Disturbing revelations

After what seemed like an eternity, Takemichi left his room, his throat dry and his mind still foggy from Misaki's revelations. He needed something to drink to clear his head.

Despite the time spent thinking about how things could have degenerated to end up in this mess, his neurons unfortunately couldn't help him. It left a bad aftertaste in the back of his throat, but what could he do? Go back in time? Maybe, but how was he going to prevent this incident from happening again?

"Misaki?" he called out, his voice echoing in the silence of the apartment. No answer came. Was she angry because of the way he had left the table earlier? Takemichi couldn't help thinking. "By the way, I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier. All this has been..." Suddenly he stopped, he noticed that Misaki's coat was not there, and the half-finished food on the table. From what he saw, Misaki was a very tidy girl. Even if she had to go out, she would still clear the table.

Lost in thought, he then noticed a notebook on the table where they had eaten together a little earlier. Intrigued, he grabbed it. Snooping in girls' notebooks, only perverts would do that kind of thing. He thought, the matte black notebook in his hands trying to dissuade himself from reading it. The battle seemed lost in advance, "Once is not custom" he sighed, giving in to curiosity and plunging his eyes into the first pages of this mysterious notebook.

The first pages contained handwritten notes, names, addresses and a series of abbreviations that Takemichi could not understand. But as he read on, he realized that it was actually detailed information about a gang, the Xelno apparently. Everything was written down: their hideout, their territories, and even their numbers.

"Xelno? What kind of shitty name is that? Did a guy really think of that as a name?" he couldn't help but exclaim. As he continued reading, a feeling of unease came over him. Why would Misaki need this information? And most importantly, how did she get it? Questions began to flood his mind, questioning the trust he had unknowingly placed in her.

Now that he thought about it, he realized that there were many gray areas surrounding his savior. How had she managed to pull him out of the clutches of the thugs? Who was she really?

The sound of the front door startled him. Misaki appeared in the doorway, her eyebrows furrowed as she discovered him like this, her precious notebook in his hands. A tense silence settled between them.

"I think we need to talk," Takemichi declared in a serious tone, determined to get answers.

Misaki looked at him for a moment, then nodded, understanding that she could no longer evade his questions. Anyway, she was still thinking about whether she should ask for Takemichi's help, in case she decided to ask him, it was important to establish a relationship of trust between them. With a resigned sigh, she sat down in front of him.

"As you've probably guessed, I'm not just an ordinary civilian," she began. "I'm the head of a gang, the Meibukai. We're at war with Moebius, especially their 12th division, responsible for the death of several of our own."

Takemichi listened in silence, assimilating this new information. So they had a common enemy. Moebius. That name resonated within him, like a sinister echo from the past. He also felt much more relaxed, it was good that this girl was not an obstacle that bothered him.

"I understand better now," he said slowly. "But why did you save me? What do I have to do with all this?"

Misaki hesitated for a moment before answering. "Let's just say your past with the Toman has earned you a certain reputation. Having someone like you on our side would be a valuable asset."

Takemichi was a bit shocked by the reason he was saved. It left him perplexed, he wanted someone to give him a summary of the actions he had taken after joining the gang to be so respected by the public. He was even starting to believe that he might not even be able to move around the city, making his task more difficult to find Naoto. Seeing Misaki's gaze on him waiting for an answer, Takemichi cleared his throat.

"Thanks for your honesty, Misaki. But as for joining your gang, I don't think it's possible, I've already sworn allegiance to Toman. Despite the fact that the gang is in a pitiful state, I still remain one of them." he said with a calm face but in a serious tone.

Misaki couldn't help but be moved when she saw how loyal Takemichi was. She herself rubbed shoulders with gangs, they were considered thugs with the sole objective of harming society, that they had no values. For the most part it was true, some individuals would not hesitate to betray their own for their interests. It could even happen that they fight among themselves until they take the life of their fellow man for power. But today she met the exact opposite of these scoundrels. As they say, good and bad are in reality one.

Takemichi watched Misaki's face turn from disappointment to admiration as she replied.

"You misunderstood something," she said, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. "I'm not asking you to join us, or at least temporarily. And then, you could finally get your revenge. Killing two birds with one stone."

Listening to Misaki's response, Takemichi found himself sinking deeper and deeper into confusion. What did she mean by getting revenge? He knew they had the Moebius as a common enemy, but as far as Takemichi knew, the Moebius hadn't acted yet. And as for these so-called Xelno, he didn't remember having any dealings with them.

As he prepared to ask Misaki for some clarification, she continued, as if she could read Takemichi's mind like an open book.

"You may not be aware of it, but the very origin of the Toman's downfall was caused by the Xelno. At first they were just a small group of thugs wreaking havoc in the neighborhood, over time their number increased and reached a hundred after which they affiliated with the Moebius."

As the story progressed, Takemichi's mood and facial expression sagged. Frowning, furrows on his forehead and the rage that could be seen in his eyes could alone destroy a country. Witnessing this scene, a shiver ran down Misaki's back, that look that only wanted revenge, she knew it. Despite everything, she continued her story, after all if Takemichi destroyed the Xelno it would be a good thing for them too.

"I don't know everything, but according to rumors it all started because of a stolen motorcycle."

After these words, there was a glimmer in Takemichi's eyes, it was as if he had just discovered a missing piece of a puzzle he had been searching for a long time. Now everything seemed to take shape, he was also certain that Hinata had died because of his thoughtless actions.

"The Xelno, huh? I should pay them a little visit, to give them a taste of their own medicine," he said, getting up and handing the notebook back to Misaki.

Thanks to the information contained in the notebook, he knew exactly where to find them. He had only one thing in mind, to make these thugs know despair for their affront to Hinata and the Toman.

Suddenly, the ringing of Misaki's cell phone broke the silence, after answering the call her mood deteriorated. Takemichi couldn't help but ask what was wrong and Misaki's answer brought a devilish smile to his face. Maybe God had heard his prayers or maybe bad luck had befallen those bastards, but the Xelno had the audacity to attack.