#rihito | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

aneenasevla · 24 days ago

Text

Red Velvet - Chapter 9

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Last chapter here

Chapter 9 - New Year

And once again, they woke up together, but this time they weren't at her house.

Akane sat up, stretching a little, before going back to bed, her head heavy; apparently the hangover from the other day hadn't gone away yet.

All she remembered was that they spent Christmas at Kanami's house. Everyone got hungover too, but they all still drinked some more at the end of the day, chatting all the while. Kanami, who really came from a culture that valued Christmas a lot, even gave the girls small gifts: some delicate but cute earrings and necklaces, plated in gold. They were in her bag at the time, and Akane smiled when she remembered them. That Butch could be really cute, and she deserved that guy so much. She won the freaking lottery after so much bad luck in her love life during her teenage years and early adulthood, she supposed.

Not as much as she did, but Akane deserved it because of karma, Kanami didn't.

She sighed, hugging her current fuck-buddy a little, and found herself wondering when this momentary luck would end, and cursed herself internally for that thought. As she had decided before, she would make the most of it until he got tired of her. She had done what she could to help him, and she didn't need to teach him anything else that was really important; sex wasn't a difficult subject, and he already had experience.

She sighed, got up and went to the bathroom. She was already undressed, so she didn't mind, just grabbing a towel and going straight to take a shower.

The so-called shack of her current boyfriend was what one would expect from the home of a single, salaried man in his thirties. It was one of several residences in a lower-middle class apartment complex, in a suburb that was a little more presentable than the one where she lived. The apartment was small and quite messy, with clothes scattered around the living room and bedroom, a kitchen that had probably been tidy at some point, and a living room with a bookshelf, TV, coffee table, and a single sofa that urgently needed cleaning. It was pretty normal, except for the huge sandbag hanging from the ceiling in one corner, all worn out and showing clear signs of mistreatment, indicating that it had been used frequently by its owner.

He hadn't exaggerated when he said the place was a mess. Well, at least it didn't stink more than his natural smell, coming from his clothes. The small bathroom, which didn't even have a bathtub, was a little cleaner than the rest of the house, and there, his used clothes were at least kept in a basket. He didn't have much in the way of personal hygiene products: a toothbrush, a bar of soap, shaving cream with a razor and a bottle of aftershave... and a two-in-one shampoo. Holy shit. She grimaced, shaking her head. To a woman who cared a lot about her appearance, that was almost an insult, but hey, it was his body, not hers. And she didn't need to wash her hair yet, so she didn't need to wet her entire head; the soap bar was enough for now. She was going to teach him to buy cheap products that were worth more money, for sure...

She paused for a moment, catching herself thinking about it. Who was she to say anything about how a guy should live his life? Yeah, he asked her how to make a woman go crazy in bed, but nothing else. She had no right to interfere in every aspect of his life... it wasn't like he smelled or was a sloppy guy... well, maybe his hair needed to be better treated because bleaching it could damage the fibers and the skin and he liked to keep it that way, but nothing more than that. Her chest sank, and she sighed, leaning her head against the wall. She didn't feel like crying, it was just... a nasty emptiness. Nothing unusual...

"Akane?" She heard his voice suddenly call, a little weak, and she could only imagine how much worse his hangover must be, considering he had drunk much more than her at the party. "Are you in there? Damn, I feel like a fuckin' wreck- wow!" He opens the door and is startled a little when he sees her under the shower. "Sorry! I thought you were still waiting for the water to heat up…"

He half-hides behind the open door, wearing only the sweatpants she had given him as a gift weeks ago. He was pale, with slight dark circles under his eyes, his face covered in stubble. But his green eyes were alert and tried, out of pure respect, not to stare at her. At least not too much.

She looks at him and smiles a little. Was he still trying to be a gentleman? After everything they've done in the last few months?

"Hey, you've seen me naked lots of times," She says, still smiling, using her hangover as an excuse for the defeated look she must have on her face now. "Forget it and come here. The water is still too cold for my liking...," she raises her arms, sticking her breasts out. "Come warm me up..."

He blushes a little, which was a welcome change from that unpleasant paleness that made him look sick. He opens the door wide and enters the bathroom, smiling excitedly, now staring at her breasts greedily and without any shame. "Yes ma'am! It's just that I didn't think you were in the mood, we came back from auntie's house with a hell of a hangover... but if you're up for it, I'll come over and warm you up."

Up until two months ago, Rihito would have rushed to join her in the shower without even asking if he was welcome or not. But now, he felt he owed respect to the woman who had taught him how to be more pleasant and less inconvenient. He owed respect to everyone else in general. He really wanted to change, to improve, so waiting for an invitation didn't hurt. The way she made him wish to be better still left him very disconcerted, as he took off his pants and folded them on top of the basket. It was probably the item of clothing he took the most care of now.

She made room for him in the shower area so he could get wet, and she stared at him while his back was turned to her. In fact, she had seen many ups and downs in the beauty or sensuality department, and she concluded that he definetly was a handsome man. And yes, he was sexy, he had proven it to her in the best ways. But that buffoonish personality, his extremely happy and cheerful demeanor, and how affectionate he could be when they were together, was what really draw her to him. Even though he denied that, and even though they both threw barbs at each other, it was all affectionate teasing, in the end. Two beings with strong personalities…

"Hnnn…," He closes his eyes as he lets the water run down his body, a small smile forming on the corner of his lips, completely unaware of the line her thoughts were following. "Best thing in this cold weather, am I right?," He opens his eyes again, smiling at her, his eyelids drooping. "Do you want help washing up? I... uh... I just remembered that I only have one bar of soap, I don't know if you mind sharing..."

"I already used the soap…," She takes a step towards him. "And now I want your washing tank…," She runs her hand over his abdomen, to signal what she wanted to say.. "I feel a bit needy after all that cuteness, the hangover makes the envy quadruple…"

He shivers, his eyes getting narrower, his wet hair sticking to his forehead. "Hnn... what are you envious of, woman? Look how hot you are. And you can dance so well on top of that... I'm the lucky one...," He brings her closer with his hands on her hips, their wet bodies rubbing against each other; she felt him "waking up" really quickly where their groins touched. "Leave the cuteness to that bunch of sissies, while we have the best part all to ourselves..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey, but today I want something sweet to go with the spice," She hugs him by the shoulders, having to put on a little more effort because she's not wearing heels, but she manages to reach him for a kiss. "Everyone has a lazy day, right? Dancing in bed right next to you is good, even more so after a party like that one. We'll have an encore later...," She looks into his eyes. "Or have you already forgotten that you play fought those brutes twice, got drunk and danced your ass off?"

He blushes even more after that, gritting his teeth a little. "Ugh, I was hoping that all that was just a weird dream I had...! Those bastards must have recorded everything, I'll never have peace in my life again...," He bends down to kiss her again, more passionately. "Now I'm going to have to make you forget about that whole mess...," And he places his hands on her hips, pushing her against the tiled wall and bending down to lick and kiss her breasts, sucking the nipples with his eyes closed.

"Ooh.. only- only if you do all the work, I'm feeling lazy today..."

"As you wish."

She hugs his shoulders for support, and gasps when he lifts her up to a good angle, making her instinctively hug him with her legs too. She moaned more sweetly this time, as she herself had said, but the heat between her legs remained the same.

He makes her rub herself against his cock, her wet lips opening as if to invite him in. She moves her hips so she can feel the friction, the tip touching her clit from time to time, and he smiles with a very particular pride when he feels her trembling in his arms, when he hears her low and oh, so stimulating moans.

"Hnnn... no foreplay again today? Such an insatiable panther, hehe..."

"I'd love some if we weren't in the shower, actually, but being like this in your arms is enough," she whispers as she lightly bites his shoulder. "I think you look hot no matter what...," And her nails do their job, tickling his skin.

"Fuck...," He growls against her neck, licking and nibbling her skin in return, his voice echoing a little in the bathroom, the arousal making it sound even more hoarse. "I'm gonna fuck you so, so hard, woman, you won't even be able to walk after I-"

"Rihito! Are you home?"

Rihito almost drops Akane in fright, even yelping a little. He quickly holds her against the wall, his eyes wide with shock, the color draining from his face again when he recognizes the voice calling for him, sounding a little distant, but still clear enough for them to hear it even over the sound of the running water.

"What the- what is Ivan doing here?!"

"Huh?," Her eyes widen while she stands up, cringing a little with the sudden fright. "Who's Ivan?," She whispers reflexively, full of adrenaline from the fear of getting caught.

"He's one of my coworkers.Why the hell did he come here? Why didn't he call me or something?!," He grunts, looking at the door with gritted teeth. "He's such a cockblocker! I'm sorry, Akane, but… argh, how the fuck am I supposed to answer the door like this?!," He points to his own erection with a desperation that would have been hilarious, if it weren't for the situation.

"Calm down and go answer it," She pushes him towards the door. "Just try thinking about some gross stuff... and at least wrap yourself on a towel!," She hisses in a low tone, mortified when he was about to leave the bathroom naked, just like that.

He drops the towel a couple of times before he manages to tie it around his waist, opening the bathroom door and looking at her over his shoulder. “I'll keep him there at the door until you get dressed. Sorry, he's not one to show up like that, out of the blue... oh, shit, did something bad happen at the fridge?” He asks himself, now worried, before running into the hall. She was still a little scared, but calmed down a bit when she saw that it was someone he knew. Rihito opens the door and Ivan, a very thin guy with pale blond hair, is waiting on the other side.

"Rihito! Blyat, you're alive," he exclaimed, the russian accent evident due to his relief. "You never miss a day of work without giving us a heads up, we were worried! And... oh," He notices his boss' clothing... or the lack of it. "Sorry for coming out of the blue, but I wouldn't bother if it wasn't important."

"Damn, Ivan, you scared the crap outta me! And... me missing a day...?," Rihito blinks, confused. "Bro, the fridge closes on the 25th! What are you talking about? Did Komada and you spend Christmas’ Eve drinking or...?"

"Dude, today is the 26th," He raises an almost non-existent eyebrow. "You’re the one who apparently had too much to drink, urod."

Rihito blinks, his expression blank for a second. And even Akane, who was further away, hears him shout, loud and clear, "TODAY IS THE 26TH?!"

Apparently, important dates were also something that his hungover brain was prone to confuse. Akane hissed a little; jeez, her boss was going to chew her ass, but at least today was a non-binding day… but apparently it wasn't for him.

She put on her clothes in a bit of a hurry; he would be busy soon, and she didn't want to give him trouble.

"Yep, it's two in the afternoon on the 26th," Ivan looks at his wristwatch. "We thought you were going to be late, but noon went by and you missed a shit ton of calls. Komada stayed behind to keep an eye on everything while I came to pick you up. I'm glad you're at least alive, I don't want to fight the Deva King to see who will take over your spot," He laughs a little.

"Damn...! Sorry, man, I completely lost track of time," He puts his hand on his face, groaning tiredly. "I drank my ass off yesterday, I'm still recovering... but seriously, sorry for making you guys worry. It's just gonna take a while to get ready and go with you you because...," He scratches the back of his head, now uncertain. "As I thought it was still the 25th, I kind of planned to spend the day at home and... I'm not alone, so..."

Ivan seemed to understand. "Oooh... shit, man, my bad. I arrived at a bad time," he scratches the back of his head. "Well, should I wait here or will it take too long? I even brought some papers for you to read, you are the only one who knows how to deal with this business shit, and... well, I don't sign other people's papers, y'know."

Rihito was about to say something when he hears a yelp from behind him and a dull thump of someone stumbling.

Akane had fumbled with her shoes and was now face down on the couch; she was already dressed, however.

"Ouch," She moans, standing up. "Damn…"

"Akane!," He shouts for her, without thinking, turning his back on a very surprised Ivan and running to help her, the towel almost slipping from his waist. "Are you okay there?"

"Uh... is she okay?," Ivan raises an eyebrow."

"Oh, don't- don't worry about me," She massages her ribs. "I tripped over my heels when I was getting dressed, that's all...," She groans softly, her hair now a multicolored mess. Ivan seemed a little surprised by her appearance, but he didn't comment on it. He just watched, ready to help if needed.

"Careful there, you could twist your ankle with those half-meter platforms," Rihito jokes while helping her sit on the sofa. And then he remembers that they had a visitor, quickly turning to Ivan, very disconcerted. And Ivan had known Rihito long enough to know that sleeping with random women and other people knowing about it never left him disconcerted. This was strange.

"Uh... Ivan, this is Agata Akane, a friend of mine. Akane, this is Ivan Karaev, one of my friends and a co-worker from the fridge...," He scratches the back of his head again, looking to the side. What a bizarre situation to be in for introductions…

"Nice to meet you, miss," Ivan bows a little, cordially, finding the whole situation strange, but keeping it to himself. "I'll wait for you outside, I don't wanna bother. As I said, I wouldn't come if it wasn't something serious."

"Yeah, I know… I'll be right back, I'm just gonna… yeah," And he darts into the apartment, grabbing the towel around his waist, and Ivan had the brief impression of seeing the tips of his ears turning red before he disappeared from the living room. They then heard the bedroom door slamming.

He drops the towel immediately, running to get some underwear and his work uniform from the closet, swearing under his breath as he does so. At least the scare he had received had served to make him go limp, but still… holy shit, how did he lose track of the days like that?! Had he really drunk that much? Or maybe it was that demonic sake that Himuro had brought, which apparently he could handle, but when mixed with that man-whore's cocktails, it was capable of knocking over even behemoths with high metabolisms like him.

He definitely didn't have the mind or stomach to work, but he had no choice. He couldn't leave Ivan and Komada to handle everything on their own, it wasn't fair to them. Damn, just when he was planning to spend a lazy day with Akane, just eating, talking, watching some movies and having sex…

He then lifts his head, making a face. He couldn't let her go home alone like that, in that hellish cold, with just the clothes on her back... the thought of her getting sick or having an accident on the slippery streets made his stomach freeze and drop. Not to mention that he didn't want to say goodbye to her yet, damn it!

Akane, on the other hand, was already leaving. Was she embarrassed, looking like a roadside skank caught in the act? Yes, but if she stayed longer, she could get in the way…

"So he got busy with you," Ivan comments, his voice neutral, shaking his head. "I should've guessed. Sorry, but normally he never brings women to his place..."

Akane sighed, resigned, finally finishing adjusting her shoes and putting on her coat. "Yeah, I thought he was free today, but he's not, so... sorry for disturbing you," her voice was serious, as she walked through the door. "Good afternoon…"

"Akane!," They hear Rihito scream suddenly, coming back in a hurry, wearing the SF Cold Storage uniform and carrying his work boots in one hand. "Wait a minute! No- There’s no need to leave like that, we haven’t even eaten anything yet…"

"Oh," She smiles at him. "It’s okay, Rihito, I’ll get back to you when I get home. I'm gonna take a cab, and you have important things to do. Sorry again for disturbing your work day, Mr. Karaev.

"Uh… no problem," Ivan mutters, embarrassed.

"So... yeah, I'm going now," she smiles a little at Rihito and leaves, now walking normally, like a proper lady.

Ivan waited until she was far away to look at Rihito and comment:

"Was that… a Gyaru?," he crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Damn, I've never seen one who wasn't a highschooler before... where's the street corner where you found her?"

"Don't give me that 'street corner' shit, man!," He snorts, still looking at the point where she had disappeared, a strange expression on his face. "She's a friend. Okubo's girlfriend introduced me to her... but yeah, she's a Gyaru. She has a lifetime commitment to the style, I guess..."

"Hey, calm down. I only asked because that's usually where you find girls like that. Sorry for jumping to conclusions. Well, here's the paperwork," He hands over a clipboard. "This is a boss thing, so there was no way we could send it off without your signature..."

"Thanks... and sorry freaking out, Ivan," He sighs after picking up the clipboard, a little embarrassed by his outburst. "I'm still hungover," He shakes his head. "I'm going to sign this thing and then we'll go to the fridge. Send a message to Komada in the meantime, he must be thinking that you went to the morgue to identify my corpse or something," He jokes as he goes to look for a pen.

And Akane couldn't get out of his head, even as he quickly signed the paperwork. He had seen how embarrassed she was by Ivan's presence. And considering Ivan's misinterpretation of the kind of relationship they had, he couldn't exactly blame her. Even self-assured girls would be uncomfortable being mistaken for hookers, wouldn't they? A strange guilt settled in his stomach, and as soon as he finished signing all the papers, he took out his phone and went straight to her contact number.

Himbo_King🦍:

hey

sorry about that

I should've remembered that today was a work day

Boss_Bitch🍑:

it's fine

I mixed the dates too

not gonna be in your way when you have work

I have to sort myself out, anyway

today's a non-binding day, but I'll have to go back to work tomorrow

I'm gonna take the opportunity to do snd go grocery shopping

so don't worry about me 💋

Himbo_King🦍:

alright then

can we see each other on the weekend, if we're not busy?

I wanna make up for today

you left without even having breakfast

Boss_Bitch🍑:

fine by me

but maybe after the holydays?

mr himuro said he would drink with you guys on new years

and he didn't say for you to bring a date

so it will be a sausage party 🙈

we can go to that thrift store hunt afterwards

it's new years sale, so I'm gonna need an extra pair of hands

Himbo_King🦍:

oh right

our hunt for tacky stuff at a bargain price lol

ok we're all set

message me when you can so I know you got home safely 🙏

Boss_Bitch🍑:

I'm already on the cab

I'll be home in 10 min

Himbo_King🦍:

alright

kiss on ya tits 🍒

And he puts his phone in his pants pocket with another sigh. Only after New Year's... seemed like too long. Was she too busy or did she need some time away from him after the embarrassment? He felt his stomach turn unpleasantly again... but it could just be the hangover. He groans, rubbing his eyes.

"There you go, man. I'm gonna take some medicine and then we can be on our way... holy shit, I hope you spent Christmas being more responsible than I was..."

"Well, I did…," Ivan smiles. "Gina, my niece, came for a visit and gave me a Christmas present, it was really nice. I didn't do much, so being sober was easy. I'm not sure about Komada, but he also came to work in good health, apparently."

"Really? Cool! How's Gina? She's getting prettier by the day, from the last pic you sent on our group chat...," Rihito smiles, and a few minutes later, Ivan and he were already on their way to the fridge, talking about pleasantries, the events from earlier an elephant in the room which neither of them wanted to look at. Ivan only knew that Rihito, at least the Rihito he knew, generally wouldn't have had that reaction to questions about a woman he had been secretly fucking.

But Ivan didn't feel the need to ask. He had no reason to worry about his boss' personal life, especially who he was sleeping with, and if he wanted to keep it a secret, well... he wouldn't be the first to tell either.

…

"It's nice that you managed to convince your family to let you spend New Year's here, man. I hope they didn't give you too much trouble..."

"No, no, it was our agreement. I agreed to exchange the New Year's visit for the Christmas visit because it was going to be the only family gathering my brother would be able to show up to. But now I'm free. And about those videos...," Kaneda opens a huge smile. "If I had known that Rihito was so good at ballroom dancing, I would've suggested adding it to his fighting style, to improve his dodging..."

"Holy shit. You're barely back in town and you're already gonna start roasting me? You fuckin' clown," Rihito grumbles as he pours a glass of sake into his mouth, ignoring how the others laughed at him.

"I told him the same during that snowball fight," Ohma adds, with his cocktail. He was in possession of his own plates of cold cuts and appetizers; the others knew him well, so they tried to get that sorted out before he devoured everyone else's. "Hnnn... this thing here is really spicy," He says without even changing his expression. "It's tasty. But this sand-like thing here is very dry," He points to a little bow, full of cassava flour. "It needs to be served with something with sauce, otherwise it's horrible..."

"That 'sand' was made to accompany the appetizers, man, not to be eaten separately. You're supposed to spread it on top of the food, like this...," Himuro demonstrates by picking up some cassava flour with a plastic spoon and sprinkling it on top of the meat appetizers on Ohma's plate. "Try it. Much better now, right?"

He makes a face and tries it, and then his expression lights up. "Oh, indeed... so it's like a dry sauce," He nods. "Tastes good now."

"No, seriously, your idea of spending New Year's Eve in this Brazilian bar was great," Kaneda comments, smiling, while choosing some pieces from the cold cuts. "The food is really good, very spicy. Do they serve Brazilian alcohol here too, Himuro?"

"Yep! I recommend the 51. It's a kind of schnapps and it's realy good, but it's also some strong stuff. Be careful," Himuro warns, to which Rihito says, "I'm in, but let's try not go crazy like during Christmas. My liver was kicking my ass for a couple of days afterwards."

"It was your fault. I warned you that that sake was strong enough to knock over an bull," Himuro snorts. "And anyway, the booze I mentioned is expensive…"

"I heard it's very popular there," Okubo nods. "And so isthe cocktail they make with it, the Kay-pi-ri-nya..."

"This one?," Ohma points to the said cocktail. "It's sweet, kinda like a lemonade. Pretty strong too."

"You really don’t waste time when it comes to food, huh," Okubo laughs.

"There's nothing else to do here. At least the food is good," Ohma shrugs. "But for those who like dancing I guess it's good. There's plenty of space."

"Caipirinha, Okubo. And yes, it's good, but again, go easy. It seems like weak stuff at first, but before you realize it, you'll see everything spinning like you're inside a washing machine," Himuro warns. "And yes, Ohma, there will be dancing. Later, a few minutes before midnight, they will call everyone to the middle of the dance floor, for the Silver Rain."

"Silver Rain?"

"Yeah. See that crack in the ceiling, right above the dance floor? The one that looks like the opening of a trapdoor," Himuro points to the ceiling. "When it hits midnight, it will open and a shower of silver shredded paper and confetti will fall from above, in celebration of the arrival of the New Year. And that's when the party will really take off. Loud music and dancing until dawn."!

"Holy crap... Brazilians really like these late-night parties, don't they?," Rihito asks, to which Kaneda laughs softly.

"It must be a Latin thing, haha. But we as a group are not that far behind."

"Definitely not, our Christmas was just like that, ahaha," Okubo smiles. "We spent the night playing horror games until the sun came up and a bit more after a few hours of sleep. Rihito and Akane left after ten o'clock at night, singing, holding onto each other's shoulders like two bros after a night out. Not gonna lie, I was proud of her," And there was a fit of laughter. "This fucker here found a demon chick on par with him."

"It’s a shame they didn’t stay to help clean up the mess…"

"We know, Ohma, but just us was enough, and we could rest and sober up enough to go home," Okubo eats some of the appetizers on his plate. "And yes, we're going to go easy today. I’m just gonna drink my passion fruit juice and enjoy the vibes…"

"Man, I was about to barf all over your girl’s carpet! If she was already mad that we almost broke a wall in the hallway during our fight, imagine if I covered her carpet with everything I ate during the party," Rihito makes a face, which Himuro and Kaneda imitate. "You guys would never let me forget."

"Wow, you really went overboard this Christmas, huh," Kaneda raises an eyebrow. "Good thing there was someone there to keep you under control, at least as far as possible…"

"Leave me be, bro! But yes, she helped me a lot...," He scratches the back of his head, smiling. "It was a great night, we even managed to tie with Himuro and his date on Just Dance! We drank like two sailors, and holy shit, she can drink like a man! And after that we went to my apartment... I don't even remember the way there, to be honest..."

"Wait. Did you take Miss Agata to your apartment?," Himuro blinks. Rihito stops smiling, looking away in embarrassment.

"Uh... it- it was closer to Miss Kanami's house than hers! And she wasn't sober either, I wasn't going to let her go home alone like that..."

"They were really drunk. He was even singing romantic songs at the top of his lungs as he walked down the street...," Ohma starts to sing, more in tune. "I’ll go wherever you will gooo..."

"She started singing first, I just followed her lead!," Rihito defends himself, a little indignant. "And why are you two looking at me like that? Did you lose something on my face?," He asks Himuro and Kaneda, annoyed, and they just look at each other.

"It's nothing. It's just... you've never brought a woman to your place before, as far as we know," Kaneda shrugs, and Himuro nods.

"Yeah. You said it was a matter of principle, that your place is a sacred temple to virility and that bringing a woman there would give her the completely wrong idea..."

"Fuck, can't I be a gentleman for once in my life? Should I have let her go home alone, drunk out of her ass, then?," Rihito gestures, somewhere between angry and embarrassed.

"You could've walked her to her place and then taken the train, I don’t know…"

"I barely saw where I was going, I don’t even know how we got home! If I were to take a train straight from that hood, I would probably end up somewhere near Yokohama, Kawasaki or some other random place in the district...," He mumbles, concentrating on his sake, his face slightly red.

"I think he just didn't want to take chicks to his apartment because the place it's a mess. But then Miss Agata comes from a similar area, so I guess it'd be fine," Okubo laughs, and when Rihito shoots daggers at him, he blinks. "What? Did I say something wrong? Or is that hood super safe, full of cute, retired old ladies like yours?"

"Hunf... There are some old ladies there, but they are as cute as a racoon with hydrophobia," Rihito rolls his eyes. "And she didn't complain about my place! At least I can't remember her doing so..."

"If she was drunk too, she probably wouldn’t have noticed. Lucky for you," Kaneda raises his cup as if pointing at him.

"Or maybe she had frequented many like yours," Ohma repeats the gesture that Kaneda made. "Or worse ones, like us."

"Likely. But anyway, after sobriety hit... did you have anything in that fridge besides beer and a few ramen cups? The poor woman must not have found anything to eat after waking up...," Himuro comments, and the way Rihito looked away in embarrassment was enough of an answer. "Yeah, that's what I tought. It must've been quite an adventure having to go to a convenience store to buy something even minimally edible…"

"That’s the thing," Rihito sighs. "There wasn’t even time for us to eat anything. We were in the shower, making out, and then, out of nowhere, Ivan showed up at the door."

"Ivan? Your employee from the fridge?," Kaneda asks, confused. "Did he wanted to give you a Christmas present or something?"

"Well…," Rihito makes a face. "When he showed up, it was the 26th…"

"The 26th? But don't you work on the 26th? ... Holy shit, Rihito," Himuro puts a hand on his face when Rihito blushes again.

"See? Dude was completely hammered," Okubo shakes his head. "Seriously, guys, let's go easy next time. Yeah, it's was fun as hell, and I've never laughed so much during a Just Dance battle, especially when I saw Himuro and Rihito lose to Ohma...

"By only two points, don’t exaggerate," Ohma rolls her eyes. "It was difficult to get that pie."

"And all over some stupid pie!," Okubo laughs.

"By only two points!," Rihito and Himuro exclaim at the same time, slamming their fists on the table indignantly, to which Kaneda covers his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Who would've thought that Himuro would be detroned like that... I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't sent me those videos."

"Shut up, Kaneda! He only won because he had food as a motivator! If the situation had been different, I would've kept my crown…"

"Like hell you would! Akane and I would have won in a tiebreaker!," Rihito states, lifting his chin.

"In your dreams! The synchronization between my partner and I was perfect!"

"Ours was much better!"

"Look at what you've done, Okubo...," Kaneda laughs more openly.

"Discord and chaos, I love it," Okubo takes another sip of his drink. "And what if the prize were a piece of meat, Ohma?"

"It depends…," Ohma nods, smiling mischievously.

"A juicy barbecue, last batch of the day."

"You wanted me to kill them or something?," Ohma asks with his signature poker face. "Then it wouldn't have happened, they would've known what they're getting into."

"No more bets involving food, damn it! Otherwise this spawn of Cthullu will become an unbeatable freak!," Rihito points to Ohma with a gesture of his hand, and Himuro nods.

"I agree. Next time we'll bet on something else," he grumbles, until Rihito opens his mouth to ask, "No, no money, no one here besides Egghead earns that well to take that risk."

"That's what you get for betting my pie. You can bet booze, if you want," Ohma suggests. "I won't give a shit in that case, and neither will Kanami. She doesn't drink anyway. "

"Hnn, maybe. We can all chip in and buy another Kotozakura," Okubo nods.

"How about competing just for the sake of competing, without betting anything?"

"Says the guy emptied a shit ton of wallets while betting at shogi!," Rihito snorts, to which Kaneda shakes his head.

"It wasn't a bet, I charged a fee. They could pay to play if they wanted, and if they beat me they could get the money back," He shrugs calmly. "But anyway... damn, now I'm a little upset about having exchanged the New Year's visit for the Christmas one. I missed a lot of things..."

"You also missed a Homeric snowball fight, man! We took off our sweaters in the middle of the street and showed off for the girls," Rihito smiles from ear to ear.

"You ruined my sweater," Ohma complains. "Tore the whole thing apart."

"Mine got stuck to the lamp post, so there was nothing to do but get out of it," Himuro shrugs.

"I thought you guys took it off to show off," Okubo was confused. "Was it just me and Rihito who did it for that reason?"

"Obviously. I don't need to be naked from the waist up to be able to impress a girl, get a grip," Himuro rolls his eyes, to which Rihito gives a mischievous laugh.

"But that did help, didn't it? You fucked after the party, didn't you?"

"Rihito!"

"What? I'm just asking!"

"Humph. As if you needed to...," Himuro raises an eyebrow, and Rihito laughs loudly while exchanging a high five with him. Kaneda just sighs, giving up.

"Atta boy! You too, right, Egghead? I'm aware that you don't like to go into details because it's your girl, but that stupid smile isn't fooling anyone..."

"Is there someone here who didn't?," Okubo looks at Ohma, an eyebrow raised.

"It's none of your business," Ohma makes a face. Everyone looks at him and he grunts, annoyed. "Argh, fine. Yes, after you guys left and we tidied everything up. We got in the mood. Happy now, you fuckers?"

There's a chorus of laughter, and Rihito playfully claps Ohma's shoulder, even shaking him a little before letting go. Kaneda shakes his head, a little disapprovingly, a little amused, to which Rihito jokes, "There's no need to get all sulky because you were the only one at the table who didn't get laid, man..."

"I was with my mom, my siblings and a grandfather who has gout problems. I didn't have time to think about these things, and I also didn't want to. But the videos you sent me were entertaining enough. Seriously, Ohma, that was amazing!," He turns his gaze to Ohma. "Was it some kind of technique? Your movements were too precise."

Ohma nods. "Yep. Kure. Copy Technique."

"Damn, dude takes these things way too seriously," Okubo makes a face, holding back a laugh.

"Kure? Holy shit, we should've guessed...," Himuro snorts, while Lihito grunts, "Damn, of course it was a technique from that fucking psycho's clan! Reminde me to never play Just Dance against any of them…"

"It's a nightmare, trust me," Ohma shakes his head. "They're all sore losers, and the prizes are always shitty. What the fuck would I need a SMG for?"

"Uh... I mean, we wouldn't use that shit for anything either, but it's a hell of a manly prize...," Rihito comments, thoughtfully, to which Kaneda says with a grimace, "I prefer the prizes from my grandfather's bingo, honestly... at least they're funny. But anyway, it's still impressive, Ohma! But tell me... was it that technique you used against Rólon, back in Purgatory?"

"Bullseye…"

"I knew it!"

"Damn... we didn't have the slightest chance then. So fucking unfair...," Himuro turns his sake cup into his mouth, and Rihito nods while pouting.

"I think this calls for the booze you mentioned, Himuro. For us to drown our sorrows and whatnot…"

"Wasn’t it you who were saying up until now that we should take it easy, because your liver rebelled against you? Get a grip, you drunkard..."

"You can drink, he can't," Okubo laughs. "We have someone to come home to," and he starts laughing at his friend's face.

"Stop talking nonsense, Chrome Dome Head! I have no one to go back to!," Rihito exclaims "I'm a single, free man, ya hear me?"

"I have it, Okubo. high five," Ohma claps Okubo's hand whit his on. "And I'm happy with that, unlike that 'invincible soldier' there."

"Now that I'm thinking about it, you're always beating our asses. To be able to take you down with a leg lock, it had to be a real Amazon, huh," - Okubo smiles. Ohma smiles even more. "She beat Karla fair and square. Do you think she's some kind of weakling? Hell no," He inflates his chest with pride. "I won't accept anything less than that."

"We told you, your girl could be a champion if the Kengan Association had a female division," Himuro says with a nod, to which Kaneda comments, "It seems that you all have a certain fascination with girls who are part of our world in some way, right? Miss Kanami is a fighter, Tomori is a martial arts fan…"

"Miss Agata is neither… except… does she know?," Okubo looks at Rihito.

"I didn't think about Miss Agata, actually. After all, she’s not Rihito’s 'girl', right?," Kaneda arches an eyebrow at Rihito, to which he frowns, putting another snack in his mouth, looking at Okubo in warning.

"And Kana is a fighter, but that's the thing, she doesn't fight to be stronger or to win," Ohma finishes with his snacks. "She fights to protect others. I thought it was nonsense at first, until she showed me what she was capable of," He nods. "If someone she cares about is threatened, she shows no mercy. Okubo had a taste of it himself."

"Ooh yeah...," Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda make almost identical faces, looking at their friend. "We didn't see the punch, but we saw the bruise afterwards. Looked ugly as fuck…"

"Yeah, I had a taste and deserved it, and if I weighed a few pounds less it would have knocked me down easily. Tokita's the one who's enough of a powerhouse to handle one of these."

"I told you, I won’t accept anything less than that…"

"Such a masochist freak…"

"Would you prefer a crazy woman who only sees you as breeding stalion?"

"Okay, when you put it like that...," Okubo nods, crossing his arms. "At least you had guaranteed sex- OKAY, FINE, I'LL STOP!," he flinches when Ohma punches his ribs. "I got it, I was just joking!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ohma walks away, returning to his cocktail, his face very serious.

The other three laugh loudly, Rihito throwing his head back, before taking another sip of sake in his mouth. Kaneda then asks, "But back to that subject... Is Miss Agata really interested in watching one of your matches, Rihito?"

"She says she was curious. And that she would find it hot as fuck too," He smiles mischievously. "I'm seriously considering it. It will encourage me even more to win, because victory sex is the best kind of sex!"

"... You remember that she is a civilian, right?," Himuro asks, unimpressed. "A normal woman, or as normal as a Gyaru like her can be. She knows nothing about this underworld of illegal fights."

"Eh, Kanami-san now knows, and so does Tomori…

"But they are Ohma and Okubo’s girls. They need to know if they want these relationships to have a future. Your case is different."

"Or is it?," Kaneda asks, sounding innocent. Rihito almost chokes on a slice of salami, which he had put in his mouth with a toothpick.

"Of course it’s different, dammit!," He quickly explains himself, shrugging with an irritated expression. "But if a friend wants to know my world in depth, what's the harm in introducing it to her?"

"The problem is when neither of them really wants to get involved with each other," Okubo crosses his arms, still grimacing from Ohma's punch. "I'm still a public league guy and Tomori can watch me there as much as she wants, but she discovered about the Kengan matches prematurely by putting me against the wall. In Ohma's case...," he looks at Ohma, who looks back at him with daggers in his eyes, and the bigger man gets cautious about what he was going to say. "They even share a house, and besides her having been dragged into this, she is discreet even with public displays of affection," He looks at Ohma again, who nods, remaining quiet again as Okubo continues, "But you..."

"What about me?," Rihito instigates, still a little annoyed. Himuro immediately responds, "Didn't you hear what he said? If you want nothing with her other than a friendship with benefits, there's no point in exposing her to something like that. It's safer for her if she continues without knowing. She's the type that attracts attention, and in a place full of underworld trash, many of them criminals with some nasty records..."

"What? You think I wouldn't be able to protect her?!"

"While you are in the middle of a fighting ring, focusing on your match? No."

This makes Rihito fall silent, the anger being replaced by a worried understanding.

"Kana accompanies Tomori whenever she goes to watch Okubo fighting without one of us," Ohma comments. "So maybe..."

"Yes, but she's going because Tomoh is one of her employees," Okubo shakes his head. "She doesn't want to risk it. And they won’t always watch me fight, precisely for that reason…"

"Anyway, we vote against it," Ohma agrees.

"Not to mention that this could end up having the opposite effect on you, Rihito," Kaneda puts his hands together on the table. "Now that you know the danger she could be in, you may become very unfocused in the middle of your matches, because you will be worried about her."

Rihito's eyes widened a little. "Holy shit, I hadn't thought of that…"

"Yeah. More than any of us, you can't afford to be distracted like this. You're a fighter-businessman, remember? You're risking the prosperity of your business when you fight. You have to consider these factors."

"And she's seen you fight," Okubo smiles a little. "Even if it was just play-fighting between us. She saw your strength when you lifted that huge block of ice..."

"I know... it's just that she seemed really curious. I thought it would be a cool idea for a date, I don't know...," He shrugs, a little sullenly, and takes a sip of sake again. "And it wasn't really a fight, anyway. It barely had any technique in it."

"On your part, because Okubo and I put on a show that left our dates all horny for us," Himuro laughs, and Okubo gives him a high-five.

"Mine got horny for me too, damn it, and I didn’t need to put that much of a show!"

"Mine was just really worried…," Ohma rolls his eyes, but with an affectionate smile.

"Anyway. It's better this way, Rihito, for her safety," Kaneda touches his shoulder. "She's your friend, isn't she? Friends are just as worth protecting as girlfriends."

"Yeah... I know...," He sighs a little. "But now I'm gonna have to say that I changed my mind and I think it's better she doesn't go watch one of my matches. It will seem like I'm breaking my promise..."

"Just say that your employer didn't allow it," Okubo shrugs. "You're the employer yourself, so it's not a lie."

"Or that Yamashitakazuo scolded you, he does that to me all the time," Ohma shrugs too. "I'll order another one of those... is this one good, Okubo?"

"Yes, and you're gonna like it 'cause it's kinda sweet. I'm going to drive all of you around today, so this one is non-alcoholic, but there is a spiked version."

"I’ll order both," he calls the waiter.

"And I want that 51 booze...," Rihito says, still sulking.

"You sure? It's not exactly cheap, y'know."

"Fuck, bro, it’s New Year’s Eve. If you have to choose an appropriate time to get shitfaced, then let it be this one," He sinks into the chair.

"Welp. It's your call," Himuro shrugs and calls the waiter too, when he approaches their table. "A bottle of 51 and two 'caipirinhas', please. Would you like to try it, Kaneda?"

"Of course! But just one, you know that I can't handle too much alcohol, haha."

"Also two passion fruit juices, one spiked and the other not," Okubo points to Ohma. "For this guy here. And maybe another two servings of cold cuts?"

Ohma nods. The waiter writes their orders down and leaves.

"Are you really going to stand there looking like you got something up your ass?," Himuro turns to Rihito with some impatience. "Were you that eager to show off to her?"

"Leave me alone! It's easy for you to give up something like that. You guys had girls cheering you on during your matches…"

"I never had something like this, at least not as far as I know," Kaneda shrugs. "Come on, Rihito, if it's women's attention you want, that dance floor will soon be full of them. Just the way you like it."

"In about ten minutes, actually," Okubo looks at his phone. "It’s a good thing we placed our orders beforehand, otherwise it would take forever…"

Rihito turns his gaze to the dance floor, his brow furrowed a little. The space was still empty, but there were several people standing around, talking to each other excitedly, looking forward to the moment when the countdown to midnight would begin. Many of them were women; all beautiful, as on the first night he came there.

The night he met Akane…

"Do we have to go to the dance floor to stay under this Silver Rain?," Kaneda asks from somewhere far away.

"I don’t know about you, but I will! It's really fun, everyone hugs each other and celebrate together, even if they don't know each other...," Himuro responded. "There are some patrons here who are actually Brazilian, I met a few who-"

"Here it is, gentlemen," The waiter arrives. "And this passion fruit juice here has already been paid for, sir."

"Huh?," Ohma blinks. "By who?"

"Those ladies over there," He points over his shoulder. There were two woman at the counter, who waved at him. Ohma blinks again.

"I don't know them…," He looks at the others. "Do you?"

"Wow, you're still a chick magnet, even with a girlfriend, huh," Okubo laughs, no longer bothered by it.

"This tactic is very common in bars, Ohma," Himuro says in a warning tone. "Buying a drink for someone you are interested in is a kind of flirt. If you accept it, it means their interest is mutual."

"Then give it back," He says immediately. "I'll pay for my own drink."

"I'll let them know that'll pay for ti, sir," He smiles.

"So you don’t need to return it?," Ohma looked at Himuro, an eyebrow raised.

"If you’re going to pay for it, no," He shakes his head in a negative gesture. "They will understand your refusal. Generally, girls accept a 'no' much better than guys, but I can't speak for every single one, so..."

"Then give it back!," He says even more seriously. "And bring me another one. I don't want to give them any ideas. Tell them I already have a girlfriend."

The waiter blinks dazedly and nods afterwards. "Oh... as you wish, sir," he sighs and takes both glasses.

Okubo laughs out loud. "That's our Ohma for ya, completely unreachable. And now even more so."

"Leave me alone, I don't want that anymore," He seemed to have almost fallen into a trap and scraped his way out. If he were a cat, he would have his fur all standing up. "Thanks, Himuro."

Himuro laughs. "You’re welcome. If the girls had come with us, they wouldn't even try their luck..."

"Yes, but it's tradition to spend New Year's Eve with family," Kaneda comments. "I changed the dates and spent Christmas with mine. And you guys…"

"We’re each other’s family, man!," Rihito says suddenly, smiling a little. And then frowns when the others look at him in surprise. "What?"

"Dude... aren't you pissed?," Himuro asks, and Rihito becomes even more confused.

"Pissed about what? About not being able to take Akane to watch me fight? A little, but you guys have a point-"

"No, not with that. Two girls tried to flirt with Ohma. They bought him juice and everything," Kaneda points out, and Rihito blinks.

"Damn, really? I swear I didn't see it, I got distracted," He comments, and then looks at Ohma with a somewhat exasperated expression. "Seems like there's still lots of chicks wanting to play with that joystick, even if it has an owner, eh, Tokita. I swear to God..."

And he goes back to focusing on the cold cuts. Himuro and Kaneda exchange an astonished look, first with each other, and then with Okubo and Ohma.

"Well, thank fuck," Ohma says, smiling. "He doesn't care anymore!"

"I knew it! That she-devil has him grabbed by the balls! One more for the Fallen Soldiers Team!"

"I hate that term," Ohma complains. "It's worse than 'back-stabber.'

"Okay then… How about Soldiers of One Nation?"

"Much better," Ohma nods.

"It's nothing like that, damn it!," Rihito almost drops the cold cuts board, furiously red. "I wasn't pissed because now I can attract girls on my own, so I have no reason too!"

"So far you haven’t attracted any…"

"I'm here to have fun with you, aren't I? For fuck's sake, you guys complain when I chase skirts, and you also complain when I don't! You bastards just want me to fuck you but don't know how to ask for it!," He barks, even more irritated to see that he had only managed to get laughs from them. "And bite your tongue, Baldilocks! I won't join the Eunuch Team even if hell freezes over!"

Himuro and Kaneda just laugh when they see him fumbling with the cheese and salami, very disconcerted.

"Eunuch? Who?," Ohma looks around. "You?"

"Me? Hell no!," Okubo raises an eyebrow.

"He called us eunuchs."

"Don't mind him, he's just being a dick."

"And he still complains when we kick his ass during sparring sessions..."

"Uh… gentlemen?," The waiter comes back, looking embarrassed. "Here's yours drinks, including yours, sir..., He hands a glass to Ohma. "The ladies apologized for the inconvenience."

"Oh," Ohma blinks. "This is new. They never apologize to me," he smiles. He looks at the girls and gives them a thumbs up. "Thanks."

The girls seemed about to faint. Okubo laughs more, and even more so because the Rihito just snorted and rolled his eyes, now slightly annoyed.

"Oh, look, guys," Himuro looks at his phone while the others pick up their drinks. "There are just a few minutes left. Drink quickly or take your drink with you to the dance floor, so you can chug it in your mouth at midnight."

"I don't know if I want to be in the middle of a commotion, but if we all go together, I think it will be fun," Kaneda smiles, trying a sip of his drink, and then shaking with a grimace. "Ugh... wow, It's really strong, but it's not bad!"

"Told you so. In terms of booze, Brazilians are not far behind us," Himuro laughs a little, also taking a sip. He contains his reaction much better, as he was more used to it. Rihito, on the other hand, picks up and opens the bottle of 51 that the waiter handed him, grumbling as he pours some of the contents into the empty glass, his face still flushed.

Those dumbasses had become hopeless romantics after finding girlfriends and that made him sick! He didn't want to be like that, trapped, suffocated, feeling like he owed someone satisfaction for everything he did. He was not born to live trapped in a cage, but to fly freely, light as a bird, one who could crawl into any nest...

Preferably into tacky and cozy nests, full of prints and fuzzy furniture, a monster pink sofa at the center of it all-

He almost chokes in a brief burst of panic, drinking all the drops in the glass at once, the liquid going down as if tearing his throat.

"And there he goes once again," Okubo rolls his eyes.

"I don't feel like going to the dance floor," Ohma crosses his arms. "You can go without me, I'll stay here guarding the table," He takes another cube of cheese from the board.

"Okay then," Okubo gets up. "I'm just gonna go a lil' crazy and I'll be right back, I don't need to waste time there."

"Let’s go together, Okubo! Are you coming, Kaneda?," Himuro asks. Kaneda twists his mouth a little, and then takes another sip of the caipirinha. He shudders again, takes a deep breath and stands up, saying, "Okay, I've mustered some courage! But only until the confetti stops falling!"

Laughing, Himuro follows Okubo, and Kaneda follows close behind. Rihito hesitates, still recovering from the first violent tipping of his glass.

"Are you going to stay here, Tokita? We'll be all together, no one will touch you or anything like that..."

"I don't enjoy this kind of stuff," Ohma takes his phone out of his pocket. "Food is more interesting. Unless you want to stay here and keep me company," He raises an eyebrow. “Besides, don't you want to be touched?"

Rihito opens his mouth, prepared to say yes, if it were by female hands... but then he hesitates. He and Ohma look at each other for about two seconds, a heavy silence hanging over them, until the lights in the establishment dim and the music suddenly stops. Ohma jumped out of his chair, startled, but when he heard people rejoicing, he calmed down.

"Shit, I thought I would have to start running," Ohma breathes, going back to looking at his phone. "I'm going to ask Kanami if I can go to her parents' house... after this, I don't feel like waiting for her at home."

Rihito allows himself a small laugh. Soon they could hear a voice echoing throughout the establishment, from the same announcer he had heard on his first trip to Brazuca’s.

"Ladies and gentlemen!," The announcer’s powerful voice echoes through the open space. "It’s time for the most anticipated moment of the night! Get up and come to the dance floor, because in three minutes our countdown will begin! The Silver Rain is coming!"

And the entire bar vibrates with excited screams, while Rihito and Ohma watched Okubo, Himuro and Kaneda almost getting swallowed by the crowd.

"Aah! Oh, my goodness!," Kaneda clings to Himuro’s arm, who laughs loudly.

"Hahaha! Aren't you coming, Rihito?

"Come on, man!," Okubo calls for him, hugging the other two.

"It's your chance," Ohma says, glancing at him before returning to his phone.

"... Oooh, alright, them!," He leaves the bottle on the table, getting up and running to the dance floor. Himuro and Kaneda scream as he practically jumps on them, grabbing them and pulling them into his famous bear hug, laughing heartily. "Hell yeah! That’s what I call 'seeing the new year' in style! Who wants to be thrown into the air at midnight?"

"Fuck no!"

"Do that and I’ll break your nose!"

Rihito only laughs more, also pulling Okubo so that the four of them are glued together. This was the perfect opportunity for him to just focus on the present moment, on his friends, on the joy of being together like this... and to not think about leopard prints, fluffy fur, pink couches and blue/light brown eyes.

The countdown is on. "Threee, twooo, oooone!," And the trapdoor high above opens, a shower of confetti and colored paper falling on the passers-by, and everyone jumps with joy.

Okubo hugs the other three and shakes them too "YEAAAAH!!! Happy New Year, you bastards! I love you all!"

"FUCK YEAH!,"! Rihito roars, jumping up and down too, almost strangling Kaneda as he lifts him off the ground. "I love you guys too, damn it! For another year of us being awesome!"

"Rihito, you're strangling me...! But yes, Happy New Year, everyone!," Kaneda manages to gasp, and Himuro laughs loudly again, raising his arms up.

"Happy New Year! And I told you guys, didn't I? This feeling is so fucking awesome, hahaha!"

"Man, I love the energy in this place," hOkubo looks at Ohma, still at their table. "Are you thinking the same thing as me?"

"Of course, damn it! TOKITAAAA!," And Rihito and Okubo dart back to the table, arms open, Himuro and Kaneda hot on their heels, laughing when they realize what was coming.

Ohma's eyes widen when he sees the two gorillas running towards him and he tenses up, running away and tripping over the chair during the pursuit.

"AAARGH!," He practically jumped over the tables to run away from both of them. "Damn, what did I do?! Get off me, you freaks!"

"Come here, we want to give you a hug, dammit!," Okubo calls for him.

"Hell no! I’m sick of crazy freaks running after me all the time!"

"We want to wish you a Happy New Year, dumbass! Come more!," Rihito shouts, laughing loudly, the chase seeming to excite him even more.

At one point the crowd stops Ohma from moving forward and he is cornered. He prepares to fight until the two go after him and grab him, giving him a tight hug. Ohma looked like a strangled cat, kicking his legs, his eyes wide.

"Calm down, it’s just a hug," Okubo laughs at the his reaction.

"Yes! Happy New Year, Seaweed Head! And may a bunch more come!," Rihito almost lifts Ohma off the ground in his happiness. Himuro and Kaneda approached them, laughing at the scene.

"Hahaha, we’re going to say Happy New Year from here, Ohma," Himuro waves, and Kaneda nods.

"Yes, Happy New Year! And good luck getting out of there, hahaha!"

"Ugh…," He looked more resigned, but as soon as he calmed down, he sighed. "Happy New Year to you too, you idiots."

"Man, I've been wanting to do this ever since we celebrated your return," Okubo slowly lets them both go. "You never spend the end of the year with us, so this time I was able to do it."

"Heh, okay...," Ohma then looks at Rihito. "Hey... are you enjoying this, you weirdo?," He imitates Kanami's tone..

"Don't get the wrong idea! You never let us hug you, so let me enjoy the moment a little longer," Rihito snorts, squeezing him tighter, again lifting him off the ground... and then letting him go,smiling widely. "Oookay, now I'm satisfied, hahaha!"

"You guys are such idiots, hahaha... and okay, now there are other people who deserve to hear a Happy New Year from me," Himuro picks up his phone, and Kaneda nods, picking up his as well.

"Yes! I have a whole family to contact... oh man, my mom's calling! Excuse me, everyone...," And he leaves for a less noisy area of the establishment.

"Yeah, I have to call Tomori," Okubo smiles stupidly. "My parents must be expecting a call too, so excuse me," and He leaves the scene.

"I was already halfway to sending a message to Kanami and Yamashitakazuo, but two gorillas got in my way,” Ohma takes out his phone and continued typing.

Rihito looks at his friends who are walking away, each one immersed in their phones, calling or sending messages to their friends and loved ones... and he just stays there, the adrenaline of the chase draining away, leaving only a strange feeling of loneliness.

He could send messages to Ivan and Komada, but they wouldn't see it until much later. And he could even send a message to his master if he had a phone, that old fucking hermit... who else was there besides that?

... And then he lifts his head, his stomach heating up, as if he had consumed all the booze the bar had available.

"Excuse me too...," He says quickly as he walks away, going to the table and picking up his coat and his bottle of 51. Then he enters that sea of bodies that jumped, laughed, hugged and kissed, going towards the door.

The cold night welcomes him like the bite of a huge animal on his face, a stark contrast to the heat of Brazuca’s interior. He goes to the curb, leaning sideways against a lamppost, trying to ignore the friend groups and drunk couples who had the same idea as him and left the warmth of the bar to face the snow. He picks up his phone, at the same time he takes a sip from his bottle, the liquid warming him up inside. And then he presses the call button for a specific number, putting it close to his ear, waiting, his stomach doing little somersaults...

"Hello?," It was her voice, sounding a bit slurred.

He smiles, the sound of her voice calming the turmoil in his stomach immediately, like the most potent antacid in the world.

"Happy New Year, Akane!"

"Huh?," She sighs, seeming to wake up. "Ooh... yeah... Happy New Year, Ichiro... I- I mean, Rihito," she sounded a little flustered. He hears a yawn on the other end of the line. "Sorry, I know you don't like people calling you by your real name..."

He shakes his head, leaning in a little and bringing the phone closer to his mouth. "No, it's okay, I don't mind when it's you."

... Fuck. Where the hell did that come from?! That Brazilian booze was a mixture made by Satan's master brewers!

"I- I mean...!," He stammers, his face burning, this time with no relation whatsoever to the cold. "I- I kind of got used to you calling me by my name and... anyway! Did I wake you up? Sorry…"

"No, it's okay...," he can hear a smile in her voice. "It was very welcome. I was already thinking that New Year's Even would pass me by... eh...," She also sounded uncertain. "I mean, nobody called me or anything, and I don't know if I would be in the mood to go out or something..."

"Wow... if I had known I would've called you!," He exclaims, once again feeling guilt hammering him hard in his chest. "I thought you were going to be at a friend's house, or with the crazy old ladies from the salon... but anyway, I- I'm here! I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year…"

“And I wanted to hear your voice too.”

He told his stupid brain to shut up, his heart missing a beat for a second.

"... and I also wanted to know if everything was ok. With you, I mean."

"I'm okay, don't worry… I was just going to sleep through the night. Thanks for calling me… Ichiro," Her voice was strangely tender, almost emotional.

"... You're welcome, Akane," He responds almost in a whisper, the tone of her voice sending funny sensations to his stomach... as if there was something, or several small things, flapping their wings in there. "You're one of the people to whom I couldn't help but say this, and there aren't many of them, hahaha."

"Wow… thanks…," He can hear her smiling a lot again. "I would also like to see you. Let's meet up in a few days, how about that? Well, good night. Take care..."

"Yeah, sounds good! Just send me a message and I'll be there in a beat," He promises. "The booze will serve as fuel, haha... good night."

And he lets her hang up, because he didn't know if he would be able to end the call on his own. He hears chuckling lowly.

"I… yeah… good night, Ichiro…," she hangs up. Did her voice sound a bit sad at the end or was it just him? But he noticed that she had appreciated his call.

That caused him a mixture of excitement and concern. He starts to dial her number again, wanting to know what was wrong... and then forces himself to stop, leaving her contact and putting his phone back in his pocket. Damn, he had promised himself he would stop being inconvenient and invasive! He needed to keep his promises like the man he was!

And... oh, come on, he had heard happiness in her tone. She was happy he'd called her... and he then wonders if she felt as lonely as he had felt seeing his friends rushing to make their own personal calls while he was left behind.

Sympathy took over him again, making him turn the bottle into his mouth once again to appease the sudden outbreak of faggotism. He wasn't there to feel sorry for her or himself. None of them needed it. She wasn't alone, anyway. She had friends in Tomori, Kanami and Hiro, she had those crazy old ladies from the salon... and she had him. The thought once again disconcerted him, and he quickly returned to the heat inside Brazuca’s. It must have been the cold mixed with the booze that was messing with his head like that.

He found the others already leaving the bar, waving at him.

"Hey man, let's get going?," Okubo dangles the car key on his finger.

"We decided to leave sooner. Okubo is going to give us a ride," Ohma points to the bald man.

"Huh... fuck, you took one confetti rain to the faces and decided that was enough excitement for the night? Bunch of weaklings!", Rihito snorts, wanting to sound annoyed, but not being able to. Himuro rolls his eyes.

"Things were about to get good on the dance floor, but this isn't Ohma and Kaneda's thing, and Okubo is now a committed man... it wouldn't be fun to party alone."

"I would keep you company!"

"No, you wouldn't. If you wanted to, you'd be inside, not out here, calling Miss Agata," He shakes his head, and Rihito almost drops the bottle.

"How did you...! Uugh, I'm surrounded by nosy-ass gangsters, I swear!," He complains, to which the others laugh. "Okay, let’s scram then, I’m not in the mood to party alone either."

"Told you so," Ohma shrugs, looking at the other three. "He was going to stay with me at the table."

"I wasn't! I was going to check the perimeter, see if there weren't any single babes seeking company..."

"And you were going to give up the moment you saw one, because you would still be thinking about the phone call with Miss Agata," Kaneda concludes, and bends down when an angry Rihito threatens to throw the half-filled bottle in his direction.

"The fuck I would! In just wished a friend a happty new year, no big deal, I would do it for any of you-"

"Did you send a message to Ivan and Komada too?"

"... I haven't had the chance yet."

"Forget it, Rihito. Any argument you could have had, the booze has already stolen it from you," Himuro smiles. "Come on, it's freezing cold and I need the heater in Egghead's car."

"Well, I'm crazy about my personal heater too," Okubo laughs, opening the car for everyone.

"Well said," Ohma gets in the back seat. Being part of the middleweight troupe, it was better for Rihito to hop on the front seat, anyway.

Rihito still wanted to argue, but gave up when he saw that the others would just ignore him. Fucking bastards... when would they understand that he wasn't like them in that way? He would never be, never!

... He couldn't do it anyway. He couldn't imagine how good-for-nothing womanizers like him could be redeemed. And how could they be worthy of something like that.

He opens the passenger door, sitting down with a grunt, the neck of the 51 bottle ending up in his mouth again. The others also sit down as Okubo locks the doors and turns on the heater, the welcoming warmth envelops them like a hug. Kaneda rubs his hands and blows on them while Himuro comments, smiling, "I don't know about you, but I'd do it again next year!"

"Heh... yeah, I think I agree too," Rihito says, his voice a little slurred. Despite some inconveniences, the night with friends was a lot of fun. The coming New Year certainly deserves to be spent like this…

And at the next one, if everything went well until then, he hoped to have Akane's company, sitting right next to him. Because neither she nor he deserved a lonely New Year.

Next chapter here

#kengan omega #kengan ashura #kenganverse #heavybakery #redvelvet #fanfiction #kengan oc #rihito #lihito

7 notes · View notes