[Shinjuku hospital]
Beep...beep
The sound of the heart monitor humming and the pungent smell of bleach made the hospital atmosphere nerve-racking.
Tenzo's eyes shot open, a rapid inhale of air to wake up his lungs with the cold, sanitized air.
The white ceilings of the hospital greeted him from his slumber.
"O-Ouch–my head..." Tenzo involuntarily reaches to rub the pain at the back of his head, ignoring the groans of his body.
"Fuckin hell." He whines, roaming his eyes across the room.
'Welcome back Host.' The system speaks joyfully.
'System... how long have I been out?'
'Approximately 12 hours. It's currently 10am.' The system notifies him.
"What!?" Tenzo yells out loud, "Ughhh–" He crumbles back down.
'Host is still in bad condition, I advise limited movements until tomorrow. ' System urges.
'Great.' Tenzo sighs internally.
—–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
[System Update]
Name: Tenzo Eze
New Balance:12 000 SP
Stats-
Strength: 20
Dexterity: 20
Intelligence: 20
Endurance: 20
Reputation-
Rank: Vice-President of Brahman
Influence:27%
Relationships:
Hinata Tachibana( Girlfriend)
Senju Akashi(Girlfriend)
Naoto Tachibana(Protégé)
Emma Sano
Manjiro Sano
Ken Ryuguji
Enemies-
Tetta Kisaki
Shuji Hanma
Ran and Rindo Haitani
Storage-
Weapons:
Vehicles:
Abilities-
Dark impulses
Taekwondo prodigy badge
Hanagaki's tolerance
Territories-
Akashi gym
Brahman's headquarters/ gambling ring
Endo Park
———————————————————
'...system...what is that relationship update?'
Bang!
"Young lady–you can't!"
"TENZO–YOU BASTARD!" Senju burst into the room, rocketing her body onto Tenzo's hospital bed.
"Senju–ouff!" Tenzo's breath vanishes, and the cherry blossom-haired leader of Brahman presses her small frame on him.
"You idiot!" Senju sobs onto his chest, clutching him tightly so he wouldn't manifest the thought of escaping.
"Sniff...sniff –I thought you died." She wipes her nose on his hospital gown.
"Senjuuu–" Tenzo groans out, soothing her back with his shaky right hand.
"I'm okay. " He whispers reassurance to her.
Senju is unrelenting with her tears, the anxiety, fear and helplessness of not being able to help him triggers memories of a time she tries hard to ignore.
"I can't lose another person I care about –I can't lose you–sniff." She wholeheartedly confesses her fear.
"I'm sorry..." He rests his chin on her head, letting her relieve her emotions on his poor gown.
The nurse stood awkwardly by the bed. Hinata came to view, clutching her hazelnut coloured jersey and looking at the ground.
Tenzo noticed her predicament, "Hinata, come here." He stretches out his left hand towards her, a clear invitation to join the moment.
Tachibana runs over, burying her face against his left shoulder, holding onto him with the same tenacity as Senju.
"I'm glad you're okay. " She whispers through a shaky voice.
"Me too..." Tenzo whispers back.
---
[3 days later]
Tenzo's apartment.
It's been two days since Tenzo left the hospital and those 48 hours were spent indoors with Senju and visits from Hinata.
"Tenzo, make sure you take your painkillers. Don't tell me about you can handle the pain." Senju warns her companion.
Standing by the kitchen stove in one of his grey graphic tees and baggy shorts, hanging by her knees, Senju is on a mission to cook himself a proper meal that doesn't include takeout or instant noodles.
"Since when could you cook?" Tenzo tilts his head at her.
"I used to cook for my brothers and Takeomi's friends. " Senju lowers the heat under the pot of cut carrots and broccoli.
Tenzo took a sniff of the kitchen aroma and it lacked the processed food with heavy fats.
"I'm about to eat like a retirement home resident."
"Shut up, it's just veggies on the side with curry rice. " Senju reveals.
Tenzo lets out a sigh of relief.
"Hhmmff–you're lucky I'm even cooking for you!" Senju pouts in anger.
"Thank you. " Eze bows his head at Senju, a rare display of humility.
Senju was taken aback by his action, her quick remark lags back at the synapse flow.
"You never told me what happened after my fights?"
"Nothing really happened other than Kisaki's attempts at getting back with Hinata. "Senju giggles at the memory. "We thought you abandoned us at the food truck –"
"I would never do that." Tenzo intercepted her words.
"Senju. "
"Yeah?" The hazel-eyed Akashi looks at him.
"Do you trust me?" Tenzo asked, all seriousness in his tone.
Senju looks into his eyes, letting the moment pass.
"Of course I do, you're the only idiot I trust with my life." She jokes.
He shakes off the insult, "As you know, being a criminal sometimes requires doing bad things..."
"Tenzo." She growls out a warning for him to choose his words carefully.
"I know you told us to protect civilians from our issues but how about the willing?"
---
Shibuya's Red light district.
In the underbelly of Tokyo reserved for the more sinful aspects of society far from tourists who wish to see Tokyo in its good public eye. The Red light district is a place where exhausted office men, middle-aged thugs and police officers could coexist to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh.
Tenzo had no interest in the degeneracy of this building, hollow walls where moans and groans were the tune of the day, the front desk man with a practiced smirk that was neither welcoming nor had a shred of warmth and the lobby was a decoration of half-baked women with the charm of seasoned courtesans or for the kinky, the naivety of schoolgirls.
"This is where you live?" Tenzo side-eyes the tatted teen.
"Sadly, yes." Draken nods.
Walking down the hallway of the top floor of the building, Draken is leading Tenzo to his room.
"It's good to see you aren't dead." Draken teases.
The Dragon tattoo delinquent is wearing a black hoodie, beige sweatpants and black sandals. A bandage is resting on his left cheek and under his eyelids are faint red markings.
"I mean, what better way to spend time other than trauma bonding. " Tenzo flatly says.
"Cute." Ryuguji rolls his eyes.
"But on a serious note, you saved my life, Tenzo. I appreciate it." Draken rubs the back of his neck.
"Don't mention it." Tenzo nonchalantly dismissed his comment.
"Kenny!" A high-pitched feminine voice pierces their ears.
A blonde-haired woman with her hair styled in a bob cut and two twin ponytails. She's wearing a pink lingerie dress, hiding the two-piece temptation.
"Who's your friend, Kenny?" She purrs, her cerulean blue eyes analysing Tenzo's appearance
"Remi, don't. "
"I'm just saying hello~" Remi hums a tune.
Tenzo extends his hands to greet her, "Eze Tenzo. I'm Draken's role model. "
"Mxm, role model my ass–"
"Kenny. The adults are talking, why don't you go get some drinks for your friend, huh?" Remi shushes him away, her eyes still on Tenzo, involuntarily licking her lips.
'She's either a cougar or a Nee-chan fanatic.'
Tenzo shivers at the thoughts.
"So~Tenzo, is it?" Remi circles him like a cat finding prey. "You don't look like my regulars." She stands behind him, her delicate nose breathing in the back of his nape.
"You smell good. "
"Thanks." He mutters softly, trying to stay still.
"Are you–?"
"Yes, I'm legal and yes I'm not fully Japanese."
"The latter is obvious. I was going to ask if you're a virgin ~" She soothes the words into his ear like honey numbing the taste buds.
Tenzo's body hairs erect, jaw clenching and eyes glaring at the end of the hallway.
"Lady... you're playing a dangerous game. " Eze warns her, the words coming out through a shorter breath.
Remi's smirk curls like a devil toying with a mortal.
"Ohh~ what game are we playing then?" Remi whispers into his ear before stepping away from him, locking her fingers with his own the tenderness only taught over years of dealing with men.
Lub-dub....
His heartbeat quickens at a rapid rate, and his grey vision is consuming her form from her French tips to the alluring gaze of her blue feline eyes and trailing down her lingerie.
"Do you want to talk somewhere more private?" Remi tilts her head.
Tenzo nods absebtmindedly.
"Yeah...sure..." He trails off, allowing her to follow him wherever she wants.
"Follow me."
'Would Host like protection?'
—––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Author's notes:
Will Tenzo pop his cherry👀