Chapter Text
Takemichi pushes his bangs out of his eyes and munches on the remainder of his lollipop.
"Maybe it's time to get a haircut," he mumbles.
He quietly opens the door of the dojo, just wide enough to poke his head into the room, and looks for Mikey among the group of Toman members that's seated in a circle on the floor.
Unfortunately, Mikey is not in the room.
Takemichi frowns and clicks his tongue. 'Where did he go?'
"Hey, who are you?" demands a boy with really puffy hair and a smile that looks more menacing than friendly. His words bring everyone's attention to the figure standing at the door.
Takemichi stares blankly at smiley face, not uttering a single word, and smiley face stares back with thinning patience.
"I asked you a question!" he growls.
Takemichi blinks once, twice, then finally says, "Umm...I'm looking for Mikey. Do y-"
"That doesn't answer my question!"
"Oh, right...I'm-"
A voice laced with disbelief interrupts the introduction. "Takemitchy!? Is that you?"
Said boy looks at the owner of the voice and scrutinizes the person's appearance. It doesn't take long for his face to light up with recognition. "Kei-kun?!" he exclaims.
The higher ups of Toman watch in surprise as the two boys happily rush towards each other and have a tight embrace.
Everyone exchanges confused looks before turning back to the chirpy duo.
"When did you get back?" Baji asks eagerly.
"Last night," Takemichi beams, practically vibrating with excitement. "I really missed you guys. I missed home."
"Well, we missed you too, Mitchy." Baji's expression becomes a little somber as he continues, "Are you...?"
Takemichi nods furiously, immediately understanding what his friend wants to ask, and replies, "Mhm! I'm here to stay, Kei-kun! I'm not going back!"
Baji sighs a breath of relief and grins. "I'm glad."
"Oh, by the way, where's Mikey? Gramps wants him to do something for him."
"He and Draken went out to get more snacks."
Takemichi tilts his head to the side curiously. "Draken?...Oh, he's that really tall guy with the dragon tattoo, right? The one Mikey calls 'Ken-chin?'"
Baji hums in confirmation. "Yeah, just don't call him that to his face, though," he advises. "He hates it, but you know how stubborn Mikey is."
Takemichi chuckles sheepishly and scratches his cheek. "Ah, I'll keep that in mind, thanks. Anyway, I'd love to stay, but I don't wanna keep Emma waiting. I'll come back to see you later." He turns to the others who have been silently watching the interaction and awkwardly nods, then walks out of the dojo.
"...Who was that, Baji-san?" inquires Chifuyu as soon as the door is shut.
"He's Mikey's little brother, Takemichi."
"..."
"..."
Chaos quickly unfolds.
"What?!"
"Huh?"
"Wait, what?"
"Brother??"
"Mikey has a younger brother?"
"There's another Sano?"
"Wow!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Woah!"
"How many siblings does he have at this point?"
"I wonder if he acts like Mikey."
"If he's anything like Mikey, I'm sure Draken will ride his bike into a wall!"
Someone loudly asks a question over all the commotion. "How come we've never seen or heard of him before?" It's Pah-chin.
Everyone quiets down and looks at Baji expectantly.
"He went to go stay with his aunt in China after he and Mikey's mom died. It was really tough for him, so I guess he wanted to escape for a while." Baji sighs and continues, "Plus, Takemitchy is someone who's very emotional, and Mikey is really protective of him since he easily gets hurts. You guys should've seen the way he acted on the day Takemitchy had to leave. I doubt he's gonna introduce you guys to his little brother, 'specially since he's finally got him back."
All of the boys sit in silence as they allow their brains to soak up Baji's words.
It's truly a day full of surprises.
A couple of minutes go by, and the group hears quick footsteps approaching the dojo. The door bursts open to reveal Mikey and Draken carrying multiple bags filled with snacks.
"Commander!" shouts Peh-yan right off the bat, barely giving the other teen enough time to enter the room. "Why didn't you tell us that you have a younger brother?"
"Idiot, I literally just told you why," Baji says with a sigh.
Mikey steps closer to the group with a raised brow and downturned lips. "How do you guys know about Takemitchy?"
Souya opens a pack of chips that Draken gave him and answers, "He came in here earlier looking for you."
Mikey opens his mouth to speak, but Draken interrupts him. "Wait! A little brother?!" He sounds and looks exasperated.
"Yeah, he's about as small as Mikey, but much more adorable," Kazutora bluntly states as he opens his bottle of ramune.
Mikey shots him an offended look. "Hey!"
"Don't worry," Mitsuya chuckles, turning to Draken. "They don't look anything alike, and from what Baji said, they're completely different in character."
Draken sighs, half relieved, and sits on the floor beside Mitsuya. "Good," he says. "As long as he's nothing like Mikey or Izana, all is well."
Mikey pouts like a displeased five-year-old and dramatically crosses his arms over his chest. "What's that supposed to mean, Ken-chin? Why are you so mean to me?" he whines.
"You're annoying, that's what! And stop calling me that! How many times do I have to tell you the same thing, Mikey?"
"But what's wrong with 'Ken-chin'? It's such a nice name!" the shorter argues.
Draken sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, ignoring the titters from the others around him. 'Yeah,' he thinks wearily, 'one version of Mikey is more than enough.'