we’ve accepted such a thing for sir Yoriichi. You don’t know why we are doing this for him. We are merely doing our job as a means to survive.”
And the second one is also moving closer, “So please, come with us.”
The man knew he can’t talk himself out of here. Michikatsu stared at the two with apprehension. His legs are now tingling with tension. His chest felt like it was crushing his lungs, which is why he started to breathe heavily. He is incredibly tense. The man eyed the two bodyguards standing just before him at a good distance. For a moment, he took this silence to ponder and contemplate. Eyeing the surroundings, the box that fell, and the two bodyguards waiting with bated breath for his words.
Michikatsu opened his mouth to speak. Then kicked the box with vigor, launching it high into the air, hitting the giant man in the chest with a heavy blow.
The white-haired scarred man was already launching himself towards Michikatsu. But Michikatsu, too, is already pumping his legs into speed. Adrenaline rushed everywhere in his body. His heart thundering, his blood pressure increased, and the muscles in his legs gave him more strength and speed.
He ran as fast as he can. Swiftly maneuvering from corridors and dodging boxes and a variety of items placed on the floor messily. Michikatsu used his knowledge, mapping out the storage room, as he ran from left to right. But he was unable to throw off the scarred man. He could just hear how expertly light the bodyguard’s running was behind him.
Another loud and heavier footstep accompanied the lighter ones. Michikatsu did not dare look as he knew both are catching up now. It’s much closer. Much faster– no, it wasn’t them who is faster. He’s just slowing down. It can’t be helped. Exhaustion seeped through the muscles, unable to carry on longer. But he was determined to escape which kept him in the lead. Even Michikatsu is surprised at himself for going so far. Two highly-trained guards are chasing after him, and yet he appears to be winning. Not for long, Michikatsu, think!
In a peripheral view, he saw piled-up styrofoam coolers that were wrapped up in plastic. The coolers were opened, signifying that it was empty. He runs towards it, knowing that they’re just behind him. As Michikatsu runs straight to the plastic boxes, he sidestepped, ran past the boxes then swung his arm sidewards, hitting them painfully without care, and proceed to run. He heard fumbling noises as the guards were stopped by the tumbling piled-up styrofoam.
Michikatsu dared to turn around to see the white-haired man on the floor, cursing loudly as he tried to get back up on his feet, stumbling. Meanwhile, the giant one also halted but was immediately swerving expertly around the mess. Michikatsu panted, seeing his idea only last for so long, then resuming his previous speed.
The storage room was ridiculously massive, and he is surprised he couldn’t see a single person in this room. He assumed that it was those guys’ doing in the very beginning. But he didn’t mind it anymore. Michikatsu saw the exit door that leads him to the outside. That door is only used for emergencies. Yet in his case, this is an emergency.
He huffed a chuckle, noticing that freedom is close. The exhausted man knew what was outside. Cars and trees, even walls, and other possible obstacles he can hide from. People as well! He can hide among them.
Almost there!
“Sir, please stop this!” The larger man shouted, his voice booming just nearby.
But Michikatsu was already opening the exit door. A gust of wind blew his hair. The sun instantly warmed his skin. Frantically, he shut the door closed. His chest heaving up and down, panting loudly now that exhaustion is about to control him. Michikatsu did not waste any time as he turned and run once more.
Only to stumble upon Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Michikatsu yelped, skidding on the floor, and was about to fall over when Yoriichi raised his arms and took hold of Michikatsu’s shoulders to balance him.
Yoriichi’s voice, nonchalant as ever, mentioned his name expectantly like he knew that the younger Tsugikuni was coming. “Michikatsu.”
The desperate man is still heavily breathing, eyes traveling everywhere on the face of the newcomer, his older brother, with disbelief and fear. What is this? It can’t be real. Yet, Michikatsu isn’t dreaming. This is all real. He thought he was imagining it… In an instant, he felt discouraged.
The man remained frozen as Yoriichi studied his face once again as if memorizing every detail and every feature with such intensity. Michikatsu thought he was going to faint since his heart is distressfully beating abnormally fast. Every muscle ached, especially his legs. He gasped in the air desperately, all that running is hurting his stomach.
Yoriichi removed one hand off of his younger brother’s shoulder, took out a handkerchief from the pocket of his ever-fancy suit, and wiped the sweat off Michikatsu’s face. Acting like nothing was wrong in the first place.
What the… T-This guy!
This snapped Michikatsu back to reality. Anger trickled through his mind, replacing the fear that took control of his body. The man harshly gripped his older brother’s wrist and ripped it away. He let pure anger decide the next course of action he is about to do. In a fit of rage, Michikatsu grasped Yoriichi’s tie, pulled him closer, and punched him straight to the face. Delivering a painful and strong blow with all his might that will surely bruise his knuckles along with his brother’s face.
Yoriichi fell back, nearly hitting the car behind him, and grunted from pain.
Realizing what Michikatsu had done, he mustered up his frustration and anger once more to deliver another blow to the face. Only to be stopped by two strong arms wrapping his whole body from behind.
“Sir Yoriichi!” A white-haired man walks past Michikatsu, kneeling next to Yoriichi, and tried to help him to stand up.
“No, it’s alright, Sanemi.” Yoriichi helped himself up, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Sanemi still looked quite concerned, “Should I go get some ice, sir?”
Yoriichi shook his head, “No need for that.” Then he nodded at him gratefully.
Meanwhile, Michikatsu is struggling against the hold of this other bodyguard. Fighting in a futile attempt, he ferociously stomped on this man’s feet, scratched his nails on the giant man’s shoulder with a limited reach like a wild animal, and pulled and pushed his body with great effort. To no avail.
“Gyomei, try not to hold him too tight,” Yoriichi warned lightly, touching his wounded face as if to soothe the pain away.
“I apologize, s-sir Yoriichi, but he is too–” Gyomei grunted when Michikatsu managed to hit his jaw with his head.
“Get off me, you fucker! Get off!” Michikatsu roared, teeth bared in utter frustration.
“Too uncontrollable at this moment.” Gyomei finished, doing his best to hold the younger Tsugikuni in his arms.
Yoriichi sighed and said, “Michikatsu. Listen to me.”
“I’ve had enough of listening to you!”
“But this is for your own good. I have–”
“My own good?” Michikatsu stopped struggling, short of breath, looking at his brother as if he had grown two heads. “You say it’s for my own good… but isolating me from everyone else is… pretty unhealthy, you know.”
“It was done out of your safety. This is–”
“Your brain is too fucked up to notice that this attitude of yours is bringing me close to danger.”
But Yoriichi isn’t unsettled. “May I speak now, brother?”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Aren’t we brothers?”
Michikatsu snarled. “We both lost that relationship ever since I left that house, Yoriichi.”
“But now I have you back.”
“Which doesn’t change a thing,” Michikatsu added, gritting his teeth. “I really don’t know how you got that kind of mindset. Weren’t you the one who’s so loved by our parents? What the hell did they do to you? What happened to you?”
And why? Why are you doing this? Why have you become like this?
As expected, Yoriichi didn’t answer. Rather, he avoided the answer to Michikatsu’s contempt. “It doesn’t matter. Now, I need you to get in the car so we can talk.”
“Then what? Back to your home and lock me there forever?”
The eldest ignored him. “Gyomei, use force if you have to. Just don’t hurt him,” Yoriichi orders.
Michikatsu’s mouth gaped open in shock. How dare he!
“I will not––” He stumbled. The young man was already forced to move with the immense strength of the bodyguard, practically manhandling him. The car door already opened. “Just get your hands away from me! I won’t fight back anymore, just stop!”
Gyomei didn’t listen. He pushed Michikatsu firmly yet carefully, Sanemi standing beside him to see if Michikatsu would attempt to escape regardless of his words. Yoriichi went to the other side, opened the door, and sat with elegance as he made himself comfortable in the rear seat. When the two bodyguards realized that the youngest is willing to behave, they nod at each other and shut the door.
The two brothers remained silent, with Michikatsu scooting farther away and Yoriichi waiting for his two guards to occupy the driver and passenger’s seat. Sanemi started the car and drove away to which Gyomei rolled up the window between the front seats and the rear seats, providing the two brothers privacy.
Michikatsu did not like that at all.
The ride was silent for a while. The atmosphere is no doubt filled with awkward tension. The dark-tinted window of the car reflected them like a mirror, allowing Michikatsu to see Yoriichi without looking at him.
He sat stiffly, not moving an inch. His back is unable to lean on the seat as his spine straightened uncomfortably like he is ready to launch himself out of here. He still hadn’t calmed himself, the rush of events didn’t allow him to relax even a second. But all Michikatsu could do is gulped down a thick lump in his throat as he waited with bated breath.
The silence broke. “You’ve grown a lot,” The youngest sibling felt dread when the man beside him spoke. “Those three years felt too long for me.”
Michikatsu didn’t utter a word, preferring to stay silent.
But Yoriichi didn’t mind at all. “I was very sad when you left me, Michikatsu. It was heartwrenching to see you living like this.”
Silence filled the room until the eldest spoke again.
“You’ve suffered so much already… Your hands have turned rough. Your hair has grown too long. You worked so hard just to pay that expensive rent of your apartment. That landlord of yours isn’t as kind as you thought they would be.” Yoriichi’s stare, directed at him, felt like it was drilling deep into his head. “Isn’t it tiring? To work three jobs and not have time to relax is stressful, isn’t it?”
How does he know? Oh right, he is a CEO. A very rich man who can hire investigators whenever he can. There goes my privacy.
Michikatsu made the mistake to look at his brother, as they both made eye contact. Those maroon eyes brought back memories of his childhood with him. Michikatsu is reminded again of a boy whose life is controlled by the one who only loves him. He, the boy who looks up to his brother, allowed himself to be fed with lies. The same boy who felt warmth when those maroon eyes only softened for him alone.
For eighteen years, Michikatsu sought his brother’s approval. Only followed his rules, his words, and his wants. He realized all too late that he’s living in such a toxic relationship with his brother as he learned from school that siblings treat each other with equality… not with control. He learned too late that an older sibling’s love shows consideration and support for their younger sibling’s desires and dreams as well… when all he experienced was his brother crushing his ambitions and hopes of his future, brainwashing him that the outside world will simply neglect him just like their parents did.
It wasn’t true. The world may be unfair and harsh, but many people are willing to help.
He recalled a memory that took place years ago. When Michikatsu was living on the streets, he was staring at a poster that advertises delicious-looking meals for a long time. He didn’t realize that someone was standing beside him, rather, he didn’t pay them any mind. Michikatsu was surprised when he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see a stranger handing him donuts.
He could vividly remember that hopeful day.
“You want some donuts?”
The man stared at the stranger in shock.
“Don’t worry, it’s freshly made! And obviously not poisonous. I’m also not a bad guy, I swear!”
He didn’t do anything.
“Aren’t you hungry? Here, have some donuts.”
Michikatsu hesitantly reaches out, but still hasn’t taken it. So the stranger sighed, grabbed his freezing hand, and let him grasp the tasty-looking donut. “There, go on and eat it.”
At that moment, Michikatsu wanted to tear up, and he wouldn’t care if he’d ended up ugly crying in front of the stranger. But he held his tears in as he talked for the first time in a long time. “A-Are you sure? You bought this, um, donut for yourself, right?”
“Yeah, but I want you to have it.”
He sincerely wanted to cry, “But why?”
The stranger smiled, “You’ve been staring at this donut poster for hours, dude. So, I bought it. For you.”
Michikatsu was shaking in disbelief. “But I’m a stranger.”
“And I want to help people,” the stranger winked at him. “You don’t look like a bad guy, and you don’t look like you’re lost or something. So, do you wanna work here?”
Michikatsu blinked, surprised at the sudden question. “What?”
The stranger scratched his ear, “Well, my girlfriend works here. And they’re hiring people to become waiters or something. I think that was the position? But anyway, you look like you needed it.”
He nodded, “Y-Yeah… I do.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Try to apply for it. I don’t think they’d mind hiring homeless people.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Um… no?” The stranger chuckled, “Well, I guess if you kind of finished high school–”
“I-I did… But I don’t have the papers or something.”
The stranger smiled once again. “The owner and the manager are nice guys. They’d give you a shot for sure.”
But Michikatsu is still hesitant. “Are you sure that’s how it works? Because I-I don’t think that’s how society works.”
“How society works, eh? Well, I don’t know,” the stranger shrugged helplessly, “but we will continue to not know unless we try, right?”
Right.
Michikatsu nodded. The stranger waved him goodbye, “So give it a try, will ya’?”
Days later, the stranger gave him his name… Hakuji. The man who helped him and reminded him to give the world a try, no matter how difficult it is. All these times, he was isolated and told time and time again that the world would neglect him. But in reality, there are always people willing to help.
When the two began seeing each other more, Hakuji told him that he should be treated as any other customer even though he practically saved him from hunger. “Don’t treat me like I’m a king, Michikatsu. Just treat me like some random dude who only comes to this restaurant to see my girl. I’m nothing special. Helping is normal, as it should be.”
As years passed by, Michikatsu saw Hakuji only as an acquaintance. Because Hakuji doesn’t work at the restaurant and only a little time is spent for the both of them, they only know each other as the waiter and the regular customer. However, that was a sign that people exist like him. Kind and unassuming. The world may be filled with cruelty, but there are people with good hearts. Plenty of them!
But it is also a sign that people like Yoriichi exist; a complete opposite of Hakuji. People who know how to twist words and poison youthful minds who have yet to truly face the world.
Michikatsu shouldn’t have felt surprised when his brother knows his situation as a poor man. But him just uttering those words like Yoriichi, too, experienced the same pain and suffering is just so… offensive. The audacity Yoriichi had using that tone, pitiful and understanding, as if he shared the same problem with Michikatsu puts him in incredulity.
It felt like Yoriichi is berating him for leaving. Like all these happened; the suffering, the stress, and the endless work, all happened because they are consequences of his action simply because he wanted independence.
Michikatsu’s eyebrows furrowed and his hands curled into a fist again. Anger started bubbling at the hidden blame Yoriichi uttered without literally saying them. It wasn’t his fault that his life turned to hell! It wasn’t his fault that he was born into such a crappy family. It wasn’t his fault that he ran away. It was all on Yoriichi. Yoriichi. Yoriichi!
“I suffered because of you,” Michikatsu stated blandly, barely able to control his anger. He can’t lash out now. Not when he finally has the courage to say the words he wanted to say. “You can blame me with those corrupted words and questions of yours all you want, but I get the meaning very well. I am no longer that boy who keeps pursuing you. I will no longer pretend that I’m still the naive little boy who’d do anything to please you. And I will never listen to you anymore.”
Yoriichi was silent.
It was enough for Michikatsu to continue. “The outside world is dangerous, you say? All it ever gives are cruelties, and it will abandon me because the world is too harsh, you say?” He chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, it is. The world is cruel because it forces us into survival. But that’s just how it is. You should know better than that.” There was a pause, and then… “But do you know what I think? About why the world is cruel to me, Yoriichi?”
The eldest said nothing still.
“It’s because you were born in it.”
Yoriichi’s eyes narrowed. “That’s enough. We have arrived.”
However, Michikatsu isn’t done yet. “I hate you. I hate when you try to isolate me from this world. Do you really know how hard it is for me to adapt when I turned eighteen? All my teenage years, I thought I was going to end up stuck there forever. So I didn’t bother knowing anything and preparing myself to face society! When I found myself escaping, I was terrified because I don’t know what to do next!”
Michikatsu sat straight, facing the older man. “Yoriichi! Do you even understand what I’m trying to say right now!?” The volume of his voice increased, unable to control his anger now. “It’s because of you that I am suffering! How many times do I have to repeat that? Do you not see what you’ve been doing to me? What you’re doing right now is hurting me! That was the total opposite of what you wanted me to have! Safety? Happiness? Consideration? Support? Where the fuck is it, Yoriichi!? What you only taught me was––”
“Enough, Michikatsu!”
The youngest swallowed the words he was about to yell out and fell silent. The hairs on his skin stood up in alarm.
It was there he noticed that Yoriichi’s eyes were blown wild like he had seen something that he shouldn’t have seen in the first place. Eyebrows furrowed and lips turned into a deep frown.
That emotion was gone as fast as it came. The eldest composed himself. His shoulders eased and his expression turned neutral once again. Yoriichi released a breath, shutting his eyes closed. “I always know what’s best as the eldest brother,” he begins. “No amount of hatred of yours can persuade me otherwise.”
Michikatsu’s face fell.
“You can yell at me, tell me hateful things, curse my existence as you wish.” Yoriichi opened his eyes, “But I know what I’m doing.”
Silence filled the car next.
Ah, he won’t listen to me.
Michikatsu shifted from his seat, facing ahead. He clutched his shirt unbearably tight and bit his lip until it bled. It all came crashing down. Adrenaline faded away as he welcomed defeat, completely exhausted.
It was at that very moment that Michikatsu felt the stress pouring on him like a waterfall, tumbling down and bringing along immense pressure and suffocation. As the car slows down, the man did not bother to look around as he curled on himself. Tears fell, sobs soon followed, and his lungs fought for air as he openly cried without the care he was showing weaknesses.
This is it. He isn’t free anymore.
All this is confirmed as warmth suddenly engulfed him like the sun greeting him with welcoming heat. He felt his brother’s palm soothing his temples, he could hear his brother moving closer and wrapping him tighter in his arms as Michikatsu cried helplessly and pathetically.
No amount of words Michikatsu throws at him can convince Yoriichi’s mind. No amount of pleading Michikatsu is willing to do for him to know why his brother is doing such a thing. His brother wouldn’t listen to him as all that man believes is the fact that his words are always true. Yoriichi refuses to see it. To see how it is hurting his youngest sibling.
It doesn’t matter anymore, Michikatsu mused. He wouldn’t tell me why he’s like this. He wouldn’t see and accept the reality that I tried to show him.
In the end, it was just a toxic relationship as brothers.
“Don’t worry, brother mine. I’ll make sure you’re happier with me. It will be like the old days again, just me and you against the harsh world.” Yoriichi pecked his lips on his younger brother’s forehead. “I can buy you ice cream. You always enjoy snacks when you were young. I should get us some sweets as well,” He took out his phone and start contacting his employee. “I’ll have someone to deliver the things you’d like––”
“You think that I’d easily warm up to you when you buy stuff that I like?” Michikatsu interrupted as he sniffled, “You are one pathetic older brother, huh.”
The hug tightened.
Michikatsu continued, “Best of luck with that. All I know is that things will never be the same between us,” he chuckled absently. “Three years was enough for the world to teach me a lesson… And within those years, I learned that I truly despise you. You may have found me again, Yoriichi. But this time, it’s my turn to make your life miserable.”
The young man glanced up at him. Despite the tears that reddened his eyes, they glinted with intensity. His determination has been lit up once more regardless of his defeat… and Yoriichi did not like that one bit. “I’m going to make you regret finding me.”