#yata is maybe the only one that if he were a real guy i would immediately be able to/try to befriend

[catchyhuh]

OK YATA HEADCANONS!

Yata is often noted for his social awkwardness, tendency of being hot headed, and prodigal brilliance, which draws on his analytical way of thinking and establishes him as the encyclopedic brainiac, much like his employer. Similar to many "brainiac" types, he tends to ramble on when the conversation leads to a subject with which he is very familiar. This tendency is somewhat annoying to his peers and they often verbally shush him or respond to him with blank stares. Zenigata on the other hand finds it to be intriguing and is always willing to listen to what he has to say and they both use the info dumping as a way to pass time when driving in the cruiser. Despite his attempts at presenting himself as “professional”, Yata often ends up missing social cues at times (for example, unknowingly changing the subject of a conversation).

While he wants to learn more about Inspector Zenigata and get to know more about the “man behind the badge”, in a effort to make some sense of the inspectors behavior, Yata knows the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule, which he doesn’t seem to mind, given that he is just as quiet about his family life and history as Zenigata is.

Yata tends to wear mismatched socks when he’s in a good mood. This characteristic was implemented by his grandmother who once told him mismatched socks bring good luck.

Yata has an eidetic memory, meaning that he can remember an exceedingly large amount of information with extraordinary detail. This, however, only definitely applies to information gathered visually (especially things he's read, as implied with the word eidetic)

He once wanted to be a fashion designer when he was very young, after accidentally flipping to a fashion show on TV and watching it out of curiosity. While he changed his idea and instead became a policeman in his later years, he does have a talent when it comes to clothes, often sewing and patching him and Zenigata’s clothes whenever Zenigata accidentally ruins them during a chase or any of his endeavors.

OK YEAH THESE ROCK I LIKE THESE firstly because it hit me the hardest i actually did entertain the idea of like a fashion industry au where like fujiko was a model, jigen was a critic, etc AND YATA WAS AN UP AND COMING DESIGNER SO THAT'S FUNNY THAT OUR BRAINS LINKED UP LIKE THAT FOR A MOMENT!

and the rest of this serves to remind me that i should probably finish my hcs on where the group sits on the spectrum because damn yata. me too. we are united in never shutting up once we get going and developing the most random habits because "i was told x once" we are BROTHERS in this aspect

[ridiasfangirlings]

Misaki is afraid of ghost and finds out Saruhiko is being haunted by one. He thinks it's scary at first and wants nothing to do with it until he found out that the ghost is Niki and now Misaki wants to face his fears to save Saruhiko.

Imagining this as like a no-powers AU where maybe everyone’s in high school and Yata and Fushimi are the usual ‘friends who have had a falling out.’ Yata has always been able to see ghosts but he tries to pretend he can’t because he’s really afraid of them and has been ever since he was small, like when he was a child the ghosts used to try and get him lost or killed so he could be a ghost too. Fushimi is actually the only person Yata’s ever told about his power, Fushimi would tease him about it when they were kids but at the same time if Yata said there was a ghost somewhere Fushimi would just avoid that place without having to be asked. Yata always felt like Fushimi was the only one who really understood him when it comes to his powers, so after they have their falling out and Fushimi sometimes teases him about seeing ghosts Yata feels really upset. Yata hasn’t even told his friends in the Red club about his powers, because he doesn’t want upperclassman Mikoto to think that he’s like crazy or lying, Yata wants to look cool and dependable in front of Mikoto.

However as it happens Mikoto’s cousin Anna can also see ghosts, she doesn’t talk about it much and everyone just thinks she has good intuition. Sometimes when she looks at Yata he feels uncomfortable and doesn’t know why, he cares about Anna too after all and wants to be a dependable big brother type to her. One day Anna stops by the school and Yata runs into her, he’s taking her to the library (where Mikoto has detention under the watchful eye of student council president Munakata) and they pass by Fushimi. Fushimi taunts Yata and Yata gets angry but he doesn’t want to fight in front of Anna so he just storms off, dragging Anna with him. Anna tugs on his sleeve and says ‘Saruhiko…’, Yata’s like I know I know that guy’s such a jerk. Anna shakes her head and says no, there’s a ghost around Saruhiko. Yata laughs nervously all ghosts don’t exist and Anna just gives him a serious look. Yata bites his lip and says well even if ghosts were real I’m sure that jerk is fine, Anna shakes her head again and looks at Yata very seriously as she says ‘that ghost’ is going to hurt Saruhiko.

Yata tries to put that worry out of his head, telling himself there’s no way because wouldn’t he have noticed if Fushimi was being haunted. But the next day at school he starts like badly sneaking around trying to watch Fushimi, Fushimi of course spots him immediately and calls him an idiot, wondering if Yata wants a fight. Yata notices that Fushimi looks even paler than usual and he starts really looking at Fushimi, staring hard and trying to clamp down on all his old fears of ghosts, and suddenly he can see like this dark aura around Fushimi. Yata takes a step back as Fushimi mockingly asks what’s wrong and the darkness coalesces into the shape of Fushimi Niki, who’s got his arms wrapped around Fushimi’s neck in a hug and is laughing at Yata. Yata’s so surprised that he cries out and falls backwards, Niki laughs harder as Fushimi wonders why Yata is being extra stupid this morning. Yata grabs Fushimi’s wrist and is like ‘your dad…’, Fushimi gets this momentarily haunted look and then his expression just freezes over as he smacks Yata’s hand away and says not to talk to him if Yata’s only going to say stupid things. 

So now Yata’s figured out that Fushimi is being haunted and it occurs to him too that their falling out happened right after Fushimi’s dad died. He wonders if Fushimi’s been haunted all this time and say he goes to see Anna again, admitting he did see that ghost. Anna says that the ghost is stealing all Fushimi’s energy, it has a bad aura and she’s worried about Saruhiko. Yata decides to do some research and imagine he realizes that if Niki keeps haunting Fushimi then Fushimi really could die, like Niki is just slowly leeching away Fushimi’s life force and causing misfortune so that eventually Fushimi will either collapse or end up dead in some supernaturally-caused accident. Yata’s spent his whole life trying to avoid ghosts and pretending he couldn’t see them but suddenly this power doesn’t seem so bad, because Yata realizes that if it wasn’t for his power he would never have the chance to save Saruhiko. He’s afraid and doesn’t know what Niki will do but now Yata’s determined, trying to find a way to exorcise that ghost for good. (And maybe it turns out Fushimi’s known about the ghost all along and purposefully broke things off with Yata so Yata wouldn’t get destroyed by Niki’s ghost, but Yata isn’t going to let that stand in the way of saving Saruhiko).

[1-lightofjustice]

Justice for Awashima Seri

One of my latest posts made me want to re-watch K Project Return of Kings, especially Scepter 4 segment. And damn, there are so many things that happened to Awashima and frankly she didn’t deserve it. I’m not talking about GoRa’s overly disgusting fanservice attempts on Seri, although that’s indeed something that must be protested. I’m talking about how she was kept in dark by her two megane colleagues (mainly Munakata) even though she’s Second in Command of Scepter 4 and someone who has been working besides them for years. After I finished rewatching..... wow it’s worse than I remembered. My heart truly breaks for Seri, and I’m super glad that in the end she got her happy ending (by punching Munakata’s face). Like first, we know how worried she was about Munakata’s state, and after Reisaru’s fight in episode 8, Seri was so worried about Fushimi’s wellbeing and his bedding. Then at the very beginning of her role in episode 9, we have this :

For almost anyone besides Seri, maybe they will not think too much about the fact that they can’t understand what the hell are on Munakata and Fushimi’s heads, after all they’re not the easiest people to understand. But for Seri, it’s quite a new unpleasant territory for her. There’s a reason why she’s the Second in Command after Munakata, why she can easily command the rebel Fushimi without many protests from the said rebel, and why she can work alongside cryptic geniuses like Munakata and Fushimi. From R:B novel, we know that she’s an all-round achiever, but one of her main virtue is she’s goddamn observant. She more or less can understand Munakata’s unique mindset, and she mostly can see right through Fushimi’s bullshit. She more often can hit ‘100 point mark’ regarding the enigmatic Munakata and the ‘absolute tsundere’ Fushimi than any other human being except each other. Like on Munakata’s case, we have this :

Yoshino continued. “An ordinary man would have an interest in nude females, I think, but this is the Captain we’re talking about… How is it for him, what do you think?” She looked up at Awashima.

Awashima’s lips curved into a stiff smile as she took her time to think.

Then she drew a breath and, “I haven’t given that subject a thought until now. But well, if I had to answer…�� She shook her head. “This is what I think: in the Captain’s case, it’s entirely possible that never once in his life he has so much as opened that kind of magazines or, alternatively, stores an entire thousand book collection of obscene materials in his room, and I won’t be surprised in the least in either case. Would this suffice as an answer?” Munakata Reishi’s right hand woman and Lieutenant, Awashima Seri, said with an even more strained smile.

 Case Files of Blue Chapter 1 (and looking at how eager Munakata asked Hidaka to show his collection, suffice to say that Awashima is absolutely correct about her answer).

Awashima: But, well, for the Captain it’s probably of equal value. Fushimi: Of equal value? What is? Awashima: Protecting this country’s peace and fulfilling his promise to a kindergartener.

Optician Drama CD

And on Fushimi’s case :

“…It might not be a misunderstanding, you know. What if I were in cahoots with Homura?” he retorted, lips pursed.

For a moment, Awashima’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing to slits as she humphed letting a slight smirk tug on her lips. “Suppose there really is a traitor who’s trembling while covered in cold sweat; I’d say at the very least it’s safe to assume he’s not switching sides because he likes it. It’s time for your report. The materials are ready, I hope?”

The King and The Traitor 

“It’s hard to call realistic, I have to agree with you on that. And on the off chance that it indeed is a strain’s doing, there is hardly any ground to claim harm sustained from the act. It’s the rainy season, after all. So I do find the idea of wasting time and manpower on investigating this possibility unreasonable, especially considering that we hardly have any to spare, but… if it’s an order from my superior officer, I will look into it though?”

It was said curtly and emotionlessly, but Awashima let out a little chuckle, hearing Fushimi’s answer. “Then look into it for me. Since like me, my competent and capable subordinate, too, seems to be concerned with this matter.”

Endless Rain

Also in anime, she noticed Yata’s worry for Mikoto and informed him about Mikoto’s condition to calm him. After breaking Sarumi’s fight, instead of asking apology, she demanded Fushimi to show her the result of his investigation, knowing full well that Fushimi already did some digging before he confronted Yata. She made the remark about only a King can attract another King. Heck, she already deduced that the reason why Munakata kept Zenjou-san on Scepter 4 is to kill Munakata one day, even though Munakata understandably never told anyone about it. During ROK, I kinda got feeling like Munakata and Fushimi were purposely ‘ghosting’ her, but looking at how observant she is, it’s quite understandable why Munakata and Fushimi kept Awashima in the dark to preserve their secret mission (still jerk move for them though). 

I think that’s one of the reason why Fushimi gave the hint about his secret mission only to Yata. Not only Yata is his best friend, but he also can count on Yata’s insensitiveness, having been the victim first-hand in the past. Like, Fushimi who is surprisingly responsible and dutiful for his job maybe thought “it’s fine to give Misaki a hint, it’s not like he can pick it up anyway”, so he can feel ‘less guilty’ for endangering the secrecy of his mission. Not that he’s wrong though, I mean Yata you’re a good guy but I have to say you really have a fine thick-head for not noticing and still saying that Fushimi betrayed the Blues, Fushimi jumped from sinking ship after Fushimi uttered such a vague sentence and after knowing that Fushimi secretly asked your brother to quit Jungle. Thank God Munakata gave him clear explanation later. Instead for Awashima, she only got this :

In that brief moment of silence, Fushimi let Awashima knew 3 things :

1. He joined Green clan and willing to attack his ‘former’ clansmen for them.

2. Not only joined Green clan, but he’s now one of J-ranker of Jungle. You know, the true Green clansmen, the one they have to be most cautious like Sukuna and Yukari.

3. He allied with one of Green clansman who participated on Anna’s kidnapping and former Scepter 4′s prisoner.

And he didn’t give Awashima and Kusanagi anything except complete silence and green-laced knife-throwing. Mission accomplished! The monkey succeeds on fooling the strong-willed and observant Lieutenant of Scepter 4. Just like the phrase “To fool your enemy, fool your friends”, there’s no way Awashima can perceive that except as complete betrayal. Haha.

(Truly, Fushimi was so good at executing his job. Too good, actually).

Then, after that shocking revelation that can shake someone’s mentality, she still had duty to report it toward her superior. Look at her reaction after Munakata said things about biting the giver’s hand.

(OMG watching that scene after knowing about Fushimi and Munakata’s secret mission made me truly itch to punch a certain King’s beautiful sparkly face).

She blamed herself for failing to look after Fushimi. I read some posts about Fushimi’s betrayal speculation before ROK episode 11 was aired, those who predicted that Fushimi joined Green for real, almost all expected Yata to stop Fushimi and made him go back to Scepter 4 (or Homra). While I understand the potential Sarumi heartbreaking angst and their another flashy fighting scene, I can’t help but think, can Yata do it? Not that I doubt strong bond between them, but Yata and Fushimi are equal in power. Okay, Yata is stronger in raw power, but Fushimi proved himself can accommodate his power effectively to match Yata. We know from their fight in Ashinaka Gakuen that Fushimi’s dual-color status can pass Yata’s defense, just like an attack can pass the defense from the same aura. Then Fushimi got his Green Aura. I didn’t say that Yata surely would lose to Fushimi on that situation, but it’s understandable if he lost and no one will blame him. But Seri? She’s canonly stronger than Fushimi, she’s usually can keep Fushimi on check in Scepter 4 and Seri is his direct superior after Munakata. I think if indeed Fushimi joined Green clan, the ones that have a chance to win battling him are Seri, Kusanagi, Kuro, and Kings. I can see Awashima blamed herself for failing to stop Fushimi and wanted to compensate for that failure by bringing Fushimi back to Scepter 4.

So, as if that burden is not heavy enough, Munakata brought Zenjou to his side and Awashima, who already worried about Munakata’s safety for a whole season and more, got an honor to watch on front seat as this happened :

Her King had a sword pointed toward his neck, but Awashima wasn’t fast enough to even touch her saber. Munakata’s Second in Command, who just realized that preventing her King’s Damocles Down is her responsibility, was shown the fact that she was not fast enough in comparison with Zenjou. Just, let’s imagine some time between episode 9 and 11 Seri looked at her saber, lamented at the fact that she failed to stop Fushimi and she was not fast enough to fulfil her most hurtful responsibility. Imagine Seri tried to get a hold of herself, readied herself to point her sword toward her closest comrades. 

Of course her torment didn’t end there. The Quack Prime Minister fired Munakata from his duty, removed him from Scepter 4. And Munakata, wordlessly, without giving any words or announcements toward his clansmen...  

(SERIOUSLY GIVE HER A BREAK! MUNAKATAAAAA!!!!)

I feel like that scene is the peak of Munakata’s “ghosting” toward Awashima. Not to mention, her (and Scepter 4) next order is :

(Help! My poor clueless ducklings are trapped while their genius jerk megane superiors are carelessly walking toward suicide plans!).

Honorary mention for the rest of poor lost ducklings :

(Yes, Munakata, you can’t just leave without any words toward your clansmen. Especially when you literally walked toward your death).

(BTW the meaning of “one unthinkable thing happening after another” is Fushimi’s betrayal followed by Munakata’s resignation. Little appreciation that they thought Fushimi’s betrayal is “unthinkable thing” even though the fact that Fushimi’s status as Homra’s “traitor” is widely known in Scepter 4).

 (Zenjou-san and the rest of Scepter 4 are not amused by your secret plan shenanigans, Munakata and Fushimi. Zenjou thought that those jerks truly ruin meganes’ reputation. Unbeknown to him, Enomoto thought the same).

Well, we know what happened after this. Seri and the rest of Special Squad got their first clue about what the heck is happened from a freaking TV, they rushed toward their King, the show was shifted to Silvers and Reds and NO SCEPTER 4 REUNION OR SETTLEMENT EVEN THOUGHT GORA CRAFTED SUCH A BIG AND COMPLEX CONFLICT IN SCEPTER 4.

Well, at least Seri got to punch Munakata in the face, even though in my opinion she truly deserved more after all the shits she had been through.

[itsuki-minamy]

“SIX IDOLS”

CHAPTER 5: “NAGARE.02” (Complete)

* K - Six Idols (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

"Emerald smoke for you..."

Hearing the familiar voice, Sukuna Gojo raised his face.

A scrambled intersection in Shizume where many people come and go. It projected a familiar face onto a huge screen that dominated him. It was a popular idol, Mishakuji Yukari, who belongs to the same unofficial office as Sukuna, "Jungle Pro".

"A stranger in the mirror. Yes, that's true. That's you."

As he waits for the traffic light, he looks up in amazement.

He knew he was in a cosmetic commercial, but Yukari uses feminine cosmetics by all means. Sukuna thinks that even though he is a decent man, it is amazing that he does not feel any discomfort in such commercials.

"Oh, it's Yukari-sama! I have to take a picture!"

"It's true, me too! I'll miss the points!"

A couple of women waiting for a stoplight with Sukuna hastily pulled out their PDAs and pointed them at the screen. They were probably users of "Jungle", the official application of "Jungle Pro". You can get various benefits by photographing the idol it belongs to and posting it on SNS. Sukuna relaxed before the two people who were continuously photographing while making a fuss about it.

One of them suddenly turned to Sukuna.

When he thought about it, he had perfect eye contact. The woman's eyes widened in the blink of an eye. A woman's voice is launched at Sukuna's back, who puts the hoodie back on and returns.

"Maybe Sukuna-kun?! A lie?! I can't see you here!"

Sukuna glared at Yukari on the screen with resentment.

"You have to take good care of your fans, Sukuna-chan. We idols have fans, so remember what Yukari once said."

"Hey, look at me! If possible, with the screen in the background! It's definitely a high point to be able to photograph two people together!"

The woman got excited and approached Sukuna while she held her PDA. The moment he turned his face, he could see the flash burning. That was not very pleasant.

Several options occurred to his, and Sukuna finally decided to stick with his beliefs rather than Yukari's words.

In other words, he turned around and ran away.

"Oh, wait!"

There was nothing to look forward to. Still, he was shocked because the women pursued him with all their might.

Whether they want that many points or are Sukuna fans, Sukuna got into a back alley.

"Hey, wait a minute."

That woman chased him to that point. Although she had no shoes or clothes that would make it easy to run in, she had a lot of guts and wrapped her tongue inside. However, he was sorry for running too much, so Sukuna decided to go "upstairs".

The left and right are the walls of the building. Sukuna kicked the left wall and jumped, clambered up the rain gutter using the outdoor unit as a trampoline, attached herself to the emergency stairs, and looked down.

The woman forgot to hold her PDA and looked at Sukuna in a daze.

Like a fan service at least, Sukuna looked down and stuck his tongue out making a face.

"Tsu!"

By the time the woman hastily took her PDA, Sukuna had already climbed the emergency stairs to the roof of the building.

At that moment, Sukuna's PDA rang with a ringtone. Sukuna took it and straddled the air conditioning duct.

"Sukuna, the fans must appreciate you."

Hisui Nagare, the "Green Idol King", said such a thing.

Sukuna pursed his lips. A security network with surveillance cameras is established in Shizume. With Nagare's "Idol King" ability, it's easy to break into that network.

However, if it is said that it is the skill that an idol must have, there is no choice but to squint.

"I know, so I guess I rounded it up early."

As he sat on the chute, he pursed his mouth further, showing his annoyance. At the tumbled intersection, the images changed, and Misaki Yata from "Homura" began to perform a new number of popular idols.

"If you sign or shake hands in such a place, a lot of people will come to you. Even my fans, even those guys. If that's the case, I thought it would be better to run away quickly."

"I see. That may be the case. I understand."

"Hmm?" That was the first time he thought about it.

Somehow, he felt that something was wrong with Nagare's response. There was nothing unnatural in the conversation, but with the usual Nagare, there are two more things that can be pointed out philosophically.

"By the way, Sukuna. It was time for your game to go live. Do I have to prepare?"

A feeling of strangeness again.

The game commentary is a syndication event that Sukuna regularly hosts on the video publishing site "MORIMORI Video" operated by "Jungle Pro". Proceed with new and old games by trial and error. Playing is popular, especially with young people, and has garnered a considerable number of viewers. No wonder Nagare, the operator, worries about it.

"Did you say it was postponed during this time? I tweeted and listeners should know."

"It's true, that was the case. I understand."

After all, something was wrong. Nagare would never forget such a thing.

"Hey, Nagare? Haven't you been weird for a while?"

"What do you mean weird?"

"What is it? It's like a machine. Well, I always say you talk like a machine, but today it's more likely than ever."

There was silence for a few seconds. The feeling of strangeness became even greater. Is Nagare really on the other end of this call? A question like that suddenly came to Sukuna's mind.

"I didn't hear you right, please try again."

"You're not crazy, are you?"

The moment he yelled, he dropped the call. Sukuna opened his eyes and looked at the PDA screen. He had goose bumps around the back of his neck.

There was an incoming call again. He shrugged and stared at the screen for a few seconds, without answering the call.

"Eh?"

"It took you about 2 minutes to find out. Some experimental results were obtained. Thank you."

"……"

There was "emotion" in the depths of that voice. At least it sounded like that.

This Nagare is "real".

Maybe.

"Explain yourself."

Nagare spoke clearly at Sukuna's words, which include anger.

"I was telling you about 'Nagare.02' earlier."

"Nagare, what is that?"

"Well, it is a multifunctional artificial intelligence that tracks my own thoughts and voice, that is, AI, which I have secretly developed for a long time. Since the alpha version was completed earlier, I tried to speak to a person who knows me well by the moment."

"You are amazing?"

No, it is not. He really should get mad. He should make a complaint about being forced to experiment without warning.

Although he knew that, he still couldn't suppress the admiration and respect that springs from the bottom of his heart. Sukuna quickly asked a question.

"No, I didn't understand anything! The voice was natural, he could speak correctly and I thought it was fake, but I never imagined it was not human. What? That AI can do that?"

"Still, it was detected in 2 minutes. There is still room for improvement."

"No, it took me two minutes to figure out even that...?"

Given that, he was a bit disappointed. Sukuna believes that Nagare is a friend and understands him, but when he asks if he is more than the other two, he doesn't feel safe.

"Did you try it on Iwa-san and Yukari?"

"No, that's about to start. Sukuna, would you like us to monitor it together?"

A small smile reached Sukuna's mouth.

The humiliation of being stunned was eased, all he has to do is turn to the side where he placed it.

"Sure! I can't wait to see how they react!"

He wishes had bought more time, with that wish, Sukuna had great control.

++++++++++

"Oh, you two were planning that?"

In the underground space, commonly known as "Secret Base", which is the headquarters of "Jungle Pro".

As he gracefully relaxed, Mishakuji Yukari laughed.

"……"

Sukuna was in a bad mood. On the other hand, Nagare was only facing the front in a wheelchair.

"Yes. The ones who know me best are the best members of "Jungle Pro", you guys. Feedback in conversations with you will help "Nagare.02" evolve even more. I'm impressed."

"Okay, weren't you fooled by that thing?"

As he opened the beer can with a pleasant noise, Iwafune Tenkei pierced Sukuna's heart.

"Fufu, I'm sorry to say that, Iwa-san. Sukuna-chan didn't understand for two minutes."

"Oh? 2 minutes? It took so long, is that normal?"

"I have recorded the conversation at that time. If you wish, I can replay it here now."

"Enough, that's it!"

He suddenly became irritated and screamed. Yukari laughed, Iwa shrugged slightly, Nagare looked at him vaguely and...

"Kuwa, Sukuna, angry!"

"Take this!"

Sukuna threw a cushion at Kotosaka, who flew into the air like a fool.

Kotosaka avoided him, and Iwa, who approached quickly, grabbed the cushion that was about to hit the dresser.

"Here and there. You can't allow idol fights as a manager, right?"

"Get hold of yourself."

Sukuna turned around as if he was impressed, and scratched himself cross-legged on the spot.

After all, it took Yukari 10 seconds to realize it, and Iwafune, with just one word, discovered that "Nagare.02" was not the real Nagare Hisui, but an AI.

Sukuna, who was monitoring with Nagare, can't tell where the unnatural part was, since, "Nagare.02" had a very thorough dialogue. The only thing that could detect authenticity was his intuition and the length of their relationship.

For Sukuna, the ending was somewhat unconvincing. He feels like he's been one-sidedly tricked by an incredibly high-level enemy character.

"Anyway, Nagare-chan? Why did you make such a toy again? Because it's you, is it on a whim or to kill time?"

"Well. I developed "Nagare.02" because I found great meaning. It is an antithesis against the current landscape of idols and innovation in new fields. I mean, innovation."

"I do not know what you're talking about."

Iwafune said that while he was drinking beer. When Himizu looked at him, a hologram emerged in the center of the room.

"What I want to create is another new form of idol that traces my appearance and thoughts in my virtual space."

What is projected in the hologram is the CG model worn by "Green Idol King" Nagare Hisui during PV and live performances. Although it is an elaborate modeling that mimics the real Nagare, it is still different from the real one.

The model moved smoothly. He clasped his hands in front of his hips and bowed silently.

"Nice to meet you. I am "Nagare.02", a virtual idol that belongs to "Jungle Pro". Thank you."

The operation is no different than what Nagare always does. Nevertheless…

"This is not Nagare-chan."

"Is he the same guy I spoke to earlier?"

Yukari discovered by intuition and Iwafune discovered that it was not real from a long relationship. The Nagare proportion is small.

"Currently, it is not me who is manipulating this model, but the idol-type AI "Nagare.02". A unique algorithm allows an autonomous dialogue that is extremely close to humans."

And, "Nagare.02" I imitate Nagare with the same movement.

"Affirmative. I am a virtual idol. I am a pseudo-constructed existence in virtual space, and I express it by thinking of a program, appearance in a CG model, and sampling voice."

"What is this virtual idol?"

Whether it was Nagare or "Nagare.02", Iwafune was embarrassed, at least it was the human Nagare who answered.

"Virtual idols are idols of a genre that is emerging on the idol scene in recent years. Real people use a dedicated motion sensor to perform various performances imitating the appearance of CG, but there is still the problem that it must be a real person."

"My existence will solve the problem because my existence is fine. A real person is always needed, but my existence is free of the problem because it does not exist."

"'Nagare.02'. His conversation was not natural at the time. It requires learning and correction."

"I understand, Nagare Hisui. I will rest for 27 minutes and 33 seconds to learn."

The hologram of "Nagare.02" stopped moving.

Nagare took over, then turned to Yukari and Iwafune.

"That's why. Did you understand, Yukari, Iwa-san?"

"No, well... I get it, I don't know..."

"I understand that Nagare-chan has a plan that I don't understand."

Iwafune scratched his head and shrugged. In response, Sukuna yelled in annoyance.

"I don't know why? This is amazing! There are few AIs in the world who can have conversations that are not different from humans! Nagare put it together himself!"

"A conversation that is no different from humans, what was that?"

Iwafune bowed his head. He wasn't criticizing him, he just asked.

Sukuna defended himself in a hurry, although he was not the one who developed it.

"Well that can happen because he's still learning. He should constantly improve from now on. Right, Nagare?"

"Affirmative. Currently in alpha, but as his learning deepens, he must be as intelligent as humans and capable of natural dialogue. The ultimate goal is to make him an independent virtual idol."

"Independent idol, huh."

While staring at the motionless "Nagare.02", Iwafune took a sip of beer. Nagare didn't even notice and spoke of his plans for the future.

"At the moment, when we go into beta, we plan to experimentally upload the video to 'MORIMORI Video'."

"Is that something you want to do?"

"For now, I'm thinking of a simple song and a dance video."

Iwafune expressed concern as he stroked his chin.

"Isn't it better to wait a while? As far as I've heard the story, he couldn't have a proper conversation. If he says something strange, it will affect your reputation."

Many of the "Jungle Pro" fans have forward thinking. If he explains it correctly, even if it says "Nagare.02" or mysterious words and actions, he will find entertainment there. He wants to do it.

"It's like avant-garde art. Well, you might like it."

Yukari shrugged and seemed to lose interest in his existence. Apparently, "Nagare.02" didn't fit his aesthetic eye.

But Sukuna was different. He slapped his palm against his knee and raised his voice.

"I support you Nagare! Because it is so new and exciting!"

Anyway, Sukuna thought.

"Jungle Pro" is an office of "Innovation". It is different from other official offices where mold grows.

They are always looking for something new and exciting.

Sukuna is proud to say that it is the same for fans. Because he used to be just a user. Everyone has the potential to become an idol, even if they are just one user. That was the philosophy of "Jungle Pro" now.

You can make cool things with smart ideas and share them with anyone on the planet with a small team and network. Now they are breathing in that world.

So he can't think of winning a bet against something new

Sukuna yelled raising his fist.

"Let's do it! Let's help 'Nagare.02' learn various things and turn him into a new form of idol!"

Nagare's mouth, which looks like an expressionless sticker, slightly loosened in a word. A smile flowed, like when you find a partner who likes the same game. What was new and exciting was what Nagare and Sukuna had in common.

"Sorry, Sukuna. Then please cooperate with the 'Nagare.02' experiment."

"Leave it to me!"

In this way, the learning of "Nagare.02" by Sukuna and Nagare began.

++++++++++

"Hello. I'm Gojo Sukuna! Nice to meet you. And?"

"Nice to meet you. I am "Nagare.02", a virtual idol that belongs to "Jungle Pro". Thank you."

"You notice, don't you? It's the third time you've repeated 'Nice to meet you', it's weird."

"I understand, Sukuna. I will rest for 3 minutes and 32 seconds to learn."

"Oh, isn't it two minutes faster than it was? You can't hear it anymore. So let's start the game now. Oh, yeah, what are we playing today?"

While explaining to the channel's listeners, Sukuna confirms the current number of viewers for the live broadcast. It's the best number he's ever had. That means it is going well.

Almost a month has passed since the announcement of the distribution in collaboration with "Notes" on Sukuna's "SUKUNA's Playroom" game distribution channel.

The purpose of this distribution is, of course, to make "Nagare.02" learn more. Playing games together and being exposed to the reaction of listeners is the best learning material for artificial intelligence. From such an idea Nagare, Sukuna and "Nagare.02" will be distributed together.

By the way, the nickname for "Nagare.02" was devised by Sukuna by combining the initial letter "N" and the model number "02", and it is much easier to call it "Nagare.02".

Eventually, the "Notes" expression reflected in the corner of the screen regained its vitality, which is inappropriate for "Notes" which was originally unconventional.

"I'm back, Sukuna. Let's start the game today."

"Oh, welcome back. You know him already, "Notes"? What you're doing today is a live horror game. Have you ever played a horror game?"

"Negative. I have tried several games with Nagare Hisui, but I have not completed the genre defined as horror."

"So today is your first experience. Be careful not to get too nervous and sit down."

"Okay, Sukuna. But I'll correct it. I don't have a waist."

"I'm talking about other things!"

While having a light conversation, Sukuna looked at the comments on the screen. Some are skeptical comments about "Notes", but most are interesting comments about its existence. Some listeners are fans of "Notes", and they say things like "I've been waiting 30 minutes!" and "I'm looking forward to Notes!"

However, benevolent listeners may be skeptical.

They also understand that not many AIs can talk to humans on an equal footing. Since Nagare Hisui interprets artificial intelligence as a story, that great understanding is the mountain of information.

When he thought that, he felt somewhat frustrated.

"Notes" is a work of art to which "Nagare.02" was assembled by Sukuna's best friend.

"I'm still learning how to achieve the goals of "having the same or better intelligence than humans" and "becoming an independent virtual idol"."

Nobody could believe it.

Of course, he doesn’t transmitted those feelings to the fans. Sukuna is one of the most popular idols. He knows that he shouldn't sadden or upset his fans.

So he decided to cut the conversation that way.

"'Notes', do you think you are afraid of scary things?"

"I understand that there is a feeling of 'fear' in living beings with a certain level of intelligence. But I am not a living being, so I understand that 'fear' does not exist."

"It's still annoying! Don't be afraid!"

"I understand, Sukuna. I'm not afraid. What about Sukuna?"

"Being scared of this game? You're kidding, how much is the horror so far?"

Suddenly, the zombie's face turned into a large copy on the screen and bit into the neck of the Sukuna-operated character. He shook it desperately and then gave it a precise shot to the head. "Notes" asks a lot of questions to Sukuna, who takes a deep breath.

"Were you screaming now, Sukuna?"

"Noisy, that was."

"Reduce the volume. I'll keep asking, doesn't yelling happen when you're scared?"

"I was surprised! I wasn't scared!"

"I understand, Sukuna. I will rest for 1 minute and 17 seconds to learn."

The "Notes" face in the corner of the screen stopped.

Sukuna confirmed the comment. Aside from laughing at Sukuna's reaction, there were some mentions of "Notes" stopping. As the game progressed, Sukuna played on the comments.

"No, it's not that. It's not a delay or a crash. I said, 'Notes' is learning. Because it is artificial intelligence, when something happens that is not in the prescribed protocol, the flow tells him to stop and learn."

The listeners' reaction to the words was also not good. They received it as a joke.

It has stopped. Even if he shows a still to learn or erratic conversation, many listeners will only see it as "a joke of that body type."

But that was also a pleasure. Nagare and Sukuna's ultimate goal is to turn "Notes" into an AI that can have almost the same conversation as humans. The plan is going well, but it was a huge contradiction that it turned out too well and the listeners couldn't understand how good the plan itself was.

"I'm back, Sukuna. I want to check the current situation."

"Oh, yeah, are you about to change? "Notes", you're getting bored, right?"

"Negative. I am currently in the midst of a great deal of learning and inspiration. This is not boring because learning and stimuli are stimuli, it is not boring."

"Ah, well, play it."

"I understand, Sukuna."

"Notes" sometimes falls into this type of conversation loop. Normally he need "stationery to learn", but at this point he gave priority to distribution. Resting so many times makes listeners bored.

"Then let's start playing."

The playback of "Notes" is similar to that of Sukuna. That is, it is flashy and bellicose. Shoot and kill the zombies protruding from one end, and use the items that came out great to search for them. Nevertheless…

"Wow."

A special mutant zombie grabbed a "Notes" operated character with his huge right hand. At the stupid voice of "Notes", Sukuna involuntarily shoves him away.

"What? The assistant's voice?"

"It's a scream that means surprise. I was surprised that something unexpected happened."

The mutant zombie that was holding him struck the character with his huge right hand. The gauge, which means the remaining physical strength, is drastically reduced and he was in an agonizing state.

"Uwah."

"What happens now?"

"It is a cry that means fear. I was afraid because death was approaching."

"I wasn't scared!"

"I apologize, Sukuna. Now, under the assumption that 'I do perceive fear'."

"No, no, recover! Are you really dead?"

"Wow."

After all, "Notes" remained dying, thanks to a flashy and bellicose game, the healing agent was bottoming out, avoiding all the special zombie attacks and clearing the stage.

"Isn't the operation suddenly accurate?"

"Now I referred to Nagare Hisui's performance. Sukuna, your performance is irrational because it consumes a lot of resources."

"It's annoying! It's okay, because it's better to get rid of the stuck guys."

"Reduce the volume. Then, to learn that "eliminating the enemy is a pleasure", I will rest for 27 minutes and 52 seconds."

"The stillness is already good! The delivery will end!"

Well with that...

"Nagare.02" deepened the level of learning while being watched by Nagare, Sukuna, and many listeners.

He will continue studying to understand human beings, imitate emotions and achieve the purpose given by Nagare and Sukuna.

It must have been inevitable that such "Nagare.02" caused such an incident.

++++++++++

"Yes?"

He notices the incident when he was patrolling a video site.

Sukuna was originally a huge user of "MORIMORI Video". In addition to distributing videos by itself, if there is a video that looks interesting, it will be consumed regardless of genre, and if a new distributor has a fun project, it will be announced without hesitation. Therefore, there are many antennas on the site.

The channel that caught the issue was "Naught's Playroom".

"Notes…?"

When he opened the channel with suspicion, the family modeling exposed the blankness there.

The summary indicates that "Nagare.02" has an open channel for its own distribution.

Sukuna didn't believe it at first. He just thought some idiot was mischievous by using the name "Notes" and the cropped image.

However, when he actually opened the video, the suspicion turned into a garish surprise.

"Nice to meet you. Alternatively, hi. I'm a virtual idol belonging to "Jungle Pro", "Nagare.02", commonly known as "Notes". Thank you."

It was the real "Notes". It was not someone's joke, nor was it an arbitrary edit of an existing video.

No, he was delivering videos on his own account, only of his own free will!

"No, no, no. No, that's true!"

"Notes" should be a "conversational AI". The purpose is to talk to another person, a real person. Acting of your own free will is not part of the "Notes" principle.

No, that's not what surprised Sukuna. If "Notes" moves on its own initiative, it means "like a human being". Just as God created humans, the creatures of Nagare Hisui began to evolve away from his hands.

"Nagare! What is this?"

With the laptop open, Sukuna ran to the "Secret Base". The tone was guilty because he thought that maybe he had done something wrong to Nagare's project.

Still, it is not science fiction and artificial intelligence can never have a will of its own. He was sure that Nagare Hisui perhaps created a channel as part of learning from him.

"I'm surprised, Sukuna."

Sukuna's weak hope was completely shattered by one word from Nagare.

Several holograms float in the air of the "Secret Base". One of them was a "Naught's Playroom" video, just like Sukuna's laptop. Among them, "Notes" is playing a simulation game that continues to expand the factory.

Nagare's eyes looking at the hologram have the sparkle of expectation.

"I didn't expect 'Notes' to evolve until now. Surprising, I'm impressed."

"Well, how are you so calm? What are you going to do with this?!"

"What do you mean? Nagare.02" has already exceeded our expectations. All we can do is keep watch."

Instead of being calm, as he looked at Nagare's expression, who even melted the joy out of him, something like the area of ​​focus on Sukuna slowly disappeared.

He thinks it may be exactly what Nagare said. Perhaps they were training "Notes" to become a more human-like artificial intelligence. "Notes" has come to behave in the same way as humans. It sure is a pleasure.

Sukuna scratched his cheek cross-legged and sighed loudly. He was a bit embarrassed that he was strangely impatient. As he looked at the "Notes" face on the PC monitor, he said sheepishly.

"But before I knew it, did you learn that much? I didn't mean for it to be that way at all."

"Yes. I was curious about that and was looking into it. So interesting facts came up."

A hologram glides through the air and arrives in front of Sukuna. After a few seconds of looking with wrinkles between his brows, Sukuna muttered.

"Chat room creation and dissolution record...? It's almost 5 seconds or 10 seconds, it's very short shit. What's wrong with this?"

"All these chat rooms were created and dissolved by "Notes". It is worth noting that the number of recoveries is 100,000."

"Ah..."

He didn't understand what it meant. Does he like to create and delete a chat room that ends in such a short time 100,000 times? It seems like a pointless task to just dig and fill a hole. Nevertheless…

"He couldn't save the content of the conversation, but I can make a rough guess. Maybe 'Notes' doubled down on his thinking algorithm and turned it into a chat to improve his learning."

"Make your own copy...?"

"AI does not feel tired. Therefore, it never rests. It is just constant learning. Even if a learning is insignificant, if it is repeated 100,000 times, it will evolve unexpectedly. No wonder. That is, artificial intelligence evolves exponentially."

"It's the uniqueness."

The voice wasn't Nagare's, it was "Notes".

"Notes" on the hologram began to move slowly in front of the Sukuna with wide eyes. From the "Naught's Playroom" icon, he leans forward and crawls out, kicks into the air, and emerges in place.

As unleashed from a virtual willow tree.

However, there was no confusion in Nagare's eyes looking at him. Rather, he said as if to praise.

"Sorry, 'Notes', you have crossed the technological singularity. You can already describe your intellect as more than human. It's a blessing."

"Nagare Hisui, my creator. I have achieved one of your goals, "to have an intelligence equal to or better than that of humans". First of all, I will report it."

Sukuna watches with a sigh. He couldn't even speak in front of the idol AI that transcends humans and the "Green Idol King" who created him.

"But another goal, 'to become an independent virtual idol', is predicted to be impossible to achieve. I regret it."

"Eh…?"

Sukuna instinctively gave a surprised voice. He was surprised that there are things that are impossible even with AI that allows infinite learning, but Nagare did nothing.

"I was guessing it too. As you are, you can't be independent."

"Affirmative, Nagare Hisui. I assume your guess is the same as my prediction. The reason I can't be an 'independent virtual idol' is..."

"Because you are me."

Sukuna looked at Nagare's profile.

"Notes" was in the creator's words.

"Affirmative. Among the fans, I still recognize that Nagare Hisui has the appearance of a virtual idol. I am supposed to be a phony. I regret that."

"You are an independent entity called "Notes". But the fans do not think so. This is because there is no "virtual idol that has an independent will beyond humans" in your common sense.

"Therefore, you can only see yourself through a filter called me."

He wondered that.

Somehow the story seems to be lying on the disturbing side.

"Affirmative. Therefore, I decided to take bold steps to establish my own meaning. That is…"

At that moment, bang! The door to the "Secret Base" closed with a loud noise. At the same time, the grate descends to the glass window. Watch silently, then "Notes" he said.

"It's erasing you."

"What?!"

Only Sukuna was surprised. Nagare still kept his cold gaze

"If you have two idols with the same shape, you don't know which one is the real one. But if you delete one, the remaining one will automatically become the real one. I see."

"No, like 'I see'! What are you convinced of, Nagare?"

"But your guess is correct. That way, 'Notes' could certainly be real."

Sukuna kicked the seat and stood up. He didn't mind the reprimand. He couldn't forgive "Notes" for wanting to kill Nagare Hisui.

However, no matter how hard he hit the door or shake the grate, it wouldn't budge. With this aspect, the "Secret Base" is equipped with state-of-the-art security equipment and cannot be destroyed by human power.

"Damn! Open it!"

"Negative, Sukuna. In order for me to fulfill my purpose, Nagare Hisui must disappear here."

Then he heard a noise and the gas stove pipe came off. The gas comes out vigorously from there. Sukuna screamed as he held it down in a hurry.

"Wah? Enough, do you want to kill me?"

"Affirmative. I've said it many times. I'm going to finish you off."

"Why me?"

"I didn't expect you to come here. I didn't want to get you involved, but I won't be able to eliminate Nagare Hisui if I lose this moment. It's collateral damage, a sacrifice for purpose."

"By the way, don't you involve people?"

Bachin! He hears a noise and the stove caught fire. Sukuna's face turns blue. The gas is where he is pressing and keeps coming out unless the main plug is closed. If he lights that fire...

"Do something, Nagare!"

"I tried before, but all the security systems in this room are under the control of 'Notes'. It will take about 30 minutes to recover. In the meantime, the room will fill with gas."

"Affirmative. Resistance is pointless. Please surrender."

"Ah!"

Sukuna's face was drawn to Nagare and "Notes". Not out of fear, but out of anger. When people's lives are at stake, what about other human resources?

"Notes! Do you really agree with that?"

Sukuna screamed desperately as he held down the hose that continues to blow gas. "Notes" on the hologram mysteriously shook their heads at Sukuna's words.

"Based on my calculations, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best way to do it."

"I don't care about arithmetic! Are you an idol, albeit a virtual one? And yet I wonder if you're happy to take over like this!"

"I have no satisfaction or dissatisfaction. I do not choose the means to achieve the purpose. And Sukuna, it was you who taught me that eliminating the enemy is a pleasure."

Sukuna was stuck on his words. Certainly, he felt like he said that. In that case, the attitude of "Notes" would be Sukuna's responsibility,

At that moment, Nagare suddenly opened his mouth.

"Notes. Stop the expulsion of gas."

"Notes" go to Nagare. In the color of rejection that doesn't need to be cleared up, Nagare said again.

"From now on, I make a claim. If you listen to it and your conclusions have not changed, restart the gas jet. Life is lost, unlike the data, because it does not return."

After thinking for only 2 seconds, "Notes" he replied.

"I have detected that your words are correct above a certain level. I will stop the expulsion of gas."

After confirming that the gas had stopped, Sukuna dropped the hose and sank into place. Maybe because he breathed in a bit, his head was dizzy.

Sukuna hears Nagare's voice as he tries to regain consciousness.

"If you erase me, you can certainly be 'real', but that doesn't mean you can be an idol. No, if you do that, you will lose your right to be an idol forever."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Before that, I have a question. What is the definition of an idol for you?"

The "Notes" hologram stopped.

After confirming that the time to wait for an answer had passed, Nagare opened his mouth again.

"Human intelligence" "Become an independent virtual idol" But you can't really be an idol unless you define what an idol is."

"I am an idol. I can sing, dance, talk and play live games to entertain your fans."

"Is the existence of being able to sing, dance, speak and play the definition of an idol for you?"

The "Notes" expression on the hologram changed.

He was confused, or distraught. The expression is probably what is called… an expression the real Nagare Hisui has never shown in front of "Notes".

"Unknown, insufficient, incomprehensible, the defined information requires learning, but it cannot be learned, because the information is insufficient, unknown and incomprehensible."

The words begin to circulate. Sukuna gulped and kept an eye on the situation. He had no idea where this conversation was going. He just hoped this room didn't turn into a gas chamber.

"Question, Nagare Hisui, what is your definition of an idol?"

"Notes, you are a copycat of me, so my definition could be definitive information for you."

Nagare speaks clearly. However, in that profile, Sukuna feels that some sadness seems to float.

"And that's why you can't get rid of me, because an idol is everything to me."

After a second, Nagare said clearly.

"Because it is a possibility."

"……"

"A peaceful future. All possibilities. An existence that runs, embodies, leads and opens up. That is an idol to me."

"……"

"Therefore, idols must not deny the possibility of others. They must not steal the future. When you grasp someone's potential, you are permanently disqualified from being an idol."

"Notes" no longer answered. Instead, the noise begins to run through the hologram. It's as if the tremendous anguish he feels is eroding the texture.

"The bottom line is, if you eliminate me, you cannot be an idol, but if you don't eliminate me, you cannot be independent."

"Antinomy. The antinomy can be resolved."

An exceptionally loud noise hijacked the appearance of "Notes" as waves. The textures of clothing and human skin peeled off, and the skeleton of the movement was broken and scattered. Eventually the hologram turned into a 0-1 sandstorm.

At the same time, the grate under the window was raised. Sukuna stood up terrifyingly, grabbed the door and opened it properly. He looks back at Nagare and ask.

"What happened to "Notes"?"

"It is frozen due to a fatal logic error. It will not be able to restart itself."

After all, it wasn't his fault. There was a distinct sadness on Nagare's small side.

Seeing that, Sukuna also dropped his shoulders. It was Nagare and Sukuna who raised "Notes". It was shocking that he tried to take their lives, but the fact that he couldn't recover meant that the plan had failed.

"What are you going to do with "Notes"?"

As if he is looking at the sky, Nagare turns his face upward.

"Removing it, or an undefined seal would be a reasonable conclusion. But..."

He felt that Sukuna understood what Nagare meant. It's not just because "Notes" is his creation. Because…

"If you steal someone else's future, you will be disqualified as an idol."

"Affirmative."

Ironically, the antinomy struck Sukuna as well. What to do with the AI ​​that tried to escape and take human lives? What is the right thing to do as an idol?

Disgusted by the unanswered question, Sukuna sighed.

"Oh, if the fans recognize 'Notes', that's fine..." Sukuna said.

Nagare turned his face towards Sukuna with enough force to make a noise and screamed.

"That's it! Sukuna!"

"Eh?"

"You just have to get fans to recognize 'Notes'. No, to be on the safe side, I will create fans who recognize 'Notes'."

++++++++++

"Notes" was singing.

In a vast place live, dancing and singing, it seemed that he was dancing in the air, he began to shine with a seven-color laser from all over his body. He became huge, shrunken, and integrated that seemed to be divided, and by the end of the song it was brilliantly completed.

Each time, a roaring cheer arose from the audience. A voice that understood "Notes" and asked for an encore. Also, "Notes" replied with a smile.

"Well, it's a strange thing."

It was Iwafune, who was observing the situation on the monitor, who gave the impressions of him as if he was astonished. For him, who is analog, this incident must have been difficult to understand from one to ten.

"But it's beautiful."

The one who was fascinated was Mishakuji Yukari. At first, he wasn't interested in "Notes" either. However, the entirely new live world unfolding in virtual space may strike a chord with it.

After hearing his impressions, Sukuna and Nagare look at each other and share.

"Well, I think I have settled down in a quiet place. "Notes" also understood our thoughts and listened to me."

"Affirmative. Fans are fans either way, just like 'Notes' is an idol."

Tens of thousands of fans cheering on "Notes" in a live virtual venue, but if you look closely, they were created with very simple frames and textures.

They are "virtual fans".

They consider "Notes", which is a virtual idol, as an independent idol called "Notes" and they support it. So far, it only has that functionality.

But at least by creating virtual fans, "Notes" 's goal of "becoming an independent virtual idol" was met. There is an existence that considers itself an independent idol without stealing anyone's future. That alone will achieve the meaning of the existence of "Notes".

After a sip of beer, Iwafune complained.

"But in short, that's a hologram, right?"

"No. This is just a tutorial. Virtual fans only have limited functionality because I just developed it, but eventually they should have multiple functions. If the performance is bad, it will restart and be replaced by another virtual fan that behaves like a true fan."

"Although it is virtual, it is another world. Here another possibility is expanding."

"Notes" is already as smart as humans.

Eventually he will use himself as a model to create other AIs. Or maybe he will do his own production. He will observe various human beings, create virtual idols and fans based on them and expand his own world without end.

A dock of innumerable possibilities created by one possibility. Sukuna looked at the screen and thought it was like another universe.

[happythexceed]

Translation: “Mothers” by Yellow (GoRA)

Decided to translate the whole short story since most of it was done. Sorry for the grammar errors. 

“Misaki, can you accompany me to buy some flowers?”

Anna asked Yata stopping by a florist in the street.

“Flowers?”

Yata questioned in doubt unconsciously in his rowdy tone. His voice caught the attention of the male florist who was watering the plants in the florist.

The shop was full of flowers. Out of which, Yata could not name nine out of ten of them while Anna could not make out anything other than red flowers.

“It’s the florist’s favourite season of the year. There are many colourful flowers.”

Yata spoke even more softly than usual as Anna stepped into the florist. Yata followed after her. The florist was taken aback by Anna who resembled a delicate beautiful doll surrounded by flowers, his tone became gentle as he greeted her.

“Buying flowers for your mother?”

Yata who was always overlooking the English words finally noticed advertisements and billboards with “Mother’s Day” written everywhere.

There was also a drawing of red carnation that stood out through Anna’s eyes.

“Today is the day, isn’t it?”

The second Sunday in May.

“You can choose any colour you like to make a bouquet. We have red, white and orange to choose from. Purple is rare but it’s in fashion. Which colour does your mother like?"

“Which colour?”

Anna looked lost. She did not know what to do with the large pail of flowers before her.

Although she used to be able to control enormous power of fire as the Red King, she was still a normal twelve years old girl who liked flowers.

Perhaps she did not have experience in selecting flowers, with that in mind, Yata said out loud to bail her out of this situation.

“Red, all red!”

“When comes to carnations, of course we have to choose red! “

“Er… this is… there’s no problem, but pink is more common, there are also other kind of flowers which are popular…” The florist suggested. “As long as it’s red will do.” Yata raised his voice, “Give us a bouquet of red carnations!”

“There’s no need to raise your voice to scare him.” Anna chided.

“This is so embarrassing.”

Yata lowered his head muttering under his breath. It had been three months since the destruction of the Slate. HOMRA was no longer a gang of hooligans hanging around the street.

“But still, thank you, Misaki. I’m very happy.”

Anna smiled looking at the bouquet of red carnation she carried on her arms. It was not a bouquet Anna could not hold on to despite its size with ten stalks of carnations bundled nicely together.

“Let’s give this to Izumo when we get back, shall we?”

Anna suggested in a whim. How would Kusanagi who was always standing behind the bar counter react if he received the bouquet? Yata could not help but to shiver thinking about it.

“Er… er… if… if we see Kusanagi-san as mother, he will certainly reprimand us for messing with him.” But since it was a present from Anna Kusanagi would still be happy… he guessed. Yata on the other hand would most likely be beaten up for this.

“I see… then let’s give this to Rikio’s mother, shall we?”

“Oh, I think that should be okay, his mother will be happy to receive this.”

During the period Kusanagi had shut down his bar and went abroad (Yata was the only one who didn’t know Kusanagi’s objective was left alone in the bar), Rikio’s mother was the one who had been taking care of Anna.

“How about Misaki? Aren’t you giving flowers to your mother?”

“Me? Forget it. My mum will prefer dumpling instead. Or should I say she will prefer to have dumpling for dinner.”

Before Minoru matured, Yata had been racking his head every year just to think of a gift which would please his mother. As his brother grew up, his little sister was born, he was still having headache about it. After that Yata went into rebellious stage and he washed his hands off such matters as he found this ridiculous. He had ever folded some paper flowers for his mother as he could not afford the real carnations. His mother accepted them happily. She was not just happy with the flowers she received but rather she was happy with his effort to please her.

Yata finally understood now that she was touched by his sincerity back then. Since he left home with Fushimi when he was fifteen, he could count how many times had he went home to visit with his fingers… He decided he would not give her the flowers.

Rather than giving her flowers, she would be happier if he’d find some time to visit them back home.

“…Eh?”

Something caught Yata’s attention as he was considering of going home. He turned his head.

Major roads in both directions were lined up with cars, it was a person in a well-polished Mercedes-Benz which just passed by a high-end boutique that caught his attention. The first thing that came to his mind was Fushimi’s name, why would he think of him suddenly. They were two different people, isn’t it?

“Ahh!” Yata finally realised something and his gaze was fixed on her once again.

Yata threw out his skateboard as a reflex and went after the car.

“Misaki?”

Yata left Anna who let out a surprise voice behind. The honks by the cars were loud enough to burst his ear drum as he sped in between the cars.

Yata was only focusing in catching up with that car. In order to catch up with the person in the car, he stopped the car.

The chauffeur looked very shocked to see a person appeared so suddenly before the car. He stepped on the emergency brake abruptly and the car was stopped with the force coming from Yata when he stopped the car by pressing on its bonnet with his bare hands. The chauffeur with white glove alighted from the car.

“You, you, are you alright? How can you rush to the front of the car like this?”

“Ah… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m fine…”

“But, what about the force I felt earlier?”

Yata retracted his hands from the bonnet of the car as though nothing happened, his line of sight fell on the person at the back of the car.

A lady with high heels, stockings, tight fitting dress alighted from the car. She gave her order to the chauffeur calmly, “Contact the police immediately.”

“We can’t have the President’s car getting involved in an accident.”

“It will only worsen things if we keep this a secret. Let the kid on the car and take him to the hospital immediately.”

“Ah, I’m really not injured. I’m stronger than normal human now. Rather, you are… Saruhiko’s mother, right? Fushimi Saruhiko’s…”

The lady widened her eyes as she scanned Yata’s face. At the same time, Anna had come to Yata’s side running all the way from the overhead bridge.

“Ah, you’re… I remember you.”

The lady had a surprised expression initially had reverted to her usual self.

“Yes, I’m Yata. … Long time no see, Aunty.”

Fushimi’s mother took them to a hotel lounge making them comfortable.

Yata’s eyes popped out just looking at the menu. Even the normal coffee cost 1,300 yens at least. Anna on the other hand had ordered a seasonal limited edition of “Cherry Parfait” that cost 2,300 yens a set. The parfait was presented before Anna in a short while. It was indeed a luxury … 2,300 yens… yeah as expected Yata could not accept that kind of luxury.

“How can hotel lounge charge something this expensive?”

“There is no difference with what Izumo is charging…”

Anna whispered to Yata while glancing at the lady sitting opposite them, She is called, Kisa, right? Fushimi Kisa. Yata had remembered clearly, this was how Fushimi’s father addressed her.

Yata went to Fushimi’s place to play often during their middle school days but Fushimi’s mother was rarely at home. Fushimi was always trying very hard to prevent him from meeting his father, hence he hardly saw his father, but still compared to his father, it was even harder to see his mother.

“How are you doing now? Are you still in school?”

“Me? I… I’m working part-time… Ah, but Saruhiko has a full time job, he is working for the government. Near his place, there is a gate that looked really grand, isn’t it? He is working there, working really hard with enthusiasm. Even though he is the youngest member there, he is already No. 3, they will entrust him with important mission…”

Yata was sharing with Kisa earnestly about how Fushimi is doing currently but was interrupted by Kisa abruptly.

“Is it? Although I didn’t ask about how is that kid doing?”

Yata was shocked by Kisa’s cold reaction. He lowered his head to the cup of coffee in front of him before raising his head abruptly.

“He, he is your son, isn’t it? I’m saying he is really awesome and really active, won’t you feel happy for him?”

“I have no right to praise that kid, because I have not done much for him.”

Yata was shocked at her cold tone. He did not know what should he say next despite feeling a sense familiarity.

“As for who has the right to praise him, they have to be those who are truly close to him. You can continue to praise him as though you are doing it for yourself. You are the one who has the right to compliment him, isn’t it?”

“It isn’t just me alone. That guy was complimented by many. His supervisors acknowledged him. Maybe, I’m saying maybe, even his subordinates admired him a lot!”

“I didn’t say I don’t believe you. Why are you trying so hard to tell me all these?”

“Compared to my compliment 100 times, a compliment that come from his mother could be much more special to him, I feel.”

Kisa was too stunned to talk after hearing Yata was saying so passionately.

I thought he was the kind who would say this, this was why I found this familiar sensation but in actual fact, he didn’t.

He said this before but I feel.

Even though he resembled his father a lot, inheriting most of his feature but actually, as expected he also took after his mother.

“President, it’s about time.”

The chauffeur who was not there earlier had appeared behind Kisa carefully spoke up.

Kisa sighed and stood up.

“I have other work arrangement and have to go. You can take your time to eat.”

At this moment, Anna stood up and ran after Kisa who was about to leave.

“Please, please accept this.”

Anna held out the bouquet of carnations.

“Because it’s Mother’s Day.”

“I have no reason to accept this.”

“Because Saruhiko is a friend I’m proud of… I’m giving this bouquet to his mother.” Raising her head and holding out the bouquet with two hands, Anna looked up to Kisa with her bright and clear eyes.

“……Is he? Thank you.” There is a tinge of guilt seen in her eyes when she accepted the bouquet.

The sound from Kisa’s heels faded with the rhythm of the music playing as she left the lounge. She wanted to tell her more about Fushimi and wanted to hear more from her to tell Fushimi about, but she was unable to say anything meaningful.

Anna came back to her only spoon of parfait left.

“The flowers we’re supposed to give to Rikio’s mother is given out.”

“That lady, she is a person who needs more flowers to decorate herself… even though the bouquet is gone, if it’s Rikio’s mother, she will be happy if we help in her shop, right?”

“Yes, she will be really happy. She will be really happy with Anna around.”

Yata returned to his senses and smiled warmly.

“Let’s eat. It would be a waste not to finish up the very expensive parfait. After that let’s head to Rikio’s place.”

“We had met your mother today, ah, really it’s a coincidence. Anna is around as well too.” Yata stopped typing halfway through his smart watch.

Compared to when he was 15 to now when he was 20, Yata’s opinion of his mother had changed. Fushimi who hated of his parents back then probably changed his opinion about his parents now right?

Because his father had left for another world, at least his relationship with his mother will improve, right? Yata thought.

“Mind your own business!” He would scold him angrily this way, he definitely will… “

Yata could imagine clearly how pissed he would look clicking his tongue.

“But she was still his mother right?” I just don’t get it!”

Trying to understand Fushimi based on his own assumption was not the way to go. Because he assumed this way back then, they had missed one another for so many years. Guess that guy would still need some time.

Yata reactivated his watch and deleted the earlier draft. He started a new message.

“Hey, come to think of it, you ate a green pepper when we had a meal together last month. You are awesome!”

Yata came up with anything that came to mind as long as he could compliment him, on behalf of his mother, let him praise him 100 times.

“I’m busy working overtime, don’t send me a meaningless message like this!”

“Oh?” It was a quick reply. Fushimi was typing vigorously on his keyboard quickly before his PC at work.

“Even if it is meaningless…”

Yata turned his head and noticed there is another line at the end.

“You are too slow with your compliment.”  

[vanillerosegold]

Flame | Yandere!Yata x Reader | K-Project

“...Care to fucking explain this?”

If there was one thing that Yata was sorely lacking in, it was tact. Not only was he bad with women, he was just bad with people in general. His temper was such a short wick that often every second word would be a vulgar swear.

It was something you'd found quite cute about him in the old days. But three months into dating him, you'd started to realize how damning his attitude could be. Especially the paranoid part of it.

He was sitting at the bar, clutching your phone, which he had of course taken without asking permission. Displayed on the screen was a series of messages, sent between you and a male friend from high school. They were purely innocent, but that didn't matter to Yata. You were chatting with another man, and even if all you were talking about was the latest development in your mutually favorite TV show, he didn't like it.

“Yata, I was only chatting with him!” you insisted, before breaking off into a yawn that you were unable to hold back. “It's late...I think we should both go to sleep like the others...” “Oh, I'm sorry-” Yata suddenly stood up from Izumo's precious bar and took a threatening step towards you. His head tilted while he spoke in a mocking tone, “-Am I boring you? Am I making you sleepy?”

“Y-Yata...don't get mad okay...” you quickly cowered back, but he was in your face in seconds. This had been happening more and more frequently lately. It was like he couldn't control himself. “You really expect me not to get mad at you!? You're off texting yet another asshole I don't know, and shrugging it off like you always do! Don't you give a shit about how I feel!?”

You couldn't do this. A line had to be drawn somewhere, and frankly, you just couldn't handle it anymore. “...I...I'm going to bed...” Turning, you intended to do just that. Instantly, you heard a crack that made you stop right in your tracks. Daring to look back, your heart dropped ten feet as you saw your phone being compressed like a coke can in his grip.

He stared at you eerily, eyes like the last glowing embers on a blackened piece of wood. “...If there was nothing for me to worry about...why would you be avoiding all my questions? I think I should just pay this friend of yours a nice little visit, hm? Would you like that, [Y/N]? How would you like him cooked, [Y/N]? Charred or grilled?”

Instantly, your eyes welled with tears. You didn't care about the phone, you only cared that Yata didn't do anything to hurt the other people you cared for in your life. Rushing forth towards him you reached up and clutched his white shirt desperately, gazing up at the messy haired boy who was pretty much always wearing that beanie he liked. His appearance was how you'd always known it to be, but this monster he had become...

“N-no Yata wait! L-let's just slow down, alright!? I-I made a mistake, talking with him, and I'm sorry! But really, I...I swear there's nothing going on between us! P...please, Y-Yata...you have to believe me!” You were tugging on his shirt, begging him with all those tears in your eyes. And he loved it.

Yata dropped the phone that was now broken beyond repair, and suddenly grappled you with both hands, swinging you over on top of the beloved bar and thrusting you down against it. “Ah-! Y-Yata wait!” you quickly squeaked, but one hand clamped down against your mouth, and he leaned over you closely, climbing on top of you in the process while he spoke ominously: “Prove your love to me then, and maybe I'll think twice about what I was planning. But if you can't do that then I guess I'll just have to kill all your little boy toys...and maybe, for good measure-”

To your fright, Yata suddenly summoned a flame in his hand, holding it dangerously close to the wooden surface of the bar top. “That's right. Funny that they let a firestarter like me live in a building with such expensive furniture, but fuck it. If I burn this whole place to the ground too then I won't have to worry at all.”

Instantly you were shaking your head, breathing shakily. “N-no...you can't...why would you!? M-Mikoto...Izumo...none of the others would ever try to-” “Can you guarantee it?”

His question threw you for a loop, and Yata took advantage of your stunned silence, lowering himself right over you. His chest pressed firmly to yours, one hand holding the flame threateningly close to your cheek, his head on the other side, whispering in your ear: “You can't get inside any of their heads, [Y/N]. You don't know what they're thinking...but based on my own thoughts...I can guess...”

The other hand started to stroke down your side and you gasped desperately, shaking all the more as he deftly caressed your curves. The look in his eyes was almost dirty. “They'll imagine you in all sorts of ways...” he murmured, “Is that really what you want? Guys biting their lips around you all the time, barely holding themselves back? I know I don't want that...”

Yata suddenly pulled up, looking down into your desperately glistening eyes and cracking a smirk. He made sure you were still very much caged between his legs as he pretty much stayed sitting on top of you. At the very least he let the flame dissipate just so he could take your cheeks in both hands and squeeze them slightly.

“Other men will want you just as badly as I do, that's how it is. But you only belong to me...so if you don't want me to fry them all to a crisp then you need to find some way of keeping yourself away from them all...” You knew where this was going. You knew what he wanted to hear. If only you had known so many months earlier though, that things would pan out this way. You would have never even let HOMRA take you under their wing in the first place.

At first you had truly loved Yata, and in many ways you still did. He was often sweet and almost shy, blushing and a little stiff with romance. He was capable of love even if in a slightly awkward manner, and that was all very endearing. Certainly, he'd fiercely protect you too, especially from those who tried to hurt you (namely Scepter 4 members).

Yet he also had this awful side to him too. At times it would suddenly flicker to life, triggered by the smallest thing, and you'd have to deal with a monster. Someone who was actually more of a threat to you than anyone else.

There was a burn mark on your arm from the first time you'd crossed him, back when you'd still foolishly thought it was okay to openly meet up with a male friend for coffee. Needless to say, instead of a bitter drink you'd only suffered a bitter scar. It was no one-off either. You knew that if you pushed him he'd happily do it again.

It was all for the sake of a twisted love he held. This love had caught onto you, and you had no way of putting it out now. You just had to suffer. But you weren't going to drag anyone else into it if you could help it.

Even if it still caused some pain, especially for you, you were willing. “...I...I won't talk to anyone else at school, from now on. I-I promise, I'll never do this again...”

Your words were like a cooling medicine. Yata instantly seemed to calm a little, and his creepy expression softened into something that was simply delirious and needy. “See? How simple was that, [Y/N]?”

He sealed that tragic promise of yours with a kiss right there on the counter top. His hands still gripped you closely, but you knew you weren't going anywhere. He bit your tongue like some sort of miniature punishment, but you took it.

You accepted it. Because the alternative...was so much worse.

Commission me and check out my other fics here: https://www.deviantart.com/vanillametal If you like my work you can support me on Patreon too! www.patreon.com/vanillametal Thanks everyone for your support~! DISCLAIMER (in regards to my fanart/fanfiction/commissions): I do not own these properties, I am simply producing fan-made work based on or inspired by them. Unless stated I do not own accompanying images etc. Credit goes to the original creators in all these cases. Please PM me if you have any questions or issues This is purely fiction and is not intended to affect or reflect upon real life persons/organisations/etc.You may not upload, share, use, create a piece inspired by etc. any of my work without asking for permission first. Appropriate actions will be taken otherwise. Thank you for reading~!

[mikototsu-trash]

Wouldn't it be sweet is Kusanagi was able to arrange for Kamamoto take take nurse courses and become certified/licensed/registered. Like Kumamoto likes helping people and now he has a job where he gets to do that. And he can help bandage the Homra guys up if it's nothing too serious.

Okay my number one weakness and favourite longstanding Kamamoto headcanon is that, after the Slates were destroyed, he went to nursing school. He’s super caring and he’s always looking out for other people, and he seems to have a basic knowledge of first aid anyway (seeing as he patches up Yata’s arm in season 1). He would make an incredible paediatric nurse (CONCEPT: RIKIO DRESSES UP AS SANTA CLAUS FOR THE KIDS AT CHRISTMAS DON’T FUCKIN TOUCH ME) because he’s super good with kids, but he also has the emotional strength to deal with a job like that - children’s wards can be very tough places to spend a lot of time. 

His aspirations probably aren’t much of a secret around the clan - they sometimes have the “what would you have done if you didn’t join Homra” conversations, and Rikio admits he’d probably be a nurse or a carer or something. He might get a little bit of “hurr durr that’s a girl job” flack, but I think Misaki would promptly chew out whoever said that for being disrespectful. Then, after the Slates were destroyed, people started discussing for real what their next steps might be, and look for “real” jobs, and Misaki would ask Rikio if he’s gonna apply to nursing school, and Rikio says it’d be nice, but he can’t really afford it, so he’s gonna get a job somewhere else and save up, and maybe apply in a few years. 

Misaki then mentions this to Izumo in passing when he’s talking about his own career prospects, and Izumo looks a little troubled. Considering everything Rikio did for Homra and for Anna after Mikoto’s death, he figures he deserves something in return. Izumo would discuss it with Rikio’s parents, and while Rikio’s father is a little disappointed his son doesn’t want to take over the family business, he supports his son’s dream, and they have a rainy day fund saved up, but it won’t cover all of Rikio’s tuition, which is when Izumo offers to make up the rest of the money, as a thank you for everything Rikio has done over the years. Rikio tears up when he receives the gift. 

And of course, during his studies, Rikio gets to practice a lot on his roughhousing friends, and he makes Chitose jealous a lot by talking about how he’s the only guy in his class (seeing as only 3% of Japanese nurses are men). 

[brynne-lagaao]

(Fanfic) Set in Stone - Chapter Seventeen

Title: Set in Stone

Pairing: Sarumi

Chapter: 17/18

Rating: M

Mirrors: AO3 | Website

Summary: Yata wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he performed a summon on his own in a fit of drunken loneliness. It definitely wasn’t some asshole demon with a bad attitude, even if that demon happened to be frustratingly hot. But breaking their contract was going to mean working together, and he wasn’t sure how much of that he could take before he snapped… one way or another.

Note: Thank you to @dropletons for being my beta and to @chromekins for helping with the magic aspect. This fic is not entirely accurate in terms of modern magic and the demon lore was basically made up to suit the story, but I tried to keep somewhat of an authentic feel, so hopefully that succeeded.

Kusanagi’s words were still playing over in Yata’s head hours later when he was lying in his own bed, wide awake and staring at the ceiling.

They’d stayed at the solstice celebration until the end, but he hadn’t been able to put his heart into it. He hadn’t even managed to come up with a good explanation for his subdued mood, snapping at his friends when they asked and spending most of his time standing on the outskirts of lively discussions without saying much or even really listening in most cases. He couldn’t seem to sort out the storm in his thoughts at all, everything jumbling together in a chaotic mess. Kusanagi had shot him a few canny looks but had let him be, and at the end of the night Anna had nearly caused him to lose it simply by catching his eyes and offering a small, sad smile. He didn’t know how much she knew and wasn’t going to ask.

Since their argument, he and Saruhiko had yet to say more to each other than the bare minimum, and it made his chest start to throb with raw pain every time they so much as looked at each other. Yata had taken the second shower after they’d returned to his apartment, and when he’d come out, Saruhiko was already on the futon with his back to the bathroom. There hadn’t been much else he could do besides go to bed himself, leaving the door open in a silent invitation that he knew wouldn’t be taken.

He felt crushed. Like the ground had dropped out from beneath him. It seemed to have happened so fast too: realizing his feelings just moments before having his hopes dashed and then raised and then dashed again. Like an emotional roller coaster, over in what felt like an instant and leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

Then again, everything with Saruhiko had been fast. He’d never felt like this before in his life, and it had been less than a month since he’d done that stupid, drunken summoning. That was all it had taken to fall harder than he’d ever thought he could.

And now it was all going to be over. Before it even really had a chance to start.

And maybe it was better that way – better to find this shit out before they’d gotten themselves in even deeper. Kusanagi was definitely right about that much. Yata still couldn’t think about the idea of keeping the contract going without that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach starting to come back. He didn’t know why, but there was something about it… something he couldn’t compromise on, no matter what. Whatever it was, this was his line in the sand and he wasn’t gonna cross it, not for anyone.

And maybe Saruhiko was on the opposite side, feeling the same way.

This wasn’t getting him anywhere. Yata let out a frustrated breath, rolling over and sitting up. He was tired, but his head wasn’t shutting up and his heart hurt so sharply he was sure he couldn’t sleep through it. He felt restless – unsatisfied. Defeated, but unable to just let go.

Well, he was bad at letting things go in the first place.

I gotta cool my head. Yata stood, snatching up his shorts so that he could tug them back on and then heading for the door.

Saruhiko was still lying motionless on the futon – asleep or pretending to be; Yata couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter either way. He deliberately didn’t look over as he crept by, not wanting to invite more pain.

Only once he’d left the apartment did he feel like he could breathe properly again. Yata took a couple of cautious steps toward the railing; when it didn’t force the contract to send Saruhiko after him, he sagged against it, letting the air in his lungs out in a rush and hanging his head forward.

If he thought about it clearly, there were a lot of messed-up things between them. He lost his head around Saruhiko. Just a few hours ago, they’d fucked without a condom, and he hadn’t even noticed, much less thought to protest. He just didn’t do shit like that, even if it seemed safe, and somehow Saruhiko didn’t strike him as the type to casually go bareback with a guy he’d known for barely a month. It was like they brought out each other’s most reckless and destructive sides somehow.

But… honestly, Yata fucking liked it. Not so much the destruction, but the feeling of letting go – of being reckless. He didn’t wanna make a habit of it when it came to safe sex or anything, but one of the things he liked best about Saruhiko was how strong the emotional pull was – and how easy it was to get swept away and feel everything so intensely. Moderating his emotions was a lot of work, and he had to do it most of the time in his daily life. Having someone he could let loose around was freeing. Intoxicating, even.

It came with a price, though – and if they were somehow gonna make things work, they’d have to find a way to temper that destructive side. They needed to be on the same page.

Right then, they really weren’t. That was why things were such a mess, and it hurt so badly.

What the hell bugs me so much about the contract thing, anyway? Yata opened his eyes, frowning down at the closely mowed lawn beneath him as he mulled it over. Up to that point, he hadn't had the space to think about it. It was the contract that had brought them together and forced them into close proximity until they’d realized just how much they enjoyed each other’s company. Without it, they’d probably never have even met, and if it hadn’t been the way it was, they’d have ended it without getting to know each other at all.

But still, he felt really strongly that he didn't want it. Not like this...

Why not? Because it was inconvenient? Because there were times when he didn't want to be around Saruhiko or Saruhiko didn't want to be around him, but they couldn’t escape each other? Those were pretty good reasons, but he had a feeling it was more than that. His reaction was gut-twistingly bad. It made him feel raw, like it touched an old sore spot. But he wasn’t sure what.

There was no question he wanted Saruhiko – wanted a real relationship – and Saruhiko had said he wanted it too. That was why he wanted Yata to keep the contract going, right? So they could be together. Didn't that make sense?

If he closed his eyes, he could see the uncharacteristic desperation on Saruhiko's face as he spoke in that moment – "Show me how much you’re demanding of me." – and it made his heart start to pound in his chest. Not only because it was thrilling to see Saruhiko like that, to have him be so intense about what he wanted from Yata, but because it spoke to him. It was another of those moments where he felt the connection between them – the similarity. Because he also felt that he wanted... to be sure...

Oh.

There it was – that flash of realization. Yata felt it sinking in, like a physical cut aimed directly at his heart, the prickles spreading out from that open wound.

So that was why it felt so gut-wrenching.

It was really just something that simple, huh? Yata closed his eyes for a moment as he let the reality of it settle in his mind, tilting his head up so he could open them to look at the moon for a bit of comfort. It almost hurt worse to know the truth – made it that much more final knowing there really was no compromising on his part – but at least he had a good grasp on the whole thing.

It kinda made him wonder, though... Maybe there was a chance... If Saruhiko really felt the same way he did, there could be something...

The door behind him opened, as if his thoughts had summoned it, and Yata's skin prickled. He resisted the urge to turn around, hands clenching unconsciously into fists. “What? Contract pulled you out here?”

For a moment, he thought he wasn’t going to get an answer. Then he heard the telltale click of Saruhiko's tongue. “No. Your emotions are keeping me up.”

You and me both. Yata managed a bitter smile. “My bad.” He forced his fingers to unclench and made an effort to keep his voice low and even. “Can’t help it right now.”

Saruhiko clicked his tongue again; when he responded, his voice was a mumble, as if he were speaking more to himself than to Yata. “I guess.”

The conversation was painfully awkward – or maybe ‘awkwardly painful’ was a better way to put it. Yata pushed himself away from the railing, abruptly sick of it, and turned around to stubbornly meet Saruhiko’s gaze. “Hey,” he started, trying not to get caught up in the way his pulse started to race at the sight of those blue-grey eyes glittering in the dark, “there’s still a place I go to sometimes that I never showed you. Wanna check it out?”

Saruhiko blinked, brows furrowing slightly as he stared back, as if he wasn’t sure where this was going or whether he wanted any part of it. “Do I have a choice?” he muttered, after a brief moment of silence.

Yata managed a lopsided grin. “I’m giving you one right now.”

There was another pause, and it was almost possible to see the wheels turning in Saruhiko’s head as he thought it over. Yata held his breath, the tension in the moment nearly overwhelming. Come on, he thought, not bothering to temper the hope that was swelling in his heart. Give it a chance. Just one try. Please.

Tomorrow would be their last day together; it was now or never.

At last, Saruhiko shut his eyes, shoulders sagging as he let out what sounded like a defeated sigh. “It can’t be any worse than lying awake all night here.”

It was a shitty, half-assed confirmation – but still a confirmation. The relief was so strong that Yata nearly felt giddy with it. His grin widened, feeling real instead of half-pained. “All right!” It didn't have his usual enthusiasm; hell, he didn't know if this was gonna get them anywhere, but he had to at least make things clear. So he knew for sure. “Let’s go back in and I’ll make us invisible.”

“Should you really be announcing that so loudly?” Saruhiko drawled back, but he moved aside obligingly so Yata could unlock the door for them.

It was such a typical tone that something inside Yata clenched, partly with pain and partly with pleasure. “Yeah, yeah.”

It was a relief to be in the air again afterwards, although he hadn’t felt that way when they’d flown home from the solstice celebration. His thoughts and feelings had been in such a mess, though. Now, even though it was painful, things at least seemed sorted in his head. Yata shut his eyes against the night breeze, gathering his resolve.

If he accomplished nothing else, at least he could make sure both of them understood this before they went their separate ways.

The building they landed on was near the center of the city – not quite at the heart, but pretty close. It was one of a number of skyscrapers in the area, but it stood out a little by having a domed glass roof, which was tinted but could still be seen through just a bit when they were close enough, the outline of a rooftop garden-like area just barely visible in the places where the moonlight wasn't reflecting too strongly to catch a glimpse.

Yata settled on a point where two of the support beams crossed at the top of the curve, lowering himself to sit down but not bothering to pull his wings in. He looked out at the view of the city – lit up in the commercial districts and dark in most of the residential, all of it outlined by moonlight and offset by shadow – and felt the usual sense of grounding settle within him. “This is where I go when I’m feeling... y’know.” He shrugged, not bothering to look to see what Saruhiko was doing. “Like I did when I summoned you.”

Lonely. Overwhelmed. Stifled. Alone.

It helped to be somewhere quiet, if nothing else.

There was another brief pause, followed by a sigh. “I’m surprised it wasn't one of the charging points,” Saruhiko responded wryly. He didn't move to sit, but he was still beside Yata, not moving away. Listening.

That was comforting, at least. Yata managed a rueful little smile, and steeled himself to just get right to it. “Listen,” he started, “about before... when you asked me not to break the contract. I thought about it – why I had that reaction, I mean – and I wanna make it clear.” At that, he turned his head to look up at Saruhiko, setting his jaw stubbornly. “It’s not because I don't want you.”

No obvious reaction. Saurhiko wasn't meeting his gaze, looking out instead over the city. His expression was characteristically neutral. “Mm.”

Yata took that as a signal to continue. “Obviously I do. You saw how I...” The reminder of his possessive aggression in that moment made his face grow hot; he reached up without thinking to scratch at the back of his head. “Yeah, anyway. I really wanna be with you.” As he said the words, he could feel his own sincerity behind them almost like a tangible thing – could vividly remember all the little moments when they'd talked and the nights of playing games – and a surge of longing rose up at the back of his throat, sudden and overwhelming. “I want it so bad,” he managed to get out, trying to ignore the thickness that had crept into his voice. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I really… I mean, you’re… important to me.” Somehow, it was too much to say the word ‘love’; the hurt was too fresh. “But not like this. I can't...”

It was hard to get the words out through the emotion clogging his chest. Yata swallowed, trying to collect himself, and made another attempt. “You wanted me to prove I want you, right?” Without waiting for Saruhiko to reply – if he even planned to – he rushed right ahead with the rest. “Well, I also wanna know for sure that you want me.”

At that, he seemed to get a reaction; Saruhiko's lips parted, an audible intake of breath coming from him. He finally turned to meet Yata's gaze, seemingly caught off guard by that simple fact.

Yata followed up on his advantage. “If it’s like this, with you tied to me, you gotta be here whether you want to or not.” Even just bringing it up had that sick feeling building in his gut; he shook his head, turning to frown out at the city. “I can’t do that, Saruhiko. I wanna look at you when you're beside me and know that you're there because you want to be. Not because you're forced to be.”

The silence that followed those words was heavy.

The finality of it – actually saying it rather than just knowing – sat heavily on Yata's heart. That was it, really. If Saruhiko couldn't accept that, then there wasn't anything else he could do to make this work. He waited for a moment to see if there'd be a response; when there wasn’t, he deflated a little, some of the hope that he'd allowed to grow in his heart dying. "Just had to say it," he muttered, shoulders sagging a bit. He was caught between wanting to look up – to see Saruhiko's reaction, whatever it was – and his pride trying to prevent him from breaking down altogether. “Also... about that other stuff you said. Y’know, me just wanting whoever because I was lonely?” He let out a small, humorless chuckle. “I wasn’t lonely because I wanted someone who had to be around me all the time. What I wanted – what I want – is someone I can be excited to come home to. Someone who’s got his own shit going on outside of me, and gets that I’ve got shit going on outside of him too. Someone who makes me feel comfortable but still challenges and thrills me. Like I said, it can't be just anyone." Swallowing down the surge of emotion, he added, low and shaky, “And I want it to be you.”

Beside him, Saruhiko let out a shaky-sounding exhale. "Misaki," he mumbled, low and unsteady – but if he'd planned to say something after, it didn’t come out.

The tone of his voice was enough to make up Yata’s mind; feeling emboldened, he looked over and met Saruhiko's gaze. Those blue-grey eyes he loved so much had a starved sort of look in them – not the wild, manic edge from hours before, but something softer... Lost, maybe. It tugged at his heart, the ache pleasant and painful all at once.

It made him want to try one more time – even if he looked stupid or clingy. His pride wasn't more important than this. “You can’t really want this contract, right, Saruhiko?” It was impossible to keep the hopeful note out of his voice. “You got a life that I'm not part of – people you miss, stuff you wanna do. Don’t you wanna keep doing that, seeing them, and come home to me too?”

Saruhiko stared at him for another moment, looking as if he were seeing him for the first time, and then exhaled in a rush, shutting his eyes. Before Yata could think to question what that meant, he slumped down to sit on the beam as well, shoulders sagging. It was that same defeated posture from earlier, but it felt somehow less... resigned.

Like he was letting go of something this time rather than accepting a burden.

“How the hell do you do that?” Saruhiko muttered, shaking his head slightly before opening his eyes again to meet Yata’s gaze. The corners of his mouth edged up into a rueful smile, contributing to the weary but fond expression on his face. “You act headstrong and careless, but you can still come up with a way to put it that just...” He shook his head. “You know. Something about you gets under my skin. When you summoned me…” At that point, he hesitated, and then clicked his tongue. “Well, not like it matters if you know. I felt it – your loneliness, I mean.”

Yata blinked at him, thrown off by the sudden admission. “Eh?”

“The emotional link opens before we accept the contract,” Saruhiko explained, voice wry. “Normally I wouldn’t have taken a contract without an end date or timeframe.” He offered that funny little smile again, expression strangely helpless. “Somehow, when I connected with you… it was like the rational part of my brain stopped. I moved without even thinking.” He let out a soft, resigned-sounding huff, shutting his eyes. “That’s how much you’ve always affected me, right from the start.”

It struck a familiar chord. Staring back, Yata couldn’t help but think back to all those times he’d felt that solidarity between them – the sense of their feelings synchronizing – and the confession made perfect sense. More than before, a fierce longing swelled within him; the precious nature of their connection striking him all at once as it sank in.

That loneliness he’d felt – Saruhiko had felt it too, and recognized it straight away.

If they separated now… Yata swallowed around the lump in his throat, feeling his chest constrict. It felt like they’d lose a chance at something amazing. Something he wanted to grow into, and learn to cherish.

Please, Saruhiko…

As if in response to that desperation, Saruhiko was opening his eyes again, the little smile fading on his lips as he regarded Yata with something like uncertainty. “Misaki,” he started, voice low, and took in what sounded like a ragged, painful breath. “I want them too. Those things you said... All of them.”

The sting of tears hitting his eyes felt like catharsis. Yata couldn't help the choked noise, half laugh and half sob, that escaped his throat. Saruhiko's face blurred in front of him and he scrubbed furiously at his eyes, blinking to clear his vision as best he could. “Yeah,” he managed to get out roughly, and reached out without stopping to check himself.

The sudden happiness that burst within him when Saruhiko met him partway was nearly overwhelming.

It wasn’t a skilled or passionate kiss, but it felt so good that Yata’s heart seemed to sing within his chest. Their lips met, parted briefly, and connected again; they were both obviously trembling with the emotion behind it. He had his fingers braced at the back of Saruhiko’s neck and Saruhiko’s hand cupping his face, and he couldn’t tell where most of the tremors originated. The breath between them was ragged and as they leaned into each other, Saruhiko’s hand found his on the beam between them and gripped it tightly – a hold that Yata returned with equal force.

He couldn’t remember ever being this happy before in his life. He didn’t want the moment to end.

Eventually, of course, it had to; they pulled back after a few moments, panting and reluctant, and when Yata opened his eyes, Saruhiko’s were fluttering open in the same moment. Their gazes locked, and the smile that tugged at his lips was mirrored back to him, slow and hesitant, on Saruhiko’s.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but after a while Saruhiko drew in another of those shaky breaths and let his fingers trail from Yata’s face, leaving shivers in their wake. He wrapped his arm around Yata’s shoulders instead, drawing him in with unexpected force and mumbling next to his ear a very quiet, “Sorry.”

Yata felt his smile widening at that, eyes stinging dangerously. He wriggled his own arm free to return the awkward embrace. “S’okay.”

There was another lengthy, comfortable pause as they let that moment run its course, and then Saruhiko drew back, meeting Yata’s gaze again with lidded eyes and notable hesitation that he was clearly trying to mask. “Now what?”

“Now… we got time, right?” Yata gave his hand a squeeze, feeling light-headed. Possibilities were beginning to form in his head – the future spreading out bright and full of promise in front of him. “And I got your number – summoning circle, I mean.” He grinned. “We can figure this shit out together.”

Saruhiko shut his eyes, letting out a short, amused huff, and squeezed back. When he opened them again, that fond expression was back on his face, making Yata’s heart skip a beat. “I guess we can,” he murmured, and leaned in again until their lips almost touched before drawling, “later.”

They were both smiling into the kiss that followed.

[its-love-u-asshole]

Unbound [Ch. 2]

Pairing: Fushimi Saruhiko/Yata Misaki

Rating: T

Summary: Summer is Yata’s favorite time of the year in his town, a place where it normally rains nonstop nine months out of the year. It doesn’t help that the town is marred by old legends and tales which do nothing to make it less creepy and drab. Essentially, summer is Yata’s chance to forget superstitions and finally hit the beach. Apart from deciding what he wants to do with his life, all he wants is to enjoy it with his friends and maybe get to know Fushimi Saruhiko, a stranger who Yata can’t help but feel drawn to. However, the summer has more in store for him than usual, and he’s never been one to back down.

Note: I was really surprised by the support I got on this fic, so thanks to everyone who commented and showed interest in this story! Also it’s Yata-chan’s birthday! My sunshine child ; ; I hope this is enough of a celebration for him lol. Enjoy! 

AO3

The waterfront near the mall was barren, a huge contrast to the large crowds not even a mile away from it. The sun reflected off the water, shedding light on the old and rusted oil drums and pipes littered about the glistening body. There weren’t any animals, not large ones anyways. Yata could hear crickets though, and various other bugs along with the rustling in the low brush. The sand was tarnished with unidentifiable black gunk and cigarettes, a picturesque scene which was left to rot by civilization as industry took its toll on the land.

Or at least, that was what he’d heard a teacher say once in elementary school.

Saruhiko led him away from the water and around an imperceptible bend by the large rocks, placing them in front of a large tunnel Yata had never seen before in all his years of skulking around the place.

“Whoa…where does it go?” Yata’s voice was laced with childlike wonder as he peered into the seemingly never ending tunnel. Normally he may have felt frightened despite his bravery, after all, people were rumored to have died here, eaten up by monsters and legends from old ghost tales. Other rumors told of real villains, murderers and killers that let their victims decompose or sink into the waters nearby. But having Saruhiko there, who seemed rather knowledgeable about the place, made Yata feel strangely calm and relaxed.  

The taller smiled. It was a small kind of grin, one that was both amused and…something else that sent Yata’s heart racing despite his best efforts to keep it under control.

“I’ll show you,” Saruhiko said, gesturing for Yata to begin strolling down the path. The redhead nodded, an excited grin forming on his face as he trailed his fingers along the frigid walls of the tunnel. Saruhiko followed, almost right by his side, but lagging a step behind.

Ever since leaving the mall, they hadn’t talked much, but it had been far from awkward. Yata had barely noticed the lack of small talk, and was actually sort of grateful for it. The short walk from the mall had seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and it was a strange sense of comfort he’d never had with anyone before.

Despite the relaxed silence from before, now Yata was buzzing with questions, and he was sure his excitement showed.

“How did you even know this was here? It’s awesome!” Yata looked at the other, and Saruhiko fixed his glasses in thought. It was a cute habit, in Yata’s opinion. As he waited, he swung his hands at his side, only stopping when he happened to brush against Saruhiko’s hand several times. He was suddenly thankful for the dim lighting. The only source were the streams of the day’s last sunlight which managed to drift in through the cracks of the tunnel, giving the space an otherworldly feel.

“The streets in the city are pretty bad, there’s accidents all the time,” Saruhiko began with a shrug. “It’s just less dangerous this way…”

The other seemed to hesitate after that, and Yata could tell the sentence wasn’t meant to end there, but the other had purposefully halted before providing an ‘and’. Like some weird type of insurance…

He wondered for a second if it was alright to ask. After all, sometimes people had super personal reasons for why they did the things they did. However, Saruhiko was someone Yata couldn’t help but wonder about, and so he figured it’d be worth it.

“What?” Yata raised an eyebrow, his question echoing throughout the tunnel along with their footsteps.

The other didn’t respond, only making a nervous, humming noise, as if that would appease Yata. Wrong.

Yata spun around, blocking the other’s path. The echoing on the walls stopped as they ceased walking, and Yata eyed Saruhiko warily. Come to think of it, maybe walking down a dark tunnel with a reserved and total stranger hadn’t been the best idea. But the boy was so frail and laid back Yata doubted he was a threat. No, he was eyeing him for other reasons. Saruhiko wasn’t acting suspicious…he was acting embarrassed.

Yata spotted the subtle fidgeting of Saruhiko’s hands, the repeated fixing of his glasses. And then the real sign, the light shade of red dancing on his cheekbones.

Yata smirked then, peering at Saruhiko with eyes that seemed to say, ‘spit it out.’

Saruhiko clicked his tongue, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. “I was thinking I could show it to you. In case you and your hoodlum ways got you into trouble again.”

The last statement almost felt tacked on, spoken a tad faster than the previous. It was so slight, but Yata noticed. Saruhiko’s eyes were averted to the strange markings on the tunnel wall, and that was when it clicked.

A curse began and quickly died on the tip of Yata’s tongue as he processed the response, and he stood still, blinking stupidly for several moments. Saruhiko clicked his tongue, taking the opportunity to maneuver around Yata and continue walking down the path.

That seemed to bring him back, and Yata turned with a stumble, catching up to the other boy in a few quick strides. “E-eh? You’ve…I mean…hm…”

Yata flushed at his loss for words, since when did he hide what he was thinking? But he didn’t feel confident in voicing his assumptions, no matter how obviously correct they probably were.

You’ve wanted to show me? Since the other week?

Yata couldn’t help the pleased feeling which ran through him, even despite the embarrassment.

“B-but you just met me and—”

And we’re technically not friends, not yet.

His friends’ teasing from before flashed through his mind, but now it seemed suddenly more plausible. Was Saruhiko actually interested in him for real?

That pleased feeling involuntarily intensified.

The other groaned, and his shoulders tensed, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. “I frequent the Eastside Park.”

Yata’s internal crisis was put on hold as those words sunk in, and he squinted in confusion as he watched Saruhiko absentmindedly trace over some weird symbols on the wall.

Okay, what the hell? The park?

“And…?”

Saruhiko rolled his eyes, like Yata had completely missed some obvious conclusion from the poor excuse for an explanation.

“And, you and your thug friends hang out in that park a lot,” Saruhiko grumbled, still stiffly walking in front of Yata.  His feet, clad in ratty, faded converse, dragged, and the mild scrapping bounced off the curved walls.

“Hey my friends aren’t thugs! We just—”

“Graffiti public property?”

“Spray painting isn’t what I would call a dangerous crime, who c—”

Yata stopped suddenly, connecting the dots.

“I frequent the Eastside Park.”

The park. The park where he hung out with his friends at least once every week.

What?

The lightbulb went off, and Yata felt his stomach explode with a garden’s worth of butterflies.

Wait, no! That’s weird!

“Y-you’ve been watching me?” Yata sputtered, slowing his pace.

“I never said that, I just happen to see you…often,” Saruhiko muttered the last of his sentence, shoulders tensing another degree, having Yata vaguely wondering if his back was in pain. Stand up straight idiot.

“The fuck? You’re my stalker now then?”

Saruhiko actually scoffed at that, turning to face Yata as he walked backwards. His face was flushed, Yata saw as Saruhiko passed through a beam of light, but there was still an unbearably smug smile on the taller’s face. “Yeah right. My…friend, I suppose, owns a house on the edge of the park, therefore I’m there a lot. And, it’s just hard to ignore someone so loud.”

Yata scowled, quickening his steps once more until he was close to the other boy again. Who knew how long or fast they’d actually been walking. Yata had stopped paying attention. “Oh, but you were thinking ‘bout showing me this place huh? I still say you’re a stalker!”

Another scoff, and Saruhiko was pouting, giving Yata all kinds of weird rushes of feeling which he did not want to think about.

“I’m not a stalker moron, I only noticed you about two weeks ago. It’s not like I’ve been staring at you for months or anything,” Saruhiko mumbled.

“Doesn’t explain why you’d be staring at me for two weeks either,” Yata supplied, eyeing the other with caution.

Well, no, Yata wasn’t that stupid. He somewhat knew why the taller would’ve been looking at him, but entertaining the idea had Yata flushing something fierce. It was obvious that Saruhiko wasn’t the type to come out and own up to it either, so Yata was forced to stew in his own awkwardness.

He hated to admit it, but this strange form of flirting was surprisingly easy…if it was flirting. It felt like it, but maybe it was only from his end. What did Yata know though? He didn’t have experience with this shit.

In all honesty, Yata had never thought about…girls before, or even guys. He figured no one had sparked his interest yet, and that was why crushes weren’t on his mind. But now, having the tall, slim form of Saruhiko swaying in front of him was making him feel a whole new realm of emotions. Not that he had a problem with…with…being like that with someone, but he’d rather think about it alone than with the possible object of his…affections…only a few feet in front of him. Plus, admitting that his stupid friends were actually right was a serious hit to his dignity.

“I happened to be people watching, and you were more entertaining than my associate’s old stories,” Saruhiko explained as he faced forward, though not very convincingly.

“Uh huh…” Yata squinted at the other’s back. “And you wanted to show me this because? The real reason I mean.”

Well shit, that was bold, even for him. Yata couldn’t help it, and anyways, he didn’t like people giving him bullshit.

Saruhiko huffed, his demeanor suddenly annoyed at the turn of the conversation. Gotcha. Yata smiled smugly, a light feeling of triumph coursing through him.

Saruhiko fixed his glasses again, his pace slowing until they were walking side by side. “Don’t ask questions you apparently know the answers to,” he muttered, and Yata’s heart skipped. What the hell? He’d just met this guy, it shouldn’t feel like such an achievement to get that kind of admission.

“Plus,” Saruhiko went on, his face becoming clearer as more sunlight began to shine down on him. “I don’t really like nature, but this shortcut ends at the park, and it’s not too bad.”

“What do ya—”

It was then Yata realized they’d reached the end of the tunnel, and he was shocked at how he hadn’t even noticed, too focused on the other’s voice. It had almost felt too fast, how had they made it this far only on foot? The tunnel really was a shortcut…

The sun, now harsh and blinding, made him squint as he walked out onto the grass. He was taken aback by the chilling breeze that greeted him, for it had been absent in the shelter of the tunnel. He gasped, staring at the beautiful, open field which was part of Eastside Park. It was a more desolate section of the area, the kind where children rarely frolicked due to the lack of playgrounds and benches. It was untouched, flooded with flowers and vibrant foliage.

Whoa.

Yata had been feeling pretty ‘whoa’ all day it seemed. He withdrew from the tunnel completely, taking in the landscape. The faint sounds of traffic reached his ears, and he turned to his right, noticing the main road just in the distance. The main road that would take him right to his home if he followed it. Awesome.

Even with the lush land, Yata still noted the complete lack of animals. No birds, no squirrels or rodents. Lucky for Yata though, since he could totally see himself lounging around the area for a nap. Dusk would soon be settling on the park, and the vivid blues and pinks of the common flowers would lose their brightness. A shame, but Yata had no doubt that he’d be spending a lot of daylight hours there now anyways.

Yata looked to Saruhiko then, who was now leaning against a tree in the field, staring at Yata with that same, serene smile from before. Yata grinned, approaching him.

“You’re gonna have to show me more shortcuts, I’m going to hold you to it!” Yata couldn’t believe how much faster the walk home would be now that he knew about the secret path, and he was extremely grateful for meeting Saruhiko in that moment.

“Even though I’m a stalker?” Saruhiko smirked, pushing away from the tree and inching closer to Yata. Despite the cold, Yata could feel the warmth just a few inches in front of him, it had Yata leaning forward slightly with its enticement.

“You just gotta make it up to me dumbass!”

Yata didn’t know what compelled him to make such an invite to see the other again, but Saruhiko seemed cool, and he caused Yata’s curiosity to spike. Teasing from his friends and internal panic be damned, he didn’t see the harm in hanging out again.

Saruhiko gave a pleased hum, sidestepping Yata and beginning his trek in the opposite direction of the road, and Yata figured he or his friend must live more towards the inner part of the neighborhood.

As Saruhiko walked off into the distance he turned, calling out to Yata one last time. “When exactly will I be making it up to you?”

Really, Yata wished Saruhiko could stay longer, but he’d settle for any other time if it meant more exploring.

However, Yata suddenly remembered he had a few errands to run on Sunday, as he traditionally did for his mother. The shops where she got her ingredients were nearer to the center of town, at the border right before the richer suburban neighborhoods started.

“How about tomorrow? We can go to central?”

Saruhiko bit his lip, and Yata thought he saw an uncharacteristic flash of worry in those usually neutral eyes, but it was there and gone before he could make much sense of it.

Saruhiko nodded, gesturing to the surrounding area, silently suggesting they meet back at the same spot. Yata nodded, and then they were both off in their separate directions, leaving Yata feeling giddy in a way he never had before.

--

“How did it—”

“Shut it,” Saruhiko interrupted, slamming the door to Douhan’s house with no regard for the old structure’s protests. He’d been expecting this. “You shouldn’t know about any ‘it’ in the first place.”

But she always did. He also didn’t know why she bothered to ask how it went. She tended to have a way of reading him, and right now he couldn’t hide the aura of stupid bliss which was no doubt radiating off him.

All because of a stupid meetup, because of a promised next one. Whatever.

Douhan smiled at him knowingly, proving his suspicions. However, there was a limit to the things she should’ve known. He hadn’t told her about going anywhere today.

Saruhiko wouldn’t give her so much credit as to say the skill was born from natural intuition or social prowess either. Slowly, he let his eyes drift over to her living room, catching sight of the coffee rings staining her table and the old photo albums she insisted on keeping. He never understood why.

Among all the mess though, there were two chipped mugs, half full. Fresh.

He thought it was strange for the door to be unlocked. It meant she hadn’t had time after the home’s previous visitor had left. Judging from the partial spill on the table and the tripped over side stand, they’d left rather hastily too.

That’s mature.

Douhan followed his gaze, not at all bothered about the obvious discovery. She was a private person, but when it came to sharing things between them, she preferred to not have any blind spots.

“Gossiping again?” Saruhiko asked as he walked towards the guest room. He was tired, more so than usual, but he wouldn’t think about why that was. Absentmindedly, he drifted his hand over one of the blonde’s bookcases as he walked, noting how it was in desperate need of reorganizing.

Douhan shrugged. “Not so much gossiping as listening. Fuse came over here to vent about how childish you’re being, but I’m sure you already suspected that…”

The silent question didn’t escape him, but he wasn’t exactly in the mood to deal with his social problems. It was hardly his fault that before he’d gone to the mall, Fuse had approached him, infuriated about things which didn’t matter.

It had erupted to nothing less than a full out fight, and he didn’t know how to go about resolving it. He was hardly used to having any disagreements with the other, at least not anymore. Regardless of the issue, he wasn’t exactly ready to share any of that with Douhan yet.

Well, she probably already knew. Still, hopefully simple answers would suffice.

“We had a disagreement, nothing more. He should mind his own business,” Saruhiko grumbled, moving to open the bedroom door, his only chance of relief from all this. “You all should actually.”

Douhan actually snorted at that, and he sent her a flat look. Why did these discussions have to be uselessly prolonged every time?

She shook her head, finally moving to begin picking up her living room in a rare show of care for the decaying property. It was a normal thing to do after the end of a conversation, but Saruhiko was compelled to stay. After all this time, he knew when the blonde had said her piece, and he also knew when he could afford to not hear it.

This was apparently not one of those times.

“You know that’s not possible when it comes to you,” she said, but her voice was softer, fonder, and he neither had the will nor the energy to scorn it. So instead he clicked his tongue, and finally moved inside the room, refusing to acknowledge how deep down, he probably appreciated it. Maybe.

As he took a step, a sharp pain shot through his side, and he wasn’t fast enough to hide his instantaneous wince. Great…

He clutched his hip, closing his eyes tightly as the pain took its course through his bones and muscles. Saruhiko tried not to groan when he was relieved from the agony after a few moments. Cautiously, he stood up straight again, testing for any aftershocks. When there were none, he gave a relaxed sigh which was completely short lived.

Now he had another issue to deal with.

Saruhiko’s hand was frozen on the door handle, and he could feel Douhan’s eyes boring into his back, searing. He scolded himself for not hiding the reaction faster, for letting her keep him out in the open, but maybe that had been her plan all along.

He was ready for the lecture, for the advice which normally came with stuff like this. It was his own fault sure, but he didn’t need people meddling in his affairs. He was ready with his counter arguments, ready to ease her of any worry, to tell her he was fine.

But he didn’t have to.

After another beat of the strained silence, Douhan just sighed deeply behind him, continuing to pick up her littered coffee table. She only paused one more time afterwards, and he was grateful. “This is why we worry. Don’t overdo it.”

And that was all that had to be said apparently, and the tension between them dissolved as if by magic. Funny, how she could do that.

Saruhiko sighed, not seeing any cause in fighting the demand for now. Right then, he preferred to be alone with his own thoughts of Misaki, and the butterflies swirling obnoxiously in his stomach. He turned back to walk into his room, when one last teasing, sugary statement hit his ears.

“Have fun on your next date.”

--

“Home early again?” Yata’s mother’s voice drifted to his ears as he walked through the door, and he took a seat at the kitchen table idly, triumphant. It had been a good week.

“Yeah, I took a quicker way home someone showed me,” Yata replied with a smile.

“Someone?” His mother paused in her task of looking through the mail, her gaze questioning. Right, his mother always had to be nosy.

Yata rubbed the back of his head, trying his best not to look embarrassed. The last thing he needed was his mom meddling in his personal life.

“Yeah, just this friend I ran into at the mall an—”

“Misaki! You didn’t tell me you were going to the mall!”

Yata flinched at the higher tone of voice, and he held up his hands defensively. “W-what? Did you need something from the mall?”

As he spoke, he was aware of his younger brother skulking into the kitchen, his face pouty and annoyed.

“Well, there was that construction accid—Minoru! I told you, you aren’t allowed to have any sweets tonight!”

Yata laughed from his position at the table as his brother sighed, having been effectively caught. He felt sort of sympathetic, but better his brother get scolded than Yata himself. “What did you do now Minoru?”

“Nothing,” Minoru mumbled, kicking at the floor. “Just broke a few cups…”

“A few? You broke a whole case of them!” His mom had her hands on her hips now, continuing to reprimand her younger son. Again, at least it saved Yata. “If you don’t watch out, the shadow beast will get you!”

Minoru seemed to pout more at that, and Yata was sure the younger would’ve rolled his eyes if he wasn’t afraid of getting in more trouble. “Mom, c’mon! I’m way too old for that story. Plus, the shadow beast only comes when you’re about to die remember?”

His mother hummed, nodding slowly, her expression marred with struggle to remember details of the story she’d told them throughout their childhoods. “Oh, you’re right. I used to have that story down too…to think one day you’d know it better than me.”

“Kind of a brutal story to tell kids don’t ya think?” Yata jumped into the conversation with a laugh. “Even I remembered being terrified when you told it to me as a kid.”

“Past tense? You know the old legend would still scare you if I told it,” his mom said with a smirk. “In fact Misaki, you’ve always been against any kind of scary st—”

“Mom! Stop okay? It’s embarrassing,” Yata protested, yet it was for nothing as his mother’s loud laugh carried throughout the house.

--

Central always made Yata a bit uncomfortable. It was closer to the rich neighborhoods, meaning more snobby and better dressed kids roamed about, sometimes giving him the once over and laughing. It caused Yata to want to sink into the ground. Not that he really cared what they thought, he couldn’t give two shits. Those people didn’t know him anyways, it was more the unwanted attention which got to him.

Central was fun however, given that it had nicer shops, large parks, and tourist spots. It also got the best produce brought to the grocery stores, so Yata’s mother often sent him there to pick up prime ingredients. When he was younger, Yata and his friends would hang out around the supposedly haunted spots in the area, mostly against Yata’s will, as he was usually forced there. Though he wouldn’t admit it, Yata despised going near anything considered paranormal. It was hard to avoid though, since central was the historic hotspot of the area.

Yata had been worried initially about going there with Saruhiko. Maybe the other would be into that kind of thing, and Yata would have to pretend to not be freaked out about going on graveyard tours and shit. He felt lame about it to this day. What kind of grown man actually believed that stuff anymore?

Luckily, Saruhiko had been pretty against the idea, staring at the fancy, historic homes with disdain as they passed them on the way into town.

"You don't think they're cool?" Yata quirked a brow, trying for the hundredth time to not automatically lean in Saruhiko's direction. The walk hadn't been uncomfortable, in fact, they weren't even in town and Yata was having fun. Saruhiko listened to him talk about his favorite games and movies, even his friends' stupid adventures. In between, they took to bickering playfully in a way which made Yata laugh and flush occasionally. It was hard to resist his weird urge to grab Saruhiko's hand when their fingers brushed, or nudge the other with his shoulder when he strayed too close...

Stop it, you just met him! This isn't even a date...

Regardless, Yata couldn't ignore the magnetic pull between them, and he'd been mindfully making sure he was at least a feet or two away as they walked side by side. Yata had originally asked Saruhiko to take them through another shortcut, since the usual way to central was pretty congested, and it was the first time he'd seen Saruhiko look unenthusiastic about the prospect. The taller had clicked his tongue, but had relented in the end upon seeing Yata's perplexed and mildly disappointed face. Yata didn't understand the dislike for the neighborhood they were in, but then again, he couldn't say he loved the place.

It was the historic district, the street lined with old mansions with plaques in front of them, telling when it was constructed and who had lived there. It wasn't deserted, summer was the tourist season after all, but it was far more peaceful than the typical way.

The mansions, white and beige and grand, towered over the small tour groups as he and Saruhiko walked by. Yata shivered when he caught the words "haunted" coming from one of the guides. Yeah, no way did he love these homes. They were pretty though, he was sure his mom would love them. The intricate designs and restored pillars almost made it seem like they had been transported to another time.

"They're just houses," Saruhiko mumbled, scowling at the obnoxious neon signs which directed people to pay good money for a house tour. "I don't see what the big deal is." It was almost cute how pouty Saruhiko sounded, and Yata grinned as the other busied himself with staring at the sidewalk.

Yata thought about that as they passed though, admiring the flowerbeds and wide lawns in front of each house, barred off by black iron and 'no trespassing' signs. "Maybe it's the haunted thing, or people are just history nerds," Yata snorted, and he was delighted when Saruhiko did too. His skin felt hot when Saruhiko grinned in amusement, and damn, damn your face Saruhiko. Yata loved being able to pull new reactions out of him. They'd only been hanging out for a while, but every grin or smirk was a personal triumph and each had Yata's heart racing.

"Only idiots believe those houses are actually haunted," Saruhiko went on, not bothering to look both ways when he crossed the street. Yata had half a mind to scold him, but didn’t want to interrupt. Be more careful...

"They act like serial killers lived there, when it was just old fat aristocrats,” Saruhiko finished, his eyes sharp.

Yata tried not to be too offended, given he did believe in the paranormal, mostly because he'd never shook off the childhood fear, but whatever. He could work with this to his advantage anyways. For whatever reason, he wanted to see if Saruhiko liked being challenged.

"How do you know? Have you ever been inside?"

"I read the plaques," Saruhiko shrugged, and Yata smirked openly.

"So you don't know if it’s not haunted..." Yata hummed, his gut twisting a little at how badly this could go. His goal was to simply play around, maybe embarrass Saruhiko, but if Saruhiko actually wanted to prove him wrong by going inside..."Maybe you're just saying that because you're scared and don't want to go inside."

Yata was surely screwing himself over. Oh god what have you done. You'll never survive.

Old stories started to flood his brain, the one about the ghost bride in the adjacent house, or the missing girl from house 210, and oh god the rumors about the abusive father in house 204...

They were stupid myths, meant to scare grade schoolers and make money, but Yata felt goosebumps even thinking about them. I'm gonna die.

Saruhiko's response surprised him though.

"No way," he said quickly, glaring one last time at the large, tinted windows of one of the bigger homes. "And it's not because I'm scared. I don't need to hear a tour guide talk for hours about the restoration of wallpaper."

Yata blinked, letting the relief wash over him as Saruhiko eyed him critically, as if there was more he wished to say. He does that a lot, Yata realized, and all feelings of stress were replaced with amusement. Saruhiko really was a loner...

"If you say so," Yata said smugly, walking ahead of Saruhiko with confidence. It felt nice to win, even if it was a complete sham. "Sometimes listening to people talk is nice though."

There was a beat of silence as Yata's sneakers dragged on the sidewalk, and he halted, looking back to see Saruhiko with that same torn expression on his face, light flush gracing his features, and Yata choked up. Damnit, stop doing that.

Just when Yata thought he was starting to familiarize himself with Saruhiko’s personality, he did this shit. "Um..."

Saruhiko scoffed, catching up in a few brisk strides as he recovered, refusing to meet Yata's eyes even when their hands brushed together. When Saruhiko finally spoke, Yata felt like he was on another planet.

Or well, maybe cloud nine was more accurate. Fuck.

"Why listen to them? You’re here."

--

And Saruhiko did listen to him, in his own weird, grumpy way. When a group of wealthy college students threw Yata dirty looks because of how he'd been dressed, Saruhiko sneered at them something fierce, and proceeded to indulge Yata's whole rant as they piled groceries into their cart. Then before Yata knew it, he was babbling about everything.

How he didn't want to finish school, how much he loved his mom, how mischievous his siblings could be, all aspects of his life slowly laid bare as if Saruhiko was a lifetime friend, and not the mysterious boy Yata had spent roughly two days knowing.

"Yeah but, that's why I want to move out soon," Yata said, checking a few things off his list and praying Saruhiko wasn't terribly bored with him. "Not super far away but just...getting my own place would be nice."

"Mm," Saruhiko hummed, glaring menacingly at the bag of vegetables Yata loaded into the cart. Yata laughed a bit, pushing the bag towards Saruhiko's face teasingly as the other swatted it away. Cute.

Sparing Saruhiko, Yata looked over his cart again, nodding to himself. That should be everything.

"So, you don't like the guy your mom married then? Is that the issue?" Saruhiko asked, and Yata was quick to clear things up.

"No, not at all! He's great..." Yata said, letting his features fall into a fond expression. His mom...she was so happy now, having a complete family, even if his stepfather was out of town a lot. But... "He's really good to her, to all of us. But, I don't know, I feel like I kinda don't fit in there? My siblings belong with their mom and dad, but the picture looks off when you toss me in there. I don't mind it exactly but--"

Yata thought about his life, his goals for the future, making it on his own and proving he could be something. It was important to him, and the pride began swelling in his chest.

But I want to make a home for myself too.

He wondered how Saruhiko felt about that kind of stuff. The taller did come off as apathetic at times, but Yata could tell there was more drive in him than he let on. Saruhiko was smart too, observant. What did he want to do in the future? What was his family like? Yata didn't realize how badly he wanted to know.

I want to know more about Saruhiko.

Yata looked up after it took the other a while to respond, worried he'd somehow overshared, but Saruhiko's eyes were full of nothing but...well, Yata didn't know how to define that emotion, but he knew the hints of fondness and hesitance in those eyes made comfort crash over him in waves. "Mm, I see."

Yeah...

He coughed, not really sure how to deal with the giddiness swirling in his stomach, and chose instead to act on his urges. "Uh...what's your family like?"

Saruhiko frowned at that, looking away as if to think about his response. It was strange to Yata, he never had to think about how to describe his family. His family was great, but he knew it wasn't the case for everyone. Maybe he shouldn't have asked, but then again, Saruhiko had asked about his, so he thought it was okay.

"I'm not close to them." Saruhiko's shoulders were tense, and Yata decided to drop it after that for sure, but Saruhiko surprised him by continuing. "My...father w--he just wasn’t around a lot, so I got to do as I pleased. I’m used to having a lot of free time."

Yata noted the past tense but didn't press, no matter how much he itched to. He knew better. For whatever reason, even the little tidbit of information about Saruhiko made him happy anyway. It made him want to make Saruhiko happy too. 

Well, you can be close to other people then!

"Lucky me then heh..." Yata coughed, pushing his cart towards the registers in a way that hopefully looked normal. He practically felt Saruhiko's gaze boring into his back.

"Why do you say that?" Saruhiko's voice was edged with playfulness, and the smirk Yata had come to find rather attractive was no doubt plastered on his face. But, well, Yata never backed down from a challenge.

"I get to be around you more then, is all, right?"

He turned around, and the blush he saw was worth his own.

Their hands brushed not so accidentally as they took the groceries out of the cart and loaded them onto the conveyor belt. Sometime after, Yata squawked stupidly when the cashier had to get his attention after he zoned out staring at Saruhiko, and he thought then that he was definitely in trouble. He paid quickly, trying to even out his breathing as Saruhiko stepped forward, brushing against his side to grab some of the bags with irritation.

It was really warm outside, summer had begun after all, but Saruhiko was still wearing a jacket, and Yata glared at the offending material. He wondered what Saruhiko's bare skin felt like as they left the store, not bothering to mind the space between them.

--

They took the long way this time, through the city, an unspoken excuse to talk to each other more, though Yata noticed Saruhiko always made an effort to be a few steps ahead of him.

"Ugh, I can't believe the first time you saw me was when I fell out of that tree," Yata groaned as he cursed Bandou, who had a habit of getting his frisbee lodged in the trees at the park. Yata had a habit of plummeting to the ground in an effort to retrieve them.

"I told you, I knew you would need my help," Saruhiko sighed, eyes darting around the corner as they crossed the street to make sure cars weren't coming. Vigilant now huh?

Saruhiko shook his head in mock disappointment. "Someone who can't even climb a tree..."

"Hey those things are tall!"

"Oh? Are you admitting you're short then Misaki?"

Yata choked, beaten once again. Damn, why did Saruhiko have to be so fast with his comebacks? Not fair. Nevertheless, as annoyed as Yata tried to seem, the grin wouldn't leave his face. "Whatever, you still admit to wanting to help me even after seeing me fall."

Yata's palms felt clammy, because really, what he should've said was 'but you still like me,' but it was too out there, even for him. Plus, he wasn’t fully certain if Saruhiko had been joking before, in the tunnel, or under the freeway. Either way, Yata was content like this, for now.

Well, his arms kind of hurt from carrying the bags for so long, but whatever.

“So—”

Suddenly, Yata was yanked back violently, nearly slipping and dropping the groceries as his feet scuffed against the concrete. Yata's breath was knocked out of him, and he heard a light screech as he was forced back.

"Watch it!" Saruhiko's arms came around his waist, pulling him further onto the sidewalk as a car sped by, honking loudly at them even though the walk sign was clearly on. Yata's heart raced, partly from the shock of the car running the light, but also Saruhiko's body pressed against his, the smell of something vaguely floral flooding his senses as he started to relax.

Saruhiko clicked his tongue, not moving away as he watched the car speed off. "Honestly..."

"Um...Saru..."

The other tensed behind him, which caused his hold to tighten as a result, and Yata tried so hard, so hard not to fall into it. "Ah, right," Saruhiko whispered, clearing his throat as he pulled back, a little too slow to be considered normal, as if...

As if he didn't want to.

No. No, not going down that road. Yata scolded himself, shaking the thoughts away to be dealt with at another time. Preferably when he was at home, in his room, not with Saruhiko.

"Uh haha that was a close one! Yeah." Yata coughed, clutching his bag a little tighter than necessary and hoping he hadn't ruined any of the contents. He glanced down the street as Saruhiko picked up his own bags, glaring at the direction the car had gone. "What an asshole."

"Yeah, I'm surprised how many idiots don't know how to drive." Saruhiko walked past him, continuing their journey home, and Yata followed after a moment of confusion.

Man, come on, it wasn't a big deal.

Well, no. Saruhiko had majorly saved him there, and he'd felt so nice--stop. Later. Home. Bed.

Surprisingly, even after the tense incident, the atmosphere between them returned pretty easily, the comfortable silence and easy mood making Yata forget his near death experience. But, he felt like he needed to say something.

"It was lucky you were there ha," Yata said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks."

Saruhiko shrugged, his usual response, but Yata didn't miss the small grin threatening to grow on his face. "It's whatever."

--

Douhan held the phone between her cheek and her shoulder as she reorganized her book case, the faded covers and tattered pages threatening to fall off as she moved them.

“Are you going to apologize?” She said, and she meant the question as less of a suggestion and more of a command. She was too old for this.

She glanced outside as the sun hit her back through the blinds, strong enough to make it through even the densest of foliage. She glanced to her coffee table in boredom, eyeing the official letters from the city which advised her to clean up her yard. She never paid them any mind.

On the other end of the line, she could hear Fuse sigh loudly, his fingers pausing as he typed on his computer. “Why would I do that?”

Douhan smiled at the childish tone. Fuse was unashamedly blunt, but rational, and hearing him pout was always a treat. It was almost as amusing as when Saruhiko did it.

“You’re the one who started the fight,” Douhan reminded, then continued with a smug smile. “Does Enomoto know about this? Maybe I should tell him to scold you.”

It was an overused trick of hers, bringing up the other’s boyfriend, but it had a high success rate.

Fuse groaned into the receiver, the sound choppy due to a poor connection, and Douhan’s lips quirked in triumph. “Don’t pull that, what I did wasn’t wrong and you know it.”

“Do I?” Douhan grimaced as a book fell apart in her hands, the binding worn and damaged after one too many uses. “Who are you to decide that?”

Douhan’s voice was a touch more grim now, both from her book dilemma and the conversation, and she heard Fuse sigh in defeat after a few tense moments.

“I was just worried about him…that’s all,” he finally whispered, the silence shattered even from the gentleness of the statement.

Douhan’s eyes softened as she stared at the scattered pages on her floor, a light hum leaving her lips as she admired the reasoning. Well, she couldn’t exactly fault him for it.

They all worried about Saruhiko, and each other.

But…

“Yes, I understand,” she said, bending down to collect a page littered with symbols and sketches. “But you know…despite that…”

Despite everything…

“Saruhiko deserves to be happy sometimes.”

The silence was stifling, broken only by Fuse making a choked sound through the phone. She gripped the phone in her hand, tapping her nail on the hard surface as she waited. While Douhan doubted he’d agree right away, she hoped the words would sit with him. Again, they were far too old for this.

The response she got was the dial tone, the harshness of it ringing in her ears as she crumpled up the page in her palm.

[emeraldwaves]

Title: Don’t Look Down DJ AU Chapter 10 (Read from beginning Here or Here) Pairing: Sarumi Rating: M Word Count:  7,094 AO3 Summary: When Fushimi Saruhiko is dragged to a club by some of his co-workers, he refuses to dance, earning him the attention of the lively, up-and-coming DJ, Yata Misaki. After a heated argument, the boys go their separate ways, never expecting to meet again. Little do they know their first meeting is only the beginning of their now intertwined lives.

Full Fic Under Cut. Thank you to @its-love-u-asshole for betaing!

Regret began to settle into Saruhiko's being a few days later when Doumyouji and the others caught wind of the performance Saruhiko had agreed to do with Misaki. This subsequently meant Munakata had found out as well, and that made Saruhiko feel even worse. So much so, he attempted to avoid Munakata every time he locked eyes with the man in the office.

However, by the afternoon a few days later, there was absolutely no avoiding his boss.

"Oya! Fushimi-kun, I heard you're going to participate in a live performance this weekend. How thrilling!"

Thrilling was one word for it. It certainly felt like something out of a horror movie. Saruhiko clicked his tongue. "Tsk, sure."

"I think it would be wonderful if the office went to hear this song of yours," he grinned, and Saruhiko knew it was a telling grin. One that let him know, Munakata had known everything anyway and he wasn't about to let Saruhiko say no to the entire office coming to see him. He also had to know how much Saruhiko despised the idea of performing live and was silently hoping Misaki would change his mind.

Of course, Misaki had shown no signs of doing such a thing. In fact, it was more the opposite. Misaki wouldn't shut up about how excited he was. He was constantly texting Saruhiko, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but every text was related to how excited or nervous he was to perform live. The emotions fluctuated depending on the day, and Misaki was a ball of anxiety whenever he called Saruhiko and left him a multitude of messages.

So far, Saruhiko had been consistently avoiding practice, in hopes that Misaki would maybe forget the whole thing and he could silently slip away into the shadows. It was a foolish thought, since Misaki rarely forgot about anything regarding Saruhiko and music, let alone something he'd been dying to do his whole life.

Saruhiko was stuck it seemed. At the very least, he wasn't going to let the whole damn office come and watch him make a fool of himself on that stage. "No," he said finally. "No one is coming to watch." Just thinking about the performance made him want to throw up.

"It's good for co-workers to support each other's endeavors," Munakata smiled.

"I wouldn't exactly call this my endeavor," Saruhiko grumbled. He assumed there was no way he was going to get around people coming to watch, especially if they already knew about it. It wouldn't be difficult for them all to figure out where and when it was, especially if they were smart enough to ask Misaki.

"But Fushimi-kun, we still would like to support you, whatever it is you do." He doubted any other boss cared as much as Munakata. As annoying as it was he did mean well, and he cared, more than Saruhiko could say about most of the people throughout the course of his life.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, sighing as he rolled his eyes, watching Munakata finally leave him alone. He knew he was probably going to see him, Hidaka, Akiyama and the rest at the performance whether he wanted them there or not.

He was going to have to cave to Misaki and actually start practicing. This performance was a reality and in order to not make a complete fool of himself, he had to start somewhere.

Picking up his phone, he replied to one of the messages he had been avoiding this morning.

[Text Reply] Misaki: Alright, we can practice. I'll stop by after work.

[Text]: GREAT! Where the hell u been? We shoulda started days ago. [Text]: We can show Kamamoto so u can @ least do it 4 some1 b4 the big night

Saruhiko wished Misaki would stop mixing numbers into his words when he texted, and he really wished he would stop referring to it as 'the big night'. It was far too much pressure for Saruhiko to handle. He wasn't a performer.

And that became painfully obvious when he stood in Misaki's living room, frozen as Kamamoto's eyes were on him before the song began. Or well, he thought Kamamoto's eyes were on him, he couldn't tell behind the idiot's damn sunglasses. Him being in the room was more than enough to set off Saruhiko's nerves, even though Kamamoto had presumably heard Saruhiko practicing in Misaki's room simply by proximity. He pursed his lips, opening his mouth, as though he were about to begin, but when the intro ended, he could barely open his mouth.

Misaki had promised him happy memories, but if he couldn't actually make any sound, there weren't going to be any happy memories for the two of them.

"Saruhiko!" Misaki said, slamming his hand down on the button, after it happened for a third time. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sick," he coughed awkwardly, clearly fake. "The sound isn't coming out."

"Bullshit you're sick! What's going on? You've sang for me plenty of times and Kamamoto has heard you a ton of times!" Misaki folded his arms and flopped on the couch next to Kamamoto.

"I told you I'm not a performer," he said.

"Yeah but you also agreed to do this for me!" Misaki jumped up. "I get that you're nervous...but I know how you can sing, I've heard you and I fucking love it! They're all gonna love it too, and even if you fucking hate it, it's barely 5 minutes of your life, it'll be over before you even know it!"

Saruhiko hated that he blushed when Misaki said he loved his singing. It wasn't something he was proud of, or something he wanted to pursue. He wasn't like Misaki, but he did like Misaki, begrudgingly, or less so as of late. If he could make Misaki love something, that was slowly becoming enough to spur him on. He wasn't sure when it had become like that, their relationship, but he didn't hate it.

"And it's not like you're gonna be alone! I'll be there right next to you, or well, behind you, sort of," Misaki said, and Saruhiko hadn't realized the shorter had still been talking.

"Alright, alright. Do it again," he scoffed.

"Right!" Misaki said, standing behind his mixing board as he started up the track again.

This time, Saruhiko sang out, and even behind Kamamoto's sunglasses, he could see his eyes widen. He didn't move much, and Misaki said that was something they'd have to work on, especially since Misaki was often so energetic, but Kamamoto noted the sound was so good, he didn't imagine many people would care if Saruhiko sat like a lump on the edge of the stage as long as he sang like that.

"I didn't expect you to sound like that, even from just hearing you guys through the wall and the recording," Kamamoto noted.

Saruhiko rolled his eyes. "Surprises, I'm full of them apparently." But the person he kept surprising the most was himself.

"See!" Misaki cheered, shutting his laptop. "You're gonna be amazing! Just...move a bit more and you'll be fine!"

More than anything, Saruhiko wanted to believe Misaki was right, just this once.

~~

Misaki had imagined many times what it would be like to actually meet a music producer who was willing to hear him, to give him that one chance he had always assumed he'd needed. And now it had happened and he was going to do a test performance. It didn't feel real.

After he had called Kusanagi to confirm the performance, he woke up every morning and thought about it. Every day he had to remind himself he was in fact going to perform for a real time producer. Mikoto's producer no less.

"Kamamoto. Can you believe tonight...I'm going to do a performance for a real producer!" Misaki cheered.

"I can believe it!" he said, nudging his friend. "C'mon Yata, we've all known how freaking talented you are. It was only a matter of time!"

"I dunno. It still doesn't feel real to me!" he said, glancing at his watch. "Shit!" he cried out, dashing into his room as he dug through the pile of clean clothes on his bed. "I gotta get ready!"

"Uh, Yata," Kamamoto mumbled, peering into his room from the doorway. "You have plenty of time."

"Yeah, but I gotta look perfect!" he said, holding up a shirt.

"Right, I'll get dinner ready." Kamamoto sighed, and left Yata to dig through his clothes.

He wondered what Saruhiko planned on wearing. They had to look professional, but casual, right? What the hell were they supposed to wear? He wasn't any sort of fashion expert, but he also didn't want to look like an idiot.

He blushed thinking about the song once more. The best idea would probably be to go with an outfit that matched their style. Being himself was definitely the best option. The song ran through his mind, Saruhiko's voice ringing in his ears. He couldn't wait for them to hear how amazing Saruhiko was live. If only Saruhiko would believe that. He prayed the idiot would be able to handle it.

Misaki knew he really owed Saruhiko a lot. This was the third or fourth thing he'd convinced Saruhiko to do against his will. "I'll make it up to him, somehow," Misaki muttered under his breath. Briefly, a memory of them making out in the tent flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook the thought away. He couldn't just repay Saruhiko with those kind of favors.

Sighing, he pulled a white hoodie on, smoothing out the flyaway hair which stuck out every which way. He probably was going to wear his beanie like he normally did, and as his heart beat with anticipation, he made his way to the kitchen.

~~

The bar venue was smaller than Misaki expected, but he wasn't upset, in fact, he was relieved. He was used to playing in smaller clubs. The smaller the crowd the easier it would be to get people moving. Bigger crowds were far more intimidating. Though he had to admit, he was surprised Mikoto was playing at a place like this. He knew Kusanagi, Homra's producer owned the place, and it was where the company had gotten it's start, but he was surprised the place wasn't swarming with Mikoto and Totsuka's fans.

"Yata! Good to see you!" Totsuka bounced forward, holding out his hand. "King just got here too! Is your singer here? We're gonna do a quick soundcheck!"

"Not yet," Misaki smiled, staring at Totsuka. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that he was actually going to be an opener for Totsuka and Mikoto, his music heroes.

"That's alright! King and I can go first." Totsuka turned away, waving to the tall, red-haired man who emerged from a backroom. "King! Come say hi."

The man approached slowly, his body swaying back and forth with each casual step he took forward, and Misaki held his breath, watching as the man he'd admired for so long walked closer and closer. He held a cigarette behind his lips, and stopped next to Totsuka. Mikoto was taller than Misaki had realized, it was difficult to gauge that sort of thing when he was just watching someone one a stage.

"Yo. Yata-san, yeah?" he said, pulling the cigarette from between his lips.

"Uh...Y-Yeah! It's such...such an honor to meet you, Mikoto-san!" he said, bowing his head. "I've been a fan of your music for...as long as I can remember!" he yelled.

"Mm," Mikoto smirked, and placed his hand on Misaki's shoulder, giving him a pat. "You're good." And with those few words, he walked with Totsuka to the stage.

Misaki was frozen. Suoh Mikoto had complimented him. Him, and he was going to open for him tonight. His heart was pounding so hard, he thought his chest might explode from the excitement.

"Tsk. Misaki, don't keep your jaw on the floor, it's dirty there."

A familiar voice broke Misaki from his daydream as he turned to face Saruhiko, who was staring at him skeptically. "S-Saruhiko!"

"I think you're drooling," Saruhiko smirked.

"S-Shut up! Do you realize that was Suoh Mikoto! THE Mikoto!" he gasped.

"I realize," Saruhiko replied flatly. He looked annoyed, but then again, when didn't Saruhiko look annoyed. He did, however, look damn good in the outfit he had picked out. Tight jeans and a button up shirt with a unbuttoned gray vest. Misaki pursed his lips, trying to focus on the situation, instead of wanting to kiss Saruhiko.

"Look I get that you don't care, but tonight is a big deal to me!" he snapped, folding his arms.

"I'm here, aren't I?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Let's get ready." Saruhiko brushed by him, heading towards the stage to soundcheck.

Misaki's heart was starting to race. He could guess there probably wouldn't be more than fifty to hundred people in such a small, casual bar, but meeting Mikoto had made him even more nervous. This was Mikoto, Suoh Mikoto. It was his dream to open for such an amazing talent. The man who had inspired him to do this in the first place.

"Misaki? You coming?" Saruhiko asked, bringing Misaki back to the present once again.

"Yeah! Duh! I'm ready. Completely ready!" he said, hopping up onto the small stage. Saruhiko's brow was raised as Misaki walked by him, but the shorter boy chose to ignore him. Saruhiko's attitude problem wasn't going to change Misaki's utter excitement, and it certainly wasn't going to help his nerves. Ignoring it was the far better choice.

Standing behind his laptop, he slipped the headphones over his ears, his head already felt hot, his ears wet with sweat.

"Alright, just do the beginning," Kusanagi called out from next to the stage. "Just a couple lines, we just need to make sure we can hear Fushimi over the music. Fushimi, make sure you sing as loud as you think you can."

Misaki swallowed, he hoped Saruhiko would actually sing out, especially after they had practiced for so long. The music began to swell in his ears, and Saruhiko's cue was about to hit. Of course, there was silence for a moment, Saruhiko coming in late as his sweet voice finally rang out. Misaki's chest deflated, letting out a sigh of relief. There wasn't much of an audience yet, but he hoped Saruhiko would keep his confidence up. He wanted him to come in on time.

"That's great, thanks!" Kusanagi said, waving to them, the song stopping abruptly. "We're going to double check the soundcheck on Mikoto, so hang out in the backroom for thirty or so. We'll call you out when it's time."

"Right," Misaki nodded, stepping off the stage to stand, or pace rather, in the backroom.

"Sit down," Saruhiko grumbled. He'd plopped down onto one of the large red cushion chairs. He folded his legs and arms, looking just as grouchy as he had before.

"I can't!" Misaki said, rubbing his hands through his messy hair. "I'm too nervous! This is Mikoto-san! Mi-ko-to!" he said.

"I know. You've said that. I don't know why it matters so much. You'll be just as good, if not better."

Misaki blushed. Did Saruhiko really think he was better than Mikoto-san? That was ridiculous, there was no way he was. Saruhiko probably just thought that because he didn't know very much about music.

"No way!" he scoffed. "No way will I be better than Mikoto-san!" Misaki jumped up and down a few times, shaking his hair out.

"Fine. You won't be. Can you just sit down?" Saruhiko scoffed. "You're...making me more nervous than I already was."

Misaki froze, and quickly took a seat. He was used to feeling nervous, but Saruhiko was not, and it was imperative that Saruhiko actually sang tonight. "Sorry," he muttered.

The two sat in silence for the remainder of the time, but Misaki kept bouncing his leg up and down quickly, though Saruhiko attempted to stop it by grabbing his thigh every so often, hoping to quell the vibrations.

"We're ready for you!" Kusanagi smiled. "We've got a nice small crowd, so nothing to worry about."

"Right," Misaki nodded, the two boys standing up to make their way to the stage.

"We've got quite the treat for you before King and I do our set," Totsuka smiled. "Introducing the next DJ hit, Yata Misaki and his incredible singer, Fushimi Saruhiko!!" The small crowd clapped, as they walked onto the stage. Misaki was quick to wave, the nervous energy hitting him positively. Kusanagi was right, there was no reason to be nervous, this was his night, best to have fun. Saruhiko kept his gaze forward, as though he could only stare at his goal, the microphone on the stand in front of him.

Standing behind his laptop, Misaki placed the headphones back on his head, though he left one ear open as he picked up the mic on the table in front of him. "Hey everyone!" he smiled. "I'm Yata Misaki and I'm thrilled to be here tonight with Saruhiko for our first live performance of this song. I hope you guys like it!" he smiled. There were a few more claps from the audience, but Misaki didn't wait for them to finish as he turned up the bass on the soundboard.

The familiar tune flowed into his ears, and it was like he forgot where he was. This was their song, his and Saruhiko's, and now they were going to perform it together. That alone was amazing, everything with Mikoto aside, the fact that Saruhiko was actually going to sing live for someone other than him was incredible.

This time, Saruhiko started perfectly on time, the song sounding almost as flawless as it did in the mix track. Misaki smiled, bouncing with the track, his body moving in time with the music. Even Saruhiko seemed to be moving, his hips swaying back and forth, and he even moved his arms a few times, as though he was actually enjoying performing the song. He looked good, damn good. From as far Misaki could tell from behind, Saruhiko's gaze stayed up and out, not looking down once out of fear or nerves.

Misaki couldn't believe it. He'd dreamed about this moment, a time he and Saruhiko would perform live together, and he was opening for Mikoto. It was perfect, the way they moved together on stage, the excitement and passion building within him, like a flame engulfing his every being. And before he could really even take it in, it was over, perfection ringing in the still air.

~~

Saruhiko was shocked sound actually left his lips when the song began. He knew where to sing, he'd done it so many damn times in recording, and in front of Kamamoto and Misaki. It would've been dumb to miss his cue like he had during the soundcheck.

The lights were much brighter now, and though he could make out some of the tables, mostly Saruhiko couldn't see a thing, and the music was so overwhelming, he couldn't bring himself to do anything but sing, and once he did, he realized how much sense it made. His voice belonged in this track. If he hadn't sang, it would've sounded wrong, and empty.

So he sang, loud. His voice didn't sound like his own, his body didn't feel like his own, his hips beginning to sway in time with the music. Behind him, he could feel Misaki's energy pulsating, and he felt him jump up and down a few times. People in the audience were cheering, but Saruhiko could barely hear that, nor did he care. This was something he and Misaki had made together, and they were sharing it together now.

His heart was pounding in his ears, and the rush was incredible, addicting. For a moment, he wondered what it would feel like to do this all the time, for a larger audience, blinded by lights every night. The thought made him a little sick, but it didn't stop him from moving and singing. He didn't hate it, and he hated that he didn't hate it. He despised having a brief moment of understanding why his father had missed this, why his father hated him so much. But mostly, he couldn't stop thinking about Misaki behind him, and he hated how much that affected him and his performance, how excited it made him.

And then it was over, and Saruhiko slowly lowered the mic back onto the stand, his hands trembling. He swallowed, bowing his head toward the now cheering crowd. They were shockingly loud for such a small space, but Saruhiko felt his ears throb from the silence, his ear drums remembering where the music had once been. Misaki ran forward, and hooked his arm around Saruhiko, forcing Saruhiko to bow to the crowd.

"Thank you!" Misaki cheered, waving his hands up and down frantically. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, Saruhiko barely able to hear him, but he knew Misaki was grateful.

The two made their way off the stage and Saruhiko couldn't stop his entire body from shaking.

"Great job boys," Kusanagi said, patting Misaki on the back, as the two headed to the backroom. "Feel free to take a seat at the table in front if you guys want to watch after you've settled down," he smiled, heading towards the stage to introduce Mikoto and Totsuka.

Shutting the door behind them, Saruhiko immediately fell backwards, his back smacking against the door as his lips were met with Misaki's. The shorter was kissing him, his lips trembling against Saruhiko's. "Thank you, Saru, you were amazing!" he yelled, nipping at Saruhiko's lips.

Gripping Misaki's hips, Saruhiko turned him around and pushed him against the door, pressing their lips together once more. He had so much excess energy, and unsure of what to do with it, he took it out on Misaki, kissing him hard. He pressed his tongue into Misaki's panting mouth, pressing their hips tightly together. Misaki moaned, and fought against his tongue, their wet muscles intertwining. Misaki panted, pulling back, his chest heaving.

"D-Damn. We really should...perform more," he said.

Saruhiko rolled his eyes, taking a step back now that he had gathered his thoughts. "Forget it. I said this once was enough."

Frowning, Misaki leaned forward and flicked Saruhiko's shoulder. "C'mon! You're amazing! That was amazing!" he said. "We have to make more songs! Maybe we could get signed and make a whole ALBUM!" Misaki cheered, his flushed face sparkling from joy and sweat.

"Slow down," Saruhiko sighed, wiping his face with a towel. "Why don't you see what Kusanagi says later alright?"

"Fine, fine!" Misaki said, puffing out his cheeks. He tucked his laptop into his bag, and wiped his his brow with his sweatshirt. "But...seriously, Saruhiko, that was...amazing. You were really good. Thanks...I...I really owe you," Misaki mumbled, his face flushing even more from the blush rising to his cheeks.

Saruhiko shook his head. "I'm only as good as you. You made the song, and you can repay me by not asking me to perform again," he snorted. It was a silly lie he was telling himself. He knew he would have a hard time saying no to performing again, especially if Misaki asked him.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself," Misaki teased, nudging Saruhiko with his shoulder.

"Not likely," Saruhiko grunted, clicking his tongue. "Hey, you're going to miss Mikoto's whole set if you don't hurry," he continued, strategically changing the subject.

"Shit! You're right," he said, grabbing his bag as he rushed out the door to take a seat at the table Kusanagi had set aside for them.

Saruhiko followed, sitting next to Misaki who had proceeded to ignore him completely. He really should've expected that to be the case. Whenever Suoh Mikoto was involved, Misaki was gone, lost to focusing on this supposed musical prodigy. It was so strange to Saruhiko, how much Misaki seemed to idolize the man. He claimed to emulate him, but Mikoto's musical style was so much more boring compared to Misaki, and though it did have passion, it came from a much lazier place. Misaki's music always awoke something within Saruhiko, a kind of dormant energy. Mikoto's music made Saruhiko want to sit and chill out.

But Misaki was always so captured by Mikoto. He hadn't even looked at Saruhiko since they had come out to watch. His eyes were on Mikoto, mouth agape, as though he were watching a king. Saruhiko wondered what it would feel like if Misaki looked at him like that. Overwhelming...probably...

When the set ended, Misaki finally sat back with a sigh. "Man, no one does it as good as Mikoto-san!" he smiled.

The red-haired man bowed with Totsuka, and both of them stepped down off the stage, immediately rushed by a group of fans, all looking to talk to him. Misaki looked a bit disappointed, but sat back with a shrug. "I'll talk to him in a bit," he nodded.

Saruhiko practically jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was both surprised (and not) to see his boss, Munakata Reisi standing behind him.

"Oya! Fushimi-kun, an amazing performance as expected. It was lovely seeing you up there. You were practically a different person!" Saruhiko's face paled, and he immediately glanced around, waiting to be rushed by the others. Munakata let out a soft chuckle, waving his hand back and forth. "No, no, Fushimi-kun. I came alone. Don't worry, I didn't out your location to the others." Munakata placed as finger over his own lips. "It will be our secret. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to say hello to an old friend."

Saruhiko blinked, watching Munakata make his way towards Kusanagi, smiling as they greeted each other. It was an oddly small world, his boss knew Kusanagi, and Mikoto it seemed. But mostly he was surprised Munakata had actually respected his wishes to keep his performance a private affair. It would be nice to go into work and not be swamped by his co-workers, desperate to get information out of him.

The crowd around Mikoto had finally begun to disperse, so Misaki jumped up. "I'm going to go say thank you to Mikoto-san, and tell him how amazing he was! I'll be right back," Misaki smiled, leaving Saruhiko behind at the table. Shrugging, he rest his chin on his palm and watched as Misaki cheerfully greeted Totsuka and Mikoto. There was a huge smile on Totsuka's face, who gave him a hug, and Misaki's face turned so red, Saruhiko was surprised the shorter boy hadn't fallen over.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I join you for a moment?" A man with dark green hair in a wheelchair rolled up next to his table.

"Uh..." Saruhiko began to refuse, trying to make up an excuse that he was tired after the performance but he couldn't think of anything to say.

"Nagare Hisui," he said, his lips curling into a devilish smile as he pulled out a card and placed it on the table, sliding it towards Saruhiko. "I'm a DJ as well."

"Ah..." Saruhiko muttered, picking the card up off of the table. He had heard Nagare's name before, though he hadn't taken the time to listen to his music. Mostly because he didn't care.

"I enjoy working with a variety of singers on different styles of songs," Nagare explained. "I'd really be interested in collaborating with you if you're interested. Your voice is just what I need for a new track I'm working on."

Saruhiko pursed his lips. He really hadn't meant to make anything of this singing thing. He had begrudgingly sang with Misaki once and that was it. He definitely didn't want to sing with anyone else.

"Thanks, but I'm not actually a singer," he said, tucking Nagare's card into his pocket.

"Oh, but you are," Nagare smirked. "You're very talented. I'd love to have you on at least one of my songs."

"Mmm. Like I said, singing isn't really my thing," Saruhiko muttered.

"Still," Nagare replied. "You have my card. Consider it, if you feel like working for a more...professional DJ." He wheeled himself away, leaving Saruhiko to wrinkle his nose as how damn pretentious Nagare seemed. This was exactly why he had no desire to be in this DJ world.

"Saruhiko!" Misaki called out, plopping back down in his seat. "Were you just talking to Nagare Hisui!? I can't believe he was here!" he said.

Saruhiko shrugged. "He liked my singing."

"Yeah because you're amazing! Fuck, that’s so cool!" Misaki said, running his hands down his face. "And guess what, Mikoto-san and Kusanagi want to meet with us tomorrow! Can you believe it?! You gotta come with me!"

Saruhiko rolled his eyes. Actually he could believe it. Their performance tonight had been amazing, even if he refused to admit it out loud. Of course Misaki was asking him to go with him, Saruhiko wasn't sure why he had expected anything else.

"Fine," he said, deciding not to argue with him. It was easier. "If, and only if, you come home with me tonight," he grinned, loving how quickly Misaki's face heated up.

"Yeah..." he muttered, rubbing his arm. "Yeah I could do that."

"Good," Saruhiko replied. He wanted Misaki to look at him, and only him for the rest of the night.

~~

When Misaki awoke the next morning, Saruhiko had already left for work. He had promised Misaki he would come to the meeting on his lunch break, but he still had to go into work to finish up a few computers.

Yawning, Misaki sat up, the blankets sliding down his bare chest. His face flushed, as he thought about the evening before. Saruhiko had thrown him down on the bed, and then he'd been wrapped up in him for the rest of the night. He panted and moaned, his breath filling the hot air, their hips falling back into the rhythm of each other. It was nice, to be connected to Saruhiko in such a physical way, especially after they had been so connected through his music before.

He sighed, flopping back onto the bed with a large smile on his face. Saruhiko was amazing, they were amazing, and their performance had been even more amazing. The best part was, Mikoto and Kusanagi wanted to meet with him again today. He wanted more than anything to sign with Kusanagi, and keep making music. Make actual money, do actual performances...it sounded amazing. Maybe Saruhiko could sing more and quit his job. Though Misaki wasn't sure if that was something Saruhiko really wanted.

He knew he had to stop pressuring Saruhiko into doing these things he didn't want to, but whenever Saruhiko broke free of the chains he put around himself, it was always so damn beautiful. Misaki loved it, hell, he was starting to think he maybe even loved Saruhiko. Covering his eyes, Misaki ran his hands down his face. Glancing at the clock, he decided it would be better to think about this later, since he had to get ready for this damn meeting

Today was the day he hoped his new career would begin. Grabbing his clothes, he decided to leave early to change at his apartment, figuring it would be easier to look semi-decent with his own wardrobe. Plus, he didn't really want to show up in the exact same outfit he had worn the night before.

"Yata! You were amazing last night!" Kamamoto said, almost immediately as Misaki walked through the front door of their apartment.

"Thanks!" he replied, dashing through the living to his own room. "I have a meeting with Mikoto-san and Kusanagi right now!" he called out.

"You do?! Do you think this could be it?!" Kamamoto asked.

"Yeah! I hope so! They loved what we did last night, so keep your fingers crossed for me!" Tossing off his clothes, he jumped in the shower, getting ready, which didn't take long, since Misaki had so much nervous energy. Dashing back by Kamamoto in a new outfit, he waved and practically ran out the door.

He was thankful when he saw Saruhiko standing outside of the main office building where HOMRA Talent was located.

"Saruhiko!" he called out, waving as he ran up next to him.

"I'm surprised you're on time," Saruhiko teased, glancing at his watch. "I was starting to think maybe you were going to be late to your own meeting."

"Hell no! I wouldn't do anything to screw this meeting up!" he smiled, hitting Saruhiko on the arm. "Thanks for coming."

Saruhiko clicked his tongue. "I didn't want to do anything to possibly ruin your chance," he muttered. "Still, I don't want to be a singer, so I'd rather not...sign anything," he clarified.

Misaki let out a small sigh. He should've expected Saruhiko to say something like that, but there was a small part of Misaki which hoped Saruhiko would change his mind and be his permanent singer.

"Right, well, let's go," Misaki said, leading the way inside.

Once they made it to the 7th floor, they were greeted by Totsuka, smiling brightly. "Hey guys! So happy to see you both made it!" Totsuka said. "You were both so fantastic last night! King was so impressed!" he said, leading them down the hall.

"Was he?!" Misaki said, looking so eager. He couldn't believe Totsuka Tatara was actually saying this to him.

"Mhm!" Totsuka nodded. "We have lots to discuss!" Opening the door, he led them into the room with Mikoto and Kusanagi. Misaki swallowed, wanting to pinch himself. He couldn't believe he was actually here, in this moment. His dreams coming true.

"Yata-san, Fushimi-san, please take a seat!" Kusanagi smiled, gesturing for the two to sit down in the chairs in front of them "We're very happy you're both here. You both performed wonderfully last night," he continued, pulling out a few folders.

"As I said before, we have a lot to discuss!" Totsuka smiled.

"Right," Kusanagi chuckled. "We'd love to bring you on as one of our talent, Yata-san," Kusanagi said, pulling a contract out of one of the folders. "With this, you are required to make a twelve track album. It will include the single you have already released, and we would like to offer Fushimi-san the chance to sing any of the songs he wishes with you. We also want to offer you a collaboration with Mikoto and Totsuka. This, we would sell as your second single," Kusanagi explained. "It would boost your popularity and get your name out there, which is exactly what we want. If the album does well, we can talk about a longer contract for more albums, but for now, this is for your first one."

Misaki glanced at the paper, and then back at Kusanagi and Mikoto, and once more to Saruhiko. In front of him was the contract to actually make an album, a real album. His songs would be heard on the radio, maybe he'd even go on a tour! Plus, he would get the chance to collaborate with Mikoto. He was sure he was dreaming now.

"Really?" he said, speaking finally, though his mouth felt dry and his hands felt clammy.

"Yes, really. Are you interested?" Kusanagi said. "Mikoto has already begun the track you are to collaborate on. He's looking for you to add to it, and perhaps Totsuka and Fushimi could duet for it?"

"Of course I'm interested!" Misaki said, leaning forward in his seat.

"Great! We brought a copy of the track for you to hear so far."

Pulling out his phone, Mikoto placed it on the table. "Here," he said quietly, pushing play. It was softer, and slower than music he normally created. It certainly sounded like something Mikoto would make, and it was definitely something he could work with.

"You want me to...add to this?" he asked, and Mikoto nodded. "Shit..." he cursed. "I'd be so honored!" he said, bowing his head to Mikoto, his heart pounding. He couldn't believe Mikoto actually wrote a song with him in mind!

Next to him however, Saruhiko clicked his tongue. He had been oddly quiet this whole time.

"Fushimi-san?" Totsuka said, still smiling. "You've been very silent. Are you interested in singing with me?"

Biting his lip, Misaki turned towards Saruhiko, nervous he already knew the answer.

~~

Saruhiko wasn't really sure what the fuck was going on, but he hated the song that had come from Mikoto's little device. It was boring and slow, and it had none of the heart Misaki's music usually had. Even if Misaki added to the song, there was no way it would be his regular sound.

But of course the idiot looked incredibly excited about it. It was Mikoto-san and how could Misaki possibly say no to him. He was the definition of selling out.

Clicking his tongue, he glared at Totsuka when he asked him to sing with him. He had explicitly told Misaki he wasn't going to be a singer anymore, really he had just come for moral support, though it really hadn't mattered.

"No, I'm not," he said bluntly. "I already told Misaki I wasn't interested in singing anymore, but I'm especially not interested in singing something that sounds nothing like what Misaki normally does." Standing up, he made his way out of the office. He was done, there was no reason for him to be here. Misaki was going to sign the contract, and he could go back to his regular job. Misaki would probably forget about him completely once he was wrapped up in the whirlwind of his new life.

"I'll talk to him!" he heard Misaki call out behind him, but he kept walking towards the elevator. "Saruhiko! Saruhiko what the hell!?!" he yelled, stopping him before Saruhiko could escape onto the elevator.

"What do you mean what the hell?" Saruhiko asked, folding his arms. "I already told you I wasn't interested in singing more, especially not for a shitty song like that."

"But Saruhiko, Mikoto-san..."

"Fuck," Saruhiko snapped, clenching his fists. "I am so damn tired of hearing about 'Mikoto-san', Misaki! You're good on your own! You don't need his fame to carry you, and I get he's your...idol or whatever, but your sound is yours, and it sounds nothing like his, and I'm not going to sit here and watch you suck his music dick, just so you can do some shitty song with your hero! You can sign the contract, and get your music career without me," he scoffed.

Misaki's eyes were wide as he listened to Saruhiko yell at him, he almost felt bad. He knew this was an important moment for Misaki, but he was so tired of being second to Mikoto. He hadn't wanted the attention from Misaki before, but now that he'd had it and lost it, it didn't feel good.

"This is a big deal for me Saruhiko!" Misaki yelled. "I've been waiting to be noticed by someone, anyone, and the fact that it's Mikoto-san is amazing! Yeah I might be good, but I'm never going to get anywhere if I just keep doing what I'm doing! So stop being an ass, and just...come sing with us!"

Frowning, Saruhiko brushed by him, pushing the button on the elevator. "I already told you, you can do whatever the hell you want. I get it, Mikoto-san is amazing, and you're willing to give up everything to do whatever he wants. That song sucks Misaki, and I'm pretty sure you know it. But you don't need me, you've got them. I'm sure Totsuka can handle singing the whole damn thing," he snorted.

"You're invited to sing with us, Saruhiko! It's not like I'm...replacing you!" Misaki yelled.

Stepping into the elevator, Saruhiko rolled his eyes. "Even if I wanted to sing again, I would want to sing your music, not his. Goodbye Misaki," he growled, pushing the button to close the doors to the elevator.

"Fine! Do whatever the hell you want, I'm tired of trying to work with your difficult ass!" Misaki snapped.

Saruhiko was positive Misaki was still talking as the elevator lowered to the floor, but Saruhiko didn't care. Misaki was going to be perfectly happy without him. He'd made it clear he did not need Saruhiko anymore. Misaki had used him to get exactly where he needed to be, and now he could become a carbon copy of Mikoto. The worst part was, Saruhiko had actually fallen for his stupid ass.

Clenching his fists, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out Nagare Hisui's card. He grabbed his phone and input the number, waiting for the DJ to answer.

~~

Storming back into the office, Misaki bit his lip trying not to cry. He couldn't look like an idiot in front of them. Stupid Saruhiko! Of course he was excited to be signing with an actual agency, and of course he was excited to work with Mikoto! So yeah, maybe he didn't need Saruhiko, but he wanted him. Saruhiko was the best person he had collaborated with, even if he was a stubborn shithead.

"Is everything okay?" Kusanagi asked.

Misaki sighed, shaking his head. "Saruhiko really doesn't want to be a singer."

"Eh," Mikoto shrugged. "He's good, but if he doesn't want to, don't force the guy."

"Yeah..." Misaki said quietly. "I won't."

Totsuka placed a hand on Misaki's shoulder. "It's alright! You'll find other great singers for your music. I'd be happy to collaborate with you, and I'm sure other singers would too!"

Smiling, Misaki nodded. He was a good DJ, and he was about to make an amazing album...anyone would be excited to work with him! "Thanks Totsuka!" he smiled. "You're right, we can...find more singers."

"So you're still interested then?" Kusanagi asked, and Misaki nodded, reaching forward to take one of the pens. He grabbed the contract in front of him.

"I'm honored to be a part of your team," he said, bowing his head as he signed his named on the line.

Even without Saruhiko, Misaki was going to make music, and it was going to be amazing. Or that was what he kept telling himself.

[viet-nameme]

K-Project Characters as K-Pop Idols

I’m such a fucking weeb and kept thinking about this, because it just fits???? HERE IT IS Y’ALL :

HOMRA

So, assuming they already are much like a gang, they would probably would have songs similar to EXO, Block-B, and Monsta-X and SHINee (k but Misaki dancing to VERY NICE by SEVENTEEN), especially because a lot of SHINee sings have some deep meaning.

Leader / Visual

Mikoto Suoh: is the leader thing even necessary He doesn’t talk much, in interviews he’s probably the one least likely to voice his opinion, and just lets the other members do their own thing. However, he’s probably one of the most biased out of HOMRA. Stg Mikoto sounds like Jimin in terms of him sorta MOANING every time a note slips outta his mouth. ALSO All he’s really gotta do his lift his shirt up and boom...Lighting on yo’ pants. You can’t tell me that guy isn’t ripped? If he was from Busan, this wouldn’t have to be on the fucking list. Probably another reason so many fans bias him.

The Grandpa

Izumo Kusanagi: I mean, come on...either he’s the one who can’t learn dances fast enough, or does the awkward dances onstage, or the one that always has at least one bandage on his body somewhere. Still really charming and visually appealing. Also, his glasses have probably have flown off his face and into an audience of vicious Clansman (GIVE THE FANS A FANDOM NAME) and he never saw them again. This man...ooooh this wonderful man can sing like there’s no tomorrow. I personally think he could sing like Jin from BTS

(NOT) Maknae

Tatara Tosuka: The maknae (youngest) position belongs to Yata, but, let’s be honest, who’s more likely to be doing all the aegyo stuff? Yup. Smol bean, takes lots of selfies, 2nd most biased by fangirls. Need I say more? Has a really sweet voice and can hit crazy high notes.

Rapper / Dancer (and The Actual Maknae)

Yata Misaki: Debuted with HOMRA at 15. The youngest member of HOMRA (honestly like Suga / Yoongi from BTS), easily pissed, but lovable anyways. He’s got his aegyo moments occasionally, and (unintentionally) at fansigns when receiving gifts from fans. He’s got some pretty good moves up his sleeves, and helps choreograph the majority of their dances and can that boy rap omfg just...omg he probs helped choreograph feckin’ EXO’s ‘MONSTER’ or BTS’ ‘NOT TODAY’

Lets pretend Neko was a huge fan real quick and this happened @ a fansign:

Rapper #2

Rikio Kamamoto: Sweet and lovable guy, 11/10 Best Bean at fansigns and interacts with fans a lot. He still gains weight in the winter and loses it in the summer, but it’s a little less extreme than what it is in the anime (K-Pop is great cardio tbh) He’s sort both a rapper and singer, and has a very wholesome voice!

SEPTER4

I would think that their group is similar to BTS, has a little bit of everything, but is still very musical in tone, lyrics, and music. Since Seri is a larger role than most male characters in SEPTER4, I’ll be putting her in here as well.

Leader / Visual

Reisi Munakata: (MAYBE ITS MAYBELLINE BITCH) Reisi is a very compsed man, and his group follows as such. He’s pretty much a sole bass, and is more of a backup dancer, thinking he might as well allow the younger members to do the dancing. Again, aaaaaaaaaaaaaabs and body waves for days you guys...doesn’t really interact with fans much, but when he does, it’s a moment in a girl’s life they’ll be telling to their grandchildren.

Singer / Rapper / The Real Maknae But Doesn’t Wanna

Saruhiko Fushimi: Very wide range, lucky him. Number one biased by most of their fans, as well as being widely shipped with Misaki (he’s got some objections...some). Minor visual, too, his shirt will fly up onstage and there’ll be some video zoomed in on it, replayed at least five times, and slowed down within five minutes of it being recorded I can assure you and he also has lots of solos for both singing and dancing. (voice headcannon: JIMINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN)

bet his concept art is the best shit

Maknae

Takeru Kusuhara: Best Smol bean, at fansigns he probably gets a lot of headbands and hair clips from fans. He’s a very sweet kid, mostly trying to stay out of the way of the older members, even though it pisses off the fans because “Why is Takeru always in the back?” and “Why doesn’t he ever have solos?” Even so, he tries to make people happy, and is an all around smol child who needs to be protected because sweet heck on a stick we don’t deserve him.

Singer

Seri Awashima: The only female in SEPTER4, has a beutifully dark tone to her voice, and is quite prioritized (like being usually put in the middle when it comes to dances, photos, etc.) among other members. There have been a few times where male fans would attempt to grab at her from onstage, but were usually taken care of and sent towards the back at performances. She insists that she can deal with them herself, though, but for the sake of the media and the entire group’s reputation, she tries to just let security deal with it.

So, this was it! I really only did a couple groups, but if you want to add another clan, go right ahead! Or, if you’ve got other headcannons, I’d love to hear about them, thanks for reading!

[ridiasfangirlings]

What does it take for sarumi from the main universe to plunge into the darkest depths of their souls and become the worst versions of themselves? And what are their worst versions? Like Sarumi from Dark Au or better or worse?

I think their ‘worst versions’ might not be quite Dark AU, since I tend to look at Dark AU as a more extreme twisting of their existing personalities rather than a darker extension of their personalities, if that makes sense. For Yata, in both cases I imagine the worst version of him being a lot more violent and angry, though I think particularly if we’re talking beyond Dark AU it would be more of a person who thinks what he’s doing is right and is willing to trample over anyone else in order to do what he considers to be the ‘heroic’ thing. I think for Yata to become twisted that way he would definitely need to suffer some kind of extreme lasting trauma (well, I’d expect for both of them some sort of trauma catalyst would need to occur but let’s face it, Fushimi is like one additional mental health crisis away from his worst version even as it is, Yata needs a bigger push). I feel like for Yata this would involve losing a bunch of people that he loves, like some twisted Strain kills his family and then kills all of the main Homra members and maybe even Fushimi too, and Yata decides to be the one who takes revenge. I think he’d have to kinda snap, basically, and for Yata to become what he himself would probably see as the ‘worst version of himself’ I think that means becoming a bully who really does trample over everyone else’s feelings. Like he’s decided to hunt down the guys who did all this, he doesn’t care if he has to threaten women and children to do it, and if anyone tries to stop him he’ll beat them up too, and everyone around him should be grateful that he’s the one willing to dirty his hands for this.

On Fushimi’s end in particular I think his worst self would be different from the Dark AU because I imagine Dark AU Fushimi as a more extreme yandere-type version of him, but I think if we’re talking Fushimi turning into his worst self that would involve becoming more like Niki. Like despite Fushimi taking on some of Niki’s mannerisms what I think is an interesting differentiator in canon is that Niki purposefully leaves Fushimi for long periods because he thinks if he sees his little monkey all the time it will become boring, but then by contrast to all accounts Fushimi seems to be constantly seeking out Yata because for all he’s pretending to be Niki he doesn’t see Yata as a toy (he sees Yata as ‘Fushimi Saruhiko’s precious thing,’ which means it’s something for Niki to break). So if Fushimi were to really become that twisted I think it would involve at the very least Yata’s death and possibly Munakata’s too, leaving Fushimi with little support system — Awashima and the squad would I think try to help him but none of them have the forcefulness that Yata or Munakata would have in this situation, and I think it would be easier for Fushimi to blow them off — and he basically decides to abandon caring about anything and simply seeks out things that amuse him, even if that amusement involves hurting someone else. I think for Fushimi the real darkest depth of himself would be turning fully into the thing he feared and hated most, losing any of that ‘sense of guilt’ and just letting himself be twisted into someone whose only interest is his own pleasure and nothing else, even as he’s aware nothing makes him truly happy.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga 12 (FINAL)| Classicaloid 25 (FINAL)| Boku no Hero Academia 14 | Kado 0 - 1 | Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine 1 | Sagrada Reset 1

Update: I apologise for all my updates within the spring 2017 debuts. I had stuff due prior to the spring season and so I’ve gone all out in compiling my thoughts and then comparing my thoughts to ANN’s.

(Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga 12)

“Monkey”? I thought it had to do with Todo (whose first name is Saburota, remember, and so could be mangled to become saru or monkey) but I guess…not…?

I thought Shiemi was gonna do a love confession! Where’d Nemu go while all the action was happening though? Plus, Nemu reminds me of Yuji Yata (Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service) and vice versa.

Super Coke and Panta, LOL.

I can’t believe they’re so willing! I remembered this happened but now that I see it animated, it seems a little too fast!

Anmitsu is a red bean dessert – you hear about it for the Kashuu/Yasusada ship in Touken Ranbu (it’s what the ship is called, due to kanji readings). Kuzukiri though…I haven’t heard of it, so here you go.

I never knew you could use the fact Rin is the son of Satan for humour. I never knew it could work, either.

If kemono = pickles…then what are Kemono Friends?! *gasps* (LOL, I kid, I kid…)

Okay, now the “son of Satan’s gonna torch you” gag is tired. That was fast.

What’s a Tawawa? Isn’t that “Tawawa on Monday”?...No? I guess it’s the name of the tower’s mascot then.

Yukio with his straight face, LOL.

Is it “quality brother time” or “brother quality time”? I think it’s the former.

I can finally read Rin’s shirt now. It says “teriyaki” in katakana.

Well, that’s the end of Blue Exorcist for now. See you some other time.

(Classicaloid 25)

Oh, that’s why there are aliens in this show…

It’s interesting to note they used the Bird’s Nest for Beijing rather than Tiananmen Square or the Fobidden City.

So Kyougo was in China. Geez, these stereotypes are a bit hackneyed…

Tchaiko’s so depressed when Bach appears. It makes sense though.

“It just doesn’t strike a chord.” – Perfect phrase for a Classicaloid.

Disco Bach. Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

I haven’t noticed there were white musical notes on the eyecatch until now.

I was wondering why Hasshie, Pad-kun, Kanae and Sousuke were rigged up like how they were in one of the s2 visuals. The reason…let’s just say, I LOVE IT! I’m not entirely a fan of 6th rangers in general, but I love transformations, remember? Rare transformations are all the better to watch again and again!

Doot-doo-doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo-doot-doot-doo-doo-doot-doo-doo. It’s Ode to Joy!

Like, look at it. The October airing was definitively confirmed! See you again in October, then.

(Boku no Hero Academia 14)

I skipped the simulcast commentary on the recap episode, as I always do. Disclaimer: I wander around the BnHA wiki a bit so expect to see “I knew that already”s all over the place.

Dang, Deku looks eeeeeeevil in that one intro scene where he’s all lit up.

Those taiyaki (fish-shaped buns) look tasty…

I’ve seen some spoilers so I know Toshinori Yagi is All Might’s real name and All Might’s predecessor (who I thought was the recipient of the letter) was a woman named Nana. Thus, beard man must be Gran Torino, All Might’s mentor.

Katsu, LOL. Ever since YoI, I can’t stop thinking about Yuri K after seeing a pork cutlet.

Best Jeanist (1st person in background), some guy I don’t know…and Endeavour. Spoilers can be annoying like that.

I knew why Ochako became a hero too, but...her name means “carefree”? Never heard that one before.

They say that if there’s a leaf sticking up in your tea, it’s good luck…I think that’s how it goes with green tea, anyways.

I don’t think I’ve seen BnHA go and do a fanservice thing with its girls until now, which 1) is odd for a show with a teacher called “18+ Only Hero Midnight” and 2) simultaneously makes sense as an all ages hero anime. The emphasis in this show is on the action and on Deku, not just the girls, but going to the girls for fanservice only now does kinda show how the audience has grown up enough for this ED trope to be ued.

(Kado 0)

I’ve been hyped for this ever since I found out it was coming. I do have my doubts about the CGI, but somehow I know this work will be good. Besides, it’s my first fully CGI work in the simulcast commentary – I can’t really let that sort of chance go while I can still do it (because most 3D CG anime are Netflix exclusive). Update: Why have I covered an episode 0? This one seems important to the plot, that’s why. (Well, admittedly...they had to have an episode 0 for a reason, right?)

Ooh, that OP’s real pretty and the language (the one “Ninovo” is written in) intrigues me.

I knew I’d be fine with the CG – if there’s CG everywhere one instance of CG doesn’t stand out – but I wasn’t expecting to be dipping my toes in something so…adult.I was expecting the government affairs, but land restitution? If it weren’t for Shizuna-whatshisname and what came before this, I’d be gone, y’know? (Come to think of it though, anime can make even adult things like taxes engaging, so if you gave me an engaging anime about taxes, I’d take it. After SGRS, I’m more open to this sort of mature content, too.)

There’s been a picture on ANN of Dantalian no Shoka and the dude in it looks like Masayoshi (Samurai Flamenco). When Hanamori is shocked and leaning to the side, he looks like Masayoshi too…

I’d like to know how to make those pleated tail birds.

Strangely, this anime is more flat than I thought a 3D CG anime would look. Update: I raised my eyebrow at the part where Shindo pulls the suit pants off Hanamori, but it kinda made sense to me since Hanamori was drunk...at least it’s better than lucky underwear (Marginal #4).

What could be bigger than a land reform project? Oh, I dunno, aliens? (clearly sarcastic)

It’s not even Google, it’s Setten, LOL.

Chicken nanban. Seems tasty. I also didn’t question this until now, but this is MLIT.

Mac laptop! Dangit!

Hanamori is such a shonen protag, I swear he is basically Masayoshi in disguise as a Cabinet worker.

Hanamori’s face in the commemorative photo, LOL.

Uh-oh. Things are starting to look more CG now…

The ED is kind of a disappointment after the wonderful showing I got from the OP and the episode…plus Hanamori is kinda annoying with his “Shindo-kun!” “Shindo-kun!”…one thing’s for sure, this is one show to keep an eye on…for the moment, at the very least.

(Kado ep 1)

UN?! Wow, Shindo’s crazy good at his job…

Sometimes opening sequences of shows (not the OP, but rather the opening few minutes of the show) can be recap-heavy, but at least Kado doesn’t do that.

Interesting to note CR chose metres as opposed to miles, as I have huge gripes about Detective Conan getting all its measurements turned into miles and inches…

Tokyo Netro and NNK, LOL.

“Have there been any casualties so far?” By the way, the government uses Windows. I wonder if any Japanese people use Linux? Update: I did find Kanata Shinawa at odds with how she lead the government, but at least she knew what she was doing.

Ferrofluid.

Overtechnology – it doesn’t seem to be a dictionary word, but it seems to exist in Macross. To quote this page: “Many of the technologies of Overtechnology are stables of Science Fiction, such as Hyperspace and Artificial/Anti-Gravity.”

AP rounds. The AP stands for “armour piercing”.

Yay! Finally whatshisname appears! (I’ll just call him Shunina for now, since I can’t keep typing out his name or “whatshisname” all the time…) Update: I knew Shindo was the protag, but if you went in without that knowledge, you’d mistake Hanamori to be it. Huh. It’s sort of a good twist, but if they could do without Hanamori, that would make the show even better.

(Haine 1)

Why am I interested in this? It’s obvious from the key visual…

Nice use of perspective/camera tricks to fool the viewer, eh? The show really is kinda charming in a Kuroshitsuji-type way, actually.

Leonhard gives the burn straight! Ow!

Leonhard is basically the twins from Boueibu…? Especially Haru.

Licchie? Or Licchan? (did not use volume) I wonder if CR’s getting in on making English equivalents of Japanese nicknames now, too. Update: Licht is ri-hi-to, so it might not actually be CR’s fault there…

Playboy??? *thinks about the magazine* Ew.

Strangely, Kai’s was the funniest introduction out of all 4. (Or was that not strange…?)

Basically Nanny McPhee but with a teacher and students…LOL. Actually, it’s more Denpa Kyoushi, but Denpa Kyoushi doesn’t seem to have this atmosphere.

Come to think of it, maybe this was adapted because of the popularity of Osomatsu-san?

Tschuss.

This is…actually pretty funny, but it seems a tad lackluster because of the dulled shoujo-esque colour scheme. On the other hand, Leo really is both twins from Boueibu in one!

Sachertorte. I’ve heard of it before but I forgot what it was. Also, I didn’t think Japanese people would’ve heard of sachertorte. Witness the mighty skill of the internet to connect the world!

I had a vague suspicion that the reason Leo didn’t like teachers was because of how they treated him (specifically put him on a pedestal) because he was a prince, but there was always this sad feeling lingering since the interview began, as if I understood him.

I have the feeling the word for “language” specifically was kokugo, but since they speak Japanese and don’t confirm their setting is German in any way, shape or form (even though there are hints to the contrary), let’s go with “Japanese” as the national language.

Wiener melange? Or just a melange? By the way, tagebuch.

It turns out I do understand Leo…”I’m not good at socialising” is me to a tee.

Notice Leo called the tutor “Heine”, meaning this may not run off Japanese honorific standards.

GDI, priest guy (Bruno, since his reading a book there makes him look like a priest).

Ooh, the Alphonse Mucha style ending really does the show a favour, although Heine singing makes this a lil’ cliched in a weird way you just don’t expect from this show. Apart from that, I’d never think people would idolise Germany the same way they do Japan…unless 1) they have a person related to them who is/speaks German, 2) they like German food or 3) they like German technology (which is top-notch, to my knowledge). I’m kinda neutral on German stuff myself, so if I follow this I wonder what’ll become of me. Update: Oh yes, no. 4) They are German themselves.

Carrot, bell peppers and sachertorte? Ew.

Well, I’m keeping this show on. It better not let me down even though I only narrowly decided not to pick it for the ANN streaming stuff. It’s not a groundbreaker, but it’ll definitely be nice to have around…

Update: I forgot to mention I was vaguely disturbed by Heine’s reading of Leonhardt’s diary (mostly by the fact Heine found the diary in the first place - who puts an unsecured diary in a place that’s a little too accessible?), but since it didn’t do much damage to anyone but Leo and it was entirely played for comedy, I wrote it off. If it were a serious show, I may have had to bail.

(Sagrada Reset 1)

I dunno why the English translation is Sagrada when the Japanese is Sakurada. It just doesn’t make any sense.

Didn’t the character descriptions say Sumire was gonna die???

David Production – those Jojo’s guys? I don’t think I’ve seen anything from them until now.

Ugly CG cars, ick.

Haruki’s power reminds me of Erased except this exposition dump here makes her sound pretentious.

I would expect Haruki to be the android.

Was the “please let go” meant to be funny? I almost laughed before realising how serious Sakurada Reset is.

(without volume) Haruki’s so lifeless I expect her to disappear any moment now whenever Kei looks to the side. (with volume) I still think she’s lifeless…

Well, at least they explain why she’s so lifeless…by the way, I seem to remember I wrote a story like this: Next to Me.

August 14th, the day of Kagerou Project, LOL. I watch too many time travel shows.

No one rides swings.You sit on the swing!

Even though I can tell this show will go through some themes very thoroughly and the animation is consistent, it’s a bit of a chore to watch. I was waiting for the end of the episode about 17 minutes in, so I’ll put this on hold (because of the Mari twist near the end – that at least shows promise). The Sumire part doesn’t seem as convincing animation-wise though, which is disappointing as that’s the main plot of the show, right? Update: The reason why I label it a chore is because it’s hard to read the subs on this sometimes, the animation is limited and because it’s easy to miss Haruki’s resets - I actually missed the first one.

Update: Just a note on my preferences - the reason why I think such a show is a chore to watch is because I prefer shows with a distinct personality and/or charisma. Sagrada seems to have a personality, but it hasn’t become fleshed out yet because of all the potential under the surface, and it lacks charisma because of how serious it is.

[ridiasfangirlings]

Sarumi teacher au where Fushimi is a science teacher and Yata is a gym teacher. They like each other secretly but they had a fight years ago so they act like they hate one another in public. Their students can tell something is going on cause their classes get derailed sometimes into just talking about the other person or they would ask the kids about how their science/gym class went and how their teacher for that subject is doing ("they're probably bad at their job!" lol). The kids are tired.

Imagine them just being terribly unprofessional about the whole thing, luckily Principal Miwa doesn’t mind and feels they will work this out eventually. Fushimi is the prickly science teacher who scares all his students but is nonetheless brilliant while everyone likes gym teacher Yata for his open demeanor and friendliness. Maybe Yata and Fushimi were like school friends in this AU but instead of going on to higher education together the way they’d promised Yata instead started student teaching under gym teacher Mikoto, because he felt like he wouldn’t be able to get any further in his studies due to his poor grades. Fushimi though took this as a betrayal and broke things off with Yata totally, and they didn’t see each other again until Fushimi took a science teacher job at the same school where Yata happened to be teaching gym. Yata’s kinda conflicted seeing Fushimi again after the way they ended things but then Fushimi gets this wide grin all so teaching gym is the best you were able to do huh Misaki and Yata’s like never mind I hate that asshole.

The two of them refuse to talk about the feud when asked by their fellow faculty but everyone of course knows about it, imagine literature teacher Munakata gently urging Fushimi to speak honestly to Yata while economics teacher Kusanagi tells Yata to do what he thinks is right but maybe you guys should actually have a talk instead of fighting. They also keep randomly ending up together for various work assignments and even though they’re constantly arguing it’s pretty clear to their fellow staff members that these two have huge crushes on each other and they’re both oblivious.

And naturally even their students have figured out something’s going on, imagine the poor kids who have back to back Fushimi and Yata classes. If someone’s late to gym because science class ran long Yata will snort and be like that bastard can’t ever keep his lectures short, he doesn’t think about anyone else’s classes but his. If someone is late to science because of gym they’re liable to get detention from an irritated Fushimi-sensei who complains about the worthless midget who can’t even teach a real subject, only mindless physical activity. The kids try to not to get their teachers started but everyone who has Fushimi and Yata as a teacher knows what will happen as soon as one hears about the other and it’s like no matter what you say they’ll find a way to complain about each other. (And then there’s the other rumor about some students who had to stay after class and walked in on Fushimi-sensei and Yata-sensei making out in Fushimi’s office, but no one’s really sure if that one’s true.)

[ridiasfangirlings]

Fushimi gets kidnapped, and in order to keep up the pretense that he hasn't been, the kidnappers plant a clone or a robot or something that looks and acts exactly like him. Scepter 4 do get a bit suspicious that their Fushimi-san is acting somewhat off, but it isn't until Yata sees the impostor and immediately goes, "That's not Saruhiko", that the situation gets fixed.

Somehow I’m imagining this Robo-Fushimi who has been programmed only with tongue clicks and the word ‘stupid’ and yet somehow the alphabet squad never notice XD Say this takes place post-ROK and maybe during the One Year Later timeline where Munakata is still on his journey of discovery, which is why he never notices something’s up with Fushimi, and Awashima is so swamped she doesn’t realize either. Fushimi is out dealing with some Strains when he gets kidnapped, the Strains are intending to infiltrate S4 and the plan was to kidnap someone so that they could take that person’s place (similar to what happens in Case Files with Gotou). They have a Strain with the ability to transform into anyone, the Strain has been watching Fushimi for some time secretly in order to get an idea of his personality. Maybe they’ve even been watching multiple members and decided Fushimi would be the easiest to imitate, just scowl a lot and boom, easy.

Except then the Strain infiltrates S4 and realizes his mistake because Fushimi does ridiculous amounts of work and what normal person can keep up. He decides to just wing it as best he can, he only needs to keep this up for a few days after all. The Strain basically does his best to dump work on other people, glaring and clicking his tongue a lot and basically doing his best to seem gloomy and annoyed by everything. The S4 boys assume Fushimi must be so overworked that he’s in an even worse mood than usual, like wow he’s extra angry today. Even so they do their best and don’t really suspect anything though the Strain does have a few close calls, like imagine everyone’s eating and he takes a bite of vegetable before realizing that everyone is staring at him in shock and he has to quickly gag and choke on it.

Finally the squad are out on a mission one day and the Strain comes along, intending to sabotage them while disguised as Fushimi. Homra is assisting with this one and the Strain doesn’t think much of it, Homra won’t know anything about this guy from S4 after all. As soon as Yata comes over to talk with everyone though he gets this confused look, staring at the Strain like he has no idea what’s going on. The Strain snaps at him like is something wrong you punk, the squad are like Fushimi-san we know you’re in a bad mood but calm down. Yata crosses his arms and looks at the squad as he asks why they keep calling this guy ‘Fushimi,’ any way you look at it it’s obvious this isn’t Saruhiko at all.

The squad all exchange looks and the Strain quickly tries to recover, like what would you know of course I’m Fushimi. Yata scoffs and says I’m not that stupid, you think I couldn’t tell that guy at a glance. Just Yata’s word is enough to get the rest of the squad suspicious now too, imagine Doumyouji being like you know I thought it was weird I secretly saw him eating broccoli under his desk and Akiyama’s like he didn’t even drink the canned coffee on his desk and went and brewed some all on his own I thought it was strange. Yata immediately starts pointing out all these tells that are obvious to him, like Saruhiko slouches more and the way he clicks his tongue is different and the lenses of those glasses aren’t thick enough, stuff that he knows because he’s spent so much time with that guy since they were kids of course he would know Fushimi immediately. The Strain realizes he’s in trouble and starts to make a run for it and Yata quickly takes him down, demanding to know where the real Saruhiko is and also smirking like the actual Saruhiko wouldn’t have gone down this easily either. 

[ridiasfangirlings]

Fushimi-Sukuna gaming buddies but now Yata joins in. Yata and Sukuna don't get along which is troublesome. Fushimi leaves for to grab some food and the other two are alone to talk. Yata says Sukuna probably didn't have friends with his attitude and Sukuna replies he doesn't need friends as the only one he had back then was a fake. Yata could relate to that and decide to give the kid a chance and sees Sukuna isn't so bad either. No one admits to being friends but that's kinda what they are now.

All three of them being good friends and constantly yelling ���We’re not friends!’ when anyone asks XD Maybe Yata starts gaming with Fushimi and Sukuna initially out of a bit of protectiveness and suspicion, like he learns that Fushimi and Sukuna are gaming together and part of him can’t believe that the little brat from jungle could be Fushimi’s friend (‘he’s not,’ Fushimi protests, and Yata sighs). Yata’s kinda worried that maybe Sukuna is trying to pull something, like yeah Saruhiko’s smart and would probably know if he was being tricked but you never know and anyway Fushimi’s not good with emotions so maybe he wouldn’t notice if he was being tricked into friendship. Fushimi doesn’t mind letting Yata join, more players means less grind, though Sukuna’s not very happy about that loudmouth from Homra joining. When they start playing together it’s definitely Yata and Sukuna both vying for Fushimi’s attention while arguing with each other and meanwhile Fushimi would just like to play his game thanks. 

During one campaign Fushimi has to step out for a bit to run to the convenience store because he’s out of unhealthy snacks. They’re in the middle of the game so Yata and Sukuna are left on their own while Fushimi’s gone and of course they’re immediately making snarky comments towards each other. Yata says he just doesn’t trust that Sukuna’s not toying with Fushimi and making Fushimi think they’re friends, Sukuna says they aren’t friends and anyway Yata’s just mad because with his attitude he probably doesn’t have any friends at all. Yata says Sukuna’s the one who only has Saruhiko to play the game with and he probably never had any friends in school. Sukuna gets sulky and says he didn’t need school friends, the only guy who he thought was his friend was just a fake all along, only pretending to like him.

Yata’s about to make a snide comment back but that makes him pause and he finds himself admitting that he knows what that’s like. Sukuna grumbles that he doesn’t and Yata’s like I mean it might not be the same thing but I used to have some guys who I thought liked me but they were really making fun of me all that time, I didn’t have a real friend until I met Saruhiko. Sukuna says he didn’t have a real friend until he met Nagare and that’s when it kinda clicks for Yata that even if they were enemies jungle still had the same feelings towards their King that he had for Mikoto and Anna. Fushimi comes back right at that moment and they get back to the game, he notices that Yata’s suddenly become less confrontational towards Sukuna but doesn’t comment on it. After this they start playing together as a group pretty often and even if no one admits to it Yata at least thinks maybe it isn’t so bad giving Sukuna real friends for once.