You Found Me: a Heisei Kumi Fanfic (11/19)
Author: ryosukekoibito
Pairing: Takachii, Chiitaro
Rating: R/NC-17
Warnings: Consensual sex between minors, Violence, Minor Character Death
Genre: Slice of life/Coming of age
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone. The end.
Summary: This is the story of how little Chinen Yuri grew from a young, homeless boy to the leader of a faction of a growing Yakuza group; and learned a lot about life, love, who he was, and what he wanted in the process.
A/N: So this is another instalation in my Heisei Kumi AU! You do not need to have read any of the other fics in that AU to read this one, as this one introduces the world through Chinen's eyes. If you're curious about it however, I have written 6 other fics for this AU, 3 multi-chaps, and 3 oneshots. You can find them at my Lj, their titles are: My new Family, A Kumi-cho's Duty, The Kumi-cho is...me?, Gaining Your Love, The Christmas Acquisition, and Sequence of Upsets. Please take a look if you'd like! ALSO, if you have read some of my other Kumi fics, and are wondering where this one fits in the timeline, this one takes place a couple of months after The Christmas Acquisition, starting in the spring of 2006, and going on from there!
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Chinen was glad that he'd been informed of his housemate's past, as he woke the next morning to find that it was apparently Yuto's thirteenth birthday. He and Takaki were coming down the stairs, the last ones awake, when Yuto bounded over to them, an excited light in his eyes. He looked up at Takaki expectantly, and the older boy smiled, giggling at Yuto's anticipation, and he said
"Happy birthday, Yuto." Chinen froze on the step he'd been standing on, taken by surprise. No one had mentioned that Yuto's birthday was coming up. The boy had mentioned that it was around this time, but he'd expected some sort of warning. He jumped to tack on his own birthday wishes, Yuto smiling widely and thanking the both of them before bounding away, yelling across the room to Yamada. Chinen glanced up at Takaki, tugging on the older boy's hand and hissing
"You didn't say it was his birthday!" Takaki shrugged.
"I forgot until I saw him. Don't worry, I can add your name to my present." Chinen blinked in surprise.
"You got him a present?"
"Yeah, Kumi-cho likes celebrating birthdays. We're going to have some really good food for dinner, and then cake, and presents. We do it for everyone's birthday; he asked you when your birthday was, didn't he?" Chinen realized that Shoon had in fact asked about his birthday. It had been one of the first things the Kumi-cho had asked him about. This birthday celebration was something that Chinen hadn't expected from this group of yakuza boys. He didn't really get it. But, he supposed, he'd never celebrated his birthday, so perhaps it was something he just couldn't understand.
The day passed normally until dinner time, when sure enough after they had eaten a cake was brought out and placed in front of Yuto, thirteen bright candles adorning it's surface. Yuto positively squealed in excitement, cooing over how pretty the cake was, his eyes wide and full of this amazingly happy energy that radiated from his body. They all sang, even Daiki, to Chinen's surprise, and the cake was dished out to them one at a time, the boys all digging in enthusiastically. Chinen took a tentative bite of his piece, a smile growing on his cheeks as the confection hit his tongue. The cake was amazing. Takaki caught his eyes across the table, smiling at him, and Chinen felt his own grin grow in response.
After dinner they moved the party into the living room, where Yuto unwrapped his presents. Luckily, Takaki had done as he'd said, including Chinen's name on the package he'd gotten Yuto, which turned out to be a new pair of converse tennis shoes, their housemate squealing in excitement when he opened the box, thanking Takaki and Chinen in a rush. Yuto had gotten a few other presents; a new leather wallet from some of the other boys, complete with little sleeves on the inside that he could use to store pictures-a feature Yuto was extremely excited about; a knife, it's deadly blade glinting in the light menacingly, and his own pack of playing cards, as well as some new clothes and candies. Yuto seemed to be extremely satisfied by his birthday, and Chinen, although still not fully convinced of the ritual's worthwhile nature, had a good time.
It was confirmed within forty-eight hours that Ryutaro-kun had accepted Shoon's offer to move in, and the next few days were full of preparations. They bought a new set of bunk beds, and another chair for the dining table, and they spent the entirety of one day building the furniture. The process was fun, everyone arguing and joking throughout the construction; and Chinen did his best at bossing the other boys around, enjoying it when they'd do as he told them to. The only boys he didn't dare do that to we're Hikaru, Daiki, and the Kumi-cho. They bought everything this Ryutaro boy could need, from socks to shampoo to bed sheets, and finally it was announced one evening that Shoon would bring the boy to live with them the following day.
That night Chinen lay awake for a while, and he speculated about this new boy with Takaki. He asked Takaki about Ryutaro, wondering just what he would be like. He'd been compared quite a bit to Daiki, and that made Chinen a little anxious. He didn't want another Daiki in the house. Not that he didn't like Daiki, but the older boy was just rough and closed off, and he seemed to Chinen a bit of a wild card. Takaki however didn't seem worried. He said that it might take a bit of time for Ryutaro to warm up to them, but it would be okay. Ryutaro was still really young anyway. Chinen agreed with that statement. He'd heard that Ryutaro was younger than him, only eleven. That was all he really knew about the boy. The others seemed to have a better understanding of what this kid was like, and the fact that none of them seemed to be very concerned put him at some ease.
Despite that ease, the next morning Chinen was extremely anxious about the arrival of this Ryutaro boy. He was tense, his eyes unconsciously darting to the door, and Shoon seemed to notice his unease, the young leader placing a gentle hand on his shoulder during breakfast and telling him not to worry. It wasn't the Kumi-cho's comfort that eased Chinen's mind however; it was Yuto, his antics causing Chinen to completely forget about the arrival of Ryutaro by midday. This was due to a viscous game of hide-and-seek-tag that Yuto had instigated after Shoon left to run some errands, the older boy rounding up players after breakfast and the usual studying session, declaring that it would be amazingly fun. He had been right.
It had come down to Yamada, Takaki, Chinen, Yuto himself, and-after much begging on Yuto's part-Yabu. The rest of the boys-Daiki, Taiyo, and Hikaru-all crowded around the kitchen table to watch. Daiki, to Chinen's surprise, seemed very interested in the game, the fierce boy eyeing them intently with undisguised curiosity. Yamada was declared the seeker, and with the addition of boundaries to their hiding places-Shoon's office and living quarters were off limits, and no one could leave the house-they all scattered, Yamada shutting his eyes and counting to fifty.
Chinen found himself crawling into one of the kitchen cabinets amongst the pots and pans, much to the amusement of the boys not participating; Hikaru and Taiyo both giggling a bit as he wriggled his little body in as silently as possible, pulling the door shut behind himself, bathing the tiny space in darkness. Chinen listened through the wood of the little door as Yamada finished counting, his heart pounding in his chest as he made out the sound of the other boy's footsteps once the game properly began. He shut his eyes, listening intently to the scurrying of feet, yelps and curses occasionally disrupting the silence whenever Yamada found one of them, those voiced noises always followed by the sound of feet pounding as a chase ensued.
As Yamada was one of the smallest in the house-second only to Chinen himself-these chases usually lasted for quite a while, either ending in the one fleeing being caught, or somehow managing to escape to a new hiding location. Giggles of excitement and muttered curses punctuated the heavy footfalls, and Chinen could always tell just how close or distant the chase had taken his housemates in correlation to his location there in the kitchen due to the rising or fading in noise level. Whenever a chase would ensue, the spectators would cheer, choose a side to root for, and enthusiastically shout for their chosen person to run faster, placing bets on who would be caught next and if the person running would manage to escape; and it was in that manner that everyone truly got involved.
Chinen listened as individually Yamada caught his housemates. Takaki was the first to be defeated, followed-after much chasing-by Yabu and Yuto. Once each boy was caught they retired to the kitchen table, Chinen listening to the scraping of chair legs on the tile floor as the plopped down next to their companions, groaning dramatically in defeat. They discussed their hiding places and the chase they'd just completed enthusiastically, and Chinen couldn't help but listen to their excited words. It was because of this that Chinen began to lose focus, he himself getting caught up in Yuto's tale about how he narrowly avoided being tagged when Yamada found him in the upstairs linen closet that he wouldn't have realized that said seeker was about to find him if Yamada hadn't spoken up, his voice startlingly close to the cabinet door, Chinen's heart leaping into his throat in surprise.
"Have you guys noticed anything in here? Inoo and Chinen are hidden really well." Yamada's voice asked, and there was a pause, Taiyo starting to say something before Hikaru cut his taller housemate off.
"Shut up Taiyo! Don't tell him anything; he needs to find them on his own." He paused. "Unless you want to forfeit our bet." Yamada dismissed the older boys, instead asking
"Yuto?" There was a pause, during which Yuto must have shook his head, because Yamada sighed. "I haven't actually checked the cabinets yet." He declared, and Chinen went tense, preparing to spring out and make a run for it.
"Check the oven!" Hikaru called playfully, and there was a scoff from the kitchen table, Takaki declaring the tattooed boy morbid for even thinking that there could be a person in the oven. Despite that, there was the distinct sound of the oven door opening, and it was at that point that Chinen decided to run, throwing the cabinet door open with a bang and crashing out, the pots he'd been sitting with clanging against each other, announcing his presence blatantly. At his sudden appearance Yuto let out a yell of surprise, and all of the noise alerted Yamada to his presence, Chinen cursing as the older boy's head whipped around, his hand still on the oven door.
Yamada didn't even stop to close the kitchen appliance, leaving it still propped open as he settled in behind Chinen, chasing after him furiously. Chinen took the stairs to the second floor three at a time, his adrenaline rushing through his veins, a sense of anticipation and excitement filling his chest as he ran. He turned a sharp corner, going to the left after he'd breached the stairs, and he knew that for a few moments Yamada had lost sight of him. He raced down the hallway to the last door-Yuto and Taiyo's shared bedroom-and slipped inside, pulling the door wide and hiding behind it, flattened against the wall. He was still trying to keep quiet and get his breathing under control when Yamada entered the room.
Chinen watched through the crack where the door's hinges were, as Yamada came in, the older boy's eyes sweeping the area cautiously. He was careful, tense, his movements slow and deliberate as he walked to the center, ready to run. He obviously didn't see Chinen, and he eventually turned his back, bending down and searching under the bed. After that Chinen lost sight of him behind the door, but there was the sound of footsteps, and then another door opening, and he knew that Yamada had to be checking the closet. There was some rustling of clothes, and shuffling of items, and Chinen peeked his head around the door, catching sight of Yamada's back, and he took the opportunity to escape out into the hallway unnoticed, elation filling him up at his success.
He made the quick decision to dart across the hall into another bedroom, scurrying around that door to get into the same hiding spot as with the previous room, when he ran into Inoo, the older boy shoving at him frantically.
"What are you doing?!" Inoo hissed, still pressed up against the wall.
"Hiding!" Chinen declared indignantly. "Move!" Inoo shoved at him again.
"No! You can go somewhere else! I was here first, and besides-" He gestured to the bedroom openly. "-this is my room!" Chinen was about to open his mouth to protest when there was a loud exclamation of triumph from the hallway, and Yamada burst in. It was chaos, Inoo immediately shoving against the door, trying to close it before Yamada could make it inside. He nearly succeeded, Yamada managing to shove his sheathed sword into the gap between the door and it's frame before it was shut all of the way. There was a struggle, Chinen standing by the side, catching Yamada's eyes through the crack as his housemates fought through the door.
Yamada had the upper hand with his sword keeping Inoo from being able to force the door all the way shut. Inoo soon realized this, and after a few moments of struggle he suddenly sprang back, the door flying open and Yamada tumbling into the room. The other boy had obviously been leaning his full weight on the wood of the door, and at the sudden release of an opposing force on the opposite side he pitched forward, stumbling harshly to regain his balance. It was during his stumbles that Chinen took the opportunity to slip out, sprinting down the hallway. As he ran he heard a cry of defeat from Inoo behind him, and he knew that the older boy had been tagged. Chinen felt a smile blooming on his lips when he heard Inoo's yell. He was the last one left.
He pounded down the stairs, feeling victorious as the boys sitting around the table let out gasps and calls of surprise and encouragement at his reappearance. He felt that he may just win-until he glanced back behind him up the stairs and met eyes with Yamada, the older boy at the second floor landing, determination written on his face. He cursed quietly, and he ran into the living room, skirting around the edge of the couch to the far side, hearing the other boy's footsteps heavy behind him and feeling rather trapped.
There were a few doors around the edge of the room, but none led to any propped routes of escape, and he whipped back around, cursing again when he realized that Yamada had made it to the bottom floor, and the two faced each other, the only thing separating them a long couch situated in the middle of the room. The two of them both stood there on either side of the couch, catching their breath from the high speed chase. Then, once both had regained their usual breathing patterns, the chase turned into a ridiculous mirroring game. Whenever Chinen took a step to his left, Yamada took a step to his right, and vice versa.
The boys at the table were all cheering, calling out suggestions and chattering on. Inoo's voice joined the fray, the older boy taking his seat at the table now that he too had been defeated. Their excitement and hype pumped Chinen up, adrenaline and a light hearted determination to win filling him. The back and forth lasted for a while, neither of them making much progress to change the distance between the two of them. Then, realizing that it would've futile to continue in this manner, they both stopped, still on opposite sides of the couch.
They stared each other down, each sizing the other boy up, trying to predict what their opponent would do. Then, after a long stillness Yamada's brow furrowed in fierce determination, and he burst forward, leaping onto the couch and running as fast as he could across the cushions toward Chinen. It took Chinen a moment to react to the sudden more fierce assault, but when he did he bolted to the side, skirting out to the far edges of the room to keep away from Yamada. He barreled toward the kitchen, the spectators letting out noises of excitement at the turn of events.
It was as he was nearing the space in the wall occupied by the front door that Chinen glanced back over his shoulder to check how close Yamada had managed to get to him, his ears filled with the cheers of his housemates, his heart soaring with the concept of victory, when suddenly he found his body slamming into another, the two of them crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs. The unidentified person cursed, the voice-while certainly that of a boys-unfamiliar in Chinen's ear. He lay there on top of the boy, stunned from the sudden fall, and he felt a hand on his back, Yamada declaring
"Got you!" Chinen groaned, still overall confused and disoriented, and he felt a warm hand on his chest, pushing at him. He rolled dutifully to the side, off of the boy he'd been smothering with his body, and he had the presence of mind to apologize, glancing over at the boy still muttering curses.
"What a way to be welcomed." The kid muttered, rubbing at one shoulder and sighing. Shoon was standing in the doorway, looking down at the two of them on the floor in mild surprise. It only took Chinen a moment to figure out who this boy must be, and he said
"Morimoto Ryutaro!" The boy made a noise of affirmation, finally looking up and meeting Chinen's eyes, and Chinen suddenly felt as if his heart stopped in his chest, all breath leaving him.
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