Accomplice [Tokyo Revengers]

Chapter X - No Pain, No Gain

[One Month Later - October]

Before school began that day, Takemichi hurries his way to (Y/n)'s homeroom. On his way, he recalls back to a certain conversation he had shared with his commander last night.

'What happened when I was gone during those two months?' Takemichi wonders. 'Something must've happened between (Y/n) and Mikey. There's no doubt.' He proceeds to run down the hallways. 'Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked me to talk to (Y/n).'

~•~

"I have a favor to ask, Takemitchy." Mikey brings up, staring up at the bright moon that shines above him.

"Sure." As always, Takemichi is more than willing to hear him out.

Mikey hesitates, changing his frown into a smile. "There's a guy I've known since I was a kid."

"Yeah?"

Mikey now looks down at the brick staircase. "We were just neighbors, so we weren't super close or anything."

'Mikey-kun's childhood friend...they must be pretty crazy.' Takemichi thought.

"He'd always pick fights with me, and I'd kick his ass every single time." Mikey's smile widens when he reminisces on the past.

The thought of it was astonishing to Takemichi. "He kept picking fights with you?" He exchanges a sheepish look at Mikey. "He must've been pretty dumb." The shorter boy only nods.

Mikey then says. "It's the guy who punched you earlier."

"I sorta got punched by two different guys...who one is it?" Takemichi questions.

Mikey lowers his head. "The 1st Division Captain...Baji Keisuke." Takemichi remembers Baji, vividly considering how he punched him in front of everyone among Toman. "He's pretty unreadable, isn't he?" Mikey gives his friend another smile.

"Yeah...I still have no idea why he punched me." Takemichi confesses. 

Mikey lets out a bubbly laugh. "He's always been like that--He'd punch someone who walked by just because he was tired. He set a car on fire because was hungry."

"I-I see..." Takemichi stutters, unsure of how to properly react to this kind of information. 'This goes way beyond being unreadable.'

"Anyway, that's what he's like, and he's one of Toman's founding members."

"Founding members?"

"Toman was created...when I was a first-year in middle school, by Draken, Mitsuya, Pah-chin, Baji, and myself."

Takemichi leans in his head slightly. "So the five of you?"

For some reason, Mikey wears a saddened smile. "Yeah--We got together and established this team." He stares out in the long pavement of the shrine. 

"This team..." Mikey pauses. "--...I want (Y/n)-chin to be a part of it, too." A frown comes about. "Because ever since I first met her...she always did look so...lonely to me."