Rearranging Fate | Tokyo Revengers x OC

102 • The Fourth Future #4

"So, you can't time leap anymore?"

"Yeah." Sighing, Takemichi slumped his shoulders. He paid the pet shop a visit in hopes of finding a solution, but what could Baji, Chifuyu, and Kazutora do against something as unscientific as time leaping, or inability to? "Naoto said it's 'cus he doesn't wanna change this future."

"It's understandable," Kazutora replied, dumping a cat into a playing pen. "You've already saved Hina-chan, Toman is no more, and everyone is alive and happy."

"Everyone but Rei."

"Even so, who's stupid enough to risk this 'happy' future for someone he barely knew?" He asked back with a raised eyebrow. "To you, Rei is a friend. But to Naoto, she's someone who's been fucking up the alternate futures. Of course he wouldn't want to risk everything for her."

"That's true, but I"—gritting his teeth, Takemichi could already feel the tears brimming in his eyes—"I wanted to see and talk to Rei. I wanna know what she was thinking when she decided to take this path."

Turning towards the three pet shop owners, Takemichi asked, "Rei trusts you three, so you should know, right? Why did Rei decide to take this path even though she hated it? What happened in the past for this to happen?"

Exchanging glances with the other two, Baji sighed and raked his hand through his hair. "For a year or so, we didn't see Rei. That was when Black Dragon went around Japan taking over region after region," he began. "We only saw her once after that, and that was after she disbanded Black Dragon. We haven't seen her since."

"It's not like we never looked into it, y'know," Chifuyu said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter. "But in the end, we couldn't figure anything out."

"Aizen and the Shimuras, Anggita-san and Akise-san, Mikey and Emma...Harui and Mirai...none of them knew what happened to her." Dusting his fur-stained hands, Kazutora leaned against the wall. "When she killed off Hokusei Reina, she completely erased whatever connection she had with us."

"I'd stop looking for her if I were you," warned the former first division captain, being uncharacteristically solemn. "Rei bid us farewell years ago. Whatever path she's in, it's the path she made with her own will. Maybe it's different from ours, but it's still something she chose to do."

"Baji-kun..."

"Baji-san's right, Takemitchy." Slinging his arm around Takemichi's neck, Chifuyu grinned. "You're no longer a kid, y'know. You have an important path to make with Hina-chan." Patting his back harshly, Chifuyu shoved him out of the shop. "Get it together, Takemitchy!"

When the doors were finally shut, Chifuyu turned to face the other two. "He's not gonna stop, y'know," he stated the obvious. "He'll try to find Rei one way or another."

"He doesn't even realize how dangerous Rei is right now. He's totally underestimating twelve years." Dragging his hand down his face, Kazutora grumbled. He took off his apron, grabbing his jacket from the staff room. "At this rate, he's gonna get himself killed before his own fucking wedding."

"Oi." Grabbing Kazutora's shoulder, Baji stopped him from leaving. "You're not planning to help him, are you? Don't you remember what Rei said?"

"That she'd purposely ruin everyone's future if we got involved with her again? Yeah, heard it loud and clear," the bicolor-haired man challenged back. "But does it look like Takemitchy gives a shit? No, he's gonna try and find Rei and get killed in the process and we'll have to live with the guilt of letting him die before Hina-chan can fuck her fiancé!"

"Fucking hell." Facepalming, Chifuyu couldn't believe Kazutora had just said that. Good thing they were close to closing hours, so there weren't any customers. Otherwise, the shop's reputation would plummet. "How're you even gonna help him? You haven't seen Rei either."