#kono haruo | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

useless-bi-otch · 1 year ago

Text

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 22

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 22 - Maximum’s Song

TIMELINE: This chapter takes place at the same time as Heavy Bakery’s Chapter 28, under a different POV. You can read it here

“WE DID IT, FAMILY!!”

Kanami's triumphant shout echoed through the kitchens, accompanied by the sounds of beer cans and juice glasses clashing in midair and the loud celebrations of all the Heavy Bakery employees, who were as ecstatic as she was.

"CHEEERS!"

They all drink together, Tomori, Hiro and Paikon with their beers, Kanami and Tomoyo with their juice. But with or without alcohol, the drinks tasted just like victory.

When Kanami appeared at the bakery at the beginning of the day, her face lit up in exuberant happiness, the employees already imagined that she had good news, and with luck, it would be the one they had been waiting for. But their expectations were exceeded, because no one there had expected that she had not only already found the ideal site, but was already able to acquire it with the least possible bureaucracy involved!

That was her oldest dream, and Tomori couldn't be happier for her friend, and for all of them. That was a new beginning for the Heavy Bakery, and after so much effort and suffering (especially on the boss' part), the feeling was of pure worthiness.

“How awesome, Kanaaaaaaa!” Tomori smiles a lot. “I was really running out of hope, that was a miracle!”

“Yes, even I was hunting,” Tomoyo nods. “Looking for a good site is really hard…”

"Yes, but my other friends managed to…," Kanami seemed about to cry, her eyes undulating. "I… I really…"

“You have a hot back now, right girl? It's really cool, you're wonderful,” Hiro hugs her, caressing her hair to comfort her. “We'll be able to grow and make that bakery-restaurant you wanted so much… and we wanted that too, we want to grow with you!”

"It will be a very good thing for all of us," Paikon nods, a little too enthusiastically; he'd already had more cans of beer than Tomori and Hiro put together. "Growing on the job is great, but the job growing with you is even better."

"Yeah!," Kanami sniffs, accepting Hiro's caresses while trying to hold back her tears. "The land has finally been acquired, and we can build in it now… we'll have to organize the plan, the space, which will be even bigger… there's the possibility that we'll have to hire more people…"

"But that's what we wanted to do from the beginning," Tomori nods. "I already have a list of what to ask for future candidates, I've been doing this since that time you were out of the bakery for a while…"

"Yes… but… what matters now… is that, as I promised, everyone will be on paid vacation during this construction period!"

"YEAAAAAH!!!," If that wasn't another wonderful news, none of them knew what else could be. Even Paikon joins the chorus of happy screams, while Hiro bounced around as if he had springs in his feet.

"My dream came true!," he shouts, scandalous as always. "Long live Kanami's hot back!"

"Hurray!," Paikon and Tomoyo shout together.

Kana shakes her head in affectionate exasperation. "Oh, you…"

Tomori could only laugh, still celebrating as she hugged Tomoyo tightly, making the girl gasp. She was over the moon with Kanami's achievements and excited for the future of the bakery, but a whole month of vacation was the icing that was missing for that delicious cake to be perfect.

Laughing to herself, Tomori was already pulling her phone out of her purse, wanting to send a message to Okubo, when the loud knocking sound on the bakery's front door interrupted their celebration. They all turn to the pantry window in surprise.

"Hey, the bakery is closed at this hour," Kanami comments, wondering, while getting up and leaving the kitchens towards the counter. Tomori, Hiro, Paikon and Tomoyo exchange puzzled glances, the three youngest employees immediately going to peek into the table area through the pantry window.

From that distance, they could only see Kanami's back, a little tense as she hurried to peer out onto the street. And that's when they hear her gasp.

"What the… Ohma? What are you doing…?"

"Yo."

They all widen their eyes when they hear the voice of Seaweed Head, who had become the bakery's number one customer.

"Ohma?," Tomori frowns, speaking low. "It's not possible that he already found out, is it…?"

Kanami opens the door, staring at whatever was on the other side in a silence that they understood to be stunned. And soon they hear Ohma's voice again.

"I think the news got out."

And soon other voices joined his, and Tomori's eyes widened even more as she recognized some of them.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself…"

"Me neither, I was too happy when I found out that they had closed the deal… and the meeting went well like that…"

"Frankly, you can't keep your mouth shut… but yeah, we're all happy."

"What's up? Are you going to invite us in, Kanami?"

"Mr. Seki?!," Tomori screeches, and Hiro and Tomoyo have to catch her as she leans too far over the edge of the pantry window and almost falls, as more voices follow Sekibayashi's.

"Yeah, we brought drinks!"

"And food too!"

"We even have things to do, if you let us. This is going to be a hell of a party, man, there will even be a barbecue!"

"Good lord, did they bring a complete party kit? With cakes and all?," Hiro's eyes widened while he and Tomoyo helped a very flustered Tomori to straighten up. She spits some hair out of her mouth, her eyes still popping.

"That's Rihito's voice! So that means...!"

"Oh… my god, guys…," Kanami's voice sounded quivery, almost emotional, as she took a deep breath, her back now a little shaky. "I… okay, you morons! Come all in!"

A collective roar followed outside, and that would have been frightening if not for the current circumstances. Kanami opens the door and steps aside, and then a veritable battalion of people enters the bakery, mostly huge, muscular men. But they were still all familiar faces.

Ohma is accompanied by an older man whom Tomori immediately recognized as the man who had called for an ambulance when Ohma and the four idiots saved her from that bunch of troublemakers (Mr. Yamashita, isn't it?) and a woman with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and looking very professional, with those formal clothes and glasses that immediately made her conclude that it must be Mr. Yamashita's secretary.

Further back came the group that almost made her freak out with joy: Sekibayashi Jun, accompanied by Haruo, Jose and all the other SJPW-affiliated wrestlers, carrying various bags and gadgets that she recognized as being suitable for barbecue. Koga and Ryuki were with them as well, the former a little embarrassed, but still smiling, and the later looking a little distant, but still calm. And the third group that entered right after...

She probably would have fallen over the edge of the pantry window this time if she'd still been leaning over it. There came Okubo, Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, very excited and carrying not apparatus worthy of a steakhouse, but musical instruments. Okubo breaks into a luminous smile when he sees her through the window, waving his free arm as he holds the case of one bass guitar in the hand of the other.

"Hey, Tomori! We didn't have time to bring food too, but hey, we didn't come empty-handed!"

"You...!," She couldn't even formulate a sentence in that first moment of astonishment, leaving the kitchens with Hiro, Tomoyo and Paikon to join the newcomers. "But how did you…?"

"Apparently the Goku wannabe here spilled all the beans," Kanami sighs, indicating Koga with a gesture of the head, to which the boy shrinks a little.

"My bad! But seriously, sis, don't you think a feat like that deserves to be celebrated? Everyone here was so happy for you and wanted to congratulate you in person!"

“More of an excuse to party,” Ohma comments, to which Kazuo arches an eyebrow at him.

"And you disapprove of that, Ohma?"

"On the contrary. They brought meat. There's nothing to disapprove of."

"Oh, good, I was starting to wonder if you were another clone," Kazuo jokes, patting Ryuki lightly on the shoulder, who rolls his eyes.

"Yes, Ryuki… I still couldn't thank you enough," Kanami says, and pulls him closer, pointing to him while saying," "Guys, look, he was the one who found the site! He deserves an extra glass of milkshake..."

"Whoa, there's a milkshake too?!," Ohma exclaims and widens his eyes, very interested, and several others follow suit.

"Nice, will there be a milkshake too?"

"Milkshake for everybody, guys!!"

"No, wait… it wasn't…," Kanami tried to say, but Ohma, Ryuki and about five other fighters went to the counter area, Ryuki pushing the others away, so as not to break the machine. This made the bakery owner sigh in exasperation, scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah, I said that… eh, I’m glad we’ll be closed tomorrow…"

“Life's inevitabilities, Kana, honey! Relax, I'll keep an eye on the bad boys to make sure they don't turn the kitchen upside down," Hiro assures, his smile almost predatory as he goes to join Ryuki in the task of keeping all those mastodons under control. "Oh, the sacrifices I make for this establishment... thankfully, for all those beautiful people, it's worth the effort..."

“And I'll get the bucket and mop. There's still no mess, but with this bunch, it's just a matter of time," Paikon sighs, but he doesn't seem to sound exactly angry. Kazuo gives a humorless laugh as the janitor walks away.

"Ahaha, S-sorry about that! I- I swear we'll cover the cost of any damages..."

"For any damage caused by ours specifically, please," The secretary adds, adjusting her glasses with a serious expression. "And nothing more. We should not be fully responsible for the excesses of these grown men..."

“H-Hey, Kaede, that doesn't include me, does it? I don't want anything deducted from my salary, I don't have money to pay for machinery repairs...!," Koga says quickly, alarmed, to which Kanami shakes her head, Tomori laughs out loud and Tomoyo rolls her eyes.

"It'll come out of the payment I give you for helping at the bakery, dumbass," Kanami points to him, making the others laugh at him.

"It's true, you're working as a helper at the bakery," Himuro comments, smiling. "In that case, it's better to set an example and go help your co-workers, don't you think? I want a chocolate milkshake."

"Me too! And put some of those sissy sprinkles on mine while you're at it, today I'm in need of some extravagances," Rihito laughs, and Koga gives them the middle finger, furious.

"Don't go thinking I came to work as a waiter, you assholes! I won't serve you!"

"We are the musicians, the souls of the party, kid! If you want some cool ambient music, you'll have to pay for it somehow," Okubo says, to which Koga snorts.

"Don't wanna! Your band ain't all that shit, anyway..."

"Say that again, motherfucker!," The three of them shout at the same time, while Kaneda just laughs softly.

"Just stick to the milkshakes while we're playing, it never sounds the same after you drink."

Koga turned red.

"So I'm going to be indebted forever...," he mutters a little loudly.

"Huh? What's that? Are you saying that I don't pay you well enough?!," she exclaims, going after him, and the boy jumps over the counter running to the kitchen. "Come back here!"

"Hey, Koga, now that you're going to the kitchens, bring me some water, please!," Kaneda exclaims to him while Okubo, Rihito and Himuro just laughed. "The drummer is the one musician who tends to sweat the most, you know…"

"Hell no! None of you have broke arms or anything!"

"I also want a chocolate milkshake, Ryuki," Ohma says. "Put everything I'm entitled to."

"Which means, nothing," Ryuki grunts.

"Damn kid, what did I do?," Ohma laughs.

'He's kidding," Koga comes back with a water bottle. "He's just too serious."

"I'm not,"

"Hey, Mr. Kaneda, there you go!," Koga throws the bottle to the drummer.

"Thank you!," Kaneda quickly picks up the bottle. "Now I'm ready to play!,"

"Kaneda gets his order, but we don't? I smell favoritism," Okubo grumbles, to which Rihito and Himuro nod while huffing. Kaneda laughs, opening the bottle.

"Try not to act like self centered rockstars, for starters. People tend to like you better that way."

"Oh, but then you are demanding a lot from us! Especially now, when we're going to play for potential fans," Okubo smiles at Tomori, who vibrates with excitement as she understands.

"You mean I'll finally be able to hear a Maximum the Dogegencho concert?!"

"And in a privileged seat, if it's up to me!," Okubo declares, his chest swelling with a very particular pride, while the other three idiots watched him with an air of laughter. "Such an event deserves a celebration on pair with it, right, guys?"

"Yeah! And guess what, Miss Uta!," Rihito leans towards the sous chef, opening an insinuating smile. "The idea of us doing a private show was all Okubo's."

"Yep! It was the first thing he thought of, after Koga had sent us that message," Kaneda nods, joining in.

"Yes! He said, verbatim, 'Tomori already wanted a live performance from us, why not take the opportunity?'," Himuro tells her, and Okubo blushes a little, snorting.

"You...! Yes, I thought of her! So what? Are you going to sue me for that?," He crosses his arms, a little sullen, to which the others laugh. Tomori can only blush too, her chest warm with joy.

"Was I the first person you thought of? That's so sweet of you, Naoya..."

And they all saw, as if by magic, the irritation in Okubo's expression evaporate and be replaced by stupid, open happiness. He scratches the back of his head.

"Ahaha, a- and who else would I think of? I mean, the owner is Miss Kanami, so technically that's who we should be playing for, right? But you were the first person who was really interested in listening to us, so... I...," He stops, looking to the side. And then he grunts, putting a hand over his face. "Rihito."

"What is it, man?"

"Tell me to shut up."

"Alright. Shut up, Okubo."

Tomori couldn't say why, but that made her laugh out loud again.

"So I'm to understand that the only sounds you're going to produce today will be from your bass, right?"

“I was told to shut up, miss, I'm sorry. Come talk to me when I'm feeling less stupid."

"Which means, never," Ohma grunts.

"And he says I'm the one who's mean!," Ryuki complains.

"He's my friend and he has the right to, you attacked me gratuitously."

"Cut it out, you two, you sound like siblings bickering," Kanami laughs while helping the others to set the barbecue kit up in the kitchen. "Yes, you can use the hamburger griddle, it's better than that barbecue there…"

"All right, boss!," Koga exclaims.

"Yes, let’s barbecue! And I'd be telling you to shut up too if you hadn't already told me to shut up first!," Okubo growls at Ohma and Ryuki, which only makes Tomori laugh even more. Laughter was coming so easily to her that night, and it had barely started!

"Seriously, we are very grateful! Kanny, Hiro, Paikon, Tomoyo... and me, of course," She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Will I be able to hear some of the classics that were played that day you drove me home?"

"Of course! Unhappy Lullaby is practically our flagship!," Rihito exclaims excitedly, to which Kazuo, further back, makes a face.

"I still think that's a terrible song name..."

"And then, we're going to rock with Are You Happy," Himuro promises, and it's Ohma's turn to make a face.

"No! I couldn't get this shit outta my head the first time I heard it for weeks, I don't want it to happen again."

"You're not the one choosing, Tokita, this privilege is only for the girls! Which do you prefer, Kaede? Unhappy Lullaby, Are You Happy or a guitar solo from me just for you? Hnn?," Lihito arches an eyebrow at the secretary, smiling insinuatingly, to which she snorts.

"I'd rather let the bakery employees have the right to choose."

"I'm happy with anything, really! Oh, I can't believe it...!," Tomori gives a little jump of joy. "My request is coming true without me having to ask for it!"

"Request?," Okubo repeats the word, arching an eyebrow. Tomori stops vibrating, realizing what she's just said. She feels her face heat up a little as she looks away.

"Uuh... it's just that I... a few days ago, I thought of asking you guys if you'd like to play at the reopening of the bakery, when we manage to find a new site. Of course, we would find a way to pay for the concert-"

"You wouldn't have to!," Okubo suddenly exclaims, startling her a little. "We'd gladly do it for you as a favor."

Tomori's eyes shine.

"Really? Naoya, that's-"

"Speak only for yourself, Okubo!," Himuro suddenly exclaims. "I was going to charge at least for my participation!"

“Yeah, even if it was just payment in the form of complimentary food,” Kaneda jokes, and Rihito nods enthusiastically.

"Or in the form of your friend's phone number! See how cheap my fee is?"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves for saying such things..."

“Oh, there's no need to be jealous, Kaede! I would be equally happy with your number too!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Miss Akiyama is right. Holy shit, you're the most self-serving pricks I've ever met!," Okubo grumbles. Tomori shakes her head, smiling reassuringly.

"It's okay, I said we wouldn't mind paying a fair price-"

"In the form of a phone number?!"

"In the form of money or food on the house."

"Dangit..."

"And if Miss Uta is willing to do that, what's the harm, Okubo? It just means she values our art," Himuro shrugs while Rihito pouts. Okubo wrinkles his nose a little.

"Hnf… in that case I wouldn't ask for money or food. I would ask for something else..."

He smiles in that way Tomori knew well; that sly, playful smile that always preceded requests for a kiss. Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda were giggling and Mr. Yamashita and his secretary exchanged very meaningful glances, but she paid no attention to any of that. She just kept thinking that if that was the only payment he would charge to play, then she would gladly pay-

"I don't care what Tomori pays you, as long as it's not for you to play Are You Happy! If you do that, I'll beat the shit outta you!"

"Damn it, Tokita!," Okubo turns to Ohma, indignant, while the others laugh. "When one of your pals is hitting on a beautiful girl, you don't interrupt him while making completely random threats! You shut your fucking pie hole and that's it! It's the basics of the bro code!"

"I haven't seen you hit anything yet," Ohma raises an eyebrow. "Especially notes. Just start playing already."

"Yeah, even I thought of that," Ryuki sighs, exasperated.

"Hey, keep the noise down!," Kanami warns, looking at the group at the back of the bakery.

"Eh, really Kana, sorry for the mess, we are just very happy…"

"Oh no, Mr. Sekibayashi, that wasn't you! And don't worry, I plan to close tomorrow to start working in the new site, so I guess a little mess won't hurt..."

"Oh yeah, that's true!," Tomori seems to remember who was there. "Oh my God, Sekibayashi!"

She takes off running, practically bouncing like a teenage girl who happened to see her idol across the street, talking to him and already pulling out her phone to take pictures.

"Mr. Seki, please! Can we record this moment?"

"HAahahaha, didn't we record a bunch of moments on that other visit I paid, miss?"

"I know, but this one is even more special! I mean, not that those others weren't special too, but… oh, it's just that my brother can't believe I met you in person! I need more proof to shove in his face!"

"Hahaha! Got it, Miss Uta. Come here, let's appease your fan fury," He laughs loudly, clearly used to that kind of situation. "Haruo, Jose, you get here too!"

Okubo could only stare like an idiot, which only made Rihito and Himuro smirk.

"Left aside for a pro-wrestler in his forties…"

"Bro, you hit rock bottom with a shovel so you could dig even deeper!"

"Yeah, apparently that's the only thing he can hit," Ohma snickers, and the other two scoff. Okubo puffs out his cheeks.

"Oh yeah?! So let's go, guys: Are you happy? Are you hap-"

Okubo is almost attacked by a flying Ohma, if it weren't for Ryuki and Hiro holding him back from the counter.

"Hold him down!

"My God, what is this?!"

"I told you I was going to beat the shit outta you, you son of a bitch!"

"Hey, cut that shit out!," Kanami screams. "Ohma! Sit down!"

Ohma stops short, looking at the baker. He stared at her for a moment, until he broke away from the two who were holding him and snorted, still annoyed, walking away.

Kanami looks at Okubo and points at him, her eyes like acid, "I won't be saving you next time. Behave!"

"Jeez, what happened?," Koga asks from the kitchen, now wearing an apron.

"We almost got a Punk Rock show, broken guitar and all," Hiro sighs, a little alarmed by the strength he had to use to hold Ohma down.

"Whoa, not my fucking guitar!," Rihito shouts, hugging the instrument, while Himuro and Kaneda doubled over laughing. "But holy shit, I never tought that Seaweed Head hated this song so much!"

"Me neither! Damn, now we know exactly how to respond when Kelpthullu starts messing with us, hahaha," Okubo exclaims, delighted. "And sorry about that, Miss Kanami, we promise we'll behave! Let’s start this concert, guys, I have a fan to win back!"

"Hell yeah!," Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda exclaim, still laughing, the smallest raising his drumsticks in the air. The others around celebrate when they see that there would finally be some music at that party; there was no better accompaniment to food, after all.

And further on, the pro-wrestlers snickered as they enjoyed the ruckus, still posing for pictures with Tomori.

"Hey, hermosa," José nods to get Tomori's attention. "I think your other idol is a little jealous, hahaha."

"I don't know why, young women aren't master's type," Haruo comments, a little confused, to which Sekibayashi laughs out loud.

"And even if they were, it would be pretty scummy of me to steal the only female fan that idiot has in all of the Main Island, hahaha!"

"No one has to steal me from anyone! My fangirl heart is big enough to fit all of you," Tomori decrees, all flushed with happiness, and the pro-wrestlers laugh again.

"That's good to know, miss. So Okubo over there has nothing to worry about, right?," Sekibayashi asks, smiling. He looks to the side, and Tomori follows the direction of his eyes.

There was Okubo, setting up the instruments with Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, the four of them looking amused as they threatened to start playing that song Ohma hated, just to piss him off. Okubo laughed, his expression calm as he tuned the bass, his gray eyes glistening a little...

Tomori feels her chest warm again, an involuntary smile making her cheeks hurt a little.

"Haha, no. He hasn't."

* * *

The smell of roasting meat filled the entire bakery, enveloping everyone inside in an aromatic haze that made stomachs grumble. There were also bottles of liquor being passed around, and those elements combined made Tomori think of a steakhouse, or an pub; the complete opposite of what the bakery proposed, but just by looking at Kanami's happy and peaceful face, she knew that her friend had chosen to make an exception, just this once.

She herself had absolutely nothing to complain about the surroundings. The meat skewers that came out of the kitchens, courtesy of the visitors, were delicious. The booze looked good too, considering how fast it was going down, but that day, she had chosen not to drink. She wanted to be sober so she could enjoy that night to the fullest with her friends and idols.

And of course, to never forget the performance she was about to watch.

"I've only heard one of their albums. I've never seen them play live. Are they good, Miss Akiyama?," She asks Kaede, who was sitting between her and Paikon. The secretary turns to her.

"Oh… I've never heard them play live either, to be honest," She comments after thinking a bit. "But I've seen them play on a tv show once. They're not bad..."

"A TV show? How did I never know about that?!," Tomori comments, amazed, taking another bite of her skewer. "I've been following Naoya's career for years and I'd never heard of their band..."

"Naoya...?," Kaede repeats, her eyebrows rising a little. Kazuo, who was standing while waiting for the musicians to get ready, looks over his shoulder with a smile.

"Their success as a band was relatively short-lived. They produced an album, put two hits in the charts and then fell into anonymity again. The music industry is very volatile nowadays. Back in my day, when musicians became successful, it was for good..."

"Oh, c'mon now, boss!," Koga, already a little tipsy because of the booze, gives Kazuo a tremendous slap on the back, almost sending the poor old man to the ground. "Don't start with that 'in my time things were better' talk! Hey, you four!," He raises his beer bottle in the air. "Give us some good stuff, both to impress the bakery staff and to make this old geezer take back what he said!"

"Who- Who is the geezer, Koga? Have some respect! And don't hit my back like that, I'm going to wake up with them giving me more trouble than the office computer's operating system...," Kazuo whimpers, to which Koga, Sekibayashi and Jose laugh out loud.

"Chill out...," Rihito, finishing plugging the guitar into the sound box they had brought, smiles and points at them. "You don't need to risk the fragile health of senior citizens just to hear Maximum rock out."

"Who's the senior citizen?! I barely turned sixty! Ooh, and by the way, Rihito, we have to set up a day to talk about the current situation with your employees' licenses-"

"Now is not the time to talk business, Kazzy!," Rihito interrupts him, his smile widening. "Now it's time to make art. How are we tonight, folks? Are you excited?!"

"I'm drunk as fuck!," One of the SJPW pro-wrestlers screams.

"I'm single!," Hiro yelled.

"I want more milkshakes!," Haruo shouted.

"Play Golden Wind's opening song!," Koga yells.

“As long as you don't play Are You Happy, I'm good with anything,” Ohma grumbles.

"You just had to say 'yes', goddammit!," Lihito screeches, prompting another collective fit of laughter. Okubo, with the bass already ready, lets out a snort.

"Golden Wind's opening song? give us a break, kid, that's cheesy as fuck!"

"That's right, Okubo-"

"Battle Tendency's opening song is much cooler!"

"Oh, you shut up too, you nerd!"

Himuro rolls his eyes and takes the lead.

"See? That's why I'm in the vocals, you guys don't know how to stir up the crowd! Ahem...," He clears his throat, then opens a charming smile, "Good night to all the beautiful ladies of the Heavy Bakery..."

"And what about saying good night to the guys?!"

"No fat chance, now shut the fuck up! Anyway...," Himuro cleared his throat again amidst laughter. "We are Maximum the Dogegencho."

"I hope your music is better than your band's name!"

"Screw you guys! Let's get this over with, Kaneda, c'mon..."

Laughing, Kaneda raises his sticks in the air, rhythmically hitting them together.

"One, two, three, four!"

And the small audience cheers when the four finally start to play, Tomori even dragging her chair closer, her eyes shining and the wide smile seeming permanently etched on her face.

It was a totally different experience to hear them live, she concludes. On the album, as expected, the sound was perfect, with the quality that only professional studios could offer. In live, there was the unfavorable acoustics of the bakery, the loud incentives of the spectators and the very lack of tune of the instruments, which apparently had not been used for some time, to get in the way.

And yet, Tomori decided she preferred hearing them like this, because even with all the imperfections, she could appreciate how they acted while performing live. Rihito lost all his bravado, looking all smiley and excited as he played, again that cute idiot that had softened her heart on a rainy Sunday. Kaneda seemed very relaxed on the drums, no longer one step away from losing his mind with his friends' antics, just enjoying the moment with them. Himuro, even while showing off, still made room for his friends to shine with him, even singing along with Rihito at one point, the two harmonizing surprisingly well.

And Okubo looked more at home there than in an octagon, his fingers running over the bass strings, doing a little flourish that made her conclude that he was, in fact, very good with them. And she saw dedication there, just like she saw in every single one of his matches. He always did his best at everything he tried, didn't he?

He at one point raised his head a little, and her eyes met his. He smiled even wider, starting to move his body from side to side, showing off, making her laugh and clap her hands. The others around him laughed too, but he didn't seem to be embarrassed. It seemed he only had eyes for her in that audience...

The song ends with a final guitar solo by Rihito, and soon, the bakery is filled with clapping, screaming, cheers and whistles. They even hear pans being banged in the kitchen, which immediately makes Kanami scream amidst the din:

"Careful there, I didn’t find those pans in the garbage!"

"Sorry, Miss Kanami!

"I swear to God…," she snorted, losing her anger with a sigh, sitting down next to Ohma and talking to him while he held five skewers in his hands. Hiro, who had sat next to Tomori, nudges his friend with his elbow, and nods when she looks at him.

"Look, look…," he whispers. "These two lovebirds… I told ya, didn't I?"

She laughs as low as she can, her eyes twinkling mischievously as they stare at her friend and her favorite bottomless bag.

"And she still complains when we make fun of her! We'll get back to her, hahaha... but oooh, that was great!," She jumps up, clapping enthusiastically, going to the four idiots and jumping over Rihito's guitar wire. "It was even better than listening to you via album!"

"Really?!," Okubo and Rihito exclaim at the same time, delighted, while Himuro smiles with satisfaction.

"Yeah, we know. My presence usually makes things even better..."

"She was talking about all of us, you damn narcissist!"

"Wow, Miss Uta...," Kaneda scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "You're not saying that just to be kind, are you?"

"No, I'm being very serious!," She says, grabbing Okubo's arm in excitement. "Your music genre isn't what I usually listen to, but it's nice all the same. You have a very good synchrony, it doesn't even seem like this concert was done on the fly!"

"Aaawn, Tomori...!," Okubo kicked the air a little, flushed with pleasure at her praise, and he wasn't the only one. Kaneda was scratching the back of his neck with his drumsticks now, happily, while Himuro stuck his chin out higher. Rihito vibrates with happiness, grabbing Tomori's hands and decreeing:

"You just earned the honor of being our first number one fan, Miss Uta!"

"First? Does that mean there might be others?"

"Of course! I'm sure your friend would love our music too, if I have her number to invite her to our next concert!"

"Aargh, for crying out loud, Rihito...!," Okubo puts his hand on his face while Himuro and Kaneda snort and Tomori rolls her eyes, although she's still smiling. Rihito ignores all of this, looking back with an expression of triumph.

"Did you hear that, you bitches? Now that's what I call feedback! Not all the whining about bad names and sticky lyrics!"

"You have to learn to take constructive criticism," Kazuo comments, crossing his arms, and Koga nods.

"That's right! That music just now was cool and all, but I need to hear more to form my opinion."

"Not to mention that Miss Uta has a crush on Okubo, so she's biased..."

"Ryuki!," Tomori screeches, mortified, at Ryuki's comment, and everyone else bursts with laughter at that, Hiro being by far the most scandalous.

"Ooh, boy, this party is getting better and better... Hey, darlings, how about an encore? I'd love to harmonize with you."

"Fuck, bro, I already told you to cut that out!"

"I'm talking about harmonizing while we sing, blondie."

"... Oh."

"Come on, can you play a song by Queen, or Jason Mraz?," He suggests. "I think my voice will be good for something like that, if you guys know how to play this kind of music."

"One from Queen? Yes, we do know some...," Himuro comments, thoughtful, while Kaneda asks curiously:

"So you can sing, Mr. Hiro?"

"And very well, Mr. Fox! I wanted to be an idol, after all, I already have the voice and the pretty face..."

"O-Okay, we're up for it, but not before an encore with another of Maximum's classics!," It is Okubo who exclaims, almost as red as Tomori. Hiro pouts.

"Are you going to make me wait even longer, baldie? I hope you have a good reason..."

"It's because he wants to show off a little more for Miss Uta! He got addicted to the compliments and now he can't get enough!"

"Oh, in that case go right ahead!"

“Screw you, Rihito…” Okubo grunts, rubbing his eyes hard as he endures another wave of mocking laughter. He looks sideways at Tomori, who was still looking down at the ground, embarrassed.

“Hey, don't listen to these idiots,” He mutters to her. “They call me a chatterbox, but they aren't too far behind..."

"Ahaha… don't worry," She smiles shily. "Yeah, it's embarrassing as hell, but it's not like it's a lie…"

She can't lift her head to look him in the eye, but she hears him breathe more deeply for a moment. He looked like he wanted to say something…but then Hiro made himself be heard again.

"Hehehe… so, bring it on, Handsome and his So-So bunch," he smiles a bit devilish. "I won’t say who is who…"

"Hell no, start talking! Who are the so-so bunch?!," Rihito demands to know, to which Himuro snorts.

“You guys, obviously, because he's called me handsome a few times already."

"And did you like it, Himuro? That's weird, to say the least..."

"Fuck off, Rihito!"

“Calm down, you two. Now I'm curious about this new addition to our vocals. Come on, Okubo," Kaneda invites, looking at Okubo over his shoulder with a half smile. "You can dedicate our next song to Miss Uta..."

"Leave me alone, Kaneda! But…," He turns back to Tomori, a little hesitant, but still trying to smile. "Would that embarrass you too much?"

"Well...," She plays with a lock of her hair, still embarrassed, and that seems to be enough for him for the moment. He smiles more.

"Okay then. I'll leave the dedication more implied. And thanks for the compliments," He thanks her. "Having you giving all this support just makes me want to come back with this band even more."

Even embarrassed, Tomori had to stop herself from pulling him by the shirt and kissing him right there, in front of all those people. She'd had enough publicity for one night, honestly.

"You can always count on your number one fan for that. Now go play, before they drag you away by force," She gives him an encouraging pat on the arm. "Don't doubt what Hiro is capable of when he wants something."

"I'll keep that in mind," He laughs, nodding. "Give us some more of your feedback later."

“Okay,” She nods, watching him walk away. And then she sighs, slowly returning to her chair, oblivious to the excited chatter around her. Even the presence of Sekibayashi, Jose, Haruo and all the other pro-wrestlers wasn't enough to steal her attention.

She again sits next to Paikon, who is finishing with another bottle of beer. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, turning to her.

"Look, I have to admit... these four stooges there aren't bad. The blond gorilla needs some polishing on that guitar, but other than that, their music is nice to listen to..."

“Yeah, it is…,” She nods slowly, still distracted, watching the four idiots get back in order with a distant expression on her face. Paikon stares at her sideways, one brow arched.

"Are you okay, Tomori?"

"I'm great."

"Did you drink too much?"

"Not even a single drop".

“Then what's up with that face?”

Tomori shakes her head slowly, resting her elbows on her knees, hands on either side of her face.

"Just thinking about the future. How far we've come, how things are going to be from now on... and how we're going to deal with the changes that are going to come. It's a little scary, Paikon..."

The janitor nods slowly, still watching her with a thoughtful expression. He then goes back to enjoying the happy, festive hubbub around them.

"Look, it might be. But the best things in life are sometimes the scariest. What good they bring is the reward for having faced them head on, I think."

"Heh...," She laughs softly. "Who would've thought that you'd be the kind of drunk who likes to philosophize?"

"At my age, all drunks are like that," He mutters, slumping in his chair, his eyes a little heavy. "Enjoy that you're still young and don't be philosophizing too much. Sometimes there's no point in thinking too much. Just accept these changes as they are..."

He went back to watching the racket the visitors were making, and Tomori wondered if he somehow knew what she was thinking. The man was no telepath, but she knew life had made him very observant. Not to mention she was being a bit obvious...

Speaking of which, there was another couple there who were being pretty obvious without realizing it. Kanami was smiling with Ohma by her side, and Tomori noticed how she had blushed as he offered her his last skewer with a smile, then got up to get more from the kitchens. For some reason that seemed significant, coming from such a bottomless bag.

Tomori smiles to herself. Yeah, changes were happening in all of their lives. Kanami's in particular. Ohma's arrival into it seemed to be the most impactful change yet, and despite the setbacks, she seemed to be handling it very well. And as for Tomori herself...

Soon, the four idiots had organized themselves again, and this time, Rihito put the guitar aside, putting it in the case and picking up an acoustic guitar. Okubo sits down next to him, propping his bass on his leg, and the bakery is once again filled with excited clapping and a few chuckles.

"Is this a university campus now?"'

"We'll need some pothead kids to reach that level!"

"Shut the fuck up! Ahem...," Okubo puts a fist in front of his mouth, clearing his throat, before pointing to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are Maximum the Dogegencho. I hope you enjoy this song as much as we enjoy the food and the people at the Heavy Bakery.”

"Oown, who knew this cute gorilla would be such a kiss-ass!," Hiro jokes, clapping his hands, and Okubo rolls his eyes at the laughter of the others. But he was smiling too.

"I'm no kiss-ass, just a faithful and dedicated customer! Both to the bakery and the staff..."

More laughter, only this time, Tomori took no part in it. His gray eyes had returned to meet hers for a second, communicating with her in that tiny fraction.

And when they finally started playing again, she found herself unable to look away, even though he was no longer looking at her.

Soon, the entire bakery was going along with the music in its own way: Hiro had gotten up from his chair and somehow convinced Kazuo and Koga to dance with him; they had a bit too much to drink, so she wasn't surprised when they went along without hesitation. Sekibayashi, Jose, Kaede and Paikon had started to clap along with the music, enjoying how it seemed to encourage the musicians. Tomori, still transfixed, accompanies them, eyes fixed on the bassist, who seemed to be having a lot of fun while following the chords that Rihito played on the guitar.

She wondered if she was making a fool of herself, staring at him like that, but she couldn't find it in her heart to care. Probably no one was noticing her, all of them concentrated on the show that the four idiots were doing, having fun with that strange, unconventional band, but that was still capable of holding attention. They had always done that, since the first time they showed up at the bakery, and now, just as Kanami couldn't imagine that place without Ohma's presence, Tomori found herself in the same situation with them. Okubo in particular.

Her hands stop halfway to a clap, tingling, her chest heating to a crescendo as she finally accepts facts she can no longer deny. Those feelings taking over her were no longer those of a fan going crazy about a chance to get closer to her idol. That part of her died the night she suffered a crushing disappointment. And now, she wondered if that hadn't been a blessing in disguise.

Damn... when did things change like that? Was it all too fast or did it happen so gradually that it took her a while to notice? She had no idea. What she did know for sure was that she had said things without thinking and that her words were now coming back to haunt her.

She had sworn to Paikon and to herself that she just wanted to have fun, to fulfill an old fantasy that would give her memories to take with her for a lifetime. And now... now she could only look at that man's serene and smiling face and want to have him for herself for a lifetime too.

She began to wonder when she had decided to change plans and fall in love with him. Was it when she understood that he was a human being like any other, with qualities and flaws? Or when she got to know him better and found herself a little smitten with that adorable, playful and emotionally insecure idiot, but who didn't let that stop him from going after what he wanted? She didn't know and probably never would. And it didn't even matter anyway.

It was one of the frightening changes that made her hesitate, but it was also the one that made her want to try the most, to go through with it. She felt it could work, if somehow he felt the same way. It was what Kanami was doing with Ohma after all.

If her friend was brave enough to throw herself headfirst into the unknown like that, why shouldn't she try too? She might not be a fighter in the literal sense of the word, but Okubo had told him that she still had the spirit of one. And fighters like the ones she admired weren't afraid to face whatever life threw at them. She shouldn't be either.

The song ends, followed by another round of excited applause, whistles and whoops for an encore. Hiro lets go of Kazuo and Koga, who were limping as they lose their grip, and waves an arm in the air.

"You rocked it, darlings! Now it's my turn to join too! Make room for me!"

“And will you be able to keep up with us, twinkie?,” Rihito asks, smiling defiantly, to which the cashier lifts his chin.

"Honey, I may not have a chest the width of a backhoe, but there's still plenty of breath in it to sing. Do you want to pay to see?"

“Nah, we'll take it without paying, we're all broke anyway,” Kaneda jokes, and they all laugh as Hiro runs to join them.

Tomori smiles at the scene, her eyes softening. It was good to know that her coworkers also appreciated the boisterous addition these fighters made to the bakery contingent. It was another incentive for them to never stop showing up there.

She couldn't say how long she stayed there, just listening to the music, watching everyone else eating and getting drunk while enjoying it too. Maybe it was two hours, or even more. She only knew that when Hiro and the four idiots took a break from their musical activities to also enjoy food and drink, it was already dark outside the bakery.

"And after this success, Maximum the Dogegencho asks for a break, ladies and gentlemen," Himuro announces. "The vocalists need to wet their throats, and the musicians, to rest their fingers. Make the most of this rest of the night!"

"A round of applause, please, because we deserve it!," Hiro asks, opening his arms, and the small audience erupts in excited applause, Koga sticking two fingers in his mouth to give a high-pitched whistle. Tomori claps too, laughing as she enjoys the impromptu band celebrating their little success.

"Boy, did we rock!," Okubo exclaims, exchanging a high-five with Rihito, who nods excitedly.

"I told you we still got it! It was all about warming up our fingers and windpipes!"

"Speaking of windpipes, you surprised us, Mr. Hiro," Kaneda comments, impressed. "You managed to keep up with Himuro without any difficulty. You're very good as a tenor."

"Wow, Mr. Fox, you really know how to make a guy feel special," Hiro jokes, and it was hard to tell with the bakery's artificial light, but Tomori had the impression of seeing him blush a little. "I like to sing, I always wanted to be an idol , and I insisted so much that my parents even paid for some vocal training classes when I was younger. And honestly, who doesn't get excited and unleash their voice's full potential when Somebody to Love plays?"

"I have to agree. Anyway, it was nice singing with you," Himuro pats the cashier on the shoulder, to which Rihito nods again.

"Yeah, it was! You are invited to future concerts at the bakery."

"Really? Didn't my presence make you worry that you might start to question your sexuality?"

"Fuck off, man! And I don't get uncomfortable when we're like that," Rihito shrugs with a pout. "Just keep this pattern from now on..."

"Sure thing! Let's seal our deal with a tight, totally platonic hug, shall we?," Hiro invites, smiling a lot and opening his arms, and Okubo, Himuro, Kaneda and everyone around laugh out loud when Rihito almost trips over a chair in an attempt to escape, alarmed.

"Damn it, why did I open my mouth! Go hug those who like that sissy stuff!"

“I'm not going to lie, it's kinda cathartic watching him get a taste of his own medicine,” Kaede says, downing another glass of beer in her mouth. And she almost chokes when Rihito comes towards her.

"But I accept a hug from you with pleasure, Kaede! Come on, won't you congratulate me on my performance?"

"Congratulations. There you go. Now go away," She commands irritably while placing an empty chair in front of her as if it were a barrier between them. "Ugh, I'm not sober enough to deal with this…"

"Need some fresh air, Miss Akiyama?," Tomori asks. "There's an alley at the back of the bakery, it's very quiet there. You can cool off there."

"I would appreciate it, Miss Uta-"

"I can also come to keep you company, I can even hold your hair if you get too sick!"

"No, Rihito, thank you! Could someone show me the way, please...? No, Rihito, not you!"

"I got it. This way, Miss Akiyama," Paikon gets up from his chair, a little sleepy because of his drinking. Kaede follows quickly, half relieved, and Rihito watches them go through the counter hatch and disappear into the kitchen with an annoyed expression.

"Eh, that's what I get for trying to be a gentleman..."

"Chivalry with a drunk girl can be interpreted in other ways, man."

"I wasn't going to do anything, dammit! She is the one who's too distrustful".

"You give all the reasons for it, bro. And ooh, Tomori!," Okubo waves excitedly, approaching with Hiro and the other three idiots. "You were watching, weren't you? Did you like this performance from now too?"

"I loved it!," She exclaims excitedly while the five men sit next to her. "Mainly how versatile you guys can be. You adapted to Hiro's voice in no time!"

"I was amazed by that too," Hiro nods, giving the quartet a wink. "You guys are full of hidden talents, huh. We are curious to discover even more of them."

This time, not even Rihito seemed uncomfortable or irritated by the innuendos in the cashier's words. The four of them make happy sounds, scratching the back of their necks or timidly kicking the ground.

"Ooh, you haven't seen anything yet! You should hear us playing in a studio, or with a more professional apparatus. Then you would know all the power of Maximum's sound," Rihito guarantees, and Okubo nods enthusiastically.

"If the invitation to play at the reopening of the bakery is still open, we can even provide such apparatus!"

"It depends on how long we have until then. By the way, when exactly do you intend to reopen at the new address?," Himuro asks.

“Oh, it will take a while. Kanny just closed the deal and acquired the new site, the construction hasn't even started," Tomori explains. "There's still the purchase of building materials, hiring a construction company, updating the contract with suppliers..."

“Damn, that's a lot of bureaucracy,” Okubo comments, making a face. Hiro smiles more at this.

"Ooh, but it will be so worth it. Tomori hasn't even told you the best part yet.

"Even better than the relocation you wanted?," Kaneda asks, and Tomori chuckles.

"Ahaha, not quite as much, but still great! After today, the bakery is taking a month-long break from activities-"

"What? Are we going to have to endure a month without this sugar shack's food?!," Rihito exclaims, shocked, to which Himuro looks at him frowning.

"They're going to change their address, so it would be the perfect cue for you to change that stupid term too! But yes, it is a pity that we'll have to spend a month without being able to eat here," He comments, but he sounds resigned. Okubo's expression, on the other hand, had completely collapsed.

"A whole month?! Wow, that's sucks!," He laments. "Not being able to keep you company during lunch time..".

"But you will, Naoya! You'll be able to keep me company at many other times," Tomori promises quickly, leaning over to hold his hand, whereupon he raises his head, alert again. She opens a huge smile. "Because I'm not going to work for a month, starting tomorrow! Kanny gave everyone a paid vacation!"

"Wait, really?!," He exclaims, his eyes wide, his face immediately lighting up. "A whole month without work?"

"A whole month!"

"So does that mean I'll finally be able to take you out without having a time to come back?"

"Exactly! Isn't it great?"

"ooh, hell yeah! Of course it is!," He throws his arms up in celebration, almost hitting Rihito and Himuro's chins, who almost fall off their chairs in an attempt to dodge. "But that's great for you too, Tomori! You honestly deserve it.

"Yes! Enjoy it and get some rest so you can return to work with renewed energy," Kaneda nods, and Rihito imitates him with excitement.

"Yeah! Dude, that calls for a toast! Wanna grab some beers?"

"I can't, I'll have to drive back," Okubo laments, to which Himuro smiles, putting his hands in his pant pockets.

"Sucks to be you. I'll want beer, but I'll celebrate in my own unique way too," And he pulls out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Tomori frowns.

"Are you going to smoke in here, Himuro? I mean, the bakery isn't open or anything, but still..."

"Huh? I can't?," Himuro blinks, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. "But they're doing the same thing..."

And Tomori sees, a bit startled, that some of the SJPW wrestlers have also started smoking, puffing on cigarettes between conversations. Sekibayashi seemed to be giving them a hard time about it, but none of them made a move to stop.

“Lord Satan below, Kana just let go of the reins a little bit and the horses are already running around the pasture like that,” Hiro comments, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow. Tomori looks towards the counter.

"I don't have much of a problem with it, but Kanny hates cigarette smoke. I don't think she would approve and... uh, where is she?," She frowns when she doesn’t see her friend, neither on the counter nor through the pantry window. "I could've sworn she was watching what they were up to inside the kitchens..."

"Speaking of kitchens, Ohma is also gone," Kaneda frowns, looking at the counter as well. "I thought he would be hanging around the grill by now..."

"Tokita must have grabbed a bunch of skewers and gone out to eat alone, so he doesn’t have to share with anyone," Rihito rolls his eyes. "And auntie must have slipped away so she didn’t have to swallow the smoke that those ciggies are puffing..."

"Shut up. The owner of the establishment didn't complain, so there's nothing to discuss," Himuro shrugs and lights his cigarette. "They're moving locations, anyway."

Tomori and Hiro just sigh and shrug. That was the last day of service for the Heavy Bakery at that location, after all. It was okay to let visitors go overboard this time.

"Eh, whatever. I just know that no one here feeds on cigarette smoke. Man, I'm really hungry," Rihito comments, his hand on his stomach. "I hope they grilled more meat..."

"I'll go check right now," Tomori gets up promptly. "Then I'll bring a very full tray for all of us to share while I'm at it.

"Nice!," Rihito exclaims excitedly. "Can you bring some beers too, Miss Uta?"

"And milkshakes, please!"

"Damn, you really want her to have an accident again, don't you?," Okubo snorts. "Not to mention that she's on vacation. Are you already wanting her to work?"

"It's okay, Naoya, I don't mind bringing something for everyone. I'll eat with you after all," She guarantees with a smile. And then she thinks a bit, an index finger on her chin. "But maybe I'll need some help, considering what happened last time…"

"I'll help!," Okubo gets up immediately. "Then I can explore the kitchen. Are there any of your cookies left, Tomori? It would be the best dessert after a barbecue, haha."

“There are some left, but not many. You'd have to share with others."

"Wow, aren't you going to give your idol a special treat?"

"How mean, taking advantage of your niche celeb status to get free food..."

"Hey, hey, the 'niche' part was an unnecessary addition."

Laughing, Tomori beckons him with a wave of her fingers as she heads towards the kitchens.

"Relax, niche or not, I'm still your fan. I can separate the most

tasty-looking ones for you. Today I made another batch of Kuidaore Taro cookies..."

"Woman, you spoil me too much...," He pretends to sniff happily as he accompanies her. Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and Hiro watch them walk away before exchanging meaningful glances.

"They're not even trying to hide their flirting," Himuro comments, and Kaneda smiles.

"I think we can see this as progress, no?"

"I'll see it as progress when these two finally get tired of all that foreplay and fuck eachother at once," Rihito snorts. "Until then, I'll keep saying this is just unnecessary drama."

“Wow, big guy, looks like we're finally agreeing on something!," Hiro exclaims happily. "Not that this shoujo-worthy romance isn't cute, but we already had enough sugar to cause a collective outbreak of diabetes. This is lacking spice! And I know exactly how to add it..."

"… Why am I suddenly having a sense of impending doom?," Kaneda wonders, shuddering slightly, to which Hiro smiles sharply.

“You have a keen sixth sense, Mr. Fox!"

“That's what happens when you've know these three long enough. You begin to feel the misfortunes coming with your own body."

"Drama queen...," Himuro takes the cigarette out of his mouth and blows the smoke over his shoulder. "But anyway, can we interpret these words as another one of your far-fetched plans coming up?"

"Ooh, man…," Rihito groans, throwing his head back a little. "I don't wanna waste any more food by making Miss Uta trip again! Especially if it involves beer."

"It won't be necessary, blondie," Hiro guarantees, leaning his elbows on the table and staring at them with those bird of prey-like eyes. "Remember what I said about not cooking pasta in cold water? Let's say the water is already coming to a boiling point."

"And how can you be sure?"

"You were very focused on the music, so you didn't notice Tomori's stares," The cashier chuckles. "The way she looked at baldie… that she-wolf is dying to pounce on him."

"She-wolf...?," Rihito and Himuro repeat, confused, while Kaneda frowns.

"So you think it's possible to resolve this issue today?"

"For sure! You came by car, neither Tomori nor any of us will need to work tomorrow, this party left both of them in the perfect mood...," The cashier goes on listing each point on a finger. "We won't have another better opportunity than this. But it will involve you giving up your ride home."

"Fuckin' hell, why are we always the ones who have to sacrifice something for Okubo to be able to get laid?!," Rihito asks indignantly. "First our dignity, then Miss Uta's friend's number, which, by the way, I still haven't received!," He points to Hiro. "And now our ride..."

“Calm down, sweetie. You'll lose his ride, but you'll get mine," Hiro pats his hand. "I drove to work today."

"Uh… wait, you can drive?," Rihito blinks. "Huh. How convenient..."

"I know, right! Everything is conspiring in our favor!," He claps his hands, excited. "So, are you up for it? If all goes well, we might even go out together to celebrate!"

"The four of us? And where would we go?," Kaneda asks, and the cashier shrugs, looking up.

"I don't know. I know a lot of interesting places, to be honest. Some clubs where your builds would be very successful, for example..."

"Hell fucking no, forget about it!," Rihito shivers all over, to which Himuro gives a hoarse laugh.

"As you can see, Rihito doesn't want other guys to do to him what he does to women."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, we can go wherever you want," Hiro offers with an inviting smile. "The night is young…"

"Uugh... that insinuating voice tone drives me crazy, but if this shilly-shally between those two is to end...," Rihito huffs, scratching his hair, to which Kaneda laughs softly.

“We're working well on our altruism, aren't we? I think everyone here agreed. What's the plan?"

“Oooh, it’s quite simple, actually…"

* * *

"Fucking hell… don't you think you've had too much to drink?"

Okubo had never imagined himself being the one to say that kind of sentence. He was usually the one who heard it. But since he didn't intend to drive drunk, he was being forced into the role of the responsible friend, while glaring disapprovingly at the three idiots who decided to push their limits that night.

When he and Tomori returned from the kitchens with food, Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and Hiro seemed to be in some kind of fraternization, toasting and drinking, as if they had suddenly become the best of friends. He even felt a little left out, but Tomori's presence had mitigated the feeling.

But now that the sous-chef had left the table to take a quick shower in the locker rooms, Okubo felt more and more like there wasn't a place for him there. The night was advancing, the celebration was waning while all those present fell into that happy and satisfied laziness typical of the end of a party, and still those dumbasses were not satisfied. On the contrary, they seemed even more excited now that they had alcohol in their blood!

"No, it's within our standards!," Rihito, red and smiling like an idiot, raises his glass of beer to him as if toasting. "And I'm not drunk yet! I'm sober enough to still think you're one ugly son of a bitch, for example."

"Fuck you."

"And anyway, we really need to wet our throats," Himuro comments, his voice a little slurred, while alternating between his beer and his cigarette. "We'll go back to our improvised stage soon!"

"Are you serious? You want to play and sing more?," He raises his eyebrows a bit. "Even you decided to go all out, Kaneda?"

"Yeah… it's a special occasion," Kaneda justifies himself, making a vague gesture and putting his hand over his mouth to stifle a small burp. "It's not every day that our good friends from our favorite bakery achieve such a feat, right?"

"Well said!," Hiro slaps Kaneda on the shoulder, almost making him hit his forehead on the table top. "Why should we inhibit ourselves? Today is a never-ending party, my balding friend!"

"I'm not balding, I shave my head because I- uugh, forget it!," Okubo huffs impatiently. "I don't have a problem with that. I just don't know who you intend to play for, considering that everyone here is already too shitfaced...," He comments while looking over his shoulder, contemplating the mess that the table area had turned into. Chairs scattered, the floor littered with beer cans and liquor bottles, visitors and employees alike so drunk they looked ready to sleep right there. He had no room to judge, Rihito and he had been in worse shape, but damn…

"Eeh, that's nothing!," Rihito makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Maximum's music is capable of even raising the dead from their tombs!"

"Yeah, people even come back to life to beg you to shut up..."

"Shut up, Koga, damn it!," He growls over his shoulder at Koga, who was slumped over a chair, Kazuo dozing with his head resting on his shoulder. "You and Kazzy were having a fucking blast while we played! Such an ungrateful audience..."

"Do you still think they deserve an encore?," Okubo asks playfully, to which Himuro shrugs.

“If they deserve it or not, We don't give a shit. We just want to keep playing. Right, guys?"

"Yeah! The show must go on and… eh… ooh, jeez, I think someone stole my drumsticks," Kaneda looks around, eyes widening a little, at which Hiro laughs out loud.

"Robbery at the Heavy Bakery! We have a thief on the loose! Hand over Mr. Fox's drumsticks and nobody gets hurt!"

“Who the fuck took Kaneda's drumsticks?! The drummer needs his sticks!"

"Haruo borrowed it, he said he had an itchy back and couldn't reach…"

"Damn it, Jose! Haruo, we need those drumsticks!," Himuro exclaims, and they all jump up from the table to hunt for the drumsticks, to which Okubo takes a step back.

"... Look, I'm not trying to be a party-pooper, but I really don't think you guys are that good enough to play anything," He comments, a little worried. "I mean, if things got to the point where I needed to be the mom friend, it's because boundaries have been crossed."

"Yeah, that's really bizarre. Just drink with us and we'll solve this glitch in the Matrix!," Rihito jokes.

"I can't, man, you know I'm driving..."

"Ooh, would you look at that responsible boy, acquiring conscience at the nick of time! Hey, guys!," Rihito shouts over his shoulder, smirking. "Okubo now knows that driving under the influence is wrong! Guess who made him finally realize this!"

"Rihito, shut up-"

"Miss Uta, obviously!," Rihito exclaims, ignoring Okubo's furious expression next to him. "He arrived drunk on their first date and she was furious! Poor motherfucker got traumatized, hahaha!"

"And you still say that I'm the loudmouth! You fucking tattle-tale!," Okubo yells, while the SJPW crew widened their eyes at him.

"Are you serious?"

“Dude, how could you do that?"

"Damn, bro..."

"Are you fucking stupid?"

"You're lucky she forgave you, pendejo..."

"Shut up you too! I already feel bad enough without you guys roasting me...," Okubo whimpers, looking at the ground and putting his hand in his pants pockets. Rihito pats his shoulder.

“Hey, guys, don't be so harsh. I'm partly to blame too, I was the one who insisted he drink that night-"

"Holy shit, another idiot!"

"What is wrong with you!"

"And he still complains that he's single!"

"Fuckin' dumbass!"

"Fuck you all!," Rihito yells while everyone around laughs loudly. "But anyway, Okubo busted a gut to prove he could be better and won Miss Uta's forgiveness, and now he's being the best boy possible for her, isn't he? I'm so proud!"

"Fuck off!," Okubo, very red, pushes his hand away when he tries to squeeze his cheek. "She deserves it and I'll do it gladly! And don't think I'm going to play with you if you keep being such a jerk..."

"Good thing you brought that up, man," Himuro says suddenly, still helping Kaneda and Hiro to look for the drumsticks. "We talked a little while you were in the kitchen with Miss Uta, and honestly? You don't need to play with us this time."

"... Huh?," Okubo blinks, caught off guard. "What do you mean I don't need to? I'm the bass player, man, an essential component!"

"That's debatable," Kaneda comments, sounding a bit disinterested. "I mean, Rihito has the guitar and the acoustic guitar. I know it's not the same thing, but they're a good workaround..."

"And we still have twinkie here," Rihito points to Hiro. "We'll still have four components, so you really don't need to participate. Chill out."

"Chill out- what's this? Are you dismissing me?!," Okubo exclaims, indignation making his voice squeaky. "Just like that? Your own bassist?!"

"Well, let's face it, the bassist is kinda the least necessary guy in the band," Himuro arches an eyebrow, to which Kaneda nods.

"I wouldn't say they're entirely expendable, but others can cover their part without too much trouble..."

"And honestly, which bass players are successful with women?," Rihito laughs. "I think even the drummer gets more girls, hahaha!"

"Hey, c'mon now..."

"Sorry, Kaneda."

“What the- Why the fuck are you being such assholes?!," Okubo asks, furious and astonished, while the others around him just laugh their heads off. "What did I do? If you're going to be such dicks like that then I'm really going to-"

"What's with all the screaming? Are you guys fighting?"

Okubo is silenced in the midst of his threat, immediately looking over his shoulder with a little start. Tomori had come out of the locker rooms, no longer wearing her Heavy Bakery uniform but casual clothes, her purse strap slung over her shoulder. She stared at them in confusion that only increased when everyone around her laughed even harder at the face Okubo was making.

"Uuh...did I miss something or...?," She asks confused, looking around, to which he quickly shakes his head.

"No, Tomori, you didn't miss anything. Just these idiots being assholes, as usual," He assures, facing his friends with resentment. "I was just telling them what they deserved to hear."

"Not that we were very interested… are you leaving, Miss Uta?," Rihito asks, to which she nods.

"Yeah, I am. Kanny has already dismissed everyone for the day, we won't even need to clean up this mess," She giggles. "She said this will be up to the visitors who brought a whole bar into the bakery, haha."

There's a collective groan of weariness, Koga's being by far the loudest. Sekibayashi claps his hands impatiently.

"Quit being lazy bums, we messed up, we clean up!"

"Thank you, Mr. Seki!," Tomori makes a small bow. "I hope to see you all at the reopening of the bakery!"

"Are you leaving then, Tomori?," Okubo asks, a little disappointed. "Too bad, at this point you were the only company I had. The only one who hadn't stabbed me in the back, I mean…"

"Enough said, then! Give Miss Uta a ride home," Himuro intervenes. "We already told you, we don't need you anymore for today."

"Yeah! Go on, dude, piss off," Rihito makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Get outta here and don't forget that bass over there."

“See you around, Okubo,” Kaneda waves, and Hiro blows him a kiss.

"Don't worry, big guy, I'll take good care of them. You can go with Tomori with no worries, okay?"

"Why the fuck are you pushing me so much?," Okubo asks, getting pissed again. "It even seems that you can't wait to get rid of me, you...!"

He then shut up when faced with the intense looks that all four of them were giving him. Hiro had one hand on his hip. Himuro arched an eyebrow. Kaneda smirked. And Rihito, eyes widening, gives a very confused Tomori a brief glance before turning back to face him, all serious, seeming to want to say something...

... Oh. Oooh, shit. Well, now he definitely got it.

“You fucking assholes...! You could've said something earlier!”, he complains in his thoughts, but his anger has simply evaporated. There was no more reason for it, after all. Tomori turns to him, still confused and a little shy.

"Uh… only if you can and want to, Naoya. No problem if you want to stay here longer, there's still time to catch the last train-"

"No, I'll give you a ride. I was already on my way out anyway. I don't want to look at these fuckers' faces anymore for today," Okubo decrees, staring at his friends with what appears to be contempt on the surface. But his gray eyes sparkled in a way they knew all too well. Rihito shrugs with a snort.

"Neither do we. Go, buzz off, twinkie here will give us a ride."

"Yeah, I will. Fuck you, and I wish you all a hell of a hangover tomorrow morning," Okubo goes to get his bass, while Tomori looked from one to the other with some concern. "And good night to you all. The food was delicious. See ya."

"See ya, man!," Koga and the SJPW crew wave; Kazuo, still dozing off, mutters under his breath and shifts in his chair. Okubo then smiles at Tomori.

"So, let's get going? There's something in the car I want to show you."

"Uuh- really? Okay then!," She nods, smiling, but still looking worried. "Good night to all of you!"

"‘Night, Miss Uta!"

The two wave, and the bell rings at the top of the door as they leave the bakery. Okubo looks into the establishment through the glass one last time and sees Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and Hiro grinning at him, giving him a collective thumbs up.

He has to stop himself from laughing. Those idiots... even if nothing happened that night, he would still thank them later. That's what friends were for...

"Look, it's not that I'm not happy to be able to spend some time alone with you…," Tomori starts to say, still shy. "But I don't like to think that you're leaving the bakery like that, mad at your friends, whatever the reason is..."

"Ooh, that? Don't worry, we do that all the time," He guarantees, smiling to reassure her. "We argue over some random stupid thing, we curse each other, we each go our separate ways and then we're talking again the next day as if nothing had happened. It's routine by now."

"Ooh… that's not very healthy," She comments, blinking. "But if this dynamic works for you… it's just that I really don't want you to be on bad terms with them like what happened with Rihito that time," She holds onto his arm, looking up at him and smiling. "I want to see you always arriving at the bakery together, laughing, messing around and ready to fill your stomachs with our food. I want to see you leaving the bakery happy, not angry or upset."

If they weren't in the middle of a busy shopping area, Okubo would have picked her up and kissed her heartily.

“Damn, she's so cute!”

"Holy shit, woman…," He smiles tenderly, reaching out to caress the side of her face. "Blessed be the day I walked into that bakery for the first time and met you. I've been needing all this sweetness in my life."

"Stop it, you…," She giggles coquettishly, blushing a bit. "Don't make me want to pull you by your shirt and kiss you, there are people looking…"

"You can do it inside the car," He suggests, letting her hold on to his arm while the two of them went down the street. "Then I can give you your gift while we're at it."

"More gifts? And you say I'm the one who spoils you," She shakes her head. "I just hope it's not one of those expensive things you keep offering me."

"My, what a distrustful woman," He jokes, pulling the keys out of his pocket and unlocking the car further on. "Don't worry, it's a very simple gift, but still a nice one. The guys and I were at an arcade before we heard the good news about the new site. We won some cool prizes there, and one of them is for you!"

"Wait, really?," She widened her eyes, which were shining. "My God, Naoya, you didn't have to! You should've tried to win a prize for yourself!"

"Relax, I didn’t leave empty-handed! I got a cool Ultraman keychain," He says as they get in the car. He takes a set of keys from the glove compartment and shows the keychain in it, smiling satisfied. "See? Very cool, right?"

"Yeah, it's cute!"

"No, officer Hayata is not cute! He's a hero of justice, and heroes of justice are cool, not cute!," Okubo protests, and Tomori just laughs.

"Of course. Anyway, now I'm curious to see what you got for me..."

"Oh, yes!," He turns around in the driver's seat, looking back. "Yours is that box in the back seat... the biggest one, in this case. Those three forgot their prizes in the car..."

"Ooh, good thing we saw that before we left then! There's still time to go back there and give them their boxes-"

"No! I mean...!," He exclaims, but hastens to correct his tone when she stares at him in surprise. "I said I don't want to see their faces anymore for today and I meant it. If I go back to the bakery now, they won't stop making fun of me."

“Not to say that they're going to want to beat me up for wasting this chance...”

"Uh… wow, men can be so prideful over silly stuff," She comments, bored. "In that case, I can go back there and deliver them myself."

"No...," He speaks in a much softer tone this time, leaning down to touch her lips with his thumb. "Don't go, please. I'll deliver the boxes to them later, I promise. Now I just want to be alone with you. We didn't have many opportunities there at the bakery..."

His little plea works: she stares at him with her eyes huge, shining, her cheeks flushed. She smiles, looking to the side, her lids lowering.

"Well, when you put it like that… okay, I guess they can get the boxes later," She kisses the tip of his thumb, making him shiver. "But what about me? Can I get mine now?"

"Right here, miss!," He reaches out, picking up the box with an idiotic smile. "I saw it on the wall behind the prize counter and thought it would look stylish in your kitchen…"

"For my kitchen, you say...? Oooh, a neon sign!," She exclaims, smiling when she sees the product stamped on the box. "I never had one of these before! What is written on it?"

"Smile and Smash," He extends his fist towards her, smiling. "Because my favorite cook rocks in the kitchen, always with that beautiful smile on her face."

She follows the cue, bumping her fist into his with a gleeful laugh. And then she leans over the seat to give him a peck, her nose lightly brushing against his.

"Thanks. I loved it. I just feel bad that I can't buy you anything like that..."

"What you give me, no money can buy, Tomoh..."

"Tomoh…," She laughs again, her voice coming out hoarse and low in that sweet happiness. "It's the first time you've called me that…"

"If you don't like it, I'll stop."

"Quite the contrary. I want to hear you call me that again," She whispers against his lips, and he shivers again, his eyelids drooping and his fingers tingling with the urge to pull her to sit on his lap.

"Tomoh..." He whispers back, giving her another peck, letting his lips press against hers and stay there a second longer. "Tomoh…"

“I love you and I wish I had the courage to say it out loud.”

At the moment, he didn't have that ability. But he had the ability to reciprocate when she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss with a low moan, and that was enough for now.

It didn't take long before he let his hands act on their own and pulled her to sit on his lap in the driver's seat, his hands on her back and the back of her neck to support her as she hugged him, perfectly content to stay in that indecent position while kissing him. Holy shit, she was so receptive... it would be so easy to ask the crucial question, and then, depending on her answer, go out on the streets looking for a love hotel...

“No, step on the brakes! Where's the chivalry in that? You have to create the perfect mood so she doesn't feel like you just picked her on a random street corner!"

He wanted to tell his conscience to go fuck itself, but his need to respect Tomori was stronger than that urge. He gently pulls her away from him, smiling at her with some embarrassment.

"Haha, we- we better stop here before the cops show up and tow us to the station for indecent conduct, huh?," He jokes, then clearing his throat. "So, let’s go to your house? We can install the neon sign in the kitchen, if you want."

He waits for her answer... which doesn't come. The cheerful smile was gone from her face, and Okubo was immediately concerned to see her expression slump, her eyes settling on her hands as she turned her head to the side. She even bites her bottom lip, as if to keep it from trembling, and he is immediately alarmed.

"Tomori? What's wrong?," He reaches out a hand to touch her face hesitantly. "Was it something I said? I'm sorry-"

"No," She interrupts him, shaking her head, still not looking at him. "You didn't do anything, Naoya. That... that's the problem."

"... Huh?," He blinks, confused, not expecting that kind of answer. "What do you mean? I don't get it..."

"It's... It's just that I...m" She lets out a huge sigh, turning to him with her mouth clenched and her brow furrowed as if she's working up courage. "I didn't mean to be forward like that, but I can't think of any other way... did I do something wrong, Naoya?"

"Huh? What-"

"Did I make you uncomfortable in any way? Am I being too forward?," She asks, and now she's almost stumbling over her words, agitated by her nervousness. "You're not as interested in this as I thought? Or- Or is it me? If I'm not that attractive to you...," She swallows hard. "Please, just answer me, because I'm already going crazy here trying to understand while I'm holding back!"

"Not that attractive to me…?," He repeats, perplexed, that sentence sounding completely absurd to his ears. Holy shit, how could she think such a thing? Did she have any idea how much she was attractive to him, to the point where he even had a hard time controlling himself when they started making out like that?

... And from her somewhat desperate look, the answer was no. She didn't. His jaw drops even further.

“Fucking hell, she…!”

"Yes!," She nods, now gesturing frustrated. "I know you like me, you wouldn't ask me for a kiss every five minutes if you didn't, but that's different from really wanting to take things to third base. You can like someone, you can want to be with them, and still not feel like... you know..."

If Okubo's eyes widened any further, they would probably fall out of their sockets. Fuck... holy fuck...!

"So just answer me this, please! Do you want me that way or not? Because if not, then just tell me, so I can stop trying and getting frustrated every time...," She continues, sounding almost aggressive, but he was still able to hear the fear permeating those words. Fear of not being good enough, of being rejected...

"W-Wait!," He finally finds his voice again, holding her by the shoulders to make her stop talking, his eyes still bulging. "Time out! How- how could you think I'm not attracted to you? Holy shit, woman, you...!," He had difficulty even forming a cohesive sentence, such was his astonishment. "You're insane if you think these things!"

"I…," She moistens her lips, still nervous, flinching a little with his touch. "So you… do you want…?"

"I- Of fucking course, damn it!," He says while choking, embarrassed, but more concerned with clearing up that misunderstanding. "I don't even know how you can think otherwise! You're beautiful, funny, cute, kinda nuts, brave as fuck, fierce when you have to be... and so, so...," He runs his fingers down her arms, then touching her curves that tempted him so much. "Fuck, only a dumbass would look at all this and not want it all for himself..."

She gasps softly at his touch, sitting up straighter in his lap, which makes her breasts under her shirt touch his chest. Holy shit, holy shit...!

"Then…," She looks at him with a rather bizarre mixture of relief, perplexity and frustration. "My God, so why haven't we had sex yet?!"

At that moment, Okubo didn't know what he felt more like: throwing a punch in the air and screaming in triumph, or redirecting said punch at his own face.

Fuck, she wanted it, she had wanted it all along and he just sat there, making her wait like the perfect idiot he was...!

“No,” His conscience snorted suddenly. “You waited like you should have all along: respecting her boundaries and waiting for the green light. And now, here it is.”

"I…," He shakes his head slowly, needing to make an effort not to smile like an idiot. "I didn't know if- if you wanted to too… I didn't want to push it, I was enjoying how things were going, and so I... I thought it was better to wait to be sure...?"

"Holy shit, you…," She shakes her head in disbelief. And then she laughed out loud, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "So that was you being a gentleman all along? My god, I don't know whether to be relieved or angry, hahaha!"

"Haha, s-sorry...," He laughs too, because honestly, what other reaction could one have in a situation like that? "I'm kinda mad at myself too, for not realizing it sooner..."

"Well, now you did, didn't you?," She looks up at him, smiling a lot. "So I just need to hear your answer to my question, one more time...," And she goes back to hugging him by the shoulders, approaching with drooping eyelids, brushing her lips in his again. "Do you want that, Naoya? Do you want me?"

He wonders, in that second of delighted euphoria, if starting to take her clothes off right then and there would be answer enough. But he concluded that she deserved to hear it from his mouth, loud and clear, as he held her by the hips to make her breasts press more against his chest, his breathing deepening, his eyes dark and dangerous.

"I do. I want you so fucking bad..."

"Then that's it. There's nothing more to discuss," She smiles more, tracing his lips with her tongue, "Today we really don't have to worry about the time..."

And his response is to kiss her with a fervor that was almost frightening. All that pent-up desire came pouring out of him like water from a broken dam, showing itself in the possessive way he grabbed her, squeezed her, stroked her sides, making her rub against him. And she didn't shy away, reciprocating in equal measure by hugging him tightly, rubbing her tongue furiously against his, digging her nails into his shoulders through his shirt as he leaned her back, wanting to rest her back against the car dashboard...

BWAAAAAAANNNN!!!

The sound of the horn, pressed against Tomori's back, filled his ears like the very trumpets of the Apocalypse, nearly knocking his soul out of his body in fright. He jumps into the seat, and his head almost explodes with pain as it hits the roof of the car hard.

"OW! HOLY FUUUUCK!"

Tomori nearly falls off his lap in fright, clutching at him and gasping with wide eyes.

"My God! Naoya, are you- are you hurt?! Sorry, it was me, my back pressed against the wheel!," She says quickly while massaging his sore head. "Sorry, sorry...!"

"Oooow… damn, I…," He babbles, his head throbbing. "I hope I can still get a hard-on even with a head injury…"

Tomori laughs out loud, throwing her head back before kissing him again, and despite the pain, he gladly reciprocates.

"Jeez…," She laughs softly when they move away again, still massaging his head (damn, it felt so good, he didn't want her to stop!) "We definitely can't do anything in this cramped space. So...," She hugs him by the neck again, smiling seductively. "Wanna go to my house? My bed isn't very big, but I assure you it's comfortable..."

He almost replies that yes, he would love to... and then he thinks of all those dead eyes spread across the four walls of that homosexual sanctuary, the grimaces that could almost be interpreted as mocking smiles, the sweaty muscles and their owners, many his acquaintances, enjoying the spectacular view that was his ass up in the air...

“Hell fucking no!”

"I- I…," He tries to smile at her questioning expression. "I have a better idea!"

"Better than my warm, comfortable bed? Damn..."

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to test the strength of your mattress, but don't you think we'll be more comfortable in a bed where I fit too?," He suggests, touching her lips with his fingertips. "C'mon, let me spoil you a little more, just for today…"

"Oh God… you're lucky I'm too horny to protest," She laughs, giving him a quick kiss before getting off his lap, sitting in the passenger seat with an excited smile. "Take me wherever you want. I just want to be with you all night..."

"Me too, Tomori..."

“I want it for all the nights from now on, if you want it too”, he swears in his thoughts as he starts the car. And for the first time, he drove in absolute joy, knowing that this time, their night had no end.

NEXT CHAPTER

4 notes · View notes

darkdevasofdestruction · 2 years ago

Text

Chapter 9 - Let The Show Begin!

As everyone got seated and marveled at not only how the VIP seats were filled with famous politicians and world leaders, but also, the announcer was the most beautiful woman in the world, Miss Sayaka, who is the Chairman's daughter. Kisara wanted so badly to go down there and cheer on Cosmo personally, as he was the debutant fighter, against an American brawler guy who represents some Burger company... But Ohma and the others were there, so she could only attempt to sit down, albeit, agitated as hell. She wanted to get up and cry out from the top of her lungs and cheer on the young boy. But he was going to win regardless, so might as well enjoy the show.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's get right to it! Introducing the fighter! He's got an infinite sense for combat - He may be small, but he can take down any opponent he faces! Don't let his mild looks fool you! Can this young jiu-jitsu master bring some charm to the opening of the tournament?!" oh, she was good at describing the fighters to make them more impressive and to root for him! Not only that, she's got an amazing voice that resounded through the stadium perfectly. "Standing 171 cm tall, weighting in at 68 kg, with a kengan match record of 21 wins and 0 losses, total assets aquired at 79, 212 billion yen - Representing Nishihonji Security Services... THE KING OF GRAPPLERS... IMAIIIIIIII COOOOOOOOOSMOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Cosmo was down there, walking inside the fighting pit in that pretty Tshirt of his. Kisara only found out the truth after Takeshi explained, but Cos has very soft and delicate skin, so the friction from his low grappling on the ground is bound to tear his skin apart and make him heavily bleed. "COSMO! KILL HIM, COSMO!" Kisara got up and cheered on her little brother. "You're very excited, aren't you?" Rin chuckled a bit embarrassed. "What, can't I cheer on my friend?" the red head's cheeks changed a hue darker, realising she was the only one to display any kind of external support for a fighter, around their area. "Not so shy for other men, huh?" her partner teased her lightly. "Gah, you guys are awful. At least none of my friends have matches before you. I'll desert this place!" she huffed dramatically, crossing her arms and watching as the American fighter, Adam Dudley, was introduced, and he strutted cockily inside the pit.

The Emperor, as he was nicknamed, had his four front teeth golden and engraved with the word "Fuck", sporting almost double Cos's weight, and significantly taller than him. It wasn't going to be easy using low grappling moves, but as they say, the small ones can bring down the big ones, just like with the story of Goliath who got defeated by David.

The referee announced the beginning of the fight and Cos was the first to spring into action and attempt a barrage of punches that were blocked by the bigger man. Punch, kick, feint, jab and many more were thrown at a rapid pace until Adam got thrown off balance by a kick to his legs. Cosmo retreated and began doing some footwork, waiting for Dudley to strike - He attempted an eye-gouging technique, but he got hit with a scissor throw - slammed to the ground face first, as Cos was wrapped around his leg. They were wrestling on the ground - This will decide the flow of the match, everyone knew this was a decisive fight.

Cos was able to mount the big guy with relative ease, holding down his wrist - This position was rather lethal for a striker like him. The people watching couldn't hear what the two fighters were speaking to each other, but the way Cos was punching down onto Dudley's face made it look rather one-sided, until the American showed the younger one the middle finger and rushed to punch Cosmo's side. The grappler was made to unmount as a way to dodge the fatal strike - Rumours and chattering from the crowd spoke about how Adam was once a notorious hockey player, as everyone watched the unnatural way the man got up from the ground. It is said that he could easily knockout enemies thanks to his build.

As Cos started doing more footwork and sprung into action to hit his enemy, he got grabbed by his shirt and punched into oblivion - Slammed into the ground so hard that he bounced off, and the whole crowd was cheering loudly. He then got picked up by the head and punched again, but the younger one stopped his long stumbling and went back to his speedy assault towards his larger opponent, only to be sent flying away once again.

This repeated a few, times, until Cos put some distance between them and ruffled up his hair, taking a deep breath and getting himself mentally prepared for the next strike. Adam adapted a typical brawler style stance while Cosmo went for his usual low grappler stance, and they both dashed forward - And little Cosmo won with a Triangle Choke, and Adam was unconscious.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, WE HAVE A WINNER!!! And that's a PERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRFECT Triangle Choke for you, folks! The King of Grappling, Imai Cosmo, has shown us his pride as a practitioner of Jiu-Jitsu!!!" Sayaka shouted loudly, but her voice was drawn out by the even louder crowd, most likely, the happy betters, just like Kisara was. She saw 'The Zone' once, during one of Cosmo's fights, and she was very impressed by him and his ground-breaking techniques. He truly was a prodigy in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and this grappling style - Small, but fast and agile. Adam most likely had no idea that he had just suffered a humiliating defeat, in a last fight that took less than a second. Still, no matter how proud and cocky Cos looked now, he was evidently injured and needed a lot of rest. The fact that he had the whole day and the next one free, was good for him and his health, more or less.

The next fight was that of Nentendo's representative fighter, Kono Haruo, who was probably the biggest person she's ever seen before, both wide and large altogether, against Wakasa Life Insurance's Akoya Seishu, whose clothes kinda resembled an adjusted Karateka outfit, and his muscles were bulging. His face was grave, glaring and filled with hatred. He was a man capable of murder.

As the two men got introduced by Sayaka, the referee had them take their stance and begin the fight, which Haruo began with a lunge and a punch. It was almost boring where Kisara stood as barely anyone was talking out loud or explaining any of the moves, or any fighter and their styles... But she was going to evade, sooner than later, and find where her friends stood so they could discuss the match, just like how they did before.

Haruo punched Akoya so hard that he got thrown back onto the wall, but he didn't break his defensive stance even though the wall did. The only one with some statistical knowledge was Kaede, who explained some stuff about Haruo's, or rather, his company's reputation amongst the kengan universe. As the big guy continued to strike, it seemed that he did no damage altogether - His arms acted like the greatest shields, until finally, he retaliated with a punch great enough to stir the bigger one. No, that wasn't a punch... It was something similar to Razor's Edge, but better.

But no, Rihito was quick to explain that it was far from the truth - In fact, this technique called "Ripper" is used to cut the skin with bone by rotating his fist, catching his knuckles on the opponent's skin to cut it, though it's not as damaging, despite the blood loss. Ohma, however, was pretty bored and decided to go to sleep. "Have fun, Hasashi Kisara. I know you're enjoying this." he pat her head and left to their shared room to take a quick nap before his fight.

The way Akoya blocked all punched from the big guy, it looked like he was thoroughly analysing his enemy's pattern so that he could defeat him with ease and strategy. Despite how exhausted Haruo looked, Akoya had no real damage on his body. In an instant, Akoya's stance changed, and he stood upright, glaring at the lunging big guy. As Haruo got in Akoya's striking radius, he got hit at a rapid pace - Right lower side kick, left lower punch, and a right palm strike to the skull, right on the eye. Haruo continued getting rushed by Akoya's endless hits, and no matter what the big guy tried, it was useless. He fought with no tactics or strategy, merely relying on his body strength, height and weight... But this wasn't the right opponent to be clueless against.

Akoya's reflexes were fantastic, Kisara thought - But more than that, she wondered whether or not she would be able to top his speed and reflexes, considering that's what she also relied on. Haruo let out a war cry, saying he didn't want to go home, or something weird like that, but he got easily plummeted by Akoya's strikes, until he was down on the ground, crying. He got up again, only to have the enemy's fingers jammed into his open wound from his forearm... That must be an agonizing pain, especially adding the two liver blows he received. Akoya truly looked like some kind of fantastic marionette, as if he could read Haruo's mind, or he already knew each and every hit that he was going to attempt.

With one last strike, Akoya hit his knee in Haruo's face until he got knocked down... No, he didn't faint. Haruo got up, as if he was a robot, emanating some kind of dark, menacing aura... Something like he was in some kind of trance. Actually - He wasn't conscious, Kisara realised - Considering the way he was standing up, he definitely wasn't conscious. It reminded her of some movie where one of the protagonist got up and fought against an enemy through sheer will alone, because he was unconscious. Fascinating, she never thought this was possible, scientifically speaking. Well - Human beings are truly capable of extraordinary things, after all, defying any law of medicine or rationale.

Haruo's speed amplified, along with the strength of his punches, considering the way Akoya could barely defend them anymore. For some odd reason, as Rin mentioned, the way Kono sweated like crazy somehow made his appearance look more... Refreshed? As if he wasn't some obese fatass who only eats junk food. The body fat was beginning to burn away. This was truly a fascinating medical specimen and she wanted someone to have some clinical study on him and the way his brain and body work, because this - This was beyond amazing. A caloric expenditure that serves as a form of detoxification... How abnormal.

Akoya was on the ground, on his back, guarding, and Haruo was going to punch down on his body... But he got flipped over with a kick to Haruo's weakened knees, because of his weight. One more kick to the knee, and another high kick to his face, the same way Kisara did to Ivan Karaev, and Akoya Seishu was declared the winner. Interesting fight. Cosmo was going to have to fight this monster of a guy in the second round, and it definitely won't be easy. She wasn't sure whether or not Cosmo ever fought anyone with such a strong murderous vibe around him, ready to annihilate anyone that stands in his way, but this was going to teach a lesson or two. He was, after all, the youngest fighter in the tournament.

The third fight... The last one, just before Ohma's... The winner of this mess of a fight will be fighting Ohma in the second round... So why the hell was he sleeping, instead of watching his enemy?! The two people fighting were Raian from the Kure clan, and he came into the stadium with blood splattered all over him, while his opponent was Mokichi, that vicar blond guy against whom Kisara and Cosmo played volleyball against. With each strike that one tried to hit, the other either parried or dodged, easy as a breeze, and everyone was watching with their breath hitched in their throat, too afraid to blink, in case they missed something. It was a beautiful, majestic dance, just like a romantic tango, but between nemesis. But Raian was a dirty fighter, and he used the blood on his body to blind Mokichi - Well, this was an annihilation tournament, a dead or alive one, so it didn't matter if any, or both fighters died, as long as a winner was declared. However, the Kure's cheap trick didn't work, for Robinson managed to get his hands in finger locks, attempting to get the palm down and amp up the man's pain. He may as well break his fingers with ease.

No... That wasn't it. Raian was faking it. By the way his smirk, he was beginning a fight of dominance with his looks alone, a battle of auras and testosterone, of wits and cunning. Raian, though, was the first to move, and he grabbed a hold of Mokichi's neck of the blouse and headbutted him - Or, at least, he attempted to, because Mokichi hit him with a short uppercut. Then, the vicar started doing some intricate footwork and grabbed Raian's wrist, twisting it and hitting the life out of him. He got hit continuously, until Mokichi ended the fight with a full shoulder throw, landing Raian with his head in the ground like an ostrich. But they were wrong. Before the referee could declare the fight to be over, Raian got up and activated some kind of secret technique that oddly resembled, but at the same time, it also didn't, Ohma's 'Advance' trump card. This was called 'Removal' and apparently, he could eliminate the barrier that was restricting the body's natural strength... And his release capacity was to the top. An outstanding 100% release. The whole stadium was quiet, save for a few gasps of shock, or fascination at seeing the Kure Clan's technique in action, but there was one voice alone, loud and growling, like some kind of demon. "We're not highschool baseball players her. A fair fight? A fascinating match? Fuck that!! I'm not interested in that kinda masturbation. I don't like 'fighting'. I like 'one sided domination' - Now, time to dominate you!"

Kure Raian was a complete different person now, just like Ohma is when using his technique. His blows were heavier, faster an much more direct and pin-pointed. Such as that he sent his opponent flying on the other side of the stadium. Although Mokichi tried to fight again, he got picked up by the neck, slammed around roughly, his palm digging into his throat - It was a bloodthirsty, barbaric fight, he was showing off. He even let Mokichi escape, only to toy around with him, like a feline playing with its prey, before eating it, proving, that even his secret Baritsu technique was useless against.

A loud snap resounded through the stadium amongst the painful silence. Everyone watched as Mokichi's head fell backwards, down on his back, at an awkward angle. A single cry of despair, that of a young girl, was heard, breaking people's hearts. Young Elena fell down to the ground, engulfed down in an abyss of darkness. Her elder brother was killed right before her very eyes. Raian laughed, and slammed down to the ground his opponent's lifeless body. Nobody was cheering for the Kure winner, yet surely, the ones who betted on his fight must have been happy with the victory. As Mokichi's body was taken away, Kisara realised, it was time for Ohma's match against Inaba Ryo of the Penasonic company. The odds were 8.10 for Ohma and 1.13 for Inaba... So, it was the perfect time for a well placed bet. 10 million yen. Perfect.

Smirking, Kisara ran towards Ohma's room, watching as the trio was complimenting his new fight shorts and underpants, and she couldn't deny, he looked at perfect as ever. After many, many compliments, a beautiful lady walked in, informing him that it was time to make his way towards the arena. "Well, I'm off. Let's go, Hasashi Kisara." he dropped his heavy arm down on her shoulders and dragged her towards the door, only to be stopped by his manager. "Ah! Ohma! I, uh... Probably shouldn't be saying this right before your match, but... If you ever think you don't stand a chance, just throw the match. I mean - I don't want to be burdened with debt, but your life means more to me than any money does!" what a tear-striking speech! "Hah! You're a real meddler, aren't you, Yamashita Kazuo? I'm not losing." Ohma chuckled lowly. "And I want meat for my victory party~♪" "Such a sweet old man." Kisara chuckled, walking towards the stadium fighting pit entrance. "Well - You'll be earning your meal tonight, dear. The odds are 8 to 1, so once you win, I, too, will be winning money to last for a lifetime. Make me proud, love~❤︎" "You're playing a dangerous game, betting, Hasashi Kisara. I and that guy don't fight for money and you know that." he grunted, looking down with a hard expression at the girl. "Yes, but you loved getting large, expensive meals, didn't you? I need money for that. Besides - I've been betting since I've known you, and I've been travelling and having fun with that money since that same time. Like it or not, not everyone can live a life like yours, nor do I want to. Not to mention... I'm going to crush those two traitors some day soon, and show them that I don't need to rely on them to live good. Some day, I'll have them killed, and I'll take over the company." she grinned up at him deviously, only to have his hand press her head down hard, as if he was scolding her. "That's for the future. Now, I better hear you cheering on me from all the way out there, or I'll get jealous." he teased her, flicking her forehead and waiting for his introduction. "Fuck him up, darling~❤︎"

"It's time to introduce Yamashita Trading Co.'s fighter! The man making storms in the Kengan association is on the scene! The driving force of this tournament is making his bold entrance! His background is completely unknown! This mysterious new fighter's about to shake up the tournament! Standing 182 cm tall, weighing in at 85 kg, with a Kengan match record of 3 wins and no losses, total assets acquired at 15,414 billion yen! THE ASHURA... TOKITAAAAA OOOOOHMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" thus, as the crowd began to cheer, so did Kisara, watching the silhouette of her beloved take step and step inside the pit. Being down here, alone, was still better than staying with those boring guys with no fighting knowledge or expertise. He was jumping up and down on his toes, warming himself up and getting ready for the fight. The way his freshly washed hair was bouncing was rather endearing - She only wished she could see his focused, dark face as well. For lack of better words, Ohma was the most attractive when he was fighting and being a cocky little brat, and she loved every second of that.

"And now, introducing the fighter for Penasonic - It's the menacing assassin's long-awaited match! He specializes in bare-handed combat, and his only target is the championship! Standing 155 cm tall, weighing in at 62 kg, he's by far the smallest and lightest fighter in the tournament! This is his first kengan match - THE BLACK PHANTOM, INABAAAAAAAAAAA RYOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" she cried out, but he was nowhere to be seen, for the longest time. Still, the red headed medic was surprised to see a fighter... An assassin, nonetheless, being shorter than her. She was feeling rather proud of herself. The young man appeared out of nowhere, hunchbacked... With his pale skin and beautiful, long, black hair making him look like an onryo, yet his posture reminded the girl of some kind of anime protagonist that had frog-like powers, or the ghosts that used their hair to catch the victims, digging into their skin and flesh, not letting them go.

As the referee called out for the two fighters to take their stance, the beginning of the fight was declared, and the two dashed towards each other, but Ohma's speed was far greater than that of Inaba, so it took the smaller one off guard. Ohma was able to keep the match to his own pace, until Inaba started changing his footwork strategy, getting faster, and with that whipping hair, confusing his enemy so much that he even managed to hit Tokita with those hit and run tactics that are meant to inflict damage over time, gradually. It was obvious that in a front fist-fight, Inaba stood no chance against Ohma's brawl... However, what he doesn't know, is that Ohma isn't only a sexy pack of muscles, but he's a cunning, witty little bitch too. He's been measuring with his tongue the timing intervals at which Inaba would pass him, though his movements were hard to predict. Ohma started using his Niko style, using his most beloved technique, the Flame Kata - With a high speed rush of hits to his opponent's body, Tokita finished with a punch to the smaller one's side, throwing him away. He approached the onryo-like man, ready to hit him with a roundhouse kick, but... His leg got stopped? By hair? So his hair really DID work in his advantage!

Kisara couldn't help but grin, realising that her supernatural supposition was proven right - She held no fear that Ohma would lose in any way, so she was able to be amazed and analysed such an amazing hair technique. To have hair so long and strong she wondered how was he treating it? She wanted to treat her hair the same way he does! "My turn~♪" the boy lifted the long hair from his face, revealing that cute visage of his, which earned a few gasps and awe's at how adorable he was, tugging at even Sayaka's heartstrings. Although Ohma tried to jerk away his foot and tear the hair away, it was of no use - The incredible power of Inaba Ryo's hair was proven extraordinary, and he propelled Ohma's almost 100 kgs body, smashing him on the ground, on the other side of the stadium. She knew what he would use - That Adamantine Kata that he always tried to avoid using, since it wasn't his strongest move, and now, too, it was obvious, he wasn't able to tighten his muscles enough... Though he promised to teach her the logic behind it, Kisara realised it wasn't something easily achievable, even for someone who dedicated their whole life to fighting, just like him. Ohma punched her arm lightly every night as an exercise of at least getting the basic hang of the technique, but each time, she would clutch that sore place and whine about how bad it felt - Though he was cocky, proving to her how shitty and lame that technique was, she wasn't about to let go of it... And neither would he.

Now, more than ever, he would have liked to be proficient in this stupid move, as Inaba used his hair like a whip used by some dominatrix on an unwilling victim... Truly, hair was magnificent, something so thin, but put together, capable of even pulling a double-decker. Now, Inaba was holding his ground against Ohma, who was desperately trying to pull back his bound leg, while keeping his balance on the other - He got slammed again on one of the stadium walls, and now, not only his right foot, but his right hand got wrapped tightly with that magical hair. Ohma kept suffering from those fluid moves of those hair whips, constant, fast and multiple, until even his neck and face were wrapped, suffocating and blinding him. Though she couldn't see perfectly at that angle, she wondered if that hair, considering how strong it was, was capable of digging into his flesh and making him bleed. No - That was the truth, the hair was tearing him apart, his body was dripping with blood from whenever he was bound... Ohma was in a really tight spot, held down tied by those piano wire-like hair threads, but... If he felt like a cornered animal, would he be using his secret technique as well? That technique, that was going to possibly kill him, sooner rather than later?

No, Ohma, don't use it... You can beat Inaba with your strength and Niko style alone, don't fall prey to that thing...

Kisara was holding her hands tightly intertwined at the fingers over her chest, praying that her partner wouldn't be so desperate and foolish as to shorten his life-span from the first round... It just wasn't worth it, and he could win regardless! It was Ohma they were talking about, not some run off the mill fighter like Rihito! Still... If it keeps up, those sharp hair strands may be capable of cutting the arteries... He is an assassin, after all, and that's what they specialise in. "Hehehe... I owe you one. You have my thanks, Inaba Ryo, you've lit me on fire for the first time in a while." Ohma's voice resound through the place at a low, almost animalistic growl... The veins on his body were pulsating and he was beginning to tremble... He activated his 'Advance'. Damn it, Ohma.

While in this new state, however, he was easily able to rip Inaba's hair off in one pull. "Getting ripped, getting punched, getting thrown... Then crushing your opponent after they've thrown everything they have at you... How could there be anything better than that...?! C'MON! I'M GONNA HEAT YOU UP!" Ohma's sudden appearance change seemed to earn a wave of gasps and oooh's from the crowd, and they got in their stances again, before dashing at each other at an even greater speed than before. This time, however, things were a bit different - No matter what Ryo tried, he couldn't block any of Ohma's hits. Glabella, solar plexus, liver, philtrum, heart or pancreas... He couldn't block any of them. No amount of new moves from Inaba were able to land a kick, for he was immediately countered and hit into oblivion. Everything amounted to this last moment - A combination of two techniques that slammed Ryo down hard, destroying not only him, but the ground as well.

Before his consciousness faded, and Ohma was back to his normal self, Inaba could see Ohma's victorious grin - He was satisfied with how the battle took place. "Did you have fun, Inaba Ryo? Come find me if you ever want a rematch." his opponent spoke to him as he stepped out of the rink. "Well, well, look what we've got here~❤︎" Kisara was leaning back on the wall, her arms crossed as she was smirking up at the winner. "How's it feel, champ?" "Fired up and hungry. Too bad the next match won't be until the day after tomorrow." he scoffed in amusement, approaching the girl as his body was dripping with sweat like a cascade. "No, don't get closer. Here, let's get you dried up, you're like the Niagara Falls or something." she chuckled softly, unwrapping the large towel from around her waist and starting to dry him up. "If you wanted to touch me, you should have just said so." he teased her, reaching out to touch the girl with his sweaty arms, but she evaded and went behind him. "Not when you're drenched. My clothes are too pretty to be soaked and stinky." she nudged his sides lightly, but unlike any other normal person, he didn't budge - He wasn't ticklish, lucky him. "You don't need clothes at night." hearing him say that, Kisara simply started walking ahead and threw the towel at his head. "... No, you don't. Perv." she chuckled leisurely. "Ah, before I forget - It's Takeshi's fight now, so I won't stay long with you. Go ahead and eat without me. We have a short break between blocks, so I'll go look for him." she explained, watching as he caught up to her. "Sure." he hummed in acknowledgement. As they walked farther ahead, they spotted Yamashita Kazuo speaking to what seemed to be the CEO of Penasonic, and they were talking about some kind of bet or something. Knowing Ohma, he wasn't a fan of betting of attributing a worth to a match between two fighters who just want to see who is stronger - Though, not everyone had the same mind view or philosophies, especially businessmen... Kisara included, provided she's been earning fortunes and living off of kengan betting for the past almost 4 years. Take that, Hasashi snobs. "I don't know what you're giving us, but we don't need it. Inaba Ryo and I didn't fight for anything petty like that - We were just fighting to see who was stronger. Don't go bringing your bullshit into OUR fight." looking at the older man, he was obviously freaking out. Yamashita must be missing out on a huge deal because of Ohma's inspirational speech. "I'll bet ya he feels the same - Right, Yamashita Kazuo?" way to plunge the dagger in an open wound. "M-Mr. Yamashita, you're too kind -- No! I'm afraid I can't retract this. All bets in the kengan association are absolute. You absolutely MUST accept it! Go on, Mr. Yamashita Kazuo!" the young CEO of Penasonic was insisting on giving his promised end of the bet. "I-I-I... Don't know what you're talking about... I don't remember ever making a bet with you..." oh, poor man, so deep in debt, but still having to part with a huge amount of money... "There was never any bet to begin with... Let's just leave it at that. We must respect the will of the fighters that shed their own blood for us..." poor old man was on the verge of crying - So close, yet so far... However... A simple smile and a heartfelt 'Thank you' from Ohma was enough to ease the man's pain. "Let's go get some meat, I'm getting hungry." however, just as Ohma declared that, he was jumped on by none other than Kure Karla who was beginning to undress... Was she even of age? "Ohma~❤︎ Congratulations, Ohma~❤︎! I was cheering on you the whole time~❤︎! NOW LET'S START MAKING BABIES!" though Kisara couldn't help but sweatdrop at how insistent Karla was, Yamashita was trying to stop her from undressing, saying it wasn't proper practice in public. Not that she even listened to begin with. "E-Excuse me... Mr. Yamashita..." behind the old man, a young girl around Kisara's age was bowing deeply on the ground, with tears in her eyes. "THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!" meekly, she raised her head. "As a token of my gratitude, please step on my head." both Kisara and Yamashita were freaking out by her odd behaviour, somehow even weirder than Karla's. "My company's been saved now, thank to you, I swear I'll return the favour!" the old man was so bewildered that he couldn't help but give her a small reply, though he was scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Also, Tokita Ohma..." the woman approached Ohma, putting a small piece of paper in his palm, as with the other, he was trying desperately to keep Karla's face at arm's length. This woman, Suoh Mihono as she introduced herself, clung onto Ohma's other arm, and began speaking seductively into his ear. "It's my room number~❤︎ Feel free to drop by any time~❤︎" she proposed, before waving her dress around her knees and leaving, not before sending Ohma a flying kiss. "Hasashi Kisara, do something about this." Ohma was incredibly done with life, irked that he was being kept away from his lunch. "What am I supposed to do?! It's not my fault you were born attractive." she shrugged simply. "Yamashita Kazuo, do something about this." Ohma repeated his order. "Wh-Why me?! What can I do?!" poor man was freaking out just as much. "Anything." his tone got a bit more pressed. "Pick her up and put her down, then let's go." Kisara gave him an idea, before leaving ahead and searching for the waiting room of the Furumi Pharmaceuticals - Though it wasn't easy, she managed to find the right room.

Carefully, she peeked inside, happy to see only Wakatsuki, sitting hunched on a small bench, and... Listening to music? She hummed softly to herself, amused, and stepped in front of him - Though she'd usually attempt to bend a bit at the waist to get at whoever's eye sight level, there was no need with Wakatsuki, he was far too tall for that. The two looked at each other, and Takeshi could only blink, a bit confused, at why the girl was in front of him, smiling so casually and swinging back and forth on her toes.

"Aren't you going to offer me one of your earbuds?" she leaned dramatically on the side, her long hair cascading down. "I'm not actually listening to anything. If you want, you can have it." he took off both earbuds and handed her his phone. "Ohh, I see! You must have been so deep in thought that you forgot to put on some music, huh? It happens often to me... Or, I just don't realise what songs play." she quickly picked up the phone and scrolled down, analysing the music. "Ah, wonderful, we have similar taste in music! Here, here, let's listen to this - Strongest Man Alive... What a nice song!" he truly is the strongest man alive, Kisara thought, but even if he is, he still needs support sometimes. He is, after all, still just a man. "Well, you see - It wasn't that I forgot to put music. I guess I just wanted some peace and quiet." he said, taking off his earbud at around the middle of the song. "Oh, is that so? Then I'm sorry!" she quickly stopped the music, watching as he intertwined his fingers and looked ahead, as if lost in thought. "Takeshi... Are you okay?" her voice was much softer and tender, not as joking as before. "Honestly? I'm afraid." his voice was solemn, and his declaration made Kisara's eyes go wide with shock. "You? Afraid? Of some small fry? No way, I don't believe you." she declared, yet he didn't budge. "Haha... Of course I am. I'm just like you, Kisara. Remember how anxious you were when we first met? Well, you don't show those worries the same anymore, though, after many years of training with Hatsumi, you've learnt how to mask it - Your feelings are still there, and you feel them. We are born this way, and even if things get better or worse with the way we externalise them, they still exist. Am I wrong?" despite speaking directly to her, he didn't cast his gaze up to hers. "No... You're exactly right. And it's exactly because you're right, that I also have to remind you... That you've always been so humble and underplaying your own capacity. How many times did you tell your employer that you probably couldn't pull off some fights, even though you're the strongest man out there? Countless of times! You're not against Kano Agito nor against Hatsumi, and you won't be any time soon. I'm sure you'll be doing a knockout on whoever that guy is, from a single punch - Actually, there's an anime called just that! You could be that protagonist!" she declared, making the man shake his head lightly. "Thanks for trying to reassure me, but that's just how I feel. Every time I go into a match, I want to run away from the pressure. I think, in this match, that I won't be able to hold anything back. I think I'll have to go all-out from the first round. My opponent isn't just a small fry, and if you go into a fight with that mentality, you'll find yourself at a disadvantage." he explained, only to find the girl stepping in front of him, her arms extended, as if requesting permission to hug him. Seeing that, his stone expression softened and he released his fingers, letting his hands fall down his sides. As the opportunity arose, Kisara took one more step forward and hugged the man's head, patting his hair. "Doesn't matter who your opponent is. You're still gonna crush him. You're Takeshi, of course you'll win." hearing those words, Wakatsuki wrapped his arms around the girl and allow himself a small smile. "Thanks, Kisara." was all he said. After the long embrace, Kisara sat down on his leg and put on one earbud, and the other in his ear, putting some nice music before his match started. Little time passed, all equal to three songs, before Wakatsuki's CEO arrived. Just before he did, however, Kisara heard Takeshi say one last thing.

"This will be a rematch."

< Previous Chapter Next Chapter >

#tokita ohma x reader #tokita ohma imagine #kengan ashura x reader #kengan ashura imagine #kengan ashura #wakatsuki takeshi #imai cosmo #sekibayashi jun #kure raian #kure karla #mokichi robinson #katahara sayaka #akoya seishu #kono haruo #inaba ryo

49 notes · View notes