Uranophile

002

Hanagaki Takemichi, Nakamura Yuki, and Hanemiya Kazutora were all seated in Kazutora's dark colour coated van, with the owner of the car driving.

Takemichi was seated on the back seats, while the only female present was seated on the passenger seat, peering outside the window, a cigarette pressed softly between the pads of her fingers.

"You just had coffee and now you're smoking? That's gonna kill you, you know?" Kazutora started, flicking his gaze in her direction every two seconds.

The albino didn't reply at first, simply bringing the cigarette to her lips and taking another puff, letting the smoke flow with the wind blowing as they crossed the streets, "That doesn't sound like too bad of a fate..." She whispered softly, leaning back into her seat.

Takemichi was busy calculating her every move. She definitely seemed more wearier than the last time he saw her. In fact, if she didn't look similar to her younger self, Takemichi was sure he'd never be able to recognize her. The spark in her eyes that he saw her younger self have when she was talking to you, looked at if it had died a long time ago.

Her eyes darkened, and her hair was shorter than it was before. Her lips permanently etched into a straight line and her eyebrows were so relaxed that it seemed like she was asleep.

"Kazutora-kun... My memories are a bit fuzzy so I might ask you some weird stuff..." Almost as if that sentence flipped a switch in Yuki, her eyes shot open wide with her lips parted softly.

She looked surprised, as if something she had found something she had been searching for...

"How did things get this bad?" Takemichi started, yet Kazutora didn't look at the gangster, instead he focused on driving as he answered.

"It's because of Mikey," an almost audible gasp escaped Takemichi's lips as Yuki continued to stare at the timeleaper with the gaze of a hawk.

"Toman changed because Mikey changed..." As soon as Kazutora informed the timeleaper, the latter began to shake his head.

"No way... There's no way Mikey-kun would be behind it!! Wasn't Kisaki pulling the strings behind all this?!" Yuki huffed contemptuously, a frown tugging on her thin lips as she put out her cigarette in the ashtray placed in the car.

"While you were held captive... Pah-chin and Peh-yan were killed... Mikey ordered it, of course." Takemichi felt his breathing hitch as Kazutora continued, "Mitsuya's been missing for several month..."

"Mikey's began purging the old members of Toman... After Baji was framed for [Name]'s murder, Mikey doesn't trust anyone, not even his oldest friends..." The driver explained as he turned the steering wheel.

"Mikey's gone bat shit crazy. Son of a bitch, shoulda shot him when I had the chance..." Yuki finally spoke, turning her head back to peer at Takemichi, "Nakamura-san..." He uttered, making Kazutora frown once more.

"Mikey's dangerous... But even so, I want to talk to him... Tell him that he needs to get away from those people..." The latter spoke once more, making the timeleaper turn his head to him.

"Huh?"

"Kisaki's violence... and the Black Dragon's money..." As Kazutora continued to explain, Yuki stared outside the window, watching the clouds go by.

What a time to be alive, she thought.

"If he doesn't, then Mikey won't ever regain himself..." It took Takemichi a minute to understand that Kazutora did not know about his time traveling ability, and was simply trying do his best in saving the future Mikey.

But if Takemichi can just get to Naoto and shake his hand...

"This time... I want to save him, I'm sure that's what [Name] would have wanted as well..." Staring hardly at the front, Kazutora tightened his grip around the steering wheel.

"I want to save Sano Manjirō..."

-----

Unfortunately for Takemichi, the moment Kazutora took him to Naoto, the police officer didn't even hesitate for a second to place handcuffs on his wrists.

As Kazutora gawked at the clear betrayal Naoto showed, his gaze turned to Yuki who stood indifferently, "You... You were with him?!" She shrugged her shoulders and brought a hand up to ruffle her own hair, "I never had any interests in saving Sano Manjirō... I was just here to avenge [Name]... and even if I had to kill Mikey with my own hands to achieve that, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second..."

Kazutora watched in horror as she walked away to where the police cars were parked, one of the police officers coming over to Kazutora to handcuff him as well as he was responsible for helping a gang member.

Now, Takemichi sat in one of the many interrogation rooms of the police. His hands were still clasped with the handcuffs, and he really was starting to feel itchy with them around his wrists.

All of a sudden, the door opened and revealed none other Yuki.

The male's vision never left her figure, watching as she finally nestled in the seat in front of him, "I'm surprised you aren't panicking right now... I'm guessing that Tachibana-kun is your trigger to go back?" His eyes widened in shock.

How did she even remember that time traveling conversation that they had 12 years ago?!

Yuki grinned at his shocked face, "I know what you must be thinking... How can I remember something, that was mentioned such a long time ago?" She lowered her gaze from his face to the wooden table in between them.

"The truth is... I didn't remember it... not until I saw your face on the news... At that time, I was just so lost on what I should do..." Yuki confessed, keeping her gaze stuck to the wooden surface of the table.

"Immediately after [Name]'s death, I spent my everything in searching the culprit, because I couldn't believe that someone like Baji could kill her... not when he was so inlove with her..."

Takemichi stared at her, eyes watering as he lowered his head in misery. Your death affected so many people... Yet the one's who suffered the most were Toman and Yuki.

"It was then that I remembered it... Your time traveling abilities, and the moment I did... I knew I had to find you..." Yuki looked up to stare right into his soul.

"If only... If only the one to suffer had been someone else; anyone but my friend... Then maybe this problem would have never arisen in the first place."

"I'm not pressuring you into saving [Name]... But if you truly want to save your girlfriend, then I'm afraid saving [Name] will be your only hope..." Yuki admitted and Takemichi immediately shook his head, "I want to save [Name]-san too!! She's very important to both me and Toman!!" His words caused the female to slump in her seat.

Almost immediately, the door clicked open and Naoto came into vision. Yuki decided to get up from her chair and walked out just as Naoto was entering.

As she left, the albino turned her head to look at Hanagaki once more.

She's done her part.... Now it's time for Hanagaki Takemichi to do his...