[Your Turn to Die] Sara x Ranmaru (Mafia Au)

1: Regretting Regrets

“Shoulda Minded My Own Business.”

        There weren't many regrets in Ranmaru's life. The ones that he did have were just small little things, like the time he failed his math class his first year of highschool, dooming him to have to play catch up even till this day, or that time he was babysitting Hinako and he let her pressure him into holding her pet tarantula, only for him to drop it on the floor and watch its limbs fly off in all directions. Ok so maybe the tarantula thing still haunts his nightmares from time to time, but compared to his current predicament, that was nothing.  

“Ranmaru! Hang on just a bit longer ok!” Sara shouted at him as if running away from a group of armed men was a motivational morning jog. She yanked him by his collar around a corner, slamming her shoulder into a stack of crates, making them all crash in front of the incredibly shady men.

He stood in shock for a second, marveling at her strength before being snapped back to his senses. Right, scary shady men still try to kill them. Don't focus on superman Sara, don't focus on her hand right above his chest… 

Too much was happening at once, his heart hammering in his chest as the guys behind them grunted and yelled for them to stop. Ranmaru knows he isn't the most athletic guy but they had to have been running for nearly an hour all around the city! Adrenaline could only take him so far, and yet Sara didn't falter one bit. 

As if sensing his uselessness as a man, she cast him a reassuring smile, and pulled him to a sudden stop in some dark alleyway. He stepped into a puddle of mystery liquid, his labored breaths forcing him to gulp in the stench in the air. 

Maybe, he could keep running for a bit longer… 

He tried hard to steady his breathing, finding his fish out of water gasps to be oh so embarrassing. Seriously, how was Sara not on the verge of death! “Haaa, haa. Did, did we lose them?” Come on, get it together she's watching…  

The moment's breath didn't last long, Sara hastily moving in front of him like some sort of human shield. In any other situation, Ranmaru would have got his act together and shield her instead. He in fact, was about to swallow the curse words at the tip of his tongue and do just that, until she sternly warned him.

“Brace yourself Ranmaru.”

Mere Hours Before Ranmaru Wishes He Didn't Wear His Favorite Shirt Today

Life has always treated him decently enough. There wasn't much to complain about, Ranmaru had decent enough friends, decent enough parents. School was a bit shaky, but he always managed. The little pink haired demon spawn he babysat occasionally was problematic, but other than that, there really isn't anything worth complaining about. 

He had always kept to himself, played things safe and went through the motions of life without any high expectations or goals, and in return, the universe kindly forgot about him. He lived his days in routine, the occasional hyperfixation on a hobby here and there keeping him from boredom and having any sort of existential crises like his peers. Maybe that's how it started, he had just given up trying to become a self taught artist and was left with nothing to distract him from actually learning in class. Lost in his own little puddle of self pity, he half watched the students pile in and take their seats. 

Once the bell rang signaling the start of class, one last student rushed in, standing by the teacher's desk. Sara Chidouin, a face he'd seen many times before on the school newspaper and website, a name he'd heard over the morning announcements practically every other day. 

Sara and Ranmaru were from completely different worlds. She was popular, pretty, and incredibly talented. She had a bright future and everyone stepped aside to admire her as she carved her own path, taking what she wanted. Ranmaru didn't see anything wrong with people like her, those were the people who created the future.