Chapter Text
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I… was a… a pretty weird guy… I didn’t really do anything useful in my life… I studied, graduated high school… failed the college entrance exam… fell into depression and got stuck in my room… my only salvation and treasure were the anime and manga I watched… but… 2 works captivated me… Tokyo Revengers and Jujutsu Kaisen… two completely opposite poles… but they made me fall in love with anime…
I don’t remember when it started, but I began buying things like makeup, accessories, and anime clothes, and I started going to cosplay events… I always had a slim body with a thin waist and smooth face… with makeup, clothes, and a wig, it wasn’t hard to become a complete crossdresser. My favorite characters to dress as were the female ones… I don’t know why, but I always felt comfortable in those…
My favorite character was Kirara Hoshi from Jujutsu Kaisen… a trans character that completely captivated me… I… felt like her and represented her at cosplay events, to the point that I even started dressing like her in real life!
I bought baggy jeans, put piercings on my lips, and dyed my hair purple on the right side, besides letting my straight hair grow out. I started wearing tops and crop tops. I felt truly free… until today, I didn’t know if I felt trans or not… I… felt like myself. Regardless of the moment, I acted like a woman or a man, I truly didn’t care. This made my family distance themselves from me, which caused me to sink back into a depression filled with self-hate… but I got back on my feet and walked with my head held high…
At that time, I went back to reading Tokyo Revengers, which had reached the end of the "Two Doubts" arc. Although I wasn’t satisfied with it, I felt bad for what Takemichi went through, almost being killed by those he swore to help, and his best friend blaming him for Draken's death… it made me angry at both of them… if I were there, I would have hit them…
Some time later… after one of my shopping trips for new clothes… something happened… while waiting for the train to arrive at the station, I suddenly felt a hand pushing me onto the tracks, just as the train's light approached. I saw death in front of me… unlike what people say… I didn’t see my life flash before my eyes… actually, all I thought about were my thoughts and regrets… damn it… I wouldn’t get to see the end of the series… what a drag… well… at least… I had fun…
Death was quick, I didn’t feel anything… just a light flashed in my face and eyes… and everything went dark… until a familiar voice echoed.
"TAKEMICHI!" A new voice called me… wait! How do I know it’s me?... and wait even more! TAKEMICHI?!
When I opened my eyes… I saw…
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT HAIR?! HAHAHAHA WHAT A RIDICULOUS HAIRSTYLE! hahahaha” After my fit of laughter, I heard a voice saying we arrived in Shibuya. Out of pure instinct, I quickly got off the train and, looking ahead to the voice that called me, I saw…
The five middle schoolers from Tokyo Revengers? Hahahaha! But how is this possible? The redhead is Akkun, the blonde is Kazuya, the one with glasses is Yamagishi, the gang nerd aaaaand… the pervert Makoto?… What the hell are they doing in front of me? … Is this a hallucination? … so cool…
“Let’s go already, Takemichi!” Akkun said, looking annoyed at me. Hehhee, so that means my last moments will be living part of a character’s life that I pity and like?… Well… cool… this will be fun before the void of death… let’s see where this goes!
While we were on the escalator, the idiots demonstrated to me why adolescence is humiliated by second-hand embarrassment.
“Hey, Yamagishi, did you see this week’s edition?” The pervert Makoto questioned.
“Of course I did! I just love it!” Yamagishi replied, being the other idiot.
“Can you guys quiet down? We’re in public!” Our “leader” Akkun announced.
“I’m starving. Aren’t you guys hungry too?” The shy and cute Kazuya asked.
“We could go eat some burgers, what do you think?” Yamagishi suggested.
“Good idea!” The others agreed.
“I’ve got a discount coupon!” Makoto announced.
“Is it enough for everyone?” Akkun questioned.
“Eeeh, nope!” Makoto responded.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Akkun complained irritably.
While they continued arguing, I stopped in front of a mirror… and my God, what a horrible hairstyle! It looked like mine! Ugh, screw it, illusion or not, I’m going to dye this crap and go back to how I used to be! I’m not staying like this! I’m going to put on high-top shoes again, some piercings, dye it black again, and add a pink streak in it, and I’m going to buy back my wide-waisted pants and tops and crop tops… hehehe I’m going to become Kirara again!
Besides that, when I stuck my hands in my pockets, I felt my phone or what is now mine. Seeing it, I was surprised to see it’s a flip phone! How retro! Hahaha.
Opening it… July 4, 2005?… Wasn’t that when I was born? Besides that… is this Hina?... She really is cute… well… if I get to see her, I’ll make sure she feels loved, Takemichi should spend more time with his cool and cute girlfriend rather than with the delinquents or getting beaten up.
“Hey, Takemichi! Let’s go already!” After this, I quickly followed them to the diner.
“SERIOUSLY, TAKEMICHI!? Hahaha are you going to eat all that!?” Makoto shouted at me, but I just shrugged and continued eating my two burgers! Believe it or not, I trained in martial arts and am used to eating to recover lost calories, plus, I had a huge appetite!
I just listened to them talk about fighting at the gym and something about Masaru… it’s boring listening to the same lines repeated… unlike Takemichi, I don’t mind questioning things, I already know what’s going to happen, so it’s boring to see it all over again.
I turned my face to the side, looking at the diner’s window.
This horrible hair has to go, I’ll have to redye it and straighten it to make it cute, I also have to do my nails, buy new heels, shorts, crop tops, and piercings and everything else.
Takemichi kept walking with his “friends” as he watched them act like delinquents, which was honestly embarrassing, they were just kids trying to act tough.
Soon, they all arrived at a park, which sent a shiver down Takemichi’s spine.
‘I remember… this park.’ Takemichi thought as he looked around the park.
Takemichi started recording as he looked around, then finally remembered what was about to happen. ‘Guys from Fashion City? Hah, you idiots, you’re asking to get beaten up.’ Takemichi thought as he slowly stepped back until he was out of everyone’s sight and hid behind a nearby vending machine, he really wasn’t in the mood to get beaten up so early.
“HEY!” A loud voice was heard.
“And here we go.”
“Were you the ones away from our territory?” Everyone turned and saw that a group of older boys had appeared. You could feel the fear coming from the Mizo Middle Five (or Four now that Michi was hiding).
‘These guys are… from the 3rd year!!!’ The crowd awakened to who their real enemies were, the 3rd years!!
“2nd years are on ‘school trip,’” said what appeared to be the leader, lighting a cigarette.
“Anyway, we’re going to ‘beat you up until you turn into pulp,’ one by one. So, line up.” Another guy with a cigarette said.
The group seemed nervous until Yamagishi spoke up.
“...Y-You’re from the 3rd year, right? Let’s explain the situation to the 3rd-year leader, Masaru-kun.”
Silence reigned in the place.
‘You idiots, just shut up and run, forget things like honor and pride, none of that is important compared to surviving.’ A mental encouragement was all Michigan could do while watching the one-sided beating unfold.
“...Masaru...?” After thinking for a second, the guy with two blonde streaks in his short hair started laughing. “HAHAHA HEY! Masaru!”
A short boy with broad shoulders, brown hair, and freckles appeared, looking very nervous. “Uh… yeah? I can hear you even if you don’t shout so loud.”
“Go buy juice for all of us, Masaru!” The guy said, leaning into Masaru’s face.
“Ah, okay!” He said, nodding. “And the money?”
“Huh?” Yamagishi was confused. Why was this guy giving orders to Masaru-kun? Isn’t he the leader? (Takemichi: OF COURSE NOT! LOOK AT HIS FACE!)
"This 'fist' of mine is worth 100 yen per pop, you know!? Should I hit you about 10 times?" said the delinquent.
"Uh... I'll pay for it," Masaru replied, stepping back to grab the drinks.
'...That's right. Masaru-kun was just a 'Delivery Boy.' He was just showing off to Takemichi. His younger cousin, what an idiot. He just dragged all of us into his mess, Masaru,' thought Takemichi, still hiding.
Masaru simply looked away from everyone, embarrassed for being caught like that. The Mizo Middle was shocked to discover the truth. 'I think I remember what happened after that,' Takemichi thought with pity as he looked at them, knowing the fate that awaited them.
The Mizo Middle group was beaten.
They were completely annihilated.
However... after around three minutes of constant beating, Michi couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey, you idiots! Could you stop beating up my friends?" I couldn't just stand there; compared to me, they were just a bunch of kids a bit too full of themselves. I couldn't let them take a beating like that.
"Ta-Takemichi?" Takuya, the small and fragile Takuya, spoke while holding his stomach after a hard kick.
"And who are you, huh?"
"Me? No one in the grand scheme of things. But these guys are my friends, so how about this? I'll scold them for their stupidity and owe you a favor, and in exchange, you leave everyone alone?" Takemichi said to the gang.
The one who seemed to be the leader moved up to him until Takemichi had to look up to meet his eyes.
"HUHG!!"
Takemichi’s head snapped to the side after a strong punch directly to his face, leaving a bruise and making him bite his own lips.
But even so, he quickly straightened up and remained in place, staring at the delinquent Kyoumasa with cold eyes.
After a few seconds of both staring at each other, Kyoumasa finally spoke again.
"This one seems good... Take these trash bags with you. In exchange, you’re going to work in the arena for me, got it, brat?" Kiyomasa ordered, lifting Takemichi by the collar and threatening him with another punch.
"Crystal clear!" he replied with a smile on his face—
This time, a hit landed on his stomach, making him bend slightly.
Then he was dropped and pushed to the ground while Kyoumasa and his gang walked away, cursing them.
"Huuuugh, those guys are annoying... Let’s go, my crybabies, mommy will take care of you!" he said, smiling and teasing them.
Michi sat down and had each of the Mizo Middle members sit around him.
He placed Yamagishi’s and Takuya’s heads on his lap, and Akkun’s and Makoto’s on his shoulders, gently stroking their heads to comfort them for a while, until he heard sniffles and shivers.
Soon, the entire group of 13 and 14-year-old kids was crying after the beating and humiliation they had endured. Takemichi just stayed silent, letting them vent their frustrations.
'Huuuugh, stupid crybabies... but... looks like I’ll have to take care of you... I won’t let anyone beat up my kids and walk away unpunished...' Takemichi thought possessively, already coming up with ways to humiliate Kiyomasa.
After dropping the boys off at the subway, I found myself walking around a familiar area—not familiar to me, but to this body, as if it still had muscle memory, guiding me effortlessly to its destination.
After reaching Hina’s house, I rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the voice of a young girl was heard.
“Yes…HUH!? HANAGAKI-KUN!!?”
“Ah… No way… hehe, is this really the place?” The door opened, and Hina stepped out.
“Hanagaki-kun! You got into another fight again, didn’t you?” Hina complained with a mix of concern and confidence.
“Tachi... Bana?...Tachibana Hinata?... Hina?” I could only mumble as I looked at her… she was… just as cute as the anime portrayed, with her gentle face, fluffy pink hair, and her petite figure… damn it, Takemichi, how could you let someone this cute go?’
“This is no good! All you ever do is get into fights!” Takemichi looked at Hina.
He looked until tears started streaming down his face, triggered involuntarily by his memories. Having someone so worried about him after all these years made him want to protect her at any cost… He wouldn’t let Hinata die because of Kisaki’s messed-up plans… even if he had to become the new leader of Bonten…
“Huh? Why am I?” Takemichi started wiping away his tears. “Hehehe, sorry Hina, it seems I’m still a useless mess as always,” he lamented about his state.
Takemichi turned around and began to walk away, having already achieved what he wanted. He would never forget Hina’s appearance again. “Sorry!! It’s nothing. I’m heading home! I just wanted to see your face, that’s all.”
“No way. Did something happen?” Hina’s words stopped Takemichi from moving further. “You’re different from your usual self, Hanagaki-kun!”
Takemichi had nothing to say to that—he… didn’t know what to say. Marching up to Takemichi, Hina grabbed his cheeks, twisting his face to look into his eyes.
“Huh?”
“Spit it out!” She was serious. “I want to know everything about you!” Hina pulled him closer. “I’m your girlfriend, idiot.” After she finished speaking, Hina let go of Takemichi’s face.
“Hey… Hina… if I… changed… if I wanted to become someone new… someone… completely different… would you still love me?” I couldn’t help but question… I… still wanted to be like my old self… a geeky and cross-dressing boy… I… couldn’t leave behind who I am…
“Of course, silly! Takemichi-kun, I’m your girlfriend; I’ll NEVER stop loving you… no matter how much you change!” She spoke with so much love and certainty that I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore.
“E-even so… I wanted to introduce myself… Hinata Tachibana… my name is Takemichi Hanagaki, and I like dressing in a daring way, a secret hobby that no one knows about and that I’m tired of hiding. I want to wear clothes that are the complete opposite of what’s considered manly and masculine. I like cute and feminine things, and I want to be surrounded by adorable and beautiful things… and I… like being Kirara when I’m like that…” I confessed to my, perhaps now ex-girlfriend, while turning my back, expecting the usual disgusted face and words of rejection about how I dress…
But… what happened was different from what I expected… Small, gentle arms hugged me from behind, and a petite body nestled into mine.
“Like I said… I’m your girlfriend and will always love you, regardless of how you identify, how you dress, your tastes, or if you like to dress like a girl… I will always love you… Kirara-chan…”
Upon hearing those words, I broke down in tears again. It was the first time someone had accepted me right away without any negativity or weirdness… really… Hina was an angel… an angel I’d kill to protect… Kisaki Tetta… I’ll make sure your death is disturbing for what you’ve done to this girl…
After some tears and promises of love from my newly re-affirmed girlfriend, I walked to a nearby park, waiting for the famous scene to happen.
Until I heard what I had been expecting.
“THAT’S NOT EVERYTHING, IS IT?!?” The silence was broken by the loud voices of some teenagers. “YOU’RE LYING TO US, AREN’T YOU?!?! JUMP UP AND DOWN!” Looking from where he was, Takemichi saw a group of three boys surrounding a younger boy, obviously bullying him. The boy jumped up and down, causing the coins in his pockets to jingle. “YOU STILL HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR POCKET! EMPTY IT OUT! Hurry up!”
‘So noisy...’ Takemichi felt irritated. He already knew what he had to do. Standing up, Takemichi walked over to the kids.
“STOP STALLING!!” The teenagers continued to pester the smaller boy.
“Hey.” Takemichi stood behind the boy, waiting for him to turn around. Upon hearing a voice, the boy turned and took a punch straight to the mouth. “SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!” Takemichi punched the boy so hard he fell to the ground, knocked out. “All you’ve been doing this whole time is loitering and yelling.” Takemichi put on his best crazy smile and glazed-over eyes as he advanced slowly toward them.
“At the moment, I’m super pissed.”
Takemichi’s face was serious, almost frightening. “Disappear. Or I’ll kill you.” He emphasized his words with a firm step forward, the dried blood on his shirt only adding to his terrifying appearance.
The kids were scared, grabbed their knocked-out friend, and ran away. “We’re sorry!! We apologize!!” The kids yelled as they ran.
Takemichi looked at Naoto, checking that he was okay. He started to walk back to the swing set again. “Go home, kid.”
“T-thank you..” Naoto said, stopping Takemichi from walking away. Takemichi turned around and sighed.
“Listen, when you face people like that, you have to have guts. Be prepared to take a hit! But don’t back down. Be ready to die if you have to. Face them head-on. Those crazy guys will definitely get scared of that. Besides, forget about pride. What matters is surviving. If you need weapons, use them.”
“O-Okay!!”
‘I also lacked ‘guts’ and ‘readiness’ in my own life,’ he thought. Takemichi soon asked the boy’s name. “What’s your name?”
“Tachibana... I’m Tachibana Naoto!!”
“Huh?! You’re… Hinata’s younger brother!?”
“I… I have an older sister.”
“I’m Hanagaki Takemichi!! You can call me Takemichi!”
“Ah.. By any chance, are you a friend of my sister’s?”
'Tachibana Naoto… That’s right. In 12 years, he’ll also die because of that bastard Kisaki.'
Soon, Takemichi and Naoto sat on the swings, talking. “Do you like your sister?”
“Huh?! I hate her! Nobody likes their own sister.” Naoto responded.
“…Is that so…? Well, I guess that’s true. Take care… of your sister.” Naoto said nothing, just stared at Takemichi. “I love your sister. I loved her so much that it was as if nothing else existed. I remembered that today, especially after she showed me that there are still reasons to love this world…”
Naoto was confused as to why he was hearing this. He had just met Takemichi and was already hearing how much he loved his sister?
“You really don’t understand what I’m talking about, do you?” A bright smile on Takemichi’s face. “It’s a story that lacks common sense, but... today, in the future, I thought I was dead, and before I knew it, I was in my middle school days years ago. How do you call something like that?”
“A time leap!!?” Naoto answered, looking at Takemichi.
“Yes, that’s it!” Standing up from the swing, Takemichi continued speaking. “It’s probably just that I’m having a really long dream... but at least, maybe… God is letting me see Hina one last time.” Looking up at the sky.
Naoto was even more confused by Takemichi. “Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“On July 4th, 12 years from now, your sister will die.” This shocked Naoto. The seriousness in his voice prevented Naoto from saying anything. “At that moment, you’ll die with her. ‘July 4th, 2017.’ Remember this date, Naoto!! And protect your sister!!”
‘If this is reality, then…’
“Just kidding. There’s no way anyone would believe a story like that.”
‘I’d like to change the future. Those kids, Toman, Hina, Naoto, and everyone else, they don’t deserve to go through all that suffering.’
“I’m counting on you… do whatever you want.”
‘With this helplessness and frustration.’ Reaching out his hand to Naoto, a smile on his face. ‘I want to do it all over again.’
"...OK, I understand." Naoto grabbed his hand.
And right after that, Takemichi expected the famous "time leap after the handshake!"
Which... DID NOT HAPPEN?
"W-What?... W-What went wrong?" Takemichi's shocked expression was all he could show after realizing he didn’t have the ability to time leap... HOW WAS HE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT TO FIX?