stuck in 1991, getting jobs, meeting girls, and saving the timeline

two eight-year-old menaces with a knack for fighting

Roppongi didn't change too much from its time in 1997. It was a comfort — something that still looks the same from his time. In all honesty, it probably wasn't the smartest idea to walk around Roppongi just to feel the nostalgia, but could you really blame him? How did Takemichi end up having two children tailing him like lost dogs?

-----------------------------------------

"Hanagaki-san, good work today, as always!" Takemichi's manager, Sayu Mitsuni, was standing outside the dressing room said male.

"Thank you for your kind words, Sayu-san, but it was just work," Takemichi spared a glance at Mitsuni when he finally exited, "If you don't mind going back to Tokyo without me, I would like to walk around Roppongi for a while."

"O-Of course, Hanagaki-san!" She reached to pull out her wallet.

"I'll pay for my ride back since it would be unsympathetic not to after leaving you like this." Mitsuni put back her wallet with a happy exhale.

"You're too nice to me, Hanagaki-san..." She was new to the managing field but she knew that the client had to stay content unless she wanted to get fired. Unlike what Mitsuni expected of the older man, he was very kind and understanding no matter how many times she messed up. "I'll discuss the details when you get sent another gig via emails, so keep watch!"

Takemichi chuckled, "I always do!"

Although their relationship was relatively business interactions, they could get along otherwise. Takemichi saw her off before heading down one of the streets in Roppongi. It was late in the afternoon so the lights stood out more than when he originally came — it was gorgeous. He walked in and out of a small bakery, only purchasing some taiyaki. He'll give some to Tooru and Keisuke.

"STOP!"

Huh? Takemichi looked around to see the aftermath of what seemed to be a terrible argument — a violent one at that. The mother threw one of the children — the long-haired one — out of the door and he noticed another child running out of the house to get to who Takemichi assumed was his brother.

"AND STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, ROTTEN KIDS!" The door slammed and the boys were staring at it in a form of disbelief.

Takemichi watched them for a second before making his way towards them and extending his hand, "C'mon, get up." The blond-headed boys looked up at the man in disbelief, "Are you guys going to sit on the sidewalk all day or...?"

That seemed to snap the older boy out of his trance. He elbowed his brother and pushed himself up, ignoring Takemichi's hand.

Takemichi retracted his arm and brushed his hand against his coat, "I'm Hanagaki Takemichi. You are?"

"None of your-"

"I'm Haitani Ran and he's Haitani Rindou — we're brothers." Ran interrupted.

Rindou whined, "Ran..."

Takemichi paused for a moment with well-concealed shock. So these were the Haitani brothers? Damn, they looked adorable as kids...

Huffing he pulls off his coat before wrapping them both in it as well as handing them some yen, "That should be enough for you to get a room at a motel or something. It's getting dark so you both should get going." Takemichi sighed dejectedly. That was his nice coat to... He wasn't going to leave the two boys freezing on the street though and Takemichi had more than enough money to pay for another one. What did surprise him though was the pair of small footsteps pattering after him once he started to walk away. Takemichi knew who they were — he really shouldn't involve himself with them, knowing who they are in the future — but he couldn't just let them follow a complete stranger somewhere.

Takemichi stopped walking and faced the children with crossed arms, "Why are you both following me?" He noticed how the coat was now completely covering Rindou's frame. Ran must have wrapped up his brother as they were walking.

"Why did you give us your fancy jacket?" Ran was leading the conversation while standing slightly in front of Rindou, which didn't go unnoticed by Takemichi. He knew the brothers were close, especially if they would follow each other into the worst possible future.

"Do I really need a reason to help two boys?"

Rindou spoke up this time, "No one does something without wanting something else in return..."

"We'd rather you tell us what you want now, is what we're saying," Ran looked at Takemichi with a somewhat bored gaze.

"Okay," The boys tensed but stood their ground. Takemichi admired that they could do that at such a young age but it was due to unfortunate circumstances, "I want you both to walk to a hotel, get a room, and survive."

To say the Haitani brothers were shocked would be an understatement. They looked at the man with wide eyes but Ran picked up something his brother didn't, "Survive...?"

Takemichi nodded, "Survive. The world is not all sunshine and rainbows, but you already know that. I want you both to do what it takes to survive in this world — live for yourself."

Takemichi doesn't know why he thought he could just walk away after saying something like that to two impressionable boys. As he walked around Roppongi, they would be only two steps behind him. Despite their looks, they could actually fight. When working together, they could take down a grown man — he wouldn't believe it if it didn't happen right in front of him. Okay, not getting on their bad side...

From what he knew from Chifuyu, the Haitani brothers were in the center of the "Roppongi Battle of The Ashes". They were sent to juvenile detention at age thirteen. They looked rather young, and if Takemichi were to do the math, they would be around eight years old. Shit, he really got himself stuck this time.

After around two hours of walking around mindlessly and treating the boys to food, it was starting to get late and Takemichi pointed that out to the two boys.

"Fine, we'll go find a hotel of something..." Rindou actually looked saddened and Takemichi was afraid that he himself had gotten a bit too attached to the delinquent-to-be set of brothers.

"How about I come to Roppongi every so often, hm?" Takemichi truly was attached. God dammit.

"That would be awesome, Hana-san!"

"...Hana-san?" Since when was this a thing?

"What? Is does rich man Hana-san not like the name?" Takemichi was definitely being teased by an eight-year-old child. Is this really was he has become?

Takemichi lightly pushed the two boys, "Whatever, you guys said it, go get a hotel before going back home."

"Bye, Hana-san~!"

"See you next time, Hanagaki..."

Takemichi sighed for what seemed to be the a thousand time. He could never get a break from delinquency. Fuck his life.