LIGHT IN DARKNESS

Chapter 9: Rokuhara Tandai

"Are you sure he's coming Chifuyu?"

Draken asked the solemn Chifuyu on the side, eyeing the boy. Three hours had already passed. They're pretty sure when he said he'll be coming in a moment, it won't take this long or are they just eager to see him again?

They had already finished the meeting an hour ago but still no sign of Takemichi. Chifuyu and the others even tried calling him but he never answers. Did he back away at the last moment?

Mikey even decided to go to his house before the meeting but Draken and the others stopped him and told him to believe in Takemichi's words. Since when did Takemichi ever lie to them. So they waited for three full hours but even the patient Draken and Mitsuya had enough.

Maybe something happened?

Or Takemichi really stood them up?

"I'm going"

Mikey hurriedly ran to his bike and the others did the same. They all followed Mikey's lead to Takemichi's old house when they stopped at the sight of a man lying near Takemichi's gate. The redhead was passed out with his head still bleeding.

"Draken-san isn't he the one from yesterday?"

Hakkai pointed out the man. Mikey couldn't care less and went straight to Takemichi's house with Chifuyu, Mitsuya, and Inupi on his trail. The others stayed and observed the unconscious man.

"Should I knock him conscious for answers and why is he lying near Takemitchy's gate?"

Smiley cracked his knuckles in excitement with Angry on his side. Draken contemplated for a moment, figuring out things and connecting the dots. All he need is confirmation for his little theory.

"Yeah let's knock em' awake"

Peh-yan with his gruff voice agreed, ready to kick the lying man when the redhead coughed and spoke with a raspy voice.

"No need man, ya' looking for Mitchy-chan?"

They flinched at the name Mitchy-chan. So it's them who beat the shit out of their members huh. They were enraged.

"Who the hell is Mitchy-chan? You bastard don't think we don't know you beat the hell out of our members, messing with Toman huh?!"

Peh-yan readied himself to kick the still lying man by the concrete wall when Draken held a hand on his shoulder to stop him. The redhead laughed although with difficulty.

"Right sorry about that. They wouldn't let us off when we told them we didn't have any money on us so we had no choice. Didn't know Toman haggles money from a passerby"

Draken scrunched his eyebrow. He knew something was off when some members from the Fourth Division came and explained about the incident. They purposely left that part where they were at fault from the beginning.

"Hah?! You were the one who attacked our men for no reason upon seeing their Toman uniform, trying to instigate war with us, you bastard?"

Smiley kneeled beside the man with his pissed-off smile.

"Bwahaha, they told you that? How lame. But before that, the name's Genjiro Keita by the way. Ya'll looking for----"

He was cut off when the three who went to check for Takemichi returned with sullen faces.

"He's not home but he definitely returned! The house was open and his things are all there!"

Chifuyu told them and looked at Gen trying to stand up. It was Mitsuya who spoke.

"What? Didn't take care of him yet? What's he doing here anyway?"

"You didn't let me finish. Some guys took Mitchy--- oh Takemichi after beating us up. Kinda unfair ganging up on just the two of us really"

They all perked up with the mention of Takemichi, especially for the fact that some gang took him which worried them.

"Ya'll his friends in Toman right---- Woah man easy. I have no intention with fighting with you"

Mikey held him by the collar despite their height difference. Gen is tall and built like Draken but Mikey doesn't really care. He needs to see Takemichi and whoever the fuck took him, they'll have hell to pay.

"Who the fuck took him?"

His voice was cold and stern. Gen was surprised by this but he noticed his dark eyes. It reminded him of a certain someone. Their eyes are also dull and empty like an endless dark abyss, only that the one he knew has a striking shade of blue eyes. He frowned at the thought of Takemichi being held captive alone by some bastards. Who knows what they are currently doing to him and it worries him. He promised Takemichi's father to look after him after all.

"They called themselves Rokuhara Tandai and this guy named Terano South or shit was the one who handed our ass out and took Mitchy-chan. He mentioned something about Toman and Kanto incident then left me on the road dead beat"

After that, Mikey wasted no time and unhesitatingly let go of him and rode his CB250T and drove away, ignoring their protests and Draken's calling.

"I think they took him to that place and Mikey is probably heading there too"

Mitsuya was the one who spoke. Draken and Chifuyu were already thinking the same thing. It seems like the battle for glory and name is about to happen. They knew this was bound to happen. Touman is growing, no wonder some gangs will come to challenge them.

'Rokuhara Tandai huh'

...

"Hah! So this is the famous Hanagaki Takemichi?! So weak!"

"I am, aren't I. So why kidnap me anyway? I'm not part of Toman anymore so you're wasting your time on me big ass shit"

Takemichi spat out some blood. Wiping his bleeding lips. He was full of bruises and a bleeding forearm but he didn't care. He already stopped feeling pain months ago. He's numb to the core, heck even his emotions were null. He can only feel pain inside. He was ready to go back to the future where he really belonged but here he is, he can feel another conflict that's bound to happen. Why can't just everything be at peace? Does God hate him so much that he's throwing every possible conflict to ruin his peace? Why does he feel like he's stuck in a loop where he had to witness everyone's suffering and him being useless on the side.

The massive man named Terano South was pissed at his remark. Holding Takemichi by the collar and lifting him up to his face with a shit-eating grin, he was about to speak when Takemichi unexpectedly headbutted him with so much force. South staggered and let go of the smaller boy as he maintained his balance again. He cussed and looked at Takemichi with an unexplainable expression. How can a small guy like Takemichi metaphorically have a stone for a head?

The other members were silent about what happened to their leader. They dared not to interfere as South had ordered them not to. It went quiet for a minute before South laughed loudly, the members were confused at his laugh of amusement and Takemichi just frowned. He only gave him a headbutt. Surely that wasn't enough to damage his brain, so why is he laughing like a mad man?

"I like you Hanagaki! You should join Rokuhara Tandai!"

He pointed at the boy with a grin. The others let out a surprise with South's change of mood. He was mercilessly beating the shit out of the boy just a couple of minutes ago and now he is inviting him to join them. He's gone mental.

Takemichi was about to decline when an all too familiar voice that he hasn't heard in a long time spoke. The commanding and at the same time playful voice that he missed. They all turned to look at the newly arrived pale blonde man with his usual hair half tied on top. His gaze boring on Takemichi which made him shudder.

"Takemitchy belongs to Toman. Fuck off unidentified assholes"

He spoke amidst the silence.