*PAST*

"Why here, Mikey?" The teenager looked at the blond boy sitting opposite.

"You said you liked this new restaurant, but because of Yasu you never had a chance to come here so..." Sano smiled. "Taa-dah!" He spread his hands. "Here we are!" Man shouted happily, which amused the girl.

"Thank you." She smiled. "Here, your flag, they forgot to give it here too. " The fair-haired girl placed the flag on the top of Manjiro's food, which made the boy even happier.

At the present time, the two were very close to each other, but neither one nor the other was able to confess feelings to the other person.

"You know Ami-chan, I've met a strange person..." Boy said.

"Eh?" Kojima looked at him. "Strange? What do you mean? Who is that?"

"Takemitchy." Said.

"Takemitchy?" She repeated after him, surprised. "It's from that incident at school? Fights between students?"

"Mm." He nodded. " His person interested me." He admitted. "He remind me a bit of my brother." He said which caught Kojima attention.

"So..." She smiled at him. "If you said that, then must be really interesting person." She looked at Sano. "Will you introduce him to me one day?"

"Yes, as long as it doesn't make me jealous." He replied what surprised her.

"Jealous?" She repeated. "Are you jealous?" She shook her head.

"I don't know." Sano replied. "Should I? "He glanced at her and finished his meal, which caused a soft giggle of the girl.

"Mikey, you're so cute." She laughed seeing his face.

"I'm not cute." He made a charming, offended face. "It isn't a well-chosen word for me. Pff..." He was offended and Ami just chuckled.

"It's a perfect word." Ami laughed looking at him and then reached for a handkerchief and wiped his face a bit after eating, which attracted Manjiro's attention.

Sano grabbed her hand and stopped her to sit down beside him. Their eyes met, and a faint blush slowly crept onto their faces.

"You have no reason to be jealous." She smiled at the leader. "I'll always be on your side, and not on any other." She assured him, and her words surprised him a bit and made him even happier.

"I'm glad then." Mikey said. "Ami, I want to see you more often will you mind?"

"No." She replied happily. "I'd like to spend more time with you too." She smiled charmingly. "Ah!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "So don't waste our time!" Kojima took the blond's hand and pulled him after her.

"Wait, where are we going?" He asked confused.

"You said you're free today." She stopped and looked at the boy with a smile.

"Mm." Sano nodded.

"Lets go then." She pulled him after her again.

Before leaving the restaurant, they paid for the meal and then continued on their way. It took Kojima a long moment to realize that she was still holding Manjiro's hand. The embarrassed schoolgirl decided to let him go, but he didn't allow it. Mikey clasped their hands together and looked at Ami with a pleasant smile that she shyly returned.

"So where are we going?" Blond boy asked.

"Emma said there was going to be a festival nearby, maybe we'll see what they prepared?" She looked at her companion.

"Sure, if you want to." He nodded. "Shall we continue our previous game?"Mikey asked and she nodded. "So now it's my turn, um..." He wondered. "Your favorite color?"

"Orange." She replied. "Or pink!" Added. "Or maybe blue..." She wondered. "Or purple ..." She mentioned which made Sano laugh.

"So you like all the colors."

"Mm..." She nodded after a while. "It's hard for me to pick one." She said. "And yours?" She looked at the boy.

"Red." Sano replied smiling.

"So I chose correct color to your the bracelet." She chuckled.

After the festival, the couple went for a walk, they both had a great time together.

"Aaah!" Ami said happily. "Look, Mikey!" Woman pointed at sakura and petals falling from it. "How beautiful!" She ran closer, her reaction bringing a smile to Sano's face. "I love sakura." Girl admitted and couldn't took her eyes off the tree.

Manjiro looked at the satisfied Ami, then he sat down near the tree and lay down on the grass. Kojima ran up to him, knelt next to the lying boy and looked at him.

"Did I tired you?" She asked worriedly.

"No". He replied with a smile. "Not at all." Boy assured her. "I like to spend time with you, Ami." He said, then took the petal of sakura from the teenager's hair.

"So..." She started blushing, looking at the leader still lying next to her. "Will we meet again?"

"Mm. Of course."

"Mikey ...?" She looked at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" He looked at her again.

"Why..." She began hesitantly. "Why are you smiling so sad?" She asked what surprised the other man. "Even though you're always smiling most of the time... There is something behind it." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"Sadness." That surprised the blond boy even more. "You always smile so sadly, you don't say everything ..." She said. "It's like you were wearing a mask." She looked at him. "Why? Maybe you don't trust me that much, but... But If something is bothering you, you can tell me about it. I'll listen to you, always." She assured him. "I'll help if I can."

Mikey sat down and looked at the girl sitting next to him.

"I trust you." He said honestly. "That has nothing to do with it, Ami." He said. "You're the only one who noticed this." Sano admitted then smiled faintly and looked at her again. "I'm glad you're here and I can count on you. But I don't want to get you involved in Toman, I'd rather not worry you about it."

"But it's not just about Toman, is it?" She noticed. "Tell me." Ami took his hand and looked into his eyes.

Manjiro was silent for a moment. Immediately after that, he took a light breath and looked ahead at the falling petals of sakura.

"After Shinichiro's death..." He began sadly. "Nothing was the same anymore." He sighed. "I didn't expect my brother to leave us so soon... Nobody expected that. Shinichiro has always cared for us, taught me everything I know... I admired him." He admitted. "When he died..." Boy lowered his head sadly. "I didn't know what to do. Emma broke down, and I... I tried to chase away all unnecessary thoughts and take the best care of my sister... Provide her with everything she needed. She needed me, I knew I couldn't leave her... " He said sadly. "We needed each other. I thought that after such time it would be better, but some part of me is still living in the past and cannot come to terms with what happened ..."

"You've taken a very heavy burden on your shoulders." Teenager interjected. "Toman, yours brother's death, taking care of Emma and the others..." She mentioned. "And where's the place for you?" She looked at the boy. "You focused on others and you forgot about yourself." She said. "Sano Manjiro also needs help and support." She stroked his hand. "Your life may have turned gray, but remember that each of us is only human. Mikey... Your friendship has brought glorious technicolor to my life, it's been there even in the darkest of times and I am the luckiest person alive for that gift. Sometimes you don't see that the best thing that's ever happened to you is sitting there, right under your nose.* " She looked at the boy listening to her. "I'll help you bring colors into your life, if you'll just let me. " She said, and she felt that she was blushing and began to wonder if she really did the right thing by saying this words.

"You already did, Ami." He laced their hands together. "Thank you." He smiled what she shyly reciprocated.

A few days later. Ami and Emma were in class, finishing their lunch.

"Admit it alredy." The younger Sano insisted.

"What?" The other asked.

"That you like Mikey." She said and the second teenager blushed.

"Emma!" Ami was embarrassed. "What are you talking about? Of course I like him, but not like that... " She stopped as she began to doubt what she was saying.

"Ha! You see?!" She pointed at her friend with her finger.

Ami blushed even more.

"I..." Kojima began hesitantly and then sighed heavily. "Well, I can't hide it from you anyway..." She put the food on the table. "I think..." Gril said shyly. "Tha... I love Mikey..." She admitted.

"Finally!" Emma called. "Even I confessed to you sooner that I fell in love with Draken."

"But that's difference." Kojima interrupted her.

"Why? Because Mikey is my brother?" She laughed. "So what? The fact that Mikey is my brother and that you stole his heart makes me even happier." Sano smiled. "I couldn't have a better sister-in-law." She giggled.

"E-eh..." Ami shook her head. "I stole his heart? What are you..." She shocked. "E-eeh?!!" She looked at Emma.

"Are all lovers so perceptive?" Sano chuckled. "Mikey didn't confess to me, but I heard him talking to Draken when he said he liked you." She said. "You two should talk." She said and finished her meal.

"Shoul I..." Kojima stammered. "Should I tell him...?"

"Of course." Sano smiled. "Believe me, you won't be disapointed."

Kojima considered the words of her friend and then sighed heavily.

"I'll go get some water." She said getting up. "Take something for you too?"

"Orange juice please!" She exclaimed cheerfully at which Ami smiled.

"Okay, I'll be right back. " Girl nodded and left the class, reflecting on the earlier conversation and on her feelings for the older Sano.

The girl didn't even know when it happened that she fell in love with Manjiro. She couldn't describe it or put it into words properly. But deep in her heart, she felt how much she loved him. She realized quite recently that, what she was feeling, was really love. Ami has never felt like this before.

She was constantly thinking about the leader of Toman, and as soon as she always saw him, her heart suddenly sped up and a smile with blushes crept on her face.

Suddenly the noises roused the girl from her thoughts. Several people gathered in front of her, whispering to one another. Ami was surprised at this sight so she decided to come closer and see what was going on. When she managed to stand in the place where she had seen the whole incident, she saw Draken standing nearby, and Mikey was right next to him. Some blond man was with them. And at that moment an unknown girl approached Sano, who a second later, without a word, slapped Manjiro.

"E-eeeh?!" Ami was surprised.

It wasn't just Kojima who was surprised and terrified at the same time. Did that girl really know who the people standing there were? Ami knew them and knew that they would never hurt women, but this situation shocked her.

The teenager who hit Sano grabbed the blond boy standing next to him and pulled him with her. From what Kojima understood, the girl wanted to defend her companion, believing that the other two gangsters, were his enemies.

Draken stopped the two walking away.

"Hey, don't make me kill you, love." The tall blond boy said. "You hit him for no reason, and now you just walk away? Who do you think you are?"

The teenager was scared but still got her way.

"And who do you think you are?" She said, which surprised Draken. " You just broke into the school and you're trying to force one of students to go with you. This isn't something what friends do! Recently, I saw nothing but an injured Takemichi-kun whole the time."

Ami wondered about her words. Was the Takemichi one the same person Mikey was talking about? Could it be Takemitchy?

"And if it's you're the ones who doing this to him... "The girl continued. "I'll do whatever I can to stop you!" She looked at Draken.

"Let her go." Takemichi said trembling and put his hand on Ken's shoulder. He wanted him to let go of the teenager standing next to him.

"What are you mumbling?" The tall blond boy snarled. Knowing them, Ami realized that the boys just wanted to scare them a bit, and from what she saw now, they're plan was working. "I can't hear you?!" He raised his voice.

"I told you to let her go!" He screamed. "Are you deaf or what ?!"

"Are you aware who you just said that to?"

"There are things I'll never let happen again, okay?!" The other shouted, which surprised the rest.

"Ehh..." Mikey said suddenly. "And I thought we're gonna be friends. Now I have only one question... " Sano said then suddenly took a hostile expression on his face. "How do you want to die?" He looked sternly at Takemichi and walked up to him with a slow step, what the other was greatly scared of.

"Just promise me... " Hanagaki said. "Just promise me one and only thing!"

"Hm?" Manjiro was surprised.

"Never, ever try to hurt Hina!" He said.

So the girl behind him was his girlfriend? Interesting.

"Huh?" Sano snorted. "Do you think I care about your words anyway?" He said and swung at the other blond boy, which closed his eyes in scared. Then Mikey and Draken started to laugh. "You're such a dummy, Takemitchy." Manjiro laughed and patted the boy on the shoulder. "You really thought I would hurt that girl?" He smiled.

Takemitchy breathed a sigh of relief, and a moment later Draken leaned against him.

"Takemitchy." He said surprised. "You really wanted to threat me." He looked at his shorter companion.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." Hanagaki replied.

"It's okay." Ken said. "There are times when a guy needs to get his way. There aren't many who would stand up for the girl. You impressed me."

Hina was confused and she didn't know what was going on anymore, so her boyfriend explained everything to her. Hina started to apologize to Mikey.

"I'm so sorry!" She said when they were standing in front of the school. "I didn't know."

"It's okay, don't worry." Sano replied. "Although I must admit that I haven't been hit so hard for a long time." He rubbed the sore spot.

"I'm so sorry!"

"There's nothing wrong with doing such things for people who are important to us." Manjiro said with a smile. "Just make sure you don't overdo it. It can turn against you if you mix it up with the wrong people."

"I understood!" Embarrassed girl assured which the blond boy laughed. "I'll go now." She looked at her boyfriend.

"Bye-bye!" Mikey called. "Don't hit me next time." He said, and after a while the person behind Hina caught the attention of the leader. "Ami-chan!" He exclaimed cheerfully, so the girl approached them, passing Hina at the same time.

"Ami-chan, ohayo." Draken smiled kindly.

"Ohayo." She replied the same. "You've nothing to do but scare people?" Kojima laughed.

"You've seen that?" Ken laughed.

"Mm." She nodded. "If I didn't know you, I would belive in that scene too." She admitted amused, and after a moment noticed that Takemitchy was looking at her.

"Ami-chan, this is the Takemitchy I was telling you about." Mikey patted the boy on the back.

"H-hi..."

"Hello, nice to meet you."

"Ami-chan is Mikey's girlfriend." Draken said and the two of them glared at him with shock.

"E-eeh?!" They shouted simultaneously.

"Ken-chin!"

"Draken-kun!"

The tall blond boy only laughed seeing their reaction.

"I-I understand..." Hanagaki said.

"Eh..." Flushed Mikey looked away from his new friend. "Ami, see you later." He waved at her, and Kojima replied the same.

The three guys went for a little ride together and then stopped at place to talk for a while. Mikey wanted Takemichi to join the gang but of course ensured that Takemichi had time to think.

"So, Mikey-kun?" Hanagaki looked at the leader. "Your girlfriend seems to be very nice." He said and Sano huffed and blushed. Draken started to laugh out loud. "Eh, did I say something wrong?"

"Of course not." Ken replied amused. "You're telling the truth, Ami-chan is a very nice person." He looked at his blushed friend with a smile.

Takemitchy was surprised to meet Sano Manjiro and his friends. He was expecting something completely different. In the past, they're really kind and friendly people. The boy wondered what must've happened, that the future he came from, looked like this.

Dangerous Toman' leader and his queen who looks so innocent and adorable at this moment. What happened to make their fate like this?

Hanagaki needed to find out and prevent impending disasters.

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* Quote from "Love, Rosie."