invinchibi mikey

Save Me (Ken “Draken” Ryuguji) #06 – Different

Table of Contents & Information | Previous

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“My bad habits lead to wide eyes, stare into space,
and I know I lose control of the things that I say.
I was lookin’ for a way out, now I can’t escape.
Nothin’ happens after two, it’s true, it’s true.
My bad habits lead to you.”
Ed Sheeran feat. Bring Me The Horizon – Bad Habits

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I hid behind the giant concrete pillar, watching as the two stopped at the top of the steps. A large group of guys was gathered at the bottom of the stairs, all wearing white shirts and black pants. I knew it was a fuckin’ cult. Only cults wear the same shit!

They were gathered around two guys, one small and one huge and… jesus, what the fuck happened to his face? It’s swollen, changing his skin to a sickly purple, blood dripping from his mouth and various cuts across his face. His left eye was so swollen he couldn’t even open it and yet he was still standing, facing the bigger guy down. What the fuck…

“If you wanna win,” the smaller guy spoke, his voice strained with pain. Why did he sound so familiar? “You have no choice but to kill me.”

Oi, oi. Is this guy fuckin’ nuts?

The big guy slowly started to advance toward him, a metal bat in his hand. He’s really gonna do it… he’s gonna kill this guy and no one’s gonna do anything!

“Oi, Kiyomasa.” Draken’s voice rang out over the silent crowd, causing all heads to turn toward him. “You’re losing the audience.”

“Good afternoon, leader!” one of the men cried, quickly bowing with his hands on his knees.

“Good afternoon!” They chorused, all scrambling to make a path for the two as they started down the stairs, everyone bowing at the waist.

Just who the fuck are these two that they can command so much power? These guys look terrified, but the admiration and respect is clear as day.

As they reached the bottom of the steps, the big guy quickly hid the bat behind his back and bowed. Is he stupid? As if they’re not going to see it! Speaking of seeing… I used the fact that everyone’s attention is on so I could move closer.

Draken stopped in front of the big guy, staring him down before delivering a fast kick to his gut, causing the guy to bend nearly in half as he clutched his stomach. Holy shit, for such a big guy, he’s fast.

“That’s how low you should bow when greeting the leader,” Draken stated, his voice like ice. It sent a shiver down my spine. I’ve never heard him speak like that and it honestly scared the fuck out of me.

“Yes, sir,” coughed out the big guy.

Draken picked up the bat off the ground, resting it against the back of the guy’s neck and I swallowed hard, digging my nails into the wall. He… he’s not going to… to kill him, is he?

“There’s a place in the head that you can hit with a big strike, but I haven’t tested it with a weapon,” Draken explained, lifting the bat and bringing it back down to rest across his neck. “Want me to try it?” He brought the bat to his shoulder before swinging it just above his head, making the guy flinch and cry out. The sheer sound of the bat going through the air… it really would kill him!

“No, I’m so sorry!”

I looked away, feeling my stomach twisting into knots. Was I about to witness a murder? My eyes fell on the shorter guy and that feeling of familiarity returned. His face was fucked, but… I took a couple steps closer and my eyes widened. H-Hanagaki?! So he did come back… just to get killed?

Mikey’s gaze fell on Hanagaki and my blood ran cold. The second he started to approach the blonde, I darted forward before my mind could even process what I was doing. I shoved my way through the throng of men still bowing at the waist.

“Wait! Don’t hurt him!”

Draken intercepted me, putting his body between me and Mikey, his hand grabbing my shoulder firmly, the other one still holding onto the bat. I didn’t have to look into his eyes to know he was angry. “I told you to stay put! Why didn’t you listen to me?”

“Please, Mikey!” I cried, trying to get past Draken but his grip was firm. Mikey paused, probably because it was the first time I said his name. He glanced at me before continuing toward Hanagaki whose legs gave out from under him, sending him to the ground. I could honestly relate – my legs were shaking something fierce and I was already cursing myself for what I had done, but… I couldn’t just leave him be!

“What’s your name?” Mikey questioned.

“Hanagaki… Takemichi.”

“I see. Takemitchy, huh?” He squatted down in front of him and I tried to move forward, but Draken squeezed my shoulders.

He was angry, his eyes narrowed at me and his voice low. “You should have listened to me, Jae.”

I swallowed hard, my breath catching in my throat when he said my name. Was he going to kill me for disobeying him?

“Takemitchy,” Mikey repeated, a playful lilt to his voice. “From now on, you’re my pal, okay?”

“Huh?” Hanagaki and I chorused, looking at the leader with confusion.

Draken half turned toward them, keeping his hand firmly on my shoulder. “If Mikey says so, then that’s what it is. Right? Takemitchy.” He then stood up and turned around, his eyes scanning the crowd. “So, who’s the one running this gambling joint?”

Without hesitation, everyone pointed to the big guy still bent over. If I wasn’t so scared, I’d probably have laughed. Even Hanagaki was pointing at him repeatedly!

Mikey turned toward the big guy who panicked and pointed at the closest person. Did he really think that was going to work after everyone had indicated him?

“Oi!” The guy cried angrily, glaring at the guy he had pointed at, but the guy didn’t drop his hand nor did he make any move to save him. “Oi!”

Sticking his dorayaki in his mouth, Mikey did a cartwheel, kicking the guy twice in the face with such force that he fell to the ground, unconscious.

My body tensed up and I tried to take a step back. Draken moved his hand from my shoulder to my back, his arm stopping me from backing away, his fingers pressing into my skin through the t-shirt. These guys are seriously fucked… why didn’t I listen to my instincts, to begin with?!

“Fighting rings are stupid,” Mikey muttered.

“Don’t ruin Toman’s reputation!” Draken snapped at the crowd, his voice so loud that I flinched.

“We’re sorry!” The group chorused, bowing even lower.

All of a sudden, Mikey screamed like a little girl, startling the group and making me jump, trying to back away again. Damn it, if Draken doesn’t let go of me… I gotta get away from these guys!

“What’s the matter, leader?!” one of the guys cried and the group all rushed toward him, kneeling on the ground and looking up at him as if he were their king.

“Kenchin… I dropped my dorayaki.” Mikey pointed to the fallen cake on the ground, sounding like he was about to cry.

“You can still eat it!” one of the men cried. “The three-second rule!”

It’s totally been more than three seconds, idiot!

Draken leaned down to my ear, his voice low. “Don’t move.” And then he stepped forward to take Mikey’s jacket from one of the men, handing it over to Mikey. “Don’t call me that, okay?”

Without Draken restricting my movement, I turned on my heel and rushed over to Hanagaki, falling to my knees beside him, my hands hovering in the air. What the fuck do I even do? Surely this can only be helped through the hospital! “Jesus fuck…” I muttered, finally letting my hands fall to my lap, tears stinging at my eyes. I’ve never seen someone get beat up in real life! It’s… it’s fucking terrible. I feel so useless.

“Does it look bad?” he muttered, trying to smile but wincing when it hurt to do so.

“You look like a watermelon that was microwaved for five hours.”

“Huh, not as bad as I thought.”

“Are you stupid?!” I lifted my hand to hit him but held back, not wanting to further aggravate his injuries. I felt eyes on me and figured it was Draken and Mikey so I lowered my voice, leaning closer. “You left me, you asshole. You left me here and went back to the present.”

“Not on purpose,” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking at me apologetically. “When I grabbed Naoto’s hand, I don’t know… it triggered something and sent me back.”

“I tried that after you disappeared,” I frowned, hand clenching around my shorts. “Nothing happened.”

“What? Really?”

I nodded.

“Listen, back in the present, things have -“

“Jaybird, let’s go!” Mikey called, waiting a few feet away.

My shoulders tensed and I shared a concerned look with Hanagaki.

“How did you even -“

“I don’t know!”

“Jae.” Draken’s voice was annoyed as he started toward me.

“Just go. I’ll figure something out,” Hanagaki promised, pushing at my arm.

Reluctantly, I stood up, not fighting back when Draken’s fingers curled around my wrist, tugging me toward Mikey who had already begun climbing the stairs.

“Takemitchy, see you later!” Mikey waved at him with a grin.

I kept my head down, avoiding the curious gazes of the men as I followed Draken. He handed the bat over to one of them, which made me feel a bit more at ease but I was still nervous to be returning with them. I hesitated when they climbed onto their bikes, acting as if nothing had happened.

“Get on,” Draken ordered, his voice still annoyed. I don’t know why, but that scared me more than what he had threatened to do to that guy. I messed up big time, didn’t I?

Mikey hummed, leaning forward on the handlebars, his eyes glinting. “Or maybe you wanna ride with me this time, Jaybird?”

I looked over at Mikey and frowned. He’s the one that actually attacked that guy, knocked him out cold so easily, and yet… why do I feel less nervous at the prospect of riding with him than I do with Draken? I can’t stop picturing the look in his eye when I ran down. He was so pissed! Swallowing, I couldn’t bring myself to answer so I approached him instead, keeping my gaze on the ground, well aware of the eyes staring at my back.

Mikey grinned as I climbed onto the bike behind him, not giving me time to grab him before the bike was roaring to life and he took off. I squeaked in surprise, clinging to him for dear life as his laughter danced with the wind.

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I had done my best to avoid those two since that night, which was quite fucking hard considering we’re constantly together under the same roof. But the garage was large and had plenty of places to hide. I even managed to find my way up onto the roof, though it wasn’t exactly the most stable place to be so I tended to save that place for when I really didn’t want to be messed with. Draken keeps trying to talk to me, but I refuse to look at him, answering with gestures or as few words as possible.

Up until now, I knew the possibility was high that these guys, this world, was a dangerous one. One not made for people like me. I knew that deep down, but… seeing it for my own eyes is just… “Shocking,” I breathed out, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them as best as I could.

“What’s shocking?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin, scooting across the ground as I looked around with wide eyes. When I realized it was just Mitsuya, I relaxed a bit, putting my hand over my heart. Sure, he’s probably just as dangerous as those two, but it feels different because I hadn’t seen it for myself. As they say, seeing is believing.

Mitsuya’s expression was unreadable, but a frown tugged at his lips as he walked over to me. I had found an unused shed around the back of the garage that I liked to stay in because it was small and felt safe, despite the large holes in the metal walls. Everything was dusty as all hell, though.

He settled himself down beside me, his shoulder hitting mine as he crossed his legs beneath him. “So this is where you’re hiding today.”

“I-I’m not hiding, I’m just…”

He quirked a brow, waiting for me to finish my sentence, but I couldn’t think of the right word, prompting a chuckle from him. “Draken and Mikey are worried about you, ya know?”

I lowered my gaze at the mention of them, picking at a loose thread on my shorts. Were they really? I figured they’d be pissed and prefer me to stay away from them. I had disobeyed a direct order from Draken, after all. Surely that’s a punishable offense? He seems quite high in the pecking order… second in command, maybe?

“Was that your first time?” he asked softly, resting his cheek in his palm as he watched me. “Seeing a fight, I mean.”

“In real life, yeah…”

“It must have been shocking. They told me what happened and how badly he was beaten up. Takemitchy, was it?”

“Hanagaki Takemichi.”

He hummed. “Right. He’s a friend of yours? Draken said you seemed close and he didn’t seem too happy about that.” A laugh passed his lips at the last part and it made me feel a bit more at ease. It’s funny… Mitsuya used to be someone I didn’t want to be around because I didn’t want him to become more suspicious of me and now… now, he’s become somewhat of a rock for me. His presence was reassuring.

“Uhm… something like that.”

“Ooo, an ex-boyfriend?”

“What? No!”

He laughed again before silence fell over us.

I tugged the thread from my shorts, chewing on my lip. “Mitsuya?”

“Hm?”

“Is he… I mean… do you think he…” Ah, I can’t ask because I’m too afraid of the answer. Jesus, I’m so weak. I groaned, holding my head between my hands.

Mitsuya hummed again, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s see if we’re compatible.”

“Huh?”

He took one of my hands between mine, staring into my eyes. “You’re trying to ask if Draken is mad at you, ne?”

My eyes widened a tad in surprise but I nodded all the same.

“My mind-reading abilities say no. He’s worried that you’re scared of him, which is true.”

I leaned my head back against the wall, staring up at the dark ceiling. “Yeah… but that doesn’t mean much.”

“Why is that?”

“Everything scares me these days. Everything is so damn confusing and scary and I… I just don’t -” My words died as I noticed something.

“Oi, what’s wrong? You’ve gotten even more pale!”

I couldn’t tear my gaze away from it, scared that if I did, I would lose it. There, sitting in the crack between the wall and the roof, was the largest fucking spider I’ve ever seen in my life and I swear to Deadpool that bitch is looking right at us! I tried to push my body closer to the wall which shook the flimsy structure. This caused the spider to dart across the roof toward us and I screamed loudly, scrambling over a confused Mitsuya in my haste to get out of the structure.

“O-Oi, wait!”

I didn’t wait. I bolted from the structure as if Jason himself were on my ass which caused me to stumble over a piece of scrap on the ground but I managed to stay upright. Draken came running around the garage, his face filled with worry.

“Jae, what -“

I didn’t let him finish, throwing myself into his arms as if my very life depended on it. My fear of him had vanished, but my irrational fear of that spider overpowered everything else. I expected him to push me away or to just pat my back awkwardly, but he wrapped me in his strong arms, bringing me closer to his body. I could hear his heart beating quickly within his chest and it made me feel safe. I don’t understand… hearing other people’s heartbeats always made me feel anxious and hyperaware of my own. So then, why…?

Mitsuya came out of the shed, looking exhausted.

“Mitsuya,” Draken nearly growled. “What did you do?”

The shorter male held his hands up in surrender. “Wasn’t me.”

He scoffed before addressing me, his voice soft. “What happened?”

My face burned at the thought of telling him that I just used a horror movie scream because of a fucking insect. Wait, are they insects? No… yes? I don’t know but I don’t fucking care! The point is that they are satan incarnate!

I could hear Mitsuya’s grin in his voice. “Spi-der.”

I glared at him over my shoulder. “Spawns of satan!”

He snorted, holding his stomach as his shoulders shook with laughter.

Draken sighed heavily, his body relaxing beneath my grip. “I thought something was seriously wrong…”

“I-It was…” I muttered apologetically, burying my face in his chest out of sheer embarrassment.

“Yeah, didn’t you hear, Draken?” Mitsuya snickered. “It was a spawn of satan.”

I groaned, earning a chuckle from Draken, his hand resting on top of my head. I… had missed this. I missed being close to him, feeling his warmth. I had missed the smell of rosemary and mint that eased my nerves whenever he was nearby. I missed Draken, but… can I really overlook everything that happened? It seems like every time I close my eyes, I see Hanagaki’s ruined face. I know Draken didn’t do it, but it’s the world he lives in and I’m sure he’s done it to someone else at some point.

My fingers curled around his shirt, prompting his hand to gently rub up and down my back. “D-Draken…?”

He clicked his tongue, but his voice wasn’t annoyed. “I told you to call me Ken.”

“R-Right… Ken?”

“Yes?”

“I… I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“Disobeying you.”

He made a sound somewhere between an exhale and a laugh. “You’re not in Toman, you don’t have to obey my orders.”

“But… Mikey said I was…”

Draken shifted his weight. “You are, but… you’re different.”

My brow furrowed in confusion but he continued before I could question him.

“I should be apologizing. I never wanted you to see anything like that.” His grip tightened the tiniest bit and I felt his heart rate pick up again. “I wasn’t mad at you, I was mad at myself for letting you get put in that situation.” His hands slid to my shoulders, forcing me back so he could look into my eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry, Jae. I hope you know that I would never hurt you, so please don’t be afraid of me.”

The sincerity and worry in his eyes stole my breath away and my face heated up. I have never been in a situation like this. Draken is… confusing to me. I feel so many different things all at once when I’m near him, it’s like I’m being pulled in a million different directions. But there was one thing I was sure of.

He was telling the truth. Somewhere deep down, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me and I knew that… I wanted to be near him. No matter how terrifying his world may be. I don’t know if I’ll still feel that way a week from now, in a day, or even in an hour. But right now? I can swear by that shit.

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Next

Save Me (Ken “Draken” Ryuguji) #07 – Hanagaki’s Mission

Table of Contents |Previous

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“Hope is a bloody battlefield of disillusion.
It’s gonna take sacrifice.
All the blood that we’re bleeding,
could fill up a broken heart.
The secrets we’re keeping could be used to light the dark.”
RUNAGROUND – Anti-Gravity

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I glanced over to the other side of the garage. Mikey and Draken were sitting together, their heads close as they discussed something, most likely about Toman. I’ve been thinking a lot about Hanagaki, not just about if he’s okay but also about what he was going to say. It seemed important and it keeps nagging at me. The biggest hurdle is working up the nerve to ask them if I could leave without making them suspicious. It’s not like I can just, ‘I’m just going to go find my time travel buddy because he has information about the future. No big.’ And what if they insist on coming with me? And even if I do manage to get free from them, what if I –

No, focus on one step at a time or you’ll fall on your face. You got this.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and approached the two. When they noticed me, they stopped talking, so they clearly didn’t want me to know what they were discussing.

“What’s up, Jaybird?” Mikey grinned, leaning back in his chair.

“Ah, well…” Okay, so maybe I should have put some more thought into a plan before I decided to come over here… I’ll just have to wing it. If Onizuka Eikichi can do it, how hard can it be? “I was wondering… I mean, can I… I need to…” Fuck, this is harder than I thought. If they would just stop staring at me like that, jeez.

“What is it?” Draken asked softly, his eyes locked onto my own. Was his gaze always this mesmerizing?

“I… would like… go out for a bit…”

“Oo, sounds fun!” Mikey jumped up. “Let’s go!”

Shit. “N-No, I mean… uh…” Why does he gotta look at me like that? He looks like a puppy. Why do I feel like he’s gonna look like a kicked puppy if I reject him? But it has to be done. I have to find Hanagaki! “I need some… alone time.”

“Huh?” Mikey tilted his head to the side, a frown on his lips. “How come?”

Should I just play the period card? Ah, but that would be embarrassing to say in front of Draken. Still, it’s a pretty powerful card to have in one’s deck…

Draken stood up, brushing past us without a word. We watched him curiously as he pulled something off one of the shelves at the back of the room, returning with something in his hand, which he held out to me. “Take this.”

I blinked at the flip phone he was holding, slowly reaching out for it. Man, I haven’t held a flip phone in ages. This is filling me with a sense of nostalgia and sadness because damn if that truly wasn’t ages ago. How far we’ve come in ten years.

“All three of us are programmed in already. If anything happens, we’re all on speed dial.”

“Am I number one?” Mikey questioned, reaching for the snacks on the table.

“No.”

“Who’s number one?”

“I am.”

“Eh~ No fair, Kenchin.”

A smile tugged at my lips as I looked at their numbers in the contact list. “Thank you.”

Draken shrugged, looking away. “I figured you’d want to get out on your own at some point, but it’s too risky if we can’t contact you.” His eyes met mine and he folded his arms over his chest. “Don’t go too far. And you better reply when I text you.”

“If you don’t, Draken might destroy the neighborhood trying to find you,” Mitsuya snickered, earning a glare from the taller boy.

“I would not.”

“You definitely would.”

“No one asked for your opinion.”

“Thank you.” I bowed my head, slipping the phone into my pocket. “I’ll be back soon.” I waved at them, heading for the door.

“Before dark!” Draken called after me, a scowl on his face.

“Yes, mother.”

Mitsuya snorted as I shut the door.

I released a breath, mentally patting myself on the back. That’s hurdle number one cleared. Now… I just have to find Hanagaki… with no general location and no way to know if he’s even still in the past. Sounds easy enough. I supposed the best place to start would be the park. That’s where I met him the first time, maybe I’ll get lucky.

But when I got there, the blonde was nowhere in sight.

Where should I check now? Surely he wouldn’t be at the place he got beaten up so badly… right? Honestly, I’m nervous to go there. I’m already having trouble forgetting his fucked up face. To my surprise, he was there, sitting on the steps and staring out at the water, his elbows resting on his knees. I glanced around and he was thankfully alone.

“Oi, meet any time travelers lately?” I joked, meeting his eyes when he turned around. His face was completely healed and I released a breath of relief.

“It’s about time you got here. I was waiting for you.”

“Yeah, well, we didn’t exactly make plans, did we?” I sat on the steps beside him with a sigh, leaning back. For a moment, we just sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company.

“How the hell did you get involved with Toman?”

“Hell if I know. Ken saved me after I first arrived here. And then he saved me again. And then again…” Jeez, talk about a fucking damsel in distress. What a joke. I clicked my tongue. “I guess he took me in as his pet project after the first saving.”

“You’re on a first-name basis,” he looked at me with disbelief. “With the second in command of Toman… Just who the hell are you?”

“Just a no-life hermit trying to make it through the day.” I frowned at him. “I’m no fighter. I’m too weak, too much of a coward. This world that Ken and the others live in… it ain’t for me, but I’ve been forced into it and I don’t know how to get out.”

He gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry…”

“What’s done is done. I just want to figure out why you can leave and I can’t.”

“I have no clue.” Hanagaki shook his head, angling his body toward me. “But, I do have a lot to tell you.”

“Oh?” I sat up, looking at him curiously. “I’m listening.”

“Do you remember the night we met? At the park?”

“Yeah.”

“When I told Naoto about his death, it changed the future.”

“Well, no shit. Humans aren’t supposed to know about their deaths, ya know.”

“He’s alive,” Hanagaki stressed, his eyes meeting mine.

“Alive? Seriously?”

“Yes. And now he’s helping me change the past.”

“But why?” I furrowed my brow in confusion. “He’s alive, right? What else needs to change?”

Hanagaki’s face fell and he lowered his head, hands clenching into fists. “Naoto survived, but… his sister is still dead.”

“Ah… your girlfriend…” I frowned, resting my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save her, but…”

“But?”

“How much do you know about Tokyo Manji?”

“Nothin’, aside from knowing three of its members.”

Hanagaki stood up, beginning to pace in front of me. “In the present, Tokyo Manji is a criminal organization that has the police chasing their tails. They’ve taken the lives of so many people, including Tachibana.”

“Wait a minute, that can’t be…” I pulled myself off the stairs, feeling my heart beat quicken. “Those guys… there’s no way they would do something like that! Sure, they’re fucking terrifying but they… they’re good guys. Honorable guys! You saw them, they broke up the gambling ring that you were part of.”

“I don’t know what happened or when things changed, but in the future, Toman is completely different from what it is now.”

I couldn’t believe it. The thought of Mikey and Draken becoming hardened criminals… delinquents are one thing, but murderers?

Hanagaki reached forward, taking me by the shoulders. “We have to figure out what changed. I know this is a lot to ask, especially since you’re here because of me, but… please, help me save Tachibana.”

I looked into his eyes, glistening with unshed tears. I could see the love he carried for her in his heart and I wanted to help, but what can I do, really? I’m completely useless. Can I really turn him down when he’s asking me for help? I’ve been so wrapped up in my own misery that I forgot he’s alone here, too. He may have Naoto in the present, but here in the past, he only has himself and me. I took a shaky breath and nodded. “We only have each other to rely on, so… I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you… thank you so much!” He pulled me into a tight hug and I could feel his tears on my neck. “Thank you.”

Tears stung at my own eyes and I looked up at the sky, trying to keep them at bay. Damn me for being a sympathetic crier! I patted his back, letting him cry as long as he needed to.

When he finally pulled away, he looked apologetic again, wiping at his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“There’s… one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Naoto… wants me to kill Sano.”

“What?!” My eyes widened, heart clenching painfully. “Y-You’re not thinking of… of…”

“Of course not. I’m not a killer…” He ran his hand through his hair. “That’s why we have to find out why they went bad. And I’ll talk to Naoto, see if he can figure out why you can’t return like I can.”

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On the way back to the garage, I was totally out of it. I thought that by talking to Hanagaki and getting some answers, I’d feel more at ease, but it had the opposite effect. I feel restless, uncertain of what’s to come. Trying to wrap my head around Toman going bad, around Naoto wanting Mikey dead… and asking Hanagaki to kill him! I know he said he wouldn’t, but… love is pretty powerful, isn’t it? People have killed for less in the name of love. I want to trust him, but I’m terrified he’s going to do something stupid out of desperation.

One simple action changed the future… it kept someone alive. I always figured something small could alter the path of the future, like trains switching tracks, but to hear that it happened, to know how it happened… it’s surreal. I rested my hand on the garage door, frowning at the feeling of the metal beneath my fingers.

Every action has consequences. That’s just a rule of life, but it feels even heavier when you know it can change the future. How much have I changed already with my choices? Have I saved someone’s life? Ruined it? Maybe I shouldn’t care so much. Self-preservation should be top priority… right?
I sighed, resting my forehead against the door. Why is life so complicated? This is all giving me a headache.

The door suddenly swung open and I yelped as I was thrown back, landing on the gravel with a wince. Mikey stood in the doorway, blinking down at me owlishly before grinning. “I was just gonna go looking for you, Jaybird!”

“Well, you found me,” I muttered, rubbing my hip.

Draken came up behind him and clicked his tongue. “I told you it’s dangerous to just burst through the door like that.” He stepped around the shorter boy, reaching his hand out for me. “You okay?”

I looked up into his eyes, feeling emotion swell inside me. How am I supposed to believe that this man becomes a fucking criminal? He’s been nothing but kind to me except for when I didn’t listen, and that’s only because he was trying to spare me. And the way he cares about Mikey! You can’t tell me someone that caring turns into a criminal. My eyes slid over to Mikey. This guy is supposed to be the boss of a criminal organization? Sure, he often acts before thinking and he can be a bit slow when it comes to some things, but he’s not a bad guy. An image flashed through my head – Mikey on the ground, covered in blood, his eyes lifeless. No, don’t do this to me, brain. Stop…

Mikey frowned, tilting his head to the side. “Why are you crying?”

“What? I’m not -” I reached my hand up, feeling the wetness of my cheeks. Damn it all. I furiously wiped at my eyes, but they wouldn’t stop. “I’m s-sorry…”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Draken kneeled beside me, his arms bringing me to his warm chest. “We’re right here, it’s okay.”

Mikey kneeled at my other side, his hand on my head. “Who made you cry, Jaybird? We’ll take care of them for you.”

“No!” I cried, pulling away so I could grab the front of Mikey’s shirt. He looked at me with wide eyes, surprised by the outburst. “Please… I…” What could I say? ‘Don’t become a criminal and murder thousands’? I doubt that’s the career track he wants to go down. Something changed, something so drastic that it altered the way he viewed the world around him. Telling him now would be useless. To change the future, we have to change the past. No matter the consequences, I’ll do it. I couldn’t hold myself as I reached forward, taking Mikey’s face between my hands. “No matter what happens, I’ll protect you. I won’t let you fall.”

His head tilted to the side, confusion clear on his face. “What are you talking about?”

I realized what I was doing and quickly pulled away, looking at the ground. “Sorry…”

“Girls are so strange,” he chuckled, ruffling my hair. “We’re going to be protecting you, not the other way around~ Now come on, the food’s gonna get cold!”

I watched him head back into the garage and I smiled, wiping at my tears again. Please never change Mikey. Stay true to your heart.

“What happened?” Draken whispered.

Shit, I forgot he was there. My face heated up and I looked over at him, meeting his gaze. His brow was furrowed, his eyes searching mine for the answer to his question but even if he found it, he wouldn’t understand it. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” he scowled. “You’ve been hiding something since the day we met and it’s clearly bothering you. I thought if I gave you time, you’d open up to me. Do you not trust me?” He tried to hide it, but I could see hurt lingering in his eyes and it made my heart ache.

“Of course I do. More than anyone.”

“Then why?”

“Because! It’s… really complicated.” I ran my hand through my hair in frustration, leaning back against the wall, my eyes on the sky. “I don’t even understand it myself. It’s confusing and terrifying and I… I don’t know what to do.”

He frowned, reaching forward to rest his hand on my cheek, his thumb wiping the tears from my eyes. “Maybe we can understand it better together.”

I reached up, hesitating a moment before resting my hand over his own. “I… really want to tell you.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“It’s dangerous.”

He chuckled, quirking a brow. “You saw what we deal with. Dangerous is kind of our thing.”

“A different kind of dangerous.” I sighed deeply, closing my eyes and enjoying the warmth of his hand. It’s strange to me because I honestly hate the heat. I hate feeling warm, but… I find myself craving his warmth, wanting more of it. I wouldn’t mind if he suffocated me with it, honestly. Jeez, what am I saying? “I promise I’ll tell you, just… not right now. I can’t, I’m sorry.”

Draken released a frustrated sigh, looking away as he thought over my words before looking back to me, his expression soft. “I’m holding you to that promise. Don’t forget you’re not alone. Whatever it is you’re dealing with, we’re here to share the burden. You’re one of us, Jae. Don’t ever forget that.”

A smile tugged at my lips as our eyes met, tears stinging at my eyes again but I held them back. “Thank you, Ken.”

He returned to smile, swiping his thumb softly across my cheek before pulling away and standing up. “We should get inside before Mikey eats all the food.”

“Right,” I laughed, taking his hand.

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Next

draken・manga icons

pls like if you save

Pretty boys on my desk~

Draken doll!

Draken, baby!!

Any TR fans ready to burn their wallets/piggybank?

Perfection!~

Tea time with my new Tokyo Revengers mug and coasters~ ☕

Tokyo Revengers acrylic coasters~

Yuki Yamada as Ryuguji ‘Draken’ Ken~~~~

“Tokyo Revengers” (2021)

Promotion from garbage to carpet.

“Tokyo Revengers” (2021)

My Tokyo Revengers custom made mobile cases~

My current phone case and phone charm~

I’m one of those who likes to change phone cases and phone charms every now and then~

P.S. Wakui Ken sensei, you have already taken enough from the fan base, please leave the Haitani brothers alone!!

once again thinking about uncle!mikey. him meeting emma and draken’s baby for the first time and just not knowing what to do with it because what does he know about babies??? nothing. so emma is trying to teach him how to properly hold a baby but mikey is struggling so much so she ends up scolding him, “it’s not that hard just hold your arms like this and take extra care of the head!! i swear to god mikey if you drop my baby the next thinking dropping is your-” but draken interrupts her to remind her that their baby is still present and although basically brain afk they should keep the positive vibes around the little human. as soon as the baby starts crying out of hunger or smth mikey panics and emma takes her child away from him to take care of it.

he might need a lot of practice but mikey is super excited to spend time with his little nephew/niece in the future.

mikey and draken

Tokyo Revengers’ Manga Volume covers with its Live Action counterpart:

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Nothing about my life has ever been exceptional or extraordinary. On the contrary, it was quite a mundane and sometimes boring life, but it’s the life I was given and no matter how much I try to change it, it just doesn’t work out for me. Maybe this is what my life is meant to be? It’s not the worse life, I suppose, it just gets lonely, and sometimes I wonder why I can’t be like other people. I was hoping my life would suddenly turn into an anime when I moved to Japan, but it was the same life just in a different location. A prettier location, though. Do I believe in fate? I can’t answer that. Sometimes, it feels like things are just out of our control no matter how hard we try but… sometimes I wonder if we truly push past our limits, maybe we can alter the course of our lives. Meh, it sounds like a lot of trouble and a lot of socialization. Maybe it’s better to just stick to my mundane deck of cards. Except… I wasn’t given a choice. My deck of cards was ripped away from me only for an unfamiliar, more terrifying deck to be forced into my hand by the shadowy hands of something I can’t understand. I should have stayed home.

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Information

Hello and welcome to my series about the live-action version of Tokyo Revengers! ^-^) This is a completely self-indulgent and slightly cringy tale of Jae Winchester who gets dragged along on the journey of a lifetime against her will. How will an introverted, socially inept girl fair against all of these rowdy, extroverted delinquents? Well, we shall see haha

The title of this story was taken from “Save Me” by BTS. There’s this amazing English cover from a few years ago [it’s this one here] and the song is so beautiful and his voice is amazing, so that really bled into the theme for this fic. At least, I hope it did haha.

I also feel like I should mention that I have not seen the anime nor read the manga. I’m going strictly off of the live-action and how I’ve seen them described in other fics, so if they’re a bit OOC, I do apologize. This is just how I interpret they would act.

• Story Started: February 19th, 2022
• Story Completed: TBD
• Genre: Angst, friendship, romance, cringe comedy
• Warnings: Language, violence, anxiety
• Pairing: OC x Draken
• Point of View: First Person

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Table of Contents

1. coming soon

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“I’m on my way Emma”

Draken

Do not repost⚠️

Tokyo Revengers click and drag game!

Game notes • How to Play

Please use a browser other than Google chrome to play because the GIFs always lock onto their first frame on Chrome. Safari and Firefox work, please try those

If you’re on mobile, screenshot the gifs either as a set or individually