The yesterdays that were mine

Stranger by the door

It was the weirdest occurrence. Truly. Nana, sat sandwiched between members of a gang, now an unofficial member of said gang. They were a rambunctious bunch of boys, that's for sure. The sun was completely down now, and the seven of them sat piled in a booth in some 24/7 cafe. Nana had a habit of continually checking train times, watching as each hour ticked by, another train went by. It was 9:46. There was one train left tonight.

"Excuse me?" She spoke up. And Manjiro, who sat directly across from her, looked up from where his head was laying before.

"What is it?" He asked, sounding very sleepy. Maybe even more so than Nana.

"Would I be able to go home? There is one train left for the night and...we do have school tomorrow" laughs erupted from all the boys.

"Why would you catch the train?" Kazutora smirked as he asked, and Nana felt the urge to fight. Fight for what exactly? She didn't really know. Fight to leave? Fight for her enjoyment of her nightly train ride after she had been left throbbing?

"Because I don't really have any other way of getting home"

"Where do you live?" Ryuguji now piped up himself. His question was the softest she had heard all day long. Nana felt embarrassment grip her stomach at the question.

"I live...just outside the red light district." Nana spoke, regretting everything, everywhere. She regretted writing that stupid answer that kept her back, which made Masashi wait for her, and which all led to this moment, with these boys who had consentually kidnapped her.

"I do too. Well, I live inside the red light district. we'll drop you off" Ryuguji stated, unwavered, unamused, it seems. In reality, none of them seemed to care that Nana lived there.

"No, you really don't need to. If I leave now, i'll make the 10:35" She shook her hands, trying to sweeten it up by smiling. She really, really, did not want anyone seeing where she lived.

"Im fuckin' going there anyway so just say thanks" He spat, and Nana wanted to roll her eyes. She nodded in agreement, and Ryuguji huffed out a "good enough" before sitting back in his seat. Manjiro, who had been lying his head down on the table again, suddenly stood up, which caused a swirl of motion from the rest of them. Nana followed her instinct and followed suit.

Nana and Manjiro piled onto the back of Ryuguji's motorcycle, helmets be damned. The vibrational hum of the engine tickled Nana's calves as she scooted down, accidentally making contact with Ryuguji's back, which she now had a clear view of. Tokyo Manji. It read, in large yellow romaji print.

"Hold on tight, Nana!" Manjiro yelled over the rev of the bike, wrapping his arms around Nana's middle. Nana seized up at the contact, now very much aware of the tenderness of her ribcage. She reached her hands under the seat to hold the sides.

"Have a good night, guys! See you tomorrow, Nana!" Baji waved at him, and the three other boys followed beside him. The two quieter ones, Nana recalled, were named Shibuya and...Kazutora, waved as well as they turned a corner.

Ryuguji sped off seconds later. Nana had never been on the back of a motorcycle before, and the thrum of experience shook her as they zoomed through city lights, the wind thrashing through her braids, which she assumed that after this would look like she had been struck by lightning.

The cold night wind made her eyes tear up, causing the street lights to look almost like shooting stars across her vision. After time, Ryuguji turned off into a darker street, and stopped in front of a motorcycle shop. Nana felt Manjiro's arms leave her, and he stepped off the bike. He smiled, but it was a broken kind of smile.

"Get her home safely, Kenny! Prove to me you're worthy of my sister" He laughed, and Nana scooted back to accommodate the new room after Majiro's departure.

"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight Mikey."

"Goodnight," Nana felt the urge to speak, but she didn't really know how to address him. It was made clear that Nana was not on their level. "Commander" She lurched out, with a smile. Manjiro nodded his head and walked away, the motorcycle speeding off down the street before he even touched the door of the bike shop.

There was a heavy weight between the two left on the motorcycle. There were no more bright city lights to distract her from the awkwardness between them both. She would call out 'left' and 'right' every few minutes, until they came upon the darkened patch of housing that Nana lived in. she hopped off of the bike, the flicker of the old street lights casting this half shadow over Ryuguji's face. He stared at the building, saying nothing.

"Well, this is me. Thank you...for the ride home" each word was painful. He looked down at her after she finished speaking.

"Don't mention it. I'll walk you in." he stated, shoving the bike keys in his black jacket pocket. Nana was swarmed with dread, and it filled into her every bone and vein.

"Oh no, that's really not necessary. Just tell him you walked me in...all safe and sound." She smiled, And he shook his head.

"He will know" That statement shook Nana. This guy was bigger than any kid she had ever known and he was scared of lying to his friend?

The pair walked to Nana's apartment. The awkward air was thickening by the second she almost forgot that her mother was at home.

"Sorry we gotta walk, the elevators don't work right now...our landlord kinda sucks" Nana laughed, just to fill the empty space that was louder when it was silent. She looked up to Ryuguji and he was looking out, over the open space of the stairwell.

"That's fine. I get it. I live over there, the one with the red lights" He said, pointing out the tall building within the middle of the city over. Nana had not known anyone else who lived near or inside the red light district, it wasn't exactly something to gloat about. They didn't say anything more than that until Nana opened the door. Nana's mother, like she always had been, was lying on the floor, face mushing into the carpet.

"That's my mother." Nana said, peeling off her jacket and hanging it up.

"Is she dead or something?" He asked, which made Nana laugh.

"Nope...not dead," she went through her routine, taking the bottle from the table, turning back to Ryuguji. "I won't be in bed for a while, but I'm in, I'm fine." he looked at the bottle in her hand.

"You know, smashing them is good. Lets the anger out."

"I don't...i'm not angry" Nana felt shocked at his words, at the fact he hadn't left yet. That he was looking at her, and her mother, and her house, the bottle in her hand. This was her big secret and she has let him walk into it.

"If I was you, I would be."

"I don't have anything to be angry about" She said, hating the press of his gaze on her. He stood there silently for a moment. Before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Tomorrow. 6pm. We are meeting at the Musashi shrine. Be there" He said, half turned to walk away.

"I don't know how I can get there..."

"Not my problem" He said, clicking his tongue before opening his mouth to speak again. "Oh and, I've noticed you avoid using anyone's names. You can call me Draken." He said, and Nana nodded in return. He turned and walked away without another word.