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angstars · 6 years ago

Note

For happy mother’s day can we have some scenario about Natsume bragging about his mom to his classmates then his mom showing up to drop off something he forgot?

LMAO THIS IS SO FUNNY AND CUTE HECK YEAH!!

He’s gonna get calcium now♠

The bell blared through the halls of the school, notifying all the students that another class session is over and their lunch break has now started.

Class 2-A heaved a sigh of relief as they all packed their notebooks and stationary, stuffing it away in their bags and excitedly pulling out their lunch. Before anyone made their leave, Subaru enthusiastically made a run to the front of the class, waving his hands and chanting ‘hey hey!’ to grab all their attention.

“Guys! How about we all have lunch inside the class together here?”

Everyone let out a confused chorus, staring at Subaru as if he said he saw a cow fly right outside. Class 2-A were never a class that hung out all together, they usually split into their own private groups, with Natsume leaving to hangout with Sora outside.

“Well,” He grins, bouncing on his toes excitedly, “I just thought - since mother’s day is right around the corner, what do you say we all sit together and discuss what we plan to do on that day?”

The suggestion was innocent, friendly and quite welcoming, but it still made some students stir with unease.

“Great idea, Akehoshi!” Makoto pipes up, clapping his hands together and grinning, “I was planning to do that with you and Hidaka, but I’d love to also share it and know what everyone else has got in mind!”

“I too think such class activities can increase in bonds. I’m always being told to get to know my peers and get to know them better, so I think this is excellent timing.” Souma adds in his input.

Natsume smiles, “I agree. I think It’s a good opportunity to figure you out as well, Baru.”

Souma shifts uncomfortably at this - he forgot, to get along would mean to be getting closer to him. He would allow him a second chance however, as getting to know Kaoru proved to be most efficient, perhaps he’s got Natsume all wrong.

Subaru as well seemed uncomfortable by that sentence as he laughed awkwardly and cleared his throat, clapping his hands together to gain composure.

“Then it’s settled! If you need to get your lunch from the cafeteria, we’ll wait for you and then get started!” Subaru grins, and Adonis stands up, excusing himself.

“I’ll quickly get my food, and hurry back. I’ll make sure not to make any of you wait,” He briskly made his way out of the class, making sure to power walk to the canteen, afraid of being late to the class hangout.

---

Adonis returned with lunch in his hand, and sliding open the door, he was welcomed by eyes staring at him, awaiting for him to take his seat. He nods his head, thanking them for waiting and quickly grabs his seat in the small circle.

While he was away, the boys have arranged themselves to sit in a circular position around two joined tables. Now that they’re all here, Natsume’s curiosity made them start.

He questioned what Subaru had in mind in doing all this, and Subaru explains himself that he wishes to get along with the entire class, since none of them really hung out as friends to understand each other.

“And what’s better than learning about one another when discussing what they’d wanna do for mother’s day!”

He was right in a way, what someone would do on a special occasion speaks volumes as the type of person they are. Subaru started them off, saying he’d like to take his mother out on a fun stroll with Daikichi, and probably visit her favourite places to be in. It’d be a bonus if she allows him to take her to the amusement park.

Hokuto discussed that he would give a simple gift to his grandparents after catering to his needs after all these years. Makoto on the other hand still didn’t have anything planned, however, if his schedule isn’t too packed, then he’d try to go out with his mother somewhere nice and relaxing.

Souma rambled on about family traditions, and that his family is probably too busy for any of this.

“But I respect my mother and I want to do something honourable,” He says, “so I might consider any of the options like you all said and take her to town! She doesn’t leave the house as much due to responsibilities in our home, so she doesn’t get to see it as much as I do.”

“Ohhh yeah! Give her a tour, that sounds really nice!” Subaru encouraged.

“Yes, I might do the same.” Adonis adds, opening up the wrapping for his food, “my mother still hasn’t gotten to know the traditions in this country and certain areas I’ve seen, so it’d be nice to be able to introduce her to this country bit by bit.”

All eyes were on Natsume now, as it was his turn to speak. He smiles, giving a small chuckle.

“All of you have decided on such mundane things,” He starts, “I’m going to do something very special for my mommy. As you all know, she’s a magician and a fortuneteller, and so am I. I’m going to prepare for her a special magic spell that’ll wow her and show her my abilities, I’ve been experimenting on it for a while now and it’s reaching its prime,”

All the students in the room felt stiff, as they were anticipating the shower or bragging that usually comes when he talks about his mom.

“Well, er...what’re you planning, exactly?” Souma hesitantly asks, feeling rather sceptical and weary to whatever he has ‘planned’.

“You all know mommy is an expert when it comes to magic, she knows most of the spells, the specialities; everything that I know, she has taught me. And so, of course she’d know what I’d have planned or how I did it if I use a spell she’s taught me, that is why I’ve been experimenting on a brand new spell, something she’s never seen before.” Natsume grins mischievously, leaning forward in his seat, engrossed in the conversation, “then she’ll see that I am slowly able to reach and advance into her level.”

“That’s great! You seem happy enough,” Subaru smiles softly.

“Of course, this is about pleasing our parents right? My mommy is very special to me, and so, as best mother and magician in the world, she deserves something on a grand scale.”

“I’m glad you think that way sweetie,”

All heads turned to the voice that suddenly spoke, to see a wise looking woman at the door. Her face spoke maturity and experience, while her clothes spoke witchcraft. Her expression was very soft and endearing, probably after what she’s heard from her son say about her.

Natsume was at the edge of his seat, eyes wide as if held in gun point at the surprise; though no one was sure if he took it nicely, as he looked like he was frightened to the core. The other boys weren’t sure where to look, at her, or at the spooked classmate next to them.

Just how much did she hear?

Natsume stood up in greeting, “m-mommy! What’re you doing here?” He felt like his heart was about to burst. It wasn’t everyday that someone’s mother just waltzed into the classroom, and he felt embarrassed that the first had to be him.

Her smile stretches further at her boy who was like a frazzled cat, stepping into the classroom. It was clearer now, in her hand she held a brown paper bag that seemed to have some contents inside.

“Sorry to interrupt your little boy scouts session, I just came to drop off something my dear boy forgot.” She states and places the bag on the teaches desk, “your lunch Natsume, you can’t just preform any magic or work hard in school on an empty stomach, so I brought it to you.”

He shifted his weight from leg to leg, regaining a bit of composure as he relaxed his arms. “Right, thank you,”

“I’m glad you all are getting along. Now, I’ll be off, can’t keep the patrons waiting.”

She left the classroom just like that, swiftly closing the door behind her and disappearing into the day. Natsume slowly walks towards the bag and opens it, and indeed his lunch was inside. He picks it up and returns to his seat, his entire form still very rigid after what just transpired.

Even the air felt stiff, although...it was comically stiff. They all knew he was embarrassed and shy about all this, so it was awkward to continue talking about the subject, not wanting to irritate him more.

“So...” Makoto trails off, scratching the back of his head, “does that mean...you’ll have to figure out a new idea now?”

Natsume crumbles the bag on each side as he tightly grips it and leans forward, pressing his eyes against the bag and sighs in frustration. “I don’t know just how much she heard...this is embarrassing.”

“We promise you, nothing that happened in this room will leave.” Hokuto reassured.

They all began to apologetically pat him on the back, undeniably laughing, reassuring him that what transpired was adorable, nothing for him to be shy about.

#mod cal #mod calcium #i hope this made you happy!#natsume sakasaki #adonis otogari #souma kanzaki #subaru akehoshi #hokuto hidaka #makoto yuuki

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flyswhumpcenter · 5 years ago

Text

Nurse Café - Chapter 6/6: “Back to Normalcy, If Normalcy There Is“

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Fic Summary: Life could have honesty been simpler than that for Hokuto, a second-year Liteature major. There’s, however, someone out there willing to just make it easier on him.

Fandom: Ensemble Stars! (College/Coffeeshop AU) Ships: HokuAn (Anzu/Hokuto)

AO3 version available here.

-------------------------

Chapter Summary: After recovery comes coming clean to your friends about where on Earth you've been lately.

Chapter Wordcount: 1.7K words

Chapter Notes: Let Subaru Enstars Say Fuck. Writing Hokuto and Subaru banter has no rights to be this fun, I swear. Anyway! I started work on this chapter right after finishing the very first chapter in, what, July? I believe the first paragraph of this is older than the entirely of chapter 2, in fact. More on NC's origin story in the end notes. Because of how long this chapter has actually been in the works for, I'm afraid it sounds a little reconstituted and mashed together. Y'know, casual "I spent 6 months on this" issues and whatnot. I'm still terrified this is OOC, as I've honestly not watched Enstars in months by now and got carried away by my headcanons and AU-ing, but oh well. I hope you'll like

-------------------

Hokuto was walking down to his first class of the week, the one whose presentation he had eventually surrendered to and asked to postpone (not his proudest achievement), when he heard a very familiar sound: Subaru Akehoshi’s signature high-pitched voice resonated through the corridors, accompanied by ferocious-sounding footsteps rushing in his direction, lacking any kind of discretion or concern for whomever else may have had the misfortune to be sharing this very corridor with him.

“Ho-kke!!”

Akehoshi jumped on him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders and almost making him tumble and fall. If his face wasn’t so naturally inexpressive, someone else would have noticed the panic suddenly enlacing his mind.

“Back off, Akehoshi,” he responded to the assault, watching his friend get down and walk next to him.

“You usually bite harder than that, Hokke! What’s up? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other!”

“…it’s been, what, a week at most? I wouldn’t call that ‘a while’.”

“It’s just not the same without you, Hokke! I’ve missed you friend!”

To be fair, he had missed Akehoshi and simply didn’t want to admit it to the latter’s face. Doing that was like yearning to be discredited. He’d have to work on that dishonesty of his later.

“I suppose so,” he replied with some doubt lingering (truly, someone as much of a social butterfly as Akehoshi couldn’t have missed him that much, right?).

“Hey, Hokke, tell me something! What’s happened to you? You’ve disappeared from the surface of the planet, Ukki and I got worried, and Sally wouldn’t tell us anything about your whereabouts! Anzu seemed really worried about you too…”

Oh God, was this guy really going all out on him? Was it legally allowed to embarrass someone in public like that?

“It’s a long story,” he half-heartedly replied.

Akehoshi’s glaze didn’t let up. He was coming for actual answers and Hokuto wasn’t all too keen on giving it to him in public like that. He had somewhat of an image to keep as a student representative in the university, he found that important to keep for himself, and this excitable boy wouldn’t do that. Not while he was alive, at least.

Suddenly, more footsteps came in their direction, prompting them to both turn around. Coming towards them were Anzu and Isara with Yuuki trailing not far from them. All shone a smile, to which Akehoshi replied with more excitement. Truly, this guy seemed unstoppable and always full of energy. Hokuto suddenly found himself somewhat envious of this, before focusing back on the incoming conversation, wondering how he’d unbury himself from having to reveal why he had gone missing for an entire week.

“Hello everyone!” Anzu said in their direction, her lovely smile as on point as always.

“Hi everyone!” Yuuki continued, waving at them, Isara doing the same right afterwards.

Akehoshi rushed towards them. Well, there was nothing better to do than follow him, he supposed… At least, it’d be a good way to begin returning to normalcy.

As they walked back in the direction to their classes, questions rose up.

“Ah, Hidaka, you’re back!” Yuuki noted with a bright smile. “Where have you been all that time?”

“Yeah, Hokke, where in the world were you?! Our routine doesn’t work the same if it’s without you, y’know!”

He didn’t know if he should have been flattered or offended to that remark.

“I had…” How was he supposed to lie about the reason without actually lying about it either? “I had a lot of things to take care of.”

“Still,” Yuuki makes another note, albeit his tone drops in happiness, “you weren’t there on Tuesday for your own presentation! The prof didn’t know what to do with you missing, he hadn’t seen that coming.”

“Frankly, never did I,” Akehoshi added. “A day without Hokke around isn’t a normal day!”

They were pushy, but he couldn’t hold it against them. He had vanished for an entire week, after all, of course they’d ask about it.

“Hokuto, I think it’s time you tell them what’s actually happened. We’ve respected you not wanting us to do that on our terms, but… These two were worried sick you know!” Isara finished to convince him.

Despite the embarrassment already piling up in the back of his mouth, Hokuto nonetheless cleared his throat and tried finding the exact right words. He’d have liked to keep that awkward week in the sands of time, but alas, the peer pressure happened to be a little too strong to withstand.

“I, hmm…,” yeah, no, that remained hard to put into words, “may have collapsed last Friday night.”

A thick silence settled. While Isara and Anzu exchanged slightly awkward glances, Akehoshi and Yuuki had be shut for good, the former blinking furiously and the second staring with a distraught expression and agape mouth.

“W-wait, really?! L-like, collapsed-collapsed?!”

“Yes, that kind.”

“What the fuck Hokke.”

“Huh… Y-yeah, what h-he – what Akehoshi said,” Yuuki added with a tiny, clearly confused laugh.

He scratched the back of his head. This was making him maybe more nervous than the entire process of making that cancelled presentation…

“I don’t exactly remember much from it.”

“Let me do that recap for you then,” Isara suddenly chimed in. “Friday night, you went into a café, realized you picked the wrong one, ordered an espresso at eleven in the evening, passed out on Anzu who was supposed to close the shop, and she tended to you for most of Saturday afterwards.” (Did he have to mention that? He could see Anzu growing red as he said that). “I think that’s all you need to know guys!”

Hokuto wanted to bury his face in his hands and disappear right here and there; alas, miracles didn’t exist, did they.

“You do look much better than when I last saw you, though, Hokuto!” Isara resumed the conversation.

“Mao is right! You really do look better, I promise,” Anzu added, and if it wasn’t his fever coming back, then he didn’t think he’d like to acknowledge what it was. “You still look a little tired though, are you sure you should be attending class right away?”

“It’s only a couple of lectures, nothing I can’t pull through.”

“…Do I need to remind you that you said that about your presentation too, Hokuto…?”

That made Yuuki jolt in place.

“Wait, you ran yourself sick just for that presentation?!”

“Unlike what Isara is saying, it’s not just that presentation.”

“Speaking of that presentation, Makoto, do you remember for what subject it was?”

“I think it was for the History class. I mostly remember the prof looking kind of pissed…”

“So that was the subject this was for! Hokuto didn’t quite remember it and I was curious.”

“Wait, Hokke, you didn’t remember that when Anzu asked?!”

“Man, Hidaka, you really must have been exhausted to the bone to forget something like that…”

Everyone was trying to kill him, especially Akehoshi’s barely contained amused giggling.

“Anzu, why did… That didn’t amuse you back there!”

She gave him a glance, suddenly much calmer, her smile dropping.

“That was because it meant there was a ton of problems on your end, Hokuto. Come on, do you think that was a normal thing?”

“I never said the opposite…”

“I know. I just try to make that amusing because, frankly, you scared us all to death, not just Mao and I.”

“Oh, yeah,” Akehoshi added, “you don’t even know how much Ukki and I asked about you for days! These two really wouldn’t tell us much even if they did!”

“Sorry for that again, guys. Hokuto really insisted on us not telling, or at least, he mumbled about that in his sleep…”

“I actually remember asking you that, Isara. I wasn’t entirely braindead.”

Akehoshi and Yuuki looked thoroughly confused. This was at least proof that they had successfully been kept out of the loop.

“Still,” Yuuki asked, “why didn’t you want us to know? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I don’t think you’d ever want to see what unfolded there.”

“Well duh! Of course we don’t wanna see you be sick beyond your mind or somethin’ Hokke! Anzu and Sally talk about it as if you were gonna die!”

“Plus, we’re friends. Isn’t the whole point of friendship to help each other out in times of need?”

“They’re right, Hokuto,” Isara completed their argument. “You were also helping your grandma at the time, right? The poor woman looked worried for your life back there!”

“This was merely me fulfilling my obligations as her grandson. Still, I suppose you are right. I obviously couldn’t have survived that alone.”

“I think we can all testify to that…” Isara seemed a little jaded, but nonetheless smiled again as he put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “So, next time, don’t hesitate to call for us when you need help, ’kay? We really don’t want you to run yourself to the ground like that again!”

The three others hummed and nodded almost in unison. All he could react with was a sigh and a tiny smile (that was most likely not even visible on his stiff face).

“Lesson learnt.”

Their conversation eventually took its usual course, deviating (to his relief) to other topics. By the end of the main hallway, he found himself with only Anzu, the both of them heading towards different rooms almost facing each other.

“Ah, before I forget. Thank you very much for… all of this, Anzu. I don’t even want to know where I’d be right now if it wasn’t for you.”

“As much as I also don’t want to imagine that, I’d have said an ER. Again, really, Hokuto, you don’t need to thank me so politely! It’s a normal thing for friends to do. You’ve done that for me before, haven’t you?”

“That’s true…” (And these weren’t such good memories, as it mostly reminded him of bitter concern).

“Just avoid doing that next time you feel in a pinch, okay? I’m sure we’ll all be glad to help. I know I will…” Her voice trailed off and so did her eyes, looking in the distance. He naïvely started doing so as if someone or something would arrive.

“I’ll make sure to, then.”

They stared at each other, red, for a couple moments before Anzu snapped out of it first.

“Ah, sorry, my class starts real soon! See you around, Hokuto!”

“See you later then.”

As they went on their separate ways, he could only confirm something: if his heart was beating this profusely, it had to mean he had very clearly come down with another illness altogether. In hopes that, just like his collapse, Anzu could help him fix his own issues…

#enstars #hokuan #anzu (enstars)#hidaka hokuto #akehoshi subaru #isara mao #yuuki makoto #hurt comfort #humor #fluff #recovery #au: college #otp: konpeito chou cream #brotp: shining ensemble #fic: nurse cafe

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starry-sky-1 · 5 years ago

Text

Problematic Boy(s)

A/N I might do a sequel if it gets some feel good positivity :D

Masterpost here for my other works~

“KIM.NAM.JOOOOOONNNNNNNNN” The homeroom teacher bellowed as the bell rung signifying end of the class. The boy in question snickered and walked out of the room as his teacher burst into a fit of coughs all thanks to the mysterious white solution oozing from the beaker. Its stink was too prominent to be ignored. How did a basic experiment involving a solution of Copper Sulphate turn pure white? It was only Namjoon who could provide a possible explanation.

Just another typical day at school, right?

Wrong.

Mr. Tanuki was ready to fling his toupee out of pure frustration. The otherwise mellow chemistry teacher had enough of a certain tall, platinum haired, exchange student, and it had hardly been a month since his arrival. His impressive 25 year old career at Bodan High was not going to be tainted by that cheeky devil, especially when he was so close to becoming the principal.

He went in the washroom and splashed some water on his face, feeling his dark circles become darker and his blood pressure rise…err no more thoughts about that brat, dammit Tanuki.

On the other hand, Namjoon strolled in the school’s vast garden, the hedges had been trimmed neatly, probably for the new session he mused as his red converse shoes scraped against the walk-path that connected the other building – the middle school with his own. His shirt was untucked and his blazer thrown over it haphazardly, neck-tie askew, lollipop in mouth, a perfect picture of a…

“Yankee”

the few girls standing at the edge of the school building murmured in hushed whispers as they prepped for PT.

It had hardly been a month since the summer session started at school and yet Namjoon had already made a name for himself as trouble creator, the poor boy often had no idea how he’d end up in a sticky situation, only for the resolution to present another one. The chemistry class? He knew how to make a copper sulphate solution, the thing was he was too curious for his own good sometimes. He just wanted to know what would happen if he added the potassium permanganate that was set aside for another experiment, to his own.

Well, now he knew.

The last time, he really didn’t mean to break the arms off of Hokuto’s Yukina figurine, it just…happened and the resulting chase and fight with Hokuto’s minions wasn’t worth it, the split lip had troubled him anytime he wanted to eat soba or spicy ramen. It was good that they taught Tae Kwon Do to all the students at his High School, otherwise he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to handle all 6 guys who pounced upon him suddenly, his big frame would be useless if not for his passable fighting skills. Namjoon was a thinker not a fighter despite his seemingly uncaring, tough exterior.

Even his teacher was conflicted. Bodan High had recently started an exchange program and were more than happy to host one of the brightest kids in South Korea, his entrance scores were in the top 1% of the country, inside class he was mostly well behaved. Therefore it wasn’t like they could hand him detention, it could potentially damage the school’s own reputation.

Damn brat!

Namjoon sneezed. It was odd considering the weather was pleasantly sunny. Maybe somebody had cursed him, after all. He wouldn’t be surprised considering how often the he ran into people willing to test both his strength and patience. It wasn’t surprising at all that somewhere in his heart, he felt lonely. What was a 17 yr old to do in a land completely foreign to him? He missed having his gang around him – Seokjin, the kind and devilishly handsome senior, who would obviously grace some dramas or movies someday; Yoongi the tsundere piano genius; Hoseok the dancing machine, was actually a trainee with some company, his cheery disposition and multiple talents screamed “idol”. Taehyung and Jimin, his cute underclassmen were an inseparable pair, Jimin sometimes danced with Hoseok and this is how they both came into their circle. Even Yoongi took a liking to them and he hated change.

Sighing loudly, Namjoon plopped down under a tree, taking out a small book from his inner pocket.

It was a guide on crabs.

Namjoon absolutely adored small animals be it crabs, frogs,….. but basically, crabs. He loved that he could take the bus from Tokyo to Kamakura and walk around the pretty beach. It was a perfect weekend getaway. He loved collecting shells and the white hermit crabs were too pretty to ignore. It saddened him how the king crabs were a local delicacy.

His monologue was interrupted by a pair of scruffy shoes, who he traced to the owner of a pair of wide, doe eyes.The person was a boy from the middle school.The boy nibbled on his lower lip worriedly, as his cheeks dusted pink. Namjoon spotted a plaster on his right cheek and sensed the kid was anxious.

“S-Senpai” he began pulling a textbook from his coat jacket “You..dropped this the other day when you passed by our school”

Namjoon looked at the textbook then back at the kid, his eyes glazing over his form, his messy hair hid his thick eyebrows, nose prominent and the lower lip thicker than the upper one, sported a mole right underneath. His coat was loose over his frame which seemed to be lean, and he had on the standard uniform shoes, albeit a bit dusty now.

His coat jacket had a nametag pinned to it.“Thanks Jeon Jungkook” Namjoon remarked and gave the kid a smile, his dimples sprouting.Jungkook followed, and gave a scrunchy smile of his own.

“I’m Kim Namjoon”

“I know!”

He spouted excitedly on how he was already a legend amongst his classmates and how everyone both respected and feared him.The kid was too adorable for his own good. It was easy to fall in a conversation with him.

“You’re not entirely Korean, right?”

“No” he replied hesitatingly. “My dad’s Korean, mum is…or rather…. was…… Japanese.” He said, eyes downcast.

Namjoon patted his back and steered the conversation away to a different topic remarking how difficult dealing with the yankees was. Jungkook nodded enthusiastically telling him how he had to defend himself from bullies who wouldn’t stop teasing him because he wasn’t pure blooded Japanese.

This became a daily habit for both, they would talk in the break time and Jungkook would enthusiastically follow whatever Namjoon said, the respect for the older boy growing infinite in the younger’s eyes as the days passed. Namjoon was happy to have the younger’s company with himself, it was a tiny relief from when he missed his gang back in Seoul. Jungkook followed him like a baby duck,”Joon hyung, Namjoon hyung” echoing everywhere Namjoon went.

The people around Jungkook also stopped messing with him since Namjoon took him under his wing, fiercely protective of the young one and Jungkook, well he revelled in the attention Joon showered him with.

Just like that both were talking animatedly about the latest Gundam figure, while returning from a conbeni a Friday evening when a baseball hit Namjoon’s back.Those were the punks from the nearby high school, notorious for their biking gang.

“Ya punk, with yer little squirt”

The one in cheap sunglasses and a pompadour barked “ye hurt our bud Takashi over there” he pointed to a bulky bald guy with a hello kitty bandage on his swollen nose, sporting brass knuckles on both his hands while the 3 others carried baseball bats.

Namjoon exhaled. Seriously this was getting out of hand now. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Jungkook stared at the 5 guys then back at Namjoon again, eyebrows furrowing in mild irritation. He tugged Jungkook’s arm signalling him to leave “Kook, let’s not make a scene in the neighbourhood right now.”

Jungkook opened, then closed his mouth, not quite understanding why Namjoon would walk away from the confrontation, but followed nonetheless as they took off.

The 2 boys took the narrow bylanes, the troublemakers hot on their heels but somehow lost them at an intersection all thanks to the blind spot of the street.Catching their breath, the boys heaved, standing in front of an ordinary apartment complex.

“This is where I live” Namjoon huffed. “Do you uhhh wanna come up or something? We could read manhwas, I brought some along.”

Hearing about manhwas, Jungkook’s eyes lit up and he eagerly followed him inside. They both sat comfortably on the standard sofa, with Jungkook chugging a banana milk while Namjoon nursed a can of iced coffee himself.They read in silence for hours. Namjoon looked up from his tankobon volume and his gaze fell to the window , the sky had grown dark outside. He immediately turned to look at the wall clock and noticed it was 8 pm already.

He jumped from the couch, and shook Jungkook “Kook, it’s 8 pm!!! You need to go home already!”

Jungkook looked up from his manhwa, eyes glazed. It was indeed dinner time at his home and he hadn’t even texted his granny! He quickly took his phone out from his back pocket and looked at the flurry of missed calls and texts. He smacked his head and groaned. How could he be so careless ugh.

“But hyungieee this one is so good, I wanna finish it, I promise I’ll go as soon as I’m done.” he pouted with his eyes widened for the extra cute effect. Namjoon definitely wasn’t immune to the puppy look and suggested “Why don’t you stay over? Its late already,I think I have some cup ramen so we can have that and then talk man to man.”

Jungkook’s eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly. He quickly called his granny up to let her know that he was staying over at a friend’s house and would return the next day.

His granny’s eyes crinkled in a smile who was proud that the otherwise meek boy had found someone to look up to and who made him open up. She had a toothy grin on her face when the call ended.

Jungkook quickly got up to help Namjoon, who had in the meantime, managed to knock the kettle off, stubbed his toe against the kitchenette counter, and was currently nursing said toe while a string of profanities left his mouth.

Jungkook giggled at the elder’s expense and then helped him out, putting the kettle on correctly and bringing the ramen bowls to the table where Namjoon was already perched, looking at him sheepishly as the younger one went about and took down the now boiled kettle. He poured the hot water into Namjoon’s bowl first and then his and covered the lid as they waited for the noodles to soak the seasonings.

2 minutes passed in silence, it was meal time finally. Both eagerly took off the lids only to notice it was still soggy in some places. Namjoon suggested they microwave it. Jungkook looked in the direction of the microwave and refused. Now it was Joon’s turn to smirk and he ruffled the younger’s hair before picking both their bowls and putting them in the microwave.

A loud beep indicated that the ramen was done. Carefully balancing both the bowls in a tray, he made his way over to the table where Jungkook helped him out, he was just glad there were no more accidents this time round.

Breaking their chopsticks, both grinned at the well done ramen and dug in after an enthusiastic “itadakimasu”

Patting their full bellies, they both settled down to play some games on their phone, the multi-player mode allowing them to game jointly.

After a few intensive rounds, they both looked up to see that it was 11 pm. Namjoon rolled out the mattress for Jungkook, grabbing a pair of spare pajamas for Jungkook and a spare toothbrush. Jungkook thanked him and cleaned up, changing into them quickly, however he had to fasten the drawstrings a little tighter on his comparatively slimmer waist.

He hopped out of the bathroom excitedly and plopped on the fluffy mattress waiting for Joon hyung to finish up as he checked his social media.He wasn’t surprised to see there were no messages. Namjoon came in, towel drying his hair and smiled at the doe eyed boy. He lay prone, wrapped comfortably in his summer blanket and scrolled through his phone.

Jungkook cleared his throat and Joon looked down at him. They talked about the punks and the festering problem of bullying both online and otherwise, both describing their experience. For Jungkook it was especially bad considering he was only half Japaneseand had to live here, he felt lonely, despite his multiple talents earning him the title of “golden boy” amongst his teachers. His grades were decent and he was especially good at sports, arts, and photography vying all the clubs’ attention. Ultimately he chose Tae-Kwon-Do. His dad had taught him the basics when he lived with them but after his mother passed away, he had moved back to Korea while Jungkook lived with his mother’s parents.

They talked about girls in their class, Namjoon found the girls in his grade too nosy and obnoxious so he didn’t bother fraternising with them while Jungkook blushed when he recounted that one girl from his grade who had given him a chocolate on Valentine’s Day and he turned her down because he saw her as a good friend and no more. Namjoon told him stories from his own high school and how he missed his pals with a wistful, nostalgic look in his eyes. Jungkook nodded as his dulcet deep voice rang in his ears, making him feel sleepy. Both of them rambled a little more before sleep overtook them and lulled them in peaceful rest.

It was 8:30 am when Jungkook rolled off the mattress and rubbed his eyes, trying to rub the crust coating his eyelashes. He shook Joon.

“Hyungie” he rasped “It’s time to wake up already” Namjoon groaned and rolled on his side, promptly falling with a soft thump near him as his head poked from his blanket burrito, platinum strands sticking up oddly.

Both of them crawled to the bathroom slowly, picking up the toothbrushes. Joon squeezed some toothpaste on Jungkook’s before his own and both cleaned their teeth. After cleaning up, Jungkook helped Joon boil some eggs as he poured milk in a glass for both of them. Having had this quick breakfast, Jungkook hugged Joon thanking him for his hospitality before making his way home. He couldn’t wait to tell his Ba-chan how much fun he had at Hyu- no, Oni San’s house.

His granny listened in rapt attention as he told her everything about his oni san, from his clumsiness to his mature moments, his eyes so full of admiration that it made her feel proud and thankful to the boy who had taken her recluse of a grandson under his wing and kept him happy.Kook squealed when he saw a message on Line Messenger from Joon asking him if he had made it safely back home.

Shooting a quick text of affirmation with more smiley emojis than necessary, he went about his homework and tasks.

Monday rolled around faster than expected and it would be time for their mid semester exams soon. Jungkook was nervous because his very first exam was English Literature- his own Achilles Heel. Had it not been for his overall grades in other subjects, he was sure he would have been held back an year. He just knew where he could get the right help.

Namjoon helped him as much as he could and the boy was surprised that he was able to grasp most of the concepts of grammar, the past tenses were especially hard but with Joon helping him, he scored an impressive 80 marks. Even his teacher was surprised but happy for him.

Him and Namjoon were taking their casual stroll between the buildings of the 2 schools, it had been suspiciously quiet with no incidents by Yankees when they’d be upto no good usually. Joon figured they were upto something, something unexpected for sure.

His suspicions rang true when he saw the yankees they had a run with, waiting for them at the school gate. Confrontation was inevitable this time.

“Let’s take it someplace else” Joon declared and Jungkook grit his teeth, despite his timid nature, the boy would switch personalities when it came to things he cared about, his hyung being one of them.

They went to the field near the river embankment as the 5 charged at the two, the bigger guy’s nose having healed up well. The pompadour bearer called Akashi threw a punch at Joon who ducked just in time and using his elbow as a support rolled him off using his extended right foot.

Jungkook tackled 2 lanky boys who were very good with their limbs, ducking and protecting as their kicks and punches flew at him rapidly in succession, he was soon backed at the protective railing, his knuckles grasping the cold metal tightly, heaving with a split lip. The guys had expended much of their energy in brutal moves and were tired, it was evident. He saw an opening and jabbed at the rib of the guy on the left who howled in pain.

“Jiro”

The guy on the right shouted. Jungkook smirked. He delivered a roundabout kick to the other guy’s face, knocking a tooth out as he grasped onto the other, both falling in a crumbling heap.

He ran to help Joon but discovered he had taken care of the pompadour guy as well, his own cheek had a nasty hit to it which would definitely bruise. Both glared at the remaining two who stood impassive at their leader and best guys bested by these 2.

“We’ll be back, ya punks” the one with a kansai accent shouted as they helped their friends up, limping away. Both the boys collapsed on the grass, exhaustion seeping into their bones as they watched the magnificent sunset. Brushing their clothes they both went their way.

If it was quiet the following days, nobody mentioned it, but once or twice they knew the rumours floating around, could see as people moved when they came, strolling in, some pointing at their bruises, a split lip for Jungkook and a cheekbone bruise for Joon. The yankees in their area understood that the duo was not to be messed with, they were this area’s very own dynamic duo, protecting kids from bullies and keeping the yankees in their place. They were both admired and feared and they knew it too.

Both were making their way to the game arcade after school, which had become a ritual of sorts every Friday when they heard a scuffle in the alleyway. A tall guy from the neighbouring school had a middle school boy from their own pinned at the wall, with the boy cowering in fear, bag held up for defence.

They both gave each other a knowing look and nodded at each other. Namjoon cracked his knuckles. “Ready, Kook?”

Jungkook grinned. “Always hyung, and after you.~”

They both jumped at the bully. Just a typical day for the Bodan High dynamic duo.

#kim namjoon #jeon jungkook #bodan shonendan #yes it's a high school AU #bts fic #bts #action #slight crack #namkook being badass #bts friendship

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juryokv-blog · 6 years ago

Note

five times kissed / kanata and wataru

* five times kissed / @crystliz

meeting a god is quite the occasion, even if it’s a false one such as this ! he wholly believes his godhood, does he ? the boy seems to think of wataru & rei as some sort of higher beings too. how amusing ! then, wataru will play along, for who is he to break this reality. ❛ your talents lie in wish granting ? see, i’m a master of magic. would you like to see a trick ? ❜ it’s almost too much fun, entertaining someone whose beliefs in the impossibles of this world is unmoving. he holds kanata’s gaze in his own, the look of childlike wonder in eyes only all the more encouraging & wataru smiles wide.

❛ of course there’s nothing more enchanting than the mystery held in the sea, but i could show you all the land has to offer. fufuhahaha. ♪ would you like a tulip ? daffodil ? some lilies ? ❜ that is this hibiki wataru’s specialty ! pulling flower after flower out of thin air for this god’s viewing pleasure. ❛ oya ? but none of these are befitting of a god. then - a rose ? ❜ the last lingers in hand rather than discarded in kanata’s general direction with the rest, eye contact unwavering as wataru brings rose to lips. no theatrics are spared in his first impressions, a kiss planted upon rose before arm extends back towards this other oddball & flower presses at his lips too. ❛ this is my gift to you, ‘kami’-kun. ~ ♪ ❜

ii.

there’s five of them now. four other individuals who stood on equal ground to wataru & while the name they’ve been given & the force that brought them together may be suspicious in itself . . he couldn’t say he isn’t thankful for these oddballs he’s come to cherish. wataru would never tell the others, cease there be any discontent, but . . he may cherish one above the rest. the way kanata speaks of himself, so mighty & holy, this magician has to stop & listen. who has held his interest like this before ? not many people come to mind, if any.

❛ ‘kami’-kun, i must tell you. ❜ how rude of him to interrupt, though wataru never thought of himself to be such a well mannered person in the first place & the way the latter always looks back at him like he’s about to preach the good word causes something to tug at heart strings. besides, this has to be said ! ❛ you know . . i am no god. neither is rei. we are mere mortals. well . . ! rei i am not so sure about. fufuhaha - ah . . no, you needn’t grant any wish of mine. ❜ he declines the offer before it has a chance to come, knowing kanata would demand a wish from him. even if he believed kanata to have the power to grant any desire, there isn’t anything more he wants than what he has here.

❛ though even as a mortal, i still am powerful, aren’t i ? ❜ wataru’s teasing mostly now. hand reaches across table for kanata’s own, playing with digits & examining flesh before bringing him closer. he is mortal too, even if he & so many others believe otherwise. he must have some desires of his own. wataru presses a short kiss to the back of kanata’s hand as a show of faith. ❛ then allow me to grant the wish of a god some day. ❜

iii.

things had been changing since the unfortunate fall of valkyrie to fine. somehow over night they seemed to be deemed monsters & despise from classmates whom once loved them only grew with each day. it’s becoming clear of the intentions of those scheming behind the scenes, yet they only walk deeper into the traps laid out before them. kanata seems so unbothered, curiously. convinced godhood would save him from being burned at the stake & his growing number of rabid believers almost make it seem impossible to touch him. dread & worry has begun to setting in wataru’s stomach over it all. to kill a god is a inconceivable task, but kanata is human & . . he wishes he’d see that.

❛ your worshipers are quite dedicated. it’s difficult to see you these days, ‘kami’-kun ! ❜ yet he’s managed because this hibiki wataru is a master of trickery & deceit ! up in his hot air balloon no one could find them. at least, that’s what he’d like to believe, but these religious types sure can be . . persistent. even if it’s only for a little while, it has to be good to get kanata away from them. wataru’s stood in the other’s space, an arm placed casually around him & his excuse for that would be how much colder it is this high up in the sky. but really . . he’s felt rather protective of this false god as of late. he wants to keep him selfishly close. with a short glance at the boy beside him & no thought given, wataru presses lips to his cheek. ❛ kanata . . though you are a god, i do hope you’ll rely on me if ever you’re in trouble. ❜

iv.

he isn’t sure how to feel. another oddball has fallen, kanata of all people. yet . . somehow it’s for the better. thanks to a boy with a hero’s heart kanata’s renounced godhood & become human like the rest of them no matter the metaphors used to to liken them to monsters. yes, he’s been cut down, but kanata smiles so much brighter now that it’s almost blinding & wataru can’t look away. the way he radiates when speaking of this boy & the unit he’s joined . . wataru is happy something good could come from something so terrible. he’s also a bit jealous, but that’s nothing he’d ever voice aloud.

❛ fufuhaha - you seem to be having much more fun as a hero than you ever did a god ! ❜ he isn’t one to let petty jealousy get the best of him, kanata’s happiness & well being is of far more import & he really is thankful to that morisawa for achieving something he wasn’t sure he himself could do. ❛ i think this role suits you much better & with that outfit - you really do look like a proper hero ! ❜ hands toy with the edges of kanata’s unit jacket, inspect the sleek new uniform. personally, the power ranger look is not his style, but . . the other boy pulls it off well. especially when sporting such a genuine smile along with it. ah, wataru can’t help himself, leaning forth & pressing a soft kiss to kanata’s forehead. the gesture not as meaningless as he hopes it comes off.

today is the day this hibiki wataru will die. there’s no need for tears, this is the fate he’s accepted & he would be reborn anew after his fall like a phoenix from the ashes. this is his role, after all the villain who must be slain by the main character. wataru will play his part, not because there’s no stopping it, but because he understands why it must happen ! . . that’s not to say his heart doesn’t break for the other casualties of this war. shu, kanata, rei, & their adorable boy they’ve given everything to protect. be it unfortunate so many had to be cut down to pave the path for a better future of this school, yet there’s no rewinding the hands of time & the most wataru can do now is prepare the performance of a lifetime for his upcoming execution !

while he invited his dear oddballs to come see him off to death, ( regardless of any disagreements for actions being taken, it’s only right that they be together on this last day. ) he hadn’t anticipated any desperate acts to change fate until right before he’d step onto stage, as most dramatic scripts went. ❛ you’re a bit early for my performance, kanata & a little late to catch my rehearsal. i’d give you a preview, but my secret weapon already left ! ❜ hokuto has gone to finish final preparations for their portion of the live, thankfully. wataru involved him only to ensure a valuable lesson is learned by his beloved junior, but there’s no need for him to be here for this. the air is tense & it’s almost suffocating, wataru’s heart growing tight for reasons he couldn’t place despite his attempts at light jests.

❛ . . have you any words about what i’m going to do, then perhaps it’s better left unsaid. i understand natsume’s inability to see why i must, he’s still a child, but if it comes from you . . then i might . . ❜ ah, how uncharacteristic of him to think such a thing ! he cannot let his mind be swayed by the heart, by the look in kanata’s eyes & the guilt building in chest over a wish he still couldn’t grant. it had to be kanata here before him now, didn’t it ? for who else could challenge the decisions of a martyr than the person with a hand around his heart ? wataru can’t help but think there’s too many things left unsaid between them for this to be his final day, yet it’s too late & he’d be cruel to speak them now. somehow harmless flirting & words with hidden meanings turn to real feeling & he couldn’t pinpoint when it happened, only that he’d realized not soon enough. they’re engulfed in war & nothing could flourish in such an environment, it’s better left like this.

but there kanata goes, saying things as he pleases as he always does without the consideration of consequences & wataru thinks how unfair life is to hear those three words on a day like this. he’s stunned silent, considering options. there’s a part of him that wants so badly to say it back, the part where his heart resides, but then the mind has to remind him how such things shouldn’t be said so recklessly. he can’t. yet feelings & longing can’t be suppressed entirely either & what makes a person more careless than raw emotion ? so caution is thrown to the wind, wataru forgets ideals & repercussions momentarily to reach for kanata, hands at his face coaxing him closer until lips meet for an overdue kiss.

there’s not enough room for regret with all he’s baring on his shoulders, forehead resting against kanata’s when he draws back, & he can’t think about how this will affect them later either. the pressing matters now are the live about to start & the sacrifice he’ll make & hopefully kanata . . as well as the others could understand. ❛ . . please watch me & don’t take your eyes off me. ❜

#hibiki wataru ——— ic.#crystliz #.........................................bye.#im literally dying

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recentanimenews · 6 years ago

Text

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is an Outstanding Open-World Oasis

IN THE YEAR 199X, a boy is with his parents at a tiny mom-and-pop video store in Okinawa called American Video, off on his own trying to find something to watch. He finds a tape, part of Streamline's "Video Comics" line of dubbed anime releases titled Fist of the North Star, and carefully covers the "Not for Kids!" sticker with his thumb when he shows it to his parents, who are fine with him watching Dragon Ball Z on Japanese TV, so more fighting anime men is perfectly fine. Thank you, parents--25 years later, that boy appreciates you being lax that one time.

The glorious violence that followed hit me right in the soul, adding a new love to my young life, one that's stayed with me ever since. I don't gush about my love for Fist of the North Star as much as, say, Dragon Ball or Giant Robo or Berserk or Gintama, but it's always there for me in some form... except in the realm of video games, for some reason.

Last Battle, a US-released Fist of the North Star Genesis game that removed the blood, changed everybody's names, and featured hilarious, nonsensical dialogue

Fist of the North Star is a franchise that's never been lacking in video game adaptations. From the very first PC adventure in 1986 to a whole list of side-scrolling actioners (one of which was released in the US as Last Battle) to those amazing arcade games with the punch pads to an (amazingly broken) ArcSys fighter all the way to Koei Tecmo's brutal large-scale brawlers, gamers have wasted more wasteland mooks than Kenshiro himself ever did. And to be completely fair, there's a reason fans don't talk about too many of them: with a few rare exceptions, they're not all that awesome.

So please, trust me when I say that Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is the first Fist of the North Star game to really get it right.

Finishing moves are (appropriately) accompanied by these sick-ass title cards and Kenshiro shouting the attack name

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is the happy product of Sega's ongoing success with its Yakuza franchise, and just how perfectly Kenshiro and the gang fit into a very similar video game mold. I mean, look: a stoic-yet-honorable man must navigate a series of betrayals and revelations, all in the name of protecting their loved ones and cherished ideals, and all while getting into a series of spectacular one-against-many fistfights culminating in an emotionally-charged shirtless duel. Pretty damn spot-on, right?

Aside from perfectly lining up with Yakuza in terms of storytelling and overall feeling, Lost Paradise matches its gameplay as well: after a short on-rails introduction, Kenshiro wanders the wasteland and discovers the city Eden, which is besieged by game-original villain and Immortan Joe impersonator Kyo-Oh, the King of Fear, and his vast and vicious armies of wasteland killers. At the same time, Kenshiro has to battle the evils within Eden, and discover the city's secrets... and retell the rest of Fist of the North Star in the process.

Rather than just dump this game's entire original story between episodes 22 and 23, Lost Paradise simply picks up with Kenshiro facing Shin in their destined duel, and then adapts large chunks of Kenshiro's adventures to fit this tale. Rei and his glorious mullet still think Kenshiro kidnapped his sister, Jagi is still a poser piece of garbage, Rihaku is still the biggest Yuria fanboy on what's left of Earth, and Raoh is still the ideal all Shonen Jump villains aspire to. To further tie Lost Paradise to Yakuza, you'll hear a lot of familiar voice actors on the Japanese audio track: Kenshiro is played by an even more deadpan Takaya Kuroda (Kiryu), Raoh is given life by Masami Iwasaki (Ryuji Goda), Rin doesn't sing but still has that Rie Kugimiya (Haruka) adorableness, and many more as a satisfying nod to Yakuza fans.

The blasted-out, nuclear-bombed, oceans-dried-up world of Fist of the North Star isn't nearly as colorful or lively as Yakuza's, so there isn't much to look at, but the game does quite a bit to still make Eden feel like home. You'll spend most of your time running around Eden talking to different characters, receiving quests and substories, and eventually getting a buggy to drive around the wasteland and discover new locations to meet interesting people, hit their pressure points, and explode them from within.

Beautiful

Regular random battles are a big part of the Yakuza series, and despite how much I hate them in, say, JRPGs, I've never really been bothered by them in Yakuza because there's something truly satisfying about smashing some goon's head against a railing for daring to bother you while you're running around town trying to do something more important. Lost Paradise does much the same thing, with the same dozen or so types of post-apocalyptic troublemakers in Mad Max gear trying to start some shit, and then getting immediately turned into a fine red mist. When you start the game, Kenshiro's Hokuto Shinken feels more limited than Kiryu's techniques, but that quickly opens up as you buy and learn more techniques--there is no question as to whether or not you're going to win against these nobodies, so you're encouraged to finish them off as spectacularly and quickly as possible, with experience bonuses given out for particularly flashy or precise kills.

Yes, you can make a cocktail called "You're Already Drunk"

It's not all doom, gloom, and boom, though: Lost Paradise's world shows us a softer, funnier side of Kenshiro by putting him in ridiculous situations and letting him stay exactly as stoic and deadpan as he always is through a huge list of side quests and minigames. An accupressure rhythm game, post-apocalyptic baseball where you line-drive bikers with an I-beam, playing hide-and-seek with kids, fighting in the arena, bouncing and managing a hostess club, working in a grocery store, upgrading your buggy with Bat, and becoming the wasteland's best bartender aren't even the full list of distractions available from the main plot. Like I've said before, none of these time-wasters feel like wasted time--you get experience for all of them, and they all serve to make Kenshiro and the people around him that much more endearing.

Lost Paradise, unfortunately, is not quite paradise on all fronts: the constant random battles would be fine if you could just tear through them, but you'll hit regular snags with large enemies who simply exist to soak up damage, and the battle system just isn't flexible enough to give you ways around this aside from just hammering them until they stagger. Character models and animation feel stiff, especially for small everyday actions like walking up and down stairs, and driving the buggy is something I just want to do as little as possible. No joke, Mass Effect's Mako controls better than this thing. Additionally, Fist of the North Star's story has never been particularly complex, but that was to its benefit--a few late-game reveals and a final villain switcheroo feel kind of weak, and take away from the built-up emotion (and a tradition of perfect final battles in the Yakuza series).

Even with a few frustrations showing up now and then, I could not stop playing Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. Popping bad guys like zits is addicting, spending time with Kenshiro's friends even more so. Lost Paradise is so much more than a post-apocalyptic palette swap--just as you spend entire Yakuza games becoming the Dragon of Dojima, now you too can become the Savior of the Century's End. And maybe a little more than that, too: Lost Paradise adds some dimension to the otherwise stone-faced Kenshiro, and maybe this is what this legend needed to get (even) more people to love him.

REVIEW ROUNDUP

+ Fully-realized Fist of the North Star experience: sound, visuals, rhythm of combat, hot-blooded energy

+ Satisfying battle system requires creativity, forethought, and efficiency to truly fight like Kenshiro

+ Wealth of minigames and side quests never feel like filler because they're just that damn good

+ Shoutouts and callbacks for Fist of the North Star and Yakuza fans alike

+/- Explore a larger map with the buggy, but the buggy is also just not fun to drive

+/- Character models look so close to Buronson's art, but this also makes their animations kinda wonky

- I legitimately don't feel any connection toward the game's original characters

- Hidenari Ugaki (Majima) deserves so much better than playing Jagi

-----

Nate Ming is the Features Editor for Crunchyroll News and creator of the long-running Fanart Friday column. You can follow him on Twitter at @NateMing.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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tommyboyproductions · 7 years ago

Photo

An Apology and an Offer

Story under cut, pt 7

The entire festival seemed to have fallen silent upon hearing what Mr. Okuma had just stated aloud, infront of everyone. Ray could feel his chest tighten and his head hurt from even greater confusion. How could he not have known about his mother being an Okuma? Why had his father not told him about this. This entire time, Saya had gone on hating him, when they were actually family.

"Shinya, why are you doing this now." Hokuto stepped forward, Ray looking over to his father. He hadn't realized he was even there until now. Mr. Okuma turned towards Hokuto.

"Ah, it's been years Hokuto. Don't tell me you haven't mentioned to your son about his own mother's family?" Mr. Okuma cocked his head and Hokuto furrowed his brow.

"This isn't your place. You should leave." Hokuto's tone grew darker. Sara had made him promise to only tell Ray about the other side of his family if it were completely necessary. Until now, it hadn't been. Sara had been outcast from the Okuma family from the time she grew into a young adult and began seeing the world of cooking in extremely different light than the rest of them. The last thing she wanted was to burden Ray with the exhaustion she had dealt with her whole life. The Okuma's tended to be extremely intolerant people and no matter how hard Sara tried to get them to see eye to eye, it was always in vain. Especially when it came to her older brother Shinya Okuma. Bringing brought up with the old beliefs of their ancestors, the Okuma's looked at cooking as a duty rather than a pass time. It was not something to be enjoyed or toyed with. It was something you did to bring up your family and make them stronger. It was how they defined their family name and anything beneath that was viewed as weakness.

"Don't worry, I'm just about to. But Hokuto... perhaps you should consider sharing with your son where he truly comes from. It's never too late for the younger generations to follow suit. Your son was born for this purpose. Don't you think?" Shinya smiled a demeaning smile while Hokuto stood silent. He wasn't about to fight back with this man who he had so long despised. "Daddy... What are you even talking about!? You mean... Ray's a part of our family?" Saya's head was about to burst along with everyone elses. Her stomach was a mess and her frustration with her father was only growing. "Why wouldn't you tell me?! You're so upset with Ray's dad for not telling him, but you did the same thing!"

"Until now, Saya, there was no need for you to be aware of Ray has an Okuma. I was simply waiting for him to blossom as he so clearly has. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from seeing my battle with him. You still have much more growing to do." Shinya smiled at his daughter, who still stood in shock.

"I don't mean any disrespect sir, but you sure do talk a lot." Ray rolled his eyes, grinning. "I said I would cook with you. And I'm sure my mom would love to see me beat you. I mean, she couldn't have been too fond of you if she never even told me about you." Ray sighed, looking over to his father. There wasn't even an ounce of him upset with his dad for never telling him. This news he was just given, if he really thought about it, hadn't changed anything. He would still cook just as he always had.

"I see... you have an attitude like her as well young Ray." Shinya was obviously becoming more aggitated. "Then it's settled. I'll have someone contact you with the date and location. Until then, I suggest you practice. Practice more than you ever have, since it will quite certainly be the last time you cook with such a fire in your eyes." Shinya turned, looking at Saya once more. "I'll be waiting at home. We have alot to discuss." And with that, he returned to his car, leaving everyone standing still in silence. Saya couldn't break her stare at the ground. It was as if a ton of bricks had just fallen on her. This whole time, she hated Ray so much for everything he had and did, when he had been family all along. She was so confused and so angry, she couldn't move.

"Saya." Daizo stepped up from behind, placing his hand on her shoulder. He could tell a part of her was falling apart inside. Not only had she tried so desperately her entire life to please her father and to some how become better than Ray, now she had to face the fact that he was an Okuma. He was undoubtedly born with the talent she had always longed for.

"I..." Saya began.

"...Well! That was... unexpected!" Sachie laughed into the microphone awkwardly, trying to snap everyone out of it. "Anyways! Enjoy the rest of the festival everyone! In just a few moments, we'll have a special performance from the Music Club, along with some fireworks to close down the evening! It's been great!" Sachie cheered, placing the microphone back on the stand. She was definitely ready to be done with that thing, especially after the turning of events that had just taken place.

"Yo dude... whaaaaaat?" Shouta made his way up to Ray, his face in complete disbelief. Hokuto had already walked over, shaking his head. "Was that guy really serious?" Shouta turned to Hokuto for confirmation. Ray's father looked down, a pained look on his face. It was obvious he regretted never mentioning it to Ray. Even a part of him imagined having to do it one day. But not like this.

"Ray..." Hokuto began.

"It's okay, dad." Ray smiled, nudging his father. Hokuto looked up at his smiling son. "I can see why Mom wouldn't like that guy. He's pretty annoying..."

"You got that right. That dude has somethin way far up his ass..." Shouta tisked his tongue. Akihiko made his way over, his face a bit dull, but not from the big reveal.

"Congratulations Ray. You've seemed to have won fair and square." Kiko admitted. His support for his sister had not dwindled and it pained him to see her lose, but he was mature and could handle the disappointment with dignity.

"Thanks! Your sister was awesome. I'm kind of surprised she didn't win!" Ray spoke earnestly, cheering Kiko up a bit.

"As am I." Kiko smiled, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "But she will redeem herself. You have not seen the last of Aimi Ito." Kiko was certain there would come a day where his sister and Ray would battle with their talents again. "You rang?" Aimi made her way over to the group, standing next to her brother. "You did awesome Ray. I'm glad we got to cook against each other like that. You definitely didn't disappoint. And now, I can say I battled an Okuma..." Aimi winked, leaning into her brother's side.

"Seriously dude, you know what this means right!?" Shouta jumped excitedly, grabbing his bestfriends attention.

"...What?"

"You're like... famous! Like, Okuma famous!" Shouta seemed more hyped up over the news than anyone. The shock had definitely worn off.

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing..." Ray smirked, enjoying his bestfriends enthusiasm.

"Hey uh... Ray?" A small, strawberry voice flew through the air as Honda walked over to where the group stood. "I can't believe all of that just happened..." She was obviously just as shook as everyone else was. "Are you alright?" Honda asked, shyly pushing a part of her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah! I'm okay. It doesn't really change anything for me. It just gives me more cooking to look forward to." Ray nodded. "And... I kinda wanna see if I can get this guy to change his mind. Why would you want to be so serious all the time? Seems boring."

"Man, you're telling me. He gave off this weird, miserable aura. D'you feel that?" Shouta acknowledged. Everyone seemed to agree. There was definitely something off about Shinya Okuma. Perhaps Saya's attitude was forced into her. Maybe that's where she got all of her miserableness from.

"Your mother and Shinya disagreed on practically everything, Ray. That's why she never told you about him. She didn't want anything to cloud your happy judgement of cooking. But now, I don't think that's possible. I'm sorry I wasn't the one to tell you..." Hokuto couldn't shake the feeling of regret for not being honest with his son. He had always been open with Ray about everything, especially since Sara had passed. But this was totally different.

"Like I said, it's okay. You kept Mom's promise. That's what's most important to me." Ray sighed. He suddenly felt a presence behind him, causing him to turn. There stood Mahiru Masaomi, his hand clutching his opposite arm.

"Hey, Ray?" Mahiru began.

"Yo! You're that Mahiru dude!" Shouta lunged forward, throwing his arm around Mahiru's shoulders. Mahiru looked at Shouta, alittle surprised by the greeting.

"...Uh... yeah!" Mahiru smiled.

"You man. You have serious talent, you almost completely bombed this thing! Ray's a lucky guy." Shouta grinned, causing Mahiru to smile as well.

"I figured he would win... he's got way more talent than any of us..." Mahiru admitted. Ray shook his head, obviously disagreeing, but before he could say anything Mahiru continued.

"Ray? Can I talk to you for a second?" Mahiru requested. Ray nodded, commenting to the other's that he would return. The two boys walked away from the group, back over to Mahiru's booth.

"What's up?" Ray asked. Mahiru looked a tad excited but also nervous. His exact mood was hard to determine.

"So... you're really going up against Mr. Okuma, huh?" Mahiru began.

"Yeah... I guess so!"

"Well... I was wondering..." Mahiru paused, running his fingers nervously along the back of his neck. Why was this question suddenly so hard to ask? Perhaps now that he had lost to Ray, he was a bit intimidated by him. But another part of him was so entirely intrigued, he couldn't control himself. "I was wondering if I could help you... you know, prepare for the cook off and stuff. We could look into recipes together and..."

"Of course!" Ray immediately accepted, his cheeks turning red. Thinking about getting to cook again with Mahiru, this time in a friendly way, made his heart race. There were surely things Mahiru could teach him as well in vice versa. And the fact that Mahiru had the same burning passion for cooking as Ray did made it even better.

"Really?!" Mahiru was more than happy for Ray's acceptance and it showed clear on his face. The two boys had barely even met and they could already feel their souls intertwining.

"How could I turn that down? I've never known anyone my age that felt the same way as I do about cooking. This could actually be really fun!" Ray knew there were endless possibilities as to what the two of them could create together. And if Mahiru hadn't of asked first, Ray may have suggested the idea himself.

"Ray! Mahiru! It's about to start!" Shouta shouted over to the boys, waving for them to come back to the group. The Music club had just finished setting up and soon after their performance would be the fireworks. A perfectly good way to end that year's festival. Mahiru walked over with Ray and the rest of the group looked on as a small, brunette walked to the front of the crowd. In her hand she held a violin and without another word, she began to play. Throughout the day this had been the same girl who played here and there to entertain students who walked by, but now, the every single eye was on her. The music began to flow from the strings and everyone was suddenly entranced. It was as if a peaceful spell had been cast and every last one of them had fallen prey to it. This girl was clearly very talented with her instrument of choice which made it no surprise that she was the one chosen to calmly end the day for everyone.

"That's... that's the girl from earlier!" Shouta whispered to Akihiko, wondering if he had remembered passing by the small girl playing the violin.

"That would be a solid observation." Kiko agreed. He too enjoyed the sounds she made, but Shouta was on a whole other level of enjoyment. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her long, flowing brown hair blew gently as the breeze passed by, carrying the sweet melody she played along with it. There was something about the way she looked when she played. Anyone could tell that she truly felt the music. Alot like Ray when he cooked. Shouta knew he had to meet her. She was a mystery to him and he was determined to get her attention some how. Once the music had ended, applauds erupted, causing her to blush a bit. She looked timid, which may have been why she exitted the impromtu stage immediately. Shouta's eyes followed her, but before he could see where she went, Ray grabbed his arm.

"Come on man, let's go watch the fireworks." Ray smiled, pulling Shouta along with their friend group. Shouta sighed, following along. He'd have to find her later on some how. The two boys walked with everyone to a small patch of grass where they all took a seat.

"Hey guys!" Fuyumi's voice cheered joyfully as she bounced up to the group, taking a seat without an invitation.

"Hey Fuyumi! Where's Sachie and Maaya?" Honda questioned. Before Fuyumi could reply, the other two girls walked up, taking a seat as well.

"Mind if we join you?" Sachie smiled, receiving a smile from the rest of the group.

"You did a great job hosting today!" Ray complimented. Sachie grinned, running her fingers through her hair.

"You guys were the ones that did /really/ great. So don't even!" Sachie eyed the chefs sitting along the grass, Ray, Mahiru and Aimi. She could tell without even asking that the three were about to become even greater friends after the night was over. Maaya squirmed where she sat on the ground, as if she had something to say. She bit her lip nervously before finally speaking up.

"Mahiru, you're... very talented." She stated, with a tone that was unlike Maaya. Typically she was extremely profound when she spoke. Very similar to the way Akihiko presented himself. Mahiru looked over, patting the back of his head. "Thanks...!" He smiled, thankful for the compliment, but surprised by the delivery. Fuyumi and Sachie looked at each other shrugging. They could never quite tell what their friend Maaya was thinking, so they shrugged it off.

"I can't believe today's almost over..." Honda sighed, leaning back on her palms.

"Yeah, it went by way too fast. I'm bummed." Shouta huffed.

"But it was awesome, guys! And now, we have even more to look forward to. I want to see all of you this summer. A lot." Ray stated, looking from each friend to the next. He couldn't remember the last time he was surrounded by such amazing people. People who had impacted him so greatly in such a short period of time.

"Of course!" Honda agreed.

"Yes! Definitely!" Fuyumi was pumped.

"So this is where all the cool kids hang." Yuki snuck over, plopping down next to her younger sister Honda.

"Hey sis!" Honda hugged her, happy that her sister had made her appearance that day.

"I heard you guys talking. You all need to come over to our house next week! I'll make you some dinner. I mean, you three have cooked enough for a life time these past few days, right?" Yuki giggled. The entire group lit up at the invitation. Hokuto looked on as the young group laughed and talked together. It warmed his heart seeing Ray in the middle of all the excitement. He wanted nothing more for than his son to be happy. Both him and his wife always dreamed of that. And even though Ray was young and had a lot in store for his future, right then, it was as if every prayer Hokuto and his wife had made had been answered. "Aimi, you should come over early that day! We can all have some girl time before the boys get there." Yuki winked, the other girls seemed to like the idea as well. Suddenly, a loud burst filled the air as beautiful colors displayed themselves way up in the sky. The glitter came down in streams, causing everyone to ooh and aah in amazement. The fireworks had finally begun. The group silenced themselves, observing the beautiful colors one by one as they exploded above them. This was the perfect way to end such an exciting day and in that moment, every single one of them felt completely at peace. The warmth of each others company only added to the comfort and none of them wanted this moment to pass. Students all around the festival seemed to find themselves in similar situations. Friends smiling together. Couples leaning against each other. With incredible fireworks displayed all around them. The school year may have finally come to an end, but the summer was only about to begin.

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