Chapter Text
Takemichi was reading a book on his couch in his apartment when the doorbell rang. He wasn’t getting any guests, and none of his friends said they were stopping by or even his family. Takemichi’s mother usually calls him before she even stops by to check on him. She is mostly busy with her job, so he hardly sees his mother.
He went to the door and saw it was Naoto. His ex-girlfriend’s brother. After Takemichi and Hina broke up, the brother stayed a good friend. It was a surprise to see him since Naoto was busy as well.
“Naoto, what are you doing here?” He asked.
It looked like the younger man was panting, but Takemichi didn’t know why.
“Let inside and give a glass of water.” He said, still panting.
Takemichi let his friend inside and gave him a glass of water as the man had asked.
“I thought you had work today,” Takemichi said.
“I do, and I’m still on the clock.” He explained.
“Then why are you here?” Takemichi asked, not knowing why his friend was here.
Tachibana Naoto is a police officer and a hard-working one. That is why he’s always busy, and Takemichi doesn’t see him much, even he doesn’t have time to see his sister.
“Weren’t you looking for a full-time job?” He asked. “I remember you mentioning the last time we saw each other. You don’t have a job now, right.”
“I do have a job, but it’s only casual,” Takemichi said, scratching his head.
It was not something Takemichi was fond of talking about not having a job. He was a twenty-six-year-old, yet he didn’t have a decent job.
“Then it’s perfect. There is a job opening I know that needs somebody.”
“Wait for a second here! Takemichi was confused with everything that Naoto was saying all of a sudden.
“Hurry up and dress up nicely.” Naot pushed Takemichi to his room.
Takemichi quickly found some plain white t-shirt and wore a blue blazer and black pants.
“This should be okay.” He fixed his hair so it didn’t look messy.
“You look doable,” Naoto said.
Takemichi didn’t know if his friend was complimenting him or insulting him.
They went inside Naoto’s car to where the job would be. Naoto never explained the details since he was on his phone with another police officer.
They finally arrived, but when Takemichi got out of the car, he was surprised by where they were.
“Naoto, this is….”
“It’s where wanted criminals are kept.”
“The job you were talking about is here.” Takemichi’s face went pale from the mentions of criminals.
“Takemichi, I remember that you helped lock some of the criminals here.”
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean I would want to work here.” He sighed.
“Takemichi, you can’t be thinking that way. You don’t have a proper job. This place pays well, and it's better than the casual job you have.”
What Naoto said was true. He needed the money, and this was probably the only job that would help him right now. It was not like he would bump into those criminals. It’s not like they would remember him. That was twelve years ago.
Takemichi and Naoto went inside, and the police officer told the front desk that Takemichi was here for the job. Takemihci didn't need an interview since Naoto was there. Takemichi wished there was one, and maybe he wouldn’t get the job.
This jail is farther from the city because of the criminals. There are many kinds of them, and the stuff they did got them inside here.
Takemichi did not want to see the men he put in here. They were part of the mafia, even if they were around his age back then. He can still remember the glare one of them gave them, who was probably their leader.
“Your job duties are to check the cells of the criminals to see all of them are there every morning and evening. Check the reports.”
“W-What? Wait!”
“Takemichi,” Naoto said, giving him a look.
“Is something wrong with the duties.” The manager asked.
“No, it’s nothing.” Takemichi had to suck it in.
The manager had said he would start tomorrow morning.
Naoto drove Takemichi back to his apartment. After dropping him home, his friend had some work to do, so he left right away.
The good thing about the job was he could wear anything. He wasn’t a police guard, so that wasn’t needed. Thinking about being there was giving him a headache.
“I need a mask.” Takemichi felt he would be safer with the mask. Even if he didn’t have his blond hair anymore, he was scared of being recognized. “The manager said I could wear anything.”
He remembered he had a white mask from high school. Takemichi went to his room and took out a box. There bunch of things from high school that were junk and the plain white mask.
“This should do.”
Thinking about going to work was terrifying. Takemichi had to check all the prison cells, which was the hard part of the job. The rest would be easy since it’s computer work.
*****
Takemichi woke up the following morning early. He washed up for the day and changed into some comfortable clothes. Takemichi looked at himself in the mirror and gave a slap to his face.
“I can do this!” he yelled to nobody in particular.
He grabbed his keys to his car. The car Takemichi had was pretty old, and he hasn’t driven it for a long time since he couldn’t afford the gas and insurance. Naoto usually takes his car since he didn’t want the vehicle to become junk.
“Wasn’t there that one guy who was into fixing things?” Takemichi recalled his high school. “He was part of the mafia too.”
“Why am I thinking about that?”
Takemichi checked the time on his wristwatch.
“I better go now.” He got inside his tiny car and started to drive to his destination.
Even the drive there was making Takemichi nervous.
Once he arrived at his job. Takemichi let out a sigh when he got out of his car. He looked at his destination then walked inside.
“Good morning.” He greeted the manager, who was at the front desk.
“Good morning to you too, Hanagaki.” The manager stared at the new employee and was surprised to wear a mask. “Well, whatever makes you comfortable.”
The manager didn’t mind since the jail can be a scary place to work.
“Let me run you through your job.” The manager explained the details as they walked through the cells.
Takemichi has never been here, so it was nerve-wracking. All eyes were on him as he walked beside the manager. He noticed that many criminals were locked up. It was scary, but Takemichi stayed calm as they walked along.
“The criminals here do things on their own, so try to ignore it.”
“What do you mean by that?” Takemichi asked.
“You will find out after working here for a while. I suggest you not talk to these people since they are dangerous even if they are behind bars.”
“Yea, I wouldn’t want to either,” Takemichi said.
“Let me show you the reports now.”
The manager walked off first. As Takemichi was about to, he stopped when he felt somebody staring at him. Takemichi looked up and deadly pitch-black piercing eyes. Takemichi recognized him even though he looked different, with his hair being longer and back to black.
“Hanagaki, are you coming?”
“Yes.”
Takemichi hurriedly walked away from those piercing eyes.
“Kenchin, it looks like it's going to be fun around here.” He smirked.
“What are you talking about?”
“We have a new strange work.”
“Mikey, why are you always interested in such things?” He sighed.
“Because I don’t like being here.”
Unlike Mikey, Draken didn’t care about it much.
The taller man touched his stomach and remembered he had a hole there before.
“Why do you always look there?”
“It reminds me how that person saved me.”
“That high school student saved you only to end in jail.”
“Still, I’m alive because of him.” Draken smiled.
Mikey didn’t like how Draken felt.
At noon, the police guards came and let the men out of their cells and took them to lunch.
Mikey and Draken sat with their usual group.
“Did you guys see that new worker?” Baji straight up started the conversation.
“The one with that strange mask,” Mitsuya said.
“Could hardly hear him when he was speaking with that manager,” Kazutora mentioned, noticing it, and he’s the type that has good ears.
“Is Emma coming to visit you today?” Draken asked, looking at Mikey.
“Not today. Yesterday Enma ranted about things that I didn’t want to hear. Of course, Emma would blame me.”
They got their food from the guards. It was the same meal mashed potatoes today.
“Hey, guard. Who’s that new worker?” Mikey asked.
“Oh, that new guy. I haven’t met him yet, so I don’t know.” Mikey was annoyed that this stupid police guard didn’t know anything.
“Chifuyu, you been quiet.” Baji noticed.
“Ah, I just thought he seems familiar, but I can’t figure out why?” Chifuyu didn’t even know why he felt this way.
“Is that so?” Baji didn’t know anybody but that one person that Chifuyu was close to, but he betrayed them.
“That guy,” Mikey said. He remembers those beautiful blue eyes that shined. He had pretty cute too, and Mikey was attracted to him. They spoke only a few times.
The only reason Mikey knew of him was that Chifuyu attended the same high school as him.
“Didn’t he have a girlfriend?” Mikey started getting upset all of a sudden. “Ah, I want to see him.”
“I would think that he would come to visit since Chifuyu and he was friends,” Mitsuya said.
“But he hasn’t,” Chifuyu said. “Why would he since seeing me kill somebody?”
Lunch ended, and everybody went back to their cells.
*****
Takemichi was alone at the front desk. He was doing the reports that his manager had explained. In a little bit, he had to check the lists of the inmates and alone. He was glad that he was wearing this mask or would feel worse.
Takemichi didn’t wear the mask when he did his reports since there was no point. He could relax for a bit when he was doing the reports.
“look at the time.” Takemichi felt like dying. He picked up his mask and wore it, and grabbed the checklist.
Takemichi walked through the cells and checked each one. It was quiet, and it made it worse. There were stares, but none of them talked to him, and he was glad for it.
The young man stopped at one particular cell. There was somebody he knew well in there. His hair was entirely black now, and he still had those earrings.
“Chifuyu.” He whispered.
Takemichi checked his list and was about to walk away.
“Why did you call my name?” The voice that called out was Chifuyu.
“I’m just saying the names of all the criminals.” Takemichi tried to knock it off with lies.
“Then why did you say my name in a different matter.”
“I think you just heard wrong.” Takemichi didn’t think his small whisper was heard.
“Chifuyu, what’s going on?” Baji had woken up from the noises of the two talking.
Baji walked near the bar where Chifuyu was.
It was strange seeing the masked figure like this.
“Blue eyes.”
“You.” Chifuyu was about to say something, but Takemichi walked away.
“What’s wrong?” Baji asked his friend.
“This person’s eyes are like his.”
Takemichi continued to the other cells. He finally made it to the last floor. He was checking the cells, and then when he saw them sleeping, he checked it on his list, but then a hand grabbed him. Takemichi looked surprised that he finished from the touch.
The young man stepped away from the cell.
“Why do you wear that mask? It's as if your hiding something.”
Takemichi could tell this man hadn’t changed at all.
“Are you hiding something or from someone.” Mikey was on the mark.
Takemichi's fears got into him. This man was dangerous. Takemichi had to walk away, but why didn’t his feet move.
Takemichi remembers this before when he helped the police take Mikey away. When he was still a teenager, he was stuck on that spot as Mikey glared at him.
“You should go back to sleep.” Takemichi didn’t mean to speak.
“Your voice is cute, so you must be too.”
“Hanagaki, are you okay?” A police guard came, and Takemichi was glad.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“He’s nothing saying anything bad, is he?”
“What am I a bully?” Mikey thought.
“Thank you for your concern.” Even though Mikey couldn’t see it, he could feel that Takemichi was smiling at the guard, and he didn’t like it.
“I’ll take you back since it seems that’s all of the inmates.” The guard guided Takemich out of the area.
“I want to kill that guard.”
“Mikey, if you want to get out, then don’t,” Draken said.
******
Takemichi was done for the evening and was back home. He was exhausted. Takemichi was supposed to stay quiet, but he spoke to Chifuyu and Mikey.
“I feel like Chifuyu almost found out it’s me.” He sighed. “I need to distance myself.”
“Why did I take this job?”
Takemichi’s phone started to ring, and he saw the caller ID.
“Naoto.”
“Hey, how was your first day?”
“Exhausting.”
“I’m sure, but the job pays well, so you should stick to it.”
“Yea. I know.”
“When I’m free, let’s go out for dinner.”
Naoto called to check on how he was doing. He was a good friend.
After the call ended, Takemichi washed up. He was sweating a lot, and the mask made it hot when working.