╭┈─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐
╰┈➤ [Chapter 26]
╰┈➤ [Third POV]

Y/n and Baji sat in the booth with silence heavily weighing in the air. They were both currently in a cafe as they sat across from each other. A few weeks back, they had both agreed to go to the cafe together. However, with everything that had been happening, it was awkward and tense now that the day has actually came. They both didn't want the reservation to go to waste, so they both sucked it up and went to the cafe together anyways.

Y/n looked down at the drink he had in hand with a distant look on his face. He didn't even bother to put on a smile as he knew that Baji could see that it was fake. In fact, Y/n didn't even look at Baji at all during the time together. Baji was playing with the straw from his drink as he would glance up at Y/n every once in a while. He wanted to explain to Y/n about what was happening, he really did, but he had to do this small mission himself. Baji opened his mouth, trying to talk, but Y/n beat him to it.

"Why?" Y/n asked, his voice small for once.

Baji's brows furrowed slightly as his eyes trailed up to Y/n, who still refused to look at him. "What...?" He questioned silently.

Y/n's eyes narrowed as he glanced up at Baji from his drink. "Why did you leave, Keisuke?"

Baji, although shocked that Y/n used his first name, didn't say anything.

Y/n furrowed his brows. "Why... Why did you leave?

"Why can't you talk about it?

"What is happening?

"Why can't you answer my questions?" Y/n questioned, over and over, each time he gripped his cup tighter, desperately wanting an answer to at least one question. "Why did you do it, Keisuke?"

Never had Baji heard Y/n beg or plead before in his life. Y/n was a proud person, Baji knew that. So, hearing him sound to... desperate and lost hurt him. However, he kept his mouth shut, letting the (e/c) eyes bore into him like a bull. Baji had to steady his breathing for a moment as he waited for Y/n's questions to be over. Once they were, a thick silence filled the air. However, it was cut when Baji finally spoke up.

"Y/n, do you remember the letters we would mail each other when kids?" Baji asked, suddenly.

Y/n was surprised by the sudden change in subject. However, he could only sigh and look back down at his cup. "Yes." He answered. "I remember. In fact, I still keep the letters, even though I can't make out the writing of them anymore." He gave a bitter chuckle.

Baji's eyes lowered from the fond memories. "I miss those times... I miss being that childish, so free, and away from responsibility..."

Y/n glanced up at Baji from his cup. With the way he talked, Baji sounded like he had a lot of burden to carry on his shoulders. Like the titan that carries the sky for all of eternity, Baji was carrying a weight of a heavy burden on his shoulders. Now that he wasn't Baji's medic anymore, Y/n could see the signs of that. Heavy eye bags of tiredness, scars that weren't properly healed nor cleaned, and bandages spotted Baji's skin. Y/n kept silent, letting Baji say what he needed to say.

"I know what I'm going doesn't deserve a forgiveness, or whatever..." Baji looked up and noticed that Y/n was finally looking at him as he continued. "...but what I am doing is not only for Toman, but for your sake too. I promise everything will make sense at the end of this."

Y/n's eyes slightly widened in shock as his posture changed and his mouth slightly agapes. He kept silent.

Baji's hand turned into a fist. "Chifuyu and that Takemicchi kid already tried to talk me out of leaving Toman, but what's done is done. There is someone bigger than everyone out there, and they need to be taken care of. I will take care of it and if that means that I have to leave Toman, then so be it."

Y/n stared wide eyed at Baji for a moment. He tried to process what Baji had just said. He let Baji's words sink into his head as he tried to say the words that he wanted to say. He wanted to yell at Baji, scream and beat him up for leaving Toman and making him worried. He wanted to cry and hold Baji close to him, beg him not to go. But, of course, Y/n held himself back, he was no child anymore. Instead, he stood up from his seat. Baji's eyes followed him.

"If that's so, I'll be leaving then." Y/n said with an indifferent look on his face.

Baji's eyes slightly widened as he watched Y/n take out his wallet already. "Wh-What? Why?"

Before Baji could even stand up to follow Y/n, Y/n pushed him back down and handed him a folded piece of paper. "There is one letter that I will never forget you sent me." Y/n stated as Baji was forced to take the paper. "No matter how bad the handwriting was, I always knew what it said. I remember it."

Y/n grabbed his stuff and slightly glared down at Baji. "I hold that letter dear to me. I reread it every day to keep me going, to push me to do my best as medic. It was a reminder from you that you will never leave me, how you will always be by my side as a promise.

"However, it's clear that you broke your promise, so there's no point of keeping it." Y/n sighed as he placed down some money on the table and waved. "Goodbye, Baji. I best be leaving now. I don't know how Mikey would feel if I talked with an enemy gang."

With that, Y/n walked out of the cafe, leaving Baji to stare in wonder on what had happened. His eyes were wide but then they calmed into a solum glint to them. Baji let out a small sigh as he looked down at his drink. He frowned more as he put his head in his hands, not wanting to think about the sheer betray in Y/n's eyes when he looked at him. It hurt.

"I swear..." Baji whispered to himself. "I swear that I will make it up to you, Y/n..."

─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐

Y/n seemed to be in a bit of a daze as he texted on his phone. Mikey and Draken took notice of it immediately. Of course, they did, especially since it was right before a pre-battle meeting. Y/n was their medic, if something is wrong, they had to help. Besides, they, and all of Toman, hold Y/n dear to them, if something were to happen, they wouldn't know what to do.

"Butterfly..." Draken spoke up, making Y/n turn to him. "...are you okay?"

Y/n blinked for a second before giving his signature smile and snapping his phone closed. "Yes, I'm fine. Just getting everything ready for tomorrow." He claimed.

Draken furrowed his brows, noticing how Y/n's smile twitched when trying to stay up. "That's not it, is it?"

Y/n stared at Draken for a moment before sighing still keeping the strained smile. "I just met up with Baji and had a talk with him. However, I wouldn't say that it was pleasant. The opposite in fact!"

Mikey's and Draken's eyes widened for a moment. Their brows then furrowed as they glanced at each other. If Y/n had met up with Baji, then it's no wonder why Y/n had an indifferent look on his face. Y/n can be fragile, they knew it, especially when it came to the gang. When Kazutora left, it broke Y/n. It would be no surprise that Y/n is going through the same with Baji leaving now.

Y/n let out a small sigh. "I just can't catch a break from worrying, can I...?" He whispered to himself.

Suddenly, Y/n's hand was grabbed. Surprised by the sudden action, Y/n looked up from the ground with wide eyes as Mikey was the one who grabbed him. "Baji will be fine." Mikey said with confidence as he gave a smirk. "I promise."

Y/n stared at Mikey for a moment, but then he let out a chuckle. "Alright, Mikey. Come on, I want to get this meeting finished with, fight, then go home."

Draken smiled as he nodded, he then turned towards the rest of Toman as Y/n and Mikey walked into view. "The pre-battle meeting for our fight against Valhalla will now begin!!!" He shouted over the members of Toman.

Everyone stood at attention as Mikey had come to view. He stood at the very top of the stairs in order to look and see everyone. Y/n and Draken were on either side of him, standing behind him. They don't usually stand at attenuation, but since this was a pre-battle fight, they had to. It was a rare to see Y/n standing at attention to some people of Toman, but they didn't say anything about it.

"I'm glad to see you all here today!" Mikey greeted with a serious look on his face that made everyone sweat. "Tomorrow, we're going head-to-head with Valhalla. Also... Baji has sided with our enemy! We don't go easy on traitors!! That's Toman's policy!!" He then went silent for a moment. "Can I... just be a kid?"

Mikey sat down on the steps as his words shook everyone with shock. He had a distant look in his eyes as he could see his memories with Baji wash over him. Y/n and Draken glanced at each other with a slight worry for their leader. However, they had to brush it off and keep looking forwards.

"I don't wanna fight Baji..." Mikey stated with soft smile, which made most eyes widened.

Y/n's smile faltered for a moment as he looked at Mikey with a solum expression. There was a hint of sadness and longing in his eyes as he remembered what Baji had said to him in the care. Draken side glanced Y/n and taken notice of the look in his eyes. He furrowed his brows, not liking how that type of look fit on Y/n. He's seen it once before, and he still hates it until now.

Mikey suddenly stood up with a newfound determination as he shouted, "So, here's my solution!! Lend me your strength, everyone!! Tomorrow, we're gonna crush Valhalla and take Baji back!! That's how we... fight out battles!!"

A loud cheer erupted from Toman. Everyone shouted and punched their fists into the air as they cheered for their leader's speech. A sense of pride and fondness filled Y/n's chest as he smiled brightly down at the Toman he loves and protects. His smile was warm as he glanced at Draken and Mikey, who both were smiling with him.

"Sorry, you two..." Mikey couldn't help but say as his words were only head by his medic and vice. "Did I fail as a leader?"

"I think all this cheering answers that." Draken answered.

Y/n could only nod. Mikey and Draken turned as they walked away. Y/n lingered a bit longer before turning away as well. However, he caught someone's eyes first. His smile faltered for a moment as he nodded to the person before walking with Mikey and Draken. Takemichi, the one who caught Y/n's eyes, eyes widened when he saw the absolute trust that Y/n gave him in that smile. With that, Takemichi knew that Y/n will have his back and will definitely help get Baji back.

'Y/n...' Takemichi thought. 'Let's fight well!'

╭┈─────── ʚ✟⃛ɞ ྀ࿐
╰┈➤ [Chapter 26]
╰┈➤ [2031]