Chapter Text
“I would be safe if I don’t open the shop tomorrow also. I need to get out of this situation fast. Damn it!!! How the hell I even got into this mess.” You were muttering to yourself frantically and pacing up and down in your room. You close your eyes and hold your head in your hands. What should you do? There should be some or the other way to get out of this situation. You looked out of your bedroom window, it was dark outside. You could see no one in the alley. You sighed and looked at your clock. It was half past ten.
Was there anyone with whom you can seek help? You were raking your brains but none came to mind. Since it’s been only two months that you have been residing in Tokyo you had made no friends. Calling your parents would probably mean only worrying them to no end, they might even end up calling you back to your hometown if it was a question about your safety. Maybe you were overthinking about it. Maybe the matter was not as big as you were making it in your mind.
There was only one way to know. You pick up your phone and call a certain person.
“Hello, chifuyu kun?” you had thought deeply over the matter and decided to call Chifuyu.
“Ohh..Hello Y/N chan.” A voice from the other end spoke but it was not chifuyu’s.” It’s kazutora. I am sorry but chifuyu is busy with a delivery.” You instantly feel your mood lighten up. How can someone’s voice have such an effect on you? You hesitate “ kazutora kun..Umm..I need to speak to you and chifuyu kun about something. “
“Are you okay Y/N chan. You sound worried. What happened?” asks kazutora sensing tension in your voice. ” You never called chifuyu back after reaching. He tried to call you but your phone was switched off.”
“Kazutora kun..can I come to your shop tomorrow first thing in the morning? I would like to discuss everything there” you respond shifting uncomfortably but you were happy to hear concern for you in his voice.
“This is not something to ask about Y/N chan. You can come anytime you want. And if anything is serious we can pick you up right now.” He replies good naturedly. “No it’s nothing to worry about , I will visit you tomorrow in the morning. Thank you so much. Talking to you definitely calmed me down. You are a nice person kazutora kun.” You reply smiling, forgetting that he cannot see you. You can feel kazutora being flustered on the other end of the call. ”But I did nothing”. He mutters confusedly.
“Your voice was enough kazutora kun. So I guess i will meet you and chifuyu tomorrow.” You reply, all your worries leaving you. And what was that sudden confidence in your voice.
Your love for bikes had somehow connected you to them and especially to Kazutora Hanemiya.
“Huhh..? What?” kazutora was stunned. You giggled at his hushed response.
*******
After disconnecting the call, kazutora felt uneasy. He starts thinking about whether he should have forced you a little about the matter you were concerned about. You literally sounded worried to him when he initially picked up your call. You sounded scared. Should he call you back? But you said everything was fine. What should he do? Why was he thinking about you so much. It’s not like that he knows you exactly. And what was that comment about his voice. He should better calm down he thought.
He had met you just once. But still somehow you reminded him of someone, someone he used to look up to and admired.
Suddenly a black coloured cat with sharp fangs jumps from the counter and sits between his legs. Kazutora bends down and strokes the cat’s hair. ”It’s time for your nap Peke. Let’s make you comfortable so that you can sleep peacefully.”
You would be coming to the shop again tomorrow and the thought made him smile.
*******
Chifuyu looks up as the doorbell of the shop chimes. “Good Morning Y/N chan. How are you? “. He hurries towards you from behind the counter. “Good morning chifuyu kun”. You greet him back.” Are you alright Y/N chan, kazutora told me about your call when I came back from the delivery, since it was pretty late I thought you might be asleep.” He looks at you with concern. ”I am sorry to barge in like this early in the morning but I needed to discuss something with you and kazutora kun. Umm…Where is he?” the moment you finish your question about kazutora’s whereabouts he comes out of the room from behind the counter. “Good Morning Y/N chan” he greets you. Before you can reply to his gesture he continues coming to a halt near chifuyu “You okay Y/N chan? You sounded scared last night.”
You hesitate, but now was not the time for that so you take a deep breath and fix your eyes on the black cat sitting on the counter “That’s what I want to talk to you both about. Do anyone of you know about a gang named Bonten?” you ask frowning looking down at your intertwined fingers kept on table. Kazutora and chifuyu freeze. chifuyu was the one to ask first ”What about bonten?”
“I have heard somewhere that it is Japan’s largest criminal gang.” You murmur and pause for a moment to turn your gaze towards them. “There are these two people who came to my shop once to get their bike set right , I think it was just before chifuyu’s bike. I saw a hanafuda mark on their bike which unfortunately was the mark of bonten members. I came to know about that mark a while back through news.” You said panicking again at the thought of the memory.
“Did they do anything to you?” asked chifuyu , definitely horrified about what you were going to say next.
“Not at that time.” You whispered and looked down. “But they have been following me since then.”
Chifuyu and kazutora exchanged dark looks. “But did they do anything to you?” Chifuyu again emphasized on the same question.
“They cornered me when I was returning home from your shop. But somehow I managed to get away. Luckily a police van was passing outside the alley in which they cornered me. They got scared and I ran away from there. And and… I kneed and punched the man in the face who was holding me.” Your chest was rising and falling with deep breaths of pure terror. “You did what??” chifuyu cries out. “Please help me” you said panic stricken.
Nobody spoke.
After a while It was kazutora who spoke first “You need to get out of there Y/N chan”. “Get out of where?” you ask half confused half scared.
“I mean your apartment. Leave your apartment right now. You are not safe there”. Kazutora’s voice was bold leaving no room for confusion. ”But where will I go and what about my shop?” you ask frowning.
“You can return to your hometown or you can to any other city. Just leave Tokyo.” Kazutora says. “ But i dont want to go back. I have my business here and there is a lot of hard work invested in it plus i don’t want to worry my family.” You reply frowning your eyebrows.
“You can live here on the second floor in kazutora’s room till this is over. He will shift with me in my room”. This time it was chifuyu who spoke. “ This way you can continue your work after a while. But remember you need to lay low for sometime.”
“But..but..” you stammer. “There is no time for discussion. You can decide after coming back here.” kazutora swiftly picks up the key from the bowl kept in the corner of the counter and looks at you. ”We will explain you later, first get inside the car we need to move. NOW. HURRY.” He emphasises on the last two words.
“But why here, why not somewhere else in this town.” You ask frowning at kazutora. “Because we are the only one’s who can save you. Bonten is more than dangerous, its heinous. You need to be with us if you are not going back to your family. Now please Y/N chan. Do as kazutora says. You do trust us right?” Chifuyu pleads you.
Well obviously you trusted them. You had talked to chifuyu for a whole week while you were modifying his bike as you needed to discuss about the parts that you were replacing. He was definitely a good man.
“Y/N chan, come on. We need to get there fast.” Kazutora rushes over to the car. You hurry behind him.
“I am scared kazutora kun.” You blurt out while pinning your seat belt. “Is it so serious that I need to change my damn apartmen?”. “ Well if they are gang members and that also Bonten than it is. I understand that you are scared. But please remain calm. We will think of something and you are safe with me and chifuyu.” He smiles at you reassuringly while driving the car.
Kazutora stops the car outside your street to check whether anyone was following you . Once he was sure that nobody did he tells you to get out of the car and you both hurry inside the premises of a two story house. The house was surrounded by a boundary wall.
You both hurry towards your apartment which was on the second floor.
It’s been only few months since you started residing in this city therefore you only had things of basic necessity in your apartment. Surprisingly everything fitted in just three medium sized boxes.
You both carried the boxes to the car. After keeping them safely on the backseat you tell kazutora that you are going inside one more time to check whether you left anything behind. As you entered the boundary, kazutora pulls your hand from back and pushes you against the boundary wall still inside the premises so that anyone outside the house would not be able see you both.
“What the...??!!”.Your head bumped a bit against the wall. “shusshh...”.kazutora murmurs for you to quiet down bringing right index finger to his lips. His other hand on your left side almost caging you in. His lips were close to your forehead but apparently he was not aware of it. He was trying to listen intently. Your heart started beating frantically at your close proximity with kazutora but instead you tried to focus on listening too. And then you heard.
Two men were talking to each other. They were passing by your house but suddenly their sound of footsteps stop. “Whose car is this?” A heavy voice spoke. You knew that voice. It was of the same man who cornered you day before yesterday in the alley. Your eyes widened with fear. His voice sent shivers down your body. Kazutora looked at your face sensing tension in your body. “ Its okay Y/N. I am here.” He whispered near your ear pressing your head closer to his body with his right hand. “Nobody is going to do anything to you”. You hold his jacket tightly with both of your hands. It made you feel safe.
“This the same house you told me. Sure she lives here?” They even know your house. You agitated uncomfortably and tighten your grip on kazutora’s jacket. Suddenly a gush of wind passes you both and at that moment you inhale kazutora’s scent. You blushed. His scent was doing things to you. Sensing your gaze at him, kazutora looks down at you. Both your eyes meet. The transition of your face colour from pink to scarlet was fast. Slowly kazutora raised his right hand and tucked away a single flick softly behind your ear that was ruffling on your face due to the wind moving past you. His eyes were gentle.
“I have asked around. The owner of this house is out of city. We can come at night. She might have someone over right now.” The man on the other side of the boundary murmured. “ Going inside right now would be dangerous. If only that bitch had opened her store today...” But he did not speak any further. “Let’s go.”
Both of you waited with baited breaths for them to go. After a while when Kazutora felt that those two man had gone he stepped back from you and asked “Are you ok?”. You let go of his jacket and said in a hushed tone “ Yes I am fine. Thank you.” Though you were still scared, but kazutora’s presence there with you was dimming the effect of fear.
Kazutora looked over the boundary wall and gestured you to move slowly. As nothing was left behind in your apartment you both hurry back to the car and kazutora starts the car.
“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there.” Kazutora says calmly. “You made me feel safe.” You reply looking at kazutora. A Little pink creeps on his face. The drive to the pet shop was a silent one. And somehow you did not feel frightened at all. And it had everything to do with Kazutora Hanemiya beside you.