ɢᴀɴɢ-𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦! [ ᴛʀ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ! ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ]
CH.4
Mockingbird — Eminem
Daddy's gonna buy you a Mockingbird. I'ma give you the world
I'ma buy a diamond ring for you, I'ma sing for you. I'll do anything for you to see you smile
"where is Arakawa Kou's room?" A man asked the staff behind the front desk who was typing away on her computer.
"Are you related to him by any chance?" The lady looked at the man with suspecting stare.
"I'm his friend, I heard he got beat up so I came to check how he's doing" The man's tone was calm and collected but inside, he was cringing by just saying the word 'friend'
The lady looked at the man up and down, her eyes landed on a bouquet of flowers in his hands and a fruit basket. She assumed that he really didn't mean any harm. So, she nodded.
"he's in room 046"
"thank you, dear" the man gave the lady his killer smile which made her heart skip a beat.
He turned his body and proceeded to go in the direction of the room.
The silver packer indicated the room he was supposed to go in. Swiftly, he made his way inside the room to find a man resting on the hospital bed.
His visible bruises and casts were blatantly obvious he got the short end of the stick.
His face was battered, full of bandages. He could almost feel bad for the latter. Almost.
The man who entered the room, M/n. He placed the basket of fruits on the table beside the bed, the delectable fruits were gleaming under the light coming from the window.
He grabs himself a chair to sit on and a knife to peel the apple.
"I can vaguely remember the time I was in a hospital bed after I picked a fight with an adult back then..." M/n blurted out, seemingly chuckling at the memory.
His condition was rare. It might even sound like a superpower to others, But it's not. It's more like a curse for the lad. Because of his condition, he was unable to feel pain, which sucks since he wouldn't know if he sprained an ankle, or if he has a broken bone.
So, he made sure to have a check-up every week to make sure there wasn't any serious injury that might bite him in the ass when it's too late.
M/n delicately handled the apple like a vulnerable object that can shatter, peeling off its red outer skin to reveal its yellow core.
"Hey, it's about time you wake up, hm? I have two sons to attend to after this" As if the injured could hear him, he began to move.
"ah, perfect" M/n stood up from his seat and went beside the male
"What..." Kou could only mutter a single word before he felt the throbbing pain everywhere.
"shhh, a big man like you needs to heal. Eat up" M/n took a slice of apple and placed it in Kou's mouth.
"good isn't it?" Kou stayed quiet and just munched at the apple slice like an obedient child. Upon adjusting his vision, Kou realized who was feeding him.
"y-you...you're the nightingale" Kou declared as he tried to sit up.
"Oh? So you do know me after all." M/n mused at the leader's petty attempt to sit up.
"why... Why are you here?" Kou meekly said confusion was evident on his face.
"I'm here to ask for a favor. Nothing big, really"
M/n reassured Kou by combing his hair lightly.
"so youthful yet so reckless at a young age...
—I wouldn't want to damage it further" Suddenly M/n's touch became rough. The adult tugged his hand, which was holding Kou's scalp. Pulling on it.
"do me a favor and never speak about my identity to anyone...not even the Haitani brothers" Kou's face was petrified upon seeing M/n's expression.
He was on the verge of pissing his pants.
"though, I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to keep it a secret" M/n let go of Kou's hair and went to the flower vase beside his bed.
"if I ever found out you did—" Kou gulped as he watched the adult remove the daisies from the vase. Then, he dugged his hand inside the basket. Kou could only open his mouth in shock at what came to view.
It was a spider lilies. He couldn't tell if it was fake or not, but Kou knew that M/n meant one thing.
He would be rooting for his deathbed.
"—know that I'll crush every bone you have inside you" M/n chuckled at the expression Kou wore on his face. One trait about M/n that made him feared amongst all gangs back in his era was his pure sadistic urges.
He would enjoy seeing his opponents gasping for air from the injuries he's inflicted on them. Most were just ugly faces that would plead for him to stop. Shinichiro could serve a better face he'll enjoy seeing all messed up.
"Understood?" M/n held up the small knife on Kou's view, to let him know he wasn't fooling around.
"u...understood..." Kou could feel himself turning white, fearing for his life. There's no way he can one up against the Nightingale, even if he wasn't injured.
"good boy, Glad you still have something up your noggin" M/n pats Kou's head affectionately.
"you can have the fruits, it helps in recovery. Get well soon, alright?" the H/c haired man smiled before taking his belongings and leaving poor Kou in his room.
.
.
.
.
.
M/n wandered through the city, looking for any signs that displayed sales while thinking of what to cook for lunch.
'what to cook...what to cook...usually when I'm feeling lazy I would just eat a bowl of noodles. But I'm a parent now so...'
The adult's eyes lit up when he saw a store offering a 20% sale on their products.
He hurriedly went inside to buy groceries. He collected what he needed to cook lunch, walking out smiling gleefully at the money he saved.
While walking, he decided to go to a shortcut so he could arrive early before Ran and Rindou woke up. The two would sleep in because of their late-night 'walks'. They did promise to come home before 10, but they've never kept that promise in the first place. They would go home around 12 or later than that.
M/n was a bit baffled about it, he doesn't have anyone to share the warm meals he prepares. He even thought of banning the boys from going home if they didn't stop. Alas, he hoped to at least build trust with the two. If not, then the two would be a lost cause for him.
Upon walking, he heard some pummeling noises coming from the corner of an ally. figuring it was...some couples...he tried to walk faster to avoid the awkwardness.
"You bastard! You fucking cut me off my drugs, It's your damn fault I'm in this mess!" M/n ears perked up, hearing a gruff voice shouting.
"It wasn't my fault, you bring this upon yourself. I was merely warning you about the consequences and yet you did it anyway" Another voice answered, this one was deeper than the other.
M/n knew it wasn't his business to eavesdrop, however curiosity got the best of him. hey, he's bored so might as well hear a drama unfold.
"It's either I get the other share of my comrades of the deal or I won't give you the goods!"
"didn't the contract say that the share will be divided evenly and no one receives more than the other?" The deeper voice argued.
"tch, It's like you really want to get physical HUH?!" M/n peeked when he heard footsteps stomping on the pavement.
'oh wow, they'll fight? I need to get a better look then" M/n scooched a little closer until he finally got a good look at the mysterious voices.
One of them looks normal, by normal he means, normal normal-looking drug dealer. Overall he doesn't look appealing with that receding hairline and disheveled hair.
The other one is the exact opposite of him, his physique is robust. His blue and white hair was neatly slicked back. He wore a two-piece suit to accommodate his intimidating stature. In summary, he's a total hottie.
M/n could tell things were getting heated by the way the other man was acting. He was not sure if he should interfere or not, but M/n stayed in his spot to observe the scene some more.
The crazy man tried to beat the robust man. Keyword: 'tried' he didn't even get to land a punch before getting flipped off his shoes.
The H/c-haired man was amazed but not surprised at the robust man's strength.
"I always keep my word. Furthermore, your work was sloppy so I see no reason to give you more than needed" The robust man took out a cigarette and lit it up with an expensive-looking Zippo lighter.
"this deal is off, if you really want to get paid, do your work properly" his deep voice reverberated through the empty alleyway.
M/n was about to stop watching as the robust man turned to walk away. Fortunately, his eyes caught something. The beat-up man pulled out something from his holster hidden in his pants. A gun.
"die, asshole"
He aims it towards the unaware man. But before he could even pull the trigger. Someone came in front of him and performed a roundhouse kick. The guy landed on the hard pavement, the gun got lunged away from him. Some of M/n's groceries landed on the floor.
The commotion seemed to catch the robust man's attention. He saw an H/c-haired lady disarming the man he had just beaten up.
Just seeing the gun on the floor 5 feet away from them was enough for him to understand the situation.
The man watched as the Lady tried to pick up her grocery in order to salvage it. Leaving a blind spot for the man to lunge towards her. The robust man reacted quickly, landing a punch on the guy before he could even touch the woman's hair.
The guy stepped on the vegetables lying on the ground before passing out from the Impact of the punch.
"are you okay?" The robust man asked the young Lady, looking at her shinning E/c eyes. The lady smiled before responding.
"I'm fine, no need to worry" The lady kneels down to pick up the fruit that looks salvageable.
"let me help you—"
—SPLAT!
Taiju stops in his tracks to help the woman as he looks down. There was a squished tomato on the ground, it was evidently clear he accidentally stepped on it.
"Oh my..." the lady spoke, a disappointment lacing in her voice.
"Oh shit, my bad. Since you did save from getting shot, let me treat you. What are these ingredients for?" nonetheless, The man helped the 'Lady' up her feet. Gathering the other food. That has a packaging.
"it's for lunch"
"then let me treat you to lunch"
"but it's not for m—"
The Robust man took out his phone and made a phone call, completely ignoring what M/n was trying to explain. After a minute, the man ended the call, turning around to face M/n
"I made a reservation, let's go" the man signaled M/n to follow him to his car. Sighing heavily, M/n gave up on explaining before getting on the passengers seat.
The car ride was a bit awkward, M/n clutched the paper bag containing the stuff he bought.
The man can also feel awkward. He cleared his throat to construct a conversation.
"I never asked for your name"
"it's M/n. M/n L/n. How about you?"
M/n glances at the man who was driving the car.
"it's Taiju Shiba" The man, Taiju. Introduces himself plainly. Once again, silence fills the atmosphere inside the car.
'Hahahah... This is awkward...' M/n thought, looking out the window.
He taps his foot impatiently on the carpet of the expensive-looking car, he knows that lunch is approaching, and his sons might wake up with no lunch on the table. The thought that he got inside the car of a stranger was beyond his intelligence. In honesty, he believed it was a dumb move.
He didn't even know the guy's name until he got in the car. However, Taiju seemed nice...? His physique might be a throw-off to how he is. So far he's been nice to M/n
"you know, you shouldn't trust someone so fast, you even got in a car with a stranger" Taiju looked at M/n's eyes from the rearview mirror.
Okay... Getting creepy now.
Sensing how uncomfortable M/n became, Taiju decided to stop.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything bad, I merely want to treat you to lunch"
'that's what bad people say' M/n thought, sinking in his seat to ease his nerves a little. He can easily defend himself if the man ever did something to him.
The car made an abrupt stop beside a restaurant. And by the looks of it, it looks luxurious. M/N recognized it as one of the restaurants that has a bar inside. You gotta offer delicacies to adults as well.
Taiju got out of the driver's seat and made his way to M/n's side. He then opens the door for him.
"oh— you didn't need to open the door for me..." M/N awkwardly chuckled. Upon standing up, he noticed how tall Taiju was compared to him.
In his perspective, Taiju looks like a fucking boulder and he's a pebble.
"It's meant to be a kind gesture..." Taiju mumbled in a low tone, his words passed by M/n's ears.
Taiju walks to the establishment, with M/n following like a duckling. Considering how he looks right now, he was embarrassed.
You see, he didn't include;
'go out for lunch with a hot expensive sugar daddy of a man' on his bucket list for the day. Visiting Kou and buying groceries was his only goal while he was out the house, so of course he would be wearing a casual fit. In other words, a commoner clothes.
Even if he's the owner of a successful café, he still prefers to wear commoner clothes just to avert the attention to him. Now, he stands out very much as soon as he enters the restaurant.
Sure, he doesn't mind the gazes, he might as well assume they were admiring his beauty just to reassure himself. What he does mind is his footwear.
His footwear is Crocs, a lovely one.
Though, it may not be lovely to rich people. His train of thought was interrupted when Taiju pulled a chair for him to sit on. M/N mumbled a small thank you before sitting on the chair.
"order whatever you want, I can pay"
'I can too' Nonetheless, Taiju was supposed to be treating him to dinner so he might as well go with the flow. A menu laid on the velvety sheet table, ready to present the two with the food the establishment can offer.
M/n's jaw almost fell when he saw the prices of the food. It costs more than his house for crying out loud! Not even he finds the pleasure of eating bread with caviar for 20,000 yen a satisfaction, similar to the rich people.
"please do not feel pressured by the pricing" Taiju glances up at M/n's shocked eyes.
The lad cleared his throat, brushing off what he just saw on the menu.
"I'll just have steak, that's it" he said, placing the menu down on the table.
Taiju nodded and proceeded to call a waiter. The waiter nodded at the things Taiju said as he ordered the food.
"understood sir, we'll get onto it right away" The waiter smiled politely, walking to the kitchen to give the orders.
"so...might I ask, where did you come from earlier? Pretty sure that place is barren"
Taiju's yellow eyes seemed to glow, it travels to M/n's features and came to a stop at his E/c eyes.
"I was just taking a shortcut on the way home, It wasn't in my best interest to eavesdrop on whatever you guys were talking about. Fortunately, I came at the right time before the man could even shoot you" M/N was partially lying to the man's face, granted, he tried his 'best' to not eavesdrop.
"What a curious person you are. You even stop just to eavesdrop on us? Interesting" Taiju chuckled through his teeth.
"well, the guy seemed pissed at you for something. Care to Share it?" the other adult spoke in sincerity.
"nothing illegal, I just ordered them to fetch me an exotic fish to add to my aquarium. And yet, he failed to do so. The fish ended up getting stolen during shipping" M/N was dumbfounded at the newfound information about Taiju.
In all honesty, he finds it cute that Taiju likes aquariums. He guessed that the feeling of Tranquility when you watch the fishes swim around is relaxing. Aquariums are cool in general. It has that unique charm in it.
"do you have any plans for this week?" Taiju suddenly asked out of the blue. It caught M/N off guard before thinking about any special appointments he needed to do for the week.
"Not that I could think of. Though, I doubt there won't be" M/N laughs, remembering the two balls of sunshine he called 'son'
"I see...well if you have time, call this number. I would love to have you as my guest over at my place. I could show the aquarium I have there" Taiju slid M/n a business card. A small spark lingers in his eyes before returning to normal.
Despite Taiju's gloomy adult life, he somehow felt a small thump in his heart that beat for M/N when he saw her. There's something about those silky H/c hair and her gorgeous features that makes her stand out.
Never in his life would he thought that he'd fall in love with someone, it's like love at first sight. Which he doesn't believe in, but here he was. Falling for someone so fast.
"here's your order, please do enjoy" the waiter pops out of nowhere. Dressed in a luxurious uniform that complements his slick hair along with his well-mannered behavior. The said man placed two platters of Wagyu ribeye steak drizzled with the restaurant's signature sauce.
"here's your Grade-A wagyu ribeye steak topped with our mouthwatering signature sauce, a side of roasted asparagus, and Bordeaux wine" The water popped the cork out of the bottle. Pouring the red liquid that smoothly glides on the glass.
M/n was amazed about the quality. However, he was a bit concerned about the steak. He was sure he ordered a regular steak, and yet the waiter gave them wagyu steak. A Grade-A steak as well.
Seeing the confusion on M/n's face. Taiju simply laughed at him.
"don't worry there are no errors in the order. In fact, I ask for Grade A wagyu."
"I—"
"It's perfectly fine. You can thank me by eating it" Taiju reassures M/n, picking up the wine glass.
"shall we eat?" He offered, lifting the wine glass for an inviting toast.
M/n sighs, knowing he couldn't argue with Taiju now that the food is already made. he gingerly picks up his wine glass. clinking his glass with Taiju.
Both of them ate in silence, stealing glances at one another sometimes. It was clear the pair wasn't skilled with casual interaction. On
Taiju's side, we were mostly experienced in formal interaction, mainly transactions or contracts with other big names.
As for our dear M/n, it's usually a facade that he puts on to keep his cool when meeting a stranger under formal circumstances.
Sensing the awkwardness, Taiju tries for a second time to hold a conversation to ease the tension that was filling the air.
"um...the weather's nice, yeah?" He said, M/n nodded.
"it sure—"
—RUMBLE!
Both of the adults flinched when they heard a clap of thunder interrupting their meal.
"—is..." M/n drift of his sentence. Streaks of rain started pouring outside. If the awkwardness wasn't intense earlier, now it is.
Even M/n was getting embarrassed. Swallowing the meat inside his mouth, he decided to lead the conversation.
"h... How old are you? Surely you're pretty young considering how handsome you look"
—THUMP!
Taiju's heart skipped a beat upon the compliment. He had heard a bunch of words people described him as, ferocious, sadist, evil, and rude. But boy, it made him feel shy when he was called handsome by a pretty lady.
"as a 28-year-old man, I'm quite flattered. I appreciate the compliment" M/n was taken aback at his answer. He expected Taiju to be either in his early 20s or mid-20s. Taiju looks surprisingly good for his age.
"Really? Oh my, I did not expect that haha. then I'm sure you already have a special somebody, no?" M/n meant to tease Taiju.
"Sadly, no. I don't have the time to look for one" Taiju wasn't one for romantic relationships, especially with his occupation. sure his job mostly doesn't consist of illegal meddling, however, some parts we're suspicious enough to draw police attention.
well, not until now he met M/n.
"Oh- I'm sorry about that, surely you'll find one" M/n let out a small chuckle to dissipate the awkwardness.
"I'm sure of that. enough about me, how about you?"
"me...?"
"Of course, you look beautiful yourself, so I would assume you have a lover." M/n chuckled, thinking Taiju was joking about the 'beautiful' part, not knowing that Taiju believed he was a woman.
The tall man hoped the lady would say no. If she was single, he would swoop her off her feet right then and there.
"Oh— I don't have one"
Taiju perked up at this, he still stood a chance.
"but I do have sons of my own"
Upon hearing this, Taiju felt depleted. Having a child would mean M/n was taken at some point, but this doesn't ruin things for Taiju.
"ah, a single mother, I see"
"single mother? Why, I'm a father"
—PFFTTT.....
Taiju spat his wine when he heard that. He looked at the confused M/n with a shocked expression.
"Pardon?"
"I said I'm a Father of two sons?"
'so I wasn't hearing things...' Taiju was shocked nonetheless, he couldn't believe he got fooled by the lad's appearance, even calling him 'beautiful'.
even so, Taiju would still hit.
"aha...apologies for mistaking your gender"
"it's fine, I get that a lot. I should've said so in the beginning. Though I'm quite flattered" Taiju shyly scratched the back of his head, still embarrassed.
M/n tries to take the lead in the conversation to not further make Taiju bad.
Taking bites of their food as the rain outside serves as their Solitude. Small talks became longer and soon became a full-on conversation.
Taiju feelings weren't a minor crush, he was falling in love thoroughly with M/n. There was something about his aura that makes him captivated. Making M/n more irresistible and alluring to the man.
M/n on the other hand, was enjoying himself, it had been long since he'd ever got company. Let alone hang out with someone. Although Taiju was still a stranger to him, he was learning some pieces about him through their conversation.
Once they finish their meal, Taiju calls for a waiter for the bill. The waiter went to Taiju, giving him the check. As Taiju was taking his wallet out of his pocket, he saw a hand sliding something towards him. A card.
"What's that?" Taiju looked at M/n confused, soon realizing the check was naked, allowing M/n to see the total.
"Hm? I'm splitting the bill?"
"you needn't have to do that. I'm treating you for dinner, it wouldn't count as one if you pay for the other half." The bulky man slid the card back to the H/c-haired man. M/n sheepishly puts his card away, which Taiju only chuckles at.
"Thank you, the steak was delightful" M/n smiled in glee.
"you're very much welcome. how about I drive you home? It's raining outside" Taiju pointed out the rain that was still pouring outside.
"a-are you sure? you've done enough, I don't wanna bother you"
"I wouldn't have offered in the first place if I was bothered"
Taiju offered a hand for M/n to take. The h/c-haired man placed his hand on the big ones, comparing his hand to Taiju's. He led them both outside the restaurant. They were met by the deluge of rain.
Taiju's car was parked far from them, so He ran to get to it as water rained down on him. M/n was about to stop him but he already started bolting.
M/n tapped his foot in worry, waiting for a familiar car. he soon heard two honks from Taiju's car as he drove up to him. rather than sitting in the back seat, he figured to sit in the passenger seat.
Taiju noticed this and couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat again.
his trust level from M/n seems to progress. that just takes up a notch on his chances with him. and hey, he can get a better view of his beauty.
Taiju fished his phone out of his pocket and went to maps, passing it to M/n.
"put your address here" he spoke to which the male obliged.
M/n tapped his address and propped it up the phone stand.
Taiju started the car and began driving. the drive to M/n's home was as relaxing as ever. especially when the air conditioner is just right that it made brings a wave of tiredness to M/n. he yawned as his eyes started to drift off. his mind wandered to dream to lull him to sleep.
zzzz...
zzzz...
"hey....wa-...up"
he vaguely heard someone calling out to him, pulling him from his dreamland. M/n eyelids flattered open, seeing Taiju's stern face looking at him.
"wake up, we're here" Taiju glances at the well-built house. from the looks of it, it gives off a cozy and warm vibe. the rain was still pouring, giving off a dramatic tension between them.
"wait here" Taiju ordered M/n who could only nod while he was still trying to wake himself up. The blue-haired man removed his jacket, leaving him with his vest from underneath.
He opened his door and used his jacket as a shelter from the rain. he went to the passenger door and opened it as well. helping M/n to get out of the car. he hovers the jacket above them, allowing him to get close to M/n.
he led M/n to the front door and then flicked his jacket to remove the excess water.
"thank you for taking me home, and for the dinner" M/n smiled warmly at Taiju that it made the bulky man heartache.
"you're most welcome. like what I said earlier, if you're free, just give me a call" Taiju felt the corners of his lips tugged, letting out a small smile at the man.
"I will. I guess this is goodbye for now" M/n tucked his hair behind his ear, looking at Taiju's yellow eyes.
"looking forward for your visit then" Taiju took M/n's hand and gave his knuckles a small kiss.
"have a nice day, M/n" Taiju bid his farewell, giving M/n a final wave before turning back to leave.
A/n: boo
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