Nana Fan Fiction ❯ » » 7 płus 7 equałs 3 ¤ ∙ ∙ ❯ Different Beginnings ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer:

I don't own NANA or any of the characters featured in this fanfic.

 

Notes:

- ALTERNATE UNIVERSE (will diverge from the original storyline) You will find familiar elements and some re-written facts/happenings, but it will have its own storyline. (This is my way of changing things more to my liking)

- Will contain SOME manga SPOILERS up to volume 7

- If I got some facts wrong, it's because I did it on purpose or I misread it in the manga. XD

- Main pairing(s): Yasu x Hachi x Takumi, Ren x Nana, Nana x Hachi (friendship), Hachi x Shin (late manga-ish motherly)

- I have nothing against Nobu x Hachi or Nobu in particular, but I just find Takumi x Hachi really cute, even if I sometimes find myself hating Takumi. (But I also love Takumi! Arg!)

- Rated for some language.

- Komatsu Nana will be normally referred to as Hachi or Hachiko, except by Takumi (Junko and Kyousuke) who always call her Nana, and by Yasu who switches from Nana and Nana-chan to avoid confusion. (And that's how I got used to in the manga I read)

 

Summary:

What if Hachi never hooked up with Nobu while she was Takumi's girlfriend? Now, she finds herself pregnant with Takumi's child. What are you gonna do, Hachi? Help her, Yasu! No wait… Shin to the rescue..? Shin doesn't want Takumi to be his papa.

 

--7♥8--

 

Takumi… I want to see you!

 

Wasn't that what she said to him before? He even arranged for them to meet immediately and what did he get?

 

The number you are calling does not accept masked numbers. Please dial…

 

His left brow twitched as he disconnected the call and stalked towards the one person whom he hoped knew what the fuck was going on.

 

The door slammed loudly against the wall upon his entrance. “SHE'S REFUSING CALLS FROM MASKED NUMBERS NOW, WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!?”

 

Ren continued to read his precious manga and ignored Takumi's outburst. Their band leader didn't mention him by name so he wasn't obligated to answer his question, right?

 

“-I hate you, Takumi!-” Reira answered in a sing-song voice from above Ren's shoulder. She didn't bother to turn around and therefore missed the vein popping on his forehead. “Turn the page, Ren.” she instructed, before she plucked the manga out of his hands and turned the page herself, too impatient to wait for Ren to finish reading the current page. He was such a slow reader.

 

“Well?!” Now that Ren could no longer hide behind his manga, Takumi took the opportunity to shout directly at his face as he sat down beside Naoki.

 

“All you have to do is unmask your number and you'll be able to talk to her,” Naoki pointed out the obvious, directing Takumi's wrath on him. “… Or not?” Takumi's glare of doom with matching lightning against the background was scary.

 

“That'd just complicate things more,” he grumbled. If he unmasked his number and still refused his calls, his battered ego would suffer even more. “Well, Ren?! What do you think? Has your girlfriend mentioned anything to you?” It was a sneaky tactic, even by his standards, but he didn't have any other idea of how to get information on Nana.

 

“Ne Ren,” Nana turned to him as they smoked in bed, “I think there's something wrong with Hachi. She's been looking kinda sick lately and she even lost weight. She hasn't said anything to me yet, but I'm worried. Maybe she's taking her breakup with Takumi a little harder than I originally thought.”

 

A proverbial light-bulb lit somewhere on top of Ren's head. “Ah! Nana did mention that Hachi's been looking kinda sick lately… maybe that's it.”

 

“She's sick?”

 

Ren nodded. “And didn't you guys break up already? Why do you need to call her?”

 

Takumi lit a cigarette and took a puff before answering, “We didn't break up. She was the one who got mad at me and hung up. Now she won't take my calls. I think she just needs time to cool off.”

 

Ren winced in remembrance. “Any girl would get mad after you said those things.” You're so insensitive, he wanted to say out loud but didn't dare to.

 

Takumi looked pensive. “If she's sick, she might not be in the mood to see me. Did your Nana say anything else?”

 

“My Nana? Does that make Hachi your Nana?” Takumi gave him a look that would have withered any ordinary man. “Ah…” Ren sweatdropped, “no, my Nana didn't say anything else. I could ask her the next time I see her, if you want. Or I could ask Hachi the next time I see her.”

 

Bah, Takumi thought, if she doesn't want to talk to me, fine. He was going to be busy anyway… and it wasn't like he could go to her place until her guest leaves after the summer vacation…

 

--7♥8--

 

Don't tell me, you're pregnant? If it's about such an annoying thing, give it up and don't tell me.

 

That was his request, wasn't it? He should tell that to the stick giving her a positive sign after she peed on it. So what purpose will it serve if she called and told him that “annoying thing” just came up right now?

 

After such an insensitive conversation, she didn't have the heart to date Nobu. Dating Nobu while on the rebound was bad. Doing anything on the rebound was bad. She had to break that habit of hers and she was starting now.

 

“Komatsu-san?”

 

What was she going to do now? She still had that three hundred thousand yen dowry her mother sent her, but that was for emergency reasons only. This classified as an emergency reason, but just how long would it last? Babies had expensive maintenance, didn't they? What about the actual birth? Was it going to be enough to take care of the hospital bills? After the baby was born, she wouldn't be able to work for a few months and if she did, someone had to take care of it.

 

What was she going to do?

 

And even before the birth, once her stomach becomes obvious, she wouldn't be able to work. She didn't think that she'd fit into the school girl outfit clothes or short skirts and tight shirts that she was required to wear in her various odd jobs.

 

Her head met with a hard surface as she banged it in frustration. “What am I going to do?”

 

“It's time to go home, Komatsu-san.” Her co-worker answered, thinking that the question was directed at her.

 

Nana forced a small laugh as she changed into her regular clothes and bid her co-workers goodbye. Her feet automatically walked towards the train station as she made her way home.

 

Nobu's declaration of love made her really happy, and so did the kiss they shared afterwards, but in a totally uncharacteristic act, she decided not to take things further with him until she settled her feelings for Takumi. Yes, technically, she and Takumi were through, but the kind of innocent love that she and Nobu currently had was something that she wanted to treasure. If she jumped into bed with Nobu right after she broke up with Takumi, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

 

Besides, there was still that nagging thought in the back of her mind that she was only going after Nobu because Yasu suddenly seemed so very out of her league when it was revealed that he had formerly dated Reira. Why did she have to be the Queen of Falling In Love At First Sight?

 

Better yet, why did she have to be so stupid? How could she have made love… no, had three one-night stands with Takumi without using protection?

 

What was that idiot thinking anyway? He was famous, he should be thinking about preventing conception with the women that he fooled around with. Just how many bastard children did he have?

 

Ah… what to do? How many weeks has it been since she broke up with him yet she couldn't help but think about him, especially now. She and Nobu were still friends, but she would often find herself looking at Yasu instead of at Nobu during band practice. Ugh, I'm such a despicable woman.

 

She continued to act like nothing was wrong throughout the summer vacation. Whenever someone commented on her sickly pallor, she blamed it on a summer cold. Misato, who was staying over for the summer vacation, caught her hunched over the toilet seat puking her guts out one time, and she told her it was just a summer cold. Her friends bought her lies; and her sickness gave her excuses not to go to their practice as much as she used to.

 

Going to Blast's band practice only made her think of more what ifs in her life, which wasn't healthy for her mental health right now. It was bad enough that her physical health was deteriorating every day. Damn morning sickness and sensitivity to odors!

 

So… what was she going to do now?

 

--7♥8--

 

His hand stilled from cracking the egg over his food as he stared at it. The curry reminded him of Nana. She was such a good cook. Maybe after the summer vacation, she would finally talk to him again. After the summer vacation, her guest would leave and he would be able to visit her.

 

“So you eat ordinary folk's food, after all!” Ren stifled a smile at the puzzled look his band mate gave him. Takumi had been so out of it lately. Nobody but him might have noticed it and he wouldn't have noticed it if not for the pieces of the puzzle that were available to him.

 

As Trapnest's band leader, Takumi's word was law to him and the others. He started the band and always looked out for the members' well-being (except maybe Naoki's). He lived and breathed Trapnest since highschool; whoever went against Takumi was of no use to Trapnest. When Ren first joined up with the band, he was a little hesitant, but he soon saw and understood the merit of Takumi's drive. They were friends; they went back to the days when they were in highschool. But even then, Ren held a certain amount of respect toward the guy. Takumi's business was Takumi's business; he didn't need to get involved in it.

 

He found himself asking anyway. “Is something wrong?” Not that he expected any answer from him. After all, he was Takumi. Takumi was perhaps the most private out of all of them. Nobody really knew what exactly the guy was thinking more than three-fourths of the time. They often joked about how huge a womanizer he was, but those were just jokes. None of Takumi's affairs were actually confirmed. In fact, ever since he joined Trapnest, the only woman he openly claimed to have slept with was Hachiko.

 

“Why is it that I hardly ever think about her, but as soon as I remember her, I miss her?”

 

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. In all the years he'd known Takumi, this was perhaps the most sincere conversation he's ever had with the guy.

 

Since a sincere question warranted a sincere answer, he replied, “That's because no matter what you tell yourself, the truth is that you're in love with her.”

 

Takumi's mouth opened to form a rebuke, but words seemed to fail him. He shut it close and reflected that statement, not daring to look Ren in the eyes. He tried to think of a smart reply but none came to mind. “I can't wait for it to end!” A frustrated sigh conveyed more than any words could.

 

“What?”

 

He ate a spoonful of curry before he replied, “The summer vacation.”

 

--7♥8--

 

It was getting harder and harder to fight the nausea everyday. Smells that didn't bother her before were suddenly making her guts churn. Everyday as the baby in her tummy grew, her symptoms worsened, making it harder for her to go to work. At this rate, she would have to dig in to her emergency cash fund earlier than she had anticipated.

 

How long was she going to be able to keep it a secret from everyone? When the hospital asked her if she wanted to abort the baby, she seriously thought about doing it. She had no money, she had no job and no father for the baby. What life could she possibly give her child?

 

Her last resort was to go back home and ask her parents to help raise it, but she didn't want to do that if she could help it. If possible, she wanted to stay in Apartment 707 with Nana for as long as she could. But was that even possible?

 

She wasn't a part of their band and her insecurities magnified that little voice in her head that loved telling her how the other members of Blast were just being kind to her because she was Nana's roommate. Even Ren was just being kind to her because she was friends with his girlfriend. She wasn't really a part of their world; she was merely a spectator.

 

An outsider looking in.

 

It didn't really matter to her. Well… okay it did, but being an outsider from everybody else was nothing compared to fearing what Nana's reaction would be if she found out about the child. Would Nana look at her in disgust? Kick her out and never speak to her again?

 

Feeling like an outsider was nothing compared to Nana's potential shunning of their friendship. More than anything in this world, she wanted to stay by Nana's side. As long as Nana was on her side, everything was going to be okay.

 

She didn't even worry about telling Takumi anymore. Since he made it clear how he would react to her getting pregnant, it was a good thing that they broke up before he found out. If he finds out in the future, it doesn't matter anymore. All she wanted was to raise a healthy child in a happy environment, hopefully with Nana still on her side.

 

She could survive anything and take on anyone as long as Nana allowed her to remain by her side forever.

 

So what was she going to do? How was she going to tell Nana?

 

`Nana, I'm pregnant and it's Takumi's child.'

 

… No.

 

`Nana, I'm pregnant and even if the father doesn't want to do anything with it, I'm going to raise it by myself. I hope I can stay by your side forever while I do that. From now on, I'm going to do my best, okay?'

 

… Weird.

 

`Nana, I'm pregnant but I hope you'll still want to be my roommate and most of all, my friend!'

 

… ?

 

Even if she didn't tell anyone who the father of the child was, everyone who was aware of her affair with Takumi would be able to put two and two together. All she wanted was for Nana not to hate her.

 

How did one do these types of things anyway?

 

“Nana-chan, is something troubling you?” The glazed look in her eyes bothered him all throughout practice and he can't shake off a bad feeling in his stomach whenever he looked at her. Nobu seemed to be the only one who noticed aside from him, since Shin and Nana looked preoccupied with something.

 

Hachi blinked as she refocused her eyes to the bald man standing in front of her. He looked as imposing as ever, especially from her vantage point, sitting down. “Ah, n-no, it's nothing,” she denied.

 

Shin earlier complained of a stomach ache and ran to the bathroom (to smoke), so Nana called a short break. As she and Nobu discussed how to improve a set of lyrics, Yasu stepped out from behind his drums and approached Nana-chan. “Are you sure?” Not one to force a person to do or say anything they didn't want to, Yasu patted her on the head affectionately.

 

Some of them (like Shin and Nana) might view Nana-chan as a pet dog of the band. Others (like Nobu) might think of her as the band mascot or muse. Be it a pet dog, mascot or muse, her purpose for all of them was the same: Nana-chan inspired them to do better.

 

People like Misato were special. They were under the fans slash friends category. People like Misato were what they lived for as artists. They were the fuel that gave life to the engine of their careers. Without fans, performers would be nothing.

 

Nana-chan was different. She was a fan, but she was in a category of her own. She wasn't Helen of Troy: a face which launched a thousand ships. She wasn't a deity of music that inspired them to make songs that were surely going to be a hit. She wasn't a sexy, bodacious babe who could set men's libido on fire.

 

She is that first drop of rain after years of drought. An oasis in the middle of the desert, a banquet for a starved man, a rainbow after it rains… Nana-chan is Nana-chan. There are no words enough to describe how Nana-chan is to them.

 

It's like a young man first discovering love.

 

Wasn't that how Nana described it? Ren rephrased it to `a young man discovering love for mochi', but he was in agreement. Making Nana-chan smile was like an accomplishment. If he was graced with such a smile, it felt like a blessing. Seeing her face shine with happiness because he was able to light up a trivial little firework filled him with pride, almost like a parent to a child.

 

Taking care of Nana, Nobu, Shin, Ren and the other strays that always managed to find their way to him always came natural to him, even back in highschool; maybe that's the reason why he was picked to be class president. But taking care of Nana-chan… felt like taking care of a little baby. Ren and the others were siblings, but Nana-chan was like his daughter.

 

Was this how Junko felt?

 

He waited for her to speak, but she seemed really reluctant so he didn't push it. He gifted her with a gentle smile and an affectionate pat on the head, “If you need to talk, I'll listen, okay?”

 

Hachi's eyes were misty when she nodded.

 

--7♥8--

 

Apartment 707 wasn't the same without Nana around. Now that Misato had gone home, it was also more quiet than usual.

 

She was kind of worried about how her pregnancy was going. Weren't pregnant women supposed to gain weight? She didn't want to gain weight, but her fast weight loss was troubling her. Maybe it's because she was throwing up so much? Having little to no sleep at night as she thought about how to provide for her baby could be one of the factors, too.

 

She didn't really mind having only the bare minimum funds, as long as her child grew up safe and healthy, surrounded by loving friends.

 

Putting off telling them weighed heavily on her mind. What if Nana thought her to be the despicable woman that she was and told her she didn't want to be friends with her anymore? She felt like drowning herself in the river from just the thought of it, honestly.

 

Ding Dong

 

The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. Hachi opened the door nervously and let her visitor in. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

 

“No problem, Nana-chan,” he replied. “Nana's not home?”

 

“She's staying with Ren while he's on his break. She's coming back in three days.”

 

“Ah.” The door closed softly behind him as he let himself in and walked over to his usual spot by the table beside the window. For some reason, he preferred sitting on the left side each time. He had an amazing view of the river even though it was somewhat hampered by the grills. He felt very relaxed whenever he sat in this spot.

 

Neither of them talked much for a few minutes. He was giving her space to tell him what was bothering her on her own pace. It must be serious if she was this nervous. She nervously served tea as she stalled for time. He patiently smoked his cigarette as the young lady seated across him gathered the courage to talk to him. She fidgeted in her seat before clearing her throat.

 

“I'm pregnant.”

 

Oh god, she didn't want to just blurt it out like that.

 

His sunglasses hid the shock reflected in his eyes, but they didn't hide the slacking of his jaw as it fell to the ground. With it, the cigarette fell from his mouth, shaking him out of his surprise. He picked it up and quickly put it out on the nearby ashtray. “Ah! Sorry for smoking!” was all he could think of at the moment. It was a huge shock for him.

 

Hachi shook her head and shook her hands in front of her. “It's okay. I don't mind.”

 

“I don't want the smoke to affect the baby,” he stupidly replied. Somehow, his mouth wasn't speaking the words that his brain was thinking. His brain was thinking more on the lines of `So this was what was troubling her? Holy shit!'

 

“I'm sorry to blurt it out like that, Yasu. I'm sorry for talking to you about this but I didn't know who else I could talk to it about.” The words rushed out her mouth. “I wanted to tell Nana first but I don't know how she'll react. I thought that maybe since you're close to her that you'd be able to help me tell her… I'm really sorry!” Tears streamed out of her eyes and her shoulders drooped in sadness. “I was thinking of aborting it at first but I couldn't do it. That would be killing my own flesh and blood and I'm too gutless to do it. I know I have no money and no means to support myself and my child, but I really do want to care for it.

 

I thought that just as long as I get to stay in this apartment and be with my friends that everything will work out. I still have that dowry from mom and if I work hard after the child is born, I don't mind living on the bare minimum just as long as I get to stay with Nana. All I want is… well… I don't want Nana to hate me,” she finished in a small voice, hands clenched on top of the table.

 

It took Yasu a couple of minutes before he picked his jaw from the floor and covered her small hands with his. After several more seconds, his brain finally synchronized with his mouth again. “You don't need to apologize, Nana-chan.” He patted them gently. “I did tell you that you could talk to me when you wanted to, right?” He waited for her nod before he continued. “So this was what was bothering you?”

 

She nodded once more, unable to meet his eyes. “How should I tell Nana?”

 

Yasu felt a sweatdrop coming. “Shouldn't you be worrying about telling the father first?”

 

Hachi waved his question away, “He told me I shouldn't tell him about annoying things like this and that I shouldn't tell him if I got pregnant. He doesn't care so I'm not worried about telling him.”

 

“Takumi said that?” He frowned in displeasure. He was used to Takumi being a player, but this was going too far. What little respect he had for Takumi as a man flew out the window.

 

“How did you know it was Takumi's?”

 

Yasu definitely had a sweatdrop on his head. “Unless you slept with someone in the past month…”

 

Hachi's hair flew out in all directions as she fervently shook her head, “No, no, I didn't! It's Takumi's!” and then she laughed at her own silliness. “I guess everyone knows since he announced it to the world, huh?”

 

“Real men never kiss and tell.”

 

“Heh, I guess…”

 

“If he's not going to marry you, you should still tell him and make him pay alimony at least,” he insisted.

 

“That's an idea.” Hachi's eyes were filled with tears, “But I have to tell Nana first!!!” She wailed, unable to hold back the tears. Between wailing and crying, she managed to tell Yasu about her worries.

 

It was hard to understand, but Yasu managed to decipher her fears as she spoke in a broken language. Sometime during her rant, he switched seats and sat by her side, allowing her to sob directly into his suit, soaking his front. He listened calmly, never interrupting, only giving appropriate answers as he allowed her to get it all out of her chest.

 

It was extremely therapeutic for Hachi to finally find a confidant after many weeks of keeping it to herself, so she didn't hold back. She told him everything - from beginning to end. Of how she talked to Takumi the day after the mahjong tournament, thinking it was fate that led them to be on Omotesandou that day; her walking along without any destination on mind and him being completely stopped by a traffic jam in Harajuku.

 

Yasu couldn't contain his sweatdrop at how she described her fairytale night with her prince and he couldn't contain his disdain for Takumi at the same time, taking advantage of Nana-chan like that.

 

She poured out her heart, telling him how confused she was of the feelings she developed for Nobu then, before Takumi came to the picture again after weeks of hearing nothing from him.

 

Yasu sighed, wishing she could've just fallen for Nobu without getting involved with Takumi. He also felt bad for Nobu when she said that she didn't plan to get involved with anybody from now on and will only dedicate her life to raising her child.

 

Next she told him about her third meeting with Takumi, and he wanted to laugh at how she looked at it as her taking advantage of Takumi. Nana-chan was such an innocent.

 

She told him everything, including her plans on how to raise her child. After she calmed down some, he handed her a handkerchief to dry her tears. Her plan wasn't fool proof, but it was a start. Nana-chan was acting more mature than she normally would, in his opinion.

 

“So I don't really have to tell him since he made it clear from the beginning what he wants with me,” Hachi explained to him. “I'm doing him a favor by not adding to his current worries.”

 

“You should still tell him. He's bound to find out anyway,” he insisted. “Ren might mention it to him one way or another. And if Ren invites him over for a party in the future, wouldn't he notice that you're pregnant or that you have a little kid running around the house?”

 

Hachi's brows furrowed in thought. “I guess…” she shrugged, “If he finds out that way then I'm telling him, but that doesn't matter to me either way. More importantly, Yasu, what am I going to tell Nana!? What if she gets mad at me and kicks me out?! I don't know what I'd do then!”

 

She looked like she was going to start wailing again, so he hurried to pacify her. “I'm sure she'll understand, don't worry, okay?”

 

She wasn't convinced.

 

“If you want, I could sit with you when you tell her. How about that?”

 

Hachi's face lit up in glee. “Really?! You'll do it with me? If you're there, I'm sure Nana won't get mad… or if she will, you can talk her out of it and…” she rambled on and on about his good points, making him feel like he had super powers.

 

“I'll be there, don't worry,” he patted her head affectionately. It was hard being a father. “And we have to tell the others as well,” he added. “We'll tell Nana first and then Shin and Nobu.” He wondered how Nobu would take it. He seemed pretty down after getting rejected… better yet, he wondered how Shin would take it. Shin seemed very attached to Nana-chan, almost like a child to its mother. He heard how the boy threw his drink on Takumi… “Or we should tell Shin first.”

 

He felt like he should be more worried for Takumi's health and well-being somewhat, but he couldn't find any sympathy for the guy just now.

 

“Staying in an apartment with no elevator will be hard for you,” he frowned in concern.

 

“But I don't want to move,” she whined.

 

“You could move in with me or go home to your parents until after the baby is born. It'd be easier that way. Otherwise, you should try not to go up and down the stairs so much,” he advised.

 

Hachi nodded, but looked a little troubled. “But…”

 

“Would you like to stay at my place? My apartment complex has an elevator.” Yasu thought for a moment. “Nobu's, too. You could probably stay at Nobu's if we ask him.”

 

“I don't want to!” Hachi wailed. “I wanna stay with Nana!”

 

Yasu smiled. “Hai, hai. We'll think of ways to keep you from going up and down those stairs.” One thing kept nagging at him though. “We should call Shin and tell him tonight,” he voiced out, determined to get at least that out of the way as soon as possible.

 

--7♥8--

 

“Abort it,” Shin said without preamble. He rushed to Apartment 707 right after Yasu called him using his serious tone of voice. He had to cut his session short with Reira but he was intrigued by why Yas-san would call him with an underlying urgency in his request.

 

He was a little irritated since Reira was beautiful enough to look like Ryouko-san, but he felt those familiar stirrings of, dare he say it, familial feelings, so he put his clothes back on and came.

 

Family was as foreign a concept to him as love, but ever since he answered that childishly-drawn ad in front of a vintage store, it became more and more common to him.

 

Nobu was like the brother he never had. Although the guy was older than him, he felt like he was more experienced in some aspects of life, like women for example. They gave each other advices, and although they didn't necessarily have to follow each other's words, it's the thought that counts.

 

Nana was like the scary older sister who wasn't afraid to beat the living daylights out of him; that or another brother who was hiding inside a sister's body. Nana's the scariest woman he's ever known in his whole fifteen years of life.

 

Yasu was like his father. The skinhead was far too wise for his age and was the embodiment of cool. His fake father, the one who didn't really care about him because he was a product from his mother's affair with some unknown man, was nothing like Yasu. If he were able to choose his father when he got reincarnated in the next life, he would certainly pick Yasu.

 

Hachi, for all intents and purposes, was what he wished his mother was like. He may treat and claim her to be as his dog, like Nana did, but in his heart, he secretly imagined that she was his mother and he was her son. Every kind word and comforting caress that came from her were the only things that could ever come close to motherly love that he could imagine.

 

All the women he knew were either after him for his body or his heart. Everything they did or said had an underlying goal to get either or both. Nana, in his mind, technically wasn't a full woman (and she's scary), so she didn't count.

 

Hachi was different.

 

Hachi was the one who literally picked him off the streets and gave him a new reason for living. As corny or clichéd that sounded, it was the truth. Before Hachi, he lived wandering the streets for women who had use for his body because he had nothing else to do. Nothing except money was important and sex was just a sport. Women older than him looked like they enjoyed being with a `bishounen', so he took advantage of that, seeing it as a way to escape his hated not-father's clutches.

 

He didn't care if he lived or died the next day. Nobody was going to notice it anyway.

 

He never had any friends before that either. The whispers and nasty comments about being a bastard child with an unknown man was a cloud that rained on his prospects for friendship, if he ever had any. Nobody cared about him and he was used to that.

 

But that was before Hachi.

 

Hachi made him feel wanted and appreciated without expecting anything back. She would give him hugs, kind words and made sure he ate right without hidden motives. Hachi did it because she wanted to and it made him feel good. It made him feel… loved. Unconditionally.

 

He didn't like to see her sad or hurt and he didn't like it when people badmouthed her. Like Takumi did at that party. When that guy casually blurted out what he did so casually, tainting Hachi's reputation he snapped. If Nobu hadn't grabbed Takumi's shirt, he would've punched the guy on the face. Nobu's interference gave him time to get a small hold on himself enough not to kill the guy on spot. He would have much rather preferred to shove the glass he was holding down Takumi's throat but he opted to throw the drink at his face instead before walking out.

 

He never understood Nana and Nobu's obsession about being better than Trapnest before but he understood then that night. He too wanted to do better than Trapnest after that incident.

 

He still respected Honjou Ren, but that was it. Screw Trapnest, especially Takumi. Ichinose Takumi was made of the lowest scum on earth. How dare he treat Hachi like she was some kind of toy! Hachi was theirs. Hachi belonged to Blast. Hachi was his. Hachi was the only mother figure he ever had.

 

How dare he lay a hand on her and brag about it afterwards as if it were nothing. One day, he promised to himself, that bastard would pay.

 

He didn't like it that Hachi was attached to the guy. He had an uneasy feeling when he saw Hachi cry on their first meeting and he should have been on full guard then, but he attributed that uneasy feeling to the fact that his mama was crying. He didn't like to see her cry, even if they were tears of joy. He only wanted his mom to live healthy and be happy.

 

Did she think of him as her child, too? Or was it just a one-sided love? If she goes through with the pregnancy and once the baby is born, Hachi wouldn't have time for him anymore and he couldn't be her child anymore. Selfishly, he wanted to keep Hachi for himself. He wanted to be the only child in her life.

 

“Abort it,” he said a second time, clenching his fists. What he would give for a good smoke right now, but Yas-san told him not to because it would affect the baby. Well who cares about the baby if it was just going to be aborted anyway!? He certainly didn't! It was going to take his place in Hachi's heart and then where would he be?

 

“That's no longer an option, Shin.” Yasu reminded him. “Nana-chan has decided to keep it and I'm supporting her decision. As a friend, I'll do everything I can to help her. You should do the same,” he gently scolded. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with the boy.

 

He heard what happened in Trapnest's end of tour after-party. Was he still mad at Takumi? Did he hate Takumi? If he did, does that hate extend to the bassist's unborn child?

 

The reason why he called Shin to the apartment tonight before Nana was because he was concerned for the boy. Nana would be mad for sure. He expected her to go into a murderous rage and kill Takumi, if given the chance, but he was used to dealing with Nana and her moods. In the end, he believed that Nana will calm down for Hachi's sake and come to the same conclusion as him. He had no doubt about that.

 

Nobu would be devastated. That boy was terribly smitten with Nana-chan and this blow will hurt him for sure. But, he'll get over it. Yasu was confident that he'll reach the same conclusion as Nana. As soon as Nana calmed down, he was sure that it was going to be time to calm Nobu down and keep him from hunting Takumi down and skinning him alive.

 

He couldn't do it anyway. Takumi would kill Nobu in a real fight, but still…

 

The one thing that worried him the most, perhaps, because he couldn't correctly predict the outcome was Shin's reaction. How was Shin going to react? Shin was a little unpredictable because they haven't known him for that long and he was hard to read. He tended to be very secretive. All of them still feared that he would kill himself one day that's why they all kept a close eye on him.

 

Shin was close to Nana-chan. If he were to make a guess, he would wager that Shin saw Nana-chan as his mother. She certainly cared for him like she was, so it wasn't a far-off supposition. Nana-chan fussed over the teenager like a mother hen and Shin basked in her cuddles like a little chick in need of warmth. It was cute.

 

“But the father doesn't want it and it's not going to be healthy for the child.”

 

“But her mother loves her and that'd be enough, wouldn't it?” Hachi smiled at him. He looked so upset that she wanted to take him in her arms and hug him, telling him that everything would be okay. It was a silly notion, since he wasn't the one who got pregnant with someone who didn't want the responsibility of having a baby, but she didn't like to see him so distressed.

 

It warmed her heart at the same time though, to see her Shin-chan worry for her. To her, Shin was her baby and even though she was pregnant right now, Shin was her unspoken first born.

 

“You don't have any money and what are you going to when the child is born? And before that, how are you going to survive in an apartment complex that has no elevator? That's bad for you!” Shin stared at the tabletop hard enough to melt it.

 

“I'll find a way somehow,” Hachi assured him. She had a sense of déjà vu in the conversation she was having with Shin, since he was pointing out the same concerns she and Yasu had earlier. She had to hide a smile; Shin-chan was more mature than she credited him for.

 

Her smile quickly changed into a queasy look as her nausea took over. She had to push Yasu out of the way before rushing to the toilet in time. He was surprised by the rude action but quickly understood what was going on when he heard retching sounds. All the color drained from Shin's face as they sat rooted to the chairs. They wanted to help but were too unequipped and inexperienced.

 

When they heard nothing but dry heaves, Yasu snapped into action. “I'll make some fresh tea while you go see what she needs.”

 

Shin nodded mechanically and went to the toilet, wincing. Hachi sounded like she was dying. A sense of fear crept inside of him and it magnified when he saw her petite form hunched over the toilet bowl. He grabbed a towel nearby and approached her, hunching down behind her to rub her back soothingly. He didn't know what else to do.

 

“Do you need anything?”

 

She shook her head flushed the toilet. Gently grabbing a hand, he helped her stand up and walk over to the sink to wash. He silently passed her the towel, feeling more and more helpless as the seconds ticked away. “I don't like this,” he finally spoke up. “You sound like you're dying when you throw up. Have you been throwing up a lot?”

 

“It's morning sickness. I threw up on my part-time job making curry before, the smell overwhelmed my senses,” she nodded. “Don't worry, it's normal.”

 

His frown deepened, not liking what he was hearing. “Normal? Is being pregnant sort of like having a disease?”

 

She laughed, “Between the morning sickness, fatigue, backache and numerous other things, you could say that.”

 

“It's not funny,” he muttered as he guided her back to the dining table. Yasu had some saltine crackers and hot tea prepared.

 

“I couldn't find any grapefruit juice or aerated water. I hope the tea's okay, Nana-chan.”

 

“Thanks, Yasu.” She had no complaints as she nibbled on the crackers to settle her stomach.

 

Shin watched her eat with a hard glare. “So you're not going to abort it?”

 

“Shin!”

 

“It's okay, Yasu.” Hachi patted the lawyer's sleeve, “No, I want to keep it.”

 

“Are you going to go home to your parents to raise it in the country?” His knuckles turned white from the force he used to clench his hand; his gut churned at the possibility. She wasn't really his surrogate mom so she wouldn't hesitate to leave him behind. He really shouldn't care so much about it.

 

“No, if possible, I would like to stay here and raise it by myself.”

 

Boyish eyes flew to meet hers hopefully. You're not leaving me? He wanted to ask but didn't dare to. “Why?” Yasu and Hachi gave him inquiring looks. “Why are you going to keep it? Its father doesn't want it and you're better off without it, it'll only complicate your life. It's not going to grow up having a normal family life and who knows how that'll affect the child. You should just abort it before it grows up to be unwanted.”

 

Yasu sucked in his breath. “Shin, that's a little—“

 

Hachi reached out to grasp his hand over the table. “I know I'm not perfect, and I don't think I'll be the perfect mother, but I'll love her with all my heart and hope that that's going to be enough. I'm not going to be able to provide well for it, but I'll work hard. It may sound stupid on my part but I'll get by, I'm sure of it.”

 

Shin remained silent but he was gripping her hand, too.

 

“If I'm dire need of money, I know it's not right but if it's for the child I could probably ask my parents for some help.”

 

“Or you can ask Takumi to pay alimony,” Yasu reminded.

 

“It's not fair,” the teenager whispered quietly.

 

“What's not fair?” Yasu asked.

 

“How can Hachi be so optimistic about this?” Shin raised his eyes to meet Hachi's. “You're not just saying this, are you? You're not planning to kill yourself once the child is born, are you? You're not going to leave it to be raised by others, are you?”

 

Hachi wasn't offended by his words, but she was appalled at the sudden realization. “Shin… did… did your mom do that to you?” He attempted to wrench his hand away from hers but she held tight, adding her other hand to the grip.

 

“The woman who gave birth to me cared enough to give birth to me before killing herself.” He said in a deadened voice. “I think she either thought she was doing me a favor by giving me a chance at life or was too chicken to kill another human being besides herself.”

 

“Shin-chan…”

 

“She should've just done me a favor and took me with her.”

 

“Don't say that!” Hachi shouted, surprising both men. She was surprised by her outburst as well. “Sorry, I meant to say that - I'm glad Shin's mom decided to give birth to Shin—“

 

“She's not my mother.”

 

“Well I'm thankful she didn't take you with her either way,” Hachi said authoritatively. “If she did, then I wouldn't have such a handsome son right now.”

 

Yasu had to hide the smile that threatened to creep on his face from Shin's reaction to Nana-chan's words. For a whole second, he looked as pleased as a pie before he put his mask back on and stuck his nose in the air. “I wish I really were Hachi's child. But soon you won't need a son like me anymore. You'll have a new baby and you'll forget all about me.”

 

“Never!” Hachi vehemently denied, unwittingly alleviating some of the boy's fears. She thought Shin was just joking, but she took it seriously nonetheless. “My Shin-chan will always be my first born. Isn't that right, Yasu?”

 

“Mhm,” Yasu agreed, finally expelling a relieved breath. Taking care of his child and siblings was hard work; it was mentally and physically exhausting.

 

“So you're not going to turn me back in once you get a newer model?” Shin made it sound like a joke but he was actually waiting in baited breath for her answer.

 

“You make it sound like I'm getting a new car and abandoning my old one for it,” she commented dryly. She sighed dramatically as she pushed her tea cup away and climbed on the tabletop.

 

“Be careful!” Yasu predictably placed an arm to balance her; afraid she'll fall down and hurt herself.

 

Hachi ignored him for now and crawled over to Shin until they were face to face. “I'm afraid you're stuck with me for life, Shin-chan. You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family, you know.”

 

They were just words but they gave him the assurance that he needed. He surprised both adults again when he wrapped his arms around Hachi, giving her a hug. She hugged him back, and Yasu thought they looked like a perfect picture of a mother and son.

 

“Does that mean I can't choose my father?” Shin asked when their hug ended. He helped her get off the table top as gently as possible and helped her settle on the seat beside him.

 

“Well, I suppose I'd have to have your approval first before I get a husband. I wouldn't want my husband to not get along with my kids.”

 

He smiled brightly. “Then I choose Yas-san to be my dad!” A feminine laugh was followed by a masculine laugh, making Shin pout. “I wasn't kidding.”

 

They didn't think he was serious.

 

“Is Takumi going to pay alimony? You should at least make him pay alimony. Yeah, that's what you should do. You should make Takumi pay alimony and milk him for all he's worth. Serves him right,” his voice dropped to a mumble as he complained about Takumi's carelessness.

 

“He doesn't know yet.”

 

“What!?” He managed to hold his temper back. “Even if he said he doesn't want to do anything with you if you get pregnant, you should still tell him.” Fingers played with a cigarette absentmindedly. The urge to smoke one was hard enough to give him a stomachache but he refrained because it wasn't going to be healthy for the baby. “I'd like a baby sister, a baby sister who grows up beautifully,” he grinned.

 

“You can't have sexual relations with your sister, Shin.” Hachi told him firmly. “Your mom will be upset.”

 

Yasu laughed.

 

“If you stay here, aren't you going to have a hard time climbing the steps? There's no elevator.”

 

“I asked her the same thing,” Yasu interjected.

 

“I wanna stay with Nana,” Hachi insisted. “I don't care if I can't leave the apartment for days, I shouldn't be spending money anyway and going out will just make me spend, so I'll stay here and only go out when it's really necessary.”

 

Shin frowned at this but relented anyway. Hachi was terribly attached to Nana and vice versa. “If you want, you can call me when and I'll do errands for you. I live near so it's not going to be a problem at all,” he offered humbly, a little embarrassed.

 

“That's a great idea, Shin,” Yasu agreed. “Once Nana-chan's stomach gets big, one of us could stay here just in case. We could do it in rotation. You could take one week or several days and I could take the next. I'm sure Nobu wouldn't mind doing that, too.” He was already mentally planning the arrangements.

 

“No way! Shin-chan and Yasu have their own lives to live, too. I'll be fine on my own and besides, as long as I have Nana with me, everything's going to be fine. I don't want to be a bother to you. Knowing that you don't hate me for letting this happen is enough.”

 

“You don't want me to run errands for you or stay over?” Shin's eyes watered. “Whenever I stay here, I feel more comfortable. Hachi's bed is really soft while Nobu lets me sleep on the floor. It's not very comfortable and it hurts my back. He even steps on me sometimes,” stylized manga tears flooded down his cheeks.

 

Hachi was moved by his words. “You can sleep on my soft bed anytime, Shin-chan! Mama doesn't want you sleeping on a cold, hard floor! I'll even sing you a lullaby each night if you want.”

 

“So, are you saying that I should move here for the meantime or at least the baby is born?” Shin joked.

 

“Actually, that's not a bad idea.”

 

Shin's playful mode vanished in an instant, curiosity and confusion replacing it. “Eh?”

 

“I think that you should stay here until Nana-chan gives birth,” Yasu clarified for the teenager. “Once we explain the situation to Nana, I'm sure she'll see the merit in it. Constantly going up and down seven flights of stairs is not healthy for a pregnant woman. I don't want to be pessimistic,” he knocked on wood, “but the stress might cause her to miscarriage.”

 

“The Demon King might want that!” Hachi gasped.

 

“If you stay here, you can accompany her on her trips up and down the stairs to make sure she doesn't fall, and once her tummy becomes too heavy or too big, you can do the shopping if I or Nobu aren't available.”

 

Hachi frowned. “You make it sound like Shin-chan's going to be my errand boy. I don't like it. I don't want to monopolize Shin-chan's time. I'm sure he has other stuff to do aside from babysitting me.”

 

“I wouldn't mind doing that,” Shin quietly replied. If it was for his surrogate mom, he certainly didn't mind. Playing errand boy to the caring soul who picked him up from the streets and convinced a band to let him join without knowing his full background was never going to be enough to repay her but it was at least something. “Unless of course, you don't want me to. If you don't like being around me so much, you don't have to force yourself,” he huffed.

 

“Of course I like being with my Shin-chan!”

 

“Then it's decided!”

 

“Eh!?”

 

“If Nana doesn't mind, Shin will stay here indefinitely.” Yasu continued, ignoring Hachi's outburst. “We can get you a futon or something…”

 

“Hachi's bed is softer!” He wailed.

 

“Eh!?”

 

“And we should tell Nana as soon as possible.”

 

“Eh!?”

 

“We could tell her together with Nobu,” Shin suggested.

 

Yasu nodded, “I agree.”

 

“Eh!?”

 

The two men ignored Hachi's eh-ing and discussed the details more. Hachi's bedroom was big enough to accommodate a futon and if Shin wanted, he could sleep on Hachi's bed like he normally did or outside, in the dining room. Inside Hachi's bedroom was the best choice, and none of them were concerned about Shin doing anything because he didn't view his surrogate mom in any sexual way anyway.

 

Shin seemed like he looked forward to becoming the man in the 707 apartment and was even enthusiastically falling into big brother mode. He claimed how he wanted to have a little sister again, but also said that he wouldn't mind having a little brother. If he had a little brother, he said, he could teach his little brothers a lot of tricks as soon as he came of age.

 

Hachi snapped out of her stupor then, and scolded Shin, telling him not to corrupt his sibling. He put on his innocent face of course, and claimed to be totally innocent. In his mind though, he was already calculating how he could get more clients and more money. Hachi and his new sibling were going to need money for sure; he wanted to make sure that he could provide some of it. Heh, he suddenly felt like he had a purpose. He was going to have to keep his `activities' from his surrogate mom because she didn't approve of them, but it was the only way he knew how to earn money for now. I just won't tell her so she won't get upset. What she doesn't know won't hurt her.

 

Yasu was also concerned about the financial situation and gently asked about it. Hachi told him about the dowry her mother sent and he calculated it would do just as long as she didn't splurge or spend so much. She told them she'd get a job, which was negatively received by the two males.

 

Yasu jokingly mentioned again how they should tell Takumi and make him pay alimony. Shin's reaction was more serious and his face darkened at the mention of Takumi's name.

 

“We should tell him, demand a high amount for alimony and use it to live in a mansion!” Hachi laughed at that, but Yasu sweatdropped, knowing how serious Shin was when he said that statement. “That bastard should take responsibility!”

 

Takumi made his blood boil.

 

Ding Dong

 

“Who is it!?” Shin demanded, taking his frustration on Takumi towards the late-night visitor. Nana was with Ren and Nobu had work. Who could it be -- a newspaper salesman? The caller didn't answer so he stomped over to the door and jerked it open. “What do you want?” he asked in a rudely loud, irritated voice before he saw who it was. His complexion quickly turned into an angry red when he did.

 

He was rather surprised by the over-zealous welcome, but he managed to keep a straight face. “Is Nana here?” Takumi asked as he faced Shin, totally oblivious to the deadly aura enveloping the boy.

 

--7♥8--