#serizawa: oh my hair is getting longer when do you have time to cut it?

[victorie552]

I know Reigen practically speaking isn’t that good of a boss. (he’s getting better! I’m aware! It’s a plot point in the manga!). His appeal lies in his teaching, not his bussiness management. If he was a real person, you would never want to work for him, right?

So from what I saw so far I think most of us would want all the Mob Psycho kids work somewhere else and earn more than minimum wage. Plus trying to figure out what Mob or Tome or Teru will do in the future is fun because, honestly, everything goes with these kids. (Serizawa is usually excluded from this trend due to shipping reasons). Grow up, move on, stretch your wings and fly and all that.

But. Imagine. The comedic potential. All of them working somewhere else after working for Reigen.

Reigen is not only a weird person, he’s such a weird BOSS, but he is a primary example of a businessman to all the main cast. They must have at least few skewed views on what a boss of company does.

Pray for their future employer.

[reigenhusband]

Psychic Wedding Time!

Art by @/cowboyologist

After months of holding back, we finally tied the ole knot! Me and the conman are officially hitched today September 10, 2021!

This silly little blonde anime man means an awful lot to me and its really more than I can say. These months with him have been a great help.

When I went through some of the roughest things I've ever gone through, I had him to think about for comfort. He is a little part in what keeps me going and I wish I could thank him for everything. He sparks a lot of joy so I think I'm gonna keep him!

I've never been happier and I'm so lucky to call him husband! He's had such a positive impact and I love him so, so much.

Special thank you to my friends and of course our son Mob who carried the rings!

Under the cut is a little fic about getting ready for the wedding. Thanks everyone for your support!

Reigen squinted at his reflection, dark eyes hauntingly focused on a strand of hair that didn't take to the product he put in it. A grunt of dismay rumbled low in his throat.

"Um…Reigen?" 

"Just a second, Serizawa. Almost got it."

The taller man's voice wavered but he managed to hold fast and keep his confidence. Reigen could almost hear his hands wringing. 

"Er...Well. Its just...you've been staring at yourself for a little over 20 minutes now and you haven't moved and…"

Reigen sucked his teeth and pressed his palm firmly to the side of his head. Damned strand of hair! Slick like the rest of it! Don't you know know day it is?!

"What I mean is..! Are you alright?" Serizawa finally asked, his voice heavy with concern. "Since it's your wedding and all I figured you'd be nervous but you seem really on edge. Is something bothering you?" 

The blonde twitched.

 "W...what are you talking about? Of course not! I'm calm and-" He stopped abruptly and slammed his hands flat on either side of the mirror, his eyes wide and bloodshot upon inspection of his suit. A fleck of black thread pervaded his white vest and he looked around frantically for the lint roller. "You thought you could hide but you can't best Reigen Arataka." He muttered as he furiously went over his all but pristine wedding attire. 

His best man scratched his own cheek nervously and looked on with clear uncertainty. "If you're sure." 

Once he was satisfied after a thorough inspection and having Serizawa scrutinize the back, he dropped into a chair. Nearby was a table decorated in what was probably a thousand congratulatory flowers from clients. He exhaled and stared a hole into the arrangement of colors. His heart was pounding. His brow, coupled with his hands, were visibly slick with chilled sweat. His stomach was full of stones. 

He met his own gaze in the mirror again. He looked well kept and yet...disheveled at the same time. Come to think of it, his face was flushed the shade of his usual pink tie. The last 3 days without sleep also hollowed out dark circles under his eyes. His shirt collar began to feel more and more constricting as time went on no matter how much he tugged on it. 

Maybe he really was scared. 

He didn't doubt that he loved Mitty. In fact, he wanted to be with him more than anyone. A case of cold feet wouldn't change that. It was himself he was wrestling with here. 

Spirits, monsters, and deadly espers. He'd faced them all and came out on top. But they were nothing compared to these looming expectations to be a person to rely on. This wasn't something he could bullshit his way through. This was marriage. Mitty was going to see the warted underbelly of when he was Reigen the man instead of Reigen the psychic. His fiancé was going to experience sides of him he only revealed when he was alone. Would he still like him even then?

Reigen was good at a lot of things but this had to be the one that counted most. Could he really be a good partner forever? 

Was he really going to cut it as a husband? 

"Hey, Serizawa?" Reigen asked, not looking at him. 

The man's shoulders lurched at his name suddenly being called. He straightened his back. "Oh! Yes sir?"

"Do you think we'll be good together?" 

Silence sat heavily for a moment. Every second felt longer than the last. 

His friend seemed taken aback by the question but nonetheless looked at the ceiling as though collecting the right words to answer. "Well…"

Another moment passed and Reigen waited with his hands clasped and breath baited. 

"I've never been with anyone so I can't say for certain what a good relationship is but," A compassionate smile spread across the esper's face before he continued, visibly more sure of his words. "I think you and Mr. Mitty understand each other. You always seem to know what the other is thinking. You motivate each other to be better and you seem happy when you're together. And...and you trust each other too. And I think that's whats important." 

Reigen looked at the velveted floor. "Then…"  

"You've become more honest by being with him and he talks like you're really important to him. So please...get married if it makes you both happy! I think you can really be something!" His friend was beaming with 

what Reigen could only say was genuine assurance. 

"I really believe you'll take care of each other." 

His co-worker actually really was resourceful. Maybe someday he ought to pay him more. The uncomfortable feelings waned slightly and his shoulders slowly slacked. Mitty was waiting for him so now wasn't the time to lose it. 

After a few seconds of letting his feelings iron themselves out, he stood and smoothed his hands over his suit jacket. "Well alright then. If thats what you think then I guess there's no backing out of this one." 

Serizawa pressed his hands together in delight. "YES! I've got your back, Reigen!" 

The door into the hallway opened and a set of black eyes peered into the room. "Master, It's starting. Are you coming?" 

The jarring announcement had him scrambling to fix the piece of hair he'd been fussing with. 

"OF COURSE." He jabbed his thumb into his own chest to feign total confidence. "Right behind you, Mob!" 

He held his breath. Alright, let's do this. 

Mitty POV

Teal eyes darted around the room carefully. 

"Hey...Dimple? You there?"

The whizzing of the spirit materializing buzzed next to his ear. 

"Yeah whaddya want? You're on soon, aren't you?" 

Mitty jabbed his right hook into the air where the voice was coming from. "AGH WHAT THE HELL?"

A swift flash of green dodged his reach. 

"HEY, why are you hitting me?! You asked for ME, remember?" The ghost clucked his tongue in disapproval and floated a few inches away for safety. 

"WELL MATERIALIZE WHERE I CAN SEE YOU, YOU BIG BOOGER! I'm on edge!" 

"On edge? What for? You're the one who wanted this, right?"

"W..well….yeah, sorry." He looked at his clenched fist and opened it. "...sorry." He said again more thoughtfully this time. 

Dimple raised a spectral eyebrow. "Whats wrong? Having second thoughts? I mean it's Reigen so who can blame ya."

Mitty scowled while straightening his tie in the mirror. "Hey! REIGEN'S…." His voice softened closer to a whisper. "A pretty good guy. Get off my case. Aren't you supposed to be my support? You're being kinda harsh!" 

"Well kid, something is obviously on your mind so let's hear it. Wedding starts soon right? Yeesh. Once you do all this he's your problem forever." 

"I'm not worried about him!! I'm more worried about...me."

"About you? What're you talkin' about?! You're too good for him!"

"Thanks for the flattery. You still can't have my body though."

"Well I didn't want it anyways, ya bastard. You're weak compared to Shigeo. I'm just being honest here!" 

Silence.

"So? Out with it, What did you want anyways? You're talking nonsense here!" 

Mitty wrinkled his nose in discomfort.  "I just needed to ask something. But you can't run your mouth off like you always do, you old gossip. You're like a knitting circle."

"TCH. like I'd blabber your business to someone. It's all so boring."

"Yeah, yeah just listen, alright?!"

Another few seconds passed. "So? Say it. We don't have all day, you know."

He was looking at his hands again like he was somewhere far off. "Well. D...D'you think I'll be good at this?" 

"Good at what, exactly?" 

"Being married." 

Dimple's form rippled with thought. "You're seriously worried about that?"

Mitty was going to make a sharp remark but his head dropped and his face buried into his knuckles. "Yeah."

Dimple deflated slightly in exasperated defeat. Humans could be so ignorant. 

"Listen. That fraud never shuts up about you. You think you're not good enough? You should hear him talk. It's annoying how you both don't realize things."

"Realize things?"

He sighed and shrugged his tiny arms. "I hear everything whether you like it or not. You two idiots never stop talking and moaning about the other is too good for the other. It's getting old, really." 

"HUH? He says that? No way! But he's always beaten me at everything! I always thought he was way out of my league." 

 "Kinda the opposite actually but...sure. What I'm saying is…! You're both seeing the best parts of each other. Keep doing that and it'll be smooth sailing."

"Yeah but...what if he stops seeing the best in me?'

"You planning on making things hard?" 

"Not really. I just know I can be difficult to deal with." 

"So is he. You really think you got this far because Reigen's all roses and sunshine? 'Course not. You've seen all the stuff he does and you still like him, right?" 

He certainly was flawed, that was for sure. Mitty spent most of Reigen's antics with his eyes rolled up in his head but that didn't mean he wasn't enjoying the moment either. 

"Right."

"Then it's the same for him. Sure it won't always be fun but that phoney won't give up on you just because you're annoying. He's way too persistent. It kind of ticks me off." 

I'm annoying???  That stung but he shook it off.

Reigen was going to have to deal with him for the rest of his life once they said the right words. But if Dimple was right...would it be so bad to annoy each other for the rest of their lives if the other was willing to put up with it? 

Reigen seemed okay with it so far. Mitty would just have to listen to him make a fuss about his coffee table clutter until he died. But really, he wouldn't have that any other way. His voice was kind of cute when he hit that inhuman octave he had when he was in disbelief. 

The door from the hall swung open and a blond clad in what was perhaps the most blinding and loud suit he had ever seen poked his head in. 

"Oh, You're still in here? It's bad luck to be late on your wedding day! Master Reigen is waiting. " He cocked his head to the side. "Or did you need some help with your suit? Its looking a little plain." 

Hanazawa. This kid would try to accessorize his suit in the worst way possible. He put up his hands to wave him off. 

"N-nah, kiddo that's alright. I'll be right there."

Hanazawa, after a few more attempts to get Mitty to let him help retreated back into the hallway. When it was quiet again he eyed Dimple. He was abrasive and unpleasant. He always had a motive for everything and rarely had something nice to say. 

But he came through when it mattered. 

"Hey Dimple?" 

"Yeah? What is it?" 

"Thanks." 

Dimple wouldn't meet his eyes and levitated towards the hall. He didn't want to acknowledge he was helping, he supposed. It was in character for that tsundere blob.

"You ought to get out of here now if you wanna make it on time." 

He stood and dusted himself off. 

"Welp. Here goes everything."

[justphilia]

There’s a definite chance I might not be writing this BUT

I had a detroit become human idea for a Mob Psycho fic, it’s pretty loose considering I had the idea while sitting in the back of a car and standing under the shower head.

There’s probably a chance I would be writing it but it’s kinda leaning to a “Nah, probably not”.

With that being said, I kinda don’t want to trash the idea as a whole without it meeting the light of day, so I’m gonna spill my ideas here so I can look back and think; “Wow. That’s shit.”

To add, this whole thing will sound more like babbling than an actual summary, so excuse me lmao.

Tsubomi doesn’t have any friends. But coming from a wealthy family, her parents decides to buy her a friend. Cue Shigeo/Mob. 

I had a funny model name for all the child androids ‘ESP(insert number, for Shigeo it’s 100)’ despite this being a no powers AU. Then I realized it probably wouldn’t fit because I am low key planning for all the espers to be androids and realized ‘Wow, ha ha, that’s a lot of androids’ so now SOME of the espers are androids.

Okay so fast forward and Tsubomi’s parents are thinking, “We should replace Shigeo, he’s kinda old fashioned now.”

“Mom we only had him for 4 years.”

“Exactly.”

But Tsubomi’s really attached to Mob because he’s her best friend, and doesn’t tell him he might be replaced until he finds out himself. He goes bat shit crazy and tries to kill himself and Tsubomi. Cue Serizawa, a cop android.

Serizawa calms my boy down and Shigeo’s like, “You’re right, I shouldn’t be doing this. I’m so--” bang. Tsubomi low key gets traumatized, Shigeo is bleeding blue on the floor.

We shift to the next scene where Shigeo wakes up on like a bed except it’s actually a table. Cue Reigen, he works at Cyberlife as a child therapist/repair worker. Actually, my man was suppose to be just a repair worker but he got promoted to child therapist for calming down a raging Teru.

“Kid, you remember anything?”

“I- Sorta? Where am I, am I gonna be killed?”

Reigen’s like sweating because he isn’t sure himself, Shigeo’s the first kid who tried to commit murder. But as they talked, Reigen’s kinda surprised to realize that Shigeo’s actually a really really sweet kid.

Shigeo asks how Tsubomi is doing and if she hates him. Reigen tells him she’s fine and she misses him. Which is the truth, but he doesn’t mention that Tsubomi did end up getting a replacement in fear of ticking Shigeo off. Cue Ritsu, the replacement android best friend.

There’s a sort of cell holding all the ‘defect’ child androids, like a little playroom but also an actual cell, and inside there’s: Gou, Rei, Takeshi, Daichi, Kaito and Teru.

Cue Teru, who is the only one who has a similar case to Shigeo; he punched a kid in the nose and sent him to the hospital, which made his mom very very pissed and sent him for repairs. Because of this, he’s enraged further and the staff can’t send him back unless his attitude changes to the “ideal son”.

Teru thinks being an android is a gift, he can’t die and he’s pretty much flawlessly shaped. When he meets Shigeo, he asks why he looks so plain, and it’s revealed it’s because Tsubomi didn’t want anything flashy.

And mostly because Shigeo’s an older model.

Each kid (except for Teru) had an actual defect to their system. Gou has somehow obtained a built in lighter function, which isn’t suppose to be there. Rei has the reconstruct and construct feature for unknown reasons. Takeshi is basically a walking magnet, except he doesn’t really know when it’s turned on or off (when it’s turned on, it’s strong enough to accidentally pull all the others towards him and it gets pretty annoying). Daichi and Kaito’s memory cloud keeps syncing with one another, which disrupts them from being able to remember the right things correctly (i.e Daichi gets Kaito’s memories and believes they are his own and vice versa).

The only reason they’re still stuck here is because they come from middle class families (except for Teru), so they’re way behind on the waiting list to get repaired.

Shigeo, on the other hand, came from a rich family, so he’d be out in no time. This makes Teru very mad, he states it isn’t fair that Shigeo gets to be let out sooner than them even though he just got here.

He tries to attack, but unfortunately for him, they’ve installed a software that prevents Teru from being able to kick and punch. Like a parental lock sorta? The same has been done to Shigeo.

Shigeo only makes Teru even more mad when he says he wishes he was human. If he wasn’t human, none of this would’ve happened, “Teru, if you were human, you wouldn’t be right here y’know? Your mom wouldn’t need to send a real human boy for repairs.”

And Teru is pissed because he knows Shigeo’s right. 

But being the cunning bitch he is, he smiles and pretends to accept Shigeo’s opinion, and he asks for a hug. Shigeo happily agrees and let’s Teru wrap an arm around him.

Then Teru squeezes.

“Teru, I can’t, you’re crushing- I can’t--”

“Oh, I know. If I break you enough, you’ll have to stay here with us even longer.”

Shigeo tries to retaliate, but due to the software, he’s unable to kick himself free. The rest tries to intervene, but Teru threatens them to stay back or he’ll squeeze harder.

“Can a human do this? Shigeo? Can they?”

Shigeo manages to break through the system and finally breaks free, he’s back in his aggressive mode and actually starts attacking.

He takes it too far when he rips Teru heart out.

Everyone is screaming at this point and Reigen’s rushing towards the cell like mad. Serizawa is there too, because he wanted to visit Shigeo to see how he’s doing.

“Why are you running?”

“Something bad is happening, I need to be there- Woah there buddy!” Serizawa picks Reigen up and surprises him. Then the android fucking bolts.

When Reigen finally reaches the cell and enters, he finds Shigeo on the ground, bleeding out once again, and Teru staring motionlessly at Shigeo.

“He...gave me his heart.”

Shigeo is sent to be repaired again and this time, he’s kept in a separate cell, because no one knows how he managed to break through their system. It’s almost impossible for a child -and not to mention an OLD- model to be able to do that.

While Reigen’s thinking in his office, cue Mitsuura, who says it’d be a shame for all those child models to lose their cool abilities. He jokes about just creating a child model meant to possess those abilities, like a tiny cop or something.

Cue Suzuki, no no, the other Suzuki. Mommy Suzuki. Except she’s a single lady who surrounds herself with Touichirou, the first ever android model made. That’s right, she’s head of Cyberlife.

She comes in, because she can’t sit still, and says, “Not a bad idea, man.”

Mitsuura has a fit and thanks the woman.

“So, about that old model that broke my parental control lock?” She turns to Reigen and he huffs, shrugging.

“I really don’t know, ma’am.”

She hums, definitely interested. Unlike the OG DBH, in this AU, they’re more lenient in the deviancy of androids because Suzuki believes they can have rights too. Except they don’t need to get paid, unless they want to? Honestly my idea for that aspect is low key fuzzy.

So anyways, Suzuki remembers Mitsuura’s idea and basically starts sketching out the draft. Cue Shou, who doesn’t exist yet but he’s in the making.

“Can you take the extra components of those child androids and keep them somewhere for later use? I’ll be needing them.”

“Ma’am, those androids are at the back of the waiting list, we can’t just--”

“Just do it.”

Cue Roshuuto, who seriously believes they should just kill Shigeo. “He’s too dangerous” blah blah blah SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Anyways, Reigen doesn’t want to do that because a) android or not, that’s a kid and b) You can’t make that decision and neither can I. Only Suzuki can.

Roshuuto sorta frowns, because everyone knows Suzuki plays favorites; and that favorite is Reigen. He’s the reason why Touichi now has a bit of sentience, before that android was pretty ruthless.

So if Reigen personally doesn’t want to get rid of Shigeo, then Suzuki would say the same too.

Meanwhile, Teru has been showing signs of positive improvement in attitude, there’s a speculation it might’ve been because Teru now has Shigeo’s heart, but that’s just dumb. That kid believes he just killed another android and he’s not sure how he feels about it, so he decides the least thing he could do was to be a better android.

Since Shigeo doesn’t share the same cell as them and nobody told them Shigeo survived, everyone in the playroom thinks Shigeo is dead.

Teru gets sent back after that, and the rest of the kids got their needed repairs.

Meanwhile, Shigeo and Reigen has daily consultation sessions, where they try to find the source of Shigeo’s issues. It takes about a month and Reigen hands Shigeo his cellphone number, saying if Shigeo ever needed him, Reigen would be there.

Shigeo gets sent back to the Takane’s family, because if he doesn’t, Tsubomi will throw a fit. She doesn’t do it often, but when she does, it’s ugly. It’s not like she’s spoiled, but when she strongly and firmly wants something, she’s determined enough to get it.

Originally, Ritsu was meant to be a direct replacement of Shigeo. He even had the bowl cut and everything, but Tsubomi’s intelligent and manages to figure out Ritsu’s a fake. She doesn’t get mad at him though, he doesn’t deserve it, instead she just befriends him too. Ritsu becomes a whole new person he wants to be, even mussed up his hair to look different.

So Shigeo meets Ritsu for the first time, and he’s sorta confused and upset, but Tsubomi got attached to Ritsu as well and refuses to leave him. Ritsu says he’s glad to finally meet Shigeo, because he has heard so much about him, and Shigeo decides he could like Ritsu.

I kinda stop making ideas from here, but I had a rough idea what happens next. Teru and Shigeo do meet again at some point, and Ritsu does meet Shou at some point too.

There will be background Serirei, and Shigeo does eventually grow a crush on Tsubomi and confession and oh no it went wrong. I think that’s when Shou makes his first appearance?

Because they think a child can calm another child down. It doesn’t work.

Nobody realizes Reigen’s probably the only thing that can help until the very very last minute.

So anyways, that’s the end of it. I don’t know what to do with this idea because now that I’ve spilled them all on the table, I kinda feel like writing it now. Though I already have two other projects planned, one being Nap’s birthday gift fic and another being a secret project that features Ritshou and amnesia, so it might be delayed to maybe June :(

[janekfan]

Allocation

Trudging through ankle deep snow towards the small town’s only bus stop, Serizawa spared a sympathetic look for the man next to him when he coughed harshly into his elbow.

“Ah...tol’ Mob I would quit.” The esper didn’t have the heart to tell him it probably wasn’t the smoking; Reigen had been hacking painfully all day, the color so high in his face he wasn’t willing to attribute it completely to the chill and snow in the air. He tugged up his boss’ collar, risking a pat on his shoulder in commiseration, and spared him the struggle it would be to check the schedule as they finally approached.

Just their luck.

They’d missed the last bus by a wide margin, apparently this routine exorcism had taken far longer than either of them had anticipated and now they were stranded here in the middle of nowhere. Another cough startled him out of his pondering and he turned to see Reigen sinking to the lone bench, skin grey and panting. This cold wasn’t doing him any good and he looked back down the street, snow already filling their footsteps. They’d passed an inn--

“How long ‘till the next one?” Raspy, no hint of his usual spark, just tired resignation.

“Tomorrow.” Serizawa looked up into the sky, brushing large, fluffy flakes of the stuff from his curls. “Maybe.” Another cough. “There was a place back a ways. They might have a room.” Nodding, breathless, Reigen climbed shakily to his feet, would have fallen had Serizawa not caught him by the elbow as he slipped on the ice and he kept up his firm grip as he stumbled again, all but leaning on him while they staggered to the inn. Being so near to him, Serizawa had to fight his own blush, pulse racing faster each time Reigen slumped closer, the heat of him exhilarating even through their coats.

 

The room was reasonably priced though sparsely furnished and Serizawa hung their sopping coats, helped Reigen shrug out of his damp suit jacket and toe off his soaked shoes before settling him in a low chair to tug off his dripping socks and glance out the window. It was really coming down now, piling up in the panes. The innkeeper had been right. No one would be coming in or out of town probably for the next day at least.

“Sorry…” That barking cough again, deep and wet this time and Serizawa pushed the spike of worry away before it could set anything in the room to floating. It was probably from transitioning out of the cold, that’s all. “Can get it…” Tugging pathetically at his collar, fingers clumsy with cold tried to loosen his tie with a frustrated huff. Serizawa chuckled just a bit at Reigen’s attempts, chest pounding as he cupped his jaw gently with one palm and pressed his struggling hand down with the other.

“I got it, just relax.” Softly, bold in the face of his disorientation and content to believe he wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow. It felt a bit like he was taking advantage of the man while he was in this state.

“Mmf…” Barely awake, Reigen leaned his hot cheek into the cool touch as Serizawa slipped the tie from around his neck.

“You’re really hot.” The gust of air passing through his teeth at the comment was more an exhale than a laugh, but the half smirk on his lips was contagious even as Serizawa felt the blood rush to his face. “Wait here, I’m going to check if the desk has anything for it.”

In the end they hadn’t had anything more than Tylenol but Serizawa roused him from where he’d fallen asleep, head tipped against the chair back, and got him to take it with a full glass of water before turning his attention to their ruined trousers, drenched almost to their knees with snowmelt. He couldn’t sleep in those, he’d get worse.

“You’ve got to get out of these wet things and into bed.”

“Getting fresh with me now, Serizawa?” Reigen fixed him with an amused, if exhausted, eye, voice fading in and out.

“N’n’no!” Ramrod straight, arms at his sides, the full body bristle made the conman laugh for a moment before a wheezing fit made him lurch forward. Serizawa forgot all about his embarrassment in favor of soothing him through it, filling another glass and encouraging him to sip slow.

“Might be right.” A tired, shivery sigh and he fumbled with his belt, all thumbs, and Serizawa laid his palm over them, mouth pressed in a tight line as he shifted them aside and unclasped the buckle, pulling him forward so he could kick them off and catching him against his chest as he toppled over. They hung there, suspended in the moment, and Serizawa’s mouth went dry as he swallowed thickly, Reigen’s head leaning on his shoulder and breath beating quickly against his neck. “Sorry...los’ my balance.” The esper nodded, paralyzed with Reigen overwarm and flush against him.

“Yeah,” the word caught in his throat, he cleared it nervously, “yeah, you should sleep.”

And therein lay the rub. There was only the one. Bed that is.

A small futon and no other linens. The innkeeper had apologized and explained that the unexpected storm had trapped quite a few travelers unawares. But the room was warm enough and the chair would suit him for a night. He’d dealt with worse. Reigen was limp under the quilt, melting into its softness and blinking slow as the chill seeped out of him. Serizawa pulled off his own damp clothes, hanging them all up with the coats and jackets before checking on Reigen one last time, surprised when his hand snuck out from under the blankets and grasped his shirt.

“S’cold.” He shivered hard to prove it.

“Rei--”

“Don’t be foolish, there’s only one bed...and s’cold.” Speech slurred from fatigue with eyes half-lidded and hazy, he held his gaze and tugged insistently. “S’okay…” And between one moment and the next Serizawa found himself tucked closely next to Reigen’s warmth, wrapped up in that softness with him and far too near his face to trust himself. His heart was thumping so hard against his ribs he worried that Reigen would hear it. “L’call Mob tomorrow...tell him.” He shuddered, burrowing even closer, burrowing into Serizawa’s chest and sighing deeply, relaxing by degrees until the esper was sure he’d fallen asleep. It was only then he dared to run tentative fingers through hair damp from sweat and snow. Allowed himself this one touch. As many times as Reigen had cut his hair, run his hands over short curls to admire his handiwork, he’d hadn’t ever had the chance to do the same and oh how he’d wondered. Reigen hummed low and Serizawa froze, eyes wide in the dark of the room and suffocating beneath the silence of snow being laid thick and fast outside. “Nice…” Serizawa stroked his head again, running his hand down his nape, over his shoulder blades, feeling the unrelenting heat through the creased material of his shirt.

“Just try and sleep.” Another pass and Reigen drew back to examine Serizawa for long seconds, something achingly familiar in those brown depths, before he shifted forward, pausing in his attempt with an expression akin to frustration and settling for cupping his ear instead, stopping him with a gentle nudge.

“You’ll get sick.”

His lips were soft against his, slightly chapped from wind or fever, and the kiss was too clumsy to be anything romantic but at the same time nothing less than perfect. They broke apart, Reigen’s nose brushing against Serizawa’s cheek as the esper moved to pepper the column of his throat with featherlight kisses. He could feel more than hear the hum of pleasure as it reverberated through him and he forced himself to stop, smiling into salt skin at the noise of discontent the younger man made.

“You need to sleep.” One more chaste press to his forehead and Serizawa knew it was true when minutes later Reigen was well and truly under, settled there by the hand moving over his back. Warm and so, so content, he followed soon after.

 

The busses weren’t running that morning because of the weather and Reigen made do on his promise to call Mob and tell him not to come in that day, unsure of when they’d make it back. He groused, Serizawa felt it was mostly for show, about having to pay for another stay but didn’t seem keen on moving far from bed, still not feeling well and happy to spend the day sipping tea for his cough and dozing, limbs akimbo. He convinced Serizawa to sit with him on the futon, leaning against him and talking about everything and nothing, cup warm in his hands and so sleepy the esper had to lift it away as he nodded off. By the time the busses were running again, their clothes were dry and Reigen’s newest dose of Tylenol took care of most of the lingering discomfort. They parted on the train at Serizawa’s stop, suddenly shy and just barely brushing fingers as they exchanged pleasantries regarding work tomorrow.

 

A knock on the door made Serizawa groan. He knew he shouldn’t rely on his powers but he didn’t think he could make it to the door aching like he was and decided that this one time would be okay.

“Serizawa?” Reigen stepped into his small apartment, pharmacy bag in hand, slipping out of his shoes to come stand before the couch, no doubt taking in his rough appearance. “Ah, told you.” A conciliatory pat and he dropped a kiss to the top of his head, brushing a hand through his curly hair and it was so good to have someone care like this. “I’ll make you tea and you can take some medicine.” Rolls reversed, Serizawa curled up against Reigen on the small couch, the worst of the symptoms now kept at bay as he drifted, eyes slipping to the window and the flakes of snow fluttering down before the hand at his back whisked him gently away.

[thinkanamelater]

Pink (Mob Psycho 100/Serirei fanfic)

“Pink always looks so good on you” Was the first thing Serizawa said that morning, extending his hand to gently feel the fabric of his usual tie. Well, the second thing, actually; right after his polite “Good morning, Reigen”.

Reigen blinked at him, fighting the nervous smile that was threatening to take over his face.

He looked at the other for something to compliment back. Overwhelmed, he found out he couldn’t choose just one thing. His hair was growing back into precious, well taken care of curls. His eyes were dark and shining. The hint of stubble on his strong jawline gave him a mature look, and the way his white teeth peeked between his lips in a beautiful smile made him look amiable. His light blue shirt complimented really well his dark, shining eyes…

Reigen was starting to feel dizzy, just by looking at him.

“Thanks” He settled on, and Serizawa smiled more, pleased, as if he hadn’t noticed it took Reigen a ridiculously long time for that short answer. With weak knees, Reigen walked to his desk.

That day wasn’t too different from others. Some clients walked in, some exorcisms, (a few massages), the usual.

Reigen, however, felt hyperaware. To Serizawa, especially. He forced himself to be constantly busy, to not look at his employee, but when he inevitably did, he found Serizawa looking right back at him, smiling, everytime.

God. What was about him that was so distracting? “Pink always looks so good on you” wouldn’t leave his head. The thought of getting a full pink suit crossed his mind and he promptly shook it off.

It won’t last. Things will go back to normal soon.

“Your hair is getting longer” Serizawa commented as they were about to call it a day.

Reigen froze on his spot; Serizawa sure was looking at him a lot today, right? It wasn’t just his imagination, right??

“Ah, yes, I haven’t been able to get it cut lately…”

“I can cut it for you” Serizawa offered quickly; and, as if knowing Reigen would say there was no need, he added “It’s not a bother. I really want to do it, if you’re fine with it” He looked eager.

Well, there was no arguing with it.

Reigen nodded nonchalantly, shrugged and said “alright then, sure”. As Serizawa turned to look for the hair cutting accessories, he gulped and nervously ran his hands over his hair, and when the other came back with scissors and a towel, Reigen was sitting still with a neutral expression.

Serizawa went on his task slowly but without hesitation. They were silent, only the snips made by the precise cuts could be heard between them. But silence didn’t bring Reigen any peace; instead, it made him focus more on the warm hands over his hair, caressing it, driving him crazy…

“There you go” Finally Serizawa took a step back, pride clear on his voice. “Handsome – not that you weren’t looking good before, but-“

“Serizawa, please. You’re going to make me blush,” Reigen interrupted him, forcing a joking tone to relieve some tension.

“I hope so. I’ve been flirting with you all day.” Came Serizawa’s reply, without missing a beat. Immediately, he panicked. “Oh-oh no. I shouldn’t have said that. I should have kept quiet. Oh my god and you’ re not saying anything oh no I should just leave-“

“Don’t you dare” Reigen hissed once he recovered the ability to speak, and brusquely stood up.

Startled, Serizawa jumped backwards but didn’t move further, not even when Reigen clumsily walked over him and threw his arms over his neck, pulling him closer.

“Don’t you dare leave” He repeated, way softer and muffled against Serizawa’s chest. “You made a mess out of me and now you’re going to fix it”

Hugging him back, Serizawa sighed in relief, and laughed.

[yaelathewordsmith]

Shield and Spear

Look who’s finally back from the dead and got some work done Okay, new post! My favourite kids, Yams and Tsukki, getting some screentime.

(Should I actually be working on the main story)

(Probably yes but i need to get all these little things out of my head first and also it’ll help with continuity, so yay for that I guess?)

Full story with my new first year kids on FFnet and AO3, check it out!

*

“Ugh, Tsukki, did you copy all the notes we were given in chemistry?” Tadashi asked, frowning down at the last notebook to go into his bag.

Tsukki frowned a little, pushing his chair back and standing up. “Of course. Why didn’t you?”

“Katou-san put me on the decorations committee,” Tadashi said mournfully, stowing the notebook away and getting to his feet as well. “Didn’t you notice I was late to class?”

“No. Were you?”

Tadashi rolled his eyes, heading to the door. Tsukki slung his bag over his shoulder, following him. “How hard is it to get the decorations done, anyway?”

“Well, there’s a lot of the school to decorate,” Tadashi sighed, stepping into the noisy corridor. “And anyway, when she said decorations committee, she really meant ‘committee that helps out with every prop or stall related problem any other class might have’.”

Tsukki made a non-committal sound, deftly avoiding a knot of students having a heated discussion by the stairs. “You can take the notes today, I’ll need them back by tomorrow.”

Tadashi followed suit, moving a little faster to keep up with Tsukki’s longer stride. “Sure. Hey, do you mind if we stop by a vending machine?”

“Closest one’s in the cafeteria, and it’s horribly crowded right now.”

“Well, we can use the one on the third floor.”

“I’m not climbing all the way to the third floor.”

“ . . . Okay, then what about the one outside?” Tadashi caught Tsukki’s mouth snapping open, and hastened to add, “We can use that side entrance, so we won’t get caught up in the worst of the evening rush.”

Tsukki hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Fine, but let’s make it fast. I want to get an early start on that history essay.”

“Mmhm.” Tadashi glanced at him sideways. “Don’t worry about running into Teruhashi-san, she doesn’t use that machine.”

Tsukki glared at him, eyes narrowing. “Who said anything about Teruhashi-san?”

Tadashi shrugged and looked straight ahead, trying not to smile.

“I am not trying to avoid her.”

“Okay, Tsukki.”

“I just prefer not to speak to her, if at all possible, because she’s spiteful, cruel, arrogant, and refuses to take no for an answer.”

“Oh, she is? I thought you hadn’t spoken to her much.”

“I don’t need to when it’s so obvious in the way she treats everybody. Besides, Yachi-san and her friends avoid her too.”

Tadashi couldn’t argue with that. If Yachi couldn’t manage to excuse someone’s behaviour, they were pretty much guaranteed to be the worst people in the classroom.

“That they do,” he agreed.

Tsukki snorted. “Why she decided she likes me, I’ll never know.”

A brief silence fell between them as they navigated the crowd of people heading out the doors, and when they stepped outside Tsukki, for some inscrutable reason, decided to break it with “Well, at least you made a good choice this time.”

Tadashi turned to look at him quizzically, praying this wasn’t going where he thought it was going.

Tsukki caught the glance and raised an eyebrow in return. “I mean, usually you make horrible decisions about who to crush on. At least this time it’s - “

“Okay, we really don’t have to discuss my love life!” Tadashi yelped.       

Tsukki’s other eyebrow went up, mouth twitching slightly. “You don’t have any problem discussing mine.”

“Well, but you have so many girls confessing to you, yours at least exists!”

“So what, yours is a phantom or something?”

“I - It’s - I don’t even -”

“You should just ask her out.”

Tadashi gaped at him, face burning. “Wha - no way I could -”

Thud.

It was a quiet sound, soft and muted, and Tadashi was just about to dismiss it as a stray football or tennis ball or something when he heard the muffled voices - one quieter, higher, then abruptly cut off by a deeper growl.

Tsukki’s forehead creased as he listened, eyes going cool and sharp, and after a brief moment he stepped around the corner. Tadashi followed, straining to hear better. He thought he recognized the first one, it sounded entirely too familiar. It sounded like -

Oh, damn.

His heart dropped as he peered past Tsukki and saw just who stood in the shadow of the vending machine.

One was Akiyama, with his back against the wall and a fist bunched in his shirt at the collar. The other . . . a first year Tadashi barely knew; tall, broad shouldered, sandy hair, calculating eyes. He’d seen him around in the corridors, though, and the brief glances had reminded him of nothing more than -

- lumpy face -

- always crying -

- carry our bags -

- where’s your money, wimp -

- ugly, weak, loser -

- memories he’d rather forget.

“ - you and your retard of a brother,” the boy was snarling. “If you don’t back off, Akiyama, when he comes to Karasuno I’m going to make sure life is living hell for him. And he won’t even be able to call for help, will he, when I break his hands - “

Tadashi frowned, eyes narrowing, the brief trepidation that had flashed through him now swallowed by anger.

Who the hell is this guy, and how dare he say things like that to Akiyama?

Akiyama looked up just then, meeting their gazes. His eyes widened, relief, horror, and shame flickering through them in quick succession, and he looked away instantly, shaggy hair falling over his face.

The boy caught the look and whipped around, other fist coming up. When he saw that they were older than him, he didn’t waver.

“You need something?”

Tsukki gave him a long, piercing look, one that was usually enough to unsettle anyone, even teachers. But this guy didn’t even blink.

“Is that how you talk to a senior, Goto-kun?”

Ah, right. That’s his name, Goto Soma.

He looked at Akiyama again, taking in his trembling hands, his panting breath, and felt something beyond anger, something slow and molten and furious, begin to bubble in his stomach.

Quiet Akiyama, with his shy smiles and serious eyes and careful words, should not be looking like that. He should never have to look like that.

“Apologies, senpai, but you’re interrupting something,” Goto said roughly. “I’d appreciate it if you left.”

“Sorry, but we can’t do that.”

Tadashi caught Tsukki glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, a flash of surprise crossing his face, but ignored him as he stepped forward, focusing entirely on Goto, whose gaze switched to him like a laser.

“That’s our kohai, you see, Goto-kun. And we don’t appreciate you coming anywhere near him.”

Tsukki smiled, sharp and cold. “No, we don’t.” He took a step forward too, bearing down on Goto. “So leave right now, and we might forget this ever happened.”

Goto smirked right back, looking entirely unfazed, but Tadashi caught something unsteady in his glance, and knew he was forcing himself to stand his ground. A little more pressure, then -

“Touch him again,” Tadashi said quietly, blood pounding in his ears, “and there will be two more people with us to teach you how to play nice with your classmates. And you really don’t want to meet them.”

“Yeah?” Goto shoved Akiyama back into the wall and turned to face them entirely, shoulders squared, teeth bared. “Who’re these scary people, then?”

Tadashi tilted his head slightly, never looking away. “Nishinoya Yuu -”

“ - and Tanaka Ryuunosuke.” Tsukki’s smile grew wider. “Both third years. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to find out what exactly they’ll do to you if they hear about this. But, you know, we don’t really need them. We can do plenty ourselves.”

Tadashi took the last step forward, bringing him almost nose to nose with Goto, insanely grateful for that last growth spurt that meant he was looking down on Goto from two extra inches.

“So leave. And don’t come back.”

Goto’s lips pulled back further over his teeth, eyes narrow. Tadashi held his gaze, staring him down. He was vaguely aware of Tsukki at his right shoulder, a tall, looming shadow probably ten times more intimidating than Tadashi could ever be.

But Goto never looked away from him, didn’t even spare Tsukki a glance. One fist clenched at his side as he glared back.

Then he blinked, whipped around, and was gone with one last, murderous glance thrown at Akiyama over his shoulder,

Tadashi watched him turn the corner before he relaxed, hands falling open from their own fists, and turned to Akiyama.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

He noted, vaguely, that his voice was back to sounding like it always did, that it no longer had that note of steel in it; steel he didn’t know he’d had in him.

Akiyama nodded, looking up with a weak smile. “Yeah, yeah. Just . . . winded.”

“He hurt you?” Tsukki asked, looking dispassionate as ever, yet with his eyes still unnaturally sharp.

“Uh . . . one or two punches, it wasn’t too -”

“Where?” Tadashi interrupted.

Akiyama’s hands settled on his stomach. Tadashi gave him a quizzical look, and he moved them aside with a sigh.

Tadashi smiled slightly, the buzz that was keeping his heart thrumming beginning to fade a bit.

“I’m not going to ask you to take your shirt off or anything. Just . . .” He touched Akiyama’s torso as gently as he could, murmuring a quiet apology when he winced.

“Take a couple of days off club,” Tsukki said. “We can make your excuses. Or get Serizawa or someone to do it, if you prefer.”

“Mhm. I think you’ll probably have some big bruises,” Tadashi said thoughtfully, straightening up, and placing a steadying hand on Akiyama’s hand as he did the same. “Definitely take at least two days off. You probably won’t go see a doctor, will you?”

Akiyama shook his head, hair sticking to his forehead. “I really don’t think I need - and what would I tell my mom?”

“If we see you coughing up blood, we’re dragging you there whether you want us to or not,” Tsukki said flatly.

Akiyama huffed a laugh. “Got it, Tsukki-san. Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid.”

Tadashi blinked at that. Tsukki-san? He glanced sideways at Tsukki, and had to choke back a chuckle at the shock on his face. Akiyama still seemed shaken enough that he didn’t notice he’d said anything out of the ordinary.

“Um, so -” Tadashi said quickly. “I - don’t want to pry, it’s completely fine if you don’t want to tell us why Goto was angry with you. But can I ask - was that the first time? That he - ?”

Akiyama grimaced, brushing his hair back absently. “Yeah, it was. I knew he hadn’t been happy with me for some weeks now, I never thought that he’d - ugh. It’s so ridiculous, too, what he was - there’s a girl in my class, you see, and somehow he’s decided that it’s my fault she won’t look at him. I barely even speak to her except to, I don’t know, help her out with a question or something, what can I do about it if her seat is next to mine?”

“That was the reason?” Tsukki said, disdainfully. “Goto-kun seems to be the very definition of hotheaded.”

“He’s always been like that,” Akiyama sighed, gingerly prodding at his stomach once more. “We, um, used to be in middle school together. Kohei knows him too. He was never that bad though.”

“I see.” Yamaguchi gave him a careful look, glad that he seemed calm enough, yet concerned about the way his hands were still trembling. “Well, if he comes near you again, please do tell us, okay, Akiyama-kun?”

Akiyama looked away, not answering for a moment.

“I’m sorry you had to - to step in, Yamaguchi-san, Tsukki-san. It’s not something I wanted you to - I would have - sorted it out on my own, somehow - “

“Probably,” Tsukki said, looking bored. “But I, for one, don’t mind getting chances to take idiots like that down a peg or two, and I don’t think Yamaguchi does either. It’s your choice, obviously. But we would appreciate knowing what happens with him, one way or another. Fair enough?”

Akiyama’s gaze flickered from Tsukki’s face to Tadashi’s and back before he smiled, just a little.

“Fair enough, Tsukki-san. I - thank you. Both of you.” He bowed as deeply as he could.

Tsukki’s nose wrinkled. “When exactly did the four of you pin that name on me?”

Tadashi nudged him in the side, smiling at Akiyama both apologetically and reassuringly as he inclined his head in return. “You’re welcome, Akiyama-kun. Um, be safe on your way home, okay?”

“I will, Yamaguchi-san. Thank you.”

Tadashi nodded, moving back a bit to give him space as he bent down to pick up his bag. Tsukki ignored both of them, instead stepping up to the vending machine

“Akiyama.”

Akiyama winced as he straightened up, giving Tsukki a questioning look.

Tsukki slipped a note into the machine, raising a finger to select the correct button. “Whatever he was saying about your brother -”

There was a quiet intake of breath, and Akiyama’s eyes narrowed nervously.

Tsukki gave him a brief glance. “I’m not about to ask anything you don’t want me to.” He bent to pick the carton up. “I’m just letting you know I can and will help you keep an eye on him. Next year.”

Tadashi had to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning.

Such a softie, Tsukki.

He turned to Akiyama to say the same, but paused at the look growing in his eyes, sweeping all lingering shock and fear aside - a look that was strong, and fierce, and burning.

“That’s very kind of you, Tsukki-san,” he said, voice calm and clear. “But I won’t need your help with that.”

Tsukki paused for a moment, unwrapped straw in one hand.

“Is that so?” The straw sank into the carton with a soft pop, and Tsukki turned to give Akiyama a small, quiet smile that only ever Tadashi saw, and even then saw rarely. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Akiyama smiled in return, a smile wavering at the edges but true enough.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Yamaguchi-san, Tsukki-san.”

Tsukki nodded and Tadashi waved as he left. You’d never have thought, Tadashi mused, watching him walk away, that he’d just been slammed against a wall by a guy almost twice his size. It was an innate dignity Tadashi couldn’t help being just the slightest bit jealous of.

“Aren’t you going to get your drink?”

“Ah, right, yeah. Give me a second.”

It was as they walked out of the gates, drinks in hand, that Tadashi thought to ask, “We’re going to be keeping an eye on him for a few days, aren’t we?”

Tsukki looked at him like he had dropped from the sky.

“Of course we are. The kid wouldn’t tell us even if Goto tried to throw him off the roof.”

Tadashi grinned at him.

“You’re a pretty good senpai, Tsukki.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

[mustdang-100]

Shifting Perspectives - Ch. 6

Serizawa & co. meet up with an old friend to engage in some hacking and uncover some truths. Shou and Teru commit acts of thievery and deceit.

Summary: 

How many espers does it take to rescue one abducted conman?

Months after the events of the World Domination arc, Reigen disappears sometime between leaving the office and after-work plans. Serizawa finds himself the unwilling leader of a bunch of former Claw members and a couple of stubborn teenagers, determined to get Reigen back.

On AO3: <http://archiveofourown.org/works/11091201/chapters/30306522>

Tumblr: Ch.1|Ch.2|Ch.3|Ch.4|Ch.5|Ch.6 - below|Ch.7

Serizawa rocked stiffly with the motion of the rattling train, clenching and unclenching sweaty palms in the folds of his suit. He was probably wrinkling the material of one of the few suits he owned, but couldn’t bring himself to care; it was all he had to focus on. Walking had been much better, had given him purpose, made him feel like they were getting somewhere. Now, in the too-bright artificial lights of the mostly-empty night train, the blaze of his anger had dulled, allowing the sickly buzz of panic to unfurl from its tiny corner in his mind. Serizawa felt the weight of every second that passed with Reigen still missing, heavy as the train rumbling along its tracks.

It was well past ten pm by the time the group of espers-turned-PIs arrived in the wealthier area of Spice City that Hatori called home. Hatori’s psychic specialty had translated well to the real world; he’d been hired by a technical support company around the same time Serizawa had started at Spirits & Such. Judging by the look of the tall, brightly-lit apartment building sitting just in sight of the coastline, it seemed Hatori had been rather successful at his new career. 

Serizawa shouldn’t have been surprised to find a doorman keeping watch at the building’s entrance, but it didn’t help his discomfort at the affluent surroundings. He was far out of his league, and the anxiety was just more fuel for the staticky panic that had begun to crackle in his ears, muffling his hearing.

The doorman eyed their group with a healthy amount of skepticism as they filed in. Serizawa put on his work face, trying to emanate confidence and trustworthiness. Any reassuring effect from his efforts was immediately ruined when Koyama presented the doorman with a wide, teeth-baring grin, lip piercings flashing and biceps flexing.

Serizawa sighed, and reached out a hand to pull him gently along. Sometimes his friends forgot being intimidating was no longer part of their job description.

Soft lighting illuminated a tastefully-decorated lobby. Steel and glass furniture lent a modern feel that was probably supposed to be elegant, but to Serizawa just felt sterile; he brushed self-consciously at his wrinkled and sweat-stained clothing. The lush white carpet swallowed the sound of their footsteps as they beelined for the elevators.

Tsuchiya pushed the button for the 18th floor, and the elevator doors closed with a soft clank. Awkward silence fell over the crowded group, interrupted only by the low hum of the engaging lifting mechanism. Numbers appeared above the door and slowly cycled by.

3

4

5

The tension fought with Serizawa’s exhaustion; he was simultaneously about to drop dead and yet miles from sleep. He glanced at his phone: ten forty-eight. Reigen had been missing for over 24 hours. Serizawa clenched his jaw in frustration and looked back up at the numbers, willing the elevator to move faster.

7…

8…

9…

They should have just taken the stairs; the movement would at least make him feel like he was doing something. Or hell, he could have just floated himself up to Hatori’s window from the outside, and damn the consequences if anyone saw-

Deep breath. Stay calm, stay in control. Serizawa berated himself, pushing again at the panic that had less give every time he had to force it down. If he was being honest with himself, arguing with his own anxiety just wasn’t effective when it got this bad. It was time to try something else.

“How long have you been in touch with Hatori?” Serizawa asked Minegishi the first thing that came to mind, simply as something to distract from the empty silence his brain was all too happy to fill.

Minegishi crossed his arms, tapping his fingers soundlessly on one arm. “I reached out to him pretty soon after we ran into each other, that time you first visited the plant shop.”

Serizawa blinked; now that, he hadn’t expected. Of the Super Five members, Serizawa had thought Minegishi the least likely to initiate reaching out to anyone.

Back at Claw, Minegishi had been standoffish to the point of dismissive of the rest of the Super Five, though Serizawa had thought, at the time, that the rest of them had been friends. He, Shibata, Shimazaki, and Hatori had spent a lot of time together; sometimes, it had even been fun. He’d enjoyed being able to talk openly about his powers with others, others like him, for the first time in his life.

Hindsight had shown him how little he’d understood.

His memories of the others were now shadowed with doubt and hurt and the realization that they had not been his friends, not really. Real friendship – the way he was friends with Shigeo, the way he was friends with Reigen – meant a two-way street. There was investment on both sides, investment in each others’ feelings and each others’ happiness.

There had been none of that in Claw. Everything was about the society, and its plans… and its leader. The other members of the Super Five had been too self-absorbed and too occupied with their own enjoyment and the sparkling future painted for them by their boss’s lying tongue, to be real friends.

After Claw – after the President – Serizawa had decided it would be best for him not to see any of the others again. A clean break healed easier than a messy, lingering injury. That plan was ruined when he ran into Minegishi at the plant shop a couple of weeks after starting at Spirits & Such.

Even to his novice’s eye, Serizawa had thought the orchids in the window looked stunning. He’d gone into the shop hoping to look at them more closely. Of course, if he was honest with himself his real interest in the flowers came from searching for conversation points with his new boss. He’d been surprised to find the least-friendly of his former coworkers employed at the unassuming little shop.

Caring for the plants at the shop had been good for Minegishi. Since Claw’s ostentatious demise he’d lost some of his callousness, replacing it with a stoic optimism and compassion. Thinking this through, Serizawa realized Minegishi’s unexpected desire for a support system wasn’t so out of character as he’d first thought.

Minegishi had been the one to stay in touch with Serizawa after their reunion. The two bonded over stories of living among non-esper neighbors: the time Serizawa retrieved his mail with an absentminded wave of his hand, only to watch it fly straight into an unsuspecting passing neighbor’s face; the times Minegishi forgot that while it was common for people to talk to plants, it was veryunusual for the plants to communicate back.

“Oh,” Serizawa said awkwardly, the reminder that he’d been having a conversation suddenly filtering back through his fatigue. “Um, how’s he been?”

Serizawa tried to say it casually; he had mixed feelings on seeing Hatori again. Unlike Minegishi, who had seemed essentially unfazed, Hatori had been hurt by the President’s betrayal of their ‘select’ group. He’d still been in shock the last time Serizawa had seen him, and Serizawa had no idea how Hatori might feel about him now.

Minegishi shrugged. “He’s fine. He gets a little anxious sometimes, having to spend so much time with non-espers for his job. Just like us.”

Serizawa gave him a small smile. “You get nervous about non-espers?”

“Hmm…” Minegishi quirked a corner of his mouth. “I guess ‘frustrated’ might be the more accurate term.”

“Oh,” Sakurai said, under his breath, “-do I ever feel you on that.” Koyama laughed softly, patting Sakurai comfortingly on one shoulder.

Minegishi’s smile grew. “I have my outlets, as does Hatori. From what I understand, his mostly involves yelling at people on the internet. I don’t really get it, but he gets great enjoyment out of it.”

A soft ding announced their arrival at the 18th floor, cutting short the conversation.

Hatori answered the door at the first knock, his eyes going wide as he took in the large group waiting on his doorstep. He met Serizawa’s gaze and immediately ducked his head away, searching faces. It wasn’t until he saw Minegishi that he relaxed, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. Then his eyes, behind the same old square-framed glasses, found Serizawa’s face again. He smiled uncertainly.

“Hey, Serizawa – long time no see?” His voice went up in tone at the end, making the statement a question. “You, uh. You look good.”

“Uh… thanks.”

They stood in awkward silence for a minute, until Minegishi gave a quiet sigh.

“Nozomu – I think we’re a little limited on time here.”

“Oh… yes! Right! Let’s get to it.” Hatori seemed relieved, hand going up to ruffle hair that already looked as though he’d stuck his finger in an electrical socket. He waved them in, hurrying through a sparsely-furnished living room to the enormous computer set-up occupying most of one wall.

Four large monitors formed one huge screen that stretched almost floor to ceiling. Serizawa stared in awe at the screens, one filled with scrolling text boxes, another with the plain text and code of an open terminal.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about the clutter.” Hatori looked up at Serizawa and then quickly away again, hurriedly closing windows and tabs. “Toshiki said, uh, you needed my help with something? Finding your boss?”

Serizawa breathed easier, focusing. “Yes, please. We know where he was taken from, so we were hoping, maybe you could see if there were any cameras there, and if you’d be able to get the footage…?”

He trailed off awkwardly; the idea sounded impossible, putting it out like that. But Hatori was nodding, fingers flying over the keyboard as he pulled up a map.

“I’m really better with radio signals – you’re lucky that I’ve been honing the use of my powers on computer tech lately. At work I keep fixing problems no one else can fix, for some reason.” Hatori grinned, just a little mischievously. “The problem comes when the other guys ask me to show them how I did it – I’ve had to get creative.”

Minegishi snorted. Hatori flicked a grin his way before returning to the map in front of him.

“Okay. There might be a police cam on that corner, but not all of those are connected to the internet, so it might be difficult to find where the footage is actually kept… but if one of the stores along the street has a camera, I might be able to tap into the security feed…”

Hatori’s words trailed off and his eyes grew distant, no longer looking at the screen but instead somewhere else, a virtual world only he could see. Windows began popping up on the screen all on their own, showing still images of random bits of city street. They each only remained for a moment before closing again, to make way for another in quick succession, all without Hatori ever touching a keyboard.

“Holy shit,” Tsuchiya whispered from behind Serizawa. “‘Better with radio signals’ my ass.” Serizawa could only nod.

Finally a window stayed open, showing only an empty, darkened street. Hatori blinked rapidly, as though clearing his vision, and looked up at Serizawa.

“Point me the exact location again?”

Serizawa gestured silently to the spot on the map where they’d found Reigen’s belongings. Hatori nodded in satisfaction.

“We got lucky – there’s a convenience store across the street that has a cam. I think that spot should appear on screen.

Serizawa’s buzzing panic began to clash with a sprouting seed of hope as a new browser window opened and a download bar began counting down. By the time the download was complete, Serizawa’s skin was beginning to itch with the tension. Hatori pulled up the footage file from the entire day before, and the whole group leaned in a little closer.

Serizawa’s heart was pounding. “Start from six o’clock in the afternoon, the last time I saw him. That way we know we won’t miss him.”

Hatori shrugged, but scrolled the viewing bar to the requested time and started the footage, sped up. The video quality wasn’t great; a little pixelated, and the camera lens hadn’t been cleaned in a while, blurring the view. Yet it was still obvious when a person flashed by on the screen.

At each stranger’s appearance, their movements made abrupt and jerky from the speed, Serizawa’s heart leapt and then plummeted in disappointment. Minutes ticked by in the corner of the window, then an hour; the scene before them grew dimmer as it darkened with the setting sun, Serizawa’s hopes dimming with it.

Please, he thought, despite the sick twisting of his stomach that told him this was hopeless. Please please please…

He recognized Reigen the instant he appeared on the screen.

“Stop!”

Hatori hit pause, rewound to the first instant Reigen appeared, and then hit play in real time. Serizawa drank in the lanky form of his boss striding confidently down the sidewalk. He’d walked almost too far, almost out of sight of the camera’s lens, when a car pulled up next to him.

Despite its futility, Serizawa felt the urge to scream a warning to Reigen. When the two people appeared behind him, dressed all in formless dark clothing, he wanted yell at him to run, to run now. But of course, that would be useless. All he could do was stare at the screen, fists clenched, as one of them extended something compact and dark.

Reigen fell.

Reigen did not get up again.

Watching his prone, twitching body, Serizawa found he could not breathe deeply enough, a choking mass of horror suffusing his chest. He wanted to close his eyes, to look away. He could not tear his gaze from the screen.

One of the anonymous enemy leaned over Reigen; Serizawa stiffened when he saw a gleam of light reflect off something small.

A gun? A knife?

A third person appeared from the gloom, a woman with a medium skin tone and short dark hair. She stood with a confident, commanding bearing that told Serizawa instantly that she was in charge. The woman made a signal with her hands, directing one of the others to open the back of the sedan and climb in. She then motioned at Reigen’s limp body, which levitated, following the person into the car. It took Serizawa a second to remember that wasn’t normal, and provided a new piece of the puzzle.

Reigen had been kidnapped by espers.

The car drove away, leaving the scene once again an empty stretch of cracked sidewalk and blank building wall. If he squinted, Serizawa could see the shape of Reigen’s wallet left on the ground.

The silence held, six people watching the seconds continue to tick by.

Serizawa realized he was trembling.

And that the room around them, too, was shaking, just a little, as if in echo of his rage and terror. But Serizawa could no longer see the room, too obscured by the writhing mass of his own aura.

They’d just… taken him. Right off the street. There was nothing he could have done to prepare, to prevent it. And he still had no idea who these people were, or why they’d taken Reigen. Or if Reigen was even alive.

All the hope he’d allowed to build up, despite his best efforts to crush it back down, collapsed into a crumpled heap.

For all he knew, he’d just watched Reigen’s death occur right in front of him.

The room shuddered again, stronger this time as his power boiled and leapt. It pushed, shoving at the boundaries of control he’d worked so hard to build and fortify.

He had so much power.

He was so powerless.

Serizawa was drowning, and there was nothing for him to hold onto.

The red-haired man, backlit hand outstretched.

“Let me teach you to use your power correctly.”

But he hadn’t. Serizawa had been as trapped as he ever was.

“As long as I’m with you, you’ll be fine.”

He’d been lied to by everyone around him, including, most damningly, himself.

“You cannot survive on your own.”

But… no, wait... that wasn’t right.

The President had been wrong .

“Serizawa, he was only using you for your power. You told me this, you know this; you just have to keep reminding yourself of it.”

A brief loss of control over his powers had resulted in a shattered mug, easily contained by a wave of Shigeo’s hand. A small mistake, but representing all of Serizawa’s deepest doubts and fears – he’d sunk to the floor, shaking hands pressed to his face. Reigen’s voice, softly encouraging, was all it took; Serizawa had spilled his demons into Reigen’s confident, ever-moving hands.

“That kind of ‘help’ was nothing more than another trap. He kept you dependent on him, so that he could use you.”

Reigen pointed at him.

“Your powers are a tool, a tool only you can decide to do good or ill with. They are a part of you, but they do not control you. You need to convince yourself of that, so that you depend wholly on yourself. And that might not be an easy thing; you’ve had a lifetime to convince yourself otherwise. It’s going to take some time, and mistakes will happen. In fact, mistakes are part of the process.”

He smiled, crossing his arms.

“Just remember that Mob is here for you, and so am I, for when you need support. Until you reach the point where you can stand on your own two feet, even in the most dire of circumstances and most tumultuous of emotions. I have no doubt you will succeed; you’re under my tutelage, after all!”

Serizawa’s powers wanted to rage, to throw themselves upon everything and everyone around him, to rip and smash and destroy.

But they belonged to him.

One last frisson of energy rolled through the room, less an uncontrolled outburst than a prickle of cold, determined outrage, shifting unsettlingly across walls and floors and skin.

He was better than he’d been in Claw. And he would stay that way. It was the only way he’d be able to get Reigen back. No more explosions; he couldn’t afford it right now. He’d let himself go later, when he knew whether Reigen was alive, when he had him back, and safe.

The room, at last, was still. Serizawa looked up, and blinked at the five pairs of eyes fixed on him.

“Um… s-sorry,” Serizawa said, panting a little. He swallowed. “Won’t – won’t happen again.”

Tsuchiya slowly placed a picture frame back onto the desk it had fallen off of.

Serizawa looked around in surprise: the frame was the only item that had fallen in the entire room. He breathed a bit easier; he’d failed to keep his powers trapped beneath his skin but contained their actual impact, so while the other espers in the room had been able to see the battle he’d waged, it had made almost no effect on the physical world. Almost.

He glanced at Tsuchiya. “Ah, thanks for catching that.”

She shrugged well-muscled shoulders, not entirely hiding her unease. “Hell, what are friends for?”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, only now convinced the danger had passed. Hatori gave Serizawa a shaky smile.

“Wow, look at that. We always thought you’d never be able to survive outside of Claw.”

Serizawa sighed, closing his eyes in weariness. “You and me both, at the time.”

When he opened them again, Hatori had rewound the video to the moment something had flashed in one of the kidnapper’s hands.

Koyama frowned. “I thought that was a knife, but is that… a syringe?”

“Yes, yes I think so,” Sakurai said, nodding a little more earnestly than he might have usually. “It’s got to be a drug to knock him unconscious.”

Serizawa peered at the image, fearing they might be lying to him. But yes, yes that made sense. Just knocking him out. Just unconscious. Not dead.

Minegishi studied the screen, arms crossed. “Well, not much luck on the why, but at least we’ve got some visuals on the who. At least one esper.” He softly touched the image of the woman on-screen, then turned to face the others.

“I think it might be best for us to take a break at this point. It will give Hatori a chance to look through everything more closely and see if we’ve missed anything. Right Hatori?”

“Oh, uh of course! I can try; anything is possible.” Hatori had already excised the section of footage featuring the kidnapping, and was now running it through a software that broke it down frame by frame. He dragged his eyes from the screen to pull a flash drive from the computer, and press it into Serizawa’s palm.

“A copy of the clip, just in case,” he said absently, before turning back to his monitors. Serizawa slid the drive into his pocket. He never wanted to see that video again, if he could help it.

“A break will also give some of us,” Minegishi continued, looking pointedly at Serizawa, “the chance to get some sleep. We can start again in the morning, fresh.”

Serizawa clenched his fists in frustration. “We wasted all this time to get that video hoping it would lead us to him, and it’s basically useless. How can I possibly sleep now, when we have to figure out why the hell espers wanted Reigen and-”

Minegishi was unruffled. “You’re exhausted. You’re going to run yourself into the ground like this. How, exactly, does that help Reigen?”

“And it wasn’t useless,” Tsuchiya said, a hand going to his shoulder. “It looks like they took him alive. He’s alive, Serizawa. You’ve got to remember that. And the way they took him, there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t keep him alive.”

Serizawa closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He felt the fatigue settling deeper into his bones, dragging at his limbs and enveloping his mind. As much as he hated to stop moving forward, Reigen deserved him at his best.

Alive . For now, it was all he could hold onto.

***

The dream took a different path, this time.

The President raised his hand for a killing blow, Reigen and Shou staring up with wide, fearful eyes. Serizawa had to get in front of them, protect them, save them. That’s what had happened, back then, he told the dream stubbornly. The dream disagreed.

Serizawa started to run to them, but his limbs wouldn’t respond to his brain. They moved sluggishly, as though dragged down by thick, clinging mud. It did not matter that he knew he was supposed to be moving faster, that he was capable of so much more speed. In his head, a voice was screaming. The voice was his own.

He didn’t make it in time.

The President’s power flashed in an eruption of smoke, in a boom of subsonic sound Serizawa didn’t hear so much as feel, like a spasm in his chest.

And Reigen fell.

No, NO! This wasn’t right! Wait, Shou, where… where was Shou…

And in the way of dreams, Reigen’s body was suddenly smaller, with bright red hair. So small, and so very still.

They were both gone, because he had failed.

Serizawa bolted upright.

“S-Shou?”

He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, breathing heavily, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his back. Eyes cleared, he looked around his dark bedroom, almost certain he’d see someone there, someone with a familiar, bright, sparkling aura…

There was no one else there.

Serizawa eased out of bed, all his senses on alert, psychic and otherwise. Yet, nothing seemed out of place. His lights were off and he could hear the familiar dripping of the leaky faucet in his bathroom. His shed clothes lay in a heap where he’d left them, just below the window. The window which was, he noticed with a start, wide open. And he was pretty sure it had only been cracked when he’d finally fallen into fitful sleep…

He moved to the window, scanning the view of the empty lot outside for anything out of place. Still, nothing. He must have just left the window all the way open and forgotten about it.

A breeze blew in, unusually cool for this time of year. It fluttered along his sweat-slicked skin and he shivered.

Maybe the wind had been responsible for the odd feeling that someone… someone had just been here. Or, you know, maybe he was just going out of his mind with worry and paranoia, and needed to stop imagining things that weren’t there.

Serizawa rubbed a hand down his face and slid the window shut. He returned to bed, bundled himself back into his sheets, and waited for sleep that refused to return.

***

“Ok, so that was a little close for comfort.” Shou slid into the seat across from Teru, slapping a flash drive down on the café table triumphantly. “I might have banged a foot on the windowsill on my way out. But here, I was right – Hatori always backs up everything. Typical nerd.”

Teru tried to pretend he hadn’t jumped at Shou’s abrupt entrance and casually put his phone face down on the table, taking up the flash drive instead. He plugged the drive into his laptop, selecting the only file on it. As the video software began to load, he shot Shou a look of disgust.

“Please, speak up a little more. I think only half the café heard the details of your act of breaking and entering.”

“What, all these people?” Shou flung his hands out, gesturing at the almost empty coffee shop. “Calm the fuck down, nobody cares.”

The middle-aged waitress who’d been eyeing Teru for the last half-hour began approaching their table, frowning. Teru sighed, and minimized the video player so that his screen displayed only the series of math problems he’d been using as a cover.

The waitress stopped at their table, suspicious eyes settling on Shou.

“Everything alright with you boys? It seems a bit late for you two to be out; do you need me to call anyone for you?”

Teru met Shou’s gaze, warning him to keep his mouth shut, then brushed gleaming hair out of his face and gazed sorrowfully up at the waitress.

“Oh, no, ma’am, we’re fine. I’m so sorry if my friend got a little too loud. He’s just upset about a geometry problem he hasn’t quite grasped, and was expressing his distress.”

The waitress focused on Teru, her frown softening, seeming to forget that Shou was there. Teru, accustomed to this response, immediately took advantage.

“I’m so sorry for the late hour; ‘all-night café’ doesn’t give anyone the excuse to get rowdy, does it?” Teru shook his head, as if asking how anyone could be so rude as to disturb the peace in the middle of the night.

“I’ve been trying to find time to tutor my friend here, but my poor mother’s failing health means I don’t want to stay up late at home, keeping her up. And Shou’s house… Shou’s house is not really the best working environment.” He sighed sadly, his voice suffused with mournful insinuation. The waitress nodded in understanding.

“Getting into a good high school is just so important, and I’d be absolutely devastated if my young friend Shou doesn’t make it into the same school I got into.” Teru lowered his eyes modestly. “Moutarde de Dijon Preparatory High, perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

“Oh, my!” The waitress’s eyes rounded at the name of what certainly must be one of the highest-ranked high schools in the prefecture. Teru sighed again and shook his head woefully, lowering his voice, inviting her to join him in pitying his poor, geometrically-inept friend.

“He really needs the extra help; I do hope you don’t mind? I’d simply hate to be a bother.”

“Ah, oh! That’s so nice of you to help your friend. No, no, that’s fine; I can tell you’re good, hard-working boys.”

Teru beamed at the waitress, who blinked, confronted with such a pure expression of radiant gratitude.

“Oh, thank you. He promises he’ll keep it down, right Shou?” They both turned to look across the table. Teru took the opportunity to shoot him a glare that promised violence and suffering if he didn’t agree. Shou rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue.

Teru snapped the smile back on his face as the waitress turned her attention inexorably back to him.

“You boys study hard now. Let me know if you need anything.” She walked back to the counter, seeming a bit dazed.

Shou, Teru was gratified to see, looked a little unnerved.

“That was creepy as hell. Don’t do that again.”

Teru propped a hand under his chin and turned his smile on Shou, upping the wattage to blinding levels of incandescence.

“Do what?”

“Shut up – you know what. That… that teacher’s pet thing. It’s weird, coming from you.”

Teru snickered, but dropped the act, turning his attention back to the screen and pulling the video window back up. Shou scooted a chair up closer to him, peering at the screen as Teru hit play.

All humor drained from Teru as he watched; he couldn’t keep himself from flinching when Reigen was hit.

Oh no, no, oh fuck, no you DON’T-

Shou startled him by reaching out a hand to pause the video. He stared, pale eyes narrowed, at the figure of the woman on the screen, one side of her face dimly illuminated as she gestured at Reigen’s body.

Shou spoke without looking away from the image.

“I know her.”

“You what?”

“I mean, I recognize her; I don’t know her personally.” An eye roll. “But I’ve seen her at the building they’re keeping my dad at.”

Teru was taken aback. “You know where they’re holding your dad?”

“Um, yeah, duh. I make it my business to know everything about my parents, including their whereabouts. It’s safer for me.”

Safer?

Chagrin flashed in Shou’s face, so fast that Teru almost missed it.

“I mean… it keeps me ahead of anything that concerns me, ya know?” He threw Teru a side-eyed look. “How irresponsible do you think I am?”

Teru shut his teeth tight on his automatic, scathing response.

“Ahem. I suppose… I thought you wouldn’t have bothered keeping track of him. Were you not trying to kill him before?”

“No, I was trying to stop him. I-” Shou bit his words off mid-sentence, eyes flashing bright with anger. “The point is, they might be keeping Reigen at the same place. And I know where that place is. So pack up your shit, and let’s go already.”

Teru continued to study the laptop screen, committing as much information to memory as he could about the people who had taken Reigen. He then pulled out his phone, ignoring Shou’s intense gaze and tapping leg.

“You’ve got to be kidding me-”

“Get off my ass, I just have to send a text.”

Teru stared again at the message he’d received three hours ago and, for once, not been excited to see its sender pop up on the screen.

    🐱Shigeo😊  

    Saturday 10:06 pm

    Hi Teru I’m confused about some of the math for the summer hmwk, and you said you had time to meet up this week? What about tmrw?

Teru hesitated only a moment more before typing the message he’d spent most of the past three hours considering.

    🌟Teru🌟

    Sunday 1:14 am

    Of course, I’d love to help! 😄 Unfortunately I can’t tomorrow, something’s come up and I’m not sure exactly how long it’ll take to resolve. 😑 But I’ll let you know as soon as I’m free!

Teru turned off his phone and shoved it into his pocket before stuffing the laptop back in his bag.

“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“Oh, are you sure you’re done? I know how important it is that you text everyone and their dog about what hairstyle you’re wearing this week.”

“Please, that’s what Instagram is for. Far more efficient. Time is of the essence in kidnapping cases, you know.”

Shou flung his hands in the air in exasperation, keeping them raised as he marched out the café door, which opened before him all on its own. Teru followed as nonchalantly as possible, waving goodbye to the motherly waitress to distract her from the front door’s sudden and mysterious flair for the dramatics.

[aja154ever]

High☆Speed Free! Starting Days Event – 03/19/2017 Evening

Again, as in my previous event reports, I am posting this for the record, and for my feelings. ^_^ I’ve been busy these past few days so this came in late. Again this is based on my limited Japanese skills and memories. (Also thanks to other reports I used as reference @aitaikimochi @what-isti )

FREE! is a very precious anime to me. I have soooooo much love for this anime. The story is really beautiful, so I hate it when people judge the anime by its appearance (it’s not all fan service; you know it’s a swimming anime so being half-naked is common sense). I just want people to see that it offers something more than the characters’ bodies. You also do not have to be a fujoshi to appreciate it (I don’t mind the ships; as for me I can still watch Free! objectively and see that the characters’ relationships are platonically normal for guys)

I actually had no plans of going to this event because I am way too attached on the Free! anime series. High Speed is a bit different; sure Haru and Makoto are still there but it just pains me that the others (both characters and seiyuu) aren’t. I did not even buy the High Speed DVD where the lottery ticket for the event was enclosed. But it was Haru and Shimazaki Nobunaga’s fault! Lol To keep the explanation short, Haru is who you would call my ultimate husbando in the anime world lolol. I just thought that this could be the last chance for me to hear his voice live because I no longer expect Free! to have more events like this in the future. I mean I can still meet Zakki in his other events because I really do want to meet this seiyuu too, but as Haru, there might be no next time. In the end, I couldn’t resist not going to this precious event so when I found out that the general ticket sale was still ongoing, I bought one immediately. It was pretty much late (it was March 6 already OMG) so the seat I got was not really good. It was in the far, far end of Ryogoku stadium and worse, I had their backs facing me. But because the stage/pool is at the center of the stadium, the seiyuus do not necessarily always face just one side of the audience.

Okay, that’s too long for an introduction! Sorry, I got carried away lol. Report under the cut!

ハイ☆スピード！－Free! Starting Days－』岩鳶中学水泳部 記録会お疲れ様パーティー

The format was basically the same as the 2015 event. The event began with the seiyuus going up the stage one by one in the ff. order, greeting the audience with their respective characters’ middle school voices.

Shimazaki Nobunaga (Zakki) – Nanase Haruka

Suzuki Tatsuhisa (Tatsun) – Tachibana Makoto

Toyonaga Toshiyuki (Toshi) – Shiina Asahi

Uchiyama Kouki – Kirishima Ikuya

Nojima Kenji  – Kirishima Natsuya

Hino Satoshi – Serizawa Nao

Zakki opens the event as Haru declares, “Take your mark. Ready, go!” They then proceeded to their seats around the pool. There are only six of them so they took their own benches. They first talked about how the fans who came to the day event were all posting “Yabai!” on social media after the event. It was a hint about new projects for Free! but the fans cannot spill the news yet because it still needs to be a surprise for the evening event.

Furikaeri

 Scenes, personally chosen by each character/seiyuu, were then played on the screen/pool followed by comments from the cast.

*Final relay scene - Toshi’s chosen scene (which turns out to be Tatsun’s choice, too)

We’re just getting started but this is the first scene that plays (omg my feelings) Toshi highlights Asahi’s part where he thanked Haru and Makoto. Tatsun comments that there is no other scene to be chosen but this. You know, it’s the relay that the four finally makes – the pinnacle of everything, the climax. Zakki counters that there are other good scenes, too. Tatsun laughs, “Oy, you’re setting the bar high for yourself!” as everyone would have expectations for Zakki’s chosen scene.

*Haru and Natsuya scene, where Natsuya helps Haru carry stuff and chats a little bit esp about Ikuya – Nojima-san’s chosen scene

They joked about how Natsuya is concerned about Ikuya but does not talk to Ikuya directly. They compared it to a typical father who shyly, reluctantly, asks stuff about his son through his mother rather than talking to his son properly. Meanwhile, the scene also shows how Natsuya and Haru’s relationship is basically in good terms.

*Natsuya and Nao scene, where they talk about the four – Hino-san’s chosen scene

They likened it to two drunk men talking about other people while drinking. lol. They also liked how Natsuya thinks highly of his brother as when he said, “Sugoi darou, ore no otouto (Isn’t he amazing, my little brother).”

*Makoto and Haru swimming and talk scene – Tatsun’s chosen scene (apparently he has chosen another one too)

“Ore, kawaii! (I’m cute!)” – that’s the first thing Tatsun blurts out as soon as the video ended. Lol. They then corrected that it was Makoto who was cute. 

Tatsun shares that there is a moment when he himself is surprised that such a kind of voice comes out of him. It was like the Makoto in him that spoke for a moment and not Suzuki Tatsuhisa the seiyuu. (Awww Tatsun you really love Makoto huhu)

Zakki and Tatsun lay down on the pool/floor and imitated the scene where Haru and Makoto lay down next to each other. The seiyuus also envied how good it feels to just dive into the water and swim freely with all your clothes on as is.

*Sleepover at Haru’s house scene, where Ikuya’s ears redden as he shyly admits how he feels for the team – Kouki’s chosen scene

Kouki also comments how cute he, Ikuya rather, is on that scene. They also comment on Asahi’s straightforwardness.

*Ikuya scene where everyone runs after him – Zakki’s chosen scene

I was really anticipating Zakki’s chosen scene because of Tatsun’s taunt earlier. And so I really liked it that he chose this scene. It was really more of an Ikuya scene, but Zakki shares that this was also a turning point for Haru as he reflects on his own feelings and comes to a realization. Toshi comments how amazed he was with the words that Haru said at that moment. “Ore ya Natsuya-senpai no ushiro janakute, minna no yoko ni narabe (Don’t stand behind me or Natsuya-senpai. Stand in line beside everyone).” Was this something a middle school kid says? That is why Ikuya cries loudly soon after with Toshi acting the “Uwaaaaaa” part. (Awww that was really touching huhuhu) It was all in all an important scene for the team.

Iwatobi Chuugakkou Suieibu Training

The cast plays a board game. The pool flashes the letters I-W-A-T-O-B-I.  They roll a huge dice as they step on the letters and stop in accordance with the number on the dice. Each letter corresponds to an action. Zakki pairs up with Tatsun, Kouki with Toshi, and Nojima-san and Hino-san. Kouki and Toshi got to play first as they landed at “O” which stands for “Oyasumi (Break time).” They comment that the game was just getting started but then they’re having a break already lol. The pool shows a video comment from Suzuki Chihiro, Kisumi’s seiyuu. He also gets to make the audience chant “Ki-su-mi” then he sends a flying kiss. (You know the inside joke that Kisumi’s name can be translated as “Kiss me” :* )

Meanwhile Zakki and Tatsun end up in a game where they had to have matching answers. The first question was what is something that they would have in their bento boxes. Zakki comments that this is the only possible answer. They then show up their whiteboards which as expected have “Saba” as their answer. The next question asks what’s the first thing they do after getting out of the pool. Unfortunately, they had different answers. Zakki answers the gesture that Haru does with his hair after rising from the water. Tatsun clears it out that it has to be the thing that they do after getting out of the pool. So his answer was removing water from his ear. Oh well. The last question was, “Who from the characters would they want to have as their little brother?” Kouki reacts violently that this question isn’t good. In the end, Zakki and Tatsun both answers “Ikuya.” So they had 2/3 matching answers which was good enough. The prize was a customized Iwatobi milk pack which they made Kouki drink (because Ikuya isn’t fond of milk).

It turned out to be a really fun game as the cast kept on landing on the letter “B” that made them go back three steps, which is “A.” They joked that they were there just to do a “sanpo (walk).” Meanwhile Kouki and Toshi advanced more than anyone else and even landed on the letter that gave them the power to make a team go back a few steps. They chose Zakki and Tatsun’s team. Eventually, Kouki and Toshi won the game.

A drama CD played as an introduction to the live drama acting which came in next. It was about the岩鳶中学水泳部 記録会お疲れ様パーティー (rough translation: Iwatobi Middle School Swimming Club Track Meet Thank you Party) Everyone goes to Ikuya and Natsuya-senpai’s house for the celebration. Ikuya was complaining how his brother did not do anything to help in the preparation. It was their mom who did the cooking, which everyone liked.

They played games after eating as they teamed up in unexpected pairs: Asahi and Makoto, Ikuya and Nao-senpai, and Haru and Natsuya-senpai. Makoto and Asahi were tasked to speak in Kansai accent. Asahi did a ridiculous tongue twister to which Toshi really did a great job eliciting applause and cheers from the audience. He was then teased into singing a random chant he made up on the spot. (It was really cute because he was singing in his middle school voice!!) Toshi takes a chance to get revenge as he was able to tease Tatsun into singing on the spot. Tatsun was complaining how this was not supposed to happen and that no one took notice of how Makoto did his best to speak in Kansai. Tatsun didn’t really want to sing but everyone, the audience and the cast, kept on bugging him. He tried to change the topic saying that Makoto can do other things as well, like reading Haru’s mind. They then stared at each other and Tatsun finally gives in as Haru’s mind says that he wants Makoto to sing. And OMG OMG TATSUN DID IT. He sang High Speed’s theme song, Aching Horns, in his middle school Makoto voice. It was sooooooo damn cuuuuuuute T.T Such an angelic moment Tatsun, thank you!

Meanwhile, for Haru and Natsuya-senpai’s turn, they made Haru dip underwater. Zakki just sat there covering his face with his knees. Haru was taking a loooong time under which made everyone worried that something bad may have happened to him. When Haru rose, he said he was completely fine and apparently was just savoring the moment. (Ofc you guys should’ve known this because he’s Haru and the safest place he can be is in the water right ^_^)

A video comment from Miyano Mamoru, Matsuoka Rin’s seiyuu came in next. (I almost jumped from my seat out of delight as I was not expecting any more video comments at this time and if ever, not from Rin because he barely appeared in the movie lol) And being Mamo, it ended up being a long message. He said himself that he only participated little in the movie as Rin’s letter. But he pointed out how Rin is a really special character to him and wants to keep acting as Rin and grow with Rin. He was happy to be able to experience “seishun (youth)” again because of Free. Whoa, I can really, really feel Mamo’s passion for Free! and his love for Rin. *sniffs* Mamo then led everyone to the next video which contains the special announcements.

The special announcements – This is what I’ve been looking forward to, since the day the event was announced. Based on the anime’s ending, season 3 isn’t expected anymore. So at least OVAs or novel and manga adaptations were to suffice. I was really surprised and delighted with High Speed even if it featured their middle school days. But after that, what’s to come for Free!? Their grade school days? Well that’s when everything began as that’s when they met Rin, but if they were to adapt this, it might be hard to keep the seiyuus.

Anyway, as soon as the VTR played showing the first frame, my tears uncontrollably began to fall. Huhuhu

My goodness, my feelings, I can no longer take this. Especially when the new Style Five song began to play, then they showed the high school Asahi and Ikuya, and then the date 4.22 ROADSHOW. 7.1 ROADSHOW. OMG There’ll be two??!! OMG What did I do to deserve this? Plus I only need to wait for a month for the first one. Then the advance ticket selling begins immediately on the Saturday of that week, 3.25. Free! What are you doing to me??!! 

Then finally, the new movie, Take Your Marks! NEW STORY and it will be shown this year also. Okay. This has been the happiest moment of my 2017. Words can no longer express how much I was feeling. I did no longer control or bother to hide it as I heard everyone beside me was also sniffing and sniffing.

The seiyuus were amazed by the audience’s reaction. They thanked the audience because it was all thanks to us that the Free! series continues. But no, I am badly thanking you also, everyone, not only the cast, but the staff. T.T I truly believe in Haru’s words “Owari nante nai! (There’s no such thing as ending!)” Toshi and Kouki were also happy that they get to act as Asahi and Ikuya once again, this time as high school students.

It was finally time to say goodbye so the seiyuus all gave their farewell and thank you messages. The cast was actually thankful to Zakki and Tatsun as everyone besides these two was relatively new to Free!. Hino-san says that they were actually saved by these two. From the start of High Speed’s recording, they felt how the atmosphere of these two was different as they already have deep connections to the series and the characters. This aided them (the supposed newcomers) to realize how precious this series is and so encouraged them do their best. Toshi bows down to the two in gratitude.

Tatsun gave the most touching message as usual, and I can really feel how deeply he loves Free! He remembers what he said in the last event in 2015, that he will play any Tachibana Makoto no matter what. He is really happy that the Free! series continues. He also shared how he even argued with the higher-ups about the casting of Nagisa and Rei in High Speed because he really wanted Wingu (Yonaga Tsubasa) and HiraDai (Hirakawa Daisuke) to be there.

The seiyuus finally made rounds to thank everyone, bowing and waving their goodbyes to all sides of the stadium. When the cast left, “See you next movie!” flashed on the screens, and I think a tear dropped again from my eye. T.T

Photos and screenshots from Official Twitter accounts:

Anyway, the DVD/Blu-ray for this event has been decided! It’ll be on sale on August 18. Yey! And ofc I’ll buy this as my souvenir/memento.

I only have one regret in this event – it’s that I did not buy the DVD so I could have joined the lottery before and so could have gotten a closer seat. Anyway, it was a fun event, though the previous one was more fun (though I haven’t gone there live) because everyone was there. I just hope that we can have an event in the future featuring the Iwatobi and Samezuka team, plus Ikuya and Asahi. Just wow. Though this is just the second seiyuu event that I’ve attended live (the first one being Bungou Stray Dogs), I just realized that you can enjoy seiyuu events best when you love the seiyuus in it and the series itself. I look forward to more events in the near future!!

[kamenowriting]

Change chapter 15

Fandom: Hakuouki ~Sweet School Life~ Summary: When Yukimura Chizuru was taking an enrollment of Hakuou Academy, she discovers that it’s an all-boys high school! So she pretends herself as a boy, though her secret can’t kept it longer. And what’s worst, a certain President of Student Council had interested in her despite she hasn’t told her real identity yet. Characters: [Kazama Chikage, Yukimura Chizuru,] [Amagiri Kyuuju & Senhime] Pairings: KazaChi, harem!Chizuru(Saitou/Hijikata/Souji/Heisuke/Yamazaki) & AmaSen Genres: Romance, school life Rated: T rated Words: 19, 423 Link: Byaichi126fic, Fanfiction.net Warnings: Grammar error, AU, OOC-ness, typos

A/N:  Aaaaaaaaahhhhh! I’m so sorry for the late-ish updating..! I wasn’t expecting to be writing this long.. probably I’ve been a little distracting of my real life. OTL

More babbling should be in FF.net

Special thank you to a very amazing person whom kindly sharing us all Hakuouki SSL sprites rips. I’ve been waiting for these for like almost 5+ YEARS or so?!! The Background however, are not made by me nor originally from Hakuouki. Most of it I found if google images obviously.

I apologized there’s no Kazama/KazaChi scene thingy since I can’t find a suitable background for those two OTL

Preview:

"By the way, Amagiri," Kazama began. "When I mentioned you about girl, who are you thinking about?"

"Pardon?"

Turning around to meet the other man's ocean-blue eyes, searching of whatever the person the red-headed man think of a moment ago.

"You have a very strange smile on your face when you were having a deep thought." Kazama narrowed his eyes. "Do you by any chance meet someone in coincidently?"

"That is…" Amagiri mumbled, not knowing what to say. "Rest to be assured, Kazama-sama," Amagiri began, averted his eyes by lowering his head down. "for whoever woman or girl I thought of a moment ago doesn't have to do with you or Yukimura-dono."

"Oh…? You're sharp." Kazama commented. "Well, whatever. If your words are honest, then I suppose I shouldn't have to worry about."

“Sexual harassment..? Oh no, of course I’m not intending to do that.”

“Then what is?”

“I saw her looking a little down. I was expecting she was a bit cold or something. So I gave her a medicine as my Christmas gift to make sure she’s fine. It would be a little troublesome if a guest falls a sick in a Christmas Eve such as this.” Sannan explained, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

“Whether she’s sick or not, touching her without permission is still known as sexual harassment.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Your Christmas gift.” Kazama stated clearly.

“I… I don’t have a Christmas present for you.. I-I’m sorry Kazama-senpai.”

“Oh, I think you’re already have by now.”

“Eh?”

As she blinked in confused of his words, the President’s face starting to move closer to hers, and, oh she knows what does those words meant about.

Feelings her cheeks burnt up in red from embarrassingly, she pushed his face away to stop him from whatever he’s trying to scheme of.

“Wait, wait, wait..! This is..! It’s too soon!” She exclaimed in panic, her ears began to flush as well.

He can’t do that in here…!

"I suggest that we must return to your manor in haste." Amagiri break Sen's thought of his and Kimigiku's relationship, her eyes lift up into the ocean-blue ones. "Wouldn't want Miss Kimigiku worry of you more."

"Oh.. of course!," with that, Sen hopped on her heels while walking next to the red-headed man a little closer.

She wondered.. would she ever gets an answer about whatever kinds of feeling she had for this man…?

Chapter 15

Ever since meeting the red-headed man that day, flashback starting to occur in her dream. There, the little Suzuka watched her friend and Kosuzu played along with the other kids. Knowing that there are boys at the playground, Sen eventually refused to play along with them; rather watching the others having fun without her.

Envy of how fun they're all had, Sen lets her sigh released from her lips.

If it wasn't for that man, she wouldn't…

"Don't you wanna play with them?"

A male voice around possible 14 years spoke to her as he stood next to Sen but not close to her personal space.

"There are boys over there. I hate them."

"Why? I do not remember they have done something terrible to you,"

"Of course they haven't…" she paused. "…yet. Sooner or later, they might pick a fight after this."

With that, the teenager nodded and murmured.

"..I suppose, there's a chance."

Glaring on the other male, Sen began to speak.

"What are you doing here anyway? You didn't come here to talk to me right?"

"In truth, not really. I've come here just to make sure my lord won't do something crazily."

"Oh, pretty sure he already did by now."

Sen said with an uninterested tone on her lips, as she rolled her eyes on elsewhere.

"However, when I saw you sitting here, I just thought you need someone accompany."

"Oh yeah, maybe I do, thank you very much." Sen replied sarcastically.

"I apologized if my presence nuisance to you." The teenager said apologetically. "If you want me to leave, then, I'll leave."

Upon of leaving the Suzuka alone, Sen sighed and replied lowly.

"Your presence is not nuisance or anything." With that, the other person looked at her in a hidden perplexed. "I have my own reasons why I'm being this way toward you and other boys. I won't tell you any further as it doesn't has to do with you."

At that, Sen was expecting that the teenager boy would eventually take a leave after all, but instead…

"Then, if you don't mind, I'll stay here with you until evening then."

"Sure, sure. Only one circumstance though," Sen grabbed a stick and drew a line on the ground about a few millimeter away from hers and the other person. "Don't you dare step into this line, got it?"

With that, the teenager boy gave a soft chuckled as a reply. It wasn't in insult or sarcastic however. Instead, it was more as… amusing.

"As you wish, Miss Sen."

With that, the two watched the other kids having fun at the playground.

Before her flashback began to end, Sen took a time to glance on the other person's amazing red hair.

It was the most beautiful hair color she had ever seen.

…And she would never forget it no matter how many years would come.

As the dream starting to fade away, the older Suzuka began to flutter her eyes opened, took a gaze on the ceiling above her.

A man with an amazing red hair.

It has the same color as the man yesterday.

To think, her past starting to replay back in her at a time like this. …Not that she bothered or something. It's almost as if the dream wanted to know that the man in her past was the most important person in her life. The dream wanted to make sure that there are many male she can trusted of, beside Kazama and Shiranui(?). Although it's hard to say what she sees of the tan-skinned man, but she does finds Shiranui a bit nuisance as he had a similar vibe of being a bad boy or delinquent, in which, Sen did not hesitated distrust him.

Speaking of the red-headed man,

It's complicated to say what kind of feeling she'd felt for him. He's not annoying like Kazama. He's not even a playboy like Shiranui. Despite he had a same age between Kazama and Shiranui, yet, almost everything about him is more like 20 years old or so…? She didn't know.. she can't tell.. but for sure… little by little, she'd starting to open up a little because of his gentle and kindness toward her. The chains that been tied up in her heart slowly starting to loosen up.

She wondered.. is it a good idea to give a chance to open up that red-headed man? What if, he's been playing on her to take a chance to hurt her? …Well, for an older man with a gentle smile, there's a higher doubt that he would break her apart.

Even so…

"Osen-neesan!" Kosuzu's voice brings her back to reality. "Breakfast had prepared!"

As soon as her thought about that man started to disappear because of her sister's cheerful chirp, Sen gave the most beautiful smile on her face, hopped off from her bed as she readying herself to go to school.

Beside she's getting exciting for school, there are another thing she's exciting more;

Serizawa Christmas Party.

To think, she getting invited to someone else's party, and not to mention it, from the red-headed man of course.

Knowing that he'll be her partner to accompany her all the way to Serizawa Christmas Party, he might've wearing a very gorgeous black tuxedo with a blue rose that attached on his right pocket.

She has to admit it though, his hair really needs to fix by at least cut it off reached to his neck or something, combed in neat as well to make sure men and women see him in respectful and polite.

But, of course. She doubted that he would listen her opinion.

Serizawa Christmas Party, huh? Sen thought to herself as she eyed on her highschool uniform in her drawer.

Once she finally grabbed her clothes, her smile began wider than ever.

Let's meet again, Mr. Red-Headed Man.

Meanwhile with Kazama,

after he'd accompanied his beautiful and graceful girlfriend all the way to Hakuou Academy by walking, the couple has to part away at the gate as he needs to finish his paperwork as soon as possible by today. It's disappointed to him however that he didn't get to spend a pleasant times with her as it almost about Christmas after all.

Chizuru's reply, however, that she didn't mind if she wouldn't get accompanied with the President a little longer since she needs to get some things in her locker after all. She highly doubted that the President is going to be amused having around with… commoner friends such as Heisuke and Souji. The part of commoner word is not from Chizuru's lips of course. It's belonged to none other than the richest, yet arrogant President. Who would it be beside him? The brunette would never call her friends that way.

Before parting away, Kazama replied with his famous smirk on his face and giving Chizuru a goodbye kiss(on cheek), which, as usual, the young brunette's face was flushing in red from embarrassment. She's still far from innocent to receive a kiss on the lips. He would be a very patient as he wanted to until she's getting used to kissing on her cheeks.

Every parts of his-soon-to-be-wife often amused him. Knowing that she's not like any other rich girl, she's quite innocent, kind, and often cares and worries of her friends surrounding her than herself. then again, that must be an effect after losing her parent in a very young age. Then again, the President actually prefers this kind of girl he's seeking for.

"Now then, what kind of special Christmas gift should I give her?" Kazama said, scheming onto something, while putting his fingers on his chin. "Since she had a feeling for me after all, this would take an opportunity to give her engagement ring when her graduation has finally come." The President nodded in proudly as he had some more plans that's related to his girlfriend and… trouble.

"But where's the fun would be then?" Kazama smirked at that but soon starting to fade away as he realized giving an engagement ring is a bit too much. ..Well, since Christmas Eve is around the corner, the President has to give her the most perfect Christmas present to make sure Chizuru could only sees him and him only. Not anyone else.

As the President was having a deep thought, he realized he wasn't alone in the office.

Eyeing on a familiar broad shoulders of the red-headed man, Kazama began to break the silent toward the other man.

"So, Amagiri," Kazama began, waiting for his personal servant eyed on him. "In your opinions about girls, what's the best gift would she likes the most?"

"Opinions about girls?" Amagiri blinked. "I assume, you must've referred to Yukimura-dono, yes?"

"Obviously?"

With that, Amagiri starting to have a deep thought for a moment, putting his fingers on his chin. It took a short moment then he finally answer.

"How about flowers?" The red-headed man started. "Maybe some cute things like plushie, and cushions? Girls also like sweet things like ice cream." As he stopped right there, his memory replay back how much he admired the older Suzuka loves sweet things truly, especially parfait.

"It look like you're enjoying sweet things."

"Well yeah. Of course most women likes sweet things. No other female could ever dislikes sweet stuff… unless they're into strange taste."

Amagiri gave the warmest smile on his face as he repeated those moments over and over without feeling bored. Meeting the older Suzuka was like Kami's approving their unexpected fate.

As the President observed the red-headed man very carefully, he noticed for a moment that something's not right about the other man. It wasn't in a bad way. It was more like… very unlike of the red-headed man. Amagiri, the most polite(definitely not Kazama's word) and gentle(and so this) person, gave the gentlest smile on his face right in front of him. Very much unlike him at all. If Shiranui had already seen that, he must've called the ambulance by now.

Well, for whatever it is, it must've related to girls and women since Kazama does talk about Chizuru for a moment. For whoever girl or woman Amagiri thinking of, the President was hoping that it's not his girlfriend knowing that every part of her is belonged to his and his only.

And yes, Kazama Chikage can be quite possessive when it comes to partner or lover.

He's not the kind of person who could share his property to anyone else, especially not to the commoner.

"Flowers? Cushions and plushies? Don't be ridiculous." Kazama spoke confidently. "As if my soon-to-be-wife would like such a cheap gift as that especially when Christmas party is coming."

"That's just my opinion about girls, Kazama-sama. After all, you did tells me my thoughts about girls' gift."

"I guess you're right.." Kazama murmured, in which leaves silent moment formed in the office then.

Until a few seconds or so, Amagiri break the silent.

"Well… what about sweet things? I'm sure that Yukimura-dono would be very glad to have a taste of strawberry parfait." Especially if it's in homemade by you, Amagiri thought at the last part. But he highly doubted that Kazama would made a parfait on his own, knowing that the President had never come to kitchen since he described that place a bit oily, and hot, in which, doesn't suit a rich son to visit such a place like that.

"I would give a gift that could cherish that thing until eternity. Food can't stand last forever." Kazama complaint stubbornly, putting his hand on his chin as his thought filled with the brunette girl, whom wearing such a beautiful, lovely wedding gown. He wondered what kind of reaction would Chizuru made if the President ever gives her a wedding gown…? Then again, he highly doubted that she likes that idea..

I did suggested you some plushies and cushions. Amagiri thought deeply, but decided to slide that part away as no one could ever fought back of the President's argument. …Unless, possible the older Suzuka… "Then… how about something that made by yourself? Beginning from scratch?"

"From scratch?"

Amagiri nodded. "Since flowers can't stand last forever, you can always give her a cloth-made flowers by yourself."

"Now's that complicated."

"Complicated, but worthy."

Kazama groaned in reply as he took a deep thought then.

Several minutes then, Kazama finally had a decision whatever he thought of the red-headed man's recommends for his lover's Christmas gift.

"Almost your opinions for my wife's gift doesn't suits her so well." He sighed. "As I expected, asking you your thought about girls' gift doesn't help me at all."

Amagiri didn't say any word, but groan because how stubborn the blonde-haired man can be.

As the President stood up from his place to leave his office, he stopped in mid-walking then.

"By the way, Amagiri," Kazama began.

"Yes…?"

"When I mentioned you about girl, who are you thinking about?"

"Pardon?"

Turning around to meet the other man's ocean-blue eyes, searching of whatever the person the red-headed man think of a moment ago.

"You have a very strange smile on your face when you were having a deep thought." Kazama narrowed his eyes. "Do you by any chance meet someone in coincidently?"

"That is…" Amagiri mumbled, not knowing what to say. It's quite rare of the President to wanting to know of someone else's personal business beside the Yukimura girl. Despite being self-important and arrogant President, Kazama does capable on observing other people…

"Rest to be assured, Kazama-sama," Amagiri began, averted his eyes by lowering his head down. "for whoever woman or girl I thought of a moment ago doesn't have to do with you or Yukimura-dono."

"Oh…? You're sharp." Kazama commented. "Well, whatever. If your words are honest, then I suppose I shouldn't have to worry about."

When no words the red-headed man intended to speak, the President had finally left the office, leaving Amagiri alone in a quiet Student Council room.

Upon of arriving in the locker room, the young brunette met her childhood friend.

"Good morning, Heisuke-kun."

"Hm? Oh, Chizuru!" Heisuke gave a very wide grin upon of seeing his friend here. "Morning. It's rare to see you here."

"Ah.. well, I forgot to get my things before my homeroom teacher coming."

The younger boy replied with a nod while there's still a wide smile on his face. It was as if his childhood friend was his smile.

Glancing around themselves, the brunette noticed something.. well most likely, someone is missing here.

"Um.. where's Okita-senpai?"

"Souji?"

As the brunette started to bring up a subject about the prankster senior, Heisuke's cheerful smile had disappeared, replacing to a groan/mumble.

"Obviously that Souji still mad about the terrible news about Christmas party." Heisuke began. That damn Souji.. although he told me to call him a senpai, he's still like a brat.. Heisuke finds himself pouting, in which, brings his childhood friend tilted her head in confused as he realized she could see through all over her face.

Not wanting to worry of his childhood friend, Heisuke gave a very wide grin once again.

"B-But don't worry! I'm sure that we can find a way to cheer him up." Heisuke said, hoping being optimistic could make everything's better.

"I hope so…" she murmured softly, hoping that she could at least see his sadistic smirk every once in a while.

Meanwhile in the Hijikata's office

Souji pushed the raven-haired man against the wall harder. There was a hidden anger and frustrating behind on those emerald orbs of Souji's. Although it's normal to see Souji to have despise Hijikata so badly, but never would have thought to see the prankster student finally snapped before. Guess celebrating a Christmas party with Kondou, especially with other students must've been meaning to Souji huh?

"Why didn't you try and stop Serizawa about this? You've known that that Serizawa bastard is scheming onto something, right?! So why can't you stop him?!"

Hijikata didn't spoke a word yet, but replying a quiet groan, tried to find a better word to make the prankster student felt better. But not a single thing came out in his mind. Rather than speaking back, the raven-haired man narrowed his eyes deeper as he lets Souji blaming him only, not Serizawa.

"Go on. Say something." Souji said with a growl. "Why didn't you try and stop Serizawa?!"

Before Hijikata finally speaks, the gentle Principal protected the raven.

"That's enough, Souji.." Kondou whispered gently as if he was speaking to a crying child. "It's my fault after all for planning a Christmas party at a time like this."

Souji faced to Kondou back, but his cold and hatred eyes toward Hijikata melted away when he saw a sad and guilty expression on Kondou's face. One of a thing he couldn't stand on is seeing the Principal look sad and disappointing.

"Rest to be assured that it's not your fault, Kondou-san." Souji said. "We've been done this every year in Hakuou Academy. Why would that Serizawa bastard starts a party in a time like this?"

With that, Kondou didn't spoke anything, not knowing what to say toward the emerald-orbs man.

"You do realized that blaming me wouldn't help anything else, especially bringing Kondou-san's party back." Hijikata finally spoke, as he get tired of Souji's childish side. As Souji continued giving a death-glared on him, Hijikata continued, "if you want it so badly, how about you're celebrating Christmas Eve in Kondou-san's place? That would end this problem."

After a long dark glare between teacher and student, it took more than minutes Souji finally ungripped his hold from Hijikata's.

"It would've been better if everyone in school here celebrating Christmas with Kondou-san…" Souji mumbled like a child.

As the prankster's presence was no longer in the raven's office room, Hijikata felt an urged to massage his forehead somehow. Damn.. ever since that Serizawa bastard visiting this year, things have gotten drivin' him crazy somehow. First, Itou coming back to school. After that, Serizawa cancelling Kondou's Christmas party. And now, that damn brat Souji blames on him for not letting the other students celebrate Christmas Party with Kondou.

It wouldn't get any worse right..?

…

Actually, no. He rather not say it out loud, knowing it would've been much worse than this.

"Say, Toshi…" Kondou began, bringing Hijikata back to reality. "Sorry about this."

"No need." The raven replied simply. "I've gotten used to getting blamed by Souji. He's better than that Serizawa bastard though."

With that, both men started to remain quiet without any word until the Principal intended to enlighten his friend mood by taking a subject about Souji.

"So.. speaking about Souji," Kondou began. "do you remember how we met him?"

"We…? Whoah, there, Kondou-san. Don't you remember?" Hijikata said, lit up his cigarette after he opened the window wider. "Didn't you actually found Souji first?"

"Was.. was I?" Kondou said innocently. "I-I guess so… ahaha..!"

Hijikata finds himself curled his lips upward upon of seeing Kondou's gentle smile. It's unfortunate for Souji that he didn't managed to see the Principal's smile after he left just now. Then again, talking a subject about him would've been embarrassed to Souji in the end.

"So you found Souji in the Shieikan dojo, right?"

"Ahh… that's right." Kondou nodded. "Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to kick him from dojo since he's looks like a poor puppy that needs a shelter so badly."

"It would've been better if you kick him off." Hijikata said sarcastically.

As the raven continued smoking to release his frustration, Kondou gave a melancholy smile as he remembered how he met little Souji back then. It's almost as if he was adopting a new son somehow.

When school has finally over, it was almost about time for the young brunette to take a leave then. As the sky starting to turn red-orange colored, the Sun is almost about to reach at the end of horizon by now. Upon of walking to the school gate, she could've sworn she heard a commotion at the field.

Curiously, the young brunette took a peek on the field and met two familiar men were fighting like a cat and a mouse.

"I told you before, she will come with me for the Serizawa party!"

"Don't be ridiculous." He spat in disgustedly. "Someone like you is not worthy to be her company. As her generous boyfriend, not to mention it; the most handsome one, she would gladly comes with someone like me rather than a commoner like you." The President began to give the most prideful smirk on his gorgeous face.

At those words, Heisuke felt an urged to twitch his left eye in annoyance because of that bastard's self-important attitude.

"J-Just because you two are lovers, that doesn't mean you can take an advantage of being her boyfriend and all!" Heisuke began to yap like a puppy(in Kazama's perspective)

"Ho… and what about you?" Kazama said confidently. "Always barking this and barking that how she's your childhood. Don't you ever get tired of using the same line?"

"That's because she is my childhood friend!"

As the argument goes on and on, it took several moments then they finally aware of the young brunette's presence. Both male students eyed on her at the same time as if she was some kind of food or reward to them, in which, brings the brunette jumped in surprised at the strange feeling of getting a deep glared struck into her chest.

"Chizuru!" Heisuke exclaimed first. "Perfect timing!"

"G-Good evening, Heisuke—" her words soon had been cut off as the other boy started to grab her both shoulders, making sure her eyes gazed into his(and definitely not to Kazama's)

"Tell me, Chizuru," Heisuke said. "who would you prefer of to come to Serizawa party? You're going to choose me, right?"

"S-Serizawa party?" Chizuru blinked in confused at that part.

"Yea!" The younger boy nodded. "After all, you need someone to come with you since letting a lonely woman walk to Serizawa mansion can be quite dangerous." He spoke in a soft and gentle tone, still gripping his small hands on his childhood friend's shoulder tighter than ever, but not in pain.

"…Oi, Toudou boy," Kazama growled in possessively. "Get your filthy hands off from my Princess. Only I can touch her," Chizuru couldn't helped but to flush in red upon of hearing the President called her 'princess'. And not to mention it, his possessive side. As his lover, he must've cherished her truly.

At that, Heisuke gritted his teeth, feeling an urged to give another yap but soon stopped by his childhood friend.

"U-Um… about that, Heisuke-kun," Chizuru said, raised her both hands, gesturing the younger boy to stop whatever he's intending to do.

"..I can't go with you."

Despite her words were pretty soft like a breeze, and yet to Heisuke, it's almost like a thunder jolt struck into him until he was nothing but a black ash. When the rejection appeared right in front of his face, the younger boy couldn't helped but to shot his eyes open, staring at her in disbelief and flabbergasted.

Although it's right for her to refuse him knowing she is going out with Kazama, Heisuke couldn't helped but finds his heart clenched in pain somehow.

With that, there's a proud smug on the President's face.

"See? Haven't I told you?" Kazama said. "Of course, she would not coming with you in Serizawa party. After all, she does have—"

Before Kazama could finish his sentence, Chizuru interrupted him as well, in which, give the most guilty smile on her face.

"I-I'm sorry Kazama-senpai, but, I can't be with you in Serizawa Christmas Party."

With that, the President didn't say anything, his usual smug started to disappear and continued on gazing on her, as if he was gesturing the brunette to explain of whatever reason she has to refuse him.

In which, Chizuru gladly tells them;

"Well…my father, Kodou," she started, " he'll be back when Christmas coming. I would like to celebrate a Christmas with my father for this year since it's been a long time since I last see him."

"Y-Your dad is coming…?" Heisuke murmured.

"That's right." She nodded. "I know it'll be much better celebrating in Serizawa Christmas Party. But, I'd really wanted to spend the Christmas night with my father this year. It would be very appreciate it if you understand my feeling. ..Please!" With that, Chizuru gave the most polite bow the male students had ever seen. But of course, it's actually important for her to celebrate a Christmas party with her father this time as it's been a while since she last seen his face. For once, she wanted to spend a greatest Christmas night with him like a family.

He and Kaoru are the only members of family she had ever have…

It took a moment then, the silent moment had finally break from Heisuke's voice.

"W-Well, if it's about your dad, then I guess I should invite someone else then." Heisuke mumbled, and there was a tinged of sadness behind on his orbs, in which, finds the brunette difficult to figure out of whatever expression he actually used just now.

At that, Heisuke turned on his heels then, leaving the President and the brunette all alone. As silent moments began to form between them once again, Chizuru gazed on the gorgeous President, hoping she could hear his permission for her to have a great celebration with Kodou. Rather than giving a word he'll expressed of, Kazama took a gazed on her deeper as well. It's almost looks like he wanted to say something. But not a single word could form on his lips.

Instead, he shook his head and turning on his heels to leave at the field.

The brunette couldn't helped but to blink in confused. Well, she was hoping that she could get to hear his approving in words. …The President must have better things to do than spending her..

Chizuru shook her head at that part, slapping her soft cheeks in multiple as while scolding herself to leave those thoughts out of her mind.

And so, Christmas Eve has finally come.

Chizuru had finally decorated her house for Christmas all by herself without helping anyone, not even Kaoru. She just thought to proof her older twin brother she can be quite useful no matter how much naïve she can be, especially around Kazama and Souji.

"There," the brunette said happily, as she finally put a golden star for the finishing touch on the top of the Christmas with a stool.

It looked beautiful…, she thought, finding herself closing her eyes as she remembered her past in every Christmas Eve. For the past years, she's usually celebrating the Christmas Eve with her father. Knowing that Kaoru living with Nagumo residents, it's impossible for him to celebrate with her and Kodou without knowing their address.

Now's that everyone's here, this should be one of a greatest Christmas Eve she had ever experienced with family…!

Ring…!

Not so long after this, Chizuru finally returned back to reality as the sound of phone began to ring. Turning on her heels quickly, she started to answer the phone and coincidencely, it was none other than her father..!

"Chizuru…"

"Father!" The brunette called him in excited.

It's been a while since she last heard his voice now. But somehow, she could felt the tone that her father using a moment was a bit… sorrow.

It's almost as if he couldn't save his patient that almost dying and he needs someone to be there with him or at least hear his daughter's sweet voiced. Though, she knew that her father was not the best nor a professional doctor. So having an experienced by watching a patient died right in front must've hurt her father truly knowing that almost all patients were like his children…

Trying to enlighten the mood, the brunette tried her best to cheer her father up;

"S-So, how's everything? You're coming right, Father? There are a lot of things I want to talk about once you're coming. Kaoru might be surprised once he meet you as he hasn't seen you for a long time. And.. and—" aaaah! Honestly, there are so many things she wanted to tell her Father. Especially how's her school life lately.

And most of all���

about Kazama.

She wondered what his reaction would be if he finds out that she's dating with a generous President, who ended up becoming a lover? The thought of that finds her heart fluttering in happiness somehow.

"Chi-Chizuru.." Kodou whispered quietly as if he didn't want to scare his adoptive daughter or something. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Yes..? What is it?"

As the brunette waited of whatever of her father trying to say

this broke her heart completely.

At the Suzuka Manor.

Ding Dong!

"Coming~!" Kosuzu chirped, hopped from the couch and opened the door to see whoever it was. Upon of wondering to know whoever it was, her eyes shot open in shock to see an unfamiliar, tall man right in front of the Suzuka manor.

She couldn't helped but to frightened a little to see how tall he is as if he was a bear, while the bun-haired styled Suzuka, is a frightened, little, small Chihuahua who could do nothing except shaking in fear.

Trying to hide her fear away from her eyes, she tried herself to be brave a moment.

"Um… h-hi. Is there anything business you have here?"

The red-headed man greeted with a polite nod in which, little by little, Kosuzu finds herself a little comfortable around him as she realized that he wasn't really that scary despite he was quite tall than anyone in a member of Suzuka.

"Good evening. I've come here to accompany Lady Sen for Serizawa Christmas Party."

"Serizawa Christmas Party..?" Kosuzu blinked for a moment. "…Oh! Right, Osen-neechan had told me that she decided to go to someone else's party. I'll go and get her. Please, have a sit for a moment." The bun-haired girl said, gesturing the guest to sit on the couch.

"Excuse me, then." Amagiri said, entered the Suzuka Manor, and took a sit on the couch.

As the red-headed man waited for Sen's coming, a familiar, female voiced spoke to him.

"Well, if it isn't Amagiri. It's been a while."

Raising his eyes into the woman figure, she has a same smile as ever.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Kimigiku. I see that you're well today."

"Yes, and so are you." Kimigiku said, putting a tray of cup and kettle on the table. "How's Kazama has been?"

"Stubborn and troublesome, as ever." Amagiri said with a sigh as he took a sip of tea that Kimigiku recently poured for him. "But.. he's gotten a bit mature somehow." Probably thanks to Yukimura-dono.

Kimigiku replied with a soft giggle.

"So, how's Lady Sen?"

"Well, well, well. I'm impressed you're still remembered her. I was expecting you were no longer remembering her since either of you rarely seeing each other a lot." She spoke with a little amazed.

"I'm a bit surprised as well." Amagiri said, eyed on a cup of his tea for a moment and spoke once more, "Though.. of course, I don't think I couldn't forget of her since the first time I found her sitting on the porch." His usual calm and gentle smile started to disappear as he remembered how lonely she was whenever she watched the other female friends play without her. Despite she has gotten used to have a feeling of loneliness, yet, it's still very wrong for her to be alone this way.

A warmth, and gentle hand starting to grip on the red-headed's big hand, eyed on Kimigiku's hand, there was a melancholy smile on her face.

"I'm really happy to see her getting along with a man like you. ..I hope, you and Sen will continue becoming a good friend." Kimigiku said, her hand still laid on Amagiri's one.

Returning to grip hers as well, there was a promising and determined behind of his ocean-blue orbs one.

"I will do whatever I can whenever she needs me."

They both exchanged each other with smile and chuckled.

When their hands started to part away, either of them started any of conversation this time. Amagiri took a sip of his tea until the other woman gave a chirped of 'oh!'. Eyeing on the long, raven-haired woman, Oukiku began to stand up from the couch.

"I remembered that there's something amusing that you would love to see it. I'll be right back."

With that, Kimigiky leaves the red-headed man in the living room then, bringing a silent moment formed around Amagiri.

Enjoyed the taste of Earl Grey tea, Amagiri eyed on the staircase, wondering what the older Suzuka do right now.

"…What taking so long, I wonder?"

In Suzuka room,

The atmosphere around Sen's room was quite peaceful, where she gets all excited to go to Serizawa Christmas party, couldn't decided which dress should she wear. There are many gowns that suitable to her, but of course, she usually prefers of a one-piece dress with many white ribbons.. does that clothes look a bit childish to her…?

However, after she finished wearing accessories and one-piece dress for a short moment, things has gotten a little tense the moment her mother, the heir of Suzuka clan came back from the meeting and started to talk to her of a same subject that related to be an arrangement meeting for the older Suzuka.

"Like I told you, mom," Sen said with a sigh of exhaustion. "I need some times to think."

"And when will this some times, Sen? We've been talked about this since you've entered Shimabara. Shouldn't it be about time for you to accept the arrangement marriage by now?"

"I know, I know.. but I'm not ready yet, somehow."

"Sen," her mother began. "I know this is hard for you. I know this is hard since that man left us. But please, for the sake of our clan, you should focus on your goal as the-soon-to-be-next-heir-Suzuka clan by now."

With that, Sen didn't spoke anything, in which, her mother continued once more.

"Even if there's no man that you're interested in, how about Kazama? You and that man had known each other since you two were very little right? And your relationship have gotten really quite close since you've met him several months ago from what I've heard from Kosuzu."

As this conversation would eventually turned complicated as ever, before Sen could speaks a word, her heroine came at the right time.

"Um.. I'm sorry for intruding.." Kosuzu said timidly after she knocked the door to Sen's room.

Two women eyed on the bun-haired girl as they let her spoke again.

"Osen-neesan, he's here."

Upon of hearing a word of 'he' next to her ear, her exhaustion of speaking with her mother about the arrangement marriage disappeared.

It must be him..!

"He?" Sen's mother raised her eyes in perplexed. "What is she—"

"I'm sorry mom," Sen interrupted her, taking her coat on the bed. "I'm going out with a… friend. We can talk about this later."

Calling that man a friend would be impossible as she didn't got his name yet. But of course, Sen would be gladly to call that man as a friend rather than stranger.

Before her mother could speak, Sen dashed away down to the stairs together with her bun-haired sister to meet the red-headed man.

Has he waited for her that long…?

"Do you remember this?"

As Amagiri took a peek of the album that the long, raven-haired woman intended to show while awaits the older Suzuka's arriving, Amagiri replied with a gentle smile then.

"Yes, I remember this so well." The red-headed man spoke, with a soft laugh on his lips. He doesn't usually laughed but knowing that Kimigiku had known him quite well, she knew what kinds of thing the other man finds amusing, and showing the older Suzuka and Kazama childhood event is one of an amusing one.

"It's unfortunate you didn't get a chance to meet Lady Sen in properly." Kimigiku said with a sigh.

"It's alright. I would rather not wanting her to find out whoever am I for a moment."

"You're starting to be a little secretive when it comes to Sen."

"I have my own reason as to why I am being secretive toward her." Amagiri spoke in a little hesitant one.

"Then I won't forcing you to tell me this. However, I hope whatever you're trying to do will not leads to the worst." Kimigiku used a very rare serious tone, giving her friend a small warning. There are times, the red-headed man can be quite unlikeable reckless.

Amagiri replied with a nod, as if he known whatever he's doing right now is right.

"Rest to be assured, I will tell her the truth of me… soon."

"And when is this soon?" Kimigiku said, closing the album book as they decided to forget whatever subject they had about Sen's/Kazama's childhood album.

"Who knows.." He said. "Maybe after her graduation."

"You knew that she would soon finds out about you later."

"..I know."

Before the raven-haired woman could say some more, the tense of atmosphere between then had disappeared as Kosuzu comes to them on the spiral stair.

"Mr. Amagiri, she's here." The bun-haired Suzuka announced the red-headed man in a rather timid one, probably she doesn't usually talk with boys or men quite often exceptional for Ibuki, of course.

Standing up from the couch then, Amagiri awaits of the older Suzuka's arriving. When the other man gazed the older Suzuka whos walking down on the spiral stairs slow, yet elegant one, he can't helped but widening his eyes open in astounding one.

Although the Christmas party wouldn't be as formal as Kazama or Suzuka famly, yet, Sen looks quite gorgeous in a white, one-piece dress with several beautiful ribbons right there and there. Not to mention it, although she's not a fond of accessories, but the way how she tied her hair in a bun-haired styled with a sakura petals hairpin, it actually suits her so well.

To think, such a beautiful figure could actually still exist here…

It took a moment then Amagiri finally returned back to reality as he heard a similar soft giggled on Sen's lips, as if the red-headed man had never seen her looks feminine and all.

…Well, in almost all men's perspective of course, they would've gapped like a fish to see the older Suzuka looks beautiful in a formal dress.

"Now then, should we go?" Sen's voice brings Amagiri back to reality once again, in which, the red-headed man replied with a polite bow and turned on their heels to leave the manor together.

"Try not to be late." Kimigiku reminded them. "Make sure to come home around 11 o'clock."

"Yes, yes.." Sen said, waved her hand off. "What are you, my second mom?"

Kimigiku could only gave a soft chuckled and averted her eyes on the blue-ocean ones.

"I entrust her safety to you, Amagiri."

The red-headed man reply with a nod and polite bow, as if he known his job.

"Of course."

As Sen eyed on them from Kimigiku to Amagiri, then from Amagiri to Kimigiku, she couldn't helped but to raise her eyebrow in puzzled and curious.

They seemed to be quite close..

Is there any connections between those two? It almost felt like she'd missed something..

Shaking her head to leave those wild thoughts out of her head then, Sen enwrapped her warm coat around her body before they left the manor.

As Kimigiku watched the couple leaves the Suzuka manor from the door, there was a glimpse of intriguing about them behind on her amethyst orbs.

It's quite rare to see the older Suzuka walking close to Amagiri's. Their spaces were even closer than Kazama's.

She couldn't helped but to curl her red lips in upward at the sight of watching the older Suzuka walked with other man besides the blonde-haired man.

Now this is interesting.

As they had walked about a few metres away from the Suzuka manor, Sen couldn't helped but feeling slightly nervous.

Although it's pretty normal for the couple to have walking close together. Sen, on the other hand, feels a greatest urged to feel ancious. However, this kind of anxious wasn't in terrible one or how she experienced some random men touch or grab her without permission. It was more like in opposite one.

But she couldn't described what kind of anxious or this nervousness feeling she felt right now. Is it happiness? Joy? Grateful? Or more than that? She had to admit, it's the first time she has ever going out with a partner and all.

And not to mention it with Amagiri of all the people.

In every Christmas Eve, Sen always spent most of her Christmas days in Suzuka manor as the Suzuka often held a Christmas party. Most guests that's been invited were usually from rich families. But the one's that organized the Christmas party of Suzuka family usually her mother.

Only the heir of Suzuka family would be allow to organize the party in Suzuka manor. There are actually many events they're actually held, but most of them could only be invite of wealthy family or receiving a very high title and all.

Her mother wouldn't even inviting Chizuru no matter how much desperate Sen had tried to.

Just thinking about her family, especially her mother kinda ruins her mood of her exciting for Serizawa party. Shooki her head slightly, she decided to move those subjects away from her mind, and thinks of a certain red-headed man even more.

Took a closer peek of the other man, she couldn't helped but finds the man looks quite fascinating in a black tuxedo with a red flower attacked on his right-chested pocket. Beside that, his scarlet hair looks quite neat. …Probably he wanted to give a very nice vibe around him when they're finally arrived in the party later.

"That's looks good on you."

Sen ended her words leave out from her lips in loud. And yet, she had no reason to feel shy about it.

"Excuse me?" Amagiri blinked in a slight on confuse.

Avoiding answering the question, Sen replied with a shook on her head and turned on her heels without hearing anymore words from the red-headed man.

"It's nothing. We should get going to the party by now."

With that, all Amagiri could by now is leave this mysterious unanswerable question, following after Sen, whom very excitedly about the party.

The brunette sighed in depressingly upon of hearing terrible news from her father.

"There's a snow storming in the airport. So it's impossible to make it to Kyoto. I know.. I promised myself that we will celebrate a Christmas Eve together, but.. it can't be helped Chizuru…"

She wanted so much to cry..

After all she's been waiting for him..

She was getting all excited to celebrate a Christmas with family..

So much for her happiness she hoped for, huh…?

Trying to hide her sadness away from her father, she replied normally though she could felt a warm tears began to fall down on her cheeks.

"Ah.. so that's how it is… It's fine, Father. In fact, the founder of my school invited me to attend his party. So I might go there instead."

Actually, that was a lied. Well, it's true that Serizawa did invited all students of Hakuou to come to his manor for the Christmas Party. But, she doesn't have any power or energy to come to any party after hearing her father couldn't make it to Kyoto.

After all, it's actually the first time she couldn't celebrate a Christmas Eve with Kodou before. Even if she called her brother to come over, he might thought of her a nuisance or something..

She sighed and buried her face with the palm of her hands in depressed and sorrow.

What should she do now…?

Meanwhile with Amagiri and Sen;

The couple had finally arrived in the Serizawa Christmas party. Upon of entering the found of Hakuou manor, Sen felt an urged to gap like a fish from amazed.

"Whoah.. I didn't know there are many guests here." The older Suzuka said in flabbergasted as she eyed on every guest in Serizawa's manor. There are several of guests Sen familiar of as most guests in here are from rich and wealthy families. So this Serizawa person must be a very rich man huh?

Eyeing on a few women with a beautiful dress and expensive accessories, Sen couldn't helped but feeling down on herself as she realized her accessories weren't as many as noble women are, despite the older Suzuka would be a-soon-to-be-heir-of-Suzuka family in the future then…

A sudden, familiar male voiced then began to speak;

"Whichever dresses you wear, accessories or without accessories, your beauty still would no match with them, Miss Sen." Eyeing on the red-headed companion next to him, Sen realized that he must've noticed her sadness in her eyes when she took a glanced to the other women and herself.

No matter what the situation it is between them, the red-headed man always had a clever words to cheer the older Suzuka up. It was like he's a knight who willing to do everything to make the princess smile and happy from sadness or despair.

With that, Sen replied back with her confident smile on her face.

"Well, thank you very much for your cheesy compliment, Mr. Gentleman." She playfully gave a soft punched on his muscular arm. If a feminine girl ever hit the red-headed man's arm, her fragile hand/fist would've broke like a glass by now. Thankfully the older Suzuka has born to be a little tomboy-ish, willing to hitting or kicking someone ass especially weakling men that ever insult her friends, Kosuzu or women.

"We've been together for such a long time that I almost forgot to introduce myself."

"Ah, that's right..!" Sen said foolishly. It was stupid and very rude of her to not have know the red-headed man's name after all he done something generous-ish to the older Suzuka. Just what made her forget to ask his name anyway…? Could spending a time with him forget her pride to despise men? ..Or maybe she has a habit of forgetting to introduce herself and vice versa?

Started with a very polite bow, the red-headed man begin.

"My name—"

"Sen, is that you?!"

A familiar female voice exclaimed in shocked.

Searching whoever it is, Sen flashed her eyes into a very familiar woman. She has a long, straight, dark blue hair. Her skin color is a fair one, and she was born to have an auburn orbs.

"Cornelia-chan! I didn't know you were here!" Sen chirped happily, forgetting of the red-headed man's introducing as she walked straight to her

Both women embraced very tightly in a friendly way. The older Suzuka hold the blunette's hand as if she didn't want to let it go.

"It's been a while. How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you." Cornelia nodded politely. "What about you?"

"Fine, as well. Although there are times that I'm a little worried of Chizuru-chan's idea of going to school that filled with many men," Sen sighed exhaustedly, in which, the blunette replied with a soft giggle.

"You're a worrywart as ever. Just respects her choice. I'm sure she never regrets on choosing an all-boys high school."

"Even so…" Sen stopped in mid-sentence then, feeling herself to pout like a child in which, giving her friend replying another giggle.

As soon as he realized the older Suzuka was having a great conversation with her friend, it'll be better to take a leave as he would rather let the girls have some conversation without his presence:

"I'll go and get some drinks for you, Sen."

Sen nodded. "Sure."

Bowing in politely for the last time, the red-headed man began to leave.

"Who's that man?"

The blunette changed the subject upon of seeing a very large man such as him for the very first time.

"Oh, him?" Sen pointed his broad-back with her thumb. "He's someone I know."

"Well that's rare of you to have a male friend." Almost all Sen's friends knew that Sen hates men the most. Not even a single man Sen has ever calls him a friend. Upon of hearing the older Suzuka said she 'knew' rather than she 'annoys', the blunette couldn't helped but feels in need to show a very perplexed expression on her face.

"Well.. I just thought to try to befriends another man besides Kazama," Sen half-lie. In truth, their meeting was a bit awkward and weird. …Not that she hates his presence or something. The more she gets to know of him better, the more she realized that there's a kind and gentle vibe around the red-headed man.

"Now's that was an unexpected," Cornelia said with a soft laughed. "I was hoping that you would choose a handsome or good-looking men over a weird and unattractive men."

"Well…" Sen said with an awkward laughter.

Did she just said unattractive..?!

Weird…?!

… Well, actually in truth, the red-headed man can be quite strange for the first time she met, so yeah, the older Suzuka probably agreed the part of that man being a little weird. But unattractive?! How can she be so blind about that red-headed man's intrigued figure?

True that by the looks of it he was about 30 years old or so. But having his presence next to her, Cornelia should've known that she would be safe around him knowing that his tall figure helped them to frightened away some men who intended to hurt her.

Trying not to show her rage in front of her friend, Sen decided to slide it away. "Ah, that's right." Sen said, clapping her hand in a one time, as if she's trying to forget of whatever Cornelia referred of to the red-headed man. "How's things in your marriage arrangement? Did it turned out great?"

"Eh..? Oh, yes. It turned out good so far." The blunette replied. "At first, I thought it was actually a bad idea to have a marriage arrangement without knowing my future groom. But it's great to see my groom was actually kind and willing to marry me for the sake of our family."

"That's great." Sen said with a hidden of envy. "I'm happy for that. Don't forget to invite me for your wedding day" As the older Suzuka winked her left eye in playful, her friend replied with a flushed in embarrassment on her soft cheeks.

"What about you?"

"Eh?"

"Don't you think it's about time for you to have a marriage arrangement meeting with the Kazama? I haven't heard any news about you two."

"A-Ah… about that.." Sen murmured awkwardly. "I—postponed the marriage arrangement meeting."

"Again?" Cornelia said in surprised. "You were postponing the meeting again?"

"I-I've got a lot of things to do that's all," Sen tried to find a reason to keep this conversation from tense.

"You've known Kazama for such a long time. And yet, you're still not gonna accept on marrying him when graduate coming? You do realized that at this rate, you will eventually dishonor your family."

"I know, I know." Sen said with a sigh. God, it's almost looks like she was having a tense conversation with her strict mother by now..

As things had gotten awkward as ever, Sen intended to take a leave. At this rate, she might've received another lecture from her friend that relating to arrangement marriage again.

"W-Well, I better get going then." Sen said. "Pretty sure that he is waiting for me by now. B-Bye!"

Ignoring the blunette called her name, Sen turned on her heels as she's searching for the mysterious red-headed man. Geez.. where is he? Sen thought frustratedly. She would've expecting he would get her some drinks pretty quick. She didn't know that it took longer than ever. Giving up herself, she sighed exhaustedly as the older Suzuka stood at the corner of the hall room while the other guests having a great fun in the Christmas party.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Serizawa residence." Serizawa began to speak. Sen, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have aware of hearing his voice as she's been bothered something. "It is my honor to have spending this holy night with all of you. Merry Christmas."

Ignoring the entire cheerful and joyous atmosphere around in Serizawa's manor, Sen's thought filled with nothing except about her mother and Cornelia's words of the marriage arrangement. Although she had longed knew that she eventually has to marry a certain man from rich family, but marrying a stranger feels a little uncomfortable somehow. There is a higher chance that some men had a dark plan they've been schemed on once she married some random stranger. What if, her fate would leads her like her mother's as well? What if, that man would leaves her just the way that bastard leaves her mother? The thought of it brings Sen feeling confused what she's gonna do…

..What should I do, Chizuru-chan?

It would've been better if her fate leads similar as her best friend, where neither she needs to worry of marrying a rich family or commoner one.

"Well, well, well. Good evening, beautiful maiden."

An unfamiliar male voice brings Sen back to reality, in which, she lifted her honey-brown orbs into the four-eyed man. Compared to other guests, he didn't wear anything formal or a black tuxedo like the red-headed. Instead, he was some kind of… doctor, sort of?

"Uh.. g-good evening," Sen greeted back quietly, not knowing where's this man coming nor why he approaching her.

Upon of waiting any reply from the other man, almost like more than minutes then, the four-eyed man answered with the creepiest smile she had ever seen. Much creepier than the two drunkard she approached a few days ago.

It's almost as if that man in front of her is not a human.

"You look a little down when Serizawa-san is giving a speech. Do you by any chance feeling a cold? Or maybe a fever?"

Although his voice was soft and gentle like a wind, but she could felt something crawling on her body just hearing that kind of tone from him. Not to mention it, that creepy fuckin smile…!

"I-I'm fine. Thank you." Sen said, bowed in a very politely. It best to avoid from this man. She had a feeling that if she had stayed with him longer.. something terrible might gonna happened to her…!

"Why are you trying to run away?" The other man said in a faking-worriedly. "I was trying to help you."

Help in your ass…! "Th-thank you for your hospitality. But I've gotta go now—"

Before she could get away from him, strong hand began to grip on her small wrist, brings her body stopped right there in paralyzed. Eyes filled with frightened, lifting her orbs into the other man once again, there was a very wide smile like a red, crescent moon. His glasses were glowing very brightly like a flash.

Feeling an uncomfortable touch from the four-eyed man's hand, her body was shaking like a leaf. Eyes falls down on the floor as she felt tears were about to burst by now.

…No.

She can't do this.

She can't do this in here.

Not in front of guests and Serizawa.

However, no matter how many times she forced herself to move, the four-eyed man's hand was like a poison, injecting a strange drug deep into her body until he finally able to control her like puppet.

This is bad...!

This is bad…!

What should she do—

"I've just thought to give every guest here my Christmas gift. To make sure everyone is full of health in the future." The other man said, with his usual creepy smile.

Sen did not reply anything nor ask him what kind of gift is he trying to give.

Widening his lips on his face, he dug his other free hand inside his pocket, searching for something. And once he finally found it, he revealed his gift to her; a medicine bottle that contain red liquid like a blood.

"This is my Christmas gift for a beautiful maiden such as you." The other man said. "Ah… rest to be assured that, it's not a poison. It's a very useful medicine. I hope you'll accept it." Putting a bottle medicine on Sen's other hand, without her own will, her hand gripped back, gesturing she'd accepted his Christmas gift.

Feeling a little delighted how the young maiden accepted his gift rather than refused it, he widen his smile again and again.

"Since I have a lot of free time. How about we—"

"Sannan-san!"

A man named Sannan had no time to finish his sentence as a certain man interrupted his conversation with the older Suzuka. Recognizing a male voiced, her eyes laid into the red-headed one. Slowly, the longer she took a gazed on his gentle and calm orbs, some dark spell that the four-eyed man casted has been lift off from her body little by little.

"Oya… Amagiri-kun." Sannan called him. "It is surprised to see you here."

Amagiri..? Is that the red-headed man's name?

"I was about to say the same thing, Sannan." Amagiri spoke.

Eyed on the older Suzuka, he could see how frightened she is as if she was a little girl lost in a deep, dark street where no one can finds her whereabouts anymore. Narrowed his eyes deeper, this would be the second times he had seen this kind of side from her. To think, leaving her alone was a terrible idea. He shouldn't have leaves her when she had a conversation with the other woman just now…

Soon, his eyes gazed back into the nurse teacher. He felt himself in need to grip his hands into a fist by now.

"Sannan-san, I don't remember Serizawa-dono letting you give a sexual harassment on one of guest here before. Explain to me what do you think you're doing."

"Sexual harassment..? Oh no, of course I'm not intending to do that."

"Then what is?" There was a cold growled under his throat. It's the first time the older Suzuka has ever seen the red-headed man looked anger before. But what made him so angry that he has to use a threatening tone on the four-eyed man?

Could it be…

..he was worried of her?

"I saw her looking a little down. I was expecting she was a bit cold or something. So I gave her a medicine as my Christmas gift to make sure she's fine. It would be a little troublesome if a guest falls a sick in a Christmas Eve such as this." Sannan explained, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Whether she's sick or not, touching her without permission is still known as sexual harassment." Amagiri continued. In which, brings two man gazed on each other longer than ever. …Until Sannan replied with a small snorted, gesturing he's finally give up.

"I suppose you're right." Ungrip his hold from Sen's hand, his eyes gazed into the frightened honey-brown orbs ones. "I apologized for gripping your hand all of a sudden. I hope you like my Christmas gift. And… merry Christmas too."

With that, Sannan finally takes a leave, leaving the couple all alone. Amagiri replied with a groan. To think, Serizawa invited him in the manor as well. He wasn't expected that before.

Eyeing back into the older Suzuka, there was a blank expression on her face; he had a feeling that Sannan's touches must've frightening her greatly. He felt so bad that he had an urged to hold her hand, ensure that she'll be fine. He will always right next to her from now on. But then again, if he lets his hand touched hers, it would've been more horrifying. The best choice he has to do for now is standing next to her until she's feeling comfortable.

And the drinks that Amagiri was suppose to bring had been left forgotten.

Ding Dong

A door bell starting to ring in her house.

Leaving from the kitchen, Chizuru couldn't helped but to raise her eyebrow in perplexed for receiving an unexpected guest in Christmas party. She doubted that whoever appeared in her house would be Kodou knowing that he had just giving a bad news how he won't be able to make it to Kyoto.

Since Kodou and Kaoru are out of the option in her head, who could it be…?

As whoever it is ringing the bell for a few times, it took a while then Chizuru turned on her heels to reach to the door and opened it.

Eyes gazed into a familiar crimson orbs, Chizuru couldn't helped but to gap like a fish to meet Kazama in Christmas Eve.

"K-Kazama-senpai..?" She murmured in disbelief.

It's not a dream… is it?

"That took a while to open the door," Kazama said, passed over the brunette as she looked at the President in full of perplexed. Too speechless to see him, the other man entered her house as if he owns the place and put a bouquet of flower on the coffee table near him(in the end, he ended up following Amagiri's advise).

"A-ah..! W-wait, Kazama-senpai!" Chizuru called him in which, stopped him from mid-walking, eyeing on her from his back. "Wh-What are you doing here..?!"

"Why, you say…?" Kazama said, raising his eyebrow puzzled this time. "Obviously to celebrate a Christmas party together with your father."

"E-Ehhh…?!" At that, Chizuru's eyes widen open in a saucer one, "Wh-what about the Serizawa Christmas Party?"

"Oh.. that?" Kazama began, eyed on elsewhere. "Choosing between Serizawa Party and yours; of course, I would rather choosing you knowing that this would be a great opportunity for our relationship getting deeper and better," as he spoke that, when the President winked his eye in attractive way, she was pretty sure that she just saw a very small star form next to his eye… or maybe she's just having a hallucination for a moment. "beside that, I would gladly meeting your father eye-to-eye so that he could gave a blessing of our fateful destined."

When the President mentioned of her father, she couldn't helped but sorrow starting to form on her face, eyes looking down on the floor as she could felt tears starting to form.

"So, where's your dad?" Kazama questioned, taking a look around on his-soon-to-be-wife's house, couldn't felt any presence of another person beside the brunette.

"Um…" Chizuru murmured, eyes still laid down on the floor. "He's… not here.."

Raising his eyebrow in reply, Kazama moved closer to the brunette's personal space, but not too close. Waiting her explanation very patiently, his lover managed to answer very clearly without being too much emotional;

"Th-there's a snow storming at the airport where my father works in the overseas. Knowing that the weather is terrible, it's impossible for my father to make it to Kyoto then. So…" With that, Chizuru finds herself in need to cry.

Several moments had passed between them, the brunette was expecting that the President would come closer to her, giving her an embraced, and lets her tears fall down on his shoulder.

But instead…

A deep chuckle formed from Kazama's gorgeous lips.

"And by meaning that," her head began to lift up as she could felt a callous finger on her chin, her brown orbs and the crimson ones began to stare into each other. "this would mean just the two of us celebrating a Christmas Eve together, yes?"

As she realized whatever he's scheming of, she slapped his hand away and pouted in anger.

"Th-this is serious Kazama-senpai! It's the first time I had ever celebrating a Christmas Eve without my father! So—"

"So, falling into depressing or grief wouldn't help your father coming here in a split second." Kazama cut off the brunette's words, in which, leaves her looked at him in a little frustrated. "You should be grateful that you have someone to spend a Christmas even without your father or that damn Nagumo boy. …Beside that," using his thumb to wipe her-soon-dried-tears on her cheek. "seeing you in tears doesn't seem to suit you so well. Why don't you appreciate it, and enjoy this night for once."

She couldn't helped but finds her tears starting to form on her cheeks even more and more. Her tears was falling wasn't because of angry this time. It was more like happiness. Grateful. She was so grateful that she wasn't alone this time. She was so grateful that she wouldn't celebrate the Christmas alone.

Even if her father won't comes.

Kazama's here.

He's there for her.

And this is probably enough to avoid from celebrating the Christmas alone.

"I'm sorry, Kazama-senpai…" Chizuru murmured quietly, letting his warm hand caressed on her cheek tenderly. "…And thank you."

Hearing a familiar satisfied chuckle from the President, Chizuru ended up buried her face on Kazama's broad-chested, leaving them stood there in silent for like forever.

.

.

.

Several moments had passed between them, Amagiri had been sat next on the grand seat together with the older Suzuka.. but, not so close as he knew she needs some space to get some air.

Another more minutes then, somebody needs to break the atmosphere between them now.

"Who.. was that?" Sen finally questioned, thankfully, that creepy man's warmth touches on her hand suddenly cool down slowly.

"That's.. Sannan-sensei. My nurse doctor." Amagiri replied with a little hesitated.

"Your nurse doctor? In school?" Sen said, feeling a little perplexed. She never expected the red-headed man had a very strange, and not to mention it, the creepiest teacher in his school. ..Which, reminds her of Chizuru's suppose-all-boys high school. She often gives Sen and Kosuzu some weird stories of her experienced in her school life.

It's kinda a bit coincidence.. is it?

"I apologized for whatever that man did to you. I shouldn't have leaves you since the beginning."

"No, no, it's fine.." Sen murmured, caressed her other hand gently where the four-eyed man grabbed her. "A-As long you're there, I don't care what happened in the past. It's over."

She could see how guilty the red-headed man is.

Auf… she has to do something.

She needs to stop this awkward atmosphere or else, she might leave him again…

Acting proud, and strong in front of Amagiri, Sen covered her lips on a palm of her hand as she gave a bark of laughter like a selfish rich woman who she can do anything with just money only.

"Honestly, what's with that depressing face you made, Amagiri?"

"Eh?"

Amagiri blinked. He didn't know which part he was blinking of. Either Sen's frightened side disappeared so soon or the way how she calls him was the most pleasant voice he had ever heard from her.

"Come on. That isn't like you." Raising her left eyebrow in jokingly, poking her finger on his broad-chested in every word. "Where's the Mr. Gentleman that I used to know, anyway? Did you let your head hit on the boulder or something?" At that, she gave another laughter as she fought back the thought of the four-eyed man's touches in her head.

"Sen…" the red-headed man murmured her name, not knowing what to say anymore as he watched her smile and laughing at the same time. It's hurt him a little to see how she pretended to be herself, especially in front of him. She must've worried of him as well..

"Honestly.." Sen began, as she turned on her heels to take a short walk around the manor, in which, the red-headed man followed her back. "..ever since meeting you a lot of strange happened to me. First, I've got attracted by men even more, then, they were dared touching me no matter how struggle I fought back on them. I... I had never experienced such as this since he'd disappeared."

With that, sadness started to form on his blue orbs then. Every word she spoke just now is like he is the causes of bad luck. Wouldn't it be better for the two of them can never see each other anymore and—

"But, I'm not saying in bad ways of course." Sen continued, as if she could read the red-headed man's thought. "True, it was quite terrifying getting closer with other men and all. But, it's actually great way to overcome my fear of men."

"Fear of men…?" Androphobia…? ..No. or maybe it's possible she suffered of haphephobia.

"Yup." Sen said, walking all the way to the garden then. "I'll be the next heir clan for Suzuka, after all. So it's about time for me to start overcome this fear even if it's looks cheap to you."

This is the first time Sen has ever talked about her fear toward anyone.

To Amagiri, most of all.

Despite this kind of conversation should've been suitable toward Chizuru or Kosuzu, but her words almost as if it's been sealed off when it comes to them. It's almost as if they were not the right person to know the truth behind of her hatred for men.

But Amagiri..

How could she be able to speak about her own fear toward to the red-headed man?

Was it actually a good idea to speak this subject toward him?

She didn't know..

But she wanted the red-headed man understands about her so well.

"I don't think it's cheap or something." Amagiri broke the older Suzuka's thought, in which, brings her eyes laid into the ocean-blue orbs. Upon of staring deep into the red-headed's gentle orbs one, she finds herself a little ease somehow, in which, brings the older Suzuka curled her lips upward for a moment, but soon faded in sadness. Eyeing on a beautiful garden, she murmured with a very soft tone of hers:

"Shouldn't you disliking me?"

"Pardon?" Amagiri questioned.

"Shouldn't you disliking me for my hatred for men? Don't you think you should be?"

Silent moment passed between them at the beautiful scenery, night garden. It takes some times then Amagiri spoke.

"Hatred… is such a strong word to use especially from you, Lady Sen." The red-headed man gazed on the white roses in admiringly one, moving closer, in which, the older Suzuka followed him as well. "I don't think it's hatred that you've felt for toward men all this time, Sen. It's something different. Maybe.. anger. Or maybe.. frustrated at the same time? You might possible be angry and frustrated at the same time instead to whoever this man had done to you and your family."

At that, Sen couldn't helped but to shot her eyes open like a saucer in horror.

Hold on.. she had—

She had never telling this to anyone.

Not even to Kosuzu—

So how did this man—

"How did.. how did you know about—my family?" Sen questioned in disbelief. This kind of dark secret had never revealed to anyone. Not even to Kazama. So how did, of all person that figures the dark past of Suzuka family, why Amagiri?

"Miss Kimigiku told everything to me." Amagiri explained honestly. "Although she's not a member of Suzuka family nor related in your blood, yet, she knew fully well about your family."

Ahh.. of course.

She learnt from her mother that Kimigiku has been served for Suzuka family since she was a young teenage as her family owe a big debt for the Suzuka family, in which, she has to become Sen's personal servant after she was born. Kimigiku's debt soon finally paid once the older Suzuka has finally become the heir of Suzuka family and marries any man she chose of.

"Then—"

Amagiri held his hand up, gesturing he knew what she intended to say, in which, the red-headed man replied with a shaking his head slightly.

"Rest to be assured, Miss Kimigiku didn't tell me whoever this person you actually despise of."

With that answer, Sen gave a relief sigh, though she couldn't helped but to pout in annoyingly. "That damn Oukiku shouldn't have told everything's about my family to you.." Sen said with a sigh,

As Amagiri replied with a quiet chuckled, his smile started to fade away as he decided to tells her something she should've known about.. this person she despise of truly.

".. Although you may won't forgive this person that had ruining your family, but you knew fully well, whoever this is— would've been felt guilty as well to have destroy your life by accident to be honest."

"How did you know about this." At those words, Sen's usual kind and gentle smile started to disappear, and changed into aggressive mode;

"You don't know anything about that bastard! He had done horribly to my mother..! To my family..! How can you not blaming that old man's done…! How can you sided on him over me?!"

She didn't know why but it's her very first time to have raise her voice to the red-headed man. Although she once telling herself that she couldn't brings herself to raise her voice or being aggressive toward Amagiri. But somehow, it made her really furious to see the other man siding on that bastard than her.

She was expecting the red-headed man would choose her but—oh, she's definitely wrong.

Ever since Sen raised her voice for the first time toward the red-heaed man, Amagiri's expression didn't change into shock or perplexed. It's almost as if he'd known he eventually getting mad by the older Suzuka.

"…How did you know this.. man hurt your family terribly?"

"My mom.." Sen said a little hesitantly while sniffling softly as she finally realized that she was about to cry just raising her voice toward men. "She told me how that man abandoned us all even though everything's what my mother's done was for the good sake of our family. She sacrifice herself to choose him and what he eventually do is running away and vanished without a word. I hate it!"

The red-headed man didn't spoke anything, as he watched the older Suzuka released her own sadness right in front of him. It must have been tough for her to hide this kind of pain about her 'hatred' toward this man from her sister and the Yukimura girl.

That man abandoned her since she was in kindergarten after all.

Speaking this subject quite sadden the older Suzuka truly.

Intending to cheer Sen up, Amagiri took a glanced on the beautiful garden then, finally caught an interesting flower that suits Sen's character truly. He hoped that Serizawa lets anyone, especially Amagiri to pluck one of flower in the garden. Plucking a white daisy in gently, not wanting to let their petals fall down fragilely, Amagiri returned back to Sen whom, staring at him in a little perplexed as to why did he brought a flower all of a sudden.

Slowly, and hesitantly, Amagiri brushed down the older Suzuka's frame right hair to give her a permission to give a light touch. When Sen feeling a little comfortable about his touch, he began to slip a white daisy that he plucked on her earlobe. At that, Amagiri gave a soft sigh on his lips as he finds it suits her with a white flower on her hair.

"My deepest apologized to speak this conversation when I've known you will feel a little uncomfortable about it." Amagiri said with his apologetically bow, being polite as ever. ..Not that Sen's grown tired or something.

"It's fine.. Sen murmured. "After all, I did spoke this kinds of conversation first, not you. I wasn't really expected it could leads to relating to my family and all."

Curling his lips in warmth one, he nodded slightly.

"I guess so."

As their eyes drawn each other and forgetting of the reality for once, the older Suzuka couldn't helped but to grown a little attached toward the red-headed man little by little. She'd always likes this kinds of side from Amagiri; kind, and gentle. Never would've thought she could ended up on opening her heart to a male friend whom they're just met for less than a week.

As they've been staring into the other's eyes in amazingly, a sound of clock bell began to bring them back to reality, which, leads their eyes to the big, old clock in the hall room of Serizawa manor.

It's already 11 pm.

Although the older Suzuka wanted so much to spend more times with the red-headed man, but she knew that returning home very late could bring getting a lecture by her strict mother.

"So it's finally 11 o'clock." Amagiri murmured quietly. "I guess times really does move quite fast between us."

"That's what I said for the first time we met remember?" Sen said with a smirk, in which, the other man replied with another warmth and gentle smile. As she took a very closer look behind of Amagiri's ocean blue orbs, the older Suzuka could've sworn she'd just saw there's a tinge of disappointment and sadness behind on it.

Has he wanted to spend times together with her a little longer as well…?

"We might as well bringing you home by now, Sen." The red-headed man said. "They're probably been waiting for your return."

She replied with a nod then, not knowing what to say, and leave the manor together next to the red-headed man.

Without aware of herself, Sen has starting to enjoy being close to the other man little by little.

"Here," Kazama said, giving his lovely lover a medium present box with an elegant red ribbon on the top of it.

Chizuru blinked in confused at the sudden of receiving a gift.

She wasn't expecting to receive a present from the President. After all, he's been a bit quiet and obedient ever since he finds the young brunette couldn't able to go to the Serizawa Christmas Party. Could it possibly be this is what he's been a in deep thought for a few past days ago?

"Umm… what's this, Kazama-senpai?" Chizuru questioned dumbfoundedly.

"My Christmas present, obviously." Kazama replied with a smirk, while putting his knuckles under his cheek as he watched the young brunette being innocent and cute as ever. "Try take a look."

Blinked in confusedly once more, it took a moment then Chizuru has finally decided to open a Christmas box from the President. As she untied the ribbon very carefully, her eyes widen opened in shocked.

Inside the Christmas box gift is a two pair of mittens made from wool. It fits her hands perfectly. The brunette could also felt a little soft and fluffly as she put it on them.

She wasn't expected to have receive such an amazing gift from the President before. At first, she was expecting that her boyfriend would bought her an expensive necklace or accessories from overseas or something.

—But mittens.

She didn't know why but she felt so happy somehow. Although it sadden her a little when her father couldn't able to make it here, but receiving a Christmas present from her lover somehow brings her sadness vanished away.

"They're beautiful, Kazama-senpai. Where did you bought this?" Chizuru said, putting her hands on her cheeks, feeling a pleasant warmth on her face.

"I made it."

"Ahh… so that's how it is. You made—"

As she understood his answer very clearly, the young brunette jolted right there in surprised. It was almost as if the thunder was striking right through her from the window.

"Y-Y-You made it.. Kazama-senpai…?!" Chizuru couldn't helped felt an urged to exclaim.

"What? Don't believe me?" Kazama said with the most proud tone on his lips.

"W-Well…" she mumbled softly, loss in words. Of course, she couldn't believe this. How come, the most arrogant and self-important President such as Kazama Chikage could know a technique of making a handicraft…?!

"Take a look."

As her boyfriend's voice brings her back to reality, Chizuru raised her face to gaze on the President, and soon, her almond-brown orbs began to wide in horror as she saw some light injured from the President's gorgeous hands.

Has he.. has he really made this glove for her?

Is this the reason why he's been quiet for a moment?

"You're.. doing this for me?" The brunette whispered softly, kinda feels a little guilty.

"As long as it could make you happy, I'm willing to do it for you even if it's difficult for me."

Once Kazama finished, Chizuru grabbed his injured hand to take a closer look, caressing it in tender and gentle one as if she didn't want to hurt him worst.

"You shouldn't do this for me, especially since it's complicated for you.." she spoke guiltily.

"Complicated, but worthy."

The President copied the red-headed lines.

After Chizuru had aid him by bandaging his hand up with the help of the first aid kit, Kazama stared at her interestingly as she put the ointment and the cloth in the metal box.

"Now, I'm waiting."

Kazama break the silent moment, in which, brings Chizuru tilted her head in confused.

"Waiting for what?"

"Your Christmas gift." Kazama stated clearly.

With those words, her eyes averted on elsewhere as she replied in a little hesitant. "I… I don't have a Christmas present for you.. I-I'm sorry Kazama-senpai." She couldn't helped but feeling so bad to herself to have forgotten to buy something special for the President despite being his lover.

"Oh, I think you're already have by now."

"Eh?"

As she blinked in confused of his words, the President's face starting to move closer to hers, and, oh she knows what does those words meant about.

Feelings her cheeks burnt up in red from embarrassingly, she pushed his face away to stop him from whatever he's trying to scheme of.

"Wait, wait, wait..! This is..! It's too soon!" She exclaimed in panic, her ears began to flush as well.

He can't do that in here…!

Showing a little frustrating and annoying behind on those crimson orbs of Kazama's, the President grabbed Chizuru's wrists so that he could tilted his head closer to hers easier. The closer the gap between them, the deep the scarlet the young brunette's cheeks are.

"If we can't do it here then when? You do realized almost everyone keep us both apart." The President growled under his breathed in threateningly. He could understand the Yukimura girl can be quite stubborn one. But he never thought that she could be this stubborn.

"Th-that is…" Chizuru murmured softly, not knowing what to say as she tries to find a word to answer him.

Oh, of course she's known that. It took several days then, the brunette noticed how almost everyone disagrees of their relationship. Whenever Kazama tried to kiss, or hug her in school, one of her friend would often pretended to bump into them and starts the usual conversation, and the next thing they knew, they pulled her arm and telling the President that they had some urgent to do with the brunette. She could understand how much caring they are for her, but being a little— no, too much over-protective is kinda getting on her nerve somehow.

If the only there's a way to stop being an over-protective family toward her.

As she was in a deep thought, she hadn't realized until now that there was a soft and warm feeling on her lips. The next thing she knew that she realized that the President had plunged his lips on hers while she was distracting herself from thinking about the others in school.

Slightly stunned from receiving another sudden kiss from Kazama, the brunette wanted so much to parted their lips away but knowing that her strength was no match to the President, it was impossible for her to break a free from him. In which, in the end, she eventually given up on herself, as she enjoys their kisses.

Knowing that they don't usually kissing a lot, Chizuru was pretty much suck on this kinds of stuff. She couldn't helped but feeling a little envy of Kazama's skillful kisses. If they had been kissing quite a lot, would she be as capable as the President's then…?

Feeling a little out of breathed, the brunette put her palm of hands on Kazama's broad chested, gesturing him that she needed some air in which is, Kazama gladly parted their lips her. Watching his beautiful soon-to-be-wife in admiringly, he finds her beautiful even when she was trying to catch some breathe desperately.

When she had enough air to breathe, Kazama began to pin her down on the couch, which brings their eyes gazed into nothing except each other. The perplexed look on her face was amusing the President truly.

He wanted so much to kiss her more and deeper, but he decided to keep the best part later.

Kissing his lover's forehead, cheek, ear and nose, he noticed Chizuru's cheeks began to flush in red once more. He replied with a soft chuckle on his lips. Of course, those kinds of chuckle wasn't meant in sarcasm or sadistic actually. Once he had satisfy kissing her face, Kazama began to move closer to her ear to give a seductive whisper, in which, brings the young brunette flushed in embarrassingly, just as the President predicted of.

"It's too bad you didn't hang a mistletoe in your house. …But if you had it.." a smirk formed into his lips, the President purred at that part, "I wouldn't have stop kissing you by now."

With that, Chizuru couldn't helped, felt an urged to flush in red once again.

"St-stop joking around like that!" The young brunette exclaimed in a slight of embarrassing at the thought of getting devoured by the President's lips.

"What do you mean by that?" Kazama spoke in a serious tone, narrowed his eyes slightly deeper from her words. "Of course, I'm not joking around when it comes to our relationship."

When the brunette didn't know what to speak anymore, the President continued once again;

"Do you actually think I would make a fun of your feeling toward me?"

"Of-Of course not!" Chizuru exclaimed at that. Wasn't expected to hear those lines from the President.

Guess there are times Kazama really known so well about falling in love and all.

"Then, you should be grateful that I'm doing this for you and you only," with that, Kazama's Oni President-ish mode started to disappear, return back to his usual flirty lover mode, giving a chaste kiss on Chizuru's soft cheek.

Ahhh... she couldn't understand about this man at all.

"Somehow.. I'm still not getting used to it on this kinds of thing…" The younger brunette whispered in flustered, hoping that her voice didn't reach to the President's ears. But since their space were pretty quite close, it's obviously that Kazama heard it very well, especially by the looks on his face, there was a wide smirk in which, she had a greatest urged to push the President away from her, turning on her heels to reach to her room and locked it until Christmas Eve finally over.

"Then, how about we should practice from now on?"

Kazama suggested with a very wide and dark smirk on his face. Of course, the part of 'dark' wasn't actually in malicious one.

As she heard those words from her lover, she knew so well that by meaning practice, it must've been more than just a kiss..! …Oh wait, or maybe she was being a little exaggerated.

Too exaggerated.

"W-Wait, what do you mean by that?!" She stuttered in flustered, feeling her cheeks starting to burn up once more from embarrassment.

"Obviously that, I've decided to further our relationship into deeper as soon as possible," Kazama explained clearly. "Although I would like to take our relationship grows slowly, but knowing that your friends and teachers were being too over-protective. So I think it's about time to show them off to know how much you only want me."

"W-Well, they cared for me. So it's normal that there are some people thinking about me."

"Yeah… 9 people being too over-protective like a parent." He muttered under his breathed at that. "Don't you think that they made some kind of plan to part us away?"

"They may be over-protective toward me, they may care for me like a family, they may not approve our relationship, but they would never do such a thing to part us away like this."

Kazama replied with a hum. "Sounds a bit suspicious to me."

"Talk about yourself…" Chizuru mumbled under her breathed, thankfully, this time the President didn't heard it.

After they've been spending times together in Chizuru's house, she was expecting he would eventually gave his usual goodbye kiss to her and leaves the house to make sure she would have a pleasant sleep for this night.

However, it didn't happened… yet.

"Close your eyes."

"E-Eh…?"

"Just close your eyes and trust me. There's something I want to show you"

Tilted her head in a slight of confusion. Knowing that asking more questions would brings a lot of riddles, Chizuru eventually closed her eyes just as the President demanded, waiting for whatever her lover trying to show her.

A moment then, Chizuru could felt a warm hand grabbing hers in gently one and took her to the staircase. The President has been remained quiet since he asked her to close her eyes.

Whatever he's trying to show her must be a surprised one.

Soon, as they finally arrived outside, possibly at the night of balcony, Kazama began to stop walking then.

Is this the place?

She gets a feeling that she's still in her house.

What is he trying to show her?

She couldn't helped but her curiosity is drivin' her crazy now.

"Alright," Kazama finally broke the silent. "now you can open your eyes."

With that, slowly, Chizuru fluttered her eyes opened slowly to prepare of whatever coming then. Her eyes soon lit up in joyous and happiness as she finally knows what her lover trying to show her.

The couple were in the balcony of her father's room. As she took a closer look outside the balcony, the scenery of night city about a few metres away from here looked beautiful with all those various colorful lights here and there. She could even see a big, Christmas tree that lit it up brighter than any lights at the town square. Some couple were enjoying themselves together in the city as well. It has such a great view to watch the city truly.

"It's beautiful, Senpai," Chizuru said with a full of admiringly one.

"I would be expecting you like it as well." Kazama said proudly.

Eyeing to her lover, she raised her eyebrow in curious. "How did you know this place has a great view to watch the city?"

At that question, Chizuru couldn't tell whether it's a good idea to ask or terrible one, but by looking at the other man's mischievous smirk, pretty sure she just ask a very terrible question one.

"Do you remember what happened between us when the car passed us outside your house?"

Just speaking a day when she confessed her feeling for the President kinda flushed her cheeks in embarrassing somehow.

"Y-Yeah.. why?"

"Well," Kazama began. "After I took a bath, I take an opportunity to get to know of yourself by secretly looked around the house, including several rooms." With that, he replied with another smug on his face. "As I went into your father's room, I've realized that the balcony there had such a great view to watch the city here. So I've just thought that it would be great for you to watch it later whenever you're alone and all."

"W-Wait—! Y-You went all over the rooms?!" Chizuru exclaimed in disbelief, finding her cheeks flushed in red at the thought of the President went into her room as well.

Wh-wha.. what if he thought her room looks childish and all?!

But wait, how can he tells which her father's room and hers?

As he could see through her all over it very clearly, Kazama gave a soft chuckle as he finds quite amusing of her side truly.

Damn, no matter whatever she do, the brunette girl would never fails to amuse him.

"Rest to be assured, my love," Kazama began. "I never enter your room yet, as I understand of woman's personal life. I wouldn't barging your room whatever I like unless we're both officially famuly in the future." He smirked at that part.

"A-Ahhh… o-officially family'..?" Chizuru murmured those words in embarrassingly, finding her cheeks burnt up deeper.

Smirking wider, Kazama continued once more to see his lover flushed in red even deeper.

"Ahh well.. even if we're officially family, I highly doubt that you'll be living here anymore."

At those riddles-like words, Chizuru raised her eyebrow in perplexed.

Wh-what does he mean..?

Before Chizuru could say more, Kazama continued then;

"Rather than staying here," the President tilted his head closer to Chizuru's ear to give a soft purred, "you will eventually live in my manor as my wife, the queen heir of Kazama famuly."

"W-Wife..?!" and Queen?! She squeaked at that word. She couldn't tell whether she was supposed to be embarrassed or happy for this. But of course, she's actually feeling too embarrassed about this as speaking about their future is too soon for her. "St-stop speaking something embarrass, senpai.." As she said that, she covered her face with her palm of hands as she realized her ears were joining to flush in red as well.

"Embarrassing? What are you talking about?" Kazama raised his eyebrow in perplexed. "Of course everything I said is the truth; you're belongs to me and me only, our destiny can never change no matter how many times you're try to escape it." He gave a smug at that, watching the poor girl feeling flustered at their 'future' fate.

Too embarrassed to speak a word, Chizuru could only reply with a groan then.

The other man replied with a chuckle, he gripped her chin with his fingers closer to take a good look on his lover, his smirk never faded away from his face.

"Cute."

At that, Kazama moved closer to give another chaste kiss on her lips then.

They stayed right there while feeling fascinating watching down on the beautiful, night, scenery city. Until around midnight then, Kazama bids her farewell before he went into his black limo car.

As soon as Chizuru changed herself into her yellow pajamas with cute brown pattern bears, she laid herself on the soft bed, letting herself having such a sweet dreams.

Although she wanted so much to celebrate a Christmas Eve with her adoptive father and Kaoru together for this year, but she never expected that celebrating with Kazama—her lover, could be fun and enjoyable actually.

But still...

"Embarrassing? What are you talking about?"

"Of course everything I said is the truth; you're belongs to me and me only, our destiny can never change no matter how many times you're try to escape it."

At those words she found herself blushed in happiness. Burying her face on her pillow from embarrassment, she soon falls asleep once she had finally calmed down then..

As the Christmas party in Serizawa's place had finally over, it was almost about time for the red-headed man escorted the young lady to her manor. Silent moment formed between on them, neither of the couple started any conversation. They pretty much enjoyed this peaceful and harmony quiet atmosphere.

While walking all the way to the Suzuka's manor, a soft, and white snow started to fall down on Kyoto.

"Look, it's snowing!" Sen chirped happily as she gazed on the beautiful snowy sky to watch snowflakes fall more.

Amagiri joined as well by raising his head, feeling himself to smile upon of seeing the first snowflakes fall with someone for the first time. As the red-headed watched the older Suzuka danced in beautifully and gracefully one like a gorgeous princess, he lets his lips formed a very small smile when Sen showed one of her cute and childish side by sticking out her tongue to have a taste of snow.

"It looked like you're having some fun." Amagiri began.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I? After all, it's the first time I've got inviting in a Christmas party like this." She replied happily. And not to mention it, I managed to get away from my mom just so I could avoid talking about arrangement marriage and stuff like that. Sen mumbled very quietly, hoping the other man didn't hear every single of her mutter.

As the older Suzuka continuedly enjoying watched the beautiful snowy scenery at the Kyoto, Sen noticed that the red-headed man had remained quiet for a moment now. There was a tint of guilty on his face.

Moved forward to the other man, Sen tilted her head in wonder, and taking a closer look on his face, hoping she could see whatever problem he had in mind behind on those ocean-blue orbs of Amagiri's.

"Something bothering you?"

"N-No." the red-headed man replied in a little hesitantly, moved his eyes on elsewhere except the honey-brown orbs one.

"That doesn't look to be fine at all." Sen spoke once more, not wanting to slide it that way. There's a chance that she might able to help his problem.

As the older Suzuka continuedly on staring at the other man for like eternity, it took a while then Amagiri has finally given up on himself, telling her whatever that's been in his head over and over. With a little hesitation, the red-headed man spoke in a very soft tone one like a whisper:

"…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Sen blinked in confused, tilting her head slightly in adorable.

"For.. leaving you alone in Serizawa's Party a moment ago."

"Again with that?" Sen couldn't helped but finds herself rolled her eyes. It's not in annoyance one, however. Though she could understand how much guilty he must has to have not coming to her sooner. After all, he did made a promise toward her personal servant that he would make sure the older Suzuka was definitely saved.

Honestly though, Sen couldn't helped but feeling a little curious as to what kind of relationship both, Amagiri and Kimigiku had. By the looks of it, they seem to have deepen their bonds before the older Suzuka met him first.

..No.

Or maybe even before she's in kindergarten.

Whenever she took a glanced of Amagiri's amazing ocean-blue orbs, there was a hidden of honest and maybe a little joyous as well to have see her personal servant once again.

It's not that their relationship is bothering her or something. Sometimes, the older Suzuka had always has a feeling of loneliness being next to the red-headed man whenever the raven-haired woman's presence exist between them.

It was almost as if the special person that could only fill his heart could only belongs Kimigiku and Kimigiku only—

Whoah, whoah, whoah.. hold the fuckin minutes. Since when Sen could ever envy of this kinds of feeling to someone, and not to mention it, her own personal assistant.

It's not that she was jealous of her or something right?

…Somehow, she couldn't helped but finds herself a bit familiar with her best friend, whom quite jealous to a certain woman, when she thought her feeling for whoever that man is one-sided.

Why should I jealous for Kimigiku? Amagiri?, Sen thought deeper as she took a glanced on the red-headed man whom looked at her in such a clueless expression on his face.

No.. no.. it couldn't be. She shook her head slightly. They've just friends several days ago. Nothing's special, nothing's more. Sure, he's great to be spends time with. But this kind of relationship is nothing but sort of a princess and a knight.

Amagiri, whom, takes a real great role of a protective knight—not over-protective. Just protective is enough. A knight, whom swore himself to the king, the queen, and the lovely princess to protect her at all cost even if it has to sacrifice his own life.

For Sen, a princess from far, far, far away land. In truth, being a wealthy daughter is tough. Very, very tough. Some commoner had always thought being a daughter of rich people has an easy life. But no.

They were absolutely wrong.

Being a rich people is tough.

Terrible.

For she, must marry some random rich man for the sake of their family.

Having an arrangement marriage is terrible one.

As there's no such thing as love between them.

She wanted so much to marry with someone she had a feeling of love, such as to marry Amagiri—

Ack!

Why did his name slip off from her thought?!

..it's not that she hates it or not..

It's just so..

—so complicated to describe of.

She likes Amagiri, that's what her thought.

She likes Amagiri as a friend.. is it…?

She couldn't tell.

At first, she was expecting she was definitely won't falls in love with someone.

And obviously, not to Kazama, as she always sees him as a brother only.

But Amagiri—

He's so—complicated to describe of.

"I suggest that we must return to your manor in haste." Amagiri break Sen's thought of his and Kimigiku's relationship, her eyes lift up into the ocean-blue ones. "Wouldn't want Miss Kimigiku worry of you more."

"Oh.. of course!," with that, Sen hopped on her heels while walking next to the red-headed man a little closer.

She wondered.. would she ever gets an answer about whatever kinds of feeling she had for this man…?

As they finally arrived at the Suzuka manor, Sen stopped right in front of the door and bowed in a very polite manner toward the red-headed man.

"Thank you for inviting me to the party. Really, it's a bit awkward, but I'm having a lot of fun spending times with you," Sen said with a proud grin.

"I am very glad you're enjoying it."

With that, they both could do nothing except smiled each other. Honestly though, somehow, they never get tired of smiling, chuckling and giggling to each other. It was almost as if their presence always makes them feel comfortable.

"Now then, I should take my leave, Lady Sen." Amagiri said with a bow. "Merry Christmas."

Upon of watching the red-headed man's broad back moved further and further, Sen couldn't helped but finds her world starting to turn grey upon of watching the other man's existent vanished in her life.

Would she ever sees him again?

"A-Amagiri—!"

When the red-headed man's name had been called from the older Suzuka in a hidden of desperate and a little grief, Amagiri stopped from mid-walking while took an eyed on Sen whom looks a bit anxious and worried, similar how men tried to touch her.

Why would she being this way…?

"Yes?"

Sen, however, did not speak a word nor reply the red-headed man. Instead, he stood right there, while looking down on the ground. She was too frightened to see him disappeared in her life again.

She was so grateful to him. Very grateful to him. Everything's what he's done had always cherished her truly. The way how he continued to support her like a knight who vow himself to protect his princess, even if it means to risk his own life.

He was the very first person to have needs someone helps her.

She hated to admit, but she obviously dislikes being a damsel in distress especially when it's her job to protect other women, especially Kosuzu and Chizuru from getting a sexual harassment by men. Despite how she was suppose to get angry for being pathetic and useless when Amagiri saved her from the other random men, though, she couldn't helped, rather than getting angry, it was more like she was… happy.

She couldn't described it very well. But for sure, whenever the other man saved her, it was almost as if her life was important to him. He couldn't live without her happiness and smile no matter. The older Suzuka could see right through his face very well; she noticed how sadden he looked whenever she vanished her smile away from her face.

He… must've cherished her as well, huh?

"…Sen."

Lifting her face up upon of hearing the other man called her. The next thing she knew, Sen could felt a very soft and warmth feeling on her forehead. It was the same feeling when she was getting a tight embraced by her personal servant. Reassuring her that it's fine to cry. It's alright to cry on other's shoulder.

It took moments to have Sen realized that this soft and warmth feeling she felt on her forehead was none other than Amagiri's lips.

His lips were soft and gentle.

Sooner or later then, the older Suzuka's heart was starting to pump up really quickly. She knew so well that this isn't anxious or fear she usually felt this time. It was different. Such an unfamiliar feeling she had experienced of in her life. A tinged of soft scarlet color were flushed on her both cheeks and ears at the same time. Although the weather here was suppose to be cold, Sen could felt her face were starting to burn up as if she was about to have a fever by now.

When seconds passed between them then, Amagiri finally moved his face away from Sen's forehead. He gave a very soft sigh of relief, slightly glad to see the older Suzuka was giving him a permission to come closer to their personal space.

As the older Suzuka had been stood there for more than 3 seconds, Amagiri had a feeling that he must be the second man(the first would be Kazama, obviously) to get this close to the older Suzuka since by looking on her expression, she's been stood there without a word, and stared at him in a blank face as if she finally realized Amagiri has been a ghost all this time.

Of course, that kind of reaction weren't mean in bad one. Probably this is the first time Sen has ever getting received an affection of friendship from other man(beside Kazama—oh wait, he didn't think Kazama has ever shown any affection toward Sen.. except maybe concern?).

"Well then," Amagiri finally break the silent moment between them. "I must leave for now." Giving his usual polite bow before the-soon-to-be-heir-of Suzuka, "Once again, merry Christmas, and have a pleasant night."

As the other man had finally leaves his presence at the manor of Suzuka, Sen, on the other hand, still stood there like a statue. Without realizing it, her hand moved to her forehead to give a soft caressed on it where the other man gave a chaste kiss.

Never would she have had ever imagined to have received a kiss from other man, not to mention it, Amagiri of all the men…!

Doki, doki

Soon, something insides her chest suddenly made such a strange loud sound. It took a moment then Sen realized that her heart was pumping even louder than ever. She knew whose fault this is to have made her feel this way.

Amagiri.

Wha—just what did that guy done to her..?!

Peeking outside the window, Kimigiku couldn't helped but feeling a little worry toward the older Suzuka.

It's getting late.

Where is she..?

It's weird how despite she and Sen doesn't have any relation blood, yet she's the only one that worry of Sen the most before Kosuzu and Kazama.

As she took a peek another window once more, she finally saw her outside from the Suzuka manor.

Ah.. there she is.

Narrowed her eyes deeper, there's something's weird going on to Sen.

What's happened to her..?

The next thing she knew, Kimigiku realized she wasn't alone actually.

There was Amagiri.

He stood there right in front of the older Suzuka. There was a very soft smile that Kimigiku rarely seen from the red-headed man. Although it's normal to see the other man was showing a very polite manner, even toward stranger. But this… that smile was the rarest one Kimigiku had ever seen before.

Could it be that smile was meant for the older Suzuka.

As Kimigiku watched whatever going happened between them rather than going outside and thanking the red-headed man for accompanied the older Suzuka, almost like a minute then, Amagiri patted Sen's head like a child, the next thing after then, his face leaned closer to Suzuka's forehead.

At first, Kimigiku had an urged to turn on her heels in a flashing light as if whatever Amagiri did just now was actually a taboo. But something stopped her however that, rather than going outside, there's still a smile on Amagiri's face. Kimigiku had a feeling that whatever the red-headed man did just now it had already been given a permission from Sen.

As soon as Amagiri finally turned on his heels to take a leave, Kimigiku began to take a glanced on Sen's face from the window. Gazing on her very closely then, she soon, finally saw the older Suzuka's expression clearly.

Instead of anxious and horrifying that Sen used to show whenever stranger men come closer to her, the older Suzuka's face was flushing in a deep of ripe tomato color on her cheeks and ears. Her eyes were filled with wondered and a little confused.

By the looking on that kind of expression, it looked like Sen has finally accepted on someone than just Kazama.

She finally accepted Amagiri in oblivious.

So that's how it is.

Kimigiku finds her lips curl upward in approved.

He's the man we've been looking for.

[goodlucktai]

They say that the world was built for two

MP100 Valentines Week  Day 7; Flowers pairing: terumob

Story tag

X

To Reigen's credit, when he opens his front door late on a Tuesday night, to be met with a disheveled and mildly-hysterical teenage esper – whose brilliant idea of a polite greeting is “Please I need your help I am losing my mind” – he doesn’t so much as bat an eye.

“It was only a matter of time at this point,” he says blandly, and stands back to let Teruki inside.

And now they're sitting on the sofa and the armchair respectively; Teruki curls his fingers around his usual mug, breathing in the steam and the scent of sweet cocoa as it drifts up to him (and it’s amazing, he’s never had a usual anything at someone else’s home before). It's calming, more calming than a warm drink and familiar cup have any right to be, and after he's managed a few sips and a few deep breaths, Teruki no longer feels like he's on the verge of drowning. 

Reigen is waiting patiently for him to sort himself out, but surely that won’t last much longer. “I’m very sorry for showing up like this,” he begins with, hesitantly lifting his eyes. 

Reigen raises a brow and gestures with his own mug for Teruki to get on with it already. Okay. Fair enough. He’s danced around the subject long enough.

Carefully setting his hot chocolate on the coffee table, Teruki folds his hands together on top of carefully crossed knees, and says, as painstakingly as he had rehearsed a hundred times, “I have feelings for -- for your student. For Shigeo.”

The words take a weight off his chest as he parts with them.

It feels better than he thought it would. To say it out loud, where someone else can hear. 

And he’s braced for just about anything, but what he gets is actually -- nothing. No response, no spark of reaction. Not so much as a flicker of surprise. After a beat of mutual silence, Reigen says, “Did you only just realize? I took you as slightly more self-aware than that.”

Teruki can’t help the way his mouth drops open. “You already know?”

“My dear boy,” comes the perfect deadpan, “everyone already knows.”

The sound of keys in the door stalls whatever Teruki might have said -- if he could have said anything through the curious sensation of his brain melting -- and a tall, broad man steps into the entry way. He pauses to trade large loafers for large house slippers, and a plastic shopping bag crinkles as he ventures further inside. 

“Cigarettes and ice cream,” the man is saying as he joins them. “Guess there’s no accounting for taste.” 

“That was a joke,” Reigen remarks. He’s sitting just a bit taller. “Katsuya, what’s happened to you?”

"Too much time spent in poor company,” comes the reply, and at that point the man notices Teruki in the armchair and freezes midstep. Nerves overcome him, and as he shuffles his feet and bows under an anxiety that looks long-lived Teruki is abruptly taken in by the sight of an older, more world-weary Shigeo. “Oh. I- I didn’t know we had company, I’m -- “

Reigen cuts him off at that point with a short sweep of his hand. “Hanazawa Teruki, Serizawa Katsuya. He's an esper, like yourself, and my colleague.” 

And with that, introductions are apparently over. Reigen leans forward, fixing Teruki with a gaze that leans the focus of the room in his direction -- taking the weight of their combined attention off of Serizawa, and Teruki watches the large man wilt in relief. 

“So?”

“So,” Teruki parrots uselessly, grasping at that starting line. He takes Reigen’s lead and ignores Serizawa completely, as rude as that makes him feel. “I -- think I might have -- messed things up. With Shigeo. Earlier today.”

Reigen’s mouth twitches. He says, “Go on.”

“We were -- the four of us, Shigeo, Ritsu, Shou and I -- thought it would be fun to go somewhere where there wouldn’t be any civilians around, and -- “ He searches for the right word, hands flexing where they’re folded together. “Stretch our legs?”

It was Shou’s idea, that fiery little juggernaut of a human being. Teruki spent close to an hour sparring with him, long distance as well as close quarters. They ripped up half the field there at the edge of town, toppled trees, tore open the sky with sparks and fire, and it left Teruki feeling spent, muscles burning, like the end of a satisfying workout.

The brothers played referee, though Shigeo’s eyes kept wandering to follow a flock of startled birds or a bolting deer and Ritsu looked like he couldn’t truly be bothered. When Shou called over for their final score, Shigeo jolted guiltily, and said, “Um. You both did a very good job.”

Shou blinked, looking taken aback -- then he tossed his head back and laughed. There was no cruelty to it, and Ritsu was directing an amused smile at the ground rather than at his flustered sibling, so Teruki sat back in the burnt grass and breathed in pure content. 

Shou was like him, in small ways. For all that they certainly started on the wrong foot, Teruki found that the two of them had similar interests now; similar in that Shou spends half his time circling Ritsu like an enamored puppy, and Teruki is wrapped heart and soul around Shigeo’s little finger. 

“Good luck,” Teruki said, meaning it, when he noticed Shou’s gaze catch on Ritsu for the third time in as many minutes. Shou rubbed a hand through his hair, hitching up a crooked grin.

“Hah, pretty obvious, huh? Well, thanks. I’m gonna need it. I mean, we can’t all have it as easy as you.”

Teruki frowned. He wasn’t sure how to take that. “Come again?”

Shou widened pale blue eyes at him, grin stretching in amused disbelief. “Oh, wow. Ritsu told me, but I didn’t believe him.” He rose to his feet, dusting off his jeans, and then leaned down to clap Teruki on the shoulder. “I just meant you’re a lucky guy. That’s all.”

After that, he wandered over to the brothers, throwing himself bodily at Ritsu’s person and demanding a spar with him -- and how he always managed to escape Ritsu’s wrath unscathed was a wonder, Teruki decided privately. The fact that he seemed to delight in poking at the younger Kageyama’s temper in itself was a little mind-boggling, when anyone in their right mind would do anything to avoid exactly that. 

Ritsu let himself be talked into a duel, throwing his book down and coming up on his feet with a glower. Shou whooped in glee, and barely had time to dodge a violent curl of telekinesis that stripped the bark off a nearby tree. 

And Teruki found himself sitting with Shigeo, playing the spectators. Shigeo was a warm presence by his side, heavy-lidded eyes following the spar without difficulty, and Teruki watched the side of his face more than he did anything else. 

“Your hair’s getting long,” he remarked thoughtfully after some time. Shigeo blinked, and glanced at him through a fringe that fell just a few inches farther than it usually did. It curtained his eyes a bit, and that was certainly a shame.

So Teruki reached out, unthinking. As though his body was on autopilot. Cradled the side of Shigeo’s face in one hand, and pushed his bangs aside with the other. Fingers trailing across his forehead and combing through fine dark hair.

“There you are,” he said tenderly. 

And the world burst into bloom. 

“Everything,” he stresses in Reigen’s warm living room, staring into his cocoa where he set it down on the table as though it holds all the answers. “We had really done a number on the area, and all of the grass came shooting back up -- whole saplings, new green bark on the trees we had damaged, and wildflowers in every color. Within moments, Master Reigen. And they just kept growing, taller and brighter -- all these blossoms popping open, petals unfurling, it was incredible.”

And he’ll never forget the look in Shigeo’s eyes when he hit the ceiling on that internal counter and those warm, lovely feelings spilled out into his expression and the atmosphere. His full cheeks dusted pink, eyes crinkled from the force of his affectionate smile, one hand coming up to cover the fingers curled around his cheek. He’ll never forget it, never. 

He puts his face in his hands, thoroughly miserable.

"And you panicked,” Reigen supplies, totally without inflection. 

“I panicked,” Teruki reaffirms, muffled. “I -- teleported. Miles. By accident. I’ve never done anything like that before, I didn’t even know I could. It took me nearly two hours to get back to town. My phone and my wallet were both in my bag so I had to walk the whole way here, and I still feel a little sick from that massive jump.”

“You still feel sick?” And that’s the way he sounds when he’s trying not to sound concerned, that neutral air he had adopted that made this conversation even possible for Teruki to stomach disintegrating in favor of a furrowed brow and a frown -- but Teruki hasn’t even gotten to the worst part yet.

“So if Shigeo tried to call me, there’s no way I could have answered him. He showed me something amazing, and I just disappeared. And now he probably thinks I’m avoiding him on purpose. What he did was so -- and I -- and now he probably hates me.”

Serizawa sits next to Reigen on the sofa at that point, and Teruki notices fresh mugs of hot tea where lukewarm cocoa had been. He lifts his eyes and manages a pale smile, a thanks for the effort the shy man had made, and leans over to pick up the cup carefully. 

Reigen’s thanks is an absent touch to the back of Serizawa’s hand, a move he doesn’t need to look to make, and the tight, tense lines of Serizawa’s nervous shoulders relax. 

“Are we talking about the same kid?” Reigen says. “Because Mob doesn’t hate easily. One of his closest friends is an evil spirit. And I’m sure you remember how you met him.”

It’s not often that words fail him, but in this case Teruki can’t think of a thing to say. Of course he remembers. 

The day he met Shigeo feels like a memory from another life, years ago and far removed, because the person he was back then is practically another species. He looks down at his hands, unable to imagine touching Shigeo now with the intention of hurting him in even the smallest way. He can’t imagine doing anything to him that isn’t soft or sweet or kind, cupping his face and combing fingers through his hair, tilting their foreheads together on a stormy night, holding his hand on a long walk home, coming up with half a dozen ways to make him smile while he puzzles over his homework -- 

“He doesn’t hate me,” Teruki says quietly, digging nervous fingers into the knees of his grass-stained pants. “That was a stupid thing to say.”

“Glad you agree.” Reigen probably has better things to do with his evening than deal with Teruki, would be well within his rights to push him out the door, but instead he leans forward, resting his weight on his elbows where they’re propped up on his thighs and giving Teruki even more of his precious advice and undivided attention. “It all boils down to you, being afraid to take a chance. You don’t want to get this thing wrong, ‘cause it’s important to you. You don’t want to ruin it. I get that. But that’s everybody, kiddo. Everybody’s scared.” He lifts a brow, something not quite a smirk quirking his mouth up on one side. “The only difference between you and everybody is that you have it easy.”

“That’s what Shou said,” Teruki says, realization dawning. “Everyone -- everyone does know already, don’t they?”

“You’ve been fairly obvious with your affections, Teru. Anyone with a functional pair of eyes would have cottoned on sooner or later.”

Reigen snatches up his mug to take an impulsive gulp of tea that’s much too hot, but Serizawa’s hand drifts over before he has the chance to scald himself; covering the rim of the cup with the flats of his fingers and cooling the drink with a faint twist of energy.

And Reigen looks down at the mug for a few seconds, and then his eyes move slowly over to Serizawa, calculative without being cold. Like there’s a bright light going on upstairs. 

The moment stretches. Teruki and Serizawa both jump when Reigen abruptly claps his free hand on his knee with a loud exhalation, the weight of the conversation disintegrating into something that’s easier to breathe through. 

“So,” he says matter-of-factly, “now you have to decide if what you’re doing is dodging a bullet, or missing one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to have something better than you deserve.” His ticks out a finger importantly, jabbing it in Teruki’s direction. “And I think you know which one this is.”

“Yes,” Teruki replies, sotto voce. “I think I do, too.” 

[starsfadingbutilingeron]

Reigen and Serizawa Lose Milk

Fandom: Mob Psycho 100

Summary: It’s basically what the title advertises. Part of the Mob’s Cat Milk AU.

Rating: Gen. Audiences

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Reigen blinked back the groggy film of early morning from his eyes as he struggled to fit his key into the lock of the Spirits N’ Such office door. The task was made doubly difficult with Milk tucked under his only other arm; the cat squirming as she tried to crawl up on Reigen’s shoulder.

“Mr. Reigen, why don’t I hold Mob’s cat for you?” Serizawa spoke up from where he stood close behind, bent over to get a closer look at the wriggling cat under Reigen’s arm.

“Hmpf!” Reigen stood up straight suddenly, jerking back and smacking Serizawa’s forehead with the back of his head. As the taller man rubbed at where he’d been hit, Reigen turned around and held Milk out with one hand. “If you think you’re up to the task. Mind you, she’s a menace!”

Serizawa took the cat in his slightly shaking hands; Milk immediately curled up against his chest, starting up a round of content purring. Reigen turned back to the door, fitted the key in the lock and giving it a sharp twist; he was almost at the stage of actually getting the door open, when he heard Serizawa give a startled cry followed by the thud of four striped paws hitting the floor and puttering down the hallway.

Reigen whipped around quick as a tornado, eyes darting to follow Milk. “Oi! What’s that cat getting up to n-”

“Hi, Shishou!” Mob waved from where he stood at the end of the hall with Milk rubbing up against his legs.

“Mob!?” Reigen’s eyes boggled out of his head as he took in the sight of his student so early in the morning. “What are you doing here at this hour?? It’s like six in the morning sh- Shouldn’t you be in school or asleep or eating breakfast or something!?”

“I came to check on Milk,” Mob said, reaching down to pick up his cat and letting her crawl up onto his shoulders. “Why are you here this early? I was going to wait for you.”

“Your cat woke me up by trying to suffocate me , Mob!!” Reigen exclaimed, recollecting how he’d woken up to find his face had become Milk’s new favorite sleeping spot. “Decided I might as well open early while I was up.”

“Oh,” Mob said. “Why is Serizawa here?”

“Hi, Mob!!” Serizawa waved as the young boy came to join the two adults by the office door.

“He was up anyways, lookin’ for something to do, so I told him to come on over,” Reigen said, finally pushing the door open and walking into the office.

It was weird for Mob to be there so early in the morning, usually he came in late afternoons and left just as it was getting dark; he wasn’t used to seeing everything so still and unused, untouched by the humming glow of the fluorescent lights that hung overhead. He shuffled in after Serizawa, Milk still perched happily on his shoulder.

“Now, Mob, I understand you want to see your cat,” Reigen folded his hands in front of him as he turned to face Mob. Just as he opened his mouth to keep speaking, Serizawa flipped the lights on with a loud click; Reigen flicked a tired look to Serizawa, who stood sweating nervously by the lightswitch.

“Sh-Should I turn them back off?” Serizawa asked.

“No, it’s fine!” Reigen waved a dismissive hand then swiveled back to face Mob. “You can’t cut school to hang out here with Milk, okay?”

“I know,” Mob nodded, picking up Milk off his shoulder and holding her out to Reigen. She gave a cry of protest, looking at Mob as if asking for just a few more minutes on his shoulder. “I just wanted to make sure she was doing alright.”

“Of course she’s fine!!” Reigen said confidently, taking Milk in his own arms and giving her a scratch behind the ears. “Milk will always be safe in the office!! She’s in good hands here. Serizawa and I will make sure nothing bad happens to your cat.”

Mob smiled a little bit. “Thank you, Shishou.”

“No problem! No problem!!” Reigen waved his hand, shifting Milk to one arm so he could set a hand on Mob’s shoulder and steer him towards the open door. “Now, go get yourself to school. Milk will be here waiting for you when you’re done!!”

“Okay,” Mob said; leaning over and cupping Milk’s face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her her closed eyes and smudgy nose. “Bye Milk!”

Milk gave another plaintive meow as Mob turned and left down the hallway, fidgeting a little in Reigen’s arms as he disappeared down the staircase.

“Hey, come on now, he’ll be back soon,” Reigen said to Milk, turning back into the room and setting the cat down in her favorite spot near the radiator. Turning to Serizawa, Reigen smiled and shook his head a little at the situation. “Some kid, huh?”

“He certainly loves his cat a lot,” Serizawa smiled, sitting down in one of the chairs across from Reigen’s desk usually designated for clients only. “And she seems to be helping Mob a lot, too.”

“Yeah, I suppose she does,” Reigen said, lowering himself into his desk chair. Just as he sat down though, his eyes snagged on the wide open office door. Giving an annoyed sigh, he sprang up from his chair and crossed the four foot distance to the door.

As he shut the door, his eyes fell to the radiator where he’d left Milk. But she wasn’t sitting there any longer. Turning away from the door, Reigen did a quick scope of the room but found no trace of Milk at all.

“Uh, Serizawa? Do you see Milk at all? I think she’s hiding,” Reigen said, dropping to his knees and peeking under the couch.

“Umm...uh…” Serizawa twisted in his seat, finally setting his gaze on Reigen’s desk. Standing up, he reached out and lifted up Reigen’s laptop. “She’s not under your computer, sir!”

“Well, that’s good I-” Reigen stood up, pausing as he registered what he’d just heard. Instead of responding, Reigen just switched sentences and pretended he didn’t hear Serizawa imply he’d thought Milk would consider reigen’s thin laptop a viable hiding place. “Have you looked under the desk?”

Serizawa bent down and looked under the desk. Reigen pulled up the blinds and checked among his potted plants, coming up empty at each turn. They both called Milk’s name, both thankful no one else was nearby to hear them calling out for a dairy beverage repeatedly at six in the morning. Serizawa took out a bag of cat treats he kept in his jacket and shook it, but Milk was still nowhere in sight. When they’d absolutely searched every nook and cranny of the Spirits N’ Such office, the two stood in the middle of the room, panting with exhaustion as they looked at each other.

“This is ridiculous!” Reigen threw up his hands. “Where could she be!? It’s not like this is the luxurious, spacious office of a successful businessman!”

“Uhm, Mr. Reigen...you don’t think she…” Serizawa twiddled his fingers anxiously. “...when the door was open you don’t think that she…”

Reigen went rigid like someone had superglued a metal rod to his spine, eye twitching as he looked to the now-closed door. “Oh no…” Reigen murmured, crossing to the door and pulling it open. Looking out into the hallway and finding no evidence of Milk’s presence; Reigen dodged his head back inside, closed the door, and then opened it and looked out again. He repeated this process a few times, before shutting the door with a final slam and spinning back around to face Serizawa.

“Serizawa!!” Reigen shouted, looking ready to rip his own hair out. Serizawa jumped back a little bit, sweat beginning to glisten under the fluorescent lights as it appeared on his forehead. Reigen had his hands braced out in front of him like an athlete bracing to be tackled, fingers splayed as he looked straight into the void of incomprehension opening before him. “We lost Milk!”

---

“She’s small and has pointy ears and a striped tail-”

“Wait!” the police officer held up a hand to stop Reigen in the midst of his babbling. “Striped tail? Is this missing person in fact a person?”

“Well…” Reigen winced, leaning his hand against the side of the building he’d stopped in front of to talk to the police officer. “Not per se , but I think you will find that pets, to many people, are a sort of-”

“Sir, stop wasting my time and call Animal Control,” the officer said, flipping his notebook shut and walking off down the street.

“Hey!” Reigen spun around after the cop. “You know, I bet the police force in the next district over doesn’t treat concerned citizens like this!!”

The cop didn’t look back, and brushed past a bumbling Serizawa who was carrying an armful of papers with him. Reigen let go of a heavy breath and waited for Serizawa to meet him where he stood alone on the sidewalk.

“Any luck finding her?” Serizawa asked, cheeks flushed from how quickly he’d been walking.

“No, none. Well, if SOME PEOPLE were more helpful it might be a different story,”  Reigen called to the cop’s ever receding back. Shaking his head, Reigen turned his attention back to Serizawa. “So, what are those?”

“Hm? Oh!” Serizawa gripped the stack of papers and held them up for Reigen’s inspection. “I made Missing Cat posters for Milk. I thought if we stuck them up all over the city, someone might-”

“Ah uh, I’m gonna stop you there!” Reigen held up a hand to silence Serizawa. “Put up posters broadcasting that we lost Milk all over the city!? Do you know who lives in this city? Mob, that’s who!! Do you know what would happen if he walked past one on his way to the office and found out we lost his cat!??”

“...Understand it was an honest mistake and come talk to us?” Serizawa suggested.

“Wrong!” Reigen waved his hands out around him and brought one to rest in the center of his chest. “If Mob finds out I lost his cat, he’ll...He might...Ah, well, nevermind that!! But no, he can’t know we lost Milk; we’ll just have to find her before school lets out.”

Serizawa glanced nervously at his watch. “But it’s already twelve-thir-”

“Shh!” Reigen pressed a finger to his lips, turning on his heel to survey the street around him. “Let’s try and think where a cat might go.”

Serizawa bit his lip and thought for a moment before suggesting, “Off to chase birds?”

“Genius!” Reigen exclaimed, gripping Serizawa’s wrist and spinning him around and dragging him down the sidewalk. Taking the posters from Serizawa’s hands, Reigen slammed them into the first trash can and continued down the sidewalk at record speed. “Off to the nearest park!”

But Milk wasn’t at the nearest park. Or the local grocery store’s dairy section. Or Reigen’s apartment, meowing to be let in. By the time Serizawa and Reigen had returned to the Spirits N’ Such office, they were both dripping in sweat and all but leaning against the other in exhaustion. Collapsing onto the office’s one and only couch together, the two men looked up at the wall clock in dismay.

“Almost time for Mob to get here,” Serizawa murmured, tugging at the short curls of his hair.

“Hnngh, I just don’t know where that cat could be,” Reigen groaned, rubbing his face with his hands and standing up to pace around the office. “Mob’s never gonna speak to me again when he finds out.”

“Ah, I-I’m sure he wouldn’t do that,” Serizawa offered a small smile, standing up and following Reigen as he paced. “I’m sure if you just explain to him what happened he’ll understand. He won’t be mad.”

“No, No, you don’t get it !” Reigen shook his hands out in front of him in exasperation. “I can’t do that, I can’t tell him. He can’t lose that cat. She...To Mob, that cat is…” Reigen bit his lip, not wanting to let slip all that Mob had told him in confidence. “Look, you said yourself how much that cat has helped him. I’ve never seen Mob emote so much in all the years I’ve known him, and I’ll be damned if I’m the one he blames for losing-”

“But he won’t blame-”

“Yes, he will!” Reigen snapped. “A-And if he doesn’t blame me, he’s gonna blame himself and I can’t- I don’t want him to- I just couldn’t-”

“What are we going to do then?” Serizawa asked, rubbing his hands around each other anxiously. “We can’t find her in the next twenty minutes and then we’ll have to tell Mob we lost his cat-”

“I’ll call and tell him he doesn’t have to come in today!!” Reigen said suddenly, digging his phone out of his pocket. “That’ll buy us some time. And I’ll keep doing that until we find Milk and-”

“But what if we don’t find her, Mr. Reigen?”

“Uhh ah..!” Reigen crossed to the window and yanked up the blind then turned back around. His movements were jerky and more agitated than usual, like someone had lit a firecracker off in his nerve endings. “Then we’ll close the office. Move to a new city...maybe change our names…”

“We shouldn’t run away from this, Reigen,” Serizawa said, anxious tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes as sweat ran down the sides of his face. “I don’t want to run. And besides, won’t Mob come and try to find Milk anyways? This plan won’t work, we have to tell him!”

“GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN!” Reigen lunged forward and grabbed Serizawa by the shoulders, the taller man now full-on sobbing at the stress of the situation. “We just have to keep our heads and figure out what to do before Mob-”

“Hi, Shishou,” Mob’s voice suddenly spoke out, accompanied by the soft click of the office door opening.

Reigen let out a loud shriek, wrapping his arms around Serizawa’s neck and leaping upwards. Serizawa caught Reigen, trying to settle his own nerves at the sight of the small boy in the doorway.

“Hi, Serizawa,” Mob dipped his head a little, a small wrinkle of concern etching into his brow as he took in the tears falling down Serizawa’s face. “Are you two okay?”

“Ah uh uh uh…” Reigen stammered, dismounting from Serizawa’s hold with shaking legs. “Mob...uh...We’re fine. Um, how was your day?”

“Great!” Mob lit up, reaching around to fiddle with his schoolbag. “I have something to show you two actually.”

“Oh, uh, really?” Reigen smiled, sweat pouring down his face as Mob opened his schoolbag.

“I don’t think we should stall this,” Serizawa whispered.

“Sh,” Reigen nudged Serizawa in the ribs. “What, uh, what did you have to show us, Mob?”

Reaching into the depths of his bag, Mob reached in and pulled out a small bundle of stripes and fur. “Milk followed me to school today!”

Reigen’s jaw dropped and for once his hands remained still at his sides as he stared at the self-satisfied face of Milk nestled in Mob’s arms. Behind him he could hear a loud thud and figured Serizawa had collapsed in relief; but he couldn’t move to check on him if he had been told to at gunpoint.

“Uh…” Mob stared at where Serizawa lay on the floor. “Are you two sure you’re okay?”

“Sh...She followed you to school, huh?” Reigen managed to get out, moving his hands so they were on his hips as he still stared at Milk in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Mob smiled. “It was funny actually. I had been called on in math class and was trying to come up with an answer when we all heard a meow from outside. And Milk was there at the window, trying to get in.”

“Uh-huh?” Reigen nodded, flashes of the past eight hours of searches coursing through his head.

“The teachers said she could stay for the day,” Mob said. “I hope you and Serizawa weren’t worried.”

“What?! Us? Worried?” Reigen sputtered, hands fluttering erratically once more. “We-We didn’t even notice she was gone! I wondered why the office was so quiet!!” Reigen rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s all water under the bridge now anyways! Why don’t you give Milk to me and you go ahead and help Serizawa there?”

“Alright,” Mob nodded, easily handing Milk over to Reigen and going to where Serizawa still lay on the ground.

Reigen crossed to the office door, shutting it firmly. Holding Milk up so their faces were centimeters apart from each other, Reigen squinted at the cat. Glancing to make sure Mob wasn’t looking, Reigen lowered his voice so only Milk could hear.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” Reigen whispered, giving Milk a stern glare. Milk gave a soft meow, then reached her neck out and bumped her nose against Reigen’s. Reigen scoffed and pulled his face away, but Milk only stretched her neck out further and booped his nose again, blinking her eyes slowly at him as she did. “Yeah, yeah,” Reigen muttered, rolling his eyes as he surrendered to getting nose kisses from the cat. “Sure I forgive you.”

Turning back into the room, Reigen put Milk up on his shoulders and headed over to where Mob was attempting to lift Serizawa up. Mob and Reigen managed to lift the man up onto the couch, his long legs dangling over the edge of it; by the time they were finished, Mob looked ready to pass out himself and quickly sat down in one of the few chairs in the room. Milk quickly hopped onto his lap and curled up to take a nap. Reigen watched Mob smile as he began to pet the already slumbering cat and walked back over to his desk, a smile playing on his lips as he sat down to wait for the first client of the day.