A Concussion and a Half
Traveling twelve years through time within a split second was just as disorienting as you’d expect it to be. Instead of the enclosed space he expected, Takemichi was in the middle of a field, the hot summer sun mercilessly blazing down on him.
Much like how the middle schooler nearby mercilessly decked him the moment he got his bearings.
The shock from the hit registered first, acting as an anesthesia to the pain he would soon feel in his cheek.
‘What the heck is going on?!’
“Get him!”
“Oh, come on, I actually bet money on the piss-haired boy!”
‘....Oh. This is the arena.’ His cheek proceeded to let him know that it did not appreciate being punched. Too bad it was experiencing what would be the first of many to come.
Takemichi somehow managed to avoid the next few blows aimed his way, his mind still spinning.
‘Wait, if this is the arena, then that means that I traveled back in time again. Naoto was right!’ For some reason, despite the numerous discussions he had had with Naoto about his abilities, it just hadn’t registered in Takemichi’s mind. Part of him had still believed it was just a crazy dream.
The long overdue revelation hit him like the train which had killed him a couple of days back. This left Takemichi completely distracted as he fumbled for his phone to check the date for confirmation, and well….
Needless to say, a couple of people lost the bets they placed on the so-called ‘piss-haired boy’.
It was evening by the time Takemichi regained consciousness. He sat up painfully, aware of every single muscle in his body screaming in agony. Apparently, passing out only meant you’d get beaten up more.
“Oi, Hanagaki! What was up with that shitty performance?” Someone pulled him up by his hair, and he could only bite into his cheek to muffle the cry that he made. He could feel a couple of dyed strands being ripped off his scalp. “People made bets on you!”
Takemichi knew that an apology was the only way they’d let him go. Experience had taught him to bear with it. He could definitely do it again if it meant that the people he cared about were safe.
‘Whenever I tried to argue with Kiyomasa and his goonies, they’d end up punishing the entirety of Mizo Middle. They don’t deserve any of that.’
“I-I’m sorry…”
“You think a stupid ‘sorry’ is going to get them their money back?!”
‘For the love of god, just leave me alone.’
“Leave it, he isn't worth it.” Kiyomasa held his unlit cigarette up, one of his attendants lighting it for him. “There’s a meeting tonight at the usual place, so don't waste more time.”
Takemichi knew he should have kept his mouth shut, because now was not the right time to get information out of people who were very capable of kicking his butt, but he was tired. His two braincells decided that he might as well get his work done before he went home and passed out. Sue him, he was exhausted.
As the others were starting to leave, Takemichi spoke up. That was a mistake in itself.
“Hey, um, I’m sorry to bother you but, you guys are in the Tokyo Manji Gang, right?”
The gang members who had started to climb up the steps froze.
Takemichi didn't notice the now hostile energy directed towards him. “Well, if it's possible, I’d like to meet the leaders…..Sano Manjiro and Kisaki Tetta, right?”
Kiyomasa extended his hand and one of his attendants passed him a bat.
“The fuck did you say?”
“I, uh-”
Takemichi couldn’t get a word in edgewise as Kiyomasa slammed the side of the bat against his head. Some of the people nearby gasped in horror as he began to bleed profusely from his head.
Kiyomasa didn’t let up.
The playground was silent, except for the sickening crunch that the bat made every time it collided with Takemichi’s body.
___________________
The world spun as Takemichi finally propped himself up on his palms. The moon was starting to rise, and most of the gang members had left. His head lolled onto one of his shoulders for support, and he could feel blood dripping into his ears and onto the sleeves of his shirt.
Kiyomasa snarled at him, though he couldn’t make out the words.
He wanted to get out of there.
He wanted to leave the past behind.
‘And here I thought…I thought things could be different….’ His thoughts felt sluggish, but his nerves were on fire. Like he could somehow get out of this situation.
‘I thought I could fix things.’
As soon as Kiyomasa turned towards the stairs, Takemichi crept away in the opposite direction. His legs didn’t seem to work until Kiyomasa was out of his line of sight. Once he was, he scrambled to his feet and ran.
Sometimes, the only thing he was good at was running away.
He stopped when he was out of breath, which didn’t take too long.
That was when the adrenaline wore off, and he collapsed on the Tachibana family’s doorstep.
____________
Hanagaki Takemichi was always a lonely child.
He could barely remember his parents - they had gone abroad for better job opportunities so as to ‘support their son’. He had been left with his aunt Rin (from his father's side) and her family.
She was Masaru's mother. That was enough to tell what kind of a person she was.
While they did look after him for a few weeks, they left him to his own devices once they realized that the Hanagakis weren't coming back any time soon.
While Takemichi had the freedom of growing up without any noisy adults to boss him around, the house also felt far too big and empty for him.
It was why he had grown attached, and even dependent on the friends he had made throughout his elementary and middle school years. Without them, he simply….did not have an impact on the world.
It was like Hanagaki Takemichi was a ghost to the world.
Well, technically, if he hadn't been able to time travel, he would be a literal ghost now, but let's not get into that.
The full extent of his ghost-like quality hit him when he ran away from his hometown. With no one to rely on except himself, Takemichi was forced to realise that he was well and truly alone.
There would be no one next to him during the evenings, when the silence of his apartment threatened to drown him in his misery. Or god forbid, when the neighbors were being loud and annoying as hell.
There'd be no one for him to hold and be held by in turn, be it for happy, memorable occasions (not like those were often) or for when the days were too much to handle alone.
And when Takemichi died for the first time while bleeding out on the train tracks of Shibuya Station, he realised that no one would be there to mourn him.
Takemichi had internalised it. After all, if he had never been there for any of his friends when they needed him, especially when he ran away from his hometown like a coward…
…what right did he have to ask for someone to be there for him?
___________________
The next time Takemichi opened his eyes, he was in a bright room.
'Heaven????' He wanted to rub at his eyes, but bandages covered half of his face. 'Am I finally dead??'
"What makes you so sure he's alright? He was bleeding from his head!"
"Miss, I assure you-"
"What if you missed something?"
"Who’d do such a thing to him?! He's harmless - wouldn't even hurt a fly!"
"Sir, please, we have to give the patient peace and quiet. You are also disturbing the other patients and doctors in nearby rooms."
"...Sorry…"
The voices seemed to quieten, but Takemichi could still sense the tension in the room.
Finally, he managed to sit up, alerting the people nearby. They came into focus, and Takemichi realized that the two people who were arguing with the doctor (or hospital staff member) were none other than Hinata and Naoto. When they peeked through the doorway, they perked up and dashed to his bedside.
“Takemichi-kun, you're awake, thank god!”
“What happened? You came home all busted up…”
“Never do that to us again! Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?”
“Hinata, I think he needs space…”
‘Are they…worried about me?’
“Guys, I’m alright-” He stopped at the twin glares the two of them shot him.
“You are most definitely not alright!” they both shouted at him. It was almost scary how synced their actions were.
Takemichi sighed a little. “Well, I’m not at 100%, but like, I feel loads better! Nothing to worry about.” He got out of the bed just to prove them wrong, much to their concern. A wave of vertigo hit him, but all things considered, a much better response than just passing out again.
Both of them still looked like they wanted to protest, but then realized that whatever went into one of Takemichi’s ears would simply see itself out through the other, especially if it concerned his health. It didn't mean they were happy about it, though.
“You are coming home with us for dinner.” Hinata huffed, crossing her arms.
“Hai, hai. I can't believe I’m getting kidnapped straight out of the hospital.” Takemichi chuckled dryly. Naoto snickered, before disguising it as a cough when Hinata shot both of them the ‘shut up or else’ glance.
___________
After being successfully kidnapped by the Tachibana siblings, Takemichi was given the gift of a home cooked meal that was not in fact made by himself. Mrs. Tachibana was more than happy to let Takemichi stay the night, because of his best friend privileges with Hinata and Naoto. Apparently their dad was working overtime because of the sudden rise in gang-related crimes. Takemichi could only hope that the poor man took a break before he got overwhelmed by the next wave of cases that were bound to come his way.
‘Man, I hope Naoto doesn't try to overwork himself like his dad in the future…’
After the meal, he helped the two set up futons for all of them to sleep on - a mini ritual that they always shared every time they had a sleepover. The beds were too small, and Hinata had a bad habit of practicing karate in her sleep.
“You know, sometimes I wish I was a delinquent too.” Hinata yawned as she watched Takemichi change his bandages.
He stopped abruptly. “Why… why would you wish for something like that?”
“Every time there’s a fight you end up getting beaten half to death… If I was there, I’d never let anyone hurt you like that.”
Takemichi blinked at that, feeling his heart warm a little. “Hinata…thanks. But you can't really keep protecting me forever, ya know.”
‘I’d rather she never got involved with people like Kiyomasa…’
“Well, it's nice to pretend.” She proceeded to flop onto her futon and try to bury herself into the blanket.
“Being a delinquent just to protect Takemichi-kun is stupid!” Naoto shouted from the bathroom, toothbrush still in his mouth. “This is why I’m going to become a part of the police force!”
“Oi, fool! Didn't you say you never wanted to be like dad?!” Hinata shouted, her voice muffled from the pillow.
“I can't hear you~!”
“I SAID-!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm not going to be like dad, I'm going to be better than him!”
Hinata sputtered at that. “But how is that better than delinquency?!”
“One, I actually get paid for saving this idiot’s life-”
“Hey!”
“-and two, I get to boss civilians around.”
“What are you going to get out of that?!”
“...Hinata… you do realize that you are a civilian, right?” Takemichi butted in before Hinata used Naoto for practice.
“.....Ugh, whatever! I'm going to sleep.”
“Good night, dear sister!” Naoto sang with all the smugness of a 13 year old who had just won an argument.
“IF YOU DON’T SHUT-”
“Goodnight!!! Jeez, you two, lay it off. I’d like to sleep too!”
And as the three drifted off, Takemichi could only hope that things would get better for everyone in the future.