The Way I Loved You || manjiro sano - yandere au

chapter five

TW: mentions of death, murder, violence

THE HOSPITAL was never his favorite place. The smell of bleach and dread overwhelmed the atmosphere with a distinct sense of woe among patients and visitors.

More often than not, the bad news was all it was in these halls. Patients with severe injuries or diseases brought about a painful hope of recovery and at the same time dejection.

Mikey was all too familiar with these white plain halls. He knows he better be careful when running through the polished floors for he might slip and not run blindly towards a room the receptionist pointed him to but he's in haste, he doesn't have the luxury of being calm.

Behind him were his friends and they were equally as concerned when they had heard the news from Takemichi that you were in the hospital after taking some major injuries.

With crazed eyes and short breaths, Mikey reached your room. He didn't bother to knock on the door and slid it open, stepping inside the dull yet cold room. His heart almost drops at the sight of you sprawled on the hospital bed with bandages and bruises.

"Mikey-kun! I-" Takemichi stands up from his chair to talk to Mikey but Mikey ran past him and he closes his mouth.

It doesn't take Mikey a second to run beside you, not bothering to greet Takemichi who was by your side.

The Toman Captains were by the door, only Draken had the heart to follow Mikey inside. They all spared a glance but decided it was too painful for their hearts to handle the sight of Mikey kneeling in front of your injured state.

"We'll wait outside, tell us if there is anything we can do." Mitsuya looked down before ushering everyone to the waiting chairs outside, not wanting to disturb such a personal moment for Mikey.

Kneeling, Mikey grabs your hand gently, careful not to touch the cuts on your hand. He holds it close to his face as if you're caressing him as you usually do.

He was careful like he was worried that he'll hurt you if he moves.

At that moment, Mikey suddenly remembers that he had questions. He was so worried about running to the hospital that he forgot to ask questions about what happened. Now that he has seen you, he wanted to get to the bottom of this.

There was so way in hell that would he let the person who did this to you see the live to see another day again.

He partly blames himself.

Should he have stayed behind? Did he not make it clear to other gangs that if they hurt you he will hurt them back tenfold?

Or-- simply associating yourself with him brought you danger?

"Mikey-kun," Takemichi called out after a few moments of silence. He didn't want to interrupt his moment but Takemichi knew not to waste any more time.

"A group of thugs attacked (name). I suspect that they're a gang too because there's no reason for them to hurt her unless they know her relationship with you." Takemichi explained.

Although, he couldn't make out their faces very well. They were ganging up on one girl, who still put up a fight against ten men with weapons.

"(Name) defended herself well but.. they had weapons." Takemichi was disgusted at the fact that they would stoop so low to outnumber you and even bring weapons. They fought dirty, reflecting their personalities.

Takemichi reached out to the bandage on the right side of his waist.

The bullet managed to graze his waist but fortunately, it wasn't anything serious. Had Takemichi been late for even a second, you would have taken the shot. He managed to push you away from the very last second and save you from getting shot.

Even though you were severely injured and unconscious, takemichi was thankful that he had saved you. This way, he changed the future. He barely succeeded but he kept you alive.

All the time he spent talking to Mikey, he was quiet but Takemichi could tell that Mikey was listening intently.

Mikey was now caressing your cheek, soothing the skin with his thumb and drawing imaginary circles. He was looking down at your bandages intensely, anger ringing in his ears that he could barely process anything Takemichi is saying.

His mind was screaming violence and revenge, but at the same time, he only wanted to be by your side. He was torn between wanting to murder every single person who hurt you out of spite or wanting to cry.

"Thank you..." Mikey spoke up, voice small and broken.

Takemichi is surprised by this but nodded. He couldn't believe that the invincible Mikey was only mere seconds away from crying. A side of Mikey he had yet to see.

"Thank you, Takemichy."

-

AROUND MIDNIGHT, takemichi walked out of his hospital room to buy himself a beverage at the vending machine.

He couldn't sleep because he was thinking about how the future may have been affected because of his actions and the fact that the simple injury was too painful for him to move around.

Naoto slid a picture of a woman toward him. Takemichi picked it up with great interest as he did not recognize this woman. "(Last name) (name)" Naoto said.

"Mikey's childhood friend?" Takemichi guessed. He has heard that name a few times before when Mikey had bragged about a girl to him, who he deeply cares about and admires although he has never seen this girl up close.

"Correct. She died on August 10 in an alleyway. She was brutally beaten and shot to death by members of an unknown gang supposedly targeting her. She died on the spot and was only found two days later."

Takemichi frowned at what he was hearing. This fifteen-year-old girl was savagely killed by ten men with no apparent reason as to why.

"You need to save her, takemichi." Naoto firmly told him. He believed that this was one of the main reasons why Mikey had changed. Death of a deeply admired person who died in the most tragic of ways.

Takemichi had managed to save draken and now he was going to save (name) too.

Takemichi grabbed the cold beverage from the slot and started walking to his respective room but paused when he heard a familiar voice at the end of the dark hallway.

He was never one to evesdrop in a private conversation but he did anyway. Hiding, he recognized this voice to be Mikey's. He was talking to a man with glasses and what looked to be blonde hair.

"I can help you find the people who hurt (name)." The stranger told Mikey with a confident tone. He adjusted his glasses and waited for Mikey to respond.