Lying is a Sin, A Sin Hanagaki Takemichi Commits Too Often

The Way You Lie - The Nineteenth Promise

June 28th, 2017  

It's been three days since his birthday. Three days since the big wonderful child abuse reveal. Three days since he was confronted by his mother. Three days since he blamed Kazutora for no reason. Three days since he told Shinichiro has cancer. Three days that he has been ignoring the calls and messages of apologies Naoto has been leaving him. Three days of sitting in his office and letting the Haitani brothers run the cafe for him.

Three sharp knocks on his door tear his attention away from the letter he was writing, "Ah, Rindou-kun?"

"Takemichi, one of the people you listed is at the counter. They want to talk to you."

"Who?"

"Kakucho, he's being really persistent."

Takemichi sighed and tucked away the letter before nodding, "He can come in."

"Are you sure? I can send him off if you want."

"It's okay."

Rindou nodded, sending him a worried glance before leaving to get Kakucho. The man himself entered the room a few moments later, closing the door behind him.

Kakucho stared at Takemichi, he stared at his sunken cheeks, his sullen eyes, his peeling lips and frail body. Blaming himself is something that he would always turn to, ever since he was a kid. If kids didn't want to play with him, it was because he was annoying. His parents died because he wanted to go to the carnival that day even though they wanted to stay in because of the snow. Takemichi would get beaten up by older kids because he was protecting Kakucho. Everything was always his fault. It was completely unreasonable but he felt like perhaps if he stayed here in Japan instead of moving to Manilla, he could have prevented Takemichi from becoming like this. Becoming so frail and lifeless, lacking the glint of determination that he always admired.

Perhaps he also was a little selfish. He had always been upset by the fact that they had missed out on almost ten years of each other's lives. If Takemichi's mother's abuse had been discovered, then maybe Takemichi would have ended up at the same orphanage as him and Izana. And then they could have been together during that time too. But that was a horrible thought. Because the orphanage was terrible. Especially to Izana because he was of mixed ethnicity.

It wasn't fair. Takemichi's life wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Takemichi, the Takemichi who is so kind and caring even after people punch him in the face, after his own mother abused him his whole childhood.

"Kaku-chan, it's strange to see you without Izana-kun by your side." That voice, the voice of someone trying to joke to cover up how terribly they really feel.

"Are you okay?" Kakucho asks instead.

Takemichi's face drops, "Of course I'm not. Why would I be happy that the special people in my life met the one who hurt me the most? And I hurt people too. I hurt Kazutora's feelings, and I've been ignoring Naoto."

Kakucho pauses, his eyes raked over Takemichi's appearance once more, "And physically? Are you okay?"

Takemichi didn't say anything. He was just a liar. That's all he was. He was now going against his words to Shinichiro three nights back, that he didn't want to hide it anymore. And yet he had made no effort to tell anyone else about his illness and premature demise, and he didn't plan on it either. Every night he prayed he wouldn't wake up, instead passing peacefully in his sleep and not having to face confrontation. But his prayers have yet to be answered.

"I'm really busy right now, Kaku-chan. Maybe we can catch up some other time, not everyone is on holiday right now," Takemichi said nonchalantly. He never spoke like this, so uncaring and impolite. But he just couldn't find it in himself to care anymore.

Kakucho's adams apple bobbed as he swallowed, he nodded silently, he was getting nowhere.

"See you then, Michi."

.

"I know you guys just see this as a side job for some petty cash, but if it isn't too much to ask, I was wondering if you two could take on some more roles. I'm uh, in a couple months I will be going away so I was hoping that I could rely on you both to run the place while I'm gone," Takemichi was skating on thin ice with his request, it was so close, so close to the true, and yet so far away.

"Of course we would do that for you, Takemichi. It's no problem." Ran exclaimed.

"Really, we'd be more than happy to. We- I've really come to like working here," Rindou added shyly.

Takemichi smiled tiredly, "Thank you, so much. I really appreciate it."

Ran smiled back and returned to rolling out some pastry. But Rindou stared at Takemichi attentively, taking in his figure. Of course, when they had first applied for the job, Takemichi had seemed tired and a bit sickly, but he had definitely worsened in their time working here.

"You all good, Boss?"

Takemichi hesitated, it was only for a second that his smile dropped but Rindou caught it, "I am. Yeah...I am."

"Are you sure?"

"Really, I am. Promise, okay Rin-kun? I promise."