Chapter Text
If there was one thing Hanma could say he enjoyed about being around Kisaki, it was the amount of entertainment he provided with the never ending successes in his plans that fell into place from clever manipulation that puts prodigal chess masters to shame.
Kisaki wasn't your average high schooler. There was nothing youthful about his ambitious schemes or devious machinations and lack of empathy for the people he's used and discarded like trash once they've served their purpose. He was all around a bad person, and Hanma respected him for that, especially when he kept up his ruse for so long and no one caught on.
It was amusing to watch.
The way he catered to others when he was just as dangerous and powerful. But in front of people like Invincible Mikey, and Kurokawa Izana he acted like he was beneath them, rushing around to please them as he offered platitudes and resources for their respective gangs to get stronger.
Hanma snickered secretly each time, overly gleeful that Kisaki was playing them both like a fiddle and they had no idea, as they obviously believed that Kisaki was undoubtedly loyal to each of them. When in fact, he was planning a gang war for Toman and Tenjiku to happen, as he edged the unsuspecting brothers to conflict with his clever lies.
Kisaki wanted power.
He wanted to be at the top.
So he was planning to see who would win so he could cast his final favor between the two supreme alphas of the most powerful gangs reigning in Japan. Two other high school boys who have fought against yakuzas, and older established gangs that were prominent in the underworld. The possibly and mercilessly worst kind of foes they could find in the country, and they managed to survive through turf wars against them, and beat them into submission, which eventually earned a spot of recognition that was so popular that they even became a topic covered on the news outlet airing on TV for the entire world to see.
The new golden era was beginning in this quickly growing gang infested city.
Everyone was choosing their leaders to live through the times to come, because there was no way you were safe without the protection of a gang to call your own.
And Hanma was not lacking for entertainment.
He felt extremely blessed, and too excited to even care about the possible consequences that might catch up to him when karma decides to bite him in the ass. But, he's just an observer, the audience of one that Kisaki has, the person who, despite getting enjoyment out of other people's suffering, was secretly- unintentionally, and probably to the unawareness of the other boy- keeping Kisaki sane.
Because no person was infallible.
There was inevitably going to be a slip up, and the vestiges of control Kisaki had was going to snap one day, he was going to feel the pressure of taking on everything alone. He tricked people into doing his dirty deeds and deflected suspicion with seeming ease as he remained unaffected, but there had to be a toll somewhere.
It's probably why he allowed Hanma in, to know and see his true colors. He needed someone to talk to, and he saw Hanma for who he was, so it was easy.
But it happened sooner than he expected, and really not at all how he ever thought it was going to take place.
He stood behind Kisaki like a proper subordinate where their divisions were grouped up, and tried to hold in his snickers when he fed Mikey the twisted truth of Izana's plans to take over a region under Toman's control after he was given the spotlight.
They were currently at the Musashi Shrine, and the day was breaking, but Draken had called everyone in for a mandatory meeting. It was about Tenjiku.
A decision was drawing to a close. Mikey was obviously reluctant as he stalled, because Izana was his brother despite the bad blood that was between them.
No one seemed to know what happened, but one day there was suddenly tension, and of course Kisaki picked up on it and used it to his advantage.
Every other Toman captain, the founders that still remained, with Kisaki as the only replacement (another successfully crafted scheme of his), all stand around with expressions that make it hard to tell if they're convinced or not, but they also don't say anything against Kisaki.
And Hanma was too busy having the time of his life to notice that there was someone sneaking through the crowd until Kisaki abruptly cuts off, choking on his spit.
While everyone watched.
But at that exact moment Hanma caught what made Kisaki, who was usually composed under duress stress, react like that.
He raised a brow at the sight of a small pretty boy with distractingly soft shaggy blonde hair that was glowing etherally, who he could tell was an omega because of his exposed curves in that tightly tucked in white blouse of his- and of course the short black skirt was accentuating his wide hips, and slender waist, with black boots strapping his calves, which Hanma stared a bit too long at before he remembered what he was doing.
His eyes flickered upwards, and he managed not to choke like Kisaki did, because the pretty omega was pickpocketing the captain of the first division.
Quite obviously.
But for some reason Baji didn't react at the hand slipping through his pocket, and the omega getting close enough for him to possibly see from the corner of his eye. There seemed to be familiarity in his movements, but for some reason no one was acknowledging the omega as he rummaged around in the first captain's pants pocket with no sense of being discreet.
The alpha just stood still, and stared back at Kisaki.
That's when Hanma read the look on his face.
It was a threat .
He was threatening Kisaki, who was staring and sputtering in disbelief, with hard eyes, to shut the fuck up. It was enunciated with a viciously dark look that was reserved for anyone who was typically on the other end of Baji Keisuke's fist.
Hanma wanted to fucking laugh.
He really did but he kept it in, because he understood the message.
It seemed like everyone was aware of the omega, since he noticed now that they were slightly tensed as they averted their eyes; obviously they were carefully avoiding drawing attention to the omega for some reason.
It honestly baffled him. The omega didn't seem to be mated to anyone here either with the lack of a bond mark, so he wondered if that omega was perhaps part of Toman with how no one was bothered, or chasing him away, nor did he miss the way Baji made it easier for the omega by adjusting his pants; however, that can't be the case. They've already been members of Toman for months, and Kisaki would have known about him from all his intensive research, and networking, but he looked confused but strangely, horrified. There was recognition in his eyes that Hanma caught before he pushed up his glasses and cleared his throat to compose himself.
And the silence was so thick that Hanma could hear cicadas, and he wasn't sure if he was projecting when he thought he heard the omega humming. No one looked particularly like they cared about Kisaki's coughing fit either. It was like everyone was statues.
Hanma was not sure if he could keep quiet any longer however, he needed to leave the premises to laugh because if he did so here he knew he was getting his bones broken.
Apparently, this omega was under Toman's protection, whether the boy knew it or not, but he also didn't seem to care that he was surrounded by a bunch of delinquents that combatively put real gangsters to shame. Did he even realize that he was not exactly sneaky, or did he actually know no one would do anything to him?
He looked completely unaware of his surroundings though as he concentrated with a single minded focus.
It was curious, and Hanma's intrigue was piqued to the max.
He found something else fun to observe.
The omega was very easy on the eyes, too.
He smirked when the omega found what he was looking for, drawing out a keychain from Baji's pocket.
It was for his bike.
Then he looked up at Baji with a mischievous look that was all smug, but the alpha merely twitched, his eyes trained ahead, as the omega took his keys and slipped them up his sleeve before he bounded away like a sly fox.
The omega was hijacking his precious bike, and he was letting him get away with it.
It was unbelievable.
Hanma sucked in his breath, and waited until the omega was gone from view before he snickered into his hand, suppressing his volume so he didn't disturb the meeting that resumed a moment later as if nothing happened.
Kisaki was still flustered because he stammered a bit as he continued talking, but no one was even paying attention.
At least when Hanma looked, because he saw that Mikey had a dreamy look on his face as he stared off in the direction the omega disappeared to, and Baji was blushing in embarrassment as the other captains teased him by mimicking what just took place as they snickered.
"They're not listening to you," he eventually told Kisaki in a hoarse voice, his throat hurting from the strain of keeping quiet. The beta stopped talking, and looked around, finally realizing that he was speaking to air.
He didn't seem to be offended or angry though, he actually slumped in relief, probably because it meant no one noticed his mistakes. But his eyes hardened with an emotion as he stared off at the space where the omega had been.
"It was really him," Kisaki whispered. And Hanma raised a brow. There was a greedy look on the beta's face, and an obsessive gleam in his eyes that wasn't entirely new, but was more intense than ever.
Of course, Hanma took this in stride. Not really surprised, but he was too curious to ignore his discovery.
"Who was he?" He asked, because if he ever got bored, well, there was someone he could go looking for. He thought about spending time doing other things, too, but that was too soon. The omega looked too innocent for that right now, and Hanma was an immoral asshole, but that wasn't how he got his kicks off.
"Hanagaki Takemichi," Kisaki said, tone savoring the name.
And Hanma was certain that he was blessed with good fortune.
Kisaki really was a good luck charm that he was sticking close to.
***
"Did you ask him?" Emma asked when she spotted the grinning omega approaching the outdoor cafe table she was sitting at as she waited, but she already knew the answer.
She had wanted to go on a joy ride to alleviate her boredom, so she brought the idea up, and Takemichi volunteered to find her brother to ask if they could ride his moped.
However, knowing him he wouldn't have asked anyone for permission when taking their things. A habit that had grown when he was younger, too scared to ask because of his shyness and social anxiety, and instead he impulsively started to take things, but he was perceptive enough to know who to take it from without getting the brunt of anyone's anger.
The boy had cried when he got the stealing is bad speech from Shinichiro when he was caught one day, and he tearfully claimed that he didn't mean to, and Shinichiro, her brother with the heart of gold had softened and given the boy a compromise as he seemed to understand the problem.
Takemichi was only allowed to take from people he knew and even then he was to give it back later. It was to protect him from getting into trouble with strangers who might not forgive him, and it could end up with more severe repercussions, and in a sense, despite the fact that he was technically still stealing, he was borrowing instead.
What the omega didn't know however to this day, was that Shinichiro took Mikey and Baji aside one evening to give them this speech about looking out for Takemichi, because of this habit of his. Neither of them even looked like they wanted to at first, even complaining that they didn't want to waste their time on a weakling, and Emma was so offended that she gave her brother and Baji the silent treatment for days, but they changed their tune when they officially met Takemichi.
And Shinichiro's words were treated like gospel.
Her childhood friend only ever came over when Mikey was out hanging with his friends at the shrine, so this was the first time they've met in person, and the omega was shy. He was so bashful around the alphas that he blushed and hid behind Emma and Shinichiro as he peeked out at them, and something about that seemed to charm Mikey, and Baji.
Mikey was quickly besotted, he attentively doted on the omega, making sure he was fed whenever they saw each other, and he even shared his food with Takemichi and gave him his favorite dorayaki.
It was like a proposal.
Since the alpha was usually so stingy with his food. But he had no problem indulging Takemichi as he watched him fondly, and constantly clung onto him like sticky rice.
Baji had tried to impress him with his moves, and gleefully boasted as he postured about, and Emma thought he was a knothead for that, but Takemichi was so in awe of him. As he clapped and cheered him on once he's gotten over his shyness around the alpha, and Baji soaked up the attention, preening like a peacock.
It was when he met Izana though that Emma realized the dangerous effect her friend had on people when he was a compelling force of nature with his sunny smiles and bright blue eyes.
Izana, who was usually so possessive of what was his, declared that Takemichi was going to be his queen, and he would steal the omega away, dragging off to the playground so they could stand on top of their kingdom. Not caring about anyone else whenever the omega was around.
Takemichi would cry though whenever Izana started beating people up in front of him, it was always so brutally violent. When Mikey found out, the first- what their fights became known as- war they ever had broke out, then other ones followed suit after that for the slightest provocation.
Shinichiro seemed to have no choice but to take Izana away, and leave for a while, because there was tension already between Mikey, and Izana as alphas who were extremely territorial. They undeniably loved and cared about each other, but they'd aggressively fight more than anyone else when their instincts were heightened. It was better to let them separate until they cooled off, and had more control of their instincts, and eventually they did when they matured.
However…
Recently, things seem to be heated again unfortunately. Izana and Mikey were going through another rough patch.
But Emma wasn't too worried.
Not when Takemichi was with her.
"No, but Emma-chan, Baji-kun's bike is faster, the experience will be much more fun," he chirped with an eager grin, waving the key in his hand and Emma giggled, shaking her head. She could easily imagine Baji pretending that he didn't notice just so Takemichi could still get the rush from stealing something to sate his impulses.
And, of course.
She forgot how much of an adrenaline junkie he was. People may call him a scaredy-cat but he was always front line wherever there was danger.
Maybe they should visit Izana, she thought wistfully as she got up her seat to join Takemichi, so they could walk over to Baji's parked bike.
It's been a while.