Are you telling me, that Mitsuya will follow Draken's wish to stay away from delinquency after Draken told him to?
Are we talking about the same Mitsuya?
This is Mitsuya we're talking about.
Draken had told him that years ago, at their first meeting, mind you.
And what did he do?
He still went ahead and did it.
Proving himself that he was indeed fitting to be delinquent. A delinquent who cares about his family. That his wish was to stand equal to Draken, no—Ken Ryuuguuji someday. He went so far to prepare himself for that, he got the dragon tattoo.
Now you're telling me, this same Mitsuya would just leave the delinquency when Draken told him to follow his dream instead?
Are you telling me, that Mitsuya wasn't gonna join the contest only to prove a point? That Mitsuya wouldn't hesitate to do his best to win, only to throw it away because even if he knew he was capable, he had more important someone to follow and it was Draken? Are you saying that, this Mitsuya wouldn't just do everything to prove to Draken that his dream wasn't just to be a fashion designer, but also to be the one who followed his Twin Dragon and did the right thing?
He was doing all that. He was, I believe, preparing for that.
Until Draken died.
And suddenly it didn't matter anymore, because Draken was no more.
Draken was gone, what's the point?
Until Takemichi came and unknowingly, became the catalyst that Mitsuya always needed.
Why did Draken want to spare him the life of delinquency and let him be a fashion designer instead? Because Draken wanted to save Mikey.
Why did Takemichi want to form a gang to rival Kantouman? Because Takemichi wanted to save Mikey.
Are you seeing this, Draken?
This is the path Mitsuya would always choose to take.
... So, don't apologize for anything okay?
Mitsuya wasn't throwing everything because of you. Mitsuya was always ready to throw everything for you, because Mitsuya always believed in you.