The yesterdays that were mine

Swallow the Sun

Through the hours leading up to the meeting at Musashi shrine, the distance between Nana and the members of Tokyo Manji did nothing but grow further. The way they were was so far from what Nana ever saw of the world. These boys, she thought, what they would have had to go through to feel this way, to feel that this is how they should exist in the world.

Each minute that ticked by Nana realised more and more that they weren't just a group of rambunctious delinquents, but rather, the beginning stages of real criminals, fueled by power and violence.

She didn't hate them, but she was scared of them. Perhaps that's how they wanted her, broken down and pliable. Nana sat on the back of Mitsuya's motorbike, driving down the darkened, winding roads that led to Musashi shrine. She felt the desire to know them, though. That maybe, somehow, beneath all the hardened walls and braun, there were kind boys.

She was knocked from her thoughts when they stopped, and Mitsuya began shuffling on the seat. Nana held onto his shoulders to steady her dismount, mumbling 'sorry' after she stepped onto the paved walkway. He looked at her and smiled.

"Don't apologise. I waited for you to get off first" He said, his voice was soft, like the tender hum of wind. Which was contradictory to the way he looked. Nana smiled back at him and waited for the rest of the group to get off their bikes.

Chatter arose from the group, and Nana silently listened in.

"You can't keep hanging on the back of my ride forever!" Ryuguji yelled, unnecessarily loud to Manjiro who walked just a few steps ahead of the group, half turned to face his friend.

"What're you gonna do about it, Kenny? Plus, mine is gone so unless you want me to walk everywhere..." He trailed off, an obvious smile fuming off of his body.

"Maybe then we would have some peace and quiet around here" He huffed back, audibly sighing. Manjiro said nothing, but held up his middle finger with his back still turned.

The group walked further for a few seconds, up some old, cracking stairs that led through a shrine gate. There, standing in perfect, straight rows stood around twenty men. They all, complete in unison, said to Manjiro when he came into view.

"Good evening sir!"

He said nothing in return, only walked down the middle of the rows. Nana followed closely behind Hayashida, who stood as a kind of human wall between herself and the sea of people she felt were staring directly at her, trying to decipher what she was doing there. Why she was standing in a middle school uniform and surrounded by their superiors.

They all ended up in front of the small crowd, and Nana sood further behind all of them, trying to make herself as small as possible. Manjiro, who now looked devoid of all feeling, began speaking.

"Earlier on this week, Masashi Nakamato was set to join Tokyo Manji...along with four other men. He decided that his example would be Nana Komore" Nana could see the seizing bodies amongst the crowd, some of them turning to look at another, others staring at Nana, some staring at Manjiro.

"Yes, Nana Komore is the younger sister of Yuichi Komore, second in command to my brother, Shinichiro Sano" Nana felt her chest decompress as she breathed out, perhaps to add room for this new information. She looked over to Manjiro, who still stared straight ahead. Was that why he kept her? Were they going to be a different copy of their siblings?

"Mitsuya," Manjiro looked over his shoulder, then moved his gaze back over to Nana, eyes void of that boyish charm that was there before. "Come here" he said, and she followed immediately, standing beside him, slightly behind still.

Mitsuya handed Nana a black jacket, she looked down at the embroidery, and flashy yellow lettering on the front and sides. She looked at Manjiro who flicked his head to the side.