Chapter Text
A distinctive smell of gunpowder and blood permeates the dirty warehouse, where some of the members of the old Tokyo Manji (now reconstituted as 'Bonten') have just dealt with members of a rival group; everything had gone as planned, except for the ever-present Takemichi Hanagaki, who had been shot, leaving a bleeding wound (but fortunately for all involved, it is not fatal).
The individual with short black hair (slicked back), clutches [his] side while resting [his] body against a pair of boxes, complaining of the pain in a slightly raspy voice.
As always, the relatively short man (comparable to Takemichi, both a few centimeters taller than Mikey by now), adjusted his glasses a bit 'frustrated' -Hanma, take Hanagaki to die somewhere else or something.- Kisaki ordered his usual henchman of tattooed hands, while frowning at Takemichi's rather calm reaction (after years of being a gang member and then a yakuza).
-Right away.- Hanma sighed dryly, cracking his knuckles for a moment, before simply grabbing Takemichi like they were a sack of potatoes - the blue-eyed individual nearly vomited at the sudden agitation, but Hanma makes no attempt to accommodate Takemichi, simply moving briskly towards a vehicle that will take them to a nearby hideout...
[...]
Hanma is not a physician obviously, so to do the job there are a couple of doctors and nurses (under Bonten's wing), who will take care of Takemichi, placed by his co-worker on a couch a little roughly. Which obviously raised some groans from Takemichi -Hey, stop complaining. What did you say your blood type was?- The black-blond haired man asked dryly.
-A. Idiot.- Takemichi answered back, almost biting [his] own tongue, while one of the medical workers removed the jacket of the black-haired and blue-eyed [man] & then another opened 'his' red-stained white shirt...
A lot of Takemichi's slightly pale skin was exposed, including the abdominal area where "he" had a gunshot, but Hanma's yellowish eyes moved up the abdomen a little further, to Takemichi's chest (breasts, actually), fitted with a white cotton sarashi - like one Senju would normally wear.
-...- Hanma's brain is working overtime (actually, the first time Hanma's brain is working in his life, period), calculating what is happening right now, while the doctors work without complaint with the black-haired (somewhat greasy black hair, we can add) and blue-eyed woman -I had no idea you had surgery.- Hanma commented 'friendly'.
After all, it was impossible for Takemichi to grow breasts naturally overnight. There had to be a logical explanation, because Hanma and Takemichi have known each other since the former was 15 and the latter 14.
-What the hell are you talking about?- Takemichi exclaimed, between a string of rude insults in Hanma's direction, to the discomfort of some of the doctors present...
-What is that?- Hanma asked directly, pointing with one of his trembling fingers at Hanagaki, who remained silent for a moment, trying to process the stupidity that Hanma was saying right now.
-...My breasts?! I was born with them you piece of ############[!!!]- The woman shouted back after a moment of silence; Some doctors were a little startled, but the most desperate reaction was Hanma's, who ran out of the room for a moment, as if he had just seen a ghost.
***
A while later...
The 26-year-old woman continued to hold part of her abdominal area with one hand, they recommended that she continue resting, but she simply got up (saying that it is not the first time she has been shot - among other attacks she has received since she was 14), and while she continued to swear between her teeth, she went to try to find her 'coworker', another of the Bonten executives...
-Hanma!...Hanma?- At first Takemichi growled angrily, but she held back for a moment when she saw Hanma pressing his face against part of the brick wall of the building, threatening to break his glasses against his eyes.
-I'm not going to see. It's all a dream. I'm not seeing. You can't fool me.- The 27-year-old man repeated, almost like a mantra, as if the much smaller woman were some kind of demon or other supernatural entity that was chasing him at that moment.
At first Takemichi remained silent, until a vein began to stand out on her forehead. The greasy black-haired woman then approached Hanma from behind, almost pressing against him -T-Takemichi?- Hanma asked for a moment, feeling his own heart wanting to jump out of his chest.
Because the woman is too close, and even if it wasn't the first experience he has with women, for some reason Hanagaki makes him nervous... But instead of any touch or intimate words, she gives her co-worker hits him with her knee in the balls, a strong hit with the knee we have to say.
Hanma squirmed for a moment, biting his tongue before simply falling sideways to the ground, bringing his tattooed hands to his balls.
-As if I had the need to deceive on an idiot like you, you're just an idiot!- Takemichi barked again, threatening to continue hitting Hanma, and forcing him to defend himself on the ground.
Some tears are threatening to come out of Takemichi's eyes, but she doesn't really stop her 'attack' against Hanma, who for his part is fighting for the integrity of his 'manhood'.
A couple of days later...
Hanma is sitting with Kisaki at one of the circular tables on the restaurant's luxurious floor, gathered together with the other Bonten executives, just to kill time after a busy month.
The man with the tattooed hands holds his fork tightly, while absentmindedly stirring some of the food on his plate.
-What did you do to that guy now?- Kisaki asked his usual partner, who looked up to focus on Kisaki...
-What guy?- Hanma asked distractedly for a moment, while his partner looked at him as if it was obvious who he was talking about.
-Hanagaki.- Kisaki grunted back dryly... -Don't look at him.- The short man insisted, but obviously Hanma's yellow eyes immediately turned in the direction of Takemichi's table, and both of them locked gazes at that instant.
The 'man' with slicked back black hair and blue eyes is with 'his' elbows on the table, staring coldly at Hanma, as if (s)he wanted to kill him (a feeling Hanma is familiar with, but that's not the point). Chifuyu was sitting together with Takemichi, so noticing the gaze of his 'partner', Chifuyu soon positions himself to look in the same direction, and frowns slightly when he notices that it's Hanma.
At that moment the man with tattooed hands bared his teeth at the gaze of both blue-eyed people ('men'); messing with Chifuyu a little was a small pleasure at that moment, but there was something that continued to bother Hanma - and that something, or rather 'someone', is Hanagaki.
Numerous memories come to Hanma's mind, when Takemichi was a teenager and always ended up crying, completely bloodied with numerous wounds due to the Toman's activities. Now Hanma can't help but think that there's something 'sexy' about those memories...
Because Hanma is a degenerate.
-...Wait, maybe I'm not that stupid.- Hanma declared after a moment of lucidity, almost putting both hands to his head, and confusing Kisaki in the process: what would make Hanma think that he's not a big dumbass?
Very simply, Hanma is thinking that the rest of the Bonten executives also don't know that Takemichi is a woman, it means that they all share a certain level of stupidity...
***
Now that Hanma thinks about it a little, it makes some sense that Takemichi is a woman, the man with the tattooed hands wants to think that there are times of the month where Hanagaki is more irritable than usual (although perhaps this is because Hanma has a knack for annoying people), and without a doubt Hanagaki is also quite liked by other women like Emma or Senju...although this could be explained because Takemichi is 'nice', when there is no talk of yakuza matters...
Perhaps Hanma's logic is still not as correct as he wants to think, but that is not the important issue now: What question can he ask, to find out if the other executives know Takemichi's biological sex?
It seems clear that Kisaki doesn't know, and he's somewhat obsessed with Takemichi (because they hate each other), so that's already a point in Hanma's favor... but the man with the tattooed hands has to think of the rest.
His first target was Mikey, who is the boss of the group.
-President!- Hanma greeted happily, showing his teeth, only to receive a cold look from the man with black eyes and a somewhat sickly appearance -I want to ask you a question, Mr. Chairman.-
-... What?- Mikey asked back, a hand under his chin for a moment, because he knows that Hanma will continue to bother him even if he literally kicks him out.
-If Hanagaki was a woman, would you marry her?- Hanma unexpectedly asked the Bonten boss, who didn't hesitate for a moment in the answer.
-Yes.- Mikey answered immediately, before the blood could even rush to his face and turn his usually pale skin a more 'human' color (pink in this case). The clear implication of the question is that Hanagaki is not a woman, so Hanma can add Mikey to the list...
[...]
With himself, Kisaki, and Mikey, Hanma can count at least 3 idiots. To be sure though, Hanma has developed a personal list, the most important opinion being from former Toman members and/or some of the executives closest to Hanagaki, such as Kakucho.
The first Toman member that Hanma went to after Mikey, was (perhaps unexpectedly) Sanzu, who was never too far away from Mikey really...
-Oi, Sanzu.- The man with tattooed hands called for the attention of the man with long pink hair and scarred mouth, who briefly growled at being talked to by Hanma -Tell me, what do you think of Hanagaki? What do you have on him?-
For a moment it almost looks like Sanzu's face light up like a sun, as if he had been waiting for someone to ask him that kind of question all his life -Don't get me started on Hanagaki! He [...]-
Hanma sweated coldly for a moment, because it turns out that Sanzu is quite a bit more talkative than during his teenage years (who would say, Hanma is missing the 'old' Sanzu), and he doesn't stop his chatter regarding all kinds of negative aspects that Sanzu sees in the blue-eyed 'man' -I get it, you have a hate boner for Hanagaki.- Hanma finally couldn't contain himself any longer...
-So why are you asking me?!-
[...]
The cigarette smoke stops for a moment, because it almost falls out of Chifuyu's mouth when he is taken by surprise by Hanma in one of the back parts of the building...
-What do you want?- The man with short hair (well-groomed, unlike his usual partner 'in crime') and blue eyes growled in the direction of the man with tattooed hands. Hands which Hanma brought to his chin, for a moment.
-That's a good question...- Hanma stated dryly, making Chifuyu frown for a moment, for the one man one year younger, Hanma is simply quite frustrating (they've had a rocky relationship since they met after all).
-Listen, I don't know what you did to Takemichi but-
-Are you dating? Do you swing to that side, Chifuyu? Are you defending him for that?- Hanma quickly interrupted, trying to annoy Chifuyu enough to get an answer regarding Chifuyu's opinion on Takemichi's sex.
-Why do you care?!- Chifuyu replied angrily, his face reddening. Hanma will take that as a no.
[...]
There is still a slightly red mark from a fist on Hanma's thin face (mark courtesy of Chifuyu, no need to reiterate too much), who is staring at Kakucho; meanwhile, the former second in command of Tenjiku is tending to his turtles.
Normally Kakucho would ignore Hanma in favor of focusing on his pets, who are slowly biting into their food and enjoying the water, but that's a strategy the scarred-faced man knows doesn't work -What do you want, Hanma?- Kakucho finally deigned to acknowledge the presence of the man with tattooed hands.-
-You've been friends with Hanagaki since childhood, right?- The man with yellow eyes and black-blond hair asked, "just to make sure". There was a shared silence for a moment, simply because Kakucho focused on observing his insistent coworker.
-Get to the point.- The scarred-faced man ordered, to which Hanma couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
-Have you ever noticed something strange about Hanagaki? In his voice, the way he walks?- Hanma began to bother Kakucho with a few questions... Kakucho frowned slightly, he knows Takemichi very well: what could be so strange about the man that Kakucho doesn't know?
***
On the night hours...
A little steam rises from some freshly heated instant noodles, which the woman (and perhaps we should repeat, 'woman') with greasy black hair and blue eyes, brings to her mouth with a pair of chopsticks. Takemichi eats without much manners, her parents were never there to instill much in her, and the men around her ignore such details (or she ignores their advice, bad manners go both ways).
-Oi- Speaking of the devil, one of them announced his arrival, and it is Hanma.
Takemichi stopped eating for a moment, only to glare angrily at the man with tattooed hands. After a few seconds of silence, the woman (of relatively masculine appearance, or an appearance that at least hides most of her 'femininity') let out a sigh of annoyance.
-Hanagaki-san~- Hanma meowed felinely, to the disgust of the other Bonten executive.
-Don't try to talk to me with a respect you don't have for me.- Takemichi barked back, lightly squeezing her cup of instant noodles. -What do you want, Hanma?- Hanagaki asked, tilting her head slightly in the man's direction; she's not really that terrified of being alone with Hanma (she knows how to defend herself), but still, the important thing is that Takemichi has a 'reputation' to maintain.
Fortunately at the moment it seems that Hanma hasn't told Takemichi's 'secret' to Kisaki, because if Kisaki knew, Takemichi would have already found out (because he would be trying to blackmail her, or the rest would have already found out).
-If it makes you feel better...- Hanma declared taking out a folded paper, with a few 'scribbles' (the handwriting of the man with the tattooed hands) -I've been discreetly asking the others, and it doesn't seem like any of them know that you're a woman. So in reality, maybe I'm the least idiotic of all of them.- Hanma declared excitedly, repeating some of the questions and comments he had had with other Bonten executives.
Yes, the fact that he was perhaps the least idiotic made Hanma a little happy.
But when he realized, he had Takemichi in front of him, looking up towards him because of the difference in height. The woman played for a moment with one of the locks of her black hair, which doesn't go past the end of her neck.
The man with yellow eyes and black-blond hair froze, 'admiring' the view -Thank you very much Hanma-kun, for confirming to me that all of you are idiots.- Hanagaki exclaimed 'gratefully', before giving another knee to Hanma's crotch, making the man bend forward for a moment...