Chapter Text
Haruka lay on the ground, unable to move a single muscle. He’d just been in a brutal fight with an older student, and the more blood that had spilled, the more his opponent had enjoyed it.
Just like Haruka.
Breathing heavily, he stared up at the sky. His nose felt broken, his rips hurt and his left arm was a throbbing mass of pain. And yet, he was full of euphoria, even though he’d lost. He lived for the fight. It wasn’t like he had anything else. So why not enjoy every punch he threw, and every blow he took in return?
Raindrops began to fall, cooling his overheated body. Haruka closed his mismatched eyes and savored each drop that soaked him. He had no idea how he would get home. Did he even have any food left in the house? Probably not. He’d have to pick something up on the way back.
Damn. Maybe it was time he started stocking his shelves with more supplies. Lately, he’d been in so many fights that he was constantly dealing with some injury, barely finding time to go shopping or eat properly.
Everything had been harder—and easier—since he stopped living with his parents. He was only twelve and already completely on his own. It had taken him weeks to figure out where to wash his clothes or cook the simplest meals. Not that he had much time for that, but at least he’d mastered sandwiches and eggs. Even so, living alone and handling everything by himself was incredibly difficult.
Even if his parents were sending him money so he could survive. It was the most and only heart-warming thing they ever did for him.
The older boy lay beside him, silent. With a satisfied smile, he too stared up at the sky. He was also smeared with blood, and Haruka had probably left him with a few nasty bruises. But he didn’t look the least bit strained, nor did he seem to be in much pain. Enviable.
Being older and bigger seemed to be desirable.
Haruka was done for. He was exhausted from the fight and longed for a hot bath before going to bed. But with how he felt now, he’d probably end up just taking a nap right here in the cool rain. Not ideal, but what could he do? He had no one to call, after all.
The boy’s friend arrived. A slim guy with messy black hair and a few tattoos crouched down beside him, grinning.
“Had fun?” he asked, pleased. "It was truly a sight to watch you both fight.", he hummed delighted.
The other boy nodded and looked over at Haruka, his eyes alight. Then he stood up and looked down at Haruka.
“You’re coming with us,” he said and started walking.
The black-haired guy’s face appeared in Haruka’s field of vision. He looked at him apologetically.
"I know from reliable sources that you live alone, and Chika wants you to come with us. So starting today, you’ll live with us. Here, let me help you up," said the boy, helping Haruka to his feet. Haruka couldn’t stand on his own—his legs were too weak from the fight—so the black-haired boy effortlessly lifted him onto his back for a piggyback ride.
"You are way to light for your age...", the black-haired guy murmured annoyed. "I'm Yamato Endo, by the way, and the one you fought is Takiishi Chika. Your fight was amazing. I’d heard you were a quick, devilish fighter, but what I saw blew my mind. You’re incredible! The last time I couldn't take my eyes off someone was the first time I saw Takiishi fighting."
They wanted Haruka to live with them? This was pretty much the first time anyone had ever wanted him around. They seemed to accept him and his unusual appearance just as he was. And this Yamato had even praised his fighting skills, even though they weren’t exactly refined.
Of course, Haruka had done everything he could to learn to fight, and he could adapt to any opponent in seconds. He felt his ears burning—he was thrilled by the compliment. Should he really live with these two? It didn’t seem like he had much choice, considering that Chika was intent on taking him in. Chika walked a little ahead of them, and Yamato picked up the pace to keep up. Haruka buried his face in the crook of Yamato’s neck, finally allowing himself a relieved breath.
He thought of the last hellish weeks he spent alone in his one room apartment. Lonely, cold and malnourished because he didn't know how to live. It took him so long to learn the absolute living basics that he was near collapsing and dying in silence.
He had never known where to get something to eat and with the little money his parents had provided him he couldn't eat fast food every day.
It was too expensive.
And here was his chance to change his life. He just had to take on the offer.
Finally, he nodded. "Alright. From today on, I’ll live with you," he replied quietly, a bit uncertain.
"Awesome!" Yamato cheered. "It’s great to have such a cute little brother."
"What are you talking about?" Haruka asked, a little sharply. Family matters were difficult for him, and just the thought of these guys trying to play family made him uneasy.
But Yamato only laughed. "We’re just as messed up as you are. Nobody wanted us either, so we stick together and help each other out. Since you’re as alone as we are, now you’re our little brother, and we’re your big brothers," he explained, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"I’ve never had brothers…" Haruka murmured.
"That makes three of us. Believe me, Haruka, you won’t regret living with us. We watch out for each other. Screw the rest of the world. Only we matter."
Haruka clung to Yamato. Could it really be that simple? After all the terrible experiences, had he finally found people he could truly rely on? He was skeptical, but the way Yamato spoke to him and held him so protectively made Haruka want to believe. He’d always wished for someone he could depend on, someone who wouldn’t hate him just for being there.
The three of them against the rest of the world—that didn’t sound so bad.
"You were lonely, weren’t you?" Yamato asked gently.
Haruka bit his lower lip and nodded. "Like I was the only person in this world."
"Welcome to our little family, Haruka," Yamato grinned.
___
At first, Haruka struggled to settle in with Yamato and Takiishi. Yamato was very clingy, always hugging him, which Haruka found annoying; he wasn’t used to being touched by others. But he adapted to it faster than he’d expected. Maybe it was because Yamato hugged him with every opportunity, even when they watched TV together. When Haruka asked him why he was always hugging him, he just said because he wanted to be close to his lovely little brother.
Yamato also hugged Takiishi frequently, usually earning a punch straight to the face in return. Yet, Yamato didn’t seem to mind and always said with a smile that it was just Takiishi’s way of showing affection.
Haruka found that a bit questionable, but he didn’t question it too deeply. Since he never learned how a family should behave this seemed to be okay.
Takiishi would challenge him to fights now and then, no matter the time of day or what Haruka was doing. He’d simply appear in front of him and say, “Come on.”
Haruka enjoyed sparring with Takiishi, and he learned a lot from their fights. They’d usually go at it until they couldn’t move anymore, lying on the ground until Yamato came to collect them. Their fights seemed to satisfy Takiishi a lot, since Yamato could hug him after without any fear of a punch.
Something Haruka hadn’t expected was that Yamato was actually a great cook. Compared to all his own past attempts, Yamato’s cooking was a delight. Haruka tried to help however he could, though he still struggled with cutting vegetables and often ended up nicking his fingers.
Yamato would laugh at his clumsiness and then carefully put bandages on his fingers. Takiishi on the other side never helped in the kitchen. Yamato explained that he actually preferred it that way, since Takiishi was utterly useless there; one time, he’d nearly sliced off not only his own finger but Yamato’s too.
Since then, it had been Yamato’s job to take care of their meals. Takiishi handled the grocery shopping and cleaned the apartment, while Haruka took care of the laundry. He’d wanted to help, and since neither Yamato nor Takiishi wanted anything to do with the laundry, Haruka happily took over.
He was learning what it meant to take care of each other from these two. Over time, even Takiishi started coming over more often to ruffle Haruka’s hair as praise or chat with him. When Takiishi also began occasionally hugging him, Haruka felt less like their little brother and more like their house cat. Not that he minded. He cherished every bit of affection he received.
All his life, he had only known hatred. His own parents found him repulsive. He was so touch-starved, so alone, and slowly, his wounded, abandoned heart was beginning to heal.
In middle school, Yamato forced him to study regularly and do his homework. He said that while fighting was important, keeping his wits sharp was even more crucial. Yamato firmly believed that good grades bought people a lot of leeway and that a brilliant mind was always an advantage.
Seeing Yamato and Takiishi’s own grades motivated him to try harder.
School had always been something Haruka didn’t care about; his motto had been “just pass,” and he never put in more effort than necessary. He never spoke up in class anyway, as his classmates would giggle whenever he said anything. They bullied him during breaks, and the teachers always looked the other way.
Haruka had gotten back at all of them—every single one—with each punch he threw.
Yamato had offered him the chance to switch to a different middle school, but Haruka liked the idea of showing everyone what he was truly capable of. He even caught himself enjoying studying, although his main motivation was the praise he received from Yamato and Takiishi. Before he knew it, he was among the top students in his grade, and with his fighting skills, no one dared to mock him anymore.
He felt powerful and invincible. He didn’t need Yamato and Takiishi behind him to show others they should fear him. He didn't make any friends at all, he didn't needed to. Since he had Yamato and Takiishi he needed no one in his life.
Which made Yamato proud and Takiishi satisfied. They seemed to love how much their little brother was taking care of himself and how scary he was in front of other while he was caring and lovely when he was with them.
___
One day, he saw Yamato working intently on a drawing. For days, Yamato had been sketching, scrapping ideas, and starting over until he finally found a design he was happy with.
“DONE!” he announced happily, making the final stroke. Yamato had been at this drawing for almost two weeks.
“Wow, that looks amazing. What is it?” Haruka asked, impressed.
He himself had no artistic talent and was quite in awe of what Yamato could create. He used everything possible to create art in his free time, sometimes just to relieve his anger and stress. He even drew a few pictures of Haruka. Compared to Haruka, Yamato painted like a professional artist. Yamato grinned, clearly satisfied.
“Takiishi wants a tattoo, so I designed one for him.”
“A tattoo?” Haruka asked, intrigued. “He’s really going through with it? That wasn’t just a joke?”
“Takiishi isn’t the type to joke around. When he wants something, he takes it,” Yamato laughed. Then he explained to Haruka why he’d designed the tattoo the way he had.
“He’s definitely going to love it! Will you tattoo him?”
Yamato worked for a tattooist and was currently spending much time there. He even earned money for his work. He was still learning since he was only fifteen years old. But some regular customers let Yamato tattoo them so he could practice.
Yamato smiled, pleased. “I really hope so. If he wants it, I’ll get the same one, too.”
“Can I get it, too?” Haruka asked eagerly.
Suddenly, Takiishi’s hand landed on Haruka’s head. “You’re too young for that,” he said, grabbing the drawing from Yamato. He nodded approvingly. “Book an appointment; I want it on my shoulder.”
“Who are you calling too young?!” Haruka protested indignantly.
“You, obviously,” Takiishi grinned at him.
Harukas face grew red in anger and he pouted, they were only two years older!
Yamato breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you like it! I’ll message my boss right now.” He jumped up and grabbed his phone.
Takiishi placed something on the table.
"What’s that?" Haruka asked curiously. It looked like a stapler.
"It’s for piercing ears," Yamato explained.
"Like yours, Takiishi?!"
Takiishi nodded. "I won’t allow a tattoo, but you can have your ears pierced."
"Right now?!"
Yamato chuckled at Haruka’s reaction, making Haruka turn bright red. "Did you really want something to match us that badly?" he teased.
"Well, you guys are getting a tattoo without me," Haruka pouted.
Yamato ruffled his hair. "Let me just call the tattoo artist, then I’ll pierce your ears. Takiishi already picked out some earrings for you," he said with a grin.
Less than half an hour later, Haruka had his ears pierced. He didn’t even flinch during the piercing—it was nothing compared to the hits he’d taken from Takiishi.
"Looks good," Takiishi said approvingly.
"They’re the same earrings you wear," Endo added, amused.
"Exactly why they look good," Takiishi replied.
Haruka looked at himself in the mirror, proud of his new earrings, especially since they matched Takiishi’s.
Takiishi examined them closely. "You like them?" he asked with a rare, small smile.
Haruka beamed. "I love them!"
"We should take you shopping soon too," Takiishi mused. "You’re starting to outgrow your clothes."
"Sure!"
___
Haruka was thirteen when Yamato and Takiishi started attending Furin. Both of them had been pretty excited to go to that school—Takiishi because he expected to brawl with other strong opponents, and Yamato because he wanted to watch Takiishi fight. Haruka hated that he couldn’t share this experience with them.
Especially when they came home after the first day looking more than pleased. Takiishi had blood on his shirt and seemed to have taken a hit to the face, his lip split open. Yamato, on the other hand, looked practically euphoric, having spent the whole day watching Takiishi take down various guys. He was so inspired that he immediately got to work on a new painting.
While Yamato was busy, Takiishi told Haruka about their day. Haruka felt seriously envious; he would’ve loved to go with them. Though Takiishi wasn’t the best storyteller, he did his best, and Haruka planned to ask Yamato for more details later.
The weeks went by with them coming home and sharing similar stories every day.
Yamato would often tease Haruka about how much fun they were having, saying he should look forward to the day he’d join them at Furin. This usually led to Haruka tackling Yamato and starting a fight, which Yamato happily accepted. Yamato loved sparring with Haruka and having his undivided attention. Once, he even said it made him a bit jealous when Takiishi would grab Haruka for a cuddle.
Haruka told them he wasn’t a little kid anymore and definitely not their "comfort pillow" to grab whenever they felt like it. In response, they’d just tell him how cute he was and how much they loved him.
Then came the day they both returned home frustrated.
Apparently, some guy at Furin had started trying to reshape the school. His name was Umemiya, and Haruka disliked him the moment he heard about him. Takiishi was annoyed because Umemiya kept challenging him. It seemed Umemiya was trying to unite Furin under one banner.
It was an ambitious dream, no doubt. The city was so divided that people lived in constant worry that someone would roam the streets and cause destruction. Not that Haruka cared about any of that. He usually only went outside to walk around or when Takiishi took him shopping. He knew the streets well but avoided unnecessary contact with others.
The scars of his past still ran too deep. Apart from Yamato and Takiishi, he trusted no one. He ignored everything around him and fought back only if challenged. It was rare for him to want to beat someone up on his own, but Umemiya might be the first. After all, he’d dared to upset his brothers.
His anger only grew when Yamato and Takiishi eventually left Furin. Umemiya had managed to unite most of the school under one banner and called the new group "Bofurin." He dedicated himself to making Makochi a safer city and marked it as his territory.
Yamato and Takiishi, annoyed, said they left before Furin became too boring.
"Don’t worry," Haruka promised. "When I can finally go to Furin, I’ll make it a fun place for you guys."
Yamato laughed. "How are you gonna do that?"
"Simple: I’ll crush Umemiya and show everyone how weak he is."
"I’d like to see that," Takiishi said. "The guy’s always lost to me, anyway."
"Then train me, Takiishi. Teach me more of your fighting style, and I’ll show you something that’ll make you laugh with joy."
Takiishi looked at him for a long moment. "Laugh? It’s been a while since I laughed like that." He seemed to consider it, then finally nodded. "Alright, that sounds promising, little brother. I won’t go easy on you."
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you ever gone easy on me?"
"Never, but we’ve only sparred for fun before. This time, I’m going to train you so hard you’ll need to be fed at dinner."
"No worries! I will gladly feed you Haruka!", Yamato chimed in.
Haruka looked back at him, determined. A bright smile on his face. "When do we start?"
Yamato grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, this is going to be good."