DECEMBER | Kakucho Hitto

05

"Let's him hear out." Mikey says as Hanma stood up.

Kakucho was gritting his teeth as he watched every move Hanma makes. His eyes narrowed when the tall man stood up close to them, his grin vanished. And for a second he looked like an old man, maybe it is his grown stubble that made him look like that.

"What do you want?" Kakucho passed by Mikey who was shoving both of his fist inside his pocket. It was as if to control himself.

"Oh! I didn't expect Kakucho to be with Mikey~" Hanma said in a much annoying tone.  "What happened to Izana, huh?" His grin was there again and Kakucho wanted to punch his face to wipe off that fucking grin.

"Don't mention Izana." Mikey hissed. "Just tell us what do you want." Mikey says from behind him. And Kakucho felt like he should protect Mikey.

"I want to make a deal with you." Hanma huffed. "You see, Kisaki-" Hanma couldn't finish his sentence when Mikey suddenly kicked him on the legs. Hanma hissed in pain. Kakucho didn't even feel an ounce of pity.  "Kisaki...is in a bad condition." Hanma still continues, he dropped on his knees and looked down at the ground. His clenched fist were trembling as he said his next words. "I can't...I don't want t-to loss him."

"Now, you feel my pain." Kakucho says bitterness was coated inside him. "Did karma come on your way?" Kakucho looks down at Hanma and he just want to kill him. To kill him and Kisaki for everything.

"I'm desperate." Hanma looks up at them he's grinning widely but his eyes were welling up with tears. "Kisaki is all that I have." Hanma's voice quivered.

"Izana is all that I have too." Kakucho said in a low tone of voice. Mikey looked at Kakucho for a second before looking down at Hanma again.

"I want to save Kisaki!" Hanma yelled. "I want to save Kisaki and I'm here to sacrifice everything, even if it costs my life!"

Mikey pursed his lips. He didn't like Hanma nor Kisaki but Hanma really cares for Kisaki. Like how Kakucho cares for Izana. They are in the same boat. But, Kisaki did nothing but cause them chaos in the past. Hanma was just following him like a dog.

"If I help you save Kisaki..." Mikey paused. "It feels like I betrayed Izana who's currently laying down on the hospital bed."

If they could save Kisaki and Izana is not still awake then it doesn't feel right. Mikey wants to save Izana. Kakucho wants Izana to be with him.

"After all that we did..." Kakucho swallowed a thick lump in his throat. "I am in the wrong too. Mikey..." He looks back at Mikey. "He just wanted his family to be together. I'm guilty for being with you guys when you tried to kill Emma. When you..." He couldn't continue talking when his chest was getting heavy. "...manipulated Kazutora." Hanma immediately looked up when he heard those words.

"I'm asking for forgiveness because it always haunt me. Everything..." Kakucho clenched his jaw. "I'm the one who always asks for forgiveness." He looked back to where he meet Mikey again after the fight. After they joined Kanto Manji Gang, he bowed, he kneeled, in front of Mikey. Izana and Kisaki are not the same person. He doesn't feel what Hanma is feeling right now. But, he felt it too.

They just don't want to loss the people they cared the most.

"I told you that you didn't do anything." Mikey says that it made him feel a bit better. "They want power so that they can control us. So that they can turn our worlds upside-down. Kisaki...was aiming for a long higher position in Toman. Kisaki when he joined Tenjiku wanted to take over Toman. I disbanded my own gang for my friend's sake." Kakucho looks at Mikey. The smaller male turns his back on them and with the wind that's playing with his hair and jacket, they saw the President of Tokyo Manji Gang.

Mikey stood there before he looks down. There was a fleeting silence and the sounds of wind whistles on their ears.
This is the invincible Mikey. The Manjiro Sano that everyone wants to defeat. The sunlight hits Mikey's hair and he closed his eyes because his eyes was blinded by the sunlight. And when Kakucho opened his eyes, he found Mikey with short black hair. His back was facing Kakucho as he panted, his fist were tinted with red and Kakucho was trying to hold him back.

Bonten is now born.

"Mikey!" Kakucho yelled when he looked down at Sanzu who can't open his eyes. There were times that Mikey lets out his anger at Sanzu. He did once to Koko but it never happened again. Kakucho thought Sanzu was only annoying Mikey but he knows that isn't the problem here.
Mikey is getting worse. Especially when he came back to the apartment with head down.

Mikey swatted his arm away before walking out. He went to his room and the others looked away from Sanzu and it's clear that they don't know what to do. He caught Rindo's unsteady eyes. His lips were quivering as he tried not to look at Sanzu.

"Go get a first aid kit or something." He tapped Rindo's shoulder that made the other flinch. He heard Ran sigh and Mochu clicked his tongue.

And when Rindo went to get a first aid kit, he went to Mikey's room. Kakucho knocked on his door a few times before he heard a low tone of voice.

"Go away."

"Can I talk to you, Mikey?" Kakucho grabbed the door handle when he heard a groan before a small 'yes' from the other.

This is the first time he will ever confront Mikey after beating the shit out of Sanzu. He tried to stay cool as he stepped inside Mikey's room. Kakucho found Mikey sitting on the edge of his bed, his back was facing Kakucho and he's curious what he looks like right now.

"Do you think Haruchiyo will forgive me?" As the door slammed shut, Kakucho stared at Mikey's back with wide eyes. He didn't expect that.

"Yes -"

"I don't think so." Mikey cut him off. And Kakucho was really itching to ask him everything but he keep it to himself. Kakucho will let Mikey talk and he will listen to him. "I've done something unforgivable. I engraved a scar and I couldn't find Haruchiyo again. He changed because of me."

The scar? The scar on Sanzu's face? Mikey did that?! He was shock and if someone can see him right now, they might think the world revealed the biggest secret to him.

"It's my dark impulse." Mikey looked down at his hands. "I can't control it." He says like he's asking for help. Like he's asking for someone to hug him and take everything that he's carrying on his shoulder.

"Mikey-" He tried to talk again but he was cut off by Mikey again.

"Izana...I really want to save Izana. So, he can be with Shinichiro again. So, he can be with Emma again." Mikey's shoulder shake. And Kakucho knows he's crying because of the small sobs coming out of him.

Wait. Did Mikey walked away from his friends and siblings because of that? Kakucho can't help but feel a bit of envy. Kakucho was speechless, he can't say anything, he can't do anything but watch as Mikey breakdown.

"I wanted them all to be happy." He cried and this is the first time he hear Mikey cry.

And that is when Kakucho realized that Mikey is still thinking about his friends and siblings. He gave up his own gang, he brutally left them. For them to be happy, for them to live a better life. A life without midnight gang meetings and fights.

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