Behind The Counter (Tokyo Revengers x Black Reader)

Chapter XXV: The Good and The Bad

[TW: Mention of Dismemberment, Blood, Murder, and Vomiting]

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"You try to save yourself. But it's already too late..."

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Takemichi could feel a tidal wave of emotions flooding through his entire body as his legs nearly gave out from under him; his dominant hand was now clutching at his collar as the breaths he took grew frantic and labored. "(Y/N)...she...Althea?" He couldn't even bring himself to repeat such a horrid statement.

The girl, the main reason Takemichi even went this far to save (Y/N), was murdered by her in the process. That didn't even sound right.

"That can't be true...!" He protested; his voice barely above a murmur.

Draken closes his eyes, his jaw clenched as he swallowed sharply, "I have no reason to lie about this, Takemitchy..." He somberly replied, his gaze shifting back to his shackled hands; he didn't even pay attention to how long Takemichi had been standing there, staring blankly into the glass.

"You're wrong..." Takemichi mumbled; observing as Draken sighed again with slight frustration.

"Takemitchy...—"

"YOU'RE WRONG!!" The younger male interjects; his head falling backward as he struggled to conceal his tears, "Althea loved (Y/N)! And (Y/N) loved Althea! They were INSEPARABLE!!" Takemichi bellowed, "No one...not even Hanma could break them apart...!! Althea was...—! She...was (Y/N)'s world..."

Takemichi's voice sinks down from its loud tone to below a whisper once again; his body narrowing at an acute angle and his tears staining the floor, "Please, Draken...? Just tell me you're joking..."

There's silence; nothing but the sound of the ticking clock was made at that very moment.

And it only further proved that Draken was being one hundred percent truthful... and it broke Takemichi.

"Hanma...that damn bastard...!" Draken cursed in a hushed tone, "He knew Mikey and I couldn't do a damn thing about it! And the moment that (Y/N) was backed into a corner...he exploited that. He used Mikey not being in the right state of mind to harass her. Break her down bit by bit."

The sound of rattling could be heard again as Draken tugged at the cuffs around his wrists with fury, "After everything we told her. We still left her all alone...We went against everything we said...!" His frown deepens; mirroring the same expression Takemichi now displayed.

"Draken..." Takemichi spoke, "How do you know all of this...? That (Y/N)...killed Althea...?"

The mere mention of it almost made Takemichi's tongue grow numb, nearly melting it right out of his mouth. It was horrible. And yet, Draken remained calm; his expression dull as ever, yet ready to spew everything he knew.

"Because... she told me. About a month after Althea's disappearance..." He replied; observing as Takemichi's brows knitted, "As Toman grew bigger and Hanma's obsession with her grew stronger...? (Y/N) came to me in secret, explaining how she couldn't take it anymore. How she felt like she was losing herself...!"

Takemichi chews at his bottom lip, fighting back a loud gasp while Draken continued. "She told me she wanted out of here, out of Toman! To finally be free from Kisaki and Hanma...!!" The bald male soon trails off with a scowl, "She insisted that I lend her enough money to book the first plane ticket out of Japan. Or at least enough for her to lay low for a bit; until Hanma gave up on looking for her."