You Found Me: a Heisei Kumi Fanfic (19/19)
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 7 other fics for this AU, 3 multi-chaps, and 4 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, Sequence of Upsets, and One of Many. 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 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
Chinen woke the following morning to Yuto's voice, high pitched and frantic in his ear. He grumbled, reluctant to get up, but there was something unnerving in Yuto's tone, and he finally opened his eyes to see his housemate shaking an obviously still half asleep Takaki, the oldest boy sitting on the edge of his bed, his hair all in his face. Yuto grabbed Takaki by the shoulder, yanking on him, trying to pull him to his feet. It was then that Chinen tuned in to what the skinny boy was saying.
"I don't know what to do. You have to see, you have to help me. He's gone."
"I'm sure he's not gone for good. You're probably overreacting, Yuto. He'll be right back." Takaki grumbled, his voice throaty as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Yuto wasn't convinced.
"You're wrong this time, Takaki. He's not coming back. He left a note and everything."
"What happened?" Chinen asked, finally awake enough to pull himself to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. It was Takaki who answered.
"Yuto says that the Kumi-cho is gone." Chinen just stared at his friend, disbelieving. His brain could barely comprehend what Takaki had said. It didn't make any sense.
"What do you mean, gone?" It was Yuto who answered him this time.
"I mean there's a note downstairs on the kitchen table, and he's not in his room." Chinen stood sharply, feeling himself becoming anxious and upset. Shoon wouldn't just leave. He wouldn't abandon them. He loved them. Chinen threw on some pants, tearing down the stairs and turning into the kitchen sharply, skidding to a halt when he caught sight of Inoo and Daiki, the two boys hunched over a small paper, and he felt a bubble of dread rise in his chest when he noticed that Inoo was quivering, his face scrunched up, holding in unshed tears, and when Daiki finished reading he slammed a fist into the table, his eyes dark with an anger that sent chills down Chinen's spine. Inoo collapsed into a chair, his face buried in his arms. Chinen snagged the page, reading it as Yuto and Takaki came down the stairs behind him. It was a letter, short and to the point.
Dear Everyone,
I'm appointing Hikaru as the next Kumi-cho. Goodbye. I'm sorry.
Yamashita Shoon
Chinen's chest felt tight, as if constricted by an unseen force. He felt numb as Takaki took the paper from his hands, not wanting to believe the implication of the words written on the page. Not wanting to accept that he had been abandoned by someone he trusted so much. Someone he'd thought loved him. He took up a post in a corner of the kitchen, mind going through the words of the letter again and again, analyzing it, trying to peel away some meaning, some understanding. Yet as he did this, he came to realize that he couldn't find any reasoning behind this sudden abandonment. Shoon hadn't explained himself. He'd never made any indication that he was planning on leaving. He hadn't given them a choice, or at least an explanation. He'd just gone, leaving them out to dry, and the more Chinen thought about it, the angrier he became.
Who was Shoon to do this to him? To them? How could he call himself their leader, and ask them to trust him-to follow him-and then just turn around and disappear? That was not what a leader was. That was not what a leader should do, and Chinen felt foolish for having put such faith in Shoon. He'd never placed himself willingly under someone else before, and now he knew it had been a mistake. He couldn't just follow anyone, and he certainly wasn't going to sit back and let Shoon the man who had abandoned them, tell him who to listen to. He came to this conclusion just as Hikaru-the last to arrive-came down the stairs. Hikaru. That was who Shoon had appointed to be the next leader. As if Shoon had any authority left. As if he could be trusted to make such an important decision.
Chinen was furious, defiant. He wouldn't let Shoon dictate his life. No one made decisions for him. He was mature enough to make his own. He was strong enough, smart enough, to do as he pleased. He wasn't just some plaything that could be thrown aside when one got bored of it. He was important! He was worth listening to! He could run the kumi. He would. He'd show Shoon. He’d show Shoon and anyone else who had ever cast him aside, or deemed him to be lesser than themselves. He would do it, he decided, watching as Hikaru got the news of Shoon's departure. Hikaru seemed to be having a hard time comprehending the situation, unwilling to give up on the boy he'd been so faithful to, and Chinen watched as Hikaru searched for Shoon desperately for a few moments before giving up.
"So, now what...Erm...Kumi-cho?" Yamada's words-directed at Hikaru-put Chinen in action. They were going to follow Shoon to the end, it seemed, and just give Hikaru the position of leader. He wouldn't follow so blindly. He wouldn’t let Hikaru have that title so easily. Hikaru meanwhile, seemed unaware of Chinen's thought process, the tattooed teen taking Yamada into his arms, saying loud enough for all of them to hear
"Everything is gonna be okay..."
"Did you know? That Kumi-cho was leaving?" Takaki's voice was scared and accusing, and Chinen glanced over at his friend, Takaki looking so lost and confused that it made him stop for a moment, empathy for his friend washing over him. This was hitting them all hard. Hikaru, meanwhile, was violently denying the accusation, declaring
"No! He didn't tell me anything!" It was both relieving and frustrating. Hikaru could be trusted; he hadn't hid anything from them. But they were still in the dark, no new information available. Daiki cursed, a string of crude words shooting rapid fire from his lips, and Ryutaro kicked Hikaru's dining chair in frustration, cracking the wood. Everyone seemed to be over the initial shock, and Chinen thought that now would be the best time to challenge Hikaru, his resolve strong as he walked up to the older boy, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling the other boy's head down to his level, staring him in the eye, trying to show just how serious he was as he said
"He appointed you Kumi-cho. He's left us. If he's not back in two days, then I don't think he should have a say in the matter." He kept his voice low, trying to keep their housemates from being a part of this conversation. "I'm challenging you for the title of Kumi-cho. In two days, we'll have a fight; we'll decide it then. Agreed?" Hikaru just blinked at him for a moment, as if unable to comprehend. Then, finally, the older boy nodded, Chinen releasing him and letting him stand back up at his full height. He pulled away, realizing that-despite trying to be rather quiet-everyone knew what had just transpired between the two of them. He avoided their eyes, still upset and angry, instead flitting up the stairs and hiding away in his room, sitting on his bed, back against the wall. He sat in silence, contemplating the events of the morning; wondering if he was truly capable of defeating Hikaru in a fight.
He was barely there for half an hour before the door was pushed open, Ryutaro peeking inside tentatively. When the younger boy saw that he was inside he entered, quietly shutting the door behind himself. Chinen stayed silent, watching Ryu walk over to him, the younger boy sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Chinen, his hands on his knees. They sat in silence for a few moments, Chinen sitting up, scooting closer to Ryu on reflex, wanting to be near the boy he loved. Finally, Ryu broke the silence.
"So...now what?" He asked. Chinen sent him a confused glance.
"What?"
"We decided that today, after breakfast; we were going to discuss....us." Ryutaro paused. "Breakfast has been kinda ruined, and things are different now, but I thought I'd still ask. Because, I mean-" He finally glanced over at Chinen, taking Chinen's hand in his own and giving it a squeeze, his cheeks tinting red as he did so. "-I still love you." Chinen glanced down at their entwined fingers, brain working rapidly to try and find a way to get what he wanted. A way to have both the Kumi-cho position and Ryutaro. Eventually, he sighed, forcing himself to pull his hand from Ryutaro's own. He couldn't have both, and he knew which one he had to choose.
"Ryu, I love you too-" He began, not wanting to have to continue. "-but I can't be the Kumi-cho and love you. If I'm going to be a leader, I can't pick you over anyone else. I have to be fair, and unbiased, and..." He felt himself becoming more upset the more he talked. "...I can't love you anymore. Once I'm Kumi-cho, there will be no way for us to be together, and Ryu-" He paused, waiting for Ryutaro to look at him, wanting to make eye contact, wanting to show just how committed he was. "-I am going to be Kumi-cho. I'm serious about it." He couldn’t back out now. He’d already challenged Hikaru, already announced his choice; even if at the time he hadn’t realized the full implications of his declaration, he wasn’t going to just give up and agree to let Shoon keep running his life even after he’d thrown Chinen away. They fell into another silence, and it crossed Chinen’s mind to apologize, but he had never been ashamed of what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to start now.
“So…what would you like to do until then?” Ryutaro’s voice was resigned, and he looked over at Chinen, accepting of Chinen’s decision. “You have two days until you have to stop loving me. What do you want to do until then?” Chinen couldn’t believe how amazing Ryutaro was being. Ryu was perfect; he was accepting, and faithful, and everything Chinen wasn’t, and it astounded him. He thought for a moment about what he wanted to do, but only one thing came to mind.
“I just want to be with you.” He said, and Ryutaro nodded, Chinen taking his hand and squeezing it tight.
“Okay.” Ryu murmured, pulling Chinen to him, and they leaned into each other, not talking, just curled up in each other’s arms. They eventually lay down, Chinen pulling a blanket over top of the two of them as they snuggled, just being in each other’s presence, soaking up the closeness while they had the chance. It was peaceful, and over time the words shared between them grew to be less and less, and they fell asleep. They slept most of the day, both exhausted from the emotional roller coaster that the morning had taken them on, waking in the late afternoon, but not moving until Daiki peeked his head inside the doorframe, the older boy saying shortly
“Dinner.” Dinner itself was immensely depressing. Everyone was deathly quiet, and it almost felt as though they had reverted back to the way they had been at the end of October, right after Taiyo had died. The only difference was that instead of Shoon sitting on Chinen’s right, Hikaru was sitting there, in the chair that the Kumi-cho sat in. Chinen stared at him as he sat down, defiant and trying to convey to Hikaru that he was not intimidated by the older boy. Trying to make Hikaru understand that he would not accept Shoon’s decision so easily. The rest of the evening was spent in silence, Chinen giving Ryutaro a discreet kiss on the cheek before going to bed, the mattress feeling big and empty after spending all day in Ryu’s arms.
The next day Chinen woke late, and by the time he’d made it down the stairs most of the others had already eaten. He took his time, fixing himself a meal and eating it in silence. No one else was down there at all, much to his surprise. He assumed that they had already dispersed for the day, the loss of their leader making many of them hide in their rooms. It reminded him-just as dinner the night before had-of the emptiness and depression that had plagued them just after Taiyo’s death, and it made him angry. How could Shoon do this to them? That anger just made him all the more determined to succeed in his fight against Hikaru the next morning, to prove to his housemates that he would never abuse their faith the way Shoon had. To prove that he was to be looked up to; listened to. Trusted.
After breakfast he decided that he should probably get a bit of sparring done before the fight the next day, and he searched around a bit for someone, eventually peering out their front door, into the alley. That was where most of them were. Hikaru was practicing with Yamada while Yabu, Yuto, and Inoo watched, the boys occasionally voicing opinions or giving tips. Chinen watched for a few moments. Hikaru was very good, his body was much bigger and more muscular than Chinen's own, and it made him slightly anxious. It also made him anxious that so many of their housemates had chosen to help Hikaru. But that didn't necessarily mean they'd chosen Hikaru or-even more nauseating-chosen Shoon’s decision over him, he reminded himself. It just meant that Hikaru was up first, and perhaps had even asked.
He rallied Takaki and Ryutaro, the three of them all going out, unnoticed by the others. Takaki lead them to a seemingly abandoned dock where he said they wouldn't be disturbed or watched, and there Chinen trained. He had his two friends come at him individually, and then together, and both boys seemed amazed by his agility, neither one ever able to get him immobile. They didn't spar for too long, Chinen's confidence rising as his opponents were defeated easily, and when they returned home he noticed that Hikaru was still out with his posse, the older boy's body slick with sweat, concentration etched onto his face. Tomorrow was the defining day. Chinen felt a tight, excited churning in his stomach, and he barely got dinner down, his plan to just go straight to bed and crash. He was caught at the top of the stairs by Ryutaro.
"Good luck tomorrow." The younger boy smirked cockily. "Not that I think you're really going to need it. You're amazing, Chinen." Chinen smiled, taking Ryu's hand and giving it a squeeze. The younger boy leaned in, going up on his toes a bit and placing a kiss on the top of Chinen's head. When he pulled away he was blushing. "Good night."
"Good night, Ryu." Chinen murmured back, and as the younger boy walked away, Chinen wondered for the first time since he’d turned Ryu down if he had made the wrong choice.
All doubts were cast aside the next morning. Chinen was a ball of determination from the moment he opened his eyes. He woke nearly two hours before his usual time, rolling out of bed and finding himself the second one awake, only having been beaten by Yuto, the younger boy making rice and eggs for himself. At Chinen's request he made enough for the both of them, Chinen eating heartily, talking with Yuto about the upcoming fight for a bit before Inoo and Daiki came down the stairs. As the morning progressed the rest of their housemates slowly filtered in, Takaki taking Chinen into his arms as soon as he saw him, saying quietly
"You've got this, Chii. I believe in you." Chinen nodded, giving his friend a tight hug. Hikaru and Yabu were the last to arrive and, impatient, butterflies battering the inside of his rib cage making him slightly nauseous, Chinen immediately went up to Hikaru, saying
"Now? He's still not back, as expected." Hikaru blinked at him for a moment, Yabu even opening his mouth to protest, but then their tattooed housemate nodded, and Chinen led the group of boys out into the alley. The rest of their housemates formed a ring around them as Hikaru removed his shirt, his lean body showing off his muscle, but Chinen didn't let himself get intimidated, he too sliding off his top and turning to face his opponent. He could see Hikaru sizing him up, and he noticed the exact moment that the older boy underestimated him, and it was then that he knew he was going to win. He smirked, standing firm, and he said
"Come." He watched, pushing down the butterflies trapped in his rib cage, as Hikaru took a deep breath. But then the older boy rushed at him, swinging a fist right for his face, and the match began. Chinen dodged the blow by arching his back, pushing himself into a bridge and putting all of his weight on his hands, lifting his body into a handstand and kicking out, hoping to catch Hikaru's face instead. He missed, instead managing to hit a shoulder, and he frowned in disappointment. He flipped himself back into his feet, barely right side up when Hikaru's foot connected with his chest, knocking all of the air out of Chinen's lungs and sending him stumbling backwards sharply. Ouch.
He spun to face Hikaru, taking big gulps of air, and he ran at the bigger boy, closing the distance between them and aiming a punch at Hikaru's face. Hikaru blocked it easily, pushing the hand away and instead managing to get one of his own on the top of Chinen's forehead. It hurt, but it just clipped him, not making any real impact, and Chinen spun, curling in close to Hikaru and ramming a sharp elbow into his ribs, kicking out at his feet. In response Hikaru managed to land a jab with his knee into the small of Chinen's back, Chinen falling forward into a roll before standing back up a safe distance away.
The fight lasted for what felt like a lifetime. The minutes passed unchecked in sharp kicks and hard hands on sweat slicked skin, and Chinen could feel them both slowing down. He could see the fatigue in Hikaru's body, and he knew that the older teen was feeling the same exhaustion Chinen was, and he decided that he was ready to end the fight, ready to just win. He saw an opportunity when he managed to get behind Hikaru, the bigger boy not turning fast enough, and he threw himself up into Hikaru's back, wrapping his arms around one shoulder and letting himself hang, dead weight, forcing Hikaru off his center of balance.
His plan worked, Hikaru stumbling and biting the pavement harshly, and Chinen knew that this was no time to play nice. He jumped on top of the older boy, hands balled into fists, and he landed punch after punch on Hikaru's face, not letting himself relent, seeing victory in the blood beginning to cover his knuckles. Hikaru was struggling, his big hands on Chinen's torso, trying to pull Chinen off of him, but either due to fatigue, or the slickness of his skin, the older teen was failing, and Chinen felt a sense of accomplishment rise up in him when suddenly Yabu's voice rang out
"STOP! Don't hurt him anymore! Do you want another one of us gone?!" Chinen froze, looking down at the bloodied mess that was Hikaru's face, and he swallowed in surprise at just how much blood there was. But it didn't matter. Hikaru would be fine. And now-now he had won. He pulled himself to his feet, legs slightly wobbly from exhaustion, and he stepped away from Hikaru, pride welling up in his chest. The rest of their housemates all seemed stunned into silence, and for a few moments everything seemed frozen, perfectly unchanging. But then, in a weak voice Inoo declared
"Winner: Chinen Yuri." Chinen was too exhausted to smile, his whole body pulsing with pain; but it was then that Ryutaro stepped forward, and in that moment all Chinen wanted to do was rush into the younger boy's arms; but Ryu offered him no comfort, instead bowing low, the action so polite that it threw him off guard for a moment, and the boy he loved said in a serious voice
"Congratulations.....Kumi-cho." And then Chinen remembered that he had made his choice. And he felt a little bit sad. But then he saw the fear and respect in Inoo and Yuto's eyes, and the pride in Takaki's and he smiled. He had done it. Shoon didn’t dictate his life. He had no room for anyone that didn’t truly value him any longer. He made his own future. He turned to Yabu and Daiki, and he said wearily
"Help Hikaru up and clean his wounds please." The two older boys nodded immediately, saying unanimously
"Yes sir." Satisfaction glowed warmly in his belly at the immediate obedience. He was their leader. He had done it. He was at the top.
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