Braided Pony

CHAPTER 11

I'm stuck babysitting Draken.The others had already taken off, leaving me here with nothing but the company of my own thoughts and the weight of what they’d just shared.

Mikey and the rest had been in a rush to leave, but not before dropping the bombshell about what had happened to Draken. The image of their serious faces lingered, a stark contrast to the usual lighthearted banter that filled the air when we were all together. The news hit like a punch to the gut—Draken, always the pillar of strength, had come frighteningly close to death.

As I sat there, trying to process everything, the reality of it all began to settle in. Draken, the one we all looked up to, had been brought to the brink. The thought of losing him… I could barely wrap my mind around it. It wasn't just that he was strong; it was that he was *Draken*. The glue that held them together, the one who always seemed invincible. But now, that invincibility had been shattered, and the cracks were too deep to ignore.

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling, the quiet around me only amplifying the chaos in my mind. How had things gotten so out of hand? Mikey had kept his composure, but I could see the turmoil in his eyes, the way his fists clenched as he spoke. For him, Draken wasn’t just a friend; he was family, and the thought of almost losing him must have been unbearable.

I sighed, the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. Babysitting felt like such a trivial thing compared to what was happening, but maybe it was these small moments that kept us grounded. After all, in a world where everything could change in an instant, maybe the little things were all we had to hold on to.

I glanced at Draken, lying on the couch, breathing deeply as he slept, seemingly at peace for once. His normally intimidating presence was softened in slumber, though it didn’t ease the tension gnawing at me. The room was quiet, the only sound being the steady rhythm of his breath. I pulled out my phone, more out of habit than anything else, scanning through my messages. Nothing from Ran. Typical. But then, something caught my eye—a message from an unknown number.

Unknown Number: Meet me at TANTRA TOKYO. We need to talk.

I stared at the text, the sharpness of it making my chest tighten. Who the hell?

My fingers moved swiftly across the screen, responding before I could even think twice.

"Who the fuck are you? And how did you get my number?"

The reply came quicker than I expected.

Unknown Number: It’s me, dumbass. Rindou.

Rindou?! My eyes widened slightly as recognition hit me. How the hell did he get my number? He wasn’t the type to reach out unless something was off.

"How did you get my number?" I typed back, my curiosity overtaking my irritation.

A pause. Then the response came through, as short and sharp as before.

Rindou: Stop asking questions and just meet me at the fucking club.

I rolled my eyes, muttering under my breath. Of course, Rindou would be like this—impatient and blunt. Typical Haitani arrogance.

"I can’t. I’m stuck babysitting."

The reply came almost immediately.

Rindou: I don’t care. Bring the little demon with you.

Little demon? I almost laughed at that. I glanced at Draken again—he was anything but little or a demon, but I knew what Rindou meant. Still, this was a complication I didn’t need.

"He’s not a baby. It’s one of my friends, and he’s not allowed to leave the house," I texted back, hoping to shut this down.

There was a longer pause this time, like he was thinking it over. But when his next message came through, it sent a chill down my spine.