INTENSE LOVE | Kazutora Hanemiya

01: YEARS BEFORE PRESENT

"Tora, how's school?!" Baji draped an arm over my shoulder as we stepped in the first stair of the shrine.

"It's boring." I sighed, thinking about how I sleep in class earlier. The teachers might be used to it so they didn't bother scolding me.

"I feel the same. Mikey keeps me awake most of the time but now that I moved in different school I couldn't adjust to the new environment. I don't know anyone there!" Baji huffed. Oh, right. He transferred to another school because it's close to his new home. The school just started so I think Baji would meet some people there.

I looked at the top of the shrine when I noticed Draken and Mitsuya is already there. Of course, they're always in time. Unlike someone...

"Hey, I didn't see you last meeting." Draken nudged Baji who scoffed while leaving my side. Mitsuya greeted me with a polite smile and I returned the same act.

"Didn't I tell you that I helped my mom unpack our things?!" Baji glared at Draken who laughed evilly at Baji's suffering.

"That's good, Baji. You're growing up..." I laughed at Mitsuya's attempt to become an elder. Well, at his age, he's mature and really thinks like adults. Same goes for Draken but he can be playful if he's with Mikey.

Speaking of Mikey, that gremlin is not here yet. And I might as well sit on the stair while waiting for him because Mikey is going to be late, I know it. Pah-chin is already here and he's eating a popsicle to cool himself.

The sun is warmer today. I can smell the summer breeze and I cna hear the whistling trees. It's almost peaceful if the others are not messing with each other.

A smile was plastered on my face as I watched my friends laugh. I remember the time when they decided to build a gang, they wear their uniforms almost every day, and those long rides whether it's day or night.

We just started building our own gang and it wasn't easy. Mikey is invincible, really. There were people in the delinquent world who knows him, he's quite famous. Especially that he's related to someone who's legendary.

This is my escape from my house. It was shit living there. I couldn't manage to watch my father abuse my mother without doing anything. I really did try to fight my father, but I ended up being in a much worse situation. The consequences fell on my shoulders and my mother couldn't do anything. I still don't know what had happened why these things happens. Call me innocent, but my mother never tells me the truth. After every fight with my father, she will always tell me that they were just talking about future things and tells me not to worry but whenever I see her face with bruises, I know she's lying.

She even told me once to choose her instead of father. I was eight years old and I didn't know what was happening. But, all the screams was making me feel like I'm living in hell. There was no way out but just to burn into the ashes off cruelty.

I've seen the world now. I learned different things, discovered a lot, and still exploring. I fought my father as soon as I knew what he is doing to my mother. Since then, I never considered him as a father. Getting divorced wasn't easy so my mother and I were still stuck inside his cage.

"Tora, carry me..." I snapped back to reality when I heard someone call my nickname. I looked down and saw Mikey trying to continue climbing the stairs.

I laughed and climbed down. "You're easy to get tired, Mikey." I commented as his face fell on my shoulder almost immediately as soon as I went near him. I grabbed the back of his thighs and lifted him up. God, he ate too much again. I groaned when I feel a leg cramp forming.

"Oh, you're here? We should've left..." Draken rolled his eyes. Baji impatiently stomp his feet as he waited for Mikey to get on his feet.

"Sorry...I overslept." Mokey says and tapped my shoulder as he stood beside me. His voice sounds like he really just got out of bed.

"So, why did you call us?" Mitsuya asked. Pah-chin is sitting on one of the stairs behind Draken and Baji but he's still listening.

"Yesterday, I was walking around the red light district..." Mikey paused, yawning. "Hah...I'm hungry." He suddenly says, making all of us groan. He really is a piece of shit. How dare he cut his sentence when I can feel a huge gossip coming?!

"Come on, Mikey. Tell us!" I rolled my eyes. Mikey pouted and rubbed his tummy.

"Hmm, let's go get something to eat first." He says. Our jaw dropped, he asked us to come here on top of the shrine only to go back down?! My legs really hurt after climbing the stairs and this gremlin just...unbelievable!

Mikey turned his back on us but I immediately grab his collar when my instincts tells me that he's not looking wherever he goes. We experienced it last time and thankfully he didn't get to the hospital.

"I don’t really trust stairs because they’re always up to something." He says while straightening his clothes, I sighed.

"I, too, never trust an atom, they make up everything." Mitsuya says and he started going down. We all followed him and Baji is beside me again. While Draken is carrying Mikey on his back.

We all ride our bikes and drove to the nearest fast food chain. As soon as we entered the fast food chain, I  stifle a laugh because Mikey immediately looked for a kiddie meal, it wasn't new but it always make me laugh.

"Hey, did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? I heard the food was good but it had no atmosphere." Baji sat on an empty table and I sat beside him. We looked at each other and laughed, slapping each other's shoulders.

"So, yesterday, I accidentally swallowed some food coloring. The doctor says I’m okay, but I feel like I’ve dyed a little inside." I snorted loudly. Pah-chin heard it too so he laughs whiel pointing his index finger at me. He didn't even get a chance to sit.

"No, no. Hear mine!" He grins excitedly. "What did the grape say when it got crushed? Nothing, it just let out a little wine." He says while trying to keep his laugh while talking.

"That's not so lame unlike last time." Baji commented while wiping his tears away. I slammed my palm on the table while laughing. It's making my tummy hurt but those puns really is funny to me. We can't really let go of our battle of the puns.

"Hey, Draken! Where's your legendary pun?" Baji says, grinning widely at Draken who's dragging Mikey towards our table. Mitsuya is holding a tray of food while keeping his head down. He must have been embarrassed at what our doing.

"I want to be cremated as it is my last hope for a smoking hot body..." He says while sitting down. We all gasps and covered our mouth, he leveled up every time!

"No one can really defeat you." I shake my head.

"Emma told me that yesterday." Draken blinks. Mikey cleared his throat and Baji flicks his tongue.

Oh, well.

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