OUT | Kyoranki War Arc

The arrival of Kilihito hadn't exactly gone unnoticed.

A handful of familiar faces had appeared at the entrance to your gang's headquarters, accompanied by several more members who'd come along for the visit. They weren't particularly difficult to recognize. Kilihito had made enough of a name for itself that even those outside its territory knew who they were.

At the front of the group stood Atsushi Tanzawa, the gang's leader. His expression was characteristically composed, his hands tucked casually into his pockets as he surveyed the building.

"Well, this is certainly a place," Keigo remarked, glancing around. He tilted his head slightly, looking over the building's exterior. "Bit different from what I expected."

"Did you expect a palace?" Taguchi shot back, nudging Keigo with his elbow.

"Wouldn't have complained."

Kaname gave the two a brief, disapproving look before turning his attention toward the entrance. "Can we at least try to behave ourselves? We're guests here."

"Speak for yourself," Keigo muttered, earning another unimpressed glance from Kaname.

Meguro, meanwhile, had been quietly observing their surroundings. His gaze wandered over the other gang members, taking note of their faces and the general atmosphere. He stood slightly apart from the others, seemingly more interested in sizing up the place than participating in their conversation.

Tanzawa eventually stepped forward, bringing the group's attention back to the reason they'd come. "We appreciate you agreeing to meet with us," he began, his voice calm and even. "There are a few things I'd like to discuss regarding our respective territories."

He paused, glancing briefly toward the others before looking back toward the building. "Hopefully, we can settle them without making things unnecessarily complicated."

Behind him, Taguchi leaned toward Keigo, lowering his voice just enough to keep the conversation between them. "Think they'll actually agree to anything?"

Keigo shrugged, folding his arms across his chest. "Depends. Are you planning on opening your mouth again?"

Taguchi's eyebrows shot up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means." Keigo turned away, looking thoroughly unbothered.

"Both of you," Kaname interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. Tanzawa didn't even bother turning around. He'd apparently grown accustomed to the exchange. For the moment, Kilihito had come in peace. Whether the meeting would remain that way was another matter entirely.

Kyoranki wasn't exactly known for making quiet entrances.

The group had arrived at your gang's headquarters with little concern for the attention they attracted. A few familiar faces stood among them, their expressions ranging from casual amusement to outright disinterest. They certainly weren't making much of an effort to look particularly welcoming.

At the front was Kai Rakuzaki, who seemed perfectly comfortable leading the group inside. His hands rested in his pockets, his expression carrying an almost lazy sort of confidence as he glanced around the building.

"Well, this is the place?" Nikaku remarked, looking around. "Thought it'd be a little more impressive."

"You're one to talk," Yuuya replied, giving him a sideways glance.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Nearby, Ikkaku tilted his head. "Ya."

Nikaku glanced at him. "Don't start."

Yuuya snickered at the exchange. Yoshiki, meanwhile, seemed more interested in the people around them, looking over the members of the opposing gang with an openly curious expression.

Fuurin stood nearby, her attention moving between the group and their surroundings. She didn't seem particularly bothered by the reception, though she certainly wasn't making an effort to hide her observations.

"Can you all shut up for five minutes?" Kai finally interjected, glancing over his shoulder. "We're not here to listen to you bitch at each other."

"Then why'd you bring us?" Nikaku shot back.

"Starting to regret it."

Ikkaku gave another small nod. "Ya."

Yuuya let out another laugh, while Yoshiki shook his head, looking thoroughly entertained. Kai eventually turned his attention toward the building's interior, his expression settling into something a little more attentive. "Anyway. We're here to meet with your leader." He paused, briefly looking over the members gathered nearby. "Figured it'd be better to talk face-to-face than keep going through other people." His tone was casual, but there was a certain bluntness to it. He wasn't particularly interested in dressing up the reason for their visit with formalities.

Behind him, Nikaku had already started looking around again, seemingly unconcerned with the conversation. Yuuya exchanged a quiet remark with Yoshiki, while Fuurin continued observing the other gang members. Ikkaku remained beside them, occasionally contributing his usual one-word commentary. Kyoranki had arrived. Whether the meeting would go smoothly was anyone's guess.

The afternoon had been relatively uneventful for Kilihito.

The group was making its way down one of the busier streets, occupying more than enough space on the pavement to earn a few irritated glances from passing pedestrians. Taguchi had spent the better part of their walk complaining about something, though Keigo seemed more interested in making his situation worse than actually listening.

"You're seriously still going on about that?" Keigo remarked, glancing at him with an amused expression. "I thought you'd have gotten over it by now."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who had to deal with it," Taguchi grumbled, earning a quiet snicker from Meguro.

Kaname shook his head, looking thoroughly accustomed to the exchange. He'd given up trying to get the two to stop arguing several minutes ago.

Tanzawa, who had been walking alongside them, was only half-listening. His attention had wandered toward the opposite side of the street, where pedestrians moved in and out of the afternoon crowd.

Then, something caught his eye. A familiar face. His pace slowed almost imperceptibly as he watched the figure for another moment. Of all the people he might have expected to run into, this was certainly an unexpected coincidence.

"...Well, that's interesting."

Meguro noticed the change in his pace and followed his line of sight. It took him only a moment to recognize the person himself. His expression shifted slightly, and he glanced toward Tanzawa as if confirming what he'd already figured out. "Didn't expect to see them here," he remarked.

Kaname looked over as well. Recognition quickly replaced his initial curiosity, and his expression grew a little more guarded. Behind them, Taguchi had finally noticed that the conversation had died down. He followed their attention across the street, his eyebrows lifting when he realized who they'd spotted.

"You're kidding," he muttered. "Of all people."

Keigo let out a short scoff, slipping his hands into his pockets. He seemed considerably less surprised than entertained by the coincidence. "Well, this just got interesting."

Tanzawa watched for another moment, a faint smile settling across his face. There was no particular urgency in his movements, nor did he seem especially bothered by the unexpected sighting. If anything, he appeared rather amused.

"Funny how these things happen," he commented, finally shifting his attention toward the others. "We might as well go say hello."

Taguchi grinned at that, while Kaname gave a small sigh, already anticipating the possibility of an unpleasant encounter. Meguro simply adjusted his gaze back toward the figure across the street.

With that, Tanzawa began making his way forward, the others following at their own pace.

The afternoon streets were crowded, and Kyoranki wasn't doing much to make themselves inconspicuous.

The group had been wandering through the city together, their conversation carrying over the noise of passing pedestrians and traffic. Nikaku was in the middle of some particularly animated explanation, gesturing with one hand while Yuuya listened with an increasingly entertained expression. Yoshiki occasionally chimed in, though neither seemed particularly interested in letting him finish his thoughts.

"That's not even what happened," Yuuya remarked, shaking his head. "You're leaving out half the story."

"Because the other half isn't important," Nikaku argued.

"Convenient."

Ikkaku, walking alongside them, tilted his head. "Ya."

"See? He gets it," Nikaku declared, pointing toward him.

Fuurin gave them a mildly unimpressed look, seemingly wondering how they'd managed to turn such a trivial conversation into an argument. Kai, meanwhile, had been paying little attention to the exchange. His gaze wandered over the passing crowds until something familiar caught his eye.

He slowed.

Across the street, among the pedestrians, was a face he recognized rather well.

"...Huh."

Kai watched for another moment, his expression shifting into something between surprise and amusement. It wasn't exactly someone he expected to run into while out with the others.

Yuuya noticed his sudden pause and glanced over. Following his line of sight, he quickly recognized the figure himself, and his expression brightened with an almost mischievous grin. "Well, look who it is."

Nikaku turned toward them, initially looking confused before catching sight of the familiar person. A low chuckle escaped him, and he nudged Ikkaku to get his attention. Ikkaku followed his gaze. "Ya."

Fuurin looked across the street as well, recognizing the person without much difficulty. She folded her arms, her expression suggesting she wasn't particularly surprised to see them, though the timing was certainly something.

Yoshiki seemed to find the situation rather amusing. "Didn't think we'd be running into them here," he remarked, looking toward Kai.

Kai shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. There was a faint grin on his face now, and he didn't seem particularly inclined to ignore the coincidence.

"Yeah, well. What are the odds?"

He glanced briefly at the others before looking back across the street. The group had already begun paying considerably less attention to their previous conversation.

"Come on. Let's go say hello."

Nikaku seemed more than happy with that suggestion, already moving ahead with Yuuya following close behind. Fuurin and Yoshiki trailed after them, while Ikkaku simply gave another small nod.

Kai started toward the other side of the street, looking thoroughly entertained by the unexpected encounter. Whatever the day had originally had in store for them, it seemed they'd found something a little more interesting to do.

Kyoranki had spent most of the afternoon doing very little in particular. After grabbing something to eat, the group had ended up lingering around a small shopping street, with no immediate plans to head anywhere else.

Nikaku had apparently taken it upon himself to entertain everyone with a story, though whether it was actually entertaining was debatable. He was halfway through recounting some incident when Yuuya interrupted him, disputing nearly every detail. Yoshiki had his own version of events, which only seemed to make Nikaku more determined to get his point across.

Kai had long since stopped paying attention. He was leaning against the storefront with his arms loosely folded, watching the occasional pedestrian pass by. Fuurin stood nearby, looking through something on her phone, while Ikkaku quietly occupied himself with a drink.

At some point, the conversation shifted toward the newer faces around Kyoranki. There had been a recent addition to the group, someone most of them had seen at least once or twice, though nobody had really gotten around to introducing themselves properly.

Kai vaguely remembered seeing you around. He knew your face, even if he hadn't bothered learning much else about you. It was a passing thought, quickly forgotten as the others resumed their conversation.

Until you appeared further down the pavement.

Kai noticed first. His eyes followed your approach for a moment before recognition settled in. He straightened slightly, looking almost amused by the coincidence. "Oi. Isn't that the new one?"

The others gradually turned to see what he was talking about. Nikaku recognized you almost immediately, his attention shifting away from his unfinished story. Yuuya leaned around Yoshiki for a better look, while Fuurin glanced up from her phone.

"Yeah, I've seen them around," Yoshiki remarked, looking toward Kai. "Haven't really talked to them, though."

Nikaku seemed about to say something when an unfortunate stumble interrupted the moment.

The fall happened directly in front of the group. For a second, even the conversation behind you seemed to disappear beneath the surrounding street noise. Yuuya stared, then looked toward Nikaku, whose expression had already broken into an entertained grin.

"Well, that's certainly one way to introduce yourself," Nikaku commented.

Fuurin gave him a brief look before stepping forward, seemingly more concerned with the newcomer than the spectacle. Yoshiki followed a moment later, while Kai pushed himself away from the storefront.

Ikkaku looked down at the scene. "Ya."

Kai approached, glancing briefly at the others before directing his attention toward you. There was an unmistakable trace of amusement in his expression, though he didn't seem particularly inclined to make a big deal out of it.

"You're the new member, right?" he asked. "Kai. Figured we'd get around to meeting you eventually. Didn't expect it to happen like this, though."

Kyoranki had been wandering around the city together for most of the afternoon, the group occupying a considerable amount of space as they made their way down the pavement. Their conversation had been anything but quiet, with Nikaku and Yuuya getting caught up in yet another argument over something that had happened earlier.

"That's not what I said," Nikaku insisted, gesturing dismissively.

"That's exactly what you said," Yuuya replied, looking thoroughly entertained by the disagreement.

"You're both remembering it wrong," Yoshiki added, earning an incredulous look from Nikaku.

Kai, walking a little ahead of the others, seemed only mildly interested in their conversation. Fuurin was nearby, occasionally glancing toward the group whenever their voices grew particularly loud, while Ikkaku followed along without much to contribute beyond his usual occasional remarks.

The conversation eventually shifted toward a more recent addition to Kyoranki. A new member, whose face most of them had already seen around the group, though none had gotten particularly acquainted with them yet.

"Wonder what happened to the new one," Yuuya commented, glancing toward Kai. "Haven't seen them around much."

Kai shrugged. "They're around. Probably just haven't run into them."

As luck would have it, a familiar figure appeared further down the pavement. Kai recognized you almost immediately. His gaze lingered for a moment before he gave a slight tilt of his head, drawing the attention of the others.

"Well, look at that. Speak of the devil."

Nikaku followed his line of sight, recognizing the newcomer just as quickly. Yuuya leaned slightly to get a better look, while Yoshiki seemed quietly amused by the coincidence.

Before anyone could properly approach, however, an unfortunate stumble interrupted the moment. The sudden fall happened practically right in front of them.

For a second, the group fell silent. Then Nikaku let out a short laugh, looking toward Yuuya as though he'd just witnessed something particularly entertaining. "Well, that's one hell of an introduction."

Yuuya snorted, while Yoshiki shook his head with a faint grin. Even Fuurin looked a little surprised, though she quickly stepped closer, apparently more concerned with whether the newcomer was alright than the spectacle itself.

Ikkaku tilted his head. "Ya."

Kai let out an amused breath, approaching the newcomer with his hands still tucked into his pockets. He looked down at the familiar face, his expression carrying an almost incredulous sort of amusement.

"You're the new one, right?" he asked, glancing briefly toward the others. "Heard about you, but this is the first time we've actually gotten to meet."

Behind him, Nikaku was still looking rather entertained by the whole situation, while Yuuya made no particular effort to hide his grin.

"Well, don't just stand there," Kai added, gesturing vaguely toward the others. "Someone help them out."

The convenience store's doors slid open with a quiet chime as Taguchi stepped outside, carrying a plastic bag filled with snacks and drinks. Keigo followed close behind, already reaching into the bag to see what he'd bought.

"Oi. You seriously bought all that?" Keigo asked, pulling out a drink.

"What's your problem? You wanted something, didn't you?"

"Didn't say I wanted this."

"Then put it back."

Keigo ignored him, earning an irritated look from Taguchi. A few steps away, Kaname was checking something on his phone while Meguro stood beside him, patiently waiting for the others to finish their argument.

Tanzawa had remained near the storefront, casually looking over the street while the others gathered their things. His attention eventually settled on a familiar figure across the road.

He recognized that face immediately.

His expression changed just slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting in faint amusement. Of all the people to run into here.

"...Well, that's unexpected."

Meguro noticed his attention shift and looked in the same direction. Recognition came quickly, and his expression grew a little more serious.

"From their gang?" he asked.

Tanzawa gave a small nod. "Looks like it."

Kaname glanced up from his phone, following their line of sight. His expression tightened when he realized who they'd spotted. Taguchi, still occupied with Keigo over the contents of the shopping bag, eventually noticed the sudden change in atmosphere.

"What? What is it?"

He looked across the street and immediately recognized the figure. His eyebrows rose, and he gave a short, disbelieving laugh.

"Seriously? What are they doing here?"

Keigo followed his gaze, finally abandoning the snacks he'd been inspecting. "Maybe they got lost," he remarked, sounding considerably more amused than concerned.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Taguchi replied.

Meguro remained quiet, watching for another moment. He seemed more interested in observing than commenting, while Kaname clearly wasn't as entertained by the coincidence.

Tanzawa, however, didn't appear particularly bothered. He slipped his hands into his pockets, watching the familiar figure for another moment before turning toward the others. "Well, we can't just pretend we didn't see them."

Taguchi tucked the shopping bag under his arm, looking considerably more interested now. Keigo followed Tanzawa without much hesitation, while Kaname let out a small sigh and Meguro quietly fell into step beside them.

Whatever the reason for your presence, Kilihito had noticed you. And Tanzawa didn't seem inclined to let the opportunity pass.

The arcade had been considerably busier than usual that afternoon. Its entrance was crowded with people coming and going, the occasional burst of electronic music spilling out whenever the doors opened.

Kyoranki had claimed a section of the pavement outside, some of them having wandered into the arcade while the others stayed behind. Nikaku was currently occupied with a drink he'd bought from the vending machines, while Yuuya and Yoshiki were arguing over whether the last game they'd played had been rigged.

"It was absolutely rigged," Yuuya insisted, leaning back against the railing. "There's no way that thing was supposed to move like that."

Yoshiki gave him an incredulous look. "You just weren't fast enough."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one playing."

"Because I knew better."

Fuurin, who had been listening to the entire conversation, gave a quiet scoff. She was more interested in watching the crowds passing by than listening to another argument about an arcade game. Nearby, Ikkaku stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, occasionally glancing toward the others.

Kai had wandered a little further from the group, seemingly content to let them entertain themselves. He was looking through the storefronts across the street when a familiar face caught his attention.

He stopped.

For a moment, he simply watched, his expression turning noticeably less casual. There wasn't much room for mistaking the person. He knew exactly which gang they belonged to, and he'd seen their face enough times to recognize it immediately.

A short laugh escaped him. "Well, that's fucking convenient."

His comment drew the attention of the others. Nikaku looked up from his drink, following Kai's gaze across the street. The moment he recognized the figure, his expression changed into something considerably more entertained.

"You're kidding. Out of everyone?"

Yuuya abandoned his argument with Yoshiki halfway through, turning to see what had caught their attention. His eyebrows lifted in recognition, and he pushed himself away from the railing to get a better look. Yoshiki followed suit, while Fuurin's expression became a little more serious.

"That's them, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah," Kai answered, still watching. "Recognized them straight away."

Nikaku took another sip of his drink, looking almost amused by the coincidence. "Wonder if they know we're here."

"Does it matter?" Kai replied, finally turning away from the street. He gave the others a brief look, then started toward the crossing. "We're not exactly hiding."

Yuuya laughed under his breath and fell into step beside him. Yoshiki followed, while Fuurin lingered for a moment to let a group of pedestrians pass before joining them. Nikaku tossed his empty drink container into a nearby bin and followed at a leisurely pace.

Ikkaku fell in with the group, giving a small nod. "Ya."

Kai didn't look back. His attention was already fixed on the familiar figure ahead.

"Been a while," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Kyoranki had found an unexpected reason to interrupt their afternoon.