I'll Save You (Mikey x Reader)

Episode 28: Family Bonds

2005:

Following the conclusion of our meeting, Katsumi, Chifuyu, and Takemichi decided to tag along with Mitsuya and Hakkai, as they went to talk to Taiju.

I wanted to go, but I thought that it wouldn't be smart to show up when I had nothing to do with the First or Second Division.

Once their encounter had concluded, I met up with the three at a nearby park, swinging on the swing while I waited. They had explained to me how Mitsuya struck a truce with Taiju, offering to return Hakkai in exchange for Yuzuha's freedom.

Although the mission failed, we did learn one thing.

Hakkai's motivation for killing Taiju is to protect his sister.

"I think I'm going to go back to the future," Takemichi announced.

"What for?" Chifuyu questioned. "You didn't prevent Hakkai from joining Black Dragon, so you didn't accomplish anything."

"In the timeline I saw, Hakkai killed Taiju in order to protect Yuzuha," the First Division captain explained. "But now that Mitsuya got her set free, Hakkai has no reason to kill his brother anymore. So, the future has probably changed."

"I supposed you might have a point," Katsumi pondered.

"I wouldn't risk it," I thought out loud. "If you think about it, Mitsuya might've done this in your timeline. All you guys did was follow him to listen in on the meeting."

"She has a point," the black-haired girl nodded. "But, is there any harm in checking?"

"But what if you're wrong and nothing's changed at all?" Chifuyu countered. "Aren't you just assuming that Hakkai killed Taiju to protect Yuzuha?"

"But what other reason could he have?"

"None of us know the Shiba family too well," I pointed out. "And besides, aren't you in jail in the future? You won't be able to shake hands with Naoto to get back."

Takemichi's eyes widened, as he remembered the state he just came from.

How could he forget something like that?

"You're right! If I leave now, I may not be able to get back here!"

"Too risky," Katsumi shook her head. "Besides, you had nothing to do with Mitsuya's proposal."

"So?"

The black-haired girl narrowed her eyes. "How's the future supposed to change if you don't do anything. Chances are, this is how everything was supposed to play out."

"Now that I think about it, you guys are right! You guys are pretty smart!"

"No, I just think you're dumber than us," Katsumi snickered.

"Are you sure you're twenty-six years old?" I mocked.

Takemichi frowned, as he scratched the back of his head. "Fair question."

All of a sudden, a certain blue-haired boy came running at us. "Takemitchy!"

"What? What's the matter, Hakkai?!"

The boy took a seat on the bench, while the First Division captain sat on the stairs behind him. Katsumi, Chifuyu, and I placed ourselves on the playground fixture, across from the two.

Hakkai stared at the concrete, as he spoke. "I want you to thank Taka for me, cause I'm not gonna see him much anymore."

"Sure, that's cool," Takemichi obliged.

"The thing is, my family's all messed up. We didn't have a mom, and from the time I was little, dad was never home. Since Taiju's the oldest, it was always him who ran the family. He's been a boss since he was a kid. It didn't hurt that he was bigger than everyone else and stronger too, but even more than that, he was an expert at getting people to like him. All his buddies really admired him and looked up to him; he was like a king. He learned how to use violence to get results. He didn't give half-assed beatings to his followers; he beat the crap out of 'em, and he treated me and my sister the same way. I always thought that love was supposed to be painful, because that was the way it always was for me, because that's how I was raised. But Taka... he turned my world upside down. At that age, he should've been out playing, but there he was looking out for those two kids. It seemed like he had a tough home life, and yet, somehow he was always smiling."