Chapter Text
August 14, 2003
~Sano Shinichiro was twenty two years old, and he was going to die a virgin.
…I’ve done many amazing things in my life but dating only one girl and her dying in a housefire is not one of them. He thought as his life flashed before his eyes.
At least I’ve done more than an average person would have at my age. He thought in a bittersweet tone.
It must have been his lucky day to stay overnight in his shop working on customizing Manjiro’s birthday present only to have it nearly stolen by two kids.
Wakasa had once said that he was an idiot for even trying to get into any kind of fight when he could barely even throw a punch.
But when Shinichiro saw that it was just some tweens trying to look cool, he thought it would be enough to threaten them with a spare wrench he had and then maybe give them a discount for the next motorbike they bought (legally) as long as they were sorry.
Boy was I wrong about that.
He didn’t know that he would find Baji fucking Keisuke trying to steal a bike that was a gift for his best friend.
Who was the one who reeled Kei-kun into this?! He isn’t the type of person to steal!
Presumably, it was the one who just hit him straight on the head.
If Shinichiro had enough energy to move (and if he could even feel what he was doing) he would have turned over to Keisuke-kun, said not to worry, and probably told Manjiro that he apologized for dying so close to his birthday.
(Manjiro would probably find some kind of way to kick his ass even if he were dead.)
But his body wouldn’t allow any single bit of movement. His head throbbed as he distantly heard the two boys fretting about what they should do.
He heard Keisuke-kun telling the second boy that everything was going to be alright and that it was no one’s fault.
Part of Shinichiro felt bad for what happened. He didn't want his death to stain their conscience with what he assumed was a good deed.
(Because there’s no way in Hell that Keisuke-kun would steal something for himself.)
Another part of him thought about his fellow Black Dragon members, Koko-kun, Inupi-kun, and lastly, Izana.
I hope Izana and Manjiro somehow become friends without me being around, was a lingering thought he had
But there was one person’s name that was stuck in Shinichiro’s head and it wasn’t leaving even though he was slowly losing his senses.
It was cold, but Shinichiro could feel someone’s warmth behind him. He didn’t need to look behind to see who was hugging him so he merely smiled.
“I’m sorry, Waka.”
Darkness engulfed Shinichiro, unknowing that this was the thought that would save his life.
卍
July 4, 2017
Shinichiro heard a bird chirp beside him as he opened up his eyes.
…Huh? How long was I out for? Am I in the hospital?
He couldn’t smell the disinfectant or the sheer odor of how a usual hospital smelled like being used to the smell because of his gang days, nor could he hear the IV beeping beside him like it should be. Shinichiro put a hand on where he was hit to find it completely unharmed. The brown bird sitting on the windowsill tilted its head, as if also asking Shinichiro why he was here. His eyes widened.
Was it a dream? It felt too painful to even think it was a dream.
He sat up and looked around. Shinichiro knew where he was, but it didn’t have the familiar tone that he was used to.
What the Hell happened to my Bike shop?! The motorcycle shop in question was empty and there was a layer of dust all around it. The only furniture left was a large brown table that Koko-kun and Inupi-kun sat on whenever they came to visit, or when Shinichiro needed to place his tools nearby. But even that was full of dust. The bird hopped onto that table leaving it’s footprints scattered everywhere.
Shinchiro scratched his head.
Did Keisuke and that other kid just ditch me? He knew that that possibility couldn't be the case but it was the only assumption he could make.
But that doesn’t explain why my shop is empty and unused.
Shinichiro stood up and nearly missed his step as he started to walk towards the exit. He stumbled his way to the wall, unable to walk properly. The bird was watching him intently.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if I could fly like you? Then I wouldn’t be humiliating myself like this.” Shinichiro’s voice cracked as if he had just woken up from a blissful sleep.
Like his voice hadn’t been used in years.
The only thing he had was his cell phone, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and his wallet in the other pocket. He opened the phone, hoping that it would at least say the date while trying to clear his throat to find his original voice again.
Unfortunately, his phone did not aid him as it said that the date was August 14, 2003. The date he… died passed out on.
That doesn’t make any sense. It was night when Keisuke-kun broke in and now it’s- Shinichiro checked the time- 2:57 pm?
Shinichiro searched inside the shop finding nothing that was important other than a few old polaroid pictures he took during his Black Dragon days. Pocketing those, he stepped out, still getting used to walking.
(Even though he felt like the last time he used his legs was last night.)
Shinichiro took a deep breath of fresh air.
Everything looked the same but it didn’t feel the same… in front of his shop was the apartment complex where, on the third story, lived the friendly lady that sometimes gave him cookies. She was watering her plants as if she had no care in the world.
Nothing has changed or so that was what Shinichiro thought.
Shinichiro squinted, staring at her directly. There was something… off about her.
Since when did she grow grey hair? Has she always worn those round glasses? Shinichiro knew that it was impolite to ask women what age they were (he even drilled it into Manjiro’s idiotic head.) but this was too odd not to notice.
He saw the traits and emotions of people, (it was one of his best qualities, it was also what people looked up to him for.) but he also took note of their physical appearance.
Shinichiro did not remember the friendly lady wearing glasses. Maybe she wore contacts whenever she came and visited his shop?
The former leader walked towards the complex and looked up.
“Excuse me!” He waved towards the lady. She looked down, nearly spilling all the water into the plant.
Did I scare her or something? I’m pretty sure I don’t give off the ‘delinquent’ look anymore. I haven’t looked like one ever since Waka made me change my hairstyle. The memory made him smile from the nostalgia. Even if the love confession was a complete flop, at least more girls came to approach him when he stopped putting his hair into a mohawk.
“I’m sorry!” She yelled back, as if reading Shinichiro’s mind. “I must’ve mistaken you for someone else. What do you need, son?” He nearly took a step back in shock, but because of how bad he was walking before, Shinichiro decided not to.
What does she mean by mistaking me for someone else? My shop is right across from hers! She made cookies yesterday and shared them with Inupi, Koko, Waka and I!
Shinichiro paid no mind to it, trying to get to the main point of his question.
“Can you tell me what the date is?” He asked simply, not wanting her to ask further questions. If only my cell phone was working, I wouldn’t even need to ask her!
The lady smiled.
“It’s July 4th, 2017, son!” She replied. Shinichiro’s eyes widened. His heart was pacing as if he were in a gang battle but the shrill high he got during those battles were nonexistent at the moment.
No way! I time traveled?! Holy shit. But how does that even work?! I thought I died!
Trying not to get the lady concerned, Shinichiro gulped as he faked a smile. He thanked the lady for telling him and walked to the corner of the street. He leaned on a telephone pole and with shaking hands, he took out a cigarette and lit it in one go.
Inhaling the smoke did not calm him down like it usually did as his mind was rushing with thoughts.
No wonder she had grey hair! I travelled fourteen years into the future! Shinichiro pinched himself to see if he was dreaming or not.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream.
“But how did this even happen?!” He used his other hand to pull his hair back. The heat wasn’t helping as it was peak summer season. Sweat was trailing off from Shinichiro’s forehead even though he was only outside for a few minutes.
“Wait, what am I doing in the future if I’m not running SS Motors?!” The people passing by the former gang leader wondered if the man was insane or was an escapee from a mental asylum as Shinchiro pointed to himself.
I mean, maybe I got a bigger store? But it’s not like me to leave such a crucial meeting spot for neutral meetings between gangs. With that thought, Shinichiro realized something crucial. He threw away some of the ash into an ashtray near a trashcan next to the phonepole he was leaning on.
Shit. If I meet my future self then I’m screwed. Is it gonna be like in the movies where if I see my future self we both disintegrate…? He threw away the cigarette butt in the trash when another thought came into his head.
At least if I’m here now it means that I didn't die back then. He shrugged to himself.
Shinichiro needed some help figuring this out. He had to see what happened, why was he even here in the first place. A name popped into his head.
(The name that saved him from dying-)
Waka would probably be at his gym at this time. Maybe I can go there and ask him what was going on?
After finishing up his smoke, Shinichiro made his way to the train station, hoping that in fourteen years, Wakasa hadn't changed where his gym was.
卍
When Shinichiro went down the stairs to the underground train station, he noticed that it was eerily empty for such a busy time of day. Shinichiro checked the time.
3:42 pm
Shouldn’t there be a rush for the people going on the four o'clock train? It’s nearing work hours. Shinichiro thought this was getting too odd for his own good.
Coming down to the final step, Shinichiro realized that his rail pass for the train had probably expired considering that it was fourteen years old.
Slowly approaching the scanner, Shinichiro took his pass out of his pocket and tried to scan it.
There wasn’t even a buzzer that said that the pass had expired. Shinichiro made a sound that resembled a ‘tsk..’
Stupid future technology. He kicked the scanner slightly.
I don’t think I have enough money to buy a new pass. My motorcycle license is expired as well so they won’t even believe my ID. He sighed, looking at the bars that were in between him and the train that he desperately needed to get to in order to get some answers.
Usually, in these kinds of situations, Waka, Benkei or Omi would be at his side giving out the ideas whenever he didn’t. (It was part of the reason why he wanted to see Waka so badly.)
After Shinichiro disbanded the Black Dragons, he had no idea where Takeomi went. All he said was that he didn't want to stop living the gang life. Shinichiro tried to stop him, but he reckoned that he was too drunk in the praise that he was given when they ran the Black Dragons.
Takeomi left long enough for Wakasa to start taking care of Senju. Shinichiro wasn't sure if Takeomi came back in the year he was in now but he hoped that he of the future and Takeomi became friends once again and apologized to Senju for leaving her for so many years.
A lightbulb rang in his head when he got his own idea.
He looked around once, then twice. It was still surprisingly empty.
I’ve been in a gang before! It’s not unlike me to do illegal things like this! Shinichiro thought, trying to change his thoughts around.
Shinichiro smirked as he jumped over the bars, feeling the thrill of doing something illegal, even if it was something as small as this.
Once a delinquent, always a delinquent as Benkei always says.
Cleaning some invisible dust from his pants, Shinichiro continued forward towards the train. He found himself pushing through the crowd into the front.
No wonder there was no one at the rail pass! They all came early!
“Oh! I’m sorry!” A man said as Shinichiro bumped into him by mistake. He waved the man off.
“Oh no, it’s alright! I was the one who bumped into you.” Shinichiro waved him off. The man laughed sheepishly as if he was used to this behavior.
The former leader tilted his head.
Wait a minute… The man next to him had curly black hair and sky blue eyes.
Have I seen you before? Shinichiro wondered. That’s an odd combination for a hair and eye combination.
For some reason, a name came into his mind with the face of a child.
“Are you alright, Mister?” The child asked inside his thoughts.
Hanagaki Takemichi-kun…? Is it really him? Shinichiro didn’t know why, but he felt like he needed to know if this really was the child he met in the park so long ago.
“It is now 3:58 pm, the 4:00 train is now approaching the station. Please stand behind the yellow line.” The intercom announced with a female voice at the same time, Shinichiro asked,
“Excuse me, are you-” His voice was cut off when suddenly, someone pushed Takemichi from behind towards the oncoming train.
Usually, in these kinds of situations, one goes into a fight or flight situation, Shinichiro was a fighter. He would never run from the gang battles he used to be in, nor the fights the Weak King knew he would lose in.
Shinichiro reached out for Takemichi’s right hand and pulled him back to his chest, almost falling in the process.
The man was unconscious, presumably from shock.
“Takemichi kun?! Wake up!” Shinichiro yelled. He shook him slightly, hoping it would wake him up.
What should I do? What should I-
All he did was blink and Takemichi wasn’t in his lap anymore. Shinichiro was in the back of the crowd once again.
Huh? What the Hell happened? He turned to the clock on the side of the wall.
3:54?! Did I go back in time? Shinichiro sighed as he tried to get back to the front of the crowd.
This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder. If I find out that I’m in a coma and this is just my mind making up this bullshit, I might as well-
Shinichiro felt a sudden deja vu when he bumped into Takemichi again.
“Oh I’m sorry!” He apologized with the same bow. As if he wasn’t controlling himself, Shinichiro waved his hands in modesty again.
“Oh no, it’s alright! I was the one who bumped into you.” His lips spoke for him even though that wasn’t what he wanted to say.
What the fuck is going on?! Am I going to be stuck in this time loop forever? He thought in exasperation.
Shinichiro’s thoughts were so deep, he almost didn't notice the second time Takemichi was pushed down the tracks.
“TAKEMICHI-kun!” He yelled out this time. But this time, another person grabbed his hand as the train’s emergency brake was turned on. A man with neat black hair fell with the man in question as he grabbed onto Takemichi.
“I need someone to help me!” The man ordered. Shinichiro took it upon himself to pull both the man and Takemichi up.
“I got you both!”
“Thanks.” He said as another person took out a stretcher to put Takemichi in. They shipped him to the back room. As the man was leaving to see how Takemichi was, Shinichiro followed.
The man turned around.
“Do you know the man that was pushed?” He asked.
Shit. How do I say that he once consoled me on my twentieth rejection when he was a kid and when I was in a gang?
“Kinda? I mean, if a guy was pushed right in front of me I have to see if he’s alright right?”
What I’m more surprised about is that I didn’t go back in time again. That means I’m not in a time loop.
The man narrowed his eyes.
“May I ask what your name is, and your id please?” Shinichiro’s heart skipped a beat.
They might think I’m a criminal if I show my expired license!
“What gives you any right to ask for my ID?” Shinichiro hated the people who acted in the attitude that he was acting in, but he had no choice. He had to get to Wakasa to ask what was going on!
(And even then, Shinichiro wasn’t sure if Waka even knew.)
“I’m Detective Tachibana and I’m assigned to the Toman case. If you are affiliated with it in any way and with this, I’ll have to take you in for questioning.” Shinichiro couldn't believe what he had just heard that parted on the detective's mouth. His head went left, then right. He squinted his eyes.
“Toman? Toman?! You mean the Tokyo Manji Gang right?! The middle school gang? How did it get that big?!” Worry filled Shinichiro's heart.
His baby brother?
Manjiro?
The one who slept with a blanket even at twelve years old?
That Manjiro?!
A c riminal?
It was something he wished for as a nightmare and hoped to wake up for a much better event than this one.
What did Manjiro do in these fourteen years? Where am I to stop him!? Shinichiro didn't want to think of what happened or what Manjiro did.
Those kids were as genuine as we were! ‘We’ was referring to his friends in the First Generation Black Dragons.
Tachibana looked at him confused.
“Toman is more than a mid school gang now. How do you not know it? The name brings fear in every civilian!” Suddenly, he had a look of realization.
“-Unless.” He put a hand on his chin. Shinichiro’s eyebrows furrowed as he echoed the word.
“Unless?”
Tachibana nodded.
“Show me your id. I need to confirm something.” He had his hand out. Shinichiro looked at the hand and sighed.
He really had no choice did he?
“I don't know why this has to do with anything.” He took his wallet out of his pocket and gave Tachibana his license. After reading it, he looked at Shinichiro once again.
“Can you come with me please?” He inquired. But Shinichiro just wanted to get to Wakasa as fast as possible!
“I actually have to-”
“It will be quick. I promise.” Wanting to know some more answers, Shinichiro followed Tachibana. He went into the same room where Takemichi was lying in. There was a curtain covering him but Shinichiro could see his black hair near the wall. An IV was connected to his hand.
Inside, Tachibana opened up his bag and took out his laptop. Shinchiro leaned by the wall on the edge of the room, tapping his foot anxiously.
On Tachibana’s screen, he took out Shinichiro’s information.
“I knew it.” Tachibana said to himself. “Sano-san, can you come here for a second?” Seeing as Tachibana did not apprehend him with handcuffs once he found Shinichiro’s information or did not ask him why he had a fourteen year old expired license on him, he carried himself to the detective.
“Look at this.” He showed Shinichiro the laptop. He held it with one hand.
“What’s wrong…?” Shinichiro scanned the screen. On the corner of the bright page was the same picture he had on his id.
What…? How come they haven’t updated my picture? Isn’t my future self’s picture supposed to be on here? Why is it mine? It was fourteen years for crying out loud! They could change the system for the railway pass and they couldn’t change Shinichiro’s id picture?
Or… Shinichiro thought darkly. Quickly, he read through the information to see if his suspicions were right or wrong.
Name: Sano Shinichiro
Son of: Sano Satoshi and Sano Akari
Birthday: 1 August, 1980
Date of Death: 14 August, 2003
Age of Death: 22 Years Old
Cause of Death: Blunt Force to the Head
Murdered By: Hanemiya Kazutora (12 y/o) (Deceased)
Shinichiro nearly dropped the laptop in shock. A cold sweat dropped from his forehead as he reread the documents yet again, to make sure that he wasn’t reading wrong. After rechecking more than five times, Shinichiro wordlessly gave the laptop back to the detective. A part of him was in denial despite seeing the evidence right there.
“S-so that means I died back then?!” Tachibana took out a chair for the ‘dead’ adult to sit on. He sat in front of him silently, waiting for the initial shock to wear off.
I really did die at the bike shop that day. Whoever Keisuke-kun was with… Kazutora-kun… got me in!
It wasn’t the fact that Shinichiro found out that he was dead for the past fifteen years, he felt bad for Kazutora. He must’ve been the same age as Keisuke and Shinichiro burdened him with murder at such a young age. He looked at the detective -who still had a passive face- in confusion.
“Wait, you have no reaction at all that I’m dead and I’m here right now. Do you know what’s going on?” Shinichiro asked. Tachibana sighed.
“First, I would like to formally introduce myself as we are going to be working with each other for a while.” He stood up and took out his hand.
“My name is Tachibana Naoto and my sister died in a Toman conflict.” Shinichiro still could not believe that his baby brother became a corrupted leader like this!
What made him change? Just because I died doesn’t mean he would fall that low! What happened to his friends? Izana?! Wouldn’t they band together if I die?! Shinichiro always was an optimist, (he had to be.) he didn’t know what really happened in the fourteen years that passed by.
“I’m Sano Shinichiro, but you can call me Shin if you want. I’m… Manjiro’s older brother.” The two shook hands and sat back down. Shinichiro crossed his legs.
“So you know what happened?” He asked. Naoto nodded as he explained what happened.
When Takemichi was pushed off the train the first time, he time leaped twelve years back into the past and shook hands with Naoto after discussing about a man who tried to help him out.
That explained why I went back in time a few minutes with Naoto-kun saving Takemichi-kun instead of me. The timeline changed. Shinichiro realized as the young detective was telling the former leader everything that happened.
“You must’ve been the man Takemichi-kun was talking about twelve years ago.” Naoto thought out loud. Shinichiro nodded.
“But that doesn’t explain how I time leaped. There was no one to shake my hand.” Naoto put a hand on his chin.
“Takemichi-kun time leaped right when he was about to die the first time he was pushed. The Takemichi-kun that you saved most likely died before you even saved him. So possibly when you died, you came forward in time as well? But since you don’t have a handshake to trigger anything, I don’t think you can go back to the past. Especially considering you died back then and not now.” Shinichiro expected it but he didn’t want to hear it nonetheless.
“I guess that would explain it.” He sighed.
“Did you have any thoughts before you died to trigger anything?” Naoto inquired. “Takemichi-kun said that he thought about my sister as he died.”
Shinichiro thought back, trying not to flinch when thinking about the pain.
Did I think about anything…?
A face appeared in his mind. A man with light blonde hair and a lollipop in his mouth.
Shinichiro turned crimson.
Fuck! Takemichi-kun thought about his girlfriend and I think about Waka?! That’s what triggered it?
I’ve been rejected twenty one times and then I think about my best friend while Takemichi-kun thinks about the only love he has ever had!
Shinichiro was definitely conflicted about the situation at hand. If Naoto wasn’t here at the moment, he would be crying his eyes out.
“Always a crybaby aren’t you, Shin-chan?” A voice rang in his head.
Stop thinking about Waka! It’s not helping your case! He almost slapped his own face to try and get himself back to normal.
“I knew it!” Naoto broke Shinichiro’s thoughts. “With the look on your face, that means that you thought about someone as well!” He narrowed his eyes.
“I would rather not say who I was thinking about…” He trailed off. Naoto nodded in understanding.
The two turned their eyes to Takemichi, who was still unconscious.
“You said that you needed to go somewhere, right? Just give me your phone number and I’ll call you when Takemichi-kun wakes up. Then, we can all discuss what to do next.” Naoto reasoned. Oh yeah. I almost forgot I was going to see Waka before all of this. Shinichiro almost took his phone out of his pocket but then realized,
“I don’t think my phone works. I mean, I haven’t paid the bill for fourteen years…” Naoto sighed.
“Then how can I keep in contact with you?” He asked. Shiniciro took out his phone and opened up his contacts. On the top was Wakasa’s phone number. (But only because he was Shinichiro’s emergency contact! There was no other reason why!)
“I’m going to visit my friend. Here’s his phone number. If he didn’t change his number in all of the time that has passed, then that’s good for us!” Shinichiro then told the detective which gym Waka worked in in case he did change his number.
(And if that changed as well, then the former Black Dragons leader knew he was fucked.)
Naoto noted everything down in his computer.
“I’ll pull some strings to make some proper ID for yourself so that you can get a job and a train pass. I can only imagine how you passed by with your old one.” Shinichiro chuckled sheepishly.
“You’re telling that to an ex-delinquent. What more do you expect from me?” He deadpanned. Naoto rolled his eyes. He lended Shinichiro his train pass and said that he’ll also get him a new phone as well.
Shinichiro thanked the man as he went his way back to try and get on the 5:00 train.
As he was standing, all the things he had just learned were spinning in his head and one final thought came into his mind before he stepped onto the train.
How the FUCK am I supposed to meet Waka when he thinks that I’ve been dead for fourteen years!