𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩┃alltake。

EPISODE 1

EPISODE 01 [⎷]
p a g e o n e : U N D E R T H E T R E E

"i sometimes find him annoying."

mikey kicks the rock that's been sitting before his shoes after staring at it for a few moments. "especially when he cries over the smallest things."

baji couldn't agree more, grinning sharply from ear to ear with a flash of annoyance in his golden eyes. "damn right. i hate it whenever he would hide behind our backs when studs twice our size would come up to us for a fight. like come on dude, be a man!" he said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

being the last of the trio, draken hummed, agreeing. "he's all over us too. he likes all of us and he's not even hiding it. i'm not against homosexuals but a discreet way of saying 'i like you' could've been nicer." he snaps a twig with one hand, throwing it somewhere to his right before shoving his big hands in the pockets of his jacket that has weird patterns.

it was just the three of them at the shrine where gang meetings are held. they, by accident, ran into each other somewhere in the city as they were on their way to hang out by themselves. but now that the three of them have nothing special to do other than stroll around, they decided to hang out together. talking about stuffs that involves the gang, school.

until their conversation went around a certain topic — takemichi.

"me too but i'm straight. like, i got one that i've been crushing on since freshmen year. now she thinks me and takemichi are dating from seeing us always together." mikey grumbled, clicking his tongue harshly afterwards. "i even sometimes consider kicking him out the gang."

"do it." baji grin became more sharper and wilder, looking at the shorter boy in pure excitement. "i wanna see what reaction he's gonna make as soon as you tell him to leave."

"not like the gang's gonna fall apart or something. plus, he's fucking spineless. he can't even throw a punch right." draken barks out along with a breathy, shoulder-shaking laugh. "why did you take him in anyway?"

"i actually thought he'd be of good use. like, errand boy or lackey."

"ooh forgot about that one. yeah yeah let's keep him around for now."

they don't even know at what point did they start talking shit about the boy with the ugly yellow hair and annoying blue eyes but they were perhaps too busy thinking of the wrong things the boy had done during important gang affairs.

but it's not like everything they said is wrong. the boy do suck at throwing a punch and would end up punching the air and fall on his ass with a bruised cheek.

perhaps the determination somehow managed to get on their nerves. because it didn't result to anything and stayed like that.

he was lanky. scrawny.

weak and purposeless.

not smart and alert enough to be in a gang and yet he's in one. but the one he's in is rethinking their life decisions and is planning to make him resign soon.

"mas mabuti pa si kisaki. kahit medjo panget, marunong makipag-away."

"gago." the trio laughed at that. now their attention went to kisaki.

now that the topic's not him anymore, he should quit hiding and leave now, right?

he didn't know this is what it feels like when someone's talking behind your back. it feels heavy, like their words went through his chest and straight to his heart and you can't help but overthink. how long have they been doing this?

it's only coincidence that he walked all the way to the musashi shrine for a small stroll, going into the crowd of trees behind it and just as he was about to leave due to boredom, he found the three sitting on the stairs.

though...

he didn't know today's plan was to backstab him.

"on second thought, nah, let's for real kick him out. nakakabawas ng angas pag may iyakin tayong kasama." (we look dumb as fuck having a crybaby around.) baji grumbled.

"hindi lang nagsasalita si mitsuya pero sinabi niya sakin na masmabuti pa daw na alisin si takemichi." (mitsuya's just keeping himself quiet but he told me before that it'll be best to remove takemichi.) draken told lowly.

"pansin ko nga si chifuyu naiinis na rin sa kaniya."

takemichi took in a deep breath, trying to hold himself together from falling apart. even the two of them? i thought they enjoyed my company. he could feel tears welling him, his vision blurring in result of it. his nails scratched the rough outer skin of the tree trunk behind him.

why do people keep on leaving me? his friends from middle school did. his parents did. now this. it'll be all over if his own grandmother leave him on the streets.

i thought i was a huge help. turns out i was just a burden.

from there, no matter how hard it will be ... he'll try to keep himself from trusting again.

S O Y A
ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᶜᵒⁿᵗⁱⁿᵘᵉᵈ

this story was once called MANOR but i lost motivation in continuing the idea for it and
did this instead :) hope you enjoy!