ɢᴀɴɢ-𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦! [ ᴛʀ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ! ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ]
𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧 - 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘!
Never ever getting rid of me by Christopher Fitzgerald
"I'm gonna do this right
Show you I'm not moving
Wherever you go, I won't be far to follow
Oh, I'm gonna love you so
You'll learn what I already know
I love you means you're never, ever, ever getting rid of me"
SHINICHIRO woke up to violence. Not actual violence. But his ringtone blasting at full volume right beside his ear.
"WHO. THE. HELL-" He fumbled blindly across the bed, nearly falling off before grabbing his phone. Eyes half-open, hair a mess, he squinted at the screen.
My Boo 💖 (M/n)
Is calling...
Shinichiro blinked.
"...M/n?" His brain, still loading, immediately spiraled.
Why is he calling this early? Did something happen? Did he get jumped?
Did he fall into a ditch-no, wait, that's stupid.
Did he-
Shinichiro froze.
"...Did his water break-" He sat up abruptly.
"WAIT-he's a man-I HAVEN'T EVEN GOT HIM PREGNANT YET." He slapped his own face lightly.
"Focus!" He answered the call.
"Hello? M/n ? What's wrong-"
CRASH!
Something loud shattered on the other end. Shinichiro jolted upright.
"...Hello?" Another loud noise. Something dragged. Something hit the floor.
"M/n?" Shinichiro's voice sharpened, panic rising.
"Hey! hey, talk to me, what's going on? Are you hurt? Did someone-" A loud bang cut him off.
Then shuffling.
"...Oi."
Shinichiro blinked.
"...Rindou?"
"Yeah, it's me," Rindou said, sounding irritated. "Get your ass over here! Now!" Shinichiro stood up instantly.
"What happened? Where's M/n? Did he get into a fight again? Is he hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital? Is there blood-Oh god, how much blood-"
"GET YOUR SHIT MOVING!" Rindou snapped. Ran's voice rang out in the background
"Tell him to hurry up!" Ran's voice cut in, oddly strained. "Or we're gonna be the ones needing a hospital."
"...What?" Shinichiro frowned.
"Just get here!" Rindou repeated. Then, the call ended. Shinichiro stared at his phone.
"...That didn't answer anything." But he was already moving.
Five minutes later, Shinichiro was dressed, halfway out the door, keys in hand. His heart was pounding.
They sounded serious.
No...worse!
They sounded like something was actively going wrong.
"but...He called me," Shinichiro muttered as he ran to his motorcycle. "Out of everyone, he called me!" A grin broke across his face for half a second.
"...I'm his emergency contact!" He shook his head violently.
"NO! focus! Crisis first, romance later!"
He hopped on his motorcycle, revved the engine.
"Hold on, baby! I'm coming~!" and sped off.
When he arrived, he froze. The door was slightly open.
"That's not good...?" He stepped inside. And immediately regretted it.
"What the hell happened here...?"
The house was a disaster. Chairs overturned, cushions on the floor, a lamp snapped in half, something that used to be a table... no longer structurally existed.
"Did a typhoon pass through or..."
"OI! Old man!"Rindou's voice echoed from inside.
"LIVING ROOM!" Shinichiro snapped out of it and rushed in, and stopped dead.
"...What." Rindou was under a table. Ran was crouched beside him, holding a pillow like a shield.
Both of them...hiding?
"...What."
"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!" Rindou shouted.
"WHY ARE YOU UNDER THE TABLE?!" Shinichiro shot back.
"BECAUSE WE VALUE OUR LIVES?!" Ran yelled.
Shinichiro blinked.
"...From what?!" That's when he noticed. Across the room- was a child. Holding a baton like it was a weapon of mass destruction.
"YOU STAY BACK!" the kid yelled, voice sharp, aggressive.
"I'LL SWING THIS, I SWEAR TO GOD!" Shinichiro stared.
"...Why is there a child in the house." His brain immediately went wild again.
Did M/n adopt another child? No, he would've told me, right?
Did he have a secret child?
WAIT-did he cheat? no, no, focus-!
Rindou pointed. "DO SOMETHING!"
"WHY ME?!" Shinichiro shouted back.
"YOU'RE THE ADULT!" Ran snapped.
"YOU'RE BETTER AT FIGHTING!" Shinichiro shot back. "HANDLE IT!"
"I WOULD," Ran said, dodging a thrown cushion,
"IF HE DIDN'T KICK MY BALLS AND TOOK MY BATON!"
"I DID NOT-" the kid shouted, before immediately pointing the baton at them again. "YOU TWO CAME AT ME FIRST!"
"YOU WERE IN OUR HOUSE!" Rindou snapped.
"YOU KIDNAPPED ME!" Shinichiro rubbed his face.
"...Okay. Okay. This is... fixable." A pillow flew past his head.
"...Barely fixable..." He grabbed a pillow from the floor.
"Alright," Shinichiro said, raising both hands. "Kid, calm down, okay? No one's trying to hurt you."
"LIAR!" the kid snapped.
"THEY WERE THREATENING ME!"
"WE WERE DEFENDING OURSELVES!" Ran yelled.
"WHY ARE YOU HERE THEN?!" the kid shot back.
"IT'S OUR HOUSE!" Rindou barked.
"ENOUGH!" Shinichiro shouted. Everyone paused.
"...Okay," Shinichiro said, trying again, softer this time. "Let's just... talk. No swinging. No attacking. Deal?" The kid hesitated. Then slowly, turned around. Shinichiro saw his face. And everything in his brain shut down.
"What...?" Shinichiro couldn't believe it. Same hair, same features, saame eyes. He looks like the spitting image of M/n! Just... younger, though.
'Holy hell...did M/n really had a secret child?! And now this child came out of nowhere to get revenge for his mom?!'
The kid blinked at him. His mouth opening from shock.
"...Shinichiro?" Shinichiro's soul left his body.
'HE KNOWS MY NAME?!'
The kid suddenly ran toward him.
Shinichiro braced himself. but instead of a punch that he expected, the kid hid behind him and grabbed his shirt.
"Help me!" the kid said quickly.
"I don't know where I am! I just woke up here and those two started yelling and threatening me!" Shinichiro blinked.
"What?"
"YOU WERE CHASING ME!" Rindou shouted back, offended by the boy.
"BECAUSE YOU KICKED ME!" M/n shot back.
"BECAUSE YOU LOOKED SUSPICIOUS!"
"IT'S MY HOUSE!"
"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?!"
"ENOUGH!" Shinichiro yelled again.
"...We are not getting anywhere!" he muttered. He gently placed a hand on the kid's shoulder.
"Hey. Calm down, okay? You're safe." The kid hesitated... then nodded slightly.
"...Okay."
"Good," Shinichiro said. "Now... what's your name?" The kid straightened slightly.
"...M/n L/n." Suddenly the room became quiet. Ran blinked. Rindou blinked. Shinichiro blinked.
"Run that by me, again?"
"I'm from Shibuya," the kid added. Long silence. Ran slowly looked at Rindou. Rindou slowly looked at Ran. Shinichiro looked at the kid.
"I'm pretty sure I'm sober...was that my imagination?" Shinichiro mumbled.
"No... We heard it too..." Ran nodded. "...Yeah."
The kid tightened his grip on Shinichiro's shirt.
The kid-no, M/n-stood there, arms crossed, brows furrowed as he stared at the three of them like they were the weird ones in the room.
"...Why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked slowly, suspicion creeping into his tone. "Got a problem? Or do you just want to get punched that bad?" All three of them immediately looked away.
Shinichiro cleared his throat awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"...Okay. Let's just... test something."
"The floor is yours." Ran offered, not wanting to deal with the gremlin. M/n squinted at him.
"Test what?"
"...Do you know me?" M/n blinked once. Then frowned like Shinichiro had just insulted his intelligence.
"...Did you hit your head or something?" M/n said flatly.
"Or did you trip and lose even more brain cells than you already had?" Ran snorted. Rindou covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Shinichiro pointed at himself, offended.
"Hey-!"
"You're Shinichiro, duh." M/n continued casually.
"Captain of Black Dragon. Annoying, loud, and sometimes dumb."
"Hey...!" Shinichiro yelled, feeling his body getting thrown worh invincible arrows. M/n tilted his head slightly, eyeing him up and down.
"Hey, Shin...You look older. The hell did you ate?" Shinichiro froze.
"huh...?" M/n narrowed his eyes.
"...Are you wearing tall insoles or something?" Ran choked. Rindou turned away, shoulders shaking. Shinichiro looked personally attacked.
"I-what does that even-?!" M/n ignored him and glanced toward the twins.
Suddenly, his face scrunched up.
"...What the hell am I looking at?" Ran's eye twitched, Rindou's smile dropped instantly.
M/n pointed at them.
"Who are these two?"
"We're literally standing right here," Rindou said flatly.
"Yeah, unfortunately," M/n muttered.
"And I don't remember meeting anyone this... unpleasant to look at."
"Excuse me? I'm drop dead gorgeous." Ran said, flicking his braids. M/n shrugged.
"Who the hell lied to you? If anything your drop dead fugly." Ran cracked his neck.
"Wanna say that again, fuckface."
Shinichiro quickly stepped in.
"OKAY! moving on! moving on!" He clapped his hands once, nervously.
"M/n... how old are you and what year do you think it is?" M/n blinked at him.
"...What kind of question is that?"
"Just answer it." M/n sighed. "I'm thirteen and It's 1993."
Silence...the silence was so unbearable.
Ran slowly turned his head toward Shinichiro.
"...It's 2004," Ran said carefully. M/n stared at him. Then something hit his head, M/n laughed loudly, as if he figured out the answer in a math problem.
"Oh, that's good!" M/n grinned, wiping a fake tear from his eye.
"That's actually good. You almost got me!"
"We're not joking..." Rindou said.
M/n waved him off.
"Yeah, yeah, very funny. Time travel? Really? That's the angle you're going with?" No one laughed. M/n's smile slowly dropped.
"Wait...you're serious...?" No one spoke. "...You're actually serious?" Shinichiro gave a small, awkward nod. M/n's eyes widened.
"...No way." He took a step back. "...No-no, wait-hold on-" He pointed at Shinichiro.
"That's why you look like that!"
"Like what-?!"
"You're old!"
"HEY!" M/n grabbed his own hair.
"This doesn't make sense! how the hell did I time leap?! Is this a dream?! Am I dead?! Did I get hit by something?!" He turned in circles, pacing.
"Wait, wait, if this is 2004 then...then-"
"Hey-hey," Shinichiro said quickly, grabbing his shoulders to stop him.
"Calm down. We'll figure it out." M/n froze.
"You better...!" Shinichiro nodded.
"We will. For now, just... stay put. Adjust. We'll think of a way to send you back."
"You better send me back..." M/n muttered. Then his eyes flicked around the house.
"...Why am I even here?" The three blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Why this house?" M/n continued.
"If I got sent to the future, why not my own place?" Shinichiro hesitated.
"Maybe... this is where your future body is before you got transported here?" M/n paused.
"Wait, so... I live here?"
"...Yeah." M/n slowly turned his head toward the twins.
"...With them?" Ran's eyebrow twitched.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing good, obvi." M/n said honestly.
"...So they're what? Roommates?" he asked.
"...No," Shinichiro said.
"...Relatives?"
"...No."
M/n narrowed his eyes.
"Don't tell me-" Shinichiro smiled nervously.
"...They're your kids." M/n was gagged. The man was too stunned to speak.
"...They're my WHAT?!" Ran and Rindou winced.
M/n pointed at them, horrified.
"Those are my kids?!"
"Yes-"
"Why are they so ugly?!"
"HEY-!"
"I mean, look at me!" M/n gestured at himself. "I'm gorgeous! My genes are elite! How did this happen?!" Ran cracked his knuckles.
"The fuck did you just say?"
"And wait-" M/n continued, spiraling.
"I got a girl pregnant?! ME?! Girls don't even talk to me!" Rindou stepped forward.
"Okay, that's it-"
"WAIT!" Shinichiro jumped in between them. "They're adopted!" Everything stopped. M/n blinked.
"...Oh."
M/n suddenly exhaled in relief.
"That makes more sense. Thank god..."
Ran and Rindou stared at him.
"...You-"
"I was really concerned for a second," M/n added casually. That did it. Both twins grabbed his collar at the same time.
"Say one more thing-" Ran growled.
"I dare you," Rindou added, cracking his knuckles. M/n didn't even flinch.
"You talk a lot for people who look like that."
"YOU-!" Shinichiro rushed in.
"WAIT-WAIT-EVERYONE CALM-"
Haha...Too late. M/n moved first. A quick kick, straight to Ran's face. Ran stumbled back, crashing into Rindou. Shinichiro reached out and immediately caught a foot to the face.
"AHH!" He flew back onto the couch. Ran and Rindou steadied themselves, eyes wide. M/n stood there, posture shifting.
The childish energy? Gone in less than a second. His gaze darkened.
"Don't touch me so casually..." he said quietly. The air changed.
"I'm the captain of Extravaganza. So do not make threats towards me."
Ran blinked.
"...At thirteen?" Rindou looked at Shinichiro.
"...He's serious?" Shinichiro groaned from the couch, rubbing his face.
"...Yeah... he is." He sat up, sighing.
"M/n's always been... intense." He gestured toward the kid.
"Even back then, gangs already knew his name." Ran frowned. Shinichiro nodded.
Rindou exhaled slowly.
"And what? Adult M/n is him... toned down?" Shinichiro gave a sheepish smile.
"...You could say that." Ran looked back at M/n.
At the kid standing there like he owned the room.
"...You're telling me this version is worse?" M/n smirked slightly.
"Way worse. I got to experience it first-hand." Shinichiro leaned back against the couch.
"What the hell! He's such a pain in the ass!" Rindou yelled. Shinichiro nodded.
"Welcome to my world."
THE house had fallen into a strange, uneasy quiet. M/n was sprawled on the couch, legs kicking lazily in the air as he stared at the ceiling. A loud, exaggerated sigh left his lips.
Then another.
And another.
"I'm bored." No one answered.
"I said I'm bored." Still nothing. M/n's eye twitched.
"I'm BORED!" His voice echoed through the house, making Shinichiro flinch beside him.
Ran didn't even look away from the TV.
"We heard you the first three times."
Rindou snorted.
"Try being quieter. Might help." M/n shot up from the couch, glaring at them.
"How are you two just sitting there like rocks?! There's a whole future outside!"
Ran lazily flipped the channel.
"Yeah. And we see it every day."
"That's the problem!" M/n snapped, pointing at them. "You're wasting it!"
Rindou glanced at him, unimpressed.
"You're loud for someone who's not allowed outside."
"Excuse me...?" Shinichiro immediately stepped in, hands raised.
"Okay, okay, listen-M/n, you can't just go outside like that."
"And why the fuck not?" M/n shot back.
"Because you're from the past!" Shinichiro stressed.
"What if someone recognizes you? What if you mess something up? Time stuff is... sensitive!" M/n stared at him. Then scoffed, crossing his arms.
"You sound like an old man."
"I am older than you!"
"Boo! argument invalid Ran snickered, Rindou smirked.
M/n clicked his tongue and flopped back onto the couch dramatically.
"This is torture. Actual torture. You're making me sit here and do nothing while you two-" he pointed at the twins again,
"-gets to do whatever you want?!"
Ran stretched, standing up.
"Speaking of..." Rindou stood as well, grabbing his jacket.
"We're heading out."
Shinichiro's head snapped toward them.
"Wait, what?! You're leaving?!" Ran shrugged.
"Yeah."
"You can't just leave me alone with him!" Rindou smirked.
"Why the fuck not? You raised him."
"I DID NOT-"
"Close enough." Ran cut in, already walking toward the door. M/n sat up again, offended.
"Hold on-why do they get to go outside?!"
Ran paused at the door, glancing back with a grin. "Because we belong here." Rindou stuck his tongue out.
"And you don't."
M/n's face darkened.
"You two-"
"Try not to destroy the house while we're gone!" Ran added casually.
"Or do," Rindou said. "Would be entertaining." The door shut behind them.
Silence filled the living room. A very dangerous silence.
"...I hate them," M/n muttered.
Shinichiro exhaled slowly.
"Look, just-stay here, okay? They can go out because they're from this timeline. You're not. It's different." M/n stared at him. Then he grabbed a pillow.
And started punching it relentlessly.
"THIS-IS-SO-STUPID-!" Each word came with a hit. M/n punched the pillow so hard the stuffing started flying out. Shinichiro slowly leaned away, watching in fear.
"...Please don't look at me next,"
he whispered under his breath. The pillow did not survive.
Minutes passed and eventually, M/n slumped back against the couch, breathing out, now calm again.
"...I'm still bored." Shinichiro carefully nodded. "Yeah. I can see that." M/n stared blankly at the TV now, uninterested. Shinichiro took that as his chance.
"...I'll make breakfast," he said cautiously, standing up.
"Just-stay here, okay?" M/n didn't respond.
"...Okay?" A lazy wave of the hand.
"Yeah, yeah." Shinichiro hesitated. Then slowly walked into the kitchen.
"...Don't move," he muttered one last time.
The moment Shinichiro disappeared, M/n's eyes shifted. A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Don't move, he says." He slid off the couch quietly. Carefully, light on his feet. He peeked toward the hallway. No Shinichiro.
Perfect ♡
M/n tiptoed toward the window, gently pushing it open. A soft breeze hit his face. His grin widened.
"Now this is more like it~" He slipped outside, landing straight into a bush with a soft fwump.
"Okay, that hurt a little." He stood up, brushing leaves off himself, then looked around. His eyes lit up.
"So this is my place in the future..." He turned slowly, taking everything in.
"Not bad, not bad." M/n looked around the yard and his gaze landed on something.
"...No way."
A motorcycle. Parked right outside. M/n's eyes sparkled. He rushed over, crouching beside it like he'd just found treasure.
"This is Shinichiro's...! but upgraded." He ran a hand along it, impressed.
"Damn. He actually improved something for once."
He swung a leg over it, but paused.
"Wait..." he glanced back at the house.
"If I start it here, he'll hear it." he grinned again.
"Oh, I'm not that dumb~" He hopped off and started dragging the motorcycle away from the house. After putting enough distance, he hopped back on. His hand hovered over the key that was still there.
"...He didn't even take the key out?" M/n snorted. "Yeah, he's definitely still stupid. Even as aj adult." He turned it. The engine roared to life. M/n laughed, pure excitement lighting up his face.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun!" And just like that, he sped off.
BACK at the house. Shinichiro walked out of the kitchen, holding two plates.
"M/n! I made grilled cheese-" He froze. The couch was empty.
"...Where is he?" The room was quiet.
"...M/n?" He set the plates down quickly, panic rising.
"M/n?!" He checked one room. Then another. Then another. Nothing.
"But I didn't hear the door-" He stopped. Slowly turning toward the window. The window was open, the breeze getting inside.
"No..." He rushed outside. Then froze. His motorcycle was gone.
"No...!" and no M/n in sight.
"NO!" Shinichiro grabbed his head.
"Oh fuck-" Shinichiro blurted out. Until the realization hit him like a brick.
M/n gone + Bike gone = DANGER!
"M/N HAS MY BIKE?!"
THE wind rushed past his face as the engine roared beneath him, the vibration of the motorcycle sending a thrill straight through M/n's chest.
He laughed loud, unrestrained, almost wild.
"This is insane-!"
The city stretched before him, unfamiliar yet alive, towering buildings casting long shadows across streets that buzzed with life. Shops lined the roads in tighter clusters, their windows packed with things he couldn't even name.
"...Was it always this crowded?" He slowed just enough to take it in, his head turning from one side to the other.
People walked faster. Dressed differently. Talking about things he didn't recognize.
"New brands... new stores... what the hell is that thing-?"
He passed by a group of teenagers laughing loudly, one of them holding a small device, tapping it with practiced ease.
"Okay, future people are weird," M/n muttered, squinting. But the grin on his face never left. If anything, it only grew wider.
"I need to see more!" Without hesitation, he twisted the handle again, the bike surging forward as he sped down another street.
"I'm not going back until I've seen everything!"
Eventually, he pulled over near a convenience store. The bell chimed as he stepped inside, and M/n immediately paused.
"...Oh." His eyes lit up like a kid who just walked into a candy store.
"This place is stacked." He wandered slowly through the aisles, picking things up, turning them over in his hands, reading labels with a puzzled expression.
"What even is this...? New flavor? Why is everything look so delicious...?"
He moved again and stopped.
"No way...!" His eyes locked onto a section near the counter. A doriyaki station.
"Holy hell! Doriyaki survived in the future?" He walked over, almost reverent, scanning the selection.
"And there's only one left." His hand reached out immediately.
"and it shall be mine!" But just as his fingers wrapped around the package...
Another hand grabbed it too. The contact was firm.
M/n's smile twitched. Slowly... he turned his head. A boy stood there, blond hair that was combed neatly, Dark, sharp eyes that looks like a dead fish from the market, looking just as irritated.
"Let go." M/n said, voice low but steady. The boy didn't budge.
"No. I got it first." M/n scoffed.
"Well I saw it first."
"That doesn't count."
"It counts in my book." The boy's gaze hardened.
"Then you're book is shit." They stared at each other. Neither moving.
"How old are you?" the boy suddenly asked. M/n smirked.
"Thirteen." The boy's expression shifted just slightly.
"...Tch!" M/n caught it instantly.
"What? Younger?"
"...Ten," the boy admitted, irritation clear. M/n leaned forward just a little, grin widening.
"That explains the bratty attitude."
The boy's eye twitched.
"Let go before I punch you." M/n laughed under his breath.
"You? Punch me? I'd flatten you."
"Oh yeah?" the boy snapped. "Try me."
"I'd turn you into a pancake."
"You already look like one."
"...That didn't even make sense."
"Didn't have to." The tension rose, suddenly the blond kid puts his fist up.
"Rock, paper, scissors," the boy said, pointing at him. M/n blinked.
"What?"
"Winner gets it." M/n stared. Then slowly... a grin spread across his face.
"You're...serious?"
"Dead serious."
"...Fine." They both stepped back slightly, still holding onto the doriyaki.
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
👁👄👁 ✌ ✌ 👁👄👁
"Again!"
Second round.
ᕦ(͡°͜ʖ͡°)✌ 🖐 (ಥ ͜ʖಥ)
The boy wins. M/n clicks his tongue.
"You're just lucky."
"Nah, you just have skill issue."
Third round.
(•ˋ _ ˊ•) ✌ ✊ (ᐛ)ᕗ
M/n wins.
"Ha! What did you say? Skill issue? Stupid ahh."
"Again!" again and again until they were tied.
Blond duded - 2
M/n - 2
"...Last round," the boy said.
"...Yeah. whoever gets 3 first, wins." They both narrowed their eyes.
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
( ☉д⊙)🖐 ✌(◕ᴗ◕✿)
Silence...
(•ˋ _ ˊ•)🖕 ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ🎊
"YES!" M/n yanked the doriyaki free instantly. "Mine!"
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
"You said three wins!"
"Tch! ARF!"
"Why the hell did you bark...?"
The boy turned away, clearly annoyed, scanning the shelves again. M/n smirked, victorious. But then paused when the boy was still there.
"Why are you still here?" The boy ignored him, walking further down the aisle. His eyes lit up.
"...Oh." Before M/n could even react, The kid dove and snatched something. And stood up triumphantly.
"Ha." M/n blinked.
"What are you-" Then he saw it what the boy held out towards his face.
"WHAT?! Ice cream doriyaki?!" His jaw dropped.
"...Where did you even-" He looked at the shelf the kid dived into. Hoping to buy some as well. the shelf was empty.
"That was the last one too...?" The boy stuck his tongue out.
"Too slow." M/n clenched his fist.
"I'm gonna jump you..."
At the counter, M/n paid without issue, still holding his prize. Beside him, the boy was digging through his pockets.
"...Wait." He checked again. "No way...you've got to be kidding me." M/n glanced over, smirking.
"Let me guess. Broke?"
"Shut up...!" The boy sighed, defeated, and turned to put the doriyaki back. But before he could, M/n stepped forward and placed extra money on the counter.
"Here." The boy froze.
"What...?"
"I'm covering the rest."
"...Why?"
"Uh...because you don't have enough?"
"Oh, thanks-" M/n shrugged.
"You owe me a bite." The boy stared at him.
"...Nevermind."
Outside, they sat on the curb. The boy held out his ice cream doriyaki towards M/n
"...Don't take a big bite."
M/n immediately took a big bite.
"...HEY-!" M/n grinned. "Too late."
M/n humms in approval.
"Okay, that's actually good." M/n munched. The boy almost punched him right then and there.
"You ate almost half of mine!"
"Because I paid most of it."
"GROWL!"
"Bro, do you have rabbies-"
M/n broke his in half, handing a piece over to the growling blond kid, before shoving it in his mouth.
"There, now don't bite!" They ate in silence for a moment.
Don't ask why the hell they're so calm and not slicing each others throats.
"...What's your name?" the boy asked. M/n froze mid-chew.
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first before asking for someone's name? Who raised you?"
M/n shot at the boy who grumbled, yet introduced himself.
"My name's Manjiro Sano. But call me by my nickname instead; Mikey."
Hold the phone... CUT THE CAMERAS.
WHAT?!
SANO?!
Wait... Is this Shinichiro's little brother?!
No wonder he has a shit attitude! He was raised by Shinichiro! Holy hell! Look at how he grew! I only saw Mikey once in the past and he's just a baby!
Mikey looked at M/n weirdly.
"Um... You're name?"
"...Ah." Right. His name... Is he allowed to say it? He is in the future right now. And claiming he's M/n but a kid version of him would be suspicious.
Think! Think of a name! Something normal! Something-
"Minnie... Mice."
Silence. M/n blinked and almost jump off the nearest cliff.
Why did I say that?!
Mikey tilted his head.
"...Minnie?"
"Yeah..."
"That's a weird name..."
"You're a weird name!"
"Hey! My nicknames cool!"
"Whatever you say..." Mikey stood up and hoisted his bag over his shoulder.
"Hey, M/n! We're friends now, got that?" Mikey smiled like an idiot.
"Nuh-uh"
"The fuck you mean, nuh-uh? We're friends now because I said so!"
Mikey toss the wrapper in a bin.
"Anyways, I've got school." He waved.
"Later, Minnie~"
"Don't call me that." Mikey didn't listen, already walking away. M/n sat there, staring at nothing.
"I really said Minnie Mice." He dragged a hand down his face. "...Out of all the names...I'm never recovering from this."
THE engine of the motorcycle roared beneath M/n as he sped through the streets, the wind whipping past his face and tugging at his clothes. His eyes darted everywhere at once, drinking in the unfamiliar city like a starved man finally given a feast.
"I still can't believe I'm in the future..." he breathed out, a grin stretching across his face.
He swerved slightly, almost hitting a curb, before straightening the bike again with a laugh.
"Okay focus! Don't crash Shinichiro's bike. He'll actually cry."
𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚!
Another crash echoed from a nearby alley.
M/n's grin slowly twisted into something more curious.
"...Oh?"
He slowed the bike, letting the engine idle before turning it off completely. The sudden quiet felt strange after the rush. His head tilted toward the alley, eyes narrowing slightly.
"A fight?" he muttered.
"In broad daylight? Bold." He parked the motorcycle to the side, making sure it was hidden enough not to attract attention, then cracked his knuckles lightly.
M/n's gears started turning. Seeing the fun opportunity.
Clang sound + Gang fight = Fun for M/n
He parked the motorcycle off to the side, kicking the stand down before casually making his way toward the noise.
"...Let's see what kind of gangs the future has."
His fingers cracked as he walked.
"...Hope they're not disappointing."
The moment he stepped into the alley, the scent of dust and metal hit him. His eyes scanned the scene quickly.
It was just a standard gang fight. Bodies were flying and getting their ass handed to them. Honestly, nothing interesting. M/n could only sigh in disappointment. He was about to walk away when he saw someone in the middle. Someone fugly looking.
"...Oh." M/n blinked. "Well, that's awkward."
There they were. The two fugly teens.
Ran and Rindou.
Only now, they weren't lounging around or arguing, they were moving. And holy hell, they were good.
Rindou ducked under a swing, his expression sharp and focused as he drove his baton straight into someone's ribs. Ran, on the other hand, moved almost lazily, a smirk on his face as he handled two guys at once like it was nothing more than mild entertainment.
M/n's brows slowly lifted.
"...Not bad." His lips curled into a grin.
"Actually, really not bad." He leaned casually against the wall for a moment, watching. Studying.
"If they weren't from the future, I'd recruit them on the spot." he muttered under his breath,
There was something satisfying about watching them fight. Clean movements. No wasted energy. Then a thought hit him.
"Wait...Oh crude, I forgot they're my future sons!" He blinked again. His grin widened, something proud flickering in his chest.
"Hah, if I'm their father, then future me surely helped them get this better, no?" His eyes gleamed as he watched them take down another opponent.
"Damn, they're good." M/n's gaze snapped to the side. One of the opposing gang members had picked up a metal pipe, raising it high behind Rindou, who was too focused on the fight in front of him to notice.
M/n clicked his tongue.
"Tch...Who brings a pipe to a fist fight?" His body moved before he could even think further.
He kicked off the wall, using it as leverage, launching himself into the air. For a split second, everything slowed, the angle, the distance, the target.
𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗗!
His foot connected squarely with the guy's face, sending him crashing into the ground before the pipe could even swing down.
Rindou froze, blinking as the threat disappeared.
"What-" Ran's head snapped toward the newcomer.
"You've got to be kidding me..." M/n landed lightly, rolling his shoulder as if he hadn't just dropped out of nowhere.
"Oi," he called out casually, flashing a grin. "You guys look like you're having fun without me." The twins stared at him.
"You again? I thought you're not allowed outside?" Rindou muttered, still processing. M/n smirked and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not. So I escaped." Ran's lips slowly curled into a smirk.
"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"
M/n shrugged.
"Trouble finds me. I just respond naturally." He glanced around at the remaining enemies, then back at the twins.
"Hey, how about we play a game?" Rindou raised a brow.
"A game?" M/n's grin turned sharper.
"Yeah, let's see who takes down more." Ran tilted his head, amused.
"And what do we get if we win?"
"Anything." M/n replied instantly. Rindou crossed his arms.
"Oh yeah? With what money?" Without missing a beat, M/n pulled out the wallet.
His future self's wallet.
"Well," he said casually, flipping it open,
"my future self won't mind, right? It's technically for his sons." The twins stared at the wallet, then at him.
"Oh, we're gonna suffer the consequences later when present M/n finally comes back."
Rindou said. Then his grin widened.
"But I'm in." Rindou smirked. "Same." M/n cracked his neck.
"Then, try to keep up."
What followed was chaos. Not messy chaos, but controlled destruction.
M/n moved like a storm, fast and precise, each strike deliberate. There was no hesitation in him, no wasted motion. He weaved through the fight like he owned it.
Ran fought with ease, almost like he was dancing, his movements smooth and confident.
Rindou was sharper, more aggressive, quick and efficient, finishing fights before they could drag on.
Ran and Rindou watched as M/n fight. Their thought filtered the same thought;
'So this is how M/n was when he was in his prime as Nightingale...'
"Oi!" M/n called out, ducking a punch and driving his fist into someone's gut.
"That's six for me!"
"Six?" Ran replied lazily, sweeping someone off their feet. "I'm already at eight."
"Liar!" M/n snapped.
"Count better."
"Shut up and fight!"
The alley fell quiet long after the last body hit the ground.
For a moment, the only sounds were the uneven breaths of the three of them and the faint groans of the defeated scattered around like discarded trash.
M/n sat atop his "pile," one leg lazily propped over another, brushing dust off his sleeve as if he hadn't just taken down half a gang. His chest rose and fell, but not from exhaustion.
"...Seventeen," he said, almost to himself, tilting his head.
"I'm pretty sure I got seventeen."
Ran, who had been counting under his breath while nudging bodies with the tip of his shoe, finally looked up. A slow, satisfied grin spread across his face.
M/n blinked.
"Eighteen."
"...What?"
Rindou snorted.
"We have eighteen bodies in our pile." M/n's jaw dropped.
"No way!" Ran smiled sweetly.
"Way."
M/n's eye twitched.
"...Tch." M/n looked away, crossing his arms with a deep scowl.
"Whatever!" Rindou grinned.
"Aww. Is Nightingale sulking?"
"Shut up!" Ran leaned slightly, clearly enjoying this.
"You're red."
"I'm not red!"
"You are."
"I said I'm not-"
"Wow," Rindou added, "he gets like this when he loses? That's embarrassing."M/n snapped his head toward them.
"Do you want to get beat up?!"
"By the guy who just lost?" Ran teased.
"ARF!."
"Bro, who the hell gave you rabbies-"
M/n got over his embarrassment and sighs.
"Fine," M/n sighed dramatically after a moment, running a hand through his hair. "A promise is a promise."
"Let's get the winner's prize and get this over with." Ran's eyes lit up.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun~"
What followed was nothing short of chaos.
Ran dragged M/n from store to store, picking out clothes like he had no concept of limits.
"This one," Ran said, holding up a jacket. M/n glanced at the price tag.
"What the hell? Why does it cost so much?"
"You said anything."
"I regret everything." Rindou, meanwhile, trailed behind, occasionally adding things with a quiet,
"Buy this too."
M/n trailed behind, arms slowly filling with items.
"...Do you need all of this?" he asked, voice strained. Ran didn't even look at him.
"Yes."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"You already have five jackets."
"And?"
"You only have one body!"
Rindou snorted from the side.
"Let him cook."
"I'm the one paying!" M/n snapped. Ran chuckled softly before turning back to the rack, humming to himself. M/n watched him for a second.
There was something... different about this.
The way Ran's eyes lit up slightly when he found something he liked. The way Rindou leaned in occasionally, commenting,
"That one's better," or "That color suits you more." It wasn't just spending money.
It was...something he couldn't place.
Huh...is he starting to develop maternal care? Hell nah.
But in way, M/n can see his future self spoiling the two. M/n shifted his weight slightly, looking away.
"...You two do this often?" he asked. Rindou shrugged.
"When we feel like it." Ran added,
"Not like this, though." M/n raised a brow.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ran glanced at him briefly.
"...We don't usually get treated." M/n blinked.
"...Oh." he scoffed lightly, turning his head away.
"Well, don't get used to it."
Rindou smirked. "We better add more to the cart if this will only happen once."
"...Brats." though, M/n never told them to stop.
At the checkout, M/n stared at the total.
Long and hard. (Oop-)
"...I'm going to pretend I didn't see that..." he muttered, handing over the money.
Ran leaned slightly, peeking.
"That much already?"
"Future economy sucks..."
"WHY ARE WE HERE?" M/n asked as Ran casually sat down like a regular. Ran crossed his legs.
"Maintenance."
"...Maintenance?"
"For my hair."
"You sound like a car."
Rindou leaned against the wall.
"He treats it like one." Ran ignored them, already talking to the stylist. M/n ended up sitting beside him, watching with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"You really care about your hair that much?" he muttered. Ran hummed.
"Of course. I gotta look good while beating up someone." Ran blurted out without a care even if the hairstylist was agape. M/n tilted his head slightly.
"Huh..." Ran glanced at him through the mirror. "What?"
"...Nothing. Just didn't think you'd be the type."
"And what type did you think I was?"
"More... fight, less...I don't know, conditioner?" Rindou burst out laughing. Ran smiled faintly.
"You can do both even if you're a delinquent."
"...Fair." Ran and M/n eventually had a conversation about themselves. Somehow, their conversation led to Ran telling M/n that they have authority over Roppongi when they were 13.
"YOU HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ROPPONGI WITHOUT HELP FROM OTHER GANGS?! DO YOU EVEN HAVE A GANG!?"
"We don't need to get lumped up with other gangs. Me and my brother can handle it ourselves." M/n was in awe. How can two teens accomplish such feat? Especially when there are tons of gangs in Roppongi.
"That's impressive and insane at the same time."
"Tell me something that I don't know." Rindou smirked.
"Of course it is." M/n huffed.
"I run Shibuya" Ran smiled faintly.
"We know." M/n blinked.
"You do? Wow, is future me open about everything in regards of myself to his kids?"
"Something like that..."
M/n didn't question it further, instead muttering, "I was thinking of dyeing my hair when I get older." Ran tilted his head.
"What color?" Ran met his eyes in the mirror.
"Not sure yet...Don't know what suits me best."
"H/c."
"What?"
"You should dye it H/c. It would suit you." M/n paused and thought about it.
"...H/c, huh." He imagined it for a second.
"Yeah...That sounds good."
The salon visit ended with Ran looking far too satisfied with himself. He tilted his head slightly, fingers combing through his freshly styled hair, admiring the way it fell perfectly into place. The soft lighting of the salon caught the strands just right, and honestly, he knew he looked good.
"...You're staring," Ran said lazily, catching M/n's reflection in the mirror. M/n scoffed, immediately looking away.
"I'm not staring. I'm judging."
"Judging what?"
"How much money I just lost."
Rindou snorted from where he was slouched on the waiting chair, legs spread and arms crossed. "You're still stuck on that?"
"I just paid for your brother's hair maintenance," M/n shot back.
"Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"
Ran smiled, standing up and dusting off imaginary lint from his clothes.
"...I'm starting to regret my generosity." M/n clicked his tongue but didn't argue further.
Instead.
Ran stretched his arms slightly and turned toward the exit.
"I'm craving something sweet," he said casually.
"Let's get mont blanc." M/n blinked.
"Mont what?" Rindou groaned.
"Don't tell me you don't know what that is."
"I know what it is," M/n said defensively.
"I just haven't tried it yet." Ran gave him a look.
"Then today's your lucky day."
"Stfu, I'm the one paying for it."
"Yes."
"Unbelievable..."
They ended up at a small dessert café. Ran didn't even hesitate when ordering.
"Two mont blanc," he said.
M/n glanced at Ran.
"We're not sharing?" Ran gave a disgusted look towards M/n.
"Ew, why would I?"
"Just in case I don't like it?"
"Then, you can give me yours if you don't like it. Also, trust me. My tastebuds are elite, you ill like it."
Meanwhile, Rindou leaned against the counter, eyeing the drinks section instead. His gaze lingered for a moment before he smirked.
"Oi," he called, grabbing a can from the fridge. "Buy me this too." M/n looked over and frowned.
"Beer? Aren't you too young?" Rindou shook the can slightly.
"And?" M/n narrowed his eyes.
"That tastes good?" Ran hummed.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On the person."
M/n looked skeptical.
"I've never understood the hype...Why would you drink something bitter on purpose?"
he muttered. Rindou's smirk widened.
"...Wanna find out?"M/n raised a brow.
"What?"
Rindou stepped closer, holding out the can like a challenge.
"Chug it.". Ran's lips twitched, clearly entertained.
"...You're daring me?" M/n asked slowly.
"Yeah."
"...You think I won't?"
"I think you can't."
That did it. M/n snatched the can from his hand. "Watch me." Ran leaned back slightly, arms crossed, clearly settling in for the show.
"This is going to be good." M/n popped the can open, the sharp hiss filling the space.
He stared at it for half a second, then tilted his head back and drank. Rindou raised a brow. Ran watched closely.
At first, M/n didn't react. Then his brows furrowed. His throat worked harder, his nose scrunched slightly, but he didn't stop. Not until the can was empty. He lowered it slowly.
"...That's-" hic- Rindou lost it. Ran turned away, shoulders shaking. M/n scowled.
"Don't laugh-hic-"
"You look ridiculous," Rindou said between laughs.
"It's bitter!" M/n snapped, glaring at the can like it personally offended him.
"Why would anyone drink this?!" Ran smirked.
"And here you are...you drink it all too."
"...I had something to prove."
"Yeah," Rindou grinned.
"That you have terrible taste." M/n shot him a look.
"It's not that bad..." They both paused.
"...Oh?" Ran said, amused. M/n frowned, thinking.
"...It's bitter," he repeated.
"But... there's something after it." "Aftertaste," Rindou said. "...Yeah. That."
He took another small sip from the can, then blinked.
"...Okay. That part's kinda good." Ran chuckled.
"Careful. That's how it starts." M/n immediately handed the can back.
"Yeah, no. I'm not getting addicted to this." Rindou took it, smirking.
"Funny."
"What?"
"Your future self would disagree."
M/n frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" Rindou just shrugged, taking a sip.
"Nothing." Ran hid a small smile.
After finishing the desserts (and M/n stealing more bites than he admitted), they stepped back out into the street.
"Alright," Rindou said, stretching. "One more thing." M/n groaned.
"Of course there is." Rindou pointed down the street.
"Music shop."
"...Why?"
"I want a CD."
"A CD?"
"And a DJ controller." M/n stopped walking. Slowly turned.
"...A what?" Rindou grinned.
"Don't worry about it. Just bring your wallet." M/n stared at him. Then at Ran. Ran simply smiled.
"Can this be called robbery at this point?" M/n said flatly.
"Yes," they answered at the same time.
"at least you're honest."
Inside the shop, Rindou moved with surprising focus. He browsed through CDs like it actually mattered. picking, checking, putting some back, keeping others. M/n watched him, a little curious.
"you're serious about this." Rindou didn't look at him.
"Yeah." "...Huh." Ran leaned against a shelf nearby, arms crossed.
"He likes music."
"I can see that, I have eyes to see that he has a basket full of them."
M/n tilted his head slightly as Rindou finally picked one.
"What kind?" Rindou held up the CD.
"You wouldn't get it, ancient boy."
"Try me."
"Loud musics." M/n smirked.
"I like loud musics, like heavy metal and rock."
"Not those kind."
"Wow. You're gatekeeping music now?" Rindou rolled his eyes.
"Just pay."
"Brat." Still, M/n did. He paid for the CD.
Then the DJ controller. Then stared at the receipt like it personally betrayed him.
"Future me is rich, right?" he muttered.
Ran hummed.
"You'd hope so."
"I better be." Rindou snorted.
"With how much you just spent? You better be loaded." M/n sighed, stuffing the wallet back into his pocket.
"You two are expensive." Ran smiled.
"And worth it." M/n glanced at him. Then looked away.
"...Debatable." But he didn't sound that annoyed anymore.
By the time they were done, shopping bags hanging from their arms, sugar still lingering on their tongues, (like sugar on my tongue 👅) and laughter slowly fading into quiet the three of them ended up collapsing onto a bench.
Ran dropped first, exhaling as he leaned back, one arm draped lazily across the backrest.
Rindou followed, stretching his legs out in front of him with a tired groan. M/n practically flopped down between them, shoulders slumping as he tilted his head back toward the sky.
"I'm never betting with you two again, especially when money is on the table." M/n muttered, breath uneven.
"You two are insane." Rindou huffed out a laugh.
"You kept up just fine."
"Barely," M/n shot back. "My wallet took the most damage today." Ran chuckled softly.
"You're still talking about that?"
"Yes," M/n said immediately. "With how much I've spent? yes." A small silence followed.
The kind that settles after a long day, when everything feels slower, softer.
M/n's gaze drifted upward, watching the sky shift into warm shades of orange and gold. The light reflected faintly in his eyes, and for once he wasn't scowling, or arguing, or boasting.
He just... looked at peace.
"...Hey." Ran hummed.
"What is it?" M/n didn't look at them right away.
"...Thanks."
That got their attention. Rindou turned his head slightly, brows knitting.
"For what?" Ran didn't say anything, but his eyes flicked toward M/n, curious.
M/n scratched the back of his neck, expression a little awkward now, like he wasn't used to saying things like this.
"For today," he said. "For dragging me around... for showing me stuff."
Ran tilted his head.
"You're thanking us for draining your wallet?"
"Don't ruin the moment, asshole." Rindou let out a quiet snort. But M/n continued anyway.
"I mean it," he said.
"If I stayed at home, I would've gone insane." He huffed lightly.
"At least with you two around, it wasn't boring." He finally glanced at them, just for a second.
"You made it feel... normal." That made both twins pause. M/n leaned back again, arms braced behind him as he looked at the sky.
"...You're not that bad," he added. Rindou scoffed.
"That's the best compliment you've got?"
"Yes." Ran chuckled under his breath. Then M/n spoke again, more thoughtful this time.
"...Honestly," he murmured,
"I think my future self did something right." Ran's eyes flickered slightly. Rindou stilled.
M/n didn't notice. He just kept talking, like he was thinking out loud.
"If I ended up with you two," he said, "then... yeah. I must've picked well." Rindou blinked.
"...Picked?" he repeated.
"Adopted, probably," M/n shrugged. "There's no way you two are actually related to me. You're too ugly."
"Take that back," Rindou muttered automatically. But there was no real bite in it. M/n smirked faintly before continuing.
"You're chaotic," he said, counting off lazily on his fingers.
"You fight, you talk shit, you waste money-"
"You wasted money," Ran corrected.
"-but," M/n went on, ignoring him,
"you're not stupid." That made Ran's gaze sharpen slightly. M/n glanced at them again.
"You handle yourselves well," he said.
"You've got your own thing going. You're not just... reckless idiots." Rindou blinked again.
"...Wow," he muttered.
"We're leveling up in compliments?" M/n clicked his tongue.
"I'm being serious here." His voice softened.
"...If I could read my future self's mind," he said, "he'd probably think you're interesting."
"...Interesting?" Rindou echoed.
"Yeah," M/n nodded. "Like... 'they're a pain in the ass, but they're my sons' kind of interesting."
That... landed.
Hard. (Oh. 😳)
"...And," M/n added, "he probably doesn't regret it. He wouldn't regret adopting you," M/n said simply. "Not if you turned out like this." Ran's fingers curled slightly against the bench.
Rindou looked away. M/n didn't notice the shift. He just kept going, unaware of how his words were hitting them.
"...I just hope," he said, a little more awkwardly now, "that he's doing it right." Ran's eyes flickered.
"What do you mean?" he asked. M/n shrugged.
"Like... being a father," he said.
"I don't know how that works. parenting, I mean." He huffed. "But if I'm him, I'd probably try to make sure you're okay." Rindou's throat felt tight.
"Feeding you, make sure you're not dying somewhere. Give you space if you're being annoying-" M/n continued, counting again.
Ran let out a quiet breath.
"-and... I don't know," M/n muttered.
"Be there, I guess."
"...Like a real father," he finished.
That was the one that hit the hardest. Because
they knew. Ran's mind flickered to the kitchen light that was always left on. To the food that was always warm, no matter how late they came home. To M/n sitting there alone, waiting for them to join him.
"You're late..." he'd say casually. "The food had gone cold, I'll heat it up." Even when they didn't sit down, even when they walked past him, even when they ignored him completely.
He never stopped cooking, never stopped waiting.
Rindou swallowed. His thoughts dragged him somewhere else,
To that night.
When they returned one night with bruised ribs, split lip, blood on his knuckles. They hadn't even said anything. Hadn't asked for help.
But the next morning, The entire gang that jumped them was on their knees.
Apologizing.
"WE APOLOGIZE TO RAN AND RINDOU FOR BEATING YOU UP!" they said. And behind them, M/n stood there quietly.
Like it was normal to tear through a city overnight just for them.
Ran's jaw tightened slightly.
"...Idiot," he muttered under his breath. M/n blinked.
"What?"
"Nothing," Ran said quickly. Rindou didn't say anything. Because everything felt heavier.
Every small thing, every quiet gesture, every moment they brushed off.
"...You're doing fine," Rindou muttered, almost too quietly to hear. M/n tilted his head.
"What?" Rindou looked away.
"Nothing. Just... talking." M/n frowned slightly, but didn't push. Instead, he stretched his arms above his head again.
"...Anyway," he said, tone lightening,
"future me must be living pretty good, huh?" Ran glanced at him. M/n smiled faintly, eyes still on the sky.
"Nice house," he listed. "Two annoying kids. Probably decent friends." He huffed. "And money." Rindou snorted faintly.
"Definitely money," M/n added. "No way I could spend like that if I was broke." Ran let out a quiet breath.
"...Yeah," he said. M/n's smile softened just a little.
"So it's not a bad future," he murmured.
"Could be worse...like- being a criminal mafia member worst." Silence settled again. But this time, it wasn't just quiet. It was... full.
Heavy in a way neither Ran nor Rindou knew how to respond to. Because the person sitting beside them, laughing, complaining, acting like everything was simple.
had no idea how much he already was what he was hoping to be.
"...Oh shit." M/n suddenly shot upright. Ran blinked.
"What?" M/n's eyes widened.
"The bike!" Rindou frowned. "What about it?"
"Shinichiro's bike!" M/n groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"I left it in the alley! He's probably already looking for me!"
Rindou snorted.
"Yeah, you're definitely dead."
"...I need to go back." M/n stood up, brushing himself off quickly before pointing at them.
"You two, go home." Ran raised a brow.
"You're ordering us now?"
"Yes." Rindou leaned back, unimpressed. "Why?" "Because it's getting late," M/n said, gesturing toward the sky.
"And I'm not dealing with Shinichiro and you two at the same time if he finds out what I did."
Ran chuckled.
"Fair."
"...Also," M/n added, glancing at them briefly, "you've got your stuff already." Rindou looked at the bag with his new DJ controller, then shrugged.
"...True." Ran stretched, standing up.
"I could use a nap."
They made their way back to the alley together. The motorcycle was still there.
Thank God.
M/n let out a breath of relief.
"Okay. Good. Still alive." M/n walked over and grabbing the handlebars. Then he paused.
"...Actually," he said slowly. Rindou raised a brow.
"What?" M/n glanced over his shoulder.
"I was thinking of sending you both hone since we can't fit...but I guess we could make it work...Get on." Ran blinked.
"Excuse me?" "You heard me," M/n said, already climbing onto the bike.
"You sure you can drive that big bike?"
"I literally got here without crashing this-well, almost..."
"That's not reassuring."
"Do you want a ride or not? Either ride or walk home." Ran and Rindou exchanged a look.
"...Move," Rindou said, stepping forward. Ran followed, climbing on behind M/n, with Rindou settling at the very back. They put their stuff inside the box at the rear of the bike. (Bro, idk if that shit is already invented back then)
"Hold on," M/n said. Rindou scoffed.
"To what?"
"Each other."
"What..."
"Do you want to fall?" Reluctantly, Rindou grabbed onto Ran, who in turn held onto M/n.
"Ready?" M/n asked.
"No-" The engine roared to life. And without a warning, they were off.
"OI- WATCH THE-!" M/n swerved. A pole missed them by inches. Rindou barked out a laugh, tightening his grip.
"Are you trying to kill us?!"
"I've got it!" M/n shouted back, grinning wildly.
"You do not have it!" Ran, surprisingly, started laughing. Actually laughing.
The wind rushed past them as M/n sped through the streets, reckless but controlled, somehow balancing right on the edge between chaos and precision.
They turned sharply,
"-WE'RE GONNA CRASH-!"
"We're not!" They didn't. M/n made sure of it. These were his sons, and he's pretty sure that his future self wouldn't forgive himself if he ever hurt them.
Instead, M/n corrected smoothly, the bike gliding forward like nothing happened. Rindou let out a breath, then started laughing too.
"...This is insane." M/n grinned.
"You're welcome!" Ran leaned slightly closer, voice lighter than usual.
"Hey, not bad. You're fun." M/n snorted.
"Obviously." Rindou shook his head, still laughing under his breath.
"...So this is what he was like." Ran hummed softly.
"...Yeah." For a moment, neither of them said anything. Just held on as the city blurred past them.
And happily ever after. Oh wait, we forgot about Shinichiro! anyway, let's see what happened on Shinichiro's side.
Shinichiro had been walking for what felt like hours At first, it was just concern. Then it turned into worry.
Now? it was full-blown panic.
"Excuse me!" he called out, slightly out of breath as he stopped a passerby.
"Have you seen a kid? Dark hair, about this tall-" he gestured quickly like he's revving a bike,
"-riding a motorcycle?" The man blinked, thinking for a second.
"Oh...Yeah," he said.
"Kid was driving like a maniac." Shinichiro froze.
"A maniac...?" "Yeah, swerving and everything. Thought he was gonna crash." Shinichiro's soul left his body.
"W-Which way did he go?" he asked quickly, voice tight. The man pointed toward the city.
"That way."
"Thank you!" Shinichiro didn't even wait, he took off running.
"Oh my god," he muttered under his breath, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"Oh my god, oh my god! why did I leave the keys in the bike-" His mind spiraled faster than his legs could carry him.
What if he crashed?
What if he got hurt?
What if he got arrested?
What if he ran into the wrong people-
"Calm down, calm down," Shinichiro breathed, dragging a hand down his face as he slowed near an intersection.
"He's fine. He's... probably fine."
Probably.
That word did not help.
He searched everywhere. Every street, every corner, every place he could think of.
"Have you seen a kid?"
"Dark hair, on a bike?"
"About this tall?"
Some people shook their heads. Some didn't even bother answering. Others just gave him weird looks.
"...I definitely saw someone like that earlier," one woman said. "But that was a while ago."
"...Which direction?" Shinichiro asked, hope sparking again.
She pointed vaguely.
"Around here somewhere." That was not helpful. Still, he kept going. Turning into alleyways. Checking dim corners.
Calling out;
"M/n! Oi-where are you?!" No answer. he stepped into one alley and immediately froze.
"...Oh." There were bodies sprawled everywhere. Groaning, scattered, bruised. Some barely conscious. Shinichiro blinked once.
"...Nope."
He turned around immediately and walked right back out.
"I didn't see anything," he muttered quickly.
"I saw nothing. That's not my problem. Absolutely not-" But his brain still connected the dots.
That definitely looked like M/n's work.
"...He's fine," Shinichiro whispered to himself. "He's more than fine. Everyone else should be worried." that didn't stop the anxiety twisting in his chest.
Next stop a convenience store. The bell above the door chimed as Shinichiro stepped inside, slightly hunched over from exhaustion.
"Sorry-" he said quickly to the clerk.
"Have you seen a kid? Dark hair, around thirteen?" The clerk blinked, then nodded slowly.
"...Yeah," he said. "Came in earlier." Shinichiro perked up instantly.
"Really?!"
"He was arguing with another kid over doriyaki."
"...He what."
"They played rock-paper-scissors for it."
Shinichiro stared. The clerk shrugged.
"They left after that. Didn't really pay attention after."
"Do you know where they went?"
"No idea."
"Right... Of course." Shinichiro sighed, rubbing his face.
"Thank you!"
More searching, more walking, more asking.
Nothing! Absolutely nothing! The sky slowly darkened, the warmth of the day fading into the cool of evening.
Shinichiro's steps grew heavier. His stomach growled loudly.
"...I didn't even eat," he muttered weakly, remembering the abandoned grilled cheese sitting back at the house.
His shoulders slumped.
"This is bad." He looked around one last time. No sign of M/n. Shinichiro exhaled slowly.
"He's tough..." he told himself.
"He can handle himself. He's... probably already back."
Probably.
"Please be back." he added under his breath. With that, he finally turned around, and started the long walk home. Without his bike.
By the time he reached M/n's house, he was so done. Tired, hungry, mentally drained.
He reached for the door, then paused.
"...Huh?" he heard voices? He pushed the door open and froze. Ran and Rindou were sitting at the table.
Like nothing happened. And in the kitchen, M/n stood by the stove, stirring something like he hadn't just caused Shinichiro emotional damage for the past few hours.
"You..." Shinichiro's voice came out flat. M/n turned, blinking.
"Oh," he said casually. "You're back."
"'I'm back'?!" Shinichiro snapped, stepping inside.
"I'm back?! I've been looking for you everywhere!" M/n scratched his cheek, a little sheepish.
"...Yeah. Sorry about that."
"Sorry about that?!" Shinichiro repeated, voice rising. "Do you have any idea-"
"The bike's fine," M/n cut in quickly.
"I didn't crash it."
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT-"
"He almost drove into a pole." Shinichiro froze. Slowly turned his head. Ran sat there, completely unbothered.
"...What?" Rindou nodded.
"Multiple times."
Shinichiro's soul left his body again.
"M/n," he said slowly, dangerously calm,
"what do they mean by-"
"I didn't crash," M/n said quickly, raising his hands. "See? Bike's still alive."
"That's not-!" M/n looked at him. With big eyes, slight pout, head tilted just a little.
"You're mad, Shin...?" Shinichiro stopped. Completely. His brain short-circuited. Because for a split second, that expression, that exact look.
"...Ah." that hit something dangerous.
"N-no..." Shinichiro said weakly, looking away, ears turning red.
"I-I'm not m-mad..." Ran blinked. Rindou blinked.
"That's...all it took?" Rindou whispered. Ran smirked. "You folded just like that?" Shinichiro coughed, sitting down quickly.
"I-I was just worried, that's all."
M/n smiled, satisfied. "See? No problem."
"...There is a problem," Shinichiro muttered, but much quieter now. Soon, the food was served.
A simple stew, not perfect, but good enough.
Shinichiro didn't even wait, he grabbed his spoon immediately.
"I'm famished..." he groaned. Ran and Rindou exchanged a glance.
Something... unfamiliar lingered in the air.
M/n sat down across from them, completely unaware.
"Eat before it gets cold." he said casually. They hesitated. Because this wasn't normal.
Not for them, at least.
This was their first time eating with him...
Ran glanced at Rindou. Rindou looked back. Before they picked up their spoons.
"It's not bad," Rindou muttered after a bite. M/n smirked slightly.
"Really? The vegetables doesn't taste burnt?" Ran nodded faintly.
"It's decent."
"That's great! I'm learning on how to cook so I could help mom out." M/n chuckled. Shinichiro laughed weakly, just happy to be eating.
"This is nice," he mumbled. No one responded, though no one disagreed either.
After dinner, the house grew quiet again. Shinichiro stood up, stretching slightly.
"I should head home," he said.
"My siblings are probably wondering where I went." M/n nodded.
"Yeah. Go before they think you got kidnapped."
"...Thanks." Shinichiro paused by the door, glancing back.
"...I'll come back tomorrow," he added.
"Just in case you're still... like this." M/n shrugged.
"Yeah. Do that." A small smile tugged at Shinichiro's lips.
"Don't steal my bike again."
"No promises."
"...M/n."
"Kidding. Maybe."
"...M/n."
"Okay, okay!" Shinichiro sighed, but he was smiling.
"...See you tomorrow." "Yeah," M/n replied.
Shinichiro got on his bike and waved off riding through the city lights. Shinichiro whispered under his breath.
"The things I do for you, really..."
MORNING started... wrong. For M/n, at least.
M/n sat at the dining table, one elbow resting against the surface as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. In front of him.
a stack of receipts. Long ones. (Oh. 😳)
"...What," M/n muttered slowly, "is this...?"
Ran sat on the couch, flipping through a magazine like he had no idea what was going on.
Rindou leaned against the wall, arms crossed, very interested in literally anything but the table. M/n picked up one receipt. His eye twitched.
"Designer clothes... salon... accessories..." he read under his breath, then grabbed another. "Mont blanc... alcohol... electronics-" He froze.
"...DJ controller? Who the hell bought a DJ controller?" M/n asked, voice dangerously calm. Rindou looked away.
"No idea." M/n slowly turned his head toward them.
"Don't lie to me." Before either of them could answer, his phone rang. M/n stared at it and picked it up.
"Hello?" A pause.
"Yes." Another pause. His expression slowly flattened.
"...I see." Ran and Rindou exchanged a glance.
M/n turned slightly away, voice now clipped.
"No, I don't recall making those purchases...Yes, it's my account...No, I didn't authorize-" He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes flicked toward the two teens. Then back to the receipts.
"Actually..." he muttered, "give me a moment."
He lowered the phone slightly, staring at Ran and Rindou.
"...Do you two know something I don't?" Ran raised a brow.
"Like what?"
"Like why my bank thinks I went on a shopping spree yesterday?" Rindou shrugged.
"Maybe you did."
"I didn't."
"Maybe you forgot..."
"I don't forget spending this much money." M/n held up a receipt.
"This alone could feed us for a month." Ran hummed.
"Inflation." M/n's eye twitched again.
"...How did you even get access to my money?" he asked slowly. "Did you take my card?"
"No."
"My wallet?"
"No."
"...My PIN?"
"Don't know it."
"Then how..."
Ran sighed.
"...We should probably tell him." Rindou clicked his tongue.
"He's not gonna believe it."
"Try me." M/n said flatly. Ran leaned back slightly, meeting his gaze.
"Your past self came here yesterday." M/n stared at him.
"Excuse me...?"
"Your past self," Rindou repeated. "Thirteen-year-old you, time-leaped, caused chaos, spent your money." M/n blinked.
"Out of all the excuses you could've come up with..." he said slowly, "that's what you chose?"
"It's the truth!" Ran said simply.
"Right," M/n nodded, completely unconvinced. "And I suppose he also forced you to go shopping?"
"He lost a bet," Rindou said.
"A bet...?"
"Yeah."
"And what was placed in the bet?"
"Anything we want." M/n let out a breathless laugh. Ran glanced at M/n, he reached for his phone.
"Here." M/n frowned. "What-"
"Just look." He took the phone. And saw a picture. Three figures were on the frame. There was Ran, there was Rindou and... Him?
There he was, but younger. It was the sputting image of him when he was an early teen. Grinning like an idiot in the middle of them. M/n went still.
"...What." Rindou leaned in slightly. "Told you."
M/n stared at the photo longer.
"That's... me. That's actually me."
"Yeah."
"Shinichiro saw him too," Rindou added.
"You can ask him." M/n slowly lowered the phone.
"I will." There was a pause, M/n talked to Shinichiro on the phone. And after that, he sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
"Unbelievable..." His gaze dropped back to the receipts.
"So..." he muttered, "my younger self lost a bet..."
"And we won," Rindou said.
"And spent my money. My adult money."
"Correct." M/n closed his eyes. For a moment, Ran and Rindou braced themselves.
Waiting for;
"Return it." "Refund it." "Put everything back."
Instead, M/n exhaled.
"Eh." He waved a hand dismissively.
"You guys can keep it." They blinked.
"...What?" Rindou asked.
"If I was dumb enough to lose a bet like that," M/n muttered,
"then I deserve it." Ran raised a brow.
"You're not mad?"
"I am," M/n said flatly. "Just... selectively." He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms.
"...Besides," he added, quieter this time,
"it's not like I would've known what to get you anyway." That made them pause. M/n shrugged.
"I don't know your preferences," he said.
"What you like, what you don't. Buying things for you would've just been a guess." His gaze flicked toward the bags.
"...At least this way, you got what you wanted." Rindou looked at the floor. Ran's fingers stilled slightly. M/n clicked his tongue.
"If it makes you happy, then I'm happy. So...I'm not taking it back."
Ran glanced at him and looked away.
"T-Thanks," he said, quieter than usual. M/n didn't make a big deal out of it. Just waved it off.
"Don't mention it." A pause settled between them. Then M/n spoke again.
"...You two going out today?" Ran nodded. "Yeah."
"Same as usual?" M/n asked. Rindou shrugged.
"Probably." M/n hummed, already knowing what that meant.
That They'll come home late and won't be joining him for dinner. Like they ever sat with him. He nodded anyway.
"Don't get yourselves killed. This time." Ran smirked.
"We won't." M/n turned slightly, heading toward the kitchen.
"Dinner's at seven." Neither of them responded immediately. Because they both knew, they never made it. Not once, M/n knew it too.
Still, he said it anyway.
"Don't be late, okay?" Ran hesitated. Just for a second. Then blurted out what M/n didn't expect Ran to say.
"Wait for us."
M/n paused. Slowly turned around.
"What...?" Rindou looked away, scratching the back of his neck.
"We'll be back..." he muttered. "On time." M/n blinked.
"You...will?" Ran nodded. "...Yeah." Another pause.
"...So wait," Ran added. "At the table." M/n stared at them. Like he wasn't sure if they were joking.
"You're serious?"
"Yeah." Something softened in his expression. Just a little.
"Alright," he said quietly. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Then I'll make something good." Rindou hesitated, then muttered.
He turned back toward the kitchen, voice lighter now.
"I'll make tonight's meal special then." Ran watched him for a moment. Then glanced at Rindou. Rindou didn't say anything.
But, for the first time since M/n adopted them,
going home early didn't sound like a bad idea.
Y'ALL SORRY FOR THE DELAY. ALSO I WAS PLANNING TO MAKE THIS SHORTER, THEN I KEPT ON MAKING SCENARIOS IN MY HEAD THAT PUSHED THE PUBLISHING DAY.
Also, also, 11453 words in one chapter?! Holy hell!
Anyways, I made sketches (◕ᴗ◕✿)
ALSO, FOLLOW MY SOCIALS.
(I have two acc on Twitter. One is my main and the other one is uh... NSFW acc. So you'll see unholy shits there)
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