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Takemichi thought it would be easy. The solution for Kisaki not becoming a problem was simple – don’t let him fall in love with Hinata. Befriending him was the first step, but even Mikey could tell that it didn't work like it should.
"He is jealous" Mikey pointed out. His finger was directed at Kisaki, who was sitting on the bench, far away from other kids on the playground watching Hinata.
"This is not working as we wanted it to…" Takemichi felt the old stress resurfacing again. The jealousy played a big part in Kisaki's hatred in any timeline. If it's already appearing then our efforts might go to waste.
"Ugh, what should we do?"
"Hey, wasn't there a blonde girl hanging around Kisaki?" Mikey looked around, as if said girl was to appear out of nowhere.
"Hey, you're right!" Takemichi recalled the somehow shy blonde that was usually seen by Kisaki's or Hanma's side. Nobody truly knew what was her deal, not during their teenage years at least.
Takemichi learned who she was in each timeline when he was coming back to his adulthood. He didn't see her in the timelines before and right after saving Draken, but in the next where he was in the Tokyo Manji Gang he met her. She wasn't blonde there anymore, her hair dyed in a light red color. She was chilling in the room Kisaki took him and Chifuyu to, a book in hand, cigarette in the other.
At the sound of the doors opening she immediately looked away from the book, her features brightening at the sight of Kisaki. She noticed him and Chifuyu as well. She closed the book.
"Ayumi, I have to ask you to leave" Kisaki said, his tone different. It was actually carrying a foreign warmth.
Her name was Ayumi.
The woman put the cigarette between her lips, stood up and said: "Have fun, darling" before she send Takemichi and Chifuyu an apologetic look, leaving. Just as the doors closed, Takemichi could hear her warmly welcoming Hanma, but what caught his attention was how she and Kisaki spoke to each other. Not only that, but he could swear he saw weddings rings on their fingers.
In the next timeline, where Kisaki was supposed to be dead, he met her a few times. She was the blonde he saw in the past, but her character was different. Somehow lost, aloof and scared. Naoto told him about her just after Takemichi came back to the present and told him about Izana and Tenjiku. Thanks to Naoto’s work, Takemichi learned where she worked and went to check on her as Naoto advised him. She could have had some important information.
The place she worked at was obscure, a bar for gang members and all delinquents who could pay the prices for alcohol. Takemichi was certainly out of place there, he even felt like it. Striking a conversation with her wasn’t easy, she didn’t want to talk. She seemed to be on constant alert. Only when he triggered her memory of where she could have seen him did Ayumi recognize him. Her memory worked faster than he expected when he mentioned Hinata.
"It's you." Ayumi was looking at him without blinking, her brown eyes gaining that dark shade he started to fear. "You're the reason of his sick jealousy and the cause of why he killed Emma."
It was as if opening an old wound he shouldn't have. Ayumi blamed him for everything, mainly for her decision that led to the break up many years ago.
"I loved… No." She poured him the drink he ordered. "I love Kisaki. He was… is the person I care about the most."
"How come?"
Ayumi's gaze could kill, Takemichi could tell as much. He gulped, but stood his ground, he didn't flinch.
"I fell in love with him, as simple as that. You should know the feeling, Takemichi."
Ayumi didn't want to dwell on the topic, she kindly asked him to leave after he’s done with his drink and he did.
Now, as the memories flew to his mind, he grabbed Mikey's wrist. "We have to find her!"
Mikey tilted his head. "Is she that important? That was only a suggestion."
"She is!" Takemichi shouted. "She's the missing piece of the puzzle!”
Mikey smiled, trusting Takemichi's judgment.
It was easier said than done. Takemichi didn't know where Ayumi lived, neither could he remember the surname she gave him when she introduced herself to him in the bar. The situation was dire, they had to find her. A month passed and Ayumi seemed as if she didn’t exist in this timeline at all.
"It's impossible…" Takemichi thought out loud. "How can one girl disappear so suddenly when I know she exists out there somewhere?"
"Takemichi!" The boy turned around. Mikey was running to him with a grin across his face. "I've found her!" He stopped, waving his hand, gesturing Takemichi to follow him.
They ran to the river, where Ayumi sat on the grass.
"Hi!" Mikey was as outgoing as ever.
Ayumi turned her head to him, confusion written on her face. "Hello." Her voice shy, almost hard to hear.
"Can I join you?"
"Mikey!" Takemichi joined Mikey's side. "We shouldn't approach her that easily."
"Why not?" Mikey had his hands in his sweater's pockets. "She's not scared or anything."
"Umn…" Ayumi interrupted the rest of the conversation. "Will your friend want to join as well?"
Mikey looked at Takemichi, waiting for his response.
"Yeah, if you want us to join you, that is."
Ayumi smiled at them. "Do, I don't have anyone to talk with anyway."
There was loneliness in her voice and soon enough when they started talking, Mikey carrying the conversation as if they were old friends, they learned about her family. About Beika, who didn't have time for her, about her mother Sakuni who was more concerned about her husband and her father, Toshiki who was usually busy with his gang.
"You know…" Takemichi thought of a suggestion. "Would you like to hang out with us?"
"C-Can I?"
Takemichi looked at Mikey, the blonde boy nodded. "Sure, welcome aboard!"
He extended his hand to her, Takemichi did the same. She shook hands with them and when they stood up, they agreed to meet at the playground tomorrow.
Takemichi was nervous the entire day until he saw Ayumi enter the playground the next day. She had a white, puffy sweater on herself, pink skirt that was reaching her knees, white socks and black shoes. "Murayama, over here!" Takemichi yelled in her direction, happiness and calmness spreading through his chest.
She walked to them, greeting them with a very polite "Hello". Hinata joined them, curious about the new girl. They started talking very quickly, completely ignoring Takemichi and Mikey. Takemichi was looking softly at the new friendship blossoming in front of his eyes when Mikey nudged his side.
"Ouch, what was that for?!"
"Look at that." Mikey moved his head, pointing at Kisaki who just appeared. "Our plan worked."
Truth be told, Kisaki arrived at the playground like he promised, but as soon as he wanted to join the small group gathered near the tree, he stopped, his gaze landing on Ayumi.
"Sorry to interrupt you." Mikey said louder to stop the girls from talking. "This is another friend we wanted you to meet."
The moment Ayumi turned to Kisaki it was as if the time stopped for the two. Mikey introduced them, but his voice seemed distant until Ayumi blushed and bowed, shouting: "It's nice to meet you, Kisaki!"
Kisaki felt embarrassed as well, but as he bowed, he said: "Nice to meet you too, Murayama" much quieter.
From this point on, Takemichi and Mikey were only checking on them if everything was going well and in fact, it was going very well.
Not only did Ayumi joined Kisaki on the bench he was usually occupying, she also could be quiet when he was studying, she wasn't bothering him and most importantly, she redirected his focus from Hinata to herself.
Kisaki was actually bothered when she wasn't around, he was waiting for her to appear on the playground and even kept the place on the bench for her. Their meetings grew more frequent, the usual meeting place moved to the river bank as it was nearby their homes.
Once school started, Kisaki quickly figured out that Ayumi wasn't good at math at all. He found her crying when they met at the river bank. It was the first time he grew worried about her.
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm n-not." Ayumi's back was turned to him, but her voice was shaky.
"I can hear your sniffling."
Ayumi sniffled loudly, wiping her tears. She huffed, Kisaki sat next to her on the grass. He could see tears in her eyes.
"I don't understand math at all" she admitted. "I'm trying so hard and nothing makes sense to me."
"Maybe we should…study together?"
Ayumi looked at Kisaki. He wasn't looking at her anymore, his head turned away.
"I would love that." Kisaki's heart started beating faster, her next words awakening the obsession he had to develop for her throughout the years. "You're incredible at it. I don't know how you do it, but you can solve any math problem. So maybe a genius like you could try to teach me and then…Maybe I would finally start to understand it."
It was the moment where they started visiting each other, spending even more time together. Ayumi tried to understand everything he was trying to explain to her, but some things were beyond her abilities, the high school being a solid proof of that.
"You really suck at math" Kisaki said at one evening, when Ayumi was sitting with her head buried in the math book. Kisaki was trying to explain to Ayumi the topics required for passing the test at the end of this week. He pointed the pen at the numbers. "You don't have to add them up, wait…" He took the notebook from her desk. He scratched his head. "How the fuck did you come up with that conclusion?"
"I don't know!" Ayumi cried out, face buried in the pages of her textbook. "I suck at math, I hate it so much!"
"Your inability to count amazes me more and more." Kisaki had no idea how she couldn't understand it, but they knew each other for years and while she couldn't count, she aced Japanese like no one else could. Only the fact that she was helping him with essays was keeping him from calling her an idiot.
"How will I pass this shit if I don't understand it?" Ayumi sat up straight, frustration taking control over her. "Your notes are perfect and I don't get them at all. This textbook is written in perfect Japanese and I don't understand what I'm reading. My ability to read gives up."
"Says the person who can read each school reading and recite every theme with explanation."
"Then math textbooks are written in different language that my brain decided to not understand."
Kisaki chuckled. He saw her leaning her back on the chair, cross her arms and puff her cheeks.
"What are you laughing at?"
Her offended tone only made Kisaki laugh louder. "At you" he admitted, causing her to pout. She’s cute, he thought, quickly showing this thought away. This wasn’t the time for it now.
"Why?" She felt hurt by it, but she knew deep down that Kisaki didn't meant to be rude to her.
"Because you think it's a different kind of Japanese while you're just stupid in a way."
"KISAKI!"
Kisaki burst out laughing at her sudden outburst and while she saw him laugh, her bad mood eased up. He had his elbow leaned on the edge of her desk, shaking from laughter. The way he laughs…it's cute in a way, she thought, feeling her cheeks heat up in a second. It wasn't the first time she had such thoughts about him.
"Sorry, sorry" he said, just in case she would get angry at him. "It's an honest truth."
"But to say it so bluntly…" Ayumi played the offended one, chuckling herself.
"While you're stupid if it comes to math, it doesn't mean you're stupid in general" Kisaki explained. "Nobody I know can understand books like you can, it's a talent in itself, so perhaps you're just half stupid?"
"That doesn't make you sound better, you're still calling me an idiot."
"But in a very polite way."
"Okay, you just saved yourself there. Now…" Ayumi looked back at the notes. "Murayama shall fail this test and cry."
She expected Kisaki to argue, but he stayed silent, looking at the notes. "Give me time until the day after tomorrow."
"Huh?" Ayumi blinked in confusion. She watched Kisaki gather his notes and put them back in his school bag. "Wait, what do you mean?"
Ayumi wanted to stop him, that's why she caught his hand while she was aiming at the wrist. She blushed when he looked at her. His gaze was making her weak at some moments and it was one of them.
"Just trust me" he said quietly. "I have a plan that might just save you."
"Al-Alright" she stuttered out, taking her hand back. She failed to notice the slight blush that appeared on his cheeks as well as she was too focused on avoiding to look at him now.
The day of the test was coming quickly and Ayumi was stressing herself more and more. She stayed awake at nights, trying to understand the topics to no avail. On the promised day Kisaki placed a notebook on her desk.
He patted it, pride written all over his face. "Study with this."
Ayumi took the notebook and flipped through it. She opened it at a random page, seeing a math problem and a solution to solve it, step by step.
"If you can't understand it, just remember how to solve it." Kisaki pointed at the end of the page where the solution for the math problem was written. "Use your memory for it."
"You think this will work?" Ayumi was uncertain.
"If it doesn't then I'll call myself an idiot as well."
Ayumi grinned. "Then we'll be even."
Friday came, the test that Ayumi received seemed like a page with black magic spells written on it. Sitting in the middle row in the fourth desk, she looked to her right at Kisaki, who sat in the first row just next to the wall in the second desk. He was already scribbling on the piece of paper, his expression focused as always.
I can't let him down. He decided to find time for making notes for me instead of studying himself, she thought, taking a deep breath. She looked at the first math problem, read the text slowly and she suddenly noticed that it was the same as the one problem in the notebook. She read next problem, then the next and then another one. They are the same but with different numbers?
It was madness to think that Kisaki could predict which math problems would appear on the test and yet, Ayumi could even tell which page in the notebook showed this exact math problem. Using her memory, she started solving the problems, recalling the pages she memorized from the notebook. Normally she was panicking at the end of the time for the test, but today she was writing her answers until the last second, feeling exhausted at the very end.
"Kisaki" she called to him as she saw him packing his things quickly. She ran to him, hitting her hands against his desk. She looked at him, their gazes meeting. "How did you do that? They were the same" she hissed.
Kisaki smirked. He fixed his glasses. "Let's say I just knew what tasks we'll have to tackle."
He wanted to avoid speaking about his secret in the classroom, so having to deal with Ayumi bothering him about it the whole day he finally gave up with a sigh. "I'll tell you after school, okay?"
Ayumi nodded, really curious about this. The fact that they were leaving school together wasn't anything new, but this afternoon felt different. Maybe it was because of the image change that Kisaki went through. He dyed his hair blonde and cut them shorter, started wearing an earring in his left ear and started having a tan from all things. At first Ayumi was skeptical about this change, used to his black hair that almost covered his entire face, but the longer she looked at him, the more she had to admit that she liked him more with his new looks.
Or maybe it was because of the place he asked her to go with him. Instead of going home and spending some time by the river bank to rest after the tiring day, Kisaki asked Ayumi to go to the city with him. She agreed, calling Sakuni first that she'll be later at home.
"She's still that worried about you?"
Kisaki watched her put the phone in her school bag.
"Yeah, I had to tell her I'm with you so she wouldn't worry" she explained, sending him a sweet smile. "I'm not surprised she doesn't want me to hang around by myself though."
Ayumi's smile faded away in an instant. A memory of Ayumi crying after she learned Toshiki was shot by one of his underlings flashed before Kisaki's eyes. He was visiting her at that day and he was the one who tried to cheer her up, even if he felt awkward and didn't know what to do.
Because of this, Kisaki felt the urge to hold her hand since the sadness was coming back to her. She trembled when he took her hand in his, her wide open brown eyes looking at him in shock.
"It is not a big surprise, but I'm here with you. Nothing will happen to you if I'm by your side."
They were just words for him, for Ayumi they were like a promise. "I believe you." Ayumi, even if embarrassed, squeezed his hand before asking: "Where do you want to take me?"
"There's a pedestrian bridge in the city. I want to go there."
"I know the place!" Ayumi said enthusiastically. "We can stay there until the evening to see the city at night. There are lights all around the place, the town is so colorful then…"
Her happiness made Kisaki not listen to her for a second. He was just looking at her smile, at the way her brown eyes shined, her blonde hair being pushed by the soft, summer wind.
"Right" he finally said, seeing that she was waiting for his reply. "Let's go. When we arrive there, I'll tell you how I figured out the test."
"Why not now?" Ayumi asked as they started walking. Their hands still connected.
"I like keeping you in suspense" Kisaki answered with a grin on his own.
"Meanie." Ayumi puffed her cheeks, making Kisaki laugh.
Once on the pedestrian bridge they walked to the railings, letting go of each other's hands. It was already getting dark, the city lights making the place look magical in a way.
"I like this place" Kisaki said, breaking the silence that fell between them once they've reached the city.
"It is nice, even if loud" Ayumi commented. "Stark contrast to our neighborhood."
"And nobody will hear us there." Kisaki leaned his arms on the railings. "Now, to the test…"
Ayumi leaned her arms on the railings as well, shifting closer to him with curiousness written all over her face.
"I analyzed the math problems our teacher was focusing on and tried to come up with every possibility of problems that might show during the test. I got most of them right, some slipped past my attention."
"You are amazing" Ayumi whispered, interrupting him. There was honest awe in her eyes.
Kisaki cleared his throat, looking away from her as he felt embarrassment creeping up his neck.
"To figure out almost the whole test…" Ayumi couldn't word her amazement properly. "You're a fucking genius."
"You're saying it for the second time" Kisaki pointed out.
Ayumi hit the railings with her hands. "Because it's true" she exclaimed, saying next words without any thought. "Man, if you were to be in any organization you'd be the leader and if not, you'd be using the leader to do what you want." She ran her fingers through her hair.
"You think so?" His old insecurities were resurfacing again, but not for long. Ayumi placed her hand on his.
"I do."
"And if I told you that Takemichi offered me to join in the gang that Mikey is making?"
Ayumi blinked. She fell silent for a second before she grinned and answered: "Go on. They will need such a smart guy if they want to be a gang that matters."
It was the same support she was always showing him. Even back when they met for the first time when he wanted to talk to her, but couldn't find any courage her smile was encouraging him to even stutter out a shy greeting or a question of how she felt. He recalled the moment when he wanted to ask her to join him on the bench he liked to sit on. She smiled in the exact same way, waiting for him to ask the question. Sure, she turned shy after that, but she agreed with a soft nod.
"If I agree, will you still be so supportive of me?"
"Yes." Ayumi squeezed his hand. She wasn't looking at him, neither was he looking at her. They were watching the lights around them, the cars passing below. "Even if you come to my place all covered in blood after a fight, I'll invite you inside and take care of your wounds."
All of a sudden, Kisaki freed his hand from Ayumi's hold. She looked at her hand, surprised, just to feel Kisaki's hand on her cheek. He moved her head to the side and as they looked at each other, there was a second of stillness between them before Kisaki leaned in and kissed her.
Ayumi widened her eyes at that, but she quickly closed them, kissing him back. There were no people passing by the bridge at the moment, it was just them.
After they parted, Kisaki whispered: "I love you", to which Ayumi blushed deeply, replying just as quietly: "I love you too."
Ayumi linked their arms together after that, nuzzling her cheek into his arm. Kisaki placed his hand on hers, stroking it softly.
"I guess we're together now then" Ayumi said, feeling warmth spreading through her heart and happiness that she couldn't describe.
"We are" Kisaki agreed, smiling, feeling that it was his first victory. "We are, Ayumi."
The way Ayumi's cheeks burned when she heard him say her name was once in a lifetime experience for her. Later, Kisaki wouldn't stop teasing her about how her ears turned all red and Ayumi in return wouldn't stop teasing him back about how he forgot how to speak when she called him "Tetta" for the first time.
Nevertheless, she kept her promise. Tokyo Manji Gang was formed, gang fights started, Kisaki started coming to her flat instead of his after a fight. His glasses usually shattered, bruises and blood all over him. Beika usually wanted to comment on it, but Sakuni was shutting her up with "Let them", seeing the mirror reflection of the beginning of her relationship with Toshiki.
Each fight, each failure or victory was bringing the two closer. There were days Kisaki was bringing Ayumi to the meetings near the shrine so that she could talk with Hinata and Emma, Yuzuha later joining in the circle, Hana as well, brought by Baji by force as she didn't want to come come at first, later pulling Baji to the meetings because she had to chat with her new friends.
Thanks to Yuzuha, Ayumi learned who Beika started to hang out with and hearing that her own sister started fancying Shiba Taiju got her in such a good mood that the first thing she did when she came back home was shout at Beika: "And you were telling me that I have a bad taste in guys, you're fancying Shiba Taiju!"
Beika choked on her food, Sakuni put her phone away and looked at her older daughter.
"You two have my taste in men and it's not a good sign" she commented, leaning her forehead on her hand. "With Shiba, from all people… Wait, is it the umn… The guy with his hair all blue or the white and blue?"
"White and blue" Ayumi was fast to answer, Beika coughing loudly.
"Yep, same taste as me."
Beika felt defeated, but she didn't let Ayumi claim her victory. There was a huge pillow fight that ended up with two destroyed pillows, a lot of feathers in Ayumi's bedroom and Sakuni, yelling at the two for destroying said pillows.
Next morning before heading to school, Kisaki was picking out the feathers from Ayumi's hair, laughing at the story of the pillow fight.
"Ack, I thought I got them all out." Ayumi huffed, when Kisaki found a tiny feather in her hair. It was the tenth one.
"They are tiny, almost not visible."
"Then how can you see them?"
Kisaki fixed his glasses. "I have good glasses and I don't want my girlfriend to look like after a fight with a chicken."
"Not like you're looking any better."
Kisaki still had bruises and two patches where the cuts were healing. He smirked. "I don't see you complaining about my looks."
"And you won't see me complaining about that."
Ayumi's laughter was heard on the school grounds when she saw Kisaki's face turning red.
Such warm moments were more frequent since then. Hana, who was attending the same school and class as them was always saying during the meetings that they are like lovebirds. Always seen together, always studying together, always coming back home together and always walking to school together. "But it's good" she was always finishing her gossiping. "I've never seen Murayama this happy before, I'm happy for her."
And this relationship carried on to their adulthood. While most couples were breaking up after high school, Kisaki and Ayumi were still together. The fact that they lived so close was making it easier, but they also took care of their meetings to not lose what they had. It all led to Kisaki proposing to Ayumi after his and Koko's company became successful.
"Now I am sure that I'll be able to make a living for the two of us." Kisaki took a deep breath, before he pulled out a box with a ring from his winter coat's pocket, opened it and showed the engagement ring to her. They were on a parking lot near a park, fresh after a walk, snow covering the ground. He bowed before her, asking: "Will you do me the honor and become my wife?"
Ayumi covered her mouth, emotions taking the best of her. "Yes" she answered, tears streaming down her face. "Yes, I will become your wife, Tetta."
Kisaki straightened his back, the happiness he felt even greater than the one when she kissed him back on the pedestrian bridge. Ayumi reached her left hand to him. Kisaki took her glove off and put the engagement ring on her ring finger. He kissed her hand before putting the glove on it, not wanting her to feel the cold around them.
Their wedding took place a year after Takemichi's and Hinata's one. Everyone were invited and as expected, everyone appeared. The wedding was huge and there was lots of alcohol, laughter, general partying and happiness for the newly wed.
"Mom would be so happy for you, sis." Beika was crying when she was congratulating her sister.
"I know she is up there somewhere." Ayumi was crying as well, both sisters hugging each other tightly.
"Ehhh, you two are just as much of crybabies as Takemichi" Hana commented, making her way to the sisters. "Instead of being happy, you two are crying–"
"You were bawling your eyes out at your wedding, Hana!" Ayumi pointed out with a laugh.
"Excuse me, I was crying rivers" she said, making all three laugh.
There were lots of congratulations, so much so that the newly wed found some alone time in the huge crowd when they sat at the table, both lightheaded from the alcohol.
"Would you ever imagine?" Ayumi looked at the bunch of people, her gaze landing on Beika and Taiju first who were sitting very close to each other, talking about something that was making Beika blush deeply. Then spotting Hana and Baji in the crowd as she noticed Chifuyu making fun of Baji. "That after we've met at the playground we would end up here, together?"
"Not at all" Kisaki mumbled. He drunk a lot more than Ayumi did, but his language was still resembling perfect Japanese. "In fact, there were moments I thought I'll lose you."
"There were?"
Kisaki nodded. "I won't talk about them now, but sometimes I had such a feeling, yet you've always managed to surprise me. You're a ball of support, there doesn’t exist more perfect word for describing your character."
"Well…" Ayumi smiled. She put a hand on his head, stroking his hair. Kisaki was currently leaning his elbows on the table, trying to not fall asleep. "Someone had to be and the other had to be the most perfect guy I could’ve met, even if a bit possessive and jealous."
"Oi…" Kisaki grumbled, not liking this comment at all. "I'm not that bad."
"You are, but!" Ayumi interrupted him, knowing he will want to argue. "I love this side of yours."
"You better." Kisaki leaned his back on the chair. "Because I won't be any better after this day even if I'm not that bad."
"Lord, have mercy on any guy that dares to look at me in a way Tetta won't like." Ayumi prayed with a silly grin. Kisaki grabbed her wrists and pulled her so that she faced him.
His gray eyes were different, oh so different after all these years of fighting in the gang and trying to run a successful company, but Ayumi loved the cold in them, the ruthlessness that could appear in any moment.
"Even God won't save them, because you're mine" he whispered. Ayumi blushed deeply, feeling how her body was betraying her. "And what's mine, stays mine."
"Of course" Ayumi agreed, loving how his lips formed the smirk she so loved to see on his face. She pulled her hands free from his hold, stood up and without any warning, she sat on his lap, oblivious to the sudden attention she had brought to them. "And what's yours, craves to stay yours."
She took his glasses off before he reacted and kissed him deeply, wrapping both arms around him. He immediately kissed her back, both ignoring the whistling and shouts that were heard.