In the Endless Rain [Part 4] (Fic with PureBoys, D-Boys, Nachural, and more)
Title: In the Endless Rain [Part 4]
Characters: PureBoys, D-Boys, Nachural, and more(TeniMyu guys)
Word Count: 4951
Summary: AU. Commence the rescue mission!
[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
"Where's Ba-chon?" Takeda Kohei asked, noticing that the only two people at the motel to herald his arrival were Minami Keisuke and Yagami Ren.
"In the shower, I think." Yagami replied, looking up from a map that he and Minami were pouring over intently.
Kohei pulled up a chair. "Trying to drown himself again, huh?" He glanced at the map and then asked, "Are you really sure you're going to let me on a mission after what happened last time?"
Minami drew a circle on the map. "Last time was an accident. This time don't get careless." he said simply. "We'll be leaving in a couple of hours. Are you ready?"
"Ready enough. Masei's not coming?" Kohei inquired, leaning back in his chair.
"No. He'll be staying with Keisuke. Toru's not coming either." Minami informed him.
"Did he really let the guy molest him for telling us that Takki's at his house?" Kohei couldn't quite believe it.
"Judging by Masei's reaction, yes." Yagami interjected, "How was he? When he came to the hospital." he added in concern.
"He looked kinda... floaty. You know how when your mind is somewhere else than where your body is."
Yagami bit his lip and nodded in concern.
"Anyways, the plan is this; we leave for Nakagauchi's house, sneak in, find Takki, and leave." Minami said. "He'll have plenty of digital security, but few physical barriers such as guards. There's a readout of the kinds of security systems he has on that laptop," he pointed to one on the end of the desk, "So I'll trust Kohei's skills to get them disabled when we get there."
Kohei dragged his chair in front of the laptop and grinned at the display. "I love it when they have these ones. Looks like my job will be a piece of cake." He looked up, "You should never get the kind that are monitored by anyone other than yourself." he started typing away at the keyboard. "For being security system companies, they don't focus enough on their own network security. Give me ten minutes and I'll have hacked into his house through the company's network. I won't even need to do anything once we're there but send something through my cell phone and his entire alarm system will be shut down."
"So all that's left for us is to sneak in. He has plenty of potential entrances. We'll check the windows for broken latches, and if not, make sure to bring your tools, Ren." Minami instructed.
Yagami nodded. "Of course." The tools Minami had referred to was the box of picks that had either made or picked up in the course of time. With them he could open almost any lock he came across. If given the right amount of time.
"We'll try to go out the same way we came in. Once we're inside, we'll split up to find Yukihiro. Check for locked doors and rooms far from any potential exits. We might even be able to tell which room it is from the outside. If it has a window, there's probably going to be something making sure it stays shut from both inside and outside." Minami pulled a sheet of paper out from under the map. "This is a blueprint of the type of house Nakagauchi's was modeled after. There are a few differences, and he might have made changes since the original construction, but at least we have something to go on."
"Again, we're leaving in a couple of hours, so do whatever you need to do before then. He'll be expecting us, so be careful. We'll take the bus, and then walk from there." Minami finished in dismissal.
~~~
"Fanta!" A boy reprimanded, pulling his dog away from a formerly-sleeping man.
The man blinked quickly, trying to focus his eyes. He wiped his face on his shoulder, removing the dog drool as best he could with his hands tied behind his back.
"Sorry." The boy apologized, sitting down next to the man and scratching his dog's ears. "Good Morning!" he greeted.
"Morning..." The man replied in confusion, looking around as he sat up. When he tried to rub his eyes, a jolt of remembrance shot through him as he realized his hands were tied. "Nakagauchi!"
"Nii-chan? He's somewhere around here. Anyways, he said that you can have breakfast if you want it when you wake up." The boy offered. "He won't tell me why he's holding you, but I bet it has something to do with his Host Club. Everything has to do with his Host Club." he added with a roll of his eyes.
The man pulled at his wrists, wiggling them around and trying to get his hands free, only half listening to the boy.
"Sorry, you're tied just so that you won't escape. I don't think Nii-chan was worried about you being violent." The boy explained, "He would have done a lot more to you if he was."
The man looked up, "You're Nakagauchi's brother?" He asked curiously. The boy was now scratching the dog's stomach.
"More or less, yes. I'm Doori. Nice to meet you, Takiguchi-san."
~~~
"It must be that one." Kohei said, pointing up at a window on the second floor of a modern, tastefully constructed mansion.
Minami and Yagami followed his finger to see a window covered in thick curtains, and if they looked closely, it was barred from the inside. It was also the only window with bars on the inside.
"You're right." Minami agreed with a nod, "That's most likely the one he's holding Yukihiro in. Kohei!"
"Yeah?" Kohei asked, eyes scanning the area intently.
"Follow the west wall. Find us a way in. I'll go the other way. Ren, you stay back and keep an eye out for anything we might need to know."
"Of course." Yagami agreed, and stepped back to crouch between two bushes where he could see the entire side of the house. When Kohei had slinked off to the left, he reached an arm out to Minami. "Be careful. It can't be this easy."
Minami nodded. "I know." and he headed off to the right, using the rose bushes that lined the front of the house as cover.
"Nothing." Kohei said with a sigh as he and Minami met up later with Yagami by the bushes.
"I didn't see anything either. Looks like one of the doors is going to be our best bet." Minami affirmed.
Kohei frowned up at the house and crossed his arms, "Shouldn't we have done this at night? Not so much chance of getting caught by people in the house then."
"Night would be the worst time to do this." Yagami contradicted, "If he gave us the location it means he's expecting us. And logically the best time for us to come would have been at night, meaning that's when he'd be ready. We get a slightly higher chance of success by coming in the middle of the day." he explained.
"Ah, I get it."
"Ren, how fast can you pick a door lock?" Minami asked, eyes trained on Nakagauchi's mansion that loomed over them.
"Depends on the type, but shouldn't be more than 15 seconds. Double that if it has a deadbolt." Yagami replied, pulling a small, long leather pouch out of his pocket that contained his collection of picks.
"I was thinking the back door would be our best bet. Kohei?"
The other man nodded, "It's in a depression, making it harder to come at from the sides, but I'm assuming it leads to a small room since only one of the windows near it is part of that room. That part was dark inside, so I couldn't tell exactly. No wiring around it, though, and it didn't look or sound like anyone was nearby."
"The back door it is, then." Minami confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest and giving a short nod.
~~~
"Kaji! You were supposed to be watching him!" Endou accused, gripping the other man's shirt threateningly.
"It wasn't me! Makita should be with him!" Kaji protested.
Araki turned away from the window that faced out of the building the D-Boys called headquarters. "What's the problem?" he asked, looking between the two of them, wondering if he'd have to break up a fight.
"Kumai spotted Shinpei outside." Endou explained, glaring at Kaji still. He was about to say something else when said boy ran in.
Kumai panted, catching his breath and said, "Shinpei's still in his room, like always. Makita's there."
Suddenly, gunshots could be heard from somewhere below. Araki's face lit up in understanding. "Manpei." He turned and ran towards the stairs, "Stop shooting!" he yelled.
"But he started shooting first!" Another voice replied, and soon Seto's pouting face could be seen when Araki made it to the lower floor.
"Shingo, go get Zukki." Araki commanded, looking around at the couple people in hall, and frowning at the bullet hole in the wall. He then raised his voice and called out down the hallway, knowing that the not-so-mysterious visitor would be hiding right behind the corner where the hall turned, "Manpei! We won't shoot if you won't."
A man hesitantly peeked around the corner, gun in hand. His eyes traveled from Seto to Araki to the guns that were in Seto's hand and Araki's belt.
"You know, usually visitors knock." Araki stated, folding his arms over his chest.
"And usually visitors aren't coming because their twin brother is being held hostage." Manpei shot back, lowering his weapon and walking forward slowly, eyeing Seto's hand.
"Seto, put that away." Another voice said from behind them, and Suzuki appeared between Araki and Seto, throwing his arms over the both of them. "Manpei! What brings you here?" he asked jovially.
Manpei scowled at him. "What do you think?"
"Ah, right. Shinpei." Zukki sheepishly scratched his head. "Well, it was the best plan of action, and he's fine, really. We're keeping him in a nice room, he gets fed three times a day, and gets constant company from one of us. It's like a vacation!"
Manpei didn't stop scowling. "Only he's probably tied up and doesn't want to be here."
Zukki shrugged, "Hey, it wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't so violent. We had to move them to the rooms in the middle of the third fl-"
"Zukki!" Araki scolded, clapping his hand over the other man's mouth. "Shut up. This man may be our friend, but right now, I think that's being put on hold." He eyed Manpei. "If you're here thinking that we're going to give him back, then you've come for nothing."
"If you aren't going to give him, then I'll just have to take him." The twin said, bringing his gun up and pointing it at them quickly.
The sound of a shot rang through the hallway. Manpei hissed in pain as a line of blood started flowing from the back of his hand.
"Put the gun down and get out of here or the next shot will do a lot more than just graze your hand." Seto threatened, his gun pointing directly at the intruder. Then he pouted at Suzuki, "You're too trusting. It's a good thing I didn't listen to you."
"Get out of here, Manpei. Right now you're in a lot more danger than your brother." Araki said coldly, bringing his own gun up to emphasize his point.
Manpei's jaw clenched and his eyes darted between Araki and Seto. His eyes narrowed and he huffed. "If you're going to be like that, fine." He started walking backwards, and then finally turned around to stomp away. "You know, I thought working together all those times would mean more to you than that!" he yelled, and started running off angrily, leaving Zukki with a pained expression.
~~~
Minami stood with his back to Yagami, watching Takeda who had stepped away from Nakagauchi's mansion far enough that he could keep an eye out for anything that might go wrong.
Yagami was hunched down at the doorknob of the mansion's back door. He had a pick in each hand, one to apply pressure to the tumbler of the deadbolt and the other he moved around inside the hole with a look of concentration. Each time he felt one of the pins click into place, a small look of triumph flashed over his face. Finally, the pick in the other hand turned free and a snap of the lock turning broke into the silence.
Yagami quickly moved to the knob of the door and repeated the process, raking the pick through the hole a couple of times and then setting the rest of the pins individually until he could turn the lock with his other pick. He stood up in satisfaction and turned the doorknob. The door opened smoothly. "We're in." he whispered.
Minami nodded, and put a hand on Yagami's shoulder. "I'll go in first, then you follow. Kohei will stay out here."
Yagami looked behind them to see Kohei give an 'okay' sign, and then slowly followed Minami into the dark room past the door.
Their footsteps echoed quietly on the hard floor, and they used the light filtering in from the slightly open door to make their way to another door that was on the opposite side of the room. Minami's hand closed over the doorknob, but when he turned, nothing happened. "Ren," he called, and Yagami turned his attention away from the boxes that probably stored food of some sort. "It's locked. You can open it in the dark, can't you?"
Yagami nodded, moving in front of the other to crouch in front of the lock. "Yes. It's about touch, not sight." After a few seconds he managed to unlock the door, then stepped back.
Minami opened the door and peeked through. "I don't see anyone. The staircase is to our right, once we get up, we need to find the door to the room. If there are any guards we'll have to be quick about getting rid of them." He instructed.
Following the leader, Yagami stepped quietly out of the door, his attention focused on the sides and behind them, knowing that Minami would keep an eye out ahead. They made it up the stairs with no problem, which only served to make him uneasy. "Kei-chan..."
"I know, it's probably a trap. But the sooner we walk into it, the sooner we can get out of it. With Yukihiro." Minami whispered back, then pointed down the hall. "The window was in this area. It should be the fifth door on the left." He took a few cautious glances down the elegant stairwell and then down the white hallway before starting down it.
As soon as they had both made it past the first two doors, there came a click of a door opening behind them. Minami whirled around while Yagami tried to find the best place to run or hide.
"You must be Minami." Said a smooth voice as a well-dressed man appeared from the door closest to the stairs. "I applaud your sneakiness, but you could have just knocked." He smirked and stalked closer to them. Yagami backed up against the nearest doorway, one hand on his gun and the other on the doorknob. He twisted it a couple of times, but to no avail. The door was locked. And there was no way he could try unlocking it quickly enough or without being noticed.
"Nakagauchi?" Minami asked, deciding to just face the man head on. His hand was at his gun, and his knees barely bent, ready to run if need be.
"At your service." The man said, striking an elegant bow that was much too old fashioned for modern times.
"Give us Yukihiro." Minami said, cutting straight to the point.
Nakagauchi shook his head, "Don't you want some tea first? I'd like to discuss business." his eyes travelled between the two wary men, "Just you two? You didn't bring Baba with you?" Without waiting for an answer, he waved his hand, "Anyway, if you'll come with me, I'd like to pick your brains. Then I'll let you leave. With Takiguchi of course."
Yagami looked sideways at Minami, assessing whether this man was to be trusted or not. Minami spoke up, "We're at a disadvantage here, how do I know you won't press it?"
Nakagauchi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Have I given you reason to distrust me before?" he asked, and then quickly shook his head, "Wait, forget that question. Have I gone back on my word before? I honored my word with Baba, otherwise, you wouldn't be here."
"Show us Takiguchi." Yagami spoke up, giving up on the idea that escaping into another room would help them. "If he's not here, then we have no reason whatsoever to trust you."
The other man seemed to think about this for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, I suppose that makes sense. Doori!" he called down the hall, and soon one of the doors on the left opened.
A boy stepped out and asked, "Yeah? Oh." He looked at Minami and Yagami with interest, and then to Nakagauchi. "These the guys you were waiting for?"
"They want to see Takiguchi. Take one of them to him." Nakagauchi instructed.
Minami spoke up, "I'll go." He looked at Yagami, silently telling him to take care and watch Nakagauchi.
The boy, Doori, nodded and started walking down the hall, back towards the stairs. A dog bounded after him, having been blocked by the boy's body before. "Alright, he's down here."
Once Doori had lead Minami out of earshot of Nakagauchi he sighed and said, "This whole thing is pretty stupid. He thinks he's being clever and secretive, but he really isn't. I'm Doori." he introduced himself.
"Minami Keisuke." The older man replied. "Why isn't he being secretive?" he asked curiously, hoping to get some information from the boy.
"Because everything's about that Host Club of his. He goes on and on about this one guy, Aiba, who works for him. And then he goes and does stupid things like kidnap people and then just give them back, like this. Someday he's going to go too far and someone's going to want him dead." Doori replied, leaning over to scratch his dog's ears as he lead the older man down a hallway at the bottom of the stairs.
"Ah..." Minami said, raising his eyebrows. He filed that information away to think about later.
"Oops, Nii-chan probably doesn't want me talking about that. Oh well. You're not here to hurt him, are you?" Doori insisted, stopping until Minami answered.
"Not unless we have reason to." The Pureboys leader answered, "We're just here to get Takiguchi."
Doori shrugged and kept walking, "Takiguchi's in here. He's eating breakfast." The boy gestured to an open door.
"Kei-chan!" An excited voice called when Minami stepped through the doorway. Takki stood from his chair behind a table, only to have a hand grip his shoulder warningly, and he slowly sat back down.
"Yukihiro! Are you all right?" Minami asked in concern, walking forward. His advancement was stopped by the man standing behind Takiguchi's chair, who had raised a gun in warning.
"Keep your distance." The man warned, his hand still on Takki's shoulder.
"Fanta, sit." Doori commanded his dog as he entered the dining room after Minami. He then looked up at the man behind Takki, "You're scary when you get serious, Furukawa." He then leaned over to Minami, "He may look mean but he's got a soft spot for dogs." he whispered confidentially.
Minami nodded slightly and said, "Ah..." not really paying attention to what the boy was saying.
Takki winced at the grip on his shoulder. "I'm fine, mostly. How... nevermind. I'm sure you'll explain later. No harm here so far. Look, they're even feeding me." he laughed, but the sound slowly died off. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course. I'll go back upstairs and work out the negotiations. You sure you're fine?"
"I'll be alright, don't worry." Takiguchi reassured.
The Pureboys' leader glared at the man behind Takki. "Don't hurt him." he demanded.
"I have my orders." Furukawa replied cryptically, but let his hand drop from his captive's shoulder.
Taking that as a sign that Takki would be safe for at least a while, Minami left the room, with Doori following him.
"Don't worry, Furukawa's a nice guy." Doori stated as they headed back down the hall and up the stairs.
"I had a hard time looking past the gun." The older man said shortly. His phone vibrated in his pocket as soon as he set foot on the lower stair.
"Hello?" He answered, too worked up at the situation to think about checking the caller ID first.
"What's going on? You get caught?" A voice came from the other end, and Minami recognized it as Kohei outside.
"Yes, but we seem to be fine right now. I met with Yukihiro, who didn't have any complaints. He looked alright to me. I'm about to go back to Nakagauchi, who says all he wants is information in exchange. I'll try to call you into at least twenty minutes, but I think everything's going go well." Minami said into the phone.
"Alright, but if you aren't out in a half an hour I'm coming in!" The other man said enthusiastically.
"See you soon." Minami replied, and then hung up.
"Friends on the outside, huh?" Doori piped up from beside him. "I won't tell Nii-chan, I'm sure you're a good guy just wanting his friend back. Sometimes Nii-chan overacts."
Minami had almost forgotten the boy, and blinked, startled. He didn't answer and started up the stairs to make sure Yagami was alright.
"Hey Kei-chan. You probably won't be coming back again, after this will you? Anyways, it was nice meeting you." Doori called to him, using the same nickname Takiguchi had.
Minami allowed himself a small amused smile, "Nice to meet you, too, Doori." The boy had given him a lot of useful information, maybe he'd even consider sending him a thank-you present once everything was all over. But for now he still had a friend to rescue.
Once he had reached the top of the stairs, he found things much like he had left them. He gave a nod to Yagami who's shoulder's visibly relaxed, and then turned his attention to Nakagauchi, who was lounging against the wall.
"See?" The other man asked, "I take care of my guests. Are you ready to answer my questions now? Then you can all go. If not, then I think I'll just keep Takiguchi for a while. Fanta needs someone else to play with."
Yagami gave a shrug and Minami crossed his arms over his chest. "What did you want to know?"
~~~
"Takki!" Baba called in relief, looking up from a book as the door of the Kanpai Motel opened and four men entered.
Takiguchi smiled sheepishly and approached the desk Baba was sitting behind, "Guess I ought to be more careful next time."
Baba resisted the urge to jump up and hug him, and instead he stood and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "You'd better. You know how much we were all worried about you?"
Takiguchi opened his mouth and then closed it, finally saying, "I heard." He then smacked Baba on the arm in retaliation. "Idiot! Don't do stupid things like that just for me!"
Baba coughed and looked guilty, remembering what exactly he had done to get Takki's location, and feeling even more guilty at the idea he had actually enjoyed some of it. Nakagauchi wasn't a bad kisser by any means.
Takki's oncoming rant was interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around him from behind and holding him tightly. "Welcome back." a voice whispered in his ear.
The older man's eyes widened as he turned in the embrace to see Kato Keisuke smiling at him. "Keisuke!" Takki exclaimed, "How... you're back!"
Keisuke grinned and let Takki go, leaning on a crutch. "Yeah. The hospital said I could go home as long as I kept resting."
Takiguchi frowned and shook his finger. "You don't look like you're resting to me. Go up to bed."
Keisuke laughed, "Shouldn't you rest, too? Are you alright?" he stopped laughing and looked at the other man earnestly.
"I'm fine. Felt like I was staying at a guest house, except normally you aren't watched at all times or tied up." He replied with a laugh. "Anyways, you have ribs to heal, go lay down!"
Keisuke grinned, "Yes mom." Then he looked up at the others, "I'm guessing things went okay?"
Minami nodded, "I don't get why he went through all that trouble if he just practically gave us Yukihiro back anyway, but we did have to tell him a few things. He wanted to know about Irei and Shirota." He covered his mouth when he yawned. "It's getting late. We'll let everyone settle down tonight, but tomorrow I have some hopefully very useful information to talk about."
Takiguchi sighed, smiling as finally things started to be all right. Everyone was home, alive, and he could even block away the worry of Nachural's capture if he focused on the here and now. With a sudden remembrance, he blinked and asked, "Where's Masei?"
"Ah, he's... up in his room, I think." Baba said hesitantly, feeling even more awkward.
Takiguchi watched out of the corner of his eye as Kohei who had come in with him helped Keisuke off to a room. Not his usual room, Takki suspected, since it was probably easiest to stay on the first floor for now. He then focused on Baba and suggested, "You should go talk with him. This isn't going to fix itself."
Baba scratched his head. "I know."
Takki smiled and put an arm around Baba's shoulder, tightening it in a slight hug. "Good luck."
~~~
"Masei?" Came a tentative voice as the door cracked open into Nakayama Masei's room.
Masei didn't look up from his computer, but his shoulders stiffened and his hand on the mouse tightened. He didn't want to see anyone, much less the man who had just stepped into the room.
Baba put a hand to his face and leaned against the wall next to the door, peeking at Masei through his fingers and searching for something to say.
Tense silence filled the room, until Baba finally spoke again. "I'm sorry."
After another pause, the screen on Masei's computer went black, but he didn't turn around. "I don't know what to say to you." he said shortly.
The slightly older boy pushed away from the wall hesitantly and took a few steps forward. "Masei... you know I only did that to save Takki. I would have never-"
"Baba." The other boy interrupted him, turning his chair around to finally face his... well, he didn't know what to call Baba anymore. "Have you thought that I'm upset because of that reason?"
Baba froze in his steps, his chest tightening. He always knew in the back of his mind that eventually, he would have to make a choice. Did he like Masei more, or...Takki. All of the problems up until then seemed to pale in comparison to the conflict and fear he felt while watching Masei's hurt face. Would he be forced to choose? Already? His voice cracked as he started to ask, "You-"
"I know you like Takki. But even still, I ignored that. I didn't want to have to think about sharing you, or that I might get hurt." Masei stated, staring into the other's eyes. "I can't ignore it anymore, Baba. You've made that clear. If you want me to let you go then just say so, but don't beat around the bush anymore." He said firmly, even with his eyes shining with barely restrained tears.
Baba's mind screamed at him to reach an arm out and stop Masei as the other boy strode past him and out his own bedroom door, but his body was uncooperative. As soon as he managed to get rid of the false paralyzation that came from his worry and guilt, Masei was already gone.
"Dammit." he muttered, and fell onto the younger man's bed. He punched the pillow and tried to ignore that all he could smell was Masei.
A/N: AHA, IT HAPPENED SUBCONCIOUSLY. Minami's "Don't get careless". After I wrote it I laughed and decided to keep it. XD Then again, my subconcious has me constantly mistyping Shirota as Shitora so maybe I shouldn't always follow it. XD THOSE SNEAKY CHARACTERS. A couple of them popped in just before I wrote them. Furukawa especially. WHERE DID HE COME FROM?
Characters: PureBoys, D-Boys, Nachural, and more(TeniMyu guys)
Word Count: 4951
Summary: AU. Commence the rescue mission!
[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
"Where's Ba-chon?" Takeda Kohei asked, noticing that the only two people at the motel to herald his arrival were Minami Keisuke and Yagami Ren.
"In the shower, I think." Yagami replied, looking up from a map that he and Minami were pouring over intently.
Kohei pulled up a chair. "Trying to drown himself again, huh?" He glanced at the map and then asked, "Are you really sure you're going to let me on a mission after what happened last time?"
Minami drew a circle on the map. "Last time was an accident. This time don't get careless." he said simply. "We'll be leaving in a couple of hours. Are you ready?"
"Ready enough. Masei's not coming?" Kohei inquired, leaning back in his chair.
"No. He'll be staying with Keisuke. Toru's not coming either." Minami informed him.
"Did he really let the guy molest him for telling us that Takki's at his house?" Kohei couldn't quite believe it.
"Judging by Masei's reaction, yes." Yagami interjected, "How was he? When he came to the hospital." he added in concern.
"He looked kinda... floaty. You know how when your mind is somewhere else than where your body is."
Yagami bit his lip and nodded in concern.
"Anyways, the plan is this; we leave for Nakagauchi's house, sneak in, find Takki, and leave." Minami said. "He'll have plenty of digital security, but few physical barriers such as guards. There's a readout of the kinds of security systems he has on that laptop," he pointed to one on the end of the desk, "So I'll trust Kohei's skills to get them disabled when we get there."
Kohei dragged his chair in front of the laptop and grinned at the display. "I love it when they have these ones. Looks like my job will be a piece of cake." He looked up, "You should never get the kind that are monitored by anyone other than yourself." he started typing away at the keyboard. "For being security system companies, they don't focus enough on their own network security. Give me ten minutes and I'll have hacked into his house through the company's network. I won't even need to do anything once we're there but send something through my cell phone and his entire alarm system will be shut down."
"So all that's left for us is to sneak in. He has plenty of potential entrances. We'll check the windows for broken latches, and if not, make sure to bring your tools, Ren." Minami instructed.
Yagami nodded. "Of course." The tools Minami had referred to was the box of picks that had either made or picked up in the course of time. With them he could open almost any lock he came across. If given the right amount of time.
"We'll try to go out the same way we came in. Once we're inside, we'll split up to find Yukihiro. Check for locked doors and rooms far from any potential exits. We might even be able to tell which room it is from the outside. If it has a window, there's probably going to be something making sure it stays shut from both inside and outside." Minami pulled a sheet of paper out from under the map. "This is a blueprint of the type of house Nakagauchi's was modeled after. There are a few differences, and he might have made changes since the original construction, but at least we have something to go on."
"Again, we're leaving in a couple of hours, so do whatever you need to do before then. He'll be expecting us, so be careful. We'll take the bus, and then walk from there." Minami finished in dismissal.
~~~
"Fanta!" A boy reprimanded, pulling his dog away from a formerly-sleeping man.
The man blinked quickly, trying to focus his eyes. He wiped his face on his shoulder, removing the dog drool as best he could with his hands tied behind his back.
"Sorry." The boy apologized, sitting down next to the man and scratching his dog's ears. "Good Morning!" he greeted.
"Morning..." The man replied in confusion, looking around as he sat up. When he tried to rub his eyes, a jolt of remembrance shot through him as he realized his hands were tied. "Nakagauchi!"
"Nii-chan? He's somewhere around here. Anyways, he said that you can have breakfast if you want it when you wake up." The boy offered. "He won't tell me why he's holding you, but I bet it has something to do with his Host Club. Everything has to do with his Host Club." he added with a roll of his eyes.
The man pulled at his wrists, wiggling them around and trying to get his hands free, only half listening to the boy.
"Sorry, you're tied just so that you won't escape. I don't think Nii-chan was worried about you being violent." The boy explained, "He would have done a lot more to you if he was."
The man looked up, "You're Nakagauchi's brother?" He asked curiously. The boy was now scratching the dog's stomach.
"More or less, yes. I'm Doori. Nice to meet you, Takiguchi-san."
~~~
"It must be that one." Kohei said, pointing up at a window on the second floor of a modern, tastefully constructed mansion.
Minami and Yagami followed his finger to see a window covered in thick curtains, and if they looked closely, it was barred from the inside. It was also the only window with bars on the inside.
"You're right." Minami agreed with a nod, "That's most likely the one he's holding Yukihiro in. Kohei!"
"Yeah?" Kohei asked, eyes scanning the area intently.
"Follow the west wall. Find us a way in. I'll go the other way. Ren, you stay back and keep an eye out for anything we might need to know."
"Of course." Yagami agreed, and stepped back to crouch between two bushes where he could see the entire side of the house. When Kohei had slinked off to the left, he reached an arm out to Minami. "Be careful. It can't be this easy."
Minami nodded. "I know." and he headed off to the right, using the rose bushes that lined the front of the house as cover.
"Nothing." Kohei said with a sigh as he and Minami met up later with Yagami by the bushes.
"I didn't see anything either. Looks like one of the doors is going to be our best bet." Minami affirmed.
Kohei frowned up at the house and crossed his arms, "Shouldn't we have done this at night? Not so much chance of getting caught by people in the house then."
"Night would be the worst time to do this." Yagami contradicted, "If he gave us the location it means he's expecting us. And logically the best time for us to come would have been at night, meaning that's when he'd be ready. We get a slightly higher chance of success by coming in the middle of the day." he explained.
"Ah, I get it."
"Ren, how fast can you pick a door lock?" Minami asked, eyes trained on Nakagauchi's mansion that loomed over them.
"Depends on the type, but shouldn't be more than 15 seconds. Double that if it has a deadbolt." Yagami replied, pulling a small, long leather pouch out of his pocket that contained his collection of picks.
"I was thinking the back door would be our best bet. Kohei?"
The other man nodded, "It's in a depression, making it harder to come at from the sides, but I'm assuming it leads to a small room since only one of the windows near it is part of that room. That part was dark inside, so I couldn't tell exactly. No wiring around it, though, and it didn't look or sound like anyone was nearby."
"The back door it is, then." Minami confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest and giving a short nod.
~~~
"Kaji! You were supposed to be watching him!" Endou accused, gripping the other man's shirt threateningly.
"It wasn't me! Makita should be with him!" Kaji protested.
Araki turned away from the window that faced out of the building the D-Boys called headquarters. "What's the problem?" he asked, looking between the two of them, wondering if he'd have to break up a fight.
"Kumai spotted Shinpei outside." Endou explained, glaring at Kaji still. He was about to say something else when said boy ran in.
Kumai panted, catching his breath and said, "Shinpei's still in his room, like always. Makita's there."
Suddenly, gunshots could be heard from somewhere below. Araki's face lit up in understanding. "Manpei." He turned and ran towards the stairs, "Stop shooting!" he yelled.
"But he started shooting first!" Another voice replied, and soon Seto's pouting face could be seen when Araki made it to the lower floor.
"Shingo, go get Zukki." Araki commanded, looking around at the couple people in hall, and frowning at the bullet hole in the wall. He then raised his voice and called out down the hallway, knowing that the not-so-mysterious visitor would be hiding right behind the corner where the hall turned, "Manpei! We won't shoot if you won't."
A man hesitantly peeked around the corner, gun in hand. His eyes traveled from Seto to Araki to the guns that were in Seto's hand and Araki's belt.
"You know, usually visitors knock." Araki stated, folding his arms over his chest.
"And usually visitors aren't coming because their twin brother is being held hostage." Manpei shot back, lowering his weapon and walking forward slowly, eyeing Seto's hand.
"Seto, put that away." Another voice said from behind them, and Suzuki appeared between Araki and Seto, throwing his arms over the both of them. "Manpei! What brings you here?" he asked jovially.
Manpei scowled at him. "What do you think?"
"Ah, right. Shinpei." Zukki sheepishly scratched his head. "Well, it was the best plan of action, and he's fine, really. We're keeping him in a nice room, he gets fed three times a day, and gets constant company from one of us. It's like a vacation!"
Manpei didn't stop scowling. "Only he's probably tied up and doesn't want to be here."
Zukki shrugged, "Hey, it wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't so violent. We had to move them to the rooms in the middle of the third fl-"
"Zukki!" Araki scolded, clapping his hand over the other man's mouth. "Shut up. This man may be our friend, but right now, I think that's being put on hold." He eyed Manpei. "If you're here thinking that we're going to give him back, then you've come for nothing."
"If you aren't going to give him, then I'll just have to take him." The twin said, bringing his gun up and pointing it at them quickly.
The sound of a shot rang through the hallway. Manpei hissed in pain as a line of blood started flowing from the back of his hand.
"Put the gun down and get out of here or the next shot will do a lot more than just graze your hand." Seto threatened, his gun pointing directly at the intruder. Then he pouted at Suzuki, "You're too trusting. It's a good thing I didn't listen to you."
"Get out of here, Manpei. Right now you're in a lot more danger than your brother." Araki said coldly, bringing his own gun up to emphasize his point.
Manpei's jaw clenched and his eyes darted between Araki and Seto. His eyes narrowed and he huffed. "If you're going to be like that, fine." He started walking backwards, and then finally turned around to stomp away. "You know, I thought working together all those times would mean more to you than that!" he yelled, and started running off angrily, leaving Zukki with a pained expression.
~~~
Minami stood with his back to Yagami, watching Takeda who had stepped away from Nakagauchi's mansion far enough that he could keep an eye out for anything that might go wrong.
Yagami was hunched down at the doorknob of the mansion's back door. He had a pick in each hand, one to apply pressure to the tumbler of the deadbolt and the other he moved around inside the hole with a look of concentration. Each time he felt one of the pins click into place, a small look of triumph flashed over his face. Finally, the pick in the other hand turned free and a snap of the lock turning broke into the silence.
Yagami quickly moved to the knob of the door and repeated the process, raking the pick through the hole a couple of times and then setting the rest of the pins individually until he could turn the lock with his other pick. He stood up in satisfaction and turned the doorknob. The door opened smoothly. "We're in." he whispered.
Minami nodded, and put a hand on Yagami's shoulder. "I'll go in first, then you follow. Kohei will stay out here."
Yagami looked behind them to see Kohei give an 'okay' sign, and then slowly followed Minami into the dark room past the door.
Their footsteps echoed quietly on the hard floor, and they used the light filtering in from the slightly open door to make their way to another door that was on the opposite side of the room. Minami's hand closed over the doorknob, but when he turned, nothing happened. "Ren," he called, and Yagami turned his attention away from the boxes that probably stored food of some sort. "It's locked. You can open it in the dark, can't you?"
Yagami nodded, moving in front of the other to crouch in front of the lock. "Yes. It's about touch, not sight." After a few seconds he managed to unlock the door, then stepped back.
Minami opened the door and peeked through. "I don't see anyone. The staircase is to our right, once we get up, we need to find the door to the room. If there are any guards we'll have to be quick about getting rid of them." He instructed.
Following the leader, Yagami stepped quietly out of the door, his attention focused on the sides and behind them, knowing that Minami would keep an eye out ahead. They made it up the stairs with no problem, which only served to make him uneasy. "Kei-chan..."
"I know, it's probably a trap. But the sooner we walk into it, the sooner we can get out of it. With Yukihiro." Minami whispered back, then pointed down the hall. "The window was in this area. It should be the fifth door on the left." He took a few cautious glances down the elegant stairwell and then down the white hallway before starting down it.
As soon as they had both made it past the first two doors, there came a click of a door opening behind them. Minami whirled around while Yagami tried to find the best place to run or hide.
"You must be Minami." Said a smooth voice as a well-dressed man appeared from the door closest to the stairs. "I applaud your sneakiness, but you could have just knocked." He smirked and stalked closer to them. Yagami backed up against the nearest doorway, one hand on his gun and the other on the doorknob. He twisted it a couple of times, but to no avail. The door was locked. And there was no way he could try unlocking it quickly enough or without being noticed.
"Nakagauchi?" Minami asked, deciding to just face the man head on. His hand was at his gun, and his knees barely bent, ready to run if need be.
"At your service." The man said, striking an elegant bow that was much too old fashioned for modern times.
"Give us Yukihiro." Minami said, cutting straight to the point.
Nakagauchi shook his head, "Don't you want some tea first? I'd like to discuss business." his eyes travelled between the two wary men, "Just you two? You didn't bring Baba with you?" Without waiting for an answer, he waved his hand, "Anyway, if you'll come with me, I'd like to pick your brains. Then I'll let you leave. With Takiguchi of course."
Yagami looked sideways at Minami, assessing whether this man was to be trusted or not. Minami spoke up, "We're at a disadvantage here, how do I know you won't press it?"
Nakagauchi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Have I given you reason to distrust me before?" he asked, and then quickly shook his head, "Wait, forget that question. Have I gone back on my word before? I honored my word with Baba, otherwise, you wouldn't be here."
"Show us Takiguchi." Yagami spoke up, giving up on the idea that escaping into another room would help them. "If he's not here, then we have no reason whatsoever to trust you."
The other man seemed to think about this for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, I suppose that makes sense. Doori!" he called down the hall, and soon one of the doors on the left opened.
A boy stepped out and asked, "Yeah? Oh." He looked at Minami and Yagami with interest, and then to Nakagauchi. "These the guys you were waiting for?"
"They want to see Takiguchi. Take one of them to him." Nakagauchi instructed.
Minami spoke up, "I'll go." He looked at Yagami, silently telling him to take care and watch Nakagauchi.
The boy, Doori, nodded and started walking down the hall, back towards the stairs. A dog bounded after him, having been blocked by the boy's body before. "Alright, he's down here."
Once Doori had lead Minami out of earshot of Nakagauchi he sighed and said, "This whole thing is pretty stupid. He thinks he's being clever and secretive, but he really isn't. I'm Doori." he introduced himself.
"Minami Keisuke." The older man replied. "Why isn't he being secretive?" he asked curiously, hoping to get some information from the boy.
"Because everything's about that Host Club of his. He goes on and on about this one guy, Aiba, who works for him. And then he goes and does stupid things like kidnap people and then just give them back, like this. Someday he's going to go too far and someone's going to want him dead." Doori replied, leaning over to scratch his dog's ears as he lead the older man down a hallway at the bottom of the stairs.
"Ah..." Minami said, raising his eyebrows. He filed that information away to think about later.
"Oops, Nii-chan probably doesn't want me talking about that. Oh well. You're not here to hurt him, are you?" Doori insisted, stopping until Minami answered.
"Not unless we have reason to." The Pureboys leader answered, "We're just here to get Takiguchi."
Doori shrugged and kept walking, "Takiguchi's in here. He's eating breakfast." The boy gestured to an open door.
"Kei-chan!" An excited voice called when Minami stepped through the doorway. Takki stood from his chair behind a table, only to have a hand grip his shoulder warningly, and he slowly sat back down.
"Yukihiro! Are you all right?" Minami asked in concern, walking forward. His advancement was stopped by the man standing behind Takiguchi's chair, who had raised a gun in warning.
"Keep your distance." The man warned, his hand still on Takki's shoulder.
"Fanta, sit." Doori commanded his dog as he entered the dining room after Minami. He then looked up at the man behind Takki, "You're scary when you get serious, Furukawa." He then leaned over to Minami, "He may look mean but he's got a soft spot for dogs." he whispered confidentially.
Minami nodded slightly and said, "Ah..." not really paying attention to what the boy was saying.
Takki winced at the grip on his shoulder. "I'm fine, mostly. How... nevermind. I'm sure you'll explain later. No harm here so far. Look, they're even feeding me." he laughed, but the sound slowly died off. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course. I'll go back upstairs and work out the negotiations. You sure you're fine?"
"I'll be alright, don't worry." Takiguchi reassured.
The Pureboys' leader glared at the man behind Takki. "Don't hurt him." he demanded.
"I have my orders." Furukawa replied cryptically, but let his hand drop from his captive's shoulder.
Taking that as a sign that Takki would be safe for at least a while, Minami left the room, with Doori following him.
"Don't worry, Furukawa's a nice guy." Doori stated as they headed back down the hall and up the stairs.
"I had a hard time looking past the gun." The older man said shortly. His phone vibrated in his pocket as soon as he set foot on the lower stair.
"Hello?" He answered, too worked up at the situation to think about checking the caller ID first.
"What's going on? You get caught?" A voice came from the other end, and Minami recognized it as Kohei outside.
"Yes, but we seem to be fine right now. I met with Yukihiro, who didn't have any complaints. He looked alright to me. I'm about to go back to Nakagauchi, who says all he wants is information in exchange. I'll try to call you into at least twenty minutes, but I think everything's going go well." Minami said into the phone.
"Alright, but if you aren't out in a half an hour I'm coming in!" The other man said enthusiastically.
"See you soon." Minami replied, and then hung up.
"Friends on the outside, huh?" Doori piped up from beside him. "I won't tell Nii-chan, I'm sure you're a good guy just wanting his friend back. Sometimes Nii-chan overacts."
Minami had almost forgotten the boy, and blinked, startled. He didn't answer and started up the stairs to make sure Yagami was alright.
"Hey Kei-chan. You probably won't be coming back again, after this will you? Anyways, it was nice meeting you." Doori called to him, using the same nickname Takiguchi had.
Minami allowed himself a small amused smile, "Nice to meet you, too, Doori." The boy had given him a lot of useful information, maybe he'd even consider sending him a thank-you present once everything was all over. But for now he still had a friend to rescue.
Once he had reached the top of the stairs, he found things much like he had left them. He gave a nod to Yagami who's shoulder's visibly relaxed, and then turned his attention to Nakagauchi, who was lounging against the wall.
"See?" The other man asked, "I take care of my guests. Are you ready to answer my questions now? Then you can all go. If not, then I think I'll just keep Takiguchi for a while. Fanta needs someone else to play with."
Yagami gave a shrug and Minami crossed his arms over his chest. "What did you want to know?"
~~~
"Takki!" Baba called in relief, looking up from a book as the door of the Kanpai Motel opened and four men entered.
Takiguchi smiled sheepishly and approached the desk Baba was sitting behind, "Guess I ought to be more careful next time."
Baba resisted the urge to jump up and hug him, and instead he stood and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "You'd better. You know how much we were all worried about you?"
Takiguchi opened his mouth and then closed it, finally saying, "I heard." He then smacked Baba on the arm in retaliation. "Idiot! Don't do stupid things like that just for me!"
Baba coughed and looked guilty, remembering what exactly he had done to get Takki's location, and feeling even more guilty at the idea he had actually enjoyed some of it. Nakagauchi wasn't a bad kisser by any means.
Takki's oncoming rant was interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around him from behind and holding him tightly. "Welcome back." a voice whispered in his ear.
The older man's eyes widened as he turned in the embrace to see Kato Keisuke smiling at him. "Keisuke!" Takki exclaimed, "How... you're back!"
Keisuke grinned and let Takki go, leaning on a crutch. "Yeah. The hospital said I could go home as long as I kept resting."
Takiguchi frowned and shook his finger. "You don't look like you're resting to me. Go up to bed."
Keisuke laughed, "Shouldn't you rest, too? Are you alright?" he stopped laughing and looked at the other man earnestly.
"I'm fine. Felt like I was staying at a guest house, except normally you aren't watched at all times or tied up." He replied with a laugh. "Anyways, you have ribs to heal, go lay down!"
Keisuke grinned, "Yes mom." Then he looked up at the others, "I'm guessing things went okay?"
Minami nodded, "I don't get why he went through all that trouble if he just practically gave us Yukihiro back anyway, but we did have to tell him a few things. He wanted to know about Irei and Shirota." He covered his mouth when he yawned. "It's getting late. We'll let everyone settle down tonight, but tomorrow I have some hopefully very useful information to talk about."
Takiguchi sighed, smiling as finally things started to be all right. Everyone was home, alive, and he could even block away the worry of Nachural's capture if he focused on the here and now. With a sudden remembrance, he blinked and asked, "Where's Masei?"
"Ah, he's... up in his room, I think." Baba said hesitantly, feeling even more awkward.
Takiguchi watched out of the corner of his eye as Kohei who had come in with him helped Keisuke off to a room. Not his usual room, Takki suspected, since it was probably easiest to stay on the first floor for now. He then focused on Baba and suggested, "You should go talk with him. This isn't going to fix itself."
Baba scratched his head. "I know."
Takki smiled and put an arm around Baba's shoulder, tightening it in a slight hug. "Good luck."
~~~
"Masei?" Came a tentative voice as the door cracked open into Nakayama Masei's room.
Masei didn't look up from his computer, but his shoulders stiffened and his hand on the mouse tightened. He didn't want to see anyone, much less the man who had just stepped into the room.
Baba put a hand to his face and leaned against the wall next to the door, peeking at Masei through his fingers and searching for something to say.
Tense silence filled the room, until Baba finally spoke again. "I'm sorry."
After another pause, the screen on Masei's computer went black, but he didn't turn around. "I don't know what to say to you." he said shortly.
The slightly older boy pushed away from the wall hesitantly and took a few steps forward. "Masei... you know I only did that to save Takki. I would have never-"
"Baba." The other boy interrupted him, turning his chair around to finally face his... well, he didn't know what to call Baba anymore. "Have you thought that I'm upset because of that reason?"
Baba froze in his steps, his chest tightening. He always knew in the back of his mind that eventually, he would have to make a choice. Did he like Masei more, or...Takki. All of the problems up until then seemed to pale in comparison to the conflict and fear he felt while watching Masei's hurt face. Would he be forced to choose? Already? His voice cracked as he started to ask, "You-"
"I know you like Takki. But even still, I ignored that. I didn't want to have to think about sharing you, or that I might get hurt." Masei stated, staring into the other's eyes. "I can't ignore it anymore, Baba. You've made that clear. If you want me to let you go then just say so, but don't beat around the bush anymore." He said firmly, even with his eyes shining with barely restrained tears.
Baba's mind screamed at him to reach an arm out and stop Masei as the other boy strode past him and out his own bedroom door, but his body was uncooperative. As soon as he managed to get rid of the false paralyzation that came from his worry and guilt, Masei was already gone.
"Dammit." he muttered, and fell onto the younger man's bed. He punched the pillow and tried to ignore that all he could smell was Masei.
A/N: AHA, IT HAPPENED SUBCONCIOUSLY. Minami's "Don't get careless". After I wrote it I laughed and decided to keep it. XD Then again, my subconcious has me constantly mistyping Shirota as Shitora so maybe I shouldn't always follow it. XD THOSE SNEAKY CHARACTERS. A couple of them popped in just before I wrote them. Furukawa especially. WHERE DID HE COME FROM?