[ Tokyo Revengers ] A Tainted Soul Chapter 4 : A Gentle Warmth

Inside Suzuki Reita’s tiny apartment, the warmth from the old heater stood in stark contrast to the harsh winter chill outside

The room, with its worn-out fabric sofa, a scratched wooden table, a half-read book, and a teacup still holding a wisp of steam, gave off the comforting sense of a humble sanctuary—tucked quietly in the heart of glitzy Tokyo.

The lock sounded dry and final as Reita turned the key, ushering Mikey inside.

Suzuki Reita

Come in, Mikey.

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

......

A soft amber light from the ceiling lamp fell gently across walls once cream, now faded with time—evoking warmth touched by nostalgia

Reita closed the door and double-checked the lock, as though sealing them off from the cold fingers of the outside world, forever knocking.

Suzuki Reita

......

He turned back, his eyes landing on Mikey, who had silently sat down on the sofa like a statue carved from ice—frozen, unmoving.

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

......

His obsidian eyes stared into the void, as if lost in a realm no one could ever reach

His ragged coat, dust-stained from the alley where Reita had found him, hung off his thin frame

His platinum hair—dried stiff from the cold—gleamed faintly under the dim light, evoking the delicate beauty of a frostbitten rose.

Suzuki Reita

// silently watching Mikey //

Reita stood a few steps away, studying him

Mikey’s sharply defined features, those hollow, endless eyes—something about them stirred Reita’s heart.

Suzuki Reita

* He must’ve gone through a lot... to become this quiet. *

Suzuki Reita

There was something about Mikey that Reita just couldn’t look away from

Suddenly, a piercing image surfaced—one both painful and achingly familiar

" Shinichiro Sano "

Suzuki Reita

* H-He looks so much like him… how’s that even possible? *

Reita’s chest tightened

Mikey didn’t resemble Shinichiro in the details, but the aura—the way his eyes held oceans of unspeakable sorrow—echoed the first Black Dragon leader’s soul.

Suzuki Reita

A-Are you okay, Mikey? // gently //

He stepped closer, though keeping a respectful distance, afraid to shatter the silence that wrapped around Mikey like glass.

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

.... // glances sideways at him //

That look—icy and impenetrable. But Reita didn’t flinch

He offered a small, soft smile, trying to melt the frozen air between them.

Suzuki Reita

I’ll grab a scarf for you, okay? // gentle //

Suzuki Reita

You’ll catch a cold if you keep wearing that thing

Suzuki Reita

It’s freezing, you know?

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

......

Without waiting for a reply, Reita darted to the wardrobe in the corner

His feet moved quickly, but his thoughts were a tangled mess.

Suzuki Reita

* What the hell am I doing?! *

Suzuki Reita

// rummaging through the closet //

Suzuki Reita

* Bringing a stranger home... and fussing over him like this?! *

Suzuki Reita

* Am I going insane from being alone for too long? *

But then, those vacant eyes flashed in his memory—too heavy to ignore

There was something unspoken, inexplicable between them

Even though this was the first time they’d met, something about Mikey felt... familiar

He looked at Mikey, but saw Shinichiro.

_____

Mikey still sat there, motionless on the sofa, his gaze subtly following Reita’s silhouette.

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

.....

His eyes, cold and unreadable, traced every motion, though his face gave away nothing

He didn’t know why he was here, in this stranger’s shabby apartment

He shouldn't have allowed this

But there was something in Reita’s sincerity, his quiet warmth, that made it hard to walk away

He wasn’t used to being treated like this—with no fear, no hidden agenda, no expectations.

Suzuki Reita

// holds the scarf carefully //

A gray-patterned scarf, worn at the edges, but neatly folded—like it once belonged to someone cherished.

Suzuki Reita

Um... I don’t really have another scarf besides this one. // shy //

Suzuki Reita

H-Hope you don’t mind…

With tender fingers, Reita draped the scarf around Mikey’s neck, adjusting it with care, as though trying to wrap his own warmth around Mikey.

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

......

Mikey lifted a hand, his long fingers lightly brushing against the rough texture.

It was frayed, imperfect... and yet it radiated an inexplicable warmth, as if it carried a story he couldn’t quite grasp

His empty eyes drifted across the faded pattern—interwoven black and white lines dulled with time

There was something nostalgic in the gesture, something mournful

His long lashes trembled slightly, masking a fleeting flicker of emotion that he quickly swallowed down.

Suzuki Reita

Let’s pretend the cold doesn’t exist tonight, Mikey.

Suzuki Reita

This place may be old and worn... but at least you won’t freeze here!

Suzuki Reita

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

* As if I could sleep peacefully? *

He thought, as shadows gathered in his mind

Mikey suffered from bipolar disorder—depression, sleeplessness, haunting dreams, and sedative pills were all too familiar to him.

Suzuki Reita

Sleep well, Mikey. // flicks off the lights //

Suzuki Reita

Sano Manjiro - Mikey

......

The soft golden light blinked out, and darkness blanketed Mikey’s face

In the quiet, he looked like a sculpture—beautiful yet burdened

His silence held a weight, as if he bore an entire world of sorrow

Sitting there, embraced by the night, Mikey listened to his own heartbeat—slow, steady, and unbearably lonely

He didn’t sleep

Couldn’t

But for now, this silence... this space... it was peace

A temporary kind.

- TO BE CONTINUE -

Taka Yuuri🐧 [Author]

Do you like this story, everyone?

Taka Yuuri🐧 [Author]

I truly hope more hearts out there will discover and fall in love with it.

Taka Yuuri🐧 [Author]

If you feel even a little warmth from it… then please, help me let the world know. 🐧✨