Polaroid Love

Aperture Ring

ʏᴇᴀʀ : 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟻

ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: ᴠᴀʟʜᴀʟʟᴀ ʜɪᴅᴇᴏᴜᴛ

˙✧˖°📷 ⋆｡˚꩜

We step into the abandoned arcade that Valhalla calls their hideout. The air is thick with delinquents, and the stench of cigarettes assaults our senses. I instinctively cover my nose as we venture further into this hostile territory. Despite receiving dirty looks from some guys, I meet their gazes with a defiant glare.

Kazutora leads us to the center, where Baji is mercilessly beating someone.

╭──────────.★..─╮ 

ɴᴀᴍᴇ: ʙᴀᴊɪ ᴋᴇɪsᴜᴋᴇ

ᴀɢᴇ: 𝟷𝟻

sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ: ʜɪs ᴍᴏʀᴀʟs

sᴛᴀᴛᴜs: ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ (ᴍᴇᴛᴀᴘʜᴏʀɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ)

╰─..★.──────────╯

A closer look makes my breath catch – it's Chifuyu Matsuno, the first division vice-captain. The sickening crunches echo through the room as Baji pummels him repeatedly. Every fiber of my being wants to intervene, but I force myself to hold back, clenching my fists in frustration.

"Tora, what is this?" I demand.

"It's a test of faith, (N/N)," he replies.

"A test of faith?" Takemichi questions, visibly disturbed.

"Of Baji's belief in our group," Kazutora explains. Switching gangs is likened to changing religions, and to prove allegiance, Baji must stomp on his old beliefs by brutalizing his most loyal follower. Takemichi's fear is palpable, and I can't blame him; witnessing something this brutal is a shock.

"Mitchy," I call out to him, and he flinches. "You need to calm down, especially in places like this. Don't let the enemy know what you're feeling. Stay calm. I won't let them touch you."

He seems to relax slightly, but it's a small victory in a tense situation.

"Is that good enough, Hanma-kun?" Baji asks as he stands up, untangling his long black hair. "For my invitation to Valhalla."

Internally, I'm ready to find a razor to cut off that idiot's hair and somehow fix his twisted mindset. There has to be an alternative motive behind Baji betraying Toman like this.

All the Valhalla captains chime in with their opinions, but Baji is looking for an answer, not a lecture. Hanma calls up Kazutora.

"This guy is Takemichi Hanagaki, the newest member of Toman," Kazutora introduces him. I can practically hear Takemichi's silent gasp. "And this is (Y/N) (L/N), Toman's intel agent, and my best friend!" The words "best friend" ache in my chest. I don't deserve that kind of praise.

Hanma approaches us, and I subtly step in front of Takemichi. "That's close enough," I warn, glaring at Hanma.

He chuckles. "You're in no position to talk like that, (Y/N)-chan." I growl at the way he says my name.

"So... you're Hanagaki?" Hanma directs his attention to Takemichi, who's audibly heaving with panicked breaths. This is dangerous; he needs to calm down before he wears himself out. We might need to make a swift exit.

"It's you from before," Baji recognizes Takemichi. "Did you come here to get yourself killed or what?"

"And you, I told you to leave," Baji adds, casting a disapproving look my way. I just scoff; he knows it'll take more than that to get me to abandon Toman.