Simp for all the bad boys

𝑺𝒉𝒆/𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔

[swopy]

Daddy’s Home

Ran Haitani x Reader

Summary: When you become pregnant, Ran promises he'll be there, but Prison steals years from your family, but never the promise that one day he'd come home.

Warnings: None.

Here is my Masterlist!!

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The first time you met Ran Haitani, he looked like the kind of man mothers warned their daughters about.

Not because he was loud. Quite the opposite. He was sitting outside a small convenience store long after sunset, one leg stretched out, absentmindedly spinning a lighter between his fingers while his younger brother argued with someone across the street.

Ran didn't bother looking up. He simply sighed. "They're being dramatic again."

You hadn't meant to laugh. But you did. And his eyes flickered toward you. Then, for the first time that evening - He smiled.

-

He wasn't easy to know. Ran wasn't someone who filled silence. He preferred listening. Watching. And remembering most importantly.

You would tell him once that you hated overly sweet drinks, and three months later he'd hand you your favorite drink without asking.

You'd mention an author you liked in passing, and weeks later he'd quietly leave one of their books on your kitchen table. A gift of his.

He never announced the things he cared about. He simply remembered. Which somehow meant more. "You've been staring at me for five minutes."

"I have not."

"You blinked twice."

"You sound terrifying." You admitted. "I've been told."

"You like being mysterious."

"If you say so.” So when you found out you were pregnant, at 19 years old, you sat on the bathroom floor for nearly twenty minutes before calling him, scared of his reaction.

He arrived eleven minutes later. Out of breath. Hair messy. Still wearing the infamous Tenjiku uniform. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry."

"No." He knelt in front of you. "You don't need to apologize for calling me." Your hands trembled as you handed him the test.

He looked down. Once. Twice.

Then completely froze. "...What?"

Neither of you spoke. Ran wasn't smiling. He wasn't panicking either. He simply sat there, staring at the tiny plastic stick like his entire future had suddenly changed shape. Finally, he let out a slow breath. “I always thought..."

"What?"

"I thought I'd die before I ever had to think about stuff like this."

You laughed weakly, even though nothing was funny to you right now. "That's intense Ran."

"It wasn't supposed to be." He reached for your hand. Carefully. Like you might disappear. "I don't know anything about babies."

"I don't either."

"We'll figure it out then." There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in his voice. Not because he wasn't scared. Because leaving had never crossed his mind.

The apartment slowly changed. Tiny socks appeared in drawers. Parenting books stacked on your nightstand. A crib stood in the corner of your bedroom, half-built because Ran insisted he could do it himself before eventually admitting the instructions "made no sense."

"You've been trying for two hours."

"I’ll get there."

"Eventually."

"I will."

You walked over, wrapping your arms around him from behind. "I know." He rested his head lightly against yours. "...I'm trying."

"I know." That was all he needed to hear. But after those soft moments everything happened far too quickly.

Old enemies. Old loyalties. One terrible decision after another. By the time your son was born... Ran was already behind prison walls.

He wasn't there when labor started. He wasn't there to hold your hand. He wasn't there to hear the first cry. The nurse laid your son on your chest.

He had black hair.

Long but tiny fingers. And when he opened his eyes... You burst into tears, because they are just like his..

-

His father was the third to meet your son. First being you and second his uncle Rindou.

Ran meet him three weeks later. In a prison visitation room. He had imagined this moment hundreds of times. None of those versions prepared him for how impossibly small the baby looked.

"He's tiny." You smiled despite yourself. "Well... yes."

"I knew babies were small." He swallowed. "I didn't know they were this small." When you carefully placed the sleeping infant into his arms... Ran stopped breathing. You knew he was terrified. Scared that one wrong movement would break him.

"You've fought men twice your size."

"...Mm."

"But this scares you?"

His eyes never left the baby's face. "...Shut up." You laughed quietly. "I've never seen you nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"No?"

"No." The baby yawned. Ran visibly tensed. You bit your lip to hide another smile. "You're definitely nervous."

He stared for another long moment before whispering something so quietly you almost didn't hear it. "I'll do better."

-

Those visits became part of your life. Every second Saturday. The same early train. The same security procedures. The same waiting room with faded blue chairs. When your son was old enough to walk, he carried a tiny backpack almost as big as himself.

Inside were crayons. A picture book. And whatever drawing he'd made for his dad that week. He never forgot it. "Mom!"

"What is it?"

"I made Daddy a dinosaur!"

"You did."

"He likes dinosaurs." You smiled.

"He likes everything you draw." You assured him. "Really?" His small eyes lit up. A bittersweet scene. “Really." And you meant it. Because Ran kept every single drawing.

Every birthday card. Every handmade Father's Day gift. His cell slowly filled with folded paper. Tiny handprints. Crooked hearts. Stick figures labeled Daddy.

Other inmates joked that he had enough artwork to open a gallery. Ran didn't care.

One evening a new prisoner nodded toward the stack. "Your kid?" Ran looked over. A small smirk appeared. "Yeah."

"You miss him?" Every day. Every hour. Every minute. But Ran only answered: "More than he'll ever know."

By the time his son turned five, visiting prison wasn't frightening anymore. It was simply... Going to see Dad.

"Daddy!" Ran had barely sat down before a little body launched itself into his arms. "There he is."

"I lost another tooth!"

"I noticed."

"How?" Ran tapped the gap in his smile. "You always smile this big when you're excited." His son gasped. "You knew!"

"I pay attention." You watched them from across the table. Watching Ran become a father through stolen afternoons and visiting hours. It wasn't the life either of you had imagined.

But somehow... Love had found a way to survive concrete walls. And every time your son waved goodbye through the glass with a bright smile and shouted - "See you next time, Daddy!" Ran believed those words. Because one day... There wouldn't be another goodbye. One day-

He'd finally come home.

And He Did Come Home. The words had lived in your heart for years. One day. It was what you whispered to your son every time he cried after a prison visit.

One day, Daddy will come home. It was what Ran repeated to himself every night before falling asleep on a narrow prison bed.

One day. Years passed. Birthdays. First days of school. Lost teeth. Late-night fevers.

Father's Day cards that had to be handed over by a guard instead of tucked into a jacket pocket. Life refused to wait.

But somehow... One day finally arrived. The apartment was unusually quiet that morning. Not because anyone was asleep.

Because nobody could concentrate. Your son had been awake since six. He had changed his shirt three times. Asked what time it was at least seventeen. Checked the window every few minutes, convinced he would somehow see his father arriving from several streets away.

Ran came home carrying one worn duffel bag over his shoulder and looking slightly uncomfortable standing in the middle of the apartment entrance, like he wasn't entirely convinced he belonged there anymore.

For a moment, none of you said anything. Then your son grabbed his hand.

"Dad, come on." Ran looked down. "Hm?"

"I have to show you my room." A tiny smile appeared on his face. "...Already?"

"You've never seen it." That was true.

Every version of your son's bedroom had existed only in photographs and crayon drawings shown in visitation rooms. Ran followed him down the hallway without another word. You stayed behind for a second. Just watching. It was strange. For years, prison had become part of your routine. Packing little snacks for the train.

Making sure your son remembered the drawing he'd made. Checking visiting hours.

Now... Ran was simply walking down the hallway of your apartment. Like he'd always belonged there. Like he hadn't spent years behind concrete walls. "This is my bed." Ran nodded seriously. Because to him, it was a serious matter. "Nice."

"And these are my books." He crouched beside the bookshelf. There were dozens. Picture books. Adventure stories. Books about dinosaurs. Space. Animals. Ran pulled one out. "You've read all these?" His son nodded proudly. "Mom reads to me every night."

Ran glanced toward you. You smiled. "It's our bedtime routine." He ran a thumb over the worn corner of one of the books before putting it back exactly where he'd found it. "...Good." That single word somehow carried years of gratitude.

The next stop was the living room. Your son proudly opened a large wooden box. "I built this." Inside were wooden blocks, little animal figures, magnetic tiles, puzzles with missing corners from years of use.

"Pretty simple toys?" Ran asked. "I don't like the noisy ones." Your son answered before you could. "They are too loud." Ran looked between the two of you. "You taught him that?"

"I wanted him to make up stories instead of pressing buttons."

"Hm." He picked up a little wooden fox.

"So what does this one do?" Your son looked absolutely scandalized. "It doesn't do anything dad." Ran blinked. "..Okay."

"You have to imagine." For the first time all day... Ran laughed. A real one. "So that's how it works." His son nodded. "I'll teach you."

-

By evening, toys had somehow spread across the entire living room. The little wooden train track now circled the coffee table. Ran sat cross-legged on the rug, holding a tiny painted train with complete seriousness while your son explained the very complicated rules of the imaginary railway. "No, Dad."

"What?"

"You're going the wrong way."

"There are directions?"

"Obviously."

"...I missed the meeting where that was decided." You leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching them. You'd dreamed about this for years. Not the big reunion.

Not dramatic declarations. This. Ran sitting on the floor because his son wanted him there. Looking completely out of place... Yet somehow exactly where he belonged.

Later that night, after an extra bedtime story and three glasses of water because your son was too excited to sleep, the apartment finally became quiet. Ran gently closed the bedroom door. He stood there for a moment, listening to the soft breathing from inside.

"...He fell asleep holding my hand."

"He used to do that with me." Ran smiled to himself. "I noticed." You walked beside him.

For the first time that day... There was no little voice calling, "Dad, look!" No tiny feet running through the hallway. Just the two of you. Ran leaned against the kitchen counter and let out a slow breath. "...It's quiet."

"You forgot what quiet sounded like?"

"No." He looked around the apartment. "I forgot what home sounded like." You stepped closer until there was barely any space between you. "You don't have to leave tomorrow." He looked at you.

"...Or the day after." His shoulders relaxed.

"And no one's going to tell us visiting hours are over." For a long moment, he just looked at you. Then he reached up, brushing his knuckles gently against your cheek.

"I think..." His voice was quieter than usual.

"...I'm going to need some time to get used to that." You smiled. "We've got all the time in the world." He rested his forehead against yours and closed his eyes. For the first time in years... Tomorrow wasn't another day to survive. It was simply another morning at home.

-

The weeks that followed settled into a rhythm neither of you wanted to disturb. Ran woke up before everyone else. Not because he had to. Because years of prison routines had made sleeping in impossible.

Some mornings, you'd find him standing on the balcony with a cup of coffee, watching the city wake up. Other mornings, he'd already be in the kitchen, quietly attempting breakfast while your son narrated every step. "Dad."

"Hm?"

"I think you're burning it."

"I know."

"So... why aren't you stopping?" Ran glanced at the pan. "...I'm seeing if it gets better."

"It won't."

"...Yeah." It didn't. Your son laughed so hard he nearly fell off his chair.

Life became wonderfully ordinary. School drop-offs. Bedtime stories. Grocery shopping. Movie nights on the couch where your son always fell asleep halfway through and somehow ended up sprawled across both of you. Ran discovered he liked reading aloud, even if he pretended he didn't. He learned the names of every stuffed animal.

He learned which cereal your son insisted tasted better in the blue bowl instead of the green one. They were tiny things. Insignificant to anyone else. To Ran... They were the years he'd been dreaming about.

One rainy afternoon, there was a knock at the door. Ran opened it. "...Rindou." His younger brother stood there with his hands in his pockets. They embraced briefly, saying nothing more. They never needed many words.

That evening, after your son had gone to bed, exhausted from playing with his favorite and only uncle, the brothers sat on the balcony. The city lights stretched endlessly below them. Neither spoke for a long time. Finally, Rindou broke the silence.

"You've changed." Ran looked through the apartment window. Inside, you were folding tiny pajamas while humming softly to yourself. His son's favorite dinosaur book lay forgotten on the couch. "Yeah."

"You happy?" Ran answered without looking away. "...More than I thought I was allowed to be." Rindou nodded. "I figured." Another silence settled between them. Then Rindou's expression grew serious.

"...Mikey's building something." Ran didn't ask what. He already knew. "The old names are coming back."

"...I heard."

"They want us." Ran finally looked at his brother. "And you?" Rindou let out a slow breath. "I told them I'd think about it."

For days, Ran said nothing. He still walked his son to school. Still helped build blanket forts in the living room. Still listened patiently to long stories about dinosaurs and astronauts.

But you noticed. He was quieter. Sometimes he'd stop in the middle of washing dishes, lost in thought. Sometimes you'd wake during the night to find his side of the bed empty, the balcony door cracked open. One evening, you joined him. "You've already decided."

He didn't deny it. "They'll come whether I say yes or no." You stayed beside him.

"They know I'm out."

"They know where we live."

"They know who matters to me." His jaw tightened. "I spent years unable to protect you."

"You never stopped protecting us."

"I wasn't here."

"You were." He looked at you, confused.

"Our son never doubted that he had a father." His eyes softened. "You made sure of that."

"No." You took his hand.

"You did. Every letter. Every visit. Every promise you kept." Ran looked down at your intertwined fingers. "If I join them..."

"I know."

"It means stepping back into a life I wanted to leave."

"I know."

"I'm doing it because I'd rather be the man standing between danger and this family than the man hoping danger never finds us." You rested your head against his shoulder. "Then when you walk out that front door..." He squeezed your hand. "...I'll be whoever I have to be."

"And when you come home?" At that exact moment, tiny footsteps padded down the hallway. Your son appeared, rubbing one sleepy eye. "Dad..." Ran immediately crouched. "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream." Without hesitation, Ran lifted him into his arms. The little boy buried his face against his father's neck, already drifting back to sleep. You smiled.

"When you come home..." You brushed a hand over your son's hair. "...you're just his dad." Ran looked down at the child sleeping peacefully against his shoulder. The weight of the decision didn't disappear. But it became clear. Outside those walls, people would know his name for reasons they feared. Inside them, one little boy would simply know him as the man who tucked him into bed every night he could. And if Ran had to carry both lives... he would. Because this time, no matter what the world demanded of him... He knew exactly where home was.

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A/n: I don’t know if i like this as much as i spent time on this! I will post some fantasy fics now connected to the au from “At your command” - knight! Kakucho x Princess! Reader.

Thanks for reading!!

[mimidiann]

i missed them

[nevermeyers]

he's always mad he's so me stop

[kristennero-wallacewellsver]

Does anyone else have the headcanon that Sanzu is neurodivergent, or is it just me...?

[higudachi]

a study on the bellflower, rindō haitani

— another yap session (disguised as a character analysis) on the youngest haitani brother, featuring the eldest.

part i. the petals, who is rindou haitani?

at first glance, all rindou seems like is a bratty younger brother that barks and bites all it wants and thrives off it. a boy that bathes in the violence he causes, and that hates the people who act much like he does. i mean, his face says it all —serious, annoyed and irritated— even he can’t seem to stand his own brother sometimes. a boy that crosses the line between maturity and childishness whenever and however he wants.

we see nothing but an impulsive ignorance he lives by, wearing all shit-eating grins and frowns that he switches around on the spot. a boy that will always walk a step behind his brother, whose hand will reach out and touch his back without accomplishment. rindou, who has the chance to stand by his brother and willingly refuses it —at least in his mind.

but that’s just not rindou; merely the fighting fanatic that wants nothing but to be respected. and in his world, that is only through fear.

part ii. balance, what makes rindou, rindou?

at the end of the day, and much like it happens with his brother, rindou has a heart. and contrary to what one may think, it’s more out in the open in comparison to ran.

rindou loves, and he does it with respect and roughness all the same. that actually makes him so compelling, especially with the added info from izana’s thoughts. after all, he’s deemed a good boyfriend (in tenjiku’s standards, not many in there to raise the bar hehe) and he isn’t seen as someone vicious despite what we’ve seen from him (someone who acts more irrationally and wilder than ran, who is seen as vicious). this is because, rindou’s a little softie.

a softie who loves his little hobbies and indulges heavily in them, so much so they become his future. someone who enjoys spending time with his friends, who respects and listens to them attentively (as he’s done with shion) and follows their lead towards shenanigans he doesn’t want to get involved with, and does so anyway due to the care he treats his relationships with (as we have seen with kakucho). especially, someone who loves his brother no matter how scary he may get, to the point of following him into a life of violence and learning how to enjoy it, even though it arguably brings the worst out of him. rindou never was part of the gang ran was in, probably because ran himself never allowed it, and yet picked up fighting and helped his brother anyway (this last bit is just my interpretation).

this is what makes him, in my eyes, a good partner. someone who will tease but who will care just as much if not more. someone who will remain by your side, and stay there with you. although he has his flaws, and these all come to shine when his big brother joins the talk.

part iii. a shadow to himself, but a light for the one who casts it

one of tokyo revengers’ biggest themes is the bond between brothers. it is clear there are other characters more highlighted in this story, but the writing is still there for the haitani brothers. little and subtle.

rindou loves ran, and he completes the latter. they are half and half and each complete the puzzle to the other’s heart. however, ran is rindou’s biggest blessing and curse altogether. this all concludes in rindou’s major flaw, how he carries out the insecurity his brother unconsciously causes him. and this is a clash that we see in rindou’s two star moments: his fight with hakkai and his fight with angry(and hakkai).

let’s start with the first one (it is less crucial) rindou sees his brother day after day doing absolutely nothing but being lazy, yet his presence is still so imposing, his name alone scares people off. rindou’s shoved into the ‘haitani brothers’ as, not himself, but just the younger brother. (he was there, he beat a guy up, he can fight sure, but yeah ran’s just way scarier) this is bound to push the guy who learns about fighting for the love of the game to his very limit (mentally) and this probably got even worse when he had to fight hakkai by himself and lost almost immediately (to the kid he deems weak for depending on his older siblings). rindou doesn’t want people to believe he depends on ran, he wants to be seen as his own person.

his insecurity reaches its peak when he comes across angry though. the opposite of who rindou is, a crybaby who needs his brother with him and admits that very same thing to rindou’s face. no wonder it kind of irked him, it’s like seeing the version of himself other people think he is (at least to rindou). he says it himself, he is in his brother’s shadow, despite ran thinking the opposite. it is this way of thinking that sentences the fight for him to lose. he becomes impulsive, he refuses to acknowledge the strength in those that are weak of heart (he doesn’t want to admit that he is included in that group), and he becomes unaware of what goes on around him. angry’s punch must’ve felt #humble.

personal input, but this could also merge well with the fact that rindou never matches with his brother, and instead chooses the opposite of what the latter does. to stand out in his own way, to stand out from the guy always by his side so that his shadow doesn’t consume him.

i also believe this is something that ran is aware of, thus why he chooses to stand by rindous side to see his dreams come to fruition. giving him his very own spotlight.

in spite of all this, rindou stays with ran through all the good and the bad. remaining by his side even if it bruises his ego, yet he still loves his brother more. in a way, it motivates rindou to fight and find an out for the resentment his brother’s reputation causes.

i personally believe this could cause some issues in a possible romantic relationship with him, the insecurity of not being enough or being a nobody in comparison to the much better option that his brother appears to be. while ran’s love is more cozy, rindou’s is strong —the kind that he doesn’t want to let go of.

part iv. bratty, why is rindou so mischaracterized?

rindou gets the double combo in this department. first he’s got a resting bitch face, second thing is he’s in bonten. i do not like the concept of the bonten trio, but they truly are the trifecta of mischaracterization.

just like with ran, i’ve seen it all with rindou. and considering i’ve seen many interpretations of him being nothing but a mean brute, yeah it’s tough out there. he’s a manwhore, an abuser and a massive alcoholic (apparently).

i’ve said this before, but yes bonten is involved in shady stuff (fork found in kitchen, rest of cutlery found alongside it). this doesn’t mean that rindou’s the devil, especially considering mikey’s dark impulses were influencing them in a way. i think rindou got lucky, being able to not be truly alone in that timeline, to still have ran beside him. now they are both equals, and probably miserable too.

this is why i think rindou, out of pure devotion and stubbornness, will carry any relationship he formed before with him to bonten. it’ll be a test for him to show ran he can take care of his partner and has no fear of what might happen. knowing rindou’s impulsivity, unfortunately, this could end up backfiring massively.

people have received someone with a mean looking face, so that’s what the perception of him in bonten gets. someone rude and terrible to talk to, someone who only drinks and doesn’t have an ounce of heart. big shocker, rindou has a heart of his own and isn’t emotionless to the world around him. he does have emotions, that im sure of (gotta blame the lack of more content about him and his brother, the curse of not being the main character in this particular story).

part v. maturity, envy & impulsivity, afterthought

overall, and to finish this off reheating a bit of my own nachos (from my post on ran), i am in no way saying what is right or what is wrong about rindou. this is how i see his character, and how i think he can have a little more depth to him than what was shown to us in the original work.

i like how rindou is potrayed as being vastly different from ran, from personality to the way they dress. how his character is tied to his brothers physically (their tattoos) to something rooted more within his mind (his need to be seen as someone else other than ran’s little brother, perceived as less because of it).

and, no matter how we’ve seen him get pretty brutal and violent, even the characters around him think to themselves that he’s not all that he pretends. actually kinder, even if he’d probably reject that idea. don’t get me wrong tho, rindou is still very strong, and an scary foe to come across.

at the end of the day rindou is still the other half of the charismatic haitani brothers, he just shows that charisma in a different way than ran does, being more extroverted and in my opinion much more friendlier.

rindou’s biggest insecurity is being in his brother’s shadow, not even realizing that he stands beside ran and not behind him like he himself thinks.

and to end my brief thoughts of rindou as a lover, while i do not think he’s the greenest flag around, i also don’t see the reasoning behind some saying he’d just be terrible. he will struggle and battle his own thoughts a lot, but rindou’s love burns bright and strong —the type that never ends for him, having someone in his heart forever. plus he’d be so fun, i mean he makes music, and i genuinely do believe he’s the type to love videogames and manga and just going out a lot and having lots of fun. he’s so unintentionally funny too, i think his company as a whole would just feel so warm, he’d make a friend or a partner feel cherished.

i love him <3 goofy silly boy hah.

[monochromaticbeans]

We Were Fine: A Haitani Brothers Story (Completed!)

Chapter 3

Juvenile detention was loud in a way Roppongi was not.

Voices. Too many of them, overlapping, climbing over each other just to be heard. Arguments bloomed and died on the vine. Laughter spiked, then dissipated. Even the silences felt temporary, like no one trusted them to last.

Ran adjusted faster than Rindou expected. He always did. Within days, people knew his name. Within a week, they knew his temperament, or thought they did. Ran laughed easily, picked fights selectively, made it clear he wasn’t interested in dominance for dominance’s sake. It kept things manageable.

Rindou kept his head down. Not out of fear. Out of irritation.

Everyone here wanted something. Recognition. Control. A story they could tell themselves later. Rindou had never needed an audience, and juvie was nothing but one.

He watched instead. Who talked too much. Who moved when they shouldn’t. Who pretended not to notice him watching.

Madarame Shion. It was impossible not to notice him. He filled space like it was owed to him, his voice booming, his gestures wide, opinions delivered like absolutions. He called Ran by name without asking permission, laughed at his own jokes, and acted like the walls were listening.

Rindou ignored him. At least at first.

“Oi,” Shion said one evening, leaning too close, his breath soaked in contraband alcohol. “You really gonna sit here on your ass by yourself?”

Rindou looked at him flatly. “Well, not anymore, I guess."

Shion grinned, taking that as a win. “Damn right.”

The alcohol made the nights worse, and then, unexpectedly easier. Someone got their hands on more than usual. Cups were passed. Lines blurred. Voices rose, then fell. Posturing turned sloppy. Threats lost their edge.

Rindou drank a bit more than he probably should have. He watched Shion drink enough for three people, growing louder, clumsier, and somehow more sincere with every swallow.

At some point, Shion slumped down beside him, back against the wall, staring at the ceiling like it might answer him.

“You know,” Shion said, squinting, “people think I don’t notice shit.”

Rindou didn’t respond. The silence stretched, and it was surprisingly tolerable.

“You don’t like it here,” Shion continued, his tone loose but not entirely stupid. “Too many mouths. Not enough point to it all.”

Rindou glanced at him. Just once. Briefly.

Shion shot a triumphant grin. “Knew it.”

Ran’s laughter carried from across the room, bright and careless. He was in his element— social gravity bending toward him without much effort.

Rindou watched him, then looked back at Shion.

“You talk too much,” Rindou said.

Shion laughed, completely unoffended for once. “And you don’t talk enough. Guess that evens it out.”

Rindou considered that. He didn’t disagree.

Later, when the noise dulled and people started drifting off wherever they could, Shion clapped a heavy arm around Rindou’s shoulders with zero coordination.

“You’re alright,” Shion declared. “Weird. Quiet. Kind of scary. But alright.”

Rindou stiffened on instinct, then relaxed.

“Don’t get used to it,” he said.

Shion laughed again, already half-asleep. Rindou let him lean there anyway.

It wasn’t freedom. It wasn’t Roppongi. But for the first time since arriving, the noise felt manageable.

When Ran caught his eye from across the room, eyebrow raised in question, Rindou only shrugged.

Ran smiled like he understood exactly what that meant.

Shion snorted, shifting where he sat. “You know what’s funny?” he said, staring at nothing in particular. “Half the guys in here get out and go right back to begging somebody else to tell 'em what to do.”

Rindou didn’t look at him.

Shion rolled his head to the side, squinting at Rindou’s profile. “You won’t though.”

The certainty in his voice was sloppy and alcohol-slurred, but not wrong.

“You don’t look like somebody who waits,” Shion added.

The noise bled out around them. Voices. Laughter. Someone shouting in the distance. Rindou let it all slide past him. Because he’d already learned what waiting got you. Nothing.

No one was there when the gates opened. Not even late. Just… absent.

Ran didn’t comment on it. He stretched like this was any other morning, hands laced behind his head, blinking against the daylight.

Rindou stood beside him, hands in his pockets, watching other kids scan the street. Some looked angry. Some relieved. Some crushed by disappointment they’d pretended not to expect.

Their father’s car didn’t pull up. No girlfriend either. New or otherwise.

Ran exhaled slowly through his nose. “Guess we’re walking.”

“Mm.”

And so they walked. No destination agreed on. No discussion about next steps. Just movement— forward, together— like they always did.

The city hadn’t changed while they were gone. Neon still bled into the pavement. People still moved like they had somewhere important to be.

Tenjiku would form soon enough. Orders. Meetings. Hierarchies. None of that mattered yet. What mattered was that Rindou felt crowded inside his own head, like too many voices had taken up residence and refused to leave.

He stopped in front of a shop without realizing he was doing it.

Ran noticed anyway. He always did.

“This it?” Ran asked, peering through the window.

Inside, everything was quiet. Controlled. Clean lines of equipment behind glass. Knobs. Sliders. Interfaces that made sense.

“Yeah,” Rindou said.

The clerk inside looked up when they entered, gave them a once-over, then nodded like he’d already decided they weren’t going to waste his time.

Rindou didn’t browse aimlessly. He went straight to what he needed. Basic. Functional. Enough to start.

“You DJ?” the clerk asked.

“Learning,” Rindou replied.

Ran leaned on the counter, watching with interest. “He hates noise.”

Rindou shot him a pointed look.

Ran grinned. “Uncontrolled noise.”

The clerk smiled faintly, like that distinction mattered. “Fair enough.”

They didn’t talk much after that. Rindou listened. Asked specific questions. When he handed over the cash, it felt different than paying for anything else he ever had.

Not protection. Not silence. Not obligation.

This was his.

Outside, Ran helped him adjust the box under his arm. “You bored already?” he asked lightly.

Rindou shook his head. “I want something that listens.”

Ran laughed, delighted, and clapped him on the shoulder. “Figures.”

They started walking again, the city noise rising to meet them. But this time, Rindou felt like he’d found a way to cut through it.

Behind them, the shop lights flicked off one by one. Ahead of them, the night waited.

The club didn’t advertise its back entrance.

No sign. No light. Just a metal door tucked between dumpsters, scuffed with shoe marks and cigarette burns. The bass thumped through it with a muted pulse that felt more promising than the noise on the street.

Ran knocked twice. The door cracked open. A man Rindou didn’t recognize looked them over, lingered on Ran’s face, then to Rindou.

“You’re young,” the man said.

Ran smiled. “We’re quiet.”

The man considered that for a moment, then opened the door wider. “Don’t be stupid.”

Ran’s smile widened. “Never.”

They slipped inside before the door shut again. The back hallway smelled like cleaner and disinfectant, the floors sticking to Rindou’s shoes. Staff moved around them without comment, like the brothers were furniture that had always been there.

Rindou clocked it immediately. No questions. No IDs. No rules worth explaining. This wasn’t permission. It was recognition.

The booth was elevated just enough to feel separate. The DJ already there glanced at Rindou, skeptical, until Ran leaned in and said something too quiet to hear.

The skepticism vanished.

“Ten minutes,” the DJ said, already unplugging cables. “Don’t wreck my levels.”

Rindou slid into place without ceremony. Hands on equipment. Familiar resistance. Predictable response.

The noise shifted as he adjusted the first transition. Clean, controlled, and intentional. The crowd moved. Bodies adjusted instinctively, like they’d been waiting for the rhythm to make up its mind.

Behind him, Ran leaned against the booth railing, watching the room with open interest. People noticed him. They always did. A few glanced up at Rindou, curious, then looked away again, content to let the music speak for itself.

This was better. No arguments. No posturing. No hierarchy. No one talking over anyone else.

Rindou let the set build slowly, methodically, choosing transitions that closed doors instead of opening them. When someone tried to request a song, Ran waved them off with an easy grin.

“Trust him,” Ran said. “He knows where this is going.”

Rindou didn’t look up. But he adjusted the next track just slightly anyway.

Later, outside again, the bass fading behind them, Ran stretched his arms over his head, smiling like a satisfied cat.

“You like it,” Ran said.

“It listens,” Rindou replied.

Ran nodded. “But you’re never quitting gangs, are you?”

Rindou considered that. Tenjiku. S-62. Meetings that went in circles. Voices stacked on top of voices.

“No,” he said. “But I don’t have to give it everything.”

Ran nodded, like that answer made sense. Like it always had.

“That guy inside?” Ran added casually. “He asked if you were mine.”

Rindou paused. “What did you say?”

Ran smiled. “I said you don’t belong to anyone.”

They started walking again, side by side, in no hurry. Behind them, the club swallowed the night whole. Ahead of them, the city waited—impatient, noisy, and demanding.

They didn’t rush anywhere. They never did.

They were let out the same way they’d gone in.

Paperwork. A gate. A stretch of road that didn’t bother pretending to care where they went next.

Someone from Rokuhara was supposed to meet them. He was late. Ran didn’t seem bothered by it. He never was. He leaned against the fence, hands in his pockets, watching the sky lighten at the edges like it was just another night ending.

A staff member lingered nearby, shuffling forms into a folder. He glanced at them once, then twice.

“Your parents know you’re out?” he asked casually. Obligatory.

Ran answered immediately. “Yeah.”

It wasn’t a lie. Not exactly.

The man nodded, satisfied enough, and walked away.

Rindou watched him go. He thought about the living room couch. The board game left unfinished. The way the house had always gone quiet after midnight, like it was holding its breath for people who never came back.

He thought about Roppongi— neon and noise and no one telling them what to do. About the back doors that opened when Ran knocked. About the DJ booth, the way sound obeyed him when nothing else did.

He thought about all the times they’d waited. And all the times they’d stopped.

Ran pushed off the fence. “You hungry?”

“Yeah.”

They started walking. The city was waking up around them, loud and impatient and full of people who expected things.

No one called after them. No one asked them to wait.

Rindou adjusted his grip on the strap over his shoulder and kept moving. They hadn’t been picked up. They hadn’t been checked on. They hadn’t been missed.

And it was fine.

They were fine.

[kristennero-wallacewellsver]

Every time we talk about Bonten I can't help but imagine the aesthetic of Jared Leto's Joker in Suicide Squad, I don't know... it's the modernity and the sociopathic vibe maybe?"

[deathly-flowerss]

Ran Haitani x Stalker!Reader

“This isn’t how I was found. Sleep talkin’ and walkin’ around.”

"I didn't expect this one to win the poll, you guys are a bunch of FREAKS! I'm jokingg, I hope you guys enjoy this much as I enjoyed making it! Also, does this count as a slow burn? Cause reading it I think it's painfully slow."

Reader: Loser alert, haha oh wait thats us. Anyways reader is a loner creep that nobody likes. Which is completely justified! WARNING Reader is genuinely a little odd...

Reader is a loser creep. They come to school looking like the deepest pits of the deep dark ocean. When they're out in the sun, it's like they're absorbing all of it's light and transmitting it out like a plague of bad vibes. Ran Haitani, a boy who hadn't come to school at all the first half of the semester decided to come one day. For what reason? He was free and he knew the school provided free lunch. He wasn't bothered to even learn the faces of his classmates. But it's hard to ignore the black hole in the corner.

MORE WARNINGS: PUKE, STALKER BEHAVIOUR, BLOOD DESCRIBED IN DETAIL, Yandere behaviour? if there's anything else please tell me!!

[Through your eyes] 1/2 Parts

I'm a loser. A non-existent, never looked at loser. When did my life get sucked through a black whole and devoid of joy? Every-time I'm around, everyone thinks I'm lurking.

Like I even care about what they're doing!? I don't care where you're going after school, or how much money your parents gave you!

What do these people think quiet people do? Lurk and watch their every move? You're not that important!

I should protest for the discrimination and stereotypes that we face everyday. It irks me when I walk into a room and people stop talking. They just... stare at me and suddenly the atmosphere in the room changes. Please continue your conversation, don't let my (apparently) gloomy aura deter you from your oh so important conversation.

And it's been like that for me everyday.

I'd like to thank my classmates, my teachers for not helping me, and my school counsellor for telling me to do figure eight breathing to cope.

Nobody ever sat at the table next to me, it's always been empty. I wondered if anybody sat there, or the person's purposely missing class just to not sit next to me.

I sat at the back of the class, which was not surprising. I used to sit at the front but after getting paper thrown my way with various insults written on them. It was the obvious choice to move. Now I was really isolated. Away from the crowd and stuffed in the back like meat forgotten at the back of the freezer.

I scratched the back of my neck and scowled. Bothered by the breeze the open window blew at me. I reached over and closed it. There was too much oxygen filling up my nose. I rubbed my hand over my lip. I furrowed my eyebrows.

What the hell? My nose was bleeding.

"Check it out, their nose is bleeding. Probably thinking about something gross."

I slowly turned my head towards one of my male classmates. We made eye-contact and he shuddered. He nudged his friend with a disgusted look on his face and they sped walked away. I bit my bottom lip bitterly. When was the last time somebody looked my way without disdain?

I wiped my nose with my sleeve and scowled. Shit, it was getting everywhere. This is disgusting I need to leave the classroom.

I stood up. Holding my hand over my nose as the blood started to build up in my hand. I rushed towards the classroom door and pushed past some classmates that were coming in.

I turned the corner of the hallway, bumping into somebody. In felt some more blood gush out of my nose and I internally cried. I shoved them out of the way and continued my way towards the bathroom.

"Wow, that person looked like a mess."

"Rindou, it's too early to be too negative."

I let out a small sob, dropping the pool of blood into the sink. Why does this always happen to me? Am I fucking cursed?

I watched the crimson liquid flow down the drain. I turned the faucet to the coldest setting, splashing the water onto my face. I wish it was colder. So cold it'd freeze my face off so I can't look at it anymore.

Was I always... This ridiculously hollow?

I finished washing my face off as I stared at myself in the mirror, focusing on the remaining droplets that fell down my face. I want to disappear. Evaporate into the air like water vapour.

I left the bathroom. Feeling worse instead of fresh. I barely felt human, let alone a regular mammal. I should down a bottle of mints without chewing, maybe then all the thoughts in my mind will freeze.

I returned to my classroom. Opening the door and I stood there for a moment. All of my classmates heads were turned like a sea of owls focused on one thing.

I was no better. I took a step into my classroom, trying to squeeze my way to my desk. Everyone's eyes seemed to be on something, in a curious way. At least I could tell they didn't scribble all over my table again.

The teacher made me clean my own insults off my desk.

I caught sight of the object of attention in question. A boy with braids, his hair black with dyed yellow ends. He chewed gum. His feet resting against his desk as he leaned back in his chair. His attention seemed to be on his phone while everyone's was on him.

That empty seat next to mine... Was his?

I slowly slid into my desk, sinking my head into my shoulders to make myself smaller. Once my classmates noticed I was back, they all scattered like bitter flies. I let out an unwanted grumble and tucked myself against the wall, staring outside of the window to distract myself from thinking too much.

"Hey."

I didn't want to listen to my classmates talk to each-other speak. It just reminds me how nobody would be willing to talk to me like that.

"Yo."

Seriously... It's like my ears want to eavesdrop. I wished there was something interesting going on outside the window that I could focus on.

"Helloooooo?"

I lifted my head away from the window, turning to the desk beside me. I tilted my head, my eye twitched wondering who he was calling out to. But my whole body shuddered when his eyes met mine.

"Do you have a pencil I can borrow?" I blinked a few times. My voice caught in my throat like hands were trying to claw it back down. I only nodded in response, digging through my pencil case for a spare one.

I pulled out one of my pencils. Not caring which one it was. My hands started to shake and sweat as I held it out to him.

It's like my body didn't want to touch him, or be in the same proximity as him. I feel like, if I touch him, he'll get infected with some sort of disgusting virus. The origins located from my hands.

"Thanks~ you're a lifesaver!" He smiled, one too charming to be towards me. I nodded again, my legs shaking like a wet dog drenched from the rain.

That's the most words anyone has spoken to me this semester. It was pleasant, being talked to like a person. I stared at him a few seconds longer and turned away.

I'm so fucking gross. I'll probably think about this interaction for a few days.

I took another peak and quickly looked away again. He's so handsome... I bet he'll have a good first day...

"Nothing left, but a feeling, in there, somewhere."

I'm starving. Not being able to eat for three hours has to be some sort of torture. It reminded me of when teachers used to send us out for recess when it was below freezing.

I made my way to the cafeteria. Hoping they had at least something good today. The day they brought in mashed potatoes, it was like a war had broken out.

As I got closer, there were students huddled by the doorway. What the hell? WAS there mashed potatoes again?

I approached the small crowd of people and some sensed me. They all shot me a look of disgust, moving way from their spots and clearing a way. I shrunk into my shoulders a little, overwhelmed from their sneers and judgemental glares like I was a cockroach slithering on the ground.

The main attraction was leaning against the wall. The boy with braids sipped on a box of banana milk. He nodded along as one of the girls in my class talked his ear off. Around him were more of my classmates who seemed to hang onto every word he hasn't said yet.

He had this sort of charm to him. It made you want to hover and absorb it. I noticed it when he spoke to me. I wasn't immune to it, but I needed to control myself. Who was I to try and start a conversation with him?—

"Oh heyyy~ it's you!" He called out in my direction. I looked behind me, wondering who he'd possibly be calling over. But there was nobody behind me. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and turned back.

Turned back to the boy with braids now in-front of me. My eyes widened and I stared at him in a daze. Me...!? What could he want with me!?

"Your pencilll! Here it is, it looked too expensive to lose so here! I'm flattered you'd trust me with such a valuable stationary supply." He said, his hand outstretched with my pencil in his hand.

I quickly snatched it, holding it up to my face to inspect. Oh my god, was I stupid...!? I lended him my Kuru Toga pencil! My [Guardian figure] would have killed me!

I sunk my head into my shoulders even more. Tucking the pencil to my chest. I gave him a nod of gratitude and looked at the floor. His gaze was heavy for such a light smile.  I'm so glad he was a nice guy... I bet one of my classmates would lie and say they lost it if I lended it to them.

I tried to muster up a thank you. Yet nothing bubbled up in my throat. What came out was a gaspy sorta shriek. I turned a deep red and turned on my heel.

I didn't stay for a reply. Or the whispers and warnings they'd give him about me. I ducked underneath my hands. I didn't want to go back to the cafeteria, I'll just starve and eat at home...

"Nothing left, but a feeling in my, toes."

I curled my shoulders in. Watching as my classmates poured in for our last class of the day. Watching as they sat next to their friends, pulling out their supplies, asking, talking, speaking, surrounded by others like themselves.

I bit my thumb in envy. Glancing at the empty seat of the joint desk next to me, cold and empty. Always cold. Always empty.

I drapped my upper body over my desk. Burying my face in my hands. I'm exhausted.

I heard something heavy being placed down on the chair next to me. I slowly lifted my head, curious about what landed onto it.

My whole body shot up and I squeezed my body against the wall, startled.

The boy with braids gave me a look of confusion. He was in the middle of putting his bag down on the chair. He grinned with a raised eyebrow. "Woah, is this seat explosive or something? I mean, thanks for the warning but it'd been more effective if it'd been verbal." He asked. His humour dry but light hearted in a way.

I quickly adjusted myself to sit normally. I could feel my face burn up in embarrassment. I gestured that it was fine for him to sit down. The boy with braids chuckled, he took my offer and sat down. Next to me

Willingly.

"You're really odd." He said bluntly. My shoulders slumped and I tilted my head in defeat. It was about time he said that. "It's fine though, I don't mind."

I held my hands to my mouth, chewing on the ends of my fingertips. "You'll change your mind eventually..." I replied, with a small voice. Hoping it was loud enough for him to hear.

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so you can speak? I guess people lie."

I covered my eyes and focused my eyes on the ground. "People already talked to you about me...?"

He shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Oh yeah, immediately. They jumped at the first opportunity to talk to me."

I peaked from my hands. "So... You're aware that you're charismatic...?"

The boy chuckled again and narrowed his pale purple eyes at me. "Thanks. That's kind of you to say. But I wouldn't say that."

"I'm not that great of a guy." He admitted honestly, sorta like a warning. I widened my eyes, surprised he'd tell me something like that.

I straightened my back and faced him properly. He looked relaxed. Like he was talking to a regular person. Like I was a regular person. He was talking to me like I was a regular person.

"But yeahh, I guess I just have that air to me don't I?" He lightly said with a chuckle. A slight charming smile resting on his face.

"Yeah. But it's nice... I can see why people would want to flock around you..." I said bluntly, spitting whatever came to mind. He went quiet, sorta analyzing me and I sunk into my shoulders again.

"Huh. People really need to shut up about you." He murmured into his hand, turning to face the board. I flinched and my heart shot up into my throat at his words. I turned to face the board myself.

    "When I get home, I'm gonna love you so well."

I looked up at the ceiling, the bell rang and my classmates gathered their things in a hurry. I didn't have to think about time that much, my days were all the same.

I turned to look at the boy who sat next to me. He barely had anything with him. Just a school bag and nothing else. I don't even think he had anything in there but a phone and whatever else was rattling in there.

I wanted to ask him something, but I was starting to decide against it. Who even was I to ask something like that?

"Ran! Are you coming to school tomorrow!" One of our classmates asked. It was the girl from earlier that seemed to have alot to say to him.

He glanced at her with a hum of acknowledgment to her question. He thought about his answer for a moment. "Maybe. Nothing interesting happened today."

She let out a giggle and crossed her arms. "Come onn! One more day won't hurt!" He smiled at her and the girl seemed to freeze. She twirled her hair bashfully.

"I'll think about it." He answered and the girl nodded with satisfaction. She waved him goodbye and joined her group of friends that were waiting by the door for her.

He turned to me, locking our eyes together and I swallowed my nervous down into my stomach. "Are you...?" I asked curiously.

He went silent, "Yeah." He answered and picked up his hollow bag and left.

I sat in my chair for  a few more minutes. Watching the remaining students leave the classroom. I should have said see you tomorrow...

"Please get me out, out of the depths of hell."

I poked and prodded at my rubber plant. Then plucking the metal nail I stuck into it. I wiped it onto the rubber plants leaves. The latex started to leak out and I squeezed the leaf.

I should go do something. Study maybe? But I don't want to do that. I want to do something meaningful. Not a crime... Maybe something more tame.

I leaned back on my rolling chair, the chair-rest falling flat and I looked up at the ceiling. I'll take a walk. At least the night is nice to me.

I rolled myself towards my door, grabbing myself a dark [insert colour] oversized hoodie. I slide it over myself and grabbed my keys. Making my way to my front door.

The cold air hit my face nicely. I let out a relaxed sigh and began my walk. Should I get my headphones? It's already too late, I've already walked by a convenience store. Oh, a convenience store. I should go in there.

"Aniki, what did Izana want us to get again?"

"Probably some snacks."

"Thats what you want. I'm being serious."

I turned around, pulling the hood over my face more. I dipped into the convenience store, and skedaddled to the nearest Isle. I peaked from behind the shelves. Watching the two boys walk through the automatic doors.

I recognized Ran immediately. It was hard to forget those braids and face. Next to him was a short boy, blue highlights in his dyed blonde hair. They wore the same outfit. Writing on their sleeve that I couldn't read from where I was.

It was obviously some sort of uniform. Cult maybe? He said he wasn't a good guy earlier. Cult leader?

"Well, the gang would appreciate it." Ran answered. He plucked a bag of chips from one of the small shelves, his friend slapping it out of his hands.

Wait, but he called him Aniki right? So brother?

Ran sneered at his brother and put the chips back in the shelf. "God forbid a guy tries to have fun."

The other boy took his phone out, skimming over his screen and puts in back into his pocket. "Bandages, we need bandages."

"Rightt, cause Shion got his ass beat right?" Ran added with a sing song tone.

Wow, he sounded really different outside of school. He still had that confident stride to him, but he spoke differently.

I leaned too far and fumbled, knocking over a small box of medicine. I cursed sliently when their heads whipped towards me. I flung myself back in the isle, and scrambled back into my feet, fleeing into a futher part of the store.

I watched them from afar. Ran placed multiple boxes of bandages on the counter. The cashier, clearly too tired to care didn't question the absurd amount the two boys were going to buy.

I want to know where they're going. Especially so late, and dressed up in a uniform.

It's not creepy if I follow them right...?

I hastily dashed to the beverags. Grabbing myself an energy drink that'll definitely be detrimental to my heath in the future. I checked out, and rushed after the two.

Did I seriously have nothing to do with my time? It's also pretty late. Was he really going to go to school tomorrow? Some part of me sorta hoped. I mean, he was nice to me. But then again I've only known him for a day.

Which makes this evern more insane now that I think about it. Watching the back of their heads as I trailed behind them, sipping on a [insert flavour] energy drink.

I'm not even hiding, they seem to be lost in whatever conversation they're in. I'm following them and I don't even know their names. I only know Ran, not even his last name...

When they turned the corner, the boy with highlights hair in his hair locked eyes with me. He squinted his eyes in my direction and I ducked into an alley that he totally saw me dash into.

"Aniki, somebody's following us."

Ah shit. I have no idea what I was expecting.

I ducked behind the garbage. I opened the garbage lid to cover myself somewhat.

Their footsteps echoed through the empty street getting closer to my location. I scanned the area, searching for some kind of exit. But I wasn't lucky.

I'm never lucky.

Soon, I saw them at the end of ally. I stood there frozen like a wet cat, peaking behind the garbage. Ran stared into the darkness, trying to gauge if their stalker had run down this ally.

"Rindou, there's nobody there." He said and turned to his brother.

"But- I saw them go down here." He replied and pointed into my direction.

"Rindou, it's late you're probably just seeing things." Ran excused.

Rindou let out a salty gruff and crossed his arms. "I'm seeing things? You can't even SEE anything, you're blind."

Ran rolled his eyes, "We don't have time for this." He grabbed his brother by the shoulders and ushered him away from the ally.

Ran looked towards me and I shuddered in worry. He turned away without much of a reaction.

Did they... not see me? At all?

I looked around, realizing that it was indeed pitch black where I stood. Like a void with a solid ground. I stepped out from behind the garbage, embracing the darkness that enveloped the end of this allyway.

It was comforting in a way. Not being seen while I can see others. I wish it was like this in school.

I crouched down, pulling my sleeves over my hands, tugging my hood further over my head. I rested my cheek on my knee, slowly closing my eyes.

I think I'll stay here for longer.

    "When I get home, I'm gonna sell you my soul."

He was the first thing I notice when I walked through the door. A small feeling of giddiness bubbled up and I sunk my head into my shoulder like usual. Hovering my hand over my forehead to hide more.

Of course, I wasn't the only one that was trilled he was here. He was surrounded by other students, some sitting on my desk as they talked to him.

I approached steadily, trying to make myself unnoticeable to the best of my abilities. But Ran didn't seem to let me.

"Oh hey~ good morning." He greeted me. My eyes widened and I froze like a terrified deer. I slowly turned my head towards him, unsure of how to respond.

I could say good-morning back, or I could nod in acknowledgment. But that's rude isn't it? But what if I somehow screw up saying good-morning? Have I been standing here too long?

I looked around at the other students that crowded him. Some gave me a few judgemental stares, some looked away uninterested and others tried to get Ran to talk to them again. But he didn't budge. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to do something.

I opened my mouth to greet him back, but what came out was a gasp. My words had halted in my throat and my words wouldn't come up.

I slapped my hand over my mouth in embarrassment, feeling myself turning a sickening dark red.

One of my classmates let out a bark of laughter, and the others followed suit.

"See! We told you they were weird. We warned you!" One of our male classmates boasted like they were proud. But Ran didn't laugh.

He sat there with an unamused expression. He clicked his tongue in disdain, but nobody seemed to notice. They were to focused on me.

"I... Uhm..." I let out, trying to speak up. "G...Good-morning." I finally greeted.

Everyone went silent, there looks dropping to judgement once again. Some sneered, glared, smiled in disgust at the mere fact I even spoke.

A smile crawled up Ran's face. A satisfied smile like he had succeeded with a small task. "Ran Haitani." He introduced himself.

I widened my eyes and my jaw dropped a little. I regulated myself and nodded. "Good... Morning..." I trailed off and picked at the hem of my uniform.

"Good morning, Ran Haitani..." I finished.

His smile brightened. "Good morning to you too... Er...?" He trailed off as well.

"[Name]," I looked around before finishing. "[Name] [Last name]."

Ran hummed in acknowledgment. Leaning back in his seat. "Good morning to you then [Name]."

Our classmates had gone silent. Looking down at their laps, eyes darting around the classroom and fidgeting with their hands.

Until one girl spoke up, "Awhh! You never asked me for my name!" She whined. Ran let out a airy chuckle and turned to face her.

"Oh, that's my bad sweetheart." He said with a charming smile.

The tension grew much lighter and I managed to slip into my seat. I covered my face and turned to look out the window, trying to make myself feel as small as I could.

My heart was racing and my face felt so hot I could feel it through the sleeves of my uniform. I need to calm down, all off the systems in my body feel like they're moving 5 times faster. I don't think my body can keep up

The bell rung and I heard my classmates disperse behind me. I untucked myself from the window, taking a peak at Ran. He caught me and gave me a wave.

I hesitantly lifted my hand and waved back. He nodded with a hum and turned to face the board. I followed suit, but I couldn't stop playing the moment over and over again in my mind.

"When I get home, when I get home, when I get home."

Why was he out this late again?

Ran and his brother seemed to be waiting for something. His brother checked kept checking the time. At one point, Ran lazily slapped the phone out of Rindou's hand and it fell to the ground.

I lurked behind a tree, the same black hoodie draped over my body. I wanted out of the house again. I felt so restless and I already knew I wasn't gonna get any sleep.

Was Ran leading some double life or something? He was wearing the same uniform as before.

I waited behind the tree for a bit longer. I pulled my phone out, aiming the camera towards Ran and zooming in on his face.

He really was handsome. Such clear skin and nice eyes.

Before I knew it, I had snapped a picture. The sound of the camera clicking was faint. But had been enough for both boys to turn their head my way. I ducked behind tree, tucking my flip-phone to my chest. Their attention and mine was diverted towards the onslaught of motorcycle engines coming our way.

I stayed behind the tree away from sight, peaking from behind.

A whole gang of people in uniform approached them. But the brothers didn't falter. Instead, they looked like they were expecting them. When Ran's brother's back turned to face me, the logo on their back was the same as the people in the uniform.

It hit me then.

Oh.

Oh.

They were in a gang. What's why he said he wasn't a good person. That made a-lot of sense. I guess, no matter how charming you are, it doesn't change how you live.

I snapped another picture, making sure the camera was focused on Ran as he chatted with his gang.

What was I doing?

I  brought my phone closer to my face, scrolling through my camera-roll. This wasn't creepy right...? I just think he looks nice underneath the streetlight. He looks... Really nice under the streetlight.

Maybe a few more pictures won't hurt.

"I'll break, your bones, with all, the love I carry."

He's been coming to school frequently. I say frequently because he'll be gone a few days of the week, but it's still consistent enough.

I ate my lunch silently. Watching him from the corner of my eye. He sat in his seat, his arm drapped over the back of the chair, feet on the desk as he stared into the empty space in-front of him.

"Hey, [Name]." He called out spontaneously.

I flinched and whipped my head towards him. He chuckled and sat up properly in his chair, turning his body to face me. "You never talk to me first, why is that?" He asked.

My left eye twitched and I covered my mouth, thinking about my answer. "You make me nervous..."

He looked a bit taken a back, but kept a grin on his face. "So honest, but I respect it."

I went back to finishing my sandwich, but Ran continued to stare at me. My eyes darted around the room in a panic, and I shrunk into my shoulders to somewhat hide.

He let out a bark of laughed and scooted his chair closer to me, "Jeez, I really DO make you nervous. You weren't kidding."

I ran my hand over my head and turned to face him. He seemed startled that I did such a thing but I ignored it. "What am I supposed to do with you staring at me?" I replied.

"Talk to me?" He quipped.

"You have to much confidence in me." I told him. "You want me to talk to you, but you don't even know that part about me?"

He shrugged, and smug grin on his face as he leaned back on his chair, "Well I know that you could barely utter a word before I came here."

I shook, my head and rolled my eyes. "Maybe, because our classmates probably tried to warn you."

He nodded, with a click of his tongue. Looking like he didn't want to think about it, "Yeah, they still do."

"Seriously? Why? I don't even do anything half the time."

"Oh yeah, but the other half you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ran shut up and turned his head away quickly. Like he said something he shouldn't have.

"Ran, what's that supposed to mean." I asked him again.

"Don't worry your pretty little head." He replied. I physically cringed at his words, feeling my face heat up. A weird feeling pestered in my stomach. What was that saying again? Butterflies in my stomach? Or  my stomach is having issues.

He noticed and let out a small snicker, "I've seen people blush but dang, you turn such a deep red."

"I'm embarrassed, not flustered. You're mocking me." I told him, scowling.

"Mocking, you think I'm mocking you?"

"There is not a single pretty, handsome, or whatever synonym bone in my body." I looked up at the ceiling, rethinking my statement. "Actually, I lied, everyone has a nice vertebrate." I was starting to go down a rabbit whole. Tucking my knees to my chest as I started to babble, "If you had a deformed vertebrate you'd probably have uneven shoulders and neck pain." I said.

Ran raised an eyebrow, and nodded along. "You'd get that with scoliosis though, considering it's in your neck... Which means it should be apart of your spine." I added.

"Like, our throat?" He asked.

"I guess you can say that." I answered. He hummed and tapped on the table.

"The vertebrate?" He questioned.

"Yeah, in your neck." I answered again and he nodded again, resting his head again his hand.

"You're really bad with complements." Ran pointed out, scooting his chair closer to me. My eye twitched and I tilted my head downwards.

"People talk shit behind my back to you, do you think I'd be sunshine and rainbows?" I spat. Ran put his hands in the air and let out a chuckle.

"Okay, okay, fair." He conceded with a grin.

My eyes glanced to one of our female classmate's approaching him from behind. Tapping him on the shoulder with a cheerful expression on her face, she placed her hands behind her back. Ran turned his head slightly towards her, acknowledging her presence. "Rann~ we're going out for lunch, do you want to come with?" She asked.

Ran's eyes turned to me. I pointed at myself in confusion, wondering why he was looking at me. "Y-you can go Ran... I don't know why you're looking at me."

The girl snickered sweetly and tugged on his arm, "Yeah me either, come on let's go!" She said. Ran's disappointment by my answer was clear as day, he stood up.

"Well, see ya' then [Name]." He bidded. I opened my mouth and he immediately paused and turned back to me.

"See you... tomorrow?" I said. Ran lit up and smiled ear to ear, waving me farewell and followed behind the girl who was still tugging his sleeve.

  "I'll break, your bones, with all, the love I carry."

It's not an addiction. I can stop at anytime, but how can I?

He's the only one that talks to me, the only one that'll look at me, and the only one that'll ever think I'm worth their time.

I want him so bad. Really badly... For once in my life I felt worth it. Really worth it. I deserved this.

I liked him, alot. I wish I could talk to him more, but he seems busy all the time. With all the people that seem to flock around him... And his gang life yet still finds the time to come to school.

I didn't think he cared for an education. Considering he seemed to have figured out the path he wanted to pursue.

"[Name]~ I got you something!" Ran walked up to me, carrying a small pastry box in his hands. I turned away from the hallway window.

"A box?" I joked as he approached. He scrunched his eyebrows and showed the box.

"Yeah, you'd like a empty box you weirdo." He quipped. I covered my mouth to stifle a small laugh and he tilted his head with a smile on his face.

"Well an empty box would be useful because—" He pinched my lips and I threw my arms in the air. I pushed him off and backed up like 3 feet at-least.

He bursted into laughed and lightly shook the box, "Come over here before it melts."

"What's in the box?"

"An ice-cream cake." He answered.

"You had time to get an ice cream cake?"

"Yeah, I took a motorcycle."

"You can drive a motorcycle?"

"Well... No my brother drove me."

"You had your little brother drive you to get an ice cream cake?"

I slowly started to approach him again. A skeptical expression on my face. He shook his head and softly chuckled holding it out to me. "I said, it's gonna melt." He warned me.

"Are we sharing?" I asked him. His face turned slightly pink and I witness his adam's apple move like he had swallowed something.

"Y-yeah, sure. If you want." He said

I furrowed my eyebrows, "You bought it, it's your property."

He sighed and opened it, pulling two forks from his pocket. I tilted my head, the side of my mouth folding upwards in amusement. "So prepared." I told him and he immediately opened the box and stabbed the small cake. He scooped up as big of a glob as he could and held it out to me. I reached for the fork and he swerved it away from my hand. I cocked my head back, as he shoved it in my face.

We both stood still for a moment. It took me a second to realize what his intention was. I turned the deepest shade of red.

Then I felt bile rise in my throat.

I slapped the fork away and opened the window next to me.

I leaned over and hurled. The chyme painfully spewing out of my mouth. I gasped for air and threw up another glob of waste. Tears stung my eyes as I gripped the window sill.

I wiped my mouth. Pink from absolute embarrassment, and the tears that were welling up in my eyes weren't from the sickening feeling of regurgitating my insides anymore.

I turned to look at Ran, who stood there in the same position I left him in. He closed the lid of the box, I had caught a glimpse of the top melting. I could probably throw up more from the guilt. He put the box down and took a step towards me.

I flinched and he didn't falter, he placed his hand on my back. Leaning over me as he gently rubbed it. My breathing slowed for a second before I bursted into tears. I covered my eyes as I sobbed.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to ruin..." I trailed off, I couldn't even speak.

"You should have listened to everyone. I'm not worth it, I'm really not. You're wasting your time with me." I spiralled.

Ran didn't reply. He continued to rub my back in a soothing way. His hand worked his way up my spine and stopped short of my neck. His thumb traced my nape.

Before placing a kiss on it.

I let out a not very attractive squeal, and pushed him off. I covered most of my face. My feelings were conflicted between being embarrassed, flustered, or upset. "Do you want me to throw up again or something?!" I shouted.

He put his hands in his pocket and looked out the window with a shrug, "If I didn't want to be around you I wouldn't be."

He took a step closer and placed his thumb on my forehead. I covered my mouth to keep my disgusting breath away from his face.

"I stick around because I want to. There's nobody in the world that could tell me what to do." He said and backed up. "You're so self loathing. Seriously, it's such a bummer."

My mouth gaped open, and I closed it back up. He leaned down to pick up the box, it's contents leaking from the bottom. He turned away and looked back, flashing that stupid smile.

"I'll get something different next time." He said.

I nodded, watching him dump the wasted dessert into the garbage and walking off.

I deserved to die.

"Keep you close, and one day, we'll get married."

The wall above my desk had become crowded. Messy and plastered with pictures of Ran Haitani.

Pictures of him drinking water, running track, mid motion of slamming a brick into somebody's head. I had all of it.

I have his address written down on sticky notes on repeat, his eye colour had become the colour of my pens, and many black eyed Susans and yellow pansies scattered every corner of my room.

I physically recoiled watching his hand land on a girl's shoulder to steer her away from the road, or how he'd pat a guy's head in camaraderie. I want that. I want it all from him. The kiss he gave me on my neck still burned, like acid.

I want it so badly, I want it, I want it, I want it.

I snapped a picture of him, from behind the pole. I stood exactly where the shadow of the pole was casted. My biggest thanks to the street lamp for causing light pollution.

His head was tilted upwards. It was odd, he was alone in the middle of this park. His legs and arms sprawled on the bench. I snapped another picture of him. No wonder people really flocked around him in school, he was attractive no matter the position he was in. It made me sick that other people looked at him the same way I can.

I love him, but genuinely what fuck is he doing.

He stretched and lifted his head up. His pretty face was a bit scratched up, did a cat attack him and win?

I snapped another picture. He was still so handsome with a busted face. I wish I could get closer...

He wasn't in uniform and his hair is down so obviously he's off. Maybe he's just taking a walk like I do. He looked distressed, upset. Checking the time every so often. He groaned in frustration and got up.

With hesitation I followed behind him, my footsteps as quiet as dead silence.

He looked so nice with his hair down... I'd like to put it up into different hairstyles. He'd look great with a messy bun. Would he let me if I asked?

My hands are probably disgusting, I wouldn't want to ruin his hair.

As I followed him, he kept grumbling under his breath. He was oddly disheveled, had he just woken up? Is he sleep walking?

As we kept walking, I was obviously keeping my distance.

Our direction was becoming awfully familiar.

The posters, the buildings, the streets, the convenience store and house numbers. My house address...? I stopped short of the telephone phone, hiding behind it as we stood in-front of my house. Why are we in-front of my house??

"Fucking hell... Their lights are off already." He spat angrily. Is he... Why is he upset my lights are off .

Better yet, how does he know where I live...? That's really creepy...

Okay, I'm not one to talk.

He rubbed his eyes and placed his hands in his pocket walking towards my direction. I hid my whole body behind the pole as he walked past.

As I watched him walk away, I took one last picture for the night. I wish he'd wear his hair down more.

"Break, your bones, with all, the love I carry."

"Ran." Ran snapped his head towards me. Turning away from the group of friends he's already formed. The most alert I've ever seen him. I held up a small flyer. Written on it was a flea market themed around plants and other items like essential oils, dream catchers and more. I wasn't sure if it'd be something he'd want to do, and I didn't want to go alone...

He scanned over it, squinting his eyes. He looked up at him and I felt my heart swell up into my throat. "Are you asking me to go with you?"

I turned a deep red and nodded, sinking my head into my shoulders. Ran grabbed the sides of my arms and shook me. "Hey, none of that. I thought we were past this." He said

I gulped and nodded again. Letting out a sigh. "Do you... Want to go to the flea market with me?" I asked him properly. Ran gave me a satisfied smile and patted my cheek.

"There we go, yeah I'll go with you." He accepted. I head my face behind the flyer, hiding the giddy smile forming on my face.

"Are you seriously going?" One of the boys at his table interjected.

"Why? Whats the issue?" Ran asked, turning towards the group again. I backed up, already dreading where this was going. I've gone through this how many times?

"They're weird Ran! You should have seen them before you got here!" A girl argued and pointed at me. I looked to the side in shame, and stepped back a bit.

He calmly smiled, "Well it's not really your business is it sweetheart. I'm still hanging out with you guys right?" He said. The girl immediately shut up at the pet name and looked away. The guy on the other hand just pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look man, we're just saying. If you're found in a ditch somewhere, don't say we didn't warn you." He repeated.

"That's literally all you say." Ran quipped, I backed up one more time and fled the classroom.

"Keep you close, and one day, we'll get married."

What does one even wear to an outing? It's gonna be hot as the 9th ring of hell, so obviously I can't wear my usual hoodie. I don't hate myself that much.

I should call Ran, he's a flamboyant fashion guy. I've seen his outfits when walking around Shibuya.

He did give me his number so he could pick me up. I don't know why, since he already knows where I live. Would calling him be useless? I don't think I have anything to wear.

I'll call him. I might as well, hopefully he won't mind. I plopped on my office chair and rolled myself towards my desk. I picked up my phone and dialled Ran's number. It had barely rung when he picked up.

"Oh wow [Name], I didn't expect you to call me first—"

"Ran, what do I wear." I cut him off.

"You're asking me? How would I know what your closet looks like?" He said.

"Do you want a picture of my closet?" I asked.

"Yes." He said immediately. I looked over to my closet and held my phone up. I don't even wear 80 percent of my clothes. Hopefully Ran will conjure something up like a wizard for me. I hit click on my flip-phone, the photo sending over immediately.

While I waited for an answer, I looked at the photos on my wall. I'm absolutely ecstatic to see him. Every photo on my wall proves how much I care about him.

I'd be so helpful in that gang of his. I'd follow him around like a little assistant, whispering into his ear like a little informant.

My phone buzzed and I quickly swiped it from my desk. I read over Ran's text, scrunching my face up a little. If he thinks that'll look good, I'll wear it. Anything for him.

"When I get home, I'm gonna love you so well."'

I waited outside, the bag he told me to bring matched my eyes. Everything else he told me to wear, I had completely forgotten in my closet. I clenched the strap of my bag, eagerly waiting for prince charming.

When he pulled up, on a motorcycle. I nearly laughed. His brother was driving.

"Yo." He greeted me, his brother looking like he did not want to be here.

"What is this?" I asked him. Stifling a small snicker, big ol' charming Ran Haitani has his little brother drive him places?

Rindou pointed his thumb at Ran, his eyes dead like a fish. "He wouldn't stop pestering me to take him... He can drive perfectly fine." Rindou said like his older brother was a mosquito.

That finally earned a chuckle out of me. Ran's eyes contracted and he pinched the back of Rindou's nape. He yelped like a little girl and slapped Ran's hand.

"You're here to drive, not talk!" Ran said as he started to choke Rindou. Rindou let out a gurgle and elbowed his brother in the stomach.

I covered my mouth and let another laugh. He looked so free when he wasn't with his other friends in school. I liked him much more like this. Ignoring that he's sorta attacking his brother.

Ran finally let go of his brother, staring at me as I let my laugh die down. I haven't laughed in ages, I thought I've forgotten how to do it. I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Ran turned away and patted his brother on the back aggressively. "Alright, get behind me." Ran said as he scooted closer to his brother.

"W-what...?" I questioned. "Isn't that illegal...?" I questioned once more. Ran and his brother looked at each-other and both shrugged.

Yeah, they were totally siblings.

"If we don't get caught, is it really illegal?" Ran replied.

"Yes??" I answered. Ran shook his head and held his hand out for me to take.

"You look good by the way." He complimented. My eyes widened and my stomach started to twist. He noticed my expression and quickly yanked me onto the motorcycle.

As my bottom landed on the seat, I threw my hands in the air and froze. He turned to me and pointed at his hips. "You need to hold on, otherwise you'll fly off." He instructed with a grin.

"Is that... Okay with you...?" I asked hesitantly. Ran nodded eagerly like a puppy. I snickered at his gesture. I cracked my knuckles and placed my hands on his hips.

He let out a bark and turned around again, "No! Wrap them around me! That feels weird!"

I gave him a confused expression and awkwardly wrapped them around his stomach. I felt a small shudder come off of Ran but I didn't comment on it.

"Oi' Rindou, hurry up." Ran complained.

"I'm gonna crash this fucking motorcycle!" Rindou shouted.

"Please get me out, out of the depths of hell."

I picked up a dark purple plant pot. It was clearly hand made, small finger prints plastered all around it. It was authentic, you could feel the human labour in your own hands. I held it up to my face. I looked underneath the plant spot and smiled from ear to ear. There it was, the artists signature. A small hand print.

"So cute." I blurted to nobody but myself.

"Yeah, it really is isn't it?" Ran said, from right beside my face leaning over my shoulder.

I yelped and tossed it upwards. He grabbed it in the air and set it back down onto the table nonchalantly. I was gonna ask how he did that so quickly but he "So what? Are you gonna get it?" He asked me.

I flipped the tag around and I swear I could feel my eyes sparkle at the price. "Absolutely?? It's such a nice colour." I said and picked it back up, not planning to drop it. Or toss it...

"Flea markets are great. You can hold peoples creations in your hand, like carrying a piece of a person with you. No artist really dies. Not as long as their creations are still here." I held the pot up and gasped in astonishment. "I bet this little kid worked so hard." I gushed and ran my finger around the jagged rim. "You can see their little finger prints all over it."

I slowly turned towards Ran. He stared at me, and nodded for me to keep talking. I felt myself turn a deep red once again. I talked to much, I should calm down.

He raised an eyebrow and leaned on his arm that was resting on the vendors table. "That's great, people can create things. I can't even pick up a pencil and drag a straight line."

I scoffed and tucked the pot underneath my arm, "Well I'm gonna get it." I said gleefully. I'm gonna take care of it so well and maybe put some flytraps.

"Great, here." He held out a card and I shot the card a look of confusion.

"What?"

"Buy it, use my card." I glanced back up at him and chuckled.

"No, Ran, they don't have credit."

"Oh." He turned a bit pink.

I pulled out a few bills and waved it, "Thank you though." I said in appreciation.

His eyes visibly softened, and crossed his arms. "Alright, let's go buy it then."

I nodded eagerly and excitedly as we made our way to vender. I shoved the bills into the hands of the vender and I placed my pot into my bag. I couldn't stop grinning. I felt so stupid smiling all over the place when I'd go by myself, but with Ran here I felt a little sane. I'm lucky he was nice enough to go with me, I didn't know who else I'd ask.

"I like that look on your face." Ran said, completely out of nowhere. I flinched and faced him, sinking my head into my shoulders.

He cupped my cheek and pushed my shoulders down. The tension through my body left as he pulled away, missing his touch already.

"You look much better without hiding yourself." He said and poked my forehead. "I can see you better that way."

I sucked air through my teeth and I turned away. My face was burning up like I had a fever. He's just saying that, he's probably said stuff like that to many others. That's why he had many friends everywhere he went.

As we kept walking around, my hands starting to fill up with trinkets. Ran grabbed a few bags from my hands, and I gave him an exasperated smile. He nodded with a smile back.

I was starting to spot a pattern though. We were being supervised. His subordinates were all over the place. Their bright red Tenjiku uniforms littered everywhere and tailing us. I stared at one of them and they stared back. They immediately turned their head away when Ran turned to face them. I looked at Ran and gave them a questioning look.

"Don't worry about them, they won't do anything." He reassured.

"But why are they here? Can't you call them off?" I commented. He shrugged and he took a step before halting.

"Call them off?" He repeated back to me.

"Yeah, call them off...?" I repeated again.

"How did you know I outrank them?" He asked me. Ran's eyes had contracted as he peered down at me seriously. The air had thickened and laid heavy onto my shoulders.

My heart sunk past my stomach, down to my toes.

I stumbled very my words, trying to put together a pitiful explanation. "A-ah... Well I see you around Shibuya- in uhm... In uniform- you don't exactly not stand out with a group of thugs around you..."

His expression lit back up. His hand reaching for my head. He lightly patted it and grinned. "That's fair, I thought you were following me or something." He said. I gulped and nodded. "Why didn't you say hi?" He asked me.

"Oh yeah, you're right. I'll walk up to you as you're surrounded by 50 delinquents." I quipped. Ran shook his head with a snicker.

"And you're not... scared? Or anything...?" He asked me a bit nervously.

"Ran, I puked in front of you. I think I'm past being terrified of you." I assured him. He slumped his shoulders like a burden had been released off of them.

"Alright... So, want to keep shopping?" He added. I immediately nodded and started to walk towards a stall I was eying earlier.

I caught Ran pointing his members to a venue and he jogged to catch up to me.

For a while we wondered. My arms were starting to crowd with bags and I had to hand some to Ran. He seemed to be having a good time and honestly so was I. I've never been out with a friend before so this was new to me, but I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

We found a bench to sit at. I let out a pained groan as I rubbed my ankle, my feet burned but I was happy. Ran laughed as he pulled out a Cactus stuffy, I raised an eyebrow, "For Rindou?" I asked and Ran nodded.

"Cute right? Small and prickly just like him." I snickered and pulled out a small glass box that had kept some yellow pansies safe and secure.

"And this one has the same colour hair as you." I pointed out, and tapped on the glass.

He hummed with a smug grin, "Oh yeah, don't you have more in your room?"

I flushed a bit and covered my mouth. I let out a nervous chuckle, "I like yellow pansies." I told him.

Ran looked over our stuff, and I copied him. "How are we gonna carry all of this back?" He asked.

"Oh! I usually take the bus." I told him. Ran sent me a judgmental look, like I told him I wiped my hands all over a pile of mud.

"A bus? You want me to take a bus?"

I widened my eyes and waved both my hands infront of my face in panic, "Uh- of course not! I can ride on the bus myself... Maybe you could get Rindou to drive you again..." I suggested.

Ran let out a scoff and pulled his phone out. "Nah, it's fine. I'll get us a ride."

"Oh? Uber?" I asked.

Ran let out an amused huff. We sat in a silence. I sat in confusion as he leaned back on the bench. His shirt rode up a little and I looked upwards towards the sky.

"What are you doing?" He asked and I let out a shrill of panic.

"Hah, stars." I said with a wavering tone. Ran gave a low chuckle. Soon enough, I heard a multiple engines in the distance. I looked at Ran and he gave me a proud grin.

"Did you...?"

"Yep." Ran cut me off.

Many, many footsteps could be heard echoing in the distance. I gave Ran a questioning expression. "But- why...?"

Ran patted my head and my head sunk into my shoulders. "It's fine. They'll carry our bags." Ran assured. Before I knew it, multiple men in their Tenjiku uniforms ransacked our stuff. I sat there a bit overwhelmed.

"How could you even ask this of them? I can't even ask a store clerk where the toilet paper is..." Ran shrugged as he watched them put all our stuff on the back of their bikes.

"CAREFUL." I shouted as I watched one of the yellow pansies almost off one of the boxes they were carrying. The guy gave me a dirty look and I flinched. Well, that was a familiar look.

Ran patted my back and gently pulled me off the bench. "Well? Let's end our day yea?"

I stared at him for a few moments, admiring the sweet look on his face. "Yeah... Yeah, let's go home."

"When I get home, I'm gonna sell you my soul."

After the last bag was placed in-front of my door step. The Tenjiku member got on their bike and drove a few feet and stopped. I'm assuming they were waiting for Ran.

I looked at the ground, fumbling with my hands. This wasn't a dream after all. I really did spend the day with Ran Haitani, and he wanted to spend the day with me. I covered my mouth as I thought about it. I need to calm down before my nose starts to bleed.

Ran snapped his hand in-front of my face. My head shot up and I placed my hands behind my back. "Right uh- uhm... Thanks for going with me. Even though it was probably a waste of your time." I said.

Ran sighed and patted my cheek. My stomach turned but I kept calm. "Not at all. I enjoyed it." He said. "Might I say, I think I had a greater time than I would have had if I hung out with the others."

I clenched my heart as I nodded in acknowledgment of his words. I held onto every letter and noise from his throat. I wish I was recording this conversation so I could fall asleep to it.

"You don't have to lie that hard." I told him with a small snicker.

Ran smiled and put his hands in his pocket, "I think it's time to turn in. It's gotten pretty late." He pointed out.

I looked at the ground, fumbling with mt hands once agaun. "Thank you Ran... For... Going with me." I told him.

He went silent, staring at me once again. Why is it that he always stares at me when I show some gratitude?

"My pleasure." He said with a charming smile.

"Well... Goodnight. See you monday maybe?" I bidded.

"Yeah. You'll see me monday." He said.

I gave him a wave, a small smile on my face as I turned on my heel.

But, I quickly halted. I froze. I turned back around, Ran had already made a few distances before I spoke up.

"Hey.. Ran?" I called out.

He turned around with a hum, "Yeah?"

"How'd you know I had yellow pansies in my room?"

"When I get home, When I get home, When I get home."

“I'm making a part 2, I can do this anymore”

[nastuhon]

Ran Haitani from Tokyo revengers unlimited game, hello??

[pooointt]

Haitani brothers

finished fanart

[monochromaticbeans]

We Were Fine: A Haitani Brothers Story

Chapter 1

How did two brothers come to rely solely upon each other and hold Roppongi in the palms of their hands?

Based off of my headcanons for the Haitanis and their early lives.

Tenjiku’s hangout buzzed with conversation, voices overlapping each other in a way that suggested confidence moreso than cohesion. Someone laughed a bit too loudly. Someone else argued over trivialities.

Haitani Ran leaned against a cement pillar, his posture lazy, his eyes were half-focused as if the room were a mildly entertaining show he’d already seen before. He smiled easy. Automatic, rehearsed, and noncommittal. Like always.

Rindou stood beside him, just close enough to register as intentional. He wasn’t truly listening to most of what was being said. He tracked patterns: who spoke first, who echoed, who waited to see which way the room would bend before opening their fat mouth.

Madarame Shion was doing ninety percent of the talking.

“…I’m telling ya,” Shion said, gesturing broadly with his arms outstretched like some manic street preacher, “people get real brave when they think someone else is doin' all the dirty work.”

Rindou glanced at him. Just briefly.

“Is that so, senpai,” he said flatly, deadpan.

Shion’s chest puffed up instantly. Senpai. “Yeah, exactly—wait.” He grinned a mile wide. “See? You get it.”

Ran’s smile twitched, clocking the insult immediately.

Shion shifted his stance, clearly pleased with himself, and turned more fully toward the brothers now, like he’d been personally invited into their orbit. “You two, though,” he continued, his voice dropping as he leaned in conspiratorially. “That’s what I don’t get. Never did."

Ran raised an eyebrow. “What’s there to get?”

“You don’t move like rookies,” Shion said. “But you don’t move like you came up under anybody, either. No old crew stories, no banners, no big name backing you up.”

He laughed, like this was all just casual curiosity. “It’s like you spawned in fully formed.”

Rindou said nothing.

Ran chuckled softly. “Some people skip a few steps.”

Shion waved his hand. “Nah, nah. Everybody comes from somewhere.” His gaze slid back to Rindou, lingering there longer this time, like he expected agreement. “Somebody had to show ya how shit works.”

The room didn’t go quiet, but attention gravitated in their direction all the same.

Rindou’s eyes stayed on Shion.

“We figured it out,” Rindou said. Calm. Neutral. No challenge in it. Just stating simple fact.

Shion blinked, then laughed again. “Sure, sure. Guess that happens when you don’t got anyone breathing down your neck. No gang, no mentors…” He tilted his head, his grin sharpening without meaning to. “No family.”

Ran’s smile didn’t move.

Rindou’s gaze slid past Shion, unfocused on the wall behind him.

Across the room, Kurokawa Izana paused.

He hadn’t been listening openly, just making observations. He sat apart, an elbow resting on a knee, his expression hard to discern. But at that last word, his attention piqued, his eyes landing on the brothers.

Most people reacted when pressed like that. Irritation. Defensiveness. Anger. The Haitanis didn’t. They didn't react at all.

Ran tipped his head slightly, considering Shion like he was deciding whether the comment even deserved a response. “You make it sound like a disadvantage,” he said lightly. “It wasn’t.”

Shion frowned, just a little. “I didn’t mean—” he backpedaled.

“We were fine,” Rindou added.

It wasn’t reassurance. It wasn’t dismissal. It was simply how it was.

Something in Izana’s expression shifted into one of recognition. He’d seen this type before. People who didn’t flinch at the idea of having nothing to return to. People who didn’t frame absence as a loss.

Shion, misreading the silence, scratched the back of his neck. “Hey, I’m just saying. Most people don’t end up like this unless someone fucks them up first.”

Ran pushed off the pillar, finally standing straight to his full height. “Then I guess we’re an exception.”

A couple of guys snickered. Shion scowled, ready to push back—

“Enough.”

Izana’s voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be.

Shion stiffened immediately. The moment dissolved. Conversation fractured and reformed elsewhere, like a broken dish being glued back together.

Shion lingered, though, drifting closer to Rindou’s side as if pulled by gravity. “You know,” he muttered, a little quieter now, “people read too much into stuff like that.”

Rindou glanced at him again.

“Mm,” he said. “They do, senpai.”

Shion grinned again, mollified as he wandered off, apparently satisfied.

Ran leaned closer, his voice low. “You’re cruel.”

Rindou shrugged. “He likes it.”

Across the room, Izana watched them both.

“You don’t talk about your past,” Izana said, addressing them directly now.

Ran turned to face him. “There’s not much worth talking about.”

Izana’s gaze flicked to Rindou, whose expression offered absolutely nothing for him to go on.

“Good,” Izana said. “Tenjiku isn’t built on warm sentiment.”

Ran’s smile widened—this one was genuine and real. “Then it sounds efficient.”

Izana nodded once. The decision was made. The meeting moved on. Plans. Names. Territory. Rindou stopped listening. Because family wasn’t just echoing in his head.

It was opening something.

The apartment swallowed the two of them whole.

At night, every tick of the clock was too loud, the soft hum of the refrigerator running stretched thin in the empty kitchen. The city glittered outside the windows, distant and unconcerned about two kids sitting alone in a living room.

Ran sat cross-legged on the rug, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, methodically sorting cards back into their box. The board game between them had lost its appeal sometime after the second round. Game pieces and fake money lay scattered where they’d stopped caring about the rules.

Rindou was slumped on the couch, his cheek pressed into the armrest, eyelids fluttering in a slow, uneven rhythm under a pair of glasses sitting askew on his little nose. He fought sleep with the stubbornness only children had—with his chin lifting, eyes opening just long enough to prove he was still awake.

Ran glanced up. “You’re out.”

“No,” Rindou mumbled, blinking hard. “I’m still waiting.”

Ran didn’t argue. He never did.

Their father said he’d be back late. That meant after midnight. Or perhaps two. Or not at all, depending on how the night went. Tonight there was a gala—some business thing, Ran hadn’t paid attention past the part where it explained the suit laid out on the bed and the woman adjusting her earrings in the mirror.

She was new, but not new-new. There was always someone new. Ran didn’t bother learning their names anymore. Neither did Rindou.

The door hadn’t opened since they left.

Ran finished packing the game away and stood, stretching his arms over his head. He checked the time out of habit more than expectation. Past eleven. Rindou’s eyes slid shut again.

Ran crossed the room and nudged him lightly. “Hey.”

Rindou made a sound that might’ve been a protest.

“We can wait in your bed,” Ran said. “It’s more comfortable.”

Rindou squinted at him. “He said—”

“I know,” Ran said easily. “C’mon. Let's go.”

Rindou hesitated, then nodded once, his eyelids surrendering to gravity. Ran slipped an arm under his knees and another around his back, lifting him without much effort. Rindou was small for his age, all elbows and angles, lighter than he should’ve been.

As Ran carried him down the hall, Rindou’s head tipped forward, resting against Ran’s shoulder. His breathing evened out almost immediately.

Ran slowed his steps.

Rindou’s room was neat in the way of a space that no one really used. The bed was made, the sheets tucked tight. A nightlight glowed faintly by the wall, something their mother had insisted on before she left. Ran pushed back the covers and settled Rindou onto the mattress.

Rindou stirred, his eyes cracking open.

“Did he come back?” he asked.

“Not yet,” Ran said, removing his brother's glasses and setting them on the nightstand.

Rindou frowned, processing that for half a second before sleep dragged him under again. His fingers twitched, catching briefly in Ran’s sleeve before loosening.

Ran stayed there for a bit longer, watching his brother breathe. He didn’t feel sad about it. That part had come and gone already. What he felt instead was quieter—an understanding, settling into place like oversized furniture that would never be moved again.

People left. Or didn’t even arrive to begin with. Promises were flexible things you adjusted to.

Ran pulled the covers up and smoothed Rindou’s hair back from his face. He paused at the door, listening.

Nothing.

Back in the living room, the clock kept ticking. Midnight came and went. Ran turned off the overhead lights, leaving only the glow from the city and the lamp by the couch.

He didn’t wait by the door.

When the sound of voices finally drifted in—laughter, heels clicking, the murmur of familiarity, it was well past the hour where it would have mattered.

Ran was still awake. He didn’t bother to look up when the door opened.

“Ah,” his father said, distracted, surprised to see him there. “You’re still up.”

Ran shrugged. “Rindou fell asleep.”

The woman leaned against the doorframe, smiling politely. Ran didn’t look at her long enough to return it.

His father checked his watch, frowning faintly, already thinking ahead. “You should’ve gone to bed.”

Ran smiled. It came easy, even back then. “We were fine.”

His father nodded, satisfied with that answer, and turned away.

Ran listened to them move through the apartment, doors opening, closing. Another presence, temporary as all the others.

He didn’t resent it. He just stopped counting.

The meeting broke apart, dissolving into pieces. Small groups drifted toward the exits, voices overlapping again, plans dissolving into casual talk and boisterous claims.

Rindou stepped away from the wall and headed for the door without looking back. He assumed Ran would follow because he always does. They always follow each other.

Footsteps fell into sync beside him.

“Tch,” Shion scoffed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Izana’s got a way of killing a mood, huh?”

Rindou hummed in vague agreement.

They walked in silence for a few steps. Shion didn’t seem bothered by it. Silence just becomes another thing he fills when he feels like it.

“You know,” Shion continued, “when I said that stuff earlier, I wasn’t trying to start anything.”

Rindou glanced at him.

Shion scratched his cheek, suddenly with less of his usual bluster. “Just… people can get touchy about where they came from. Thought I’d say it before someone else did.”

Rindou considered that. Not the words themselves, but the intent behind them.

The thought came, unbidden, of a too-big apartment. Of a door that didn’t open when it was supposed to. Of Ran’s voice, calm and unbothered, saying we were fine and meaning we learned how to be.

Shion cleared his throat. “If it pissed you off, I—”

“It didn’t,” Rindou said plainly.

Shion paused for a moment, in disbelief. “Yeah?”

“It didn't,” Rindou repeated, his tone remaining unchanged.

They reach the main door. Shion stopped there, hesitating like he was waiting for dismissal, or maybe permission.

Rindou noticed. He could walk away. It would be easier. Cleaner. That’s how he handles most people—useful, then distant.

“You heading out?” Rindou asked.

Shion blinked, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh. Yeah. Figured I’d grab food or something. Maybe.”

Rindou nodded. “Careful out there.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Shion grinned, his relief immediate and unguarded. “Heh. Don’t worry, kohai. I’ll survive.”

Rindou exhaled quietly through his nose. “Good.”

They parted company there. Shion headed out the door, still muttering to himself under his breath. Rindou watched him go for half a second.

Ran appeared at his side like he’d been there the whole time.

“That was new,” Ran said lightly, almost teasing.

Rindou looked away. “What.”

“Senpai. Kohai.”

Rindou answered with a simple shrug.

Ran studied him, then smiled, not teasingly this time. This time was quieter. “You keeping him?” he asked, as if talking about a stray animal.

Rindou thought of Shion’s constant noise. His predictability. The way he fills space around him.

He thought of doors that never opened, and the relief of not waiting beside them anymore.

“He’s fine,” Rindou replied.

Ran chuckled softly. “High praise, coming from you.”

They left together. Shion glanced back, but Rindou did not. He made sure of it.

[ksurii]

Her precious children🤲

Oh, and suddenly "Mother, you'd like it uptown, it's quiet uptown" made me cry, alright

[missing-sanity]

the haitani brothers fascinate me because, for such nothing characters (no backstory, no development, basically characters that just show up to be the antagonists’ extras and to be beaten), they’re actually insanely codependent.

‘we don’t need anyone else’ from kids to teens to adults well into their 30s, ran and rindou have stayed together as ‘the haitani brothers’ duo their entire lives. they didn’t just get matching tattoos; they got half of the same tattoo. twice. front and back. their hair has been constantly matching since childhood. (apart from the rindou’s ‘rebellious era’ where his hair was streaked with blue). i mean, i don’t think typical siblings have matching hair in their 30s, let alone their whole lives. in the bonten timeline they got that tattoo in the exact same place. in every single group they join, their outfits are always different from the rest, a twin set for the two of them specifically. hell even in the final timeline where everything is supposed to be good now, ran gave up his dream to own and run a club with rindou so he can fulfil his dream of being a dj, so they can stay together. ran wanted to become a foreign celebrity but didn’t pursue his dream. because that would mean leaving japan. leaving rindou.

like some of the stuff they do are just typical siblings things, but combine all of it together and their relationship seem more unhealthily codependent. they might as well have come in a box labelled ‘warning: do not separate’. heck even their fighting style reflects this. ran and rindou are introduced as a formidable dangerous Duo. and that’s true…when they fight Together. their synergy is on another level. but the moment they get separated, both get beaten relatively easily. they’re overly reliant on each other, both in fighting and in general life.

like. they have no other family. it’s just the two of them. they were introduced as a duo and stayed a duo till the end. (honestly it’s one of my reasons for why one of them should have been killed in one of the timelines so the other has to face the aftermath. it would have been so interesting. and would have given them and their characters development. i will never forgive the author for wasting such interesting characters.)

waiter waiter less x reader fics and more fics exploring ran and rindou’s implied codependency please (this is a joke write whatever the hell you want. fanfics writers do this shit for free and readers should be grateful)

[softshuji]

I love you ran Haitani you would be such a good husband to me.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

its really unfortunate ran & rin always fought w mitsuya cuz they couldve been soo iconic. i mean mitsuyas a lot more moral but i cant help but think he would get along w sanzu too. maybe bc they r all fashionable BUT hear me out

I know I've suggested this before but really feel like an au where when Mitsuya runs away he runs into the Haitani instead of Draken would go so hard. Them still suggesting he go back (since they value siblings) but basically mentoring/ befriending him into their group. Because I 100% agree they would get along well given the chance.

[kristennero-wallacewellsver]

AU?

[solarsaurus-rex]

rindou fans: omg i love him he's so sexy he's so good to me

ran fans: i wanna kick his teeth in

[kristennero-wallacewellsver]

yes

[softshuji]

I believe ran and kakucho visit izana's gravesite every single year on Christmas.

It's a tradition that no one else knows about. Something they deliberately keep to themselves and Neither ever needs to ask the other to come along. One word and the other acquiesces immediately. And they pick up some drinks along the way. No flowers, but maybe a bento box. And ran pours the wine over the gravestone, kakucho watching solemnly. After which they sit at the gravestone quietly, overlooking the rest of the city, maybe nodding occasionally to old people who come to visit others that are no longer here. No one ever asks any questions, and ran suspects Rindou already knows- that he'd never ask to come along because he knows kakucho and his brother need that one thing to themselves.

Kakucho admits after a few minutes of silence that he knows "izana wasn't a good guy" , that he misses him anyways, even if he doesn't totally get why. Ran hums in that way he often does when he's absorbing something, because there's little he can say that'll take the edge off the grief. It's a complicated thing. Mostly because he agrees with kakucho and feels the same- it's true- izana wasn't exactly a good guy. He could be harsh, he could be cruel, relentless and they were lucky, or fortunate that they were on the receiving end of his mercy rather than his wrath but isn't that just it in the end? When they had nothing, when there was only the future ahead of them, they had him. Like a merciful king taking them under his wing. And perhaps for them that was a kindness in itself. Perhaps he was awful and cruel to the world, but they loved him anyways, in their own strange way.

When they're done, an hour or two after lunchtime, kakucho often goes back to work. Keeps his mind distracted. He doesn't sleep it off like ran does. Goes home to find himself in bed, replaying the past like a movie that never ends until sleep is kind enough to take him.

[yanyandam]

HAITANI BROTHERS CHILDHOOD/ SOCIAL BACKGROUND HCS cause why not?

=> First of all, I THINK it is worth noting that family names containing 谷 (tani) = valley often originate from small rural communities rather than large cities! 

Regardless of how the name “Haitani” is interpreted, it is highly likely that it comes from a rather rural and local community ?

=>Haitani’s father was a man from a village who simply couldn't find a wife. Either women had left to study or work in cities and never returned either they didn't like his personality

=>He moved to Tokyo to work as a factory worker, with the hope of “starting a modern family.” He settled in Edogawa (cheap, welcoming) and met a young waitress in a bar who would then become his wife. 

=> After saving enough money, they managed to move to a mediocre apartment in Chiyoda. Mr. Papa Haitani was a rather ordinary husband (in appearance.)

=> Then their first child arrived. Their mother was VERYY fond of the name Ran. She knew it was a unisex name so she chose it even tho she still expected a girl. Whatever. She had to stop working to take care of mini ran

=> Ran was the kind of baby every mother dreams of. He never cried and slept a lot, sometimes his mother had to check if he was still alive.

=> Barely a year later, she found out she was pregnant again. And Rindou was born! (She gave him that name to stay with the flower theme.

=>Unlike his brother, Rindou was a baby who came STRAIGHT out of hell. He SCREAMED 24/7. He wasn't crying because he was hungry or anything else, he just cried lmao.. (It was after Rindou was born that their father began to ‘drift away’.)

=>One day, papa Haitani confessed to his wife that he had been cheating on her for some time and that he was happier with the other woman. He divorced her and abandoned the little family of three?? Their mother sank into financial problems and alcoholism.

=> She ended up calling her father (their grandfather) to ask for financial help.

=> Unfortunately, she was not the best mother. Especially with Rindou. He was the more restless of the two brothers and sometimes made his mother cry because he was SUCH a troublemaker. He often felt guilty afterwards.

=> She found great comfort in Ran's hair, which she thought was really beautiful. So she let it grow. (Rindou's hair was often cut because it got too tangled.)

=> She died of a heart attack when they were 7 and 6 years old. Maybe stress? Alcohol? It was Ran who found her lying on the table. He went to knock on the neighbors' door, saying that mommy wasn't waking up. Seems like he understood the situation, even at his young age.

=>They were first placed in the care of their grandfather, who didn't really have the energy to look after two kids, so he sent them to a children's home.

=>Whether at school or in the children's home, the two brothers didn't get along and often fought. But when someone outside the family bothered one of the brothers, the other would jump in to defend the other.

=>A foster family offered to take them in (in reality, it was a couple who didn't want biological children and wanted to look good lol). They were quite wealthy and lived in Roppongi.

=> This is how the two brothers discovered this famous neighborhood.

=> They were rather neglected by the couple, but when those assholes DARED to raise their hands to Rindou after he had done something wrong, Ran convinced Rindou to run away together.

=> So, they wandered around at first. Ran went to the Kyogoku gang of Roppongi to earn enough yen to live.

=> Meanwhile, Rindou either followed him or took refuge in local bars. That’s where he saw Brazilian jiu-jitsu fights on TV and decided he wanted to do the same!

=> He’d first challenge local thugs and gradually perfect his technique (inspired by Nogueira's leg and arm locks).

=> Ran, on the other hand, would often window shop in luxury stores or look at the lives of foreign stars in magazines. Shit amazed him.

=> It was after Rindou saw his first DJ setup with envious or rather LOVING eyes that Ran decided to steal money from Kyo Goku, wanting to spoil his little brother :(

=>Ran noticed that his little brother wasn't as weak as he thought, so he invited Rindou to challenge the gang leaders together. However, he made him promise that they would always fight side by side.

=> We know what happened next hihihi