A Condition Called Love [Tokyo Revengers]

Chapter 10: Worth It?

If anyone asked Mikey to recall his first-ever memory of Nana, he probably won't be able to remember a particular memory and give a proper answer to anyone. Because to him, he had known the Osaki girl forever, his entire life. She was always there with him and for him as far as his memories could go and recall. They grew up together, played together, ate together, slept together, breathed together, sang and danced together, cried together, laughed together - like almost they did everything together throughout their entire life and it was all thanks to the Sano and the Osaki families for being family friends for generations till this day.

To both Mikey and Nana, they were each other's lives and another half. There wasn't a time or a moment when they were separated from one another. Always attached at the hip; no one could ever seem to find them alone. If one breathed, the other one would also breathe. If one's heart hammered in the chest, the other one's would hammer as well, together, synchronized in symphony.

Ever since he lost his father at the age of three and his mother at the age of eight, Mikey always knew that something was terribly wrong with him. As he couldn't overcome the trauma and pain of losing both of his parents at a very young age, something dark and menacing started to grow inside his heart that would overtake him and his moral senses. And Mikey was always aware of that. He wasn't an idiot. He knew this darkness within himself was eating him alive inside out and would cause pain to the ones he loved and cared about. He needed light in this life and to his good luck, Nana became that light.

Despite being the same age, Nana was way more mature and wiser than him. Similar to him, Nana lost her parents at a very young age. Her relatives rejected her, so she was taken in by his family after her parents' death as she had nowhere to go and no roof over her head. And her becoming a part of his family made her a constant figure in his life. Mikey realized that her parents' death and all the other hardships that she faced after that became the reason for her growing up fast and becoming someone mature for her own age. And that maturity of hers became a part of his sanity.

Nana (the mature person she was) would always give him life lessons from time to time and blabber out long-lasting monologues about responsibility, sensibility, maturity, and morality. And because of how she talked and behaved, sometimes it made him wonder that maybe a soul of a wise elderly woman was trapped inside Nana's young body. Mikey needed guidance and Nana became that guidance. To him, she was that shining, bright star that he could never one and was far away from his reach. But he wanted her to stay close by his side in order to bask under her light and warmth. She was his light, his moral compass, his sanity. A bit of disconnection from her and his world would come crumbling down into millions of pieces like some fragile glass wall.

Mikey never had too much of female friends in his life. To be very honest, he never had any other woman in life except for his mother, Emma (his sister), and Nana (his childhood best friend). Coming in contact with any other female other than these three was a thought that never came to his mind. He thought as long as he had Emma and Nana, he didn't need any other woman. And it seriously never seemed like he didn't need one. If anyone asked Mikey about him making any female friends at school or somewhere else, his immediate response would be like - "I already have Nana-chin, so I don't need anyone else".

And the reason for his attitude and thoughts like this was because he knew that no woman would be able to put up with his crazy antics and lazy ass like how Nana did. She lived and breathed by tolerating his annoying being 24/7. No other woman had the guts to play the role of his childhood friend like the Osaki girl. And this slowly led him to fall deeply in love with her. Mikey didn't know what and when this all started, that was when he started to fall for Nana, but when he did realize it the damage was already done.

And the same went for Baji as well.

Keisuke Baji was a wild and scary man with a bit of mystery and intensity that he had within him. He was highly perceptive and often saw what he desired and would just go for it. He was fearless, always loving the thrill of adrenaline, and because of that, people felt easily intimidated by his persona. Baji was a passionate individual and loyalty and devotion were crucial to him. Although he was extraverted, there was a private, sensitive side to him that few people knew about especially Nana Osaki. He also had exceptional resilience and the power to heal himself before bouncing back from some of the most devastating circumstances such as Shinichiro's death (though to this day he still felt guilty and shameful for what occurred on that very night). Baji was always reluctant to ever disclose his insecurities and vulnerabilities to others, even the ones he trusted because for him it was important to always maintain a position of strength and never let his guards down for others to exploit.