purplemarmelade

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Being in a relationship with Narushima Koga...

( Disclaimer: Darker themes touched, the reader was a victim of the Gu ritual )

The first time Koga fell in love was when he was in Yamashita-san's office, sitting on a desk next to Ryuki, getting taught some useless stuff by Kaede. He hadn't expected the door to get opened and for two men with completely different auras to step in, nor for a girl around his age to follow close behind. Until then, Koga would occasionally have small crushes on pretty girls in highschool, but one look at the beautiful lady in front of him, and he was a blushing mess. Why? He couldn't understand either. Was it her princess-like grace? That pretty dress? Her long, wavy hair with that cute bow? Or was it that mysterious vibe she gave off, highlighted only by that stoic and rather apathetic look on her face?

His bewitching was short lived, for the pretty lady called Y/N simply scoffed, calling him weak all of a sudden. He couldn't help but feel his jaw drop to the ground from shock - How could she call him weak, of all things? Sure, he wasn't yet as strong as that boy, Cosmo, but he is determined and ambitious to surpass even him, and even that man with black hair who beat him to hell that night in the alleyway, when he and his group tried to gang up on him. He was hardworking enough and patient in his journey of becoming the strongest out there! How could she just call him - Weak?!

Angry, he stomped in front of her, easily towering over her smaller form, looking down at her aloof face - She didn't seem to sketch a single emotion whatsoever - Koga almost felt like he was trying to argue with a brick wall.

That, however, changed as soon as he tried to put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt at making her react in some way to his protests, yet before he could even blink, before his fingers could feel the thin material of her dress, he felt an electrifying pain surging through his wrist as though it got shattered, and his center of gravity got destroyed as he was thrown into the door, breaking it.

"Oops. Forgive me, Yamashita-san. I will pay for the damages." despite his vision being blurry, Koga's heart leapt slightly at the soft yet low voice of the frail-looking girl who somehow managed to break the door with him. Insane. Was she a fighter or what? The underground sure has a lot of surprises. "Listen, Y/N, I get it - I'm weak, by Kengan standards. I know that, okay?! I know! But I'm determined and I won't give up! Do you hear me?! I just can't stand the thought of someone out there who's stronger than me!" the twisted expression of sheer anger and ambition on his face made Y/N's eyes widen in surprise - Ohma used to say the exact same thing, bless his soul - And look where he is now, dead in a ditch. "...Better a living loser, than a dead champion." though Koga couldn't understand her mumbled words, he could feel the sorrow of not only her, but the other adults around the room also.

✮Since then, Himuro and Kaneda became his and Ryuki's mentors.

✮During the first day, Himuro took Ryuki to hell knows where, while Koga was taken by Kaneda to Sekibayashi's wrestling ring. Y/N was there, though she seemed even more silent and uncomfortable than before. Was she not comfortable with so many people surrounding her? It could be. She seemed like an introvert.

✮She got to watch him make a fool of himself, unable to keep up with Seki's squatting, and got beaten up to hell by Jose, how embarrassing.

✮Still, she didn't seem to sketch any ounce of disgust or disapproval. Instead, she silently took a handkerchief and delicately held his bloody and bruised face, cleaning it up.

✮He was a blushing mess.

✮When he was told about the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament, he felt the need to see you and tell you all about it - But you already knew about it, of course.

✮Though he was a little flabbergast at how actively involved you are in this underground mess, his voice got so genuine and vulnerable, asking you if you thought he had any chance to secure a spot on the Kengan roster.

Your beautiful eyes bore sharply into his own, almost intimidating him. "I would say it sorely depends not only on your improvement in the next half a year, but on the amount of veterans that we manage to score on our side. Don't take it personally, but I would rather have 'Sasa or Agito, rather than a newby like you." Koga gulped, taking the brunt of her blunt sincerity - Though he hated to admit it, she was completely right. "On the other hand... Well, adding the political problem into the equation, and that we couldn't get in contact with even 'Tsumi or Rei... I wouldn't say it's all that impossible for you to take that spot. I would take you over some dumbass like Rihito any day." the way she rolled her eyes with complete denigration of that man she mentioned seemed to encourage him a little. "Ha! Thanks, Y/N! Lemme get you another frappe as thanks." though he suggested that, Y/N was already up on her feet, having paid the bill herself, and walked out of the cafe. "Hey, wait up!" he jogged after her, as she took the shortest path to the park, enjoying the warm weather. What a peculiar girl, Koga thought. "Hey, Y/N, why did you just leave like that?" Y/N rose a questioning eyebrow. "I knew you would follow." her simple reply shocked Koga, but at the same time, it also amused him. "Koga." she suddenly called out to him, stopping in her tracks. "Don't die too. Not like him." her voice was soft and sentimental. "I am no Buddhist, I cannot find the comfort in suffering, nor in the ephemeral state of life." "Come on now, don't say such things! There's no way I'd die!" chuckling leisurely, Koga swung his around around her shoulder, pulling her into his side, smirking confidently. At first, he didn't realise that her entire being froze up, and gingerly put away his hand so he wouldn't touch her. "Don't get cocky and don't underestimate your opponent." came her last bit of wisdom. "Don't worry, I won't! In fact, I promise I'll get so strong that I secure that spot!" he seemed determined enough. For the first time, Koga noticed a faint smile on her otherwise stoic face. It was beautiful.

✮True to his promise, Koga continued to train hard with Seki, and even listening to Ryuki's advice, all to get stronger and stronger. All for his goal, and to keep his promise to you.

✮He started training with Adam and Cosmo's master, went ice-skating even. Funny enough, you were also there, but you didn't bother with them much - It was rather humiliating, admitting to knowing Cosmo and Kureishi when they were playing around as Ina Bauer.

✮Still, Koga couldn't help but steal a few glances at you and your elegant skating - You seemed so at easy and happy dancing, as though you were in a dream state.

✮Cosmo and Adam teased him when they realised, and mentioned how you were a natural at skating, often coming by just to dance around. It only made Koga more determined to get better at it and complete Adam's challenge.

✮Needless to say, after this was over, Koga invited you to skate whenever he had some time to spare, and though he wasn't as graceful as you, nor did he know how to dance, you held endless patience in teaching him - And you even held his hand! If only you could see how red his face was as you helped him twirl around!

✮You were there to watch Ryuki's fight, but you admit to Koga rather shamelessly that you were far more interested in Nitoku's fight. It was very rare to see him going - Poor man must be getting broke again - But it made you happy. No other good fighter in Kengan was such a Sambo master, and you loved seeing all of his hard techniques dominating his enemies.

✮On occasion, Koga would ask you to come over for shopping with him and Ryuki, hoping to help the clueless boy get a fashion sense - Only to discover that you were also very much ripped away from reality, but just hid it better.

✮You simply accepted to dress with whatever clothes you were given, not having any opinion whatsoever about fashion, and likewise, had no clue about movies, games, or anything pop culture. He was shocked out of his mind.

✮How could either of you live just a secluded life, away from anything pop-culture?!

✮He had to remediate that by taking you to watch all kinds and genres of movies, introducing you to all of his playlists, showing you video games, arcades and what not.

✮Much to his surprise, you didn't show an immediate interest in absolute anything.

✮In truth, he thought he failed you, only to later hear you throwing off-comments about random things that he showed you - He was so touched! He got even more determined to help you find out things that you like.

✮Though you were a bit skeptical at first, you even agreed to have sleepovers with him, where you'd spend the whole night watching movie marathons or playing co-op games of all kinds.

✮Koga was so, so happy just spending time with you, and his crush on you only grew.

✮Especially after you gave him a small clap after winning a fight against Jose, or encouraging him briefly to get over his fear of his uncle and return to his karate dojo.

✮He even showed-off his newly polished finishing move to you, and he was so proud!

✮Though he thought things were going very well for him, the sky fell crumbling down on him upon discovering Ryuki was actually a remorseless killer.

✮He went to you for comfort, his eyes in tears, but you seemed completely unsympathetic.

"So what if he killed?" Koga's heart stopped moving. "When it's kill or be killed, you wouldn't let someone else take your own life, would you?" "Wh-What? How can you speak so casually about taking a life?!" he gasped, feeling so betrayed by his friend and crush. "You've lived a sheltered life, Koga. I speak from experience." Y/N shrugged simply, tilting her head slightly, confused at why he was overreacting. "S-So... Y-You're trying to say that you... You've killed, also?" he stuttered over his words pitifully. "Yup." she popped. "Didn't have much of an alternative, y'know? Life's life, and life sucks. Suppose I'd still be killing, were it not for Katahara." she hummed dryly. "Wh-What are you saying, Y/N?! What do you mean?" poor boy's mind was completely blank, unable to understand why the girl was so uncaring towards human life. "Stop being so over-dramatic." she rolled her eyes. "You got upset at Koga for no reason. Moreover, if Ryuki said that wasn't a man, but a bug, then no doubt, it was a Worm. Worms deserve death." "... I'm done with you. Both of you." Koga made the mistake of looking into your eyes, and saw how confused you looked at his reaction - You seemed as innocently confused and unaware, just like Ryuki was. Still, he couldn't continue staying around psychopath, so he left, choosing to focused entirely on fighting.

✮Thankfully, that didn't last long. Not only did he see you in the front row of his employment fight, but you were hanging around like a ghost during Ryuki's fight also - But you didn't intervene. You just left.

✮Though he made up with Ryuki, he still had to make up with you also somehow.

✮You didn't seem too bothered by it though. You even told him you had no idea why he was apologising. Water under the bridge, though you did point out that his naive thinking would make him lose in life.

✮Months passed, and you heard the new that Yamashita-san and Koga were attacked by the Worms, and you rushed to the hospital as fast as you could.

✮You didn't speak a word, though Koga could see that you were worried sick for him. He felt so flattered.

✮Nothing he did for you, however, earned the reaction that you made as soon as that black haired man, Ohma, entered his hospital room.

✮ "Ohma!" Y/N jumped to her feet, her voice raising for the first time in ages. The man was surprised to see you going out of your way to hug someone, but he merely chuckled, glad that people actually missed him.

✮You were also on Ohma's side when he told Koga he couldn't fight in the tournament. He was far too injured, and he was still nowhere on the veterans' level.

✮On the other hand, he felt light-hearted with Ohma's encouraging, and with you pushing the weirdo jerk you called Raian out of the window.

✮Seeing him in the hospital bed like that, you found yourself zoning out all the way until everyone left the two of you alone.

✮Koga ended up telling you about the guys who attacked him, to which you explained they were Worms - Hence why, you mentioned previously that they deserve to die. Now, he understood your words, and he regretted temporarily severing ties with you. He apologised again.

✮You ended up telling him a little about your life, how you were an orphan in Mainland China and how you were subjected to the Gu Ritual, and what it meant. The trauma you went through at such a frail age, and how you still can't get over many of the things that happened. You can't stand people touching you, you're constantly on the edge, crowds make you uncomfortable, and you always feel like people want to kill you out of nowhere.

✮You also tell him more delicate aspects of your life before old man Katahara found you and took you in, saying Sayaka needed a younger sister, but even with Agito as a mentor, someone who went through the same things as you, you couldn't get over what happened.

✮Instead, you adopted the same apathetic facade as the Fang and tried to carry on with life, hoping that someday, things will change.

✮After seeing Agito couldn't help you live a normal life, Himuro agreed to take you in and tried to show you that life wasn't as dangerous and evil as you were subjected to previously, and people weren't out to harm you all the time.

✮Koga ended up with tears in his eyes, and his first reaction was to throw his arms around you, pulling you in a tight bear hug and apologising for every time he touched you so familiarly, as he was so used to doing that with friends.

✮Once he realised that once again, through the hug, he was touching you, he tried to pull away - But much to his surprise, you didn't let him get away from the embrace.

✮"Thanks." he heard your soft whisper in his ear, and his heart started trembling even more from emotion, realising that you trusted him so much.

✮Being so familiar with most of the Kengan roster, you felt comfortable staying in the arena with them, silently cheering on them and getting a better view of the matches.

✮You even texted Koga to get over also - After all, why wouldn't he?

✮Both of you were overly frustrated when Gaolang lost his match all because of that stupid ringout rule, and for the first time, Koga noticed a grim frustration in your eyes. It wasn't often that you expressed any definite emotion, but by far, this was the most defined he's seen yet.

✮Contrary to the match-up rules though, instead of a Kengan fighter stepping first into the ring, a Purgatory beast of a man was already there, cackling like a maniac and taunting the Kengan side.

✮Though Koga wanted to curse under his breath at that petty behaviour, he noticed you unable to peer your eyes from that man. You were tensed up and trembling. Was it from fear? But why? Did you know that man?

✮That man was holding a dog collar and leash in his grasp, twirling around the collar with his finger and laughing. Was he deranged in the mind?

"Hey, Y/N, what happened?" Koga tried to gently call out to you, but you jumped away from him, and stepped back as if to seek comfort from the Fang. You were visibly hyperventilating and panicking. "I see you, pretty girl! You've grown up so much. I wonder how you look now, all string up to a tree with this leather beauty." unconsciously, Y/N held her hands over her neck, feeling herself getting strangled by the neck to the point of passing out. Agito knelt in front of you, trying to snap you out of it, and even Himuro rushed to your side, but nothing worked. "Come on over, pretty girl, you know you want your revenge, don't ya? You kill all those poor bastards, just to get the chance to kill me too, didn't you?" the man taunted. "You were my favourite apprentice, after all. Especially with this little thing around your neck." "That fucker! How dare he?! I'LL KILL HIM!" Koga got so angry that he almost stormed to the ring to kill that man for traumatising and humiliating you for most of your life. Ohma had to hold him down from doing anything stupid. "Huh? Don't worry, I'll fuck him up real good for ya, Y/N!" Rihito grinned widely at you, but you were unresponsive. "Come on, babe, come on out, let's play! Surely, you don't wanna wake up with a phone call telling you either of your daddies mysterious died, huh~?" all of a sudden, your shivering stopped, and an eerie aura engulfed you. Agito knew best, it was the same as when she was rescued from the ritual. It was the same as when HE was rescued from the ritual. The girl was going to fight to death for her revenge. "Piss off, weakling." Y/N hissed, using an elbow hit that slammed Rihito into the wall. "H-Hey, Y/N, you can't go out there!" Koga tried to stop her, but she was blind and deaf to anything surrounding her as she let her coat fall to the ground, stepping in the ring in a crop top and loose pants. "Oh, look at her, look at her go! Ready for the show, baby girl?" the man's laugh resounded creepily as he threw the dog leash at her. She simply discarded it out of the ring without any emotion.

Y/N took no stance, while the monster of a man got in whatever stance he liked. As soon as he lept at her with his speed, Y/N punched him in the cheek with an Ironbreaker, following up with faster and faster brutal blows in a dangerous storm, only to get her wrists caught by him. "What's it, Kitten? Afraid to unleash your tiny little claws?" while he was busy taunting he, Y/N channeled her anger to use Agito's trump card technique, the Dragon Shot, in his groin area, before grabbing him by the neck and using a Redirection Kata to throw him to the ground, before following with a strong kick to send him flying away, towards the edge of the ring. Y/N didn't allow him a moment of respiro, as she sprung to his side with a barrage of well-aimed jabs to all of his vitals, easily side-stepping his punches, and continuing to overwhelm him with Adamantine punches in the face. Y/N could faintly hear her name being chanted, cheers from her friends resounding through the place, only for her vision to blur suddenly. "Stupid little whore." the criminal spat as he easily punched her face, making her fall to the ground, spitting blood. It almost felt as if nothing she did was capable of comparing to the single hit she received, in terms of damage. "Stand up, you stupid girl. I'll show you what defectors gets for betraying their master." Y/N tried to attack again, but this time, her hand got easily caught. "You've grown weak, you useless girl." with a twist of her arm, the man harshly slammed her to the ground. "Renounce those stupid friendships you made that got you weak, and I'll consider taking you in again." he tried to slam his foot on her head, but she rolled away just in time, leaping away, but he caught up with her, burying his hand in her hair. "You're nothing without me." he slammed her face into the concrete. "You'll never escape me." he rose her head just enough to punch her away, before kneeing her in the diaphragm, causing her to hunch over in pain, to which she received an elbow to the back of the head, continued with repeated slams of her face into the ground once again, and a kick to the face, making her roll away. "YOU CAN'T DO SHIT WITHOUT YOU, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE BITCH!" he slammed her foot on her head. "Give up now. You can't defeat me. Just admit you're pathetic and come back to me. I promise I'll discipline you well." he cradled her face close to his own, before punching her away.

"Y/N, GET UP! GET UP!" she head Koga calling out to her, as well as the other fighters. The world was spinning around with her, and she felt like she was going to die. Her mouth was overflowing with blood that she continued to spit and vomit with each failed attempt at getting up.

"Ah, is that your boyfriend, toots? Should I start by ripping him to pieces in front of you? Yeah, that sounds good." at the simple mental image of a dead Koga, Y/N found the strength to spring with such speed and velocity strength that she took the beast by surprise with a well-aimed punch to his diaphragm, knocking his breath away, following with another storm of jabs and kicks that almost felt like overwhelmed him, until he retaliated with a punch to her jaw. "Is that all your love can get out of you?! Ha! How pathetic!" When he tried to punch her again though, she managed to catch his fist. "I'll rip your fucking throat out." Y/N hissed, kicking his breath away again, before overwhelming him with multiple aimed jabs. "There it is, there it is, look at you! I told ya, didn't I? It's not love that drives you - You can't love! You're a monster, just like me! You're incapable of love or being loved!" he cackled at her. "It's hatred that makes you strong! Hatred, rage, fear and hunger - All of this made you stronger!" he laughed loudly. "Now it's time I discipline my rebelious little bitch. Surely, you can handle me, can't you?"

Just as Y/N expected, that fucker released his Guihun and was ready to actually rip her to shreds for running away. "Y/N! YOU CAN DO IT! SHOW HIM WHO'S THE BOSS! WIN THIS, Y/N!" at once, both Y/N and the criminal clashed fists at such speed that even Koga and Yamashita had problem keeping up with. This almost equal exchange of hit and receive went on until Y/N received a kick to her heart, before getting picked up by the neck - He strangled her just enough to make her see stars, before punching her to the ground.

Y/N was unmoving. She was cursing herself for being so weak against the sucker who made a hell out of her entire life. She wanted revenge more than anything she ever wanted in life.

Faintly, she could hear the referee calling the countdown, slow and steady. In the distance, she could her hear friends calling out her name. How annoying.

"I told you, didn't I? You're not even strong enough to protect those you claim to love. It's because you're weak and pathetic. You'll pay for running away, Y/N, starting with killing that runt in front of you."

The only sound heard through the stadium was Y/N laughter as she got to her feet, a wide grin on her face. "I'd like to see you try, fuckass."

With an angry scowl, the criminal rushed to her, only for Y/N to catch his wrist with one hand, delivering an elbow shot Flashing Steel with the other, continuing with an Ironbreaker to the jaw and a number of ground grappling techniques that destroyed his elbow and knee. "I don't need you teaching me anything. I don't need anything from you. This is my Formless Niko style. My Y/N style. You can't take this away from me, no matter how hard you try." Y/N hissed, deflecting another punch and hitting his nose, making him growl. He grabbed her head and headbutted her hard, once and twice, sending them both to the ground.

"You'll regret this, you fucking whore--" in a flash, Y/N rolled away to avoid a kick, before she aimed a kick to his neck, at his windpipe, making his stagger enough for her to swipe his feet, sending him to the ground. She straddled his waist and angrily started pounding away at his head, releasing all of her pent up anger and frustration, her fear, her tears and everything that tainted her heart. "I was just a child, you fucking psychopath! You ruined me! You ruined my life! Fucking die already!" what happened after that, Y/N wasn't sure, but somehow, she was being held away from the dead body of the man she just murdered.

Koga had panicked, seeing her so far gone, continuing to destroy the man even after the ref called out the match was over. He threw his arms around her from behind, prying her away. "Y/N! Y/N, snap out of it! It's done, you killed him!" Y/N grew lax in his embrace, her body trembling softy. He realised she was weeping. "I was just a child." he could hear her sobbing. "I was barely 5 years old. What the fuck. What did I do to deserve it?" she continued crying in his arms, her head hung and bordering despair. "You did nothing wrong, Y/N. You didn't deserve any of it." Koga gently soothed her, turning her to hold her tightly to his chest, caressing her hair. "You're safe now. It's okay. Everything is okay now."

Agito and Himuro also stepped into the ring, saying she did great and that everything is going to be alright now, there's nothing that can hurt her anymore. With a nod of agreement to the men, Koga picked her up and got her to Hanafusa for a check up. She didn't need to hear that she lost because she killed her opponent. He deserved it, that son of a bitch. He wasn't even the littlest bit upset that his crush killed - She deserved the comfort of revenge and the peace of mind that her past can't haunt her anymore.

✮After Hanafusa took care of your injuries, he suggested you rest - But of course, you couldn't. You needed an urgent shower... And eventually, a long sleep. You were exhausted.

✮Koga waited for you just outside the stalls with your clothes and a towel.

✮He kept his eyes close so he wouldn't peak at your naked body, though his cheeks were deeply flustered.

✮ "What does it matter if one more person sees it?" Koga was really upset by the depressive comment, but didn't open his eyes. Instead, he stepped forward and wrapped the towel around your body like a blanket.

✮"It matters. I want you to feel comfortable around me. To know you can trust me. To know that I'd never do anything to hurt you. I want you to know that I'll protect you no matter what."

✮For the first time, Koga saw you blushing.

✮"But I already know that, Koga. I trust you." now he was the one flustered.

✮Taken over by such an intense feeling of love that he cupped your face and gently kissed you. You've never had anyone being so caring and attentive with you. You felt yourself melting in his arms. "I love you."

✮You returned later for the rest of the matches and celebrated Kengan's win, though you were sad for the patriarch's death against the Worms.

✮You continued cheering for Koga as he trained and learnt more stiles from different fighters.

✮You began to feel more at ease around him, indulging and even finding genuine interest in whatever pop-culture things he introduced you to, and you even started doing your own research.

✮You quite literally renovated a whole room into a home-cinema just so you can cuddle in bed with Koga and binge-watch different shows. The same with video-games which you project on the large screen.

✮You were two fools, very much in love.

✮During the Berserker Bowl, you encouraged him and were so happy and proud of him for getting in the finals, even after fighting Ryuki... Only for him to lose to Rihito. It was the biggest annoyance of your life, but given his injuries sustained in the previous fights, it was no surprise.

✮Koga deserved to win though.

✮That night, you tended to his wounds and praised him for his victory.

✮Koga was very flustered by your beautiful smile and all your sweet words, to the point that he felt lost in your love.

✮Your intimate night with Koga is going to be filled with giggles as Koga likes to keep things light-hearted and make you feel comfortable.

✮He's going to kiss every inch of your body and worship you.

✮He's addicted to everything about you, and he can't get enough of you. He just loves you so much.

✮And officially having you as his girlfriend made him the happiest in a long time.

✮He's always going to support you with everything, and will be there to hold your hand when you need someone to guide you in life.

✮He's also very patient and will be there to comfort you and uplift you in your hardest moments.

✮And whenever you're out, he's going to hold your hand with your fingers intertwined - And if he'd feeling giddy enough, he might even swing your arms.

----------

Being in a relationship with Wakatsuki Takeshi... Being in a relationship with Yoroizuka Saw Paing... Being in a relationship with Kure Raian... Being in a relationship with Tokuno’o Tokumichi... Being in a relationship with Kano Agito... Being in a relationship with Gaolang Wongsawat... Being in a relationship with Gaoh Ryuki... Being in a relationship with Narushima Koga... Being in a relationship with Hatsumi Sen

[stickers-on-a-laptop]

that post had me curious on what i've made so here are all the rarepairs i was the first on (with a 🙋‍♀️ meaning i'm still the only one)

some of these are. crack. btw.

ozaki/miura den-o 🙋‍♀️ <- i think i'm funny

touma/noel lupat <- still amazed i'm the first one

joe gokaiger/ryuunosuke shinkenger 🙋‍♀️ <- forgot i did this one

takeru/ryuunosuke/genta shinkenger 🙋‍♀️ <- i stand by this one

sosuke/retsutaka go-onger 🙋‍♀️ <- this one isn't wrangled

gen/seiichiro prince of legend 🙋‍♀️<- this is. basically canon

ayumu/nobutora prince of legend 2 🙋‍♀️ <- real rarepair

misuzu/hikaru ginga 🙋‍♀️ <- WHAT. is this right. did someone delete

naoya/kouta mr unlucky <- first one in the fandom baby

anna/miki mr unlucky 🙋‍♀️ <- does this fandom hate girls??

yanase/kaneda senpai this can't be love <- first one in the fandom

ako/kyouko jetman 🙋‍♀️<- someone who likes jetman more...join?

yoshimi/hosomi ikemeshi 🙋‍♀️ <- rare straight couple

donkiller&donkillerkiller 🙋‍♀️ <- okay guys fix this actually

shinichi&don!kaito 🙋‍♀️ <- this was episode related

akemi/rui changerion 🙋‍♀️ <- not yet wrangled

amu zyuohger/ahim gokaiger 🙋‍♀️ <- start of femfebruary2023

luka gokaiger/mako shinkenger 🙋‍♀️ <- luka can be like fanon marv

flint zenkaiger/umika lupat 🙋‍♀️ <- they should interact

rinko wizard/sawa build 🙋‍♀️ <- i just like this one for some reason

shizuka kiva/jyuka kabuto 🙋‍♀️ <- NOW MY CANON LMAO

misaki kabuto/naomi den-o 🙋‍♀️ <- misaki needs a girl to kiss

yuuko kyoryuger/chiyoko ooo 🙋‍♀️ <- women in their 30s...

misora build/nico ex-aid 🙋‍♀️ <- did they interact in outsiders??

amu zyuohger/poppy ex-aid 🙋‍♀️ <- chou taisen war's fault

medic drive/poppy ex-aid 🙋‍♀️ <- internet girls.....

tomoko/nadeshiko fourze 🙋‍♀️ <- because i ship yuuki/miu

luka gokaiger/satonaka ooo 🙋‍♀️ <- IMAGINE....

kiriko drive/rinko wizard 🙋‍♀️ <- end of femfebruary2023

hana/ichika high school heroes 🙋‍♀️ <- disappointed in y'all

akira/midou keitai sousakan 7 🙋‍♀️<- i like when girls

hammie kyuuranger&nico ex-aid 🙋‍♀️<- same year girls!!

don!kaito donbros/marvelous gokaiger 🙋‍♀️<- i know whose fault

akka/mayuta/usuba kingoh 🙋‍♀️ <- why is this just me

georgie/atsuko gaia 🙋‍♀️ <- girls? girls!!

yanma&akka kingoh 🙋‍♀️<- episode related

kijima/yukari main role of a bl <- the side couple

reiko gaia/reiko ryuki 🙋‍♀️<- start of femfebruary2024

chucky/rica gaim 🙋‍♀️ <- wut

lady toqger/sela zyuohger 🙋‍♀️<- WATCH THEIR GL!!!

misuzu/mana ginga <- not sure why i was first

miccot/ricca orbgin 🙋‍♀️<- GUYS COME ON

elegance/cleo kingoh 🙋‍♀️ <- wasn't my idea but i liked it

mayuta/the female guard 🙋‍♀️ <- okay understandable

asami/shirasaki at 25:00 <- first in the fandom

daisaku/kyujuro kimiyuki 🙋‍♀️ <- wild (also not wrangled yet)

haruto/ayako/riku soul exchange 🙋‍♀️ <- ot3 baby!!

hakase/kozkoz akibaranger 🙋‍♀️ <- i will yuri your parody

ayumu/yamashita buy your love from a vending machine 🙋‍♀️

boondorio/byoon d 🙋‍♀️ <- HELLO??? CAR YAOI?? JUST ME??

jack/jean towards the future 🙋‍♀️ <- the ultra isn't wrangled btw

neung/kay hotel stars 🙋‍♀️ <- BEST BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS

taishin&takara takara no vidro 🙋‍♀️ <- how is this wrangled

ryoutarou den-o/mei mei-chan's butler 🙋‍♀️ <- i can explain

misugi agito/karasuma blade 🙋‍♀️ <- i can also explain

jesus christ

[will-ruadh]

rant post about akira (1988) being overrated

and no, I don't mean I just didn't really like it, or it wasn't my type of movie. after reading so much about it being the greatest anime film of all time, I at least expected a good story which just. wasn't there. yeah, I agree, the "animation is amazing especially for that time" but animation is just a bonus to an actual plot and the plot was so choppy, like they couldn't decide which scene to put next. I feel like they wanted to say "nukes are bad, absolute power is bad, nothing is truly only black or white, and everyone has a potential for good or bad things" which is like. okay, I got that in the first 20 minutes of the movie, now what. now come 2 hours of tightly packed action scenes without gradually resolving stuff that was shown in the beginning. Kaori is in exactly three scenes to ask about Tetsuo, get SAd and then die. okay. Kaneda raises a question about Kei and Ryu, it's never answered. Kei apparently is connected to the Espers??? actually, forget about that. Ryu probably died in that alleyway. or maybe not. also Akira started ww3. how? don't worry about that. he nuked Tokyo and then... someone nuked someone else for some purpose. we should keep guessing about that probably. had to google about Espers after watching just to understand where they came from, and they're just random children? orphans, maybe? and turns out anyone could get those powers unlocked, but while watching I got the idea that they were special from the start. btw Espers are 30+ adults. did everyone forget about that or what. Tetsuo immediately started killing everyone because he was bullied :( I mean, we all want to nuke the whole world when that happens right? no second thoughts? I'd say, Kaneda and Tetsuo beefing was the most okay-developed plotline out of all. and that's it.

basically, animation IS absolutely god-tier, but I forgot about it trying to make sense of what was happening and where things were going and why. i just can't call something a good movie when the story is all over the place, and not in a "it's up to you to decide what happened" but just "we set it up and then dropped without even any hints"

[muraski-yume]

3/4 Akira

I was so not ready for this. I'd heard about Akira early into my Japanese journey and based on the poster and the art style I guess I'd expected it to be something similar to Tron: Legacy with the whole cyberpunk dystopian world feel but wow.

Starting off the art style really gave me Scooby Doo and Spiderman comic vibes with the color pallet as well as how the background moves in one whole piece. Despite reading several explanations online because I'm still a bit fuzzy on the plot, some of my biggest takeaways were these.

Firstly, there's a constant sort of push and pull between who the "bad" guys are and who the "good" ones are. When the first child (Takashi) appeared I was instantly confused because he looked very old and he's fleeing something but then its revealed he actually likes the Colonel along with Kiyoko and Masaru so then I thought maybe the resistance man who was fleeing with him kidnapped him (I'm still unclear tbh). Theres also the side events of the two biker gangs so that was a bit confusing too. As for Akira itself? himself? he seems connected to the original bombing of old Tokyo so his body parts? are locked away but then he saves everyone after being resurrected by the 3 Espers?? OVERALL I WAS SUPER CONFUSED.

BUT it is obvious that good or bad the government is definitely responsible, doing all these experiments on these poor children who've been "thrown away" and then eliminating Akira for getting too powerful- yet another plot point that is wracking my brain. Akira is made out to be this otherworldly being locked away for the supposed greater good only to be revealed as this 10 year old? child the government essentially tortured. I do wonder why he wasn't old and wrinkly looking like the other 3 children as well as what the deal with the palm print numbers was. Because if Akira supposedly caused the old Tokyo bomb 30 years ago maybe the other kids still chronologically but not physically? Also I was not amused when the Colonel not so subtly admits the government basically tore Akira to pieces to study every part of him.

Despite the constant whiplash of side tangents I was really struck by the loyalty of Kaneda to Tetsuo, desperate to save him up until the very end. He is desperate to find him after he's taken to an undisclosed hospital and despite having multiple opportunities can't bring himself to actually take the kill-shot as Tetsuo is releasing Akira. He even jumps into the mass of flesh and metal to try to save Testuo.

Maybe the overall message is that we should be careful of our use of technology and value the people around us. I still thought it was very visually appealing and maybe by my 3rd or 4th watch I'll understand it better.

[useless-bi-otch]

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 27

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 27 - Queens and Clowns

Note: This chapter contains scenes only suitable for 18+ audiences (A.K.A. smut). You’ve been warned

.

Now that he and Tomori were together and knew each other a lot better, Okubo wondered how he hadn't noticed the signs before.

They've always been there, right under his nose. She had warned him about them herself, and he had chosen to ignore it long enough to be vulnerable. And now, he was in that situation, trapped between a rock and a hard place because of a promise.

All because she, in addition to being cute and sweet, was calculating, slightly manipulative and fully aware of the effects she had on him. If he had noticed these signs sooner, he would have set boundaries from the start. But now it was too late, and he was...

"... Wrapped around her little finger."

"Being held by the balls."

“Lassoed and ridden like the bald bull you are."

"You're good at thinking of synonyms, but not at helping me think of a way out, aren't you, you bastards?!," Okubo grunts, taking an angry bite of his pizza slice while watching Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda being complete assholes to each other during the most violent Mario Kart competition he had ever watched in his entire life. "I'm serious , that girl put me behind the eight ball!"

"Sorry to say that, Okubo, but you're the one who got yourself into this," Kaneda comments, ignoring the curse Rihito shouted in his ear when he throw him off the track with a red shell. "You shouldn’t have agreed to go out with her when you had a bruise too obvious to go unnoticed."

"Or you should've lied and said that it was one of us who did that to you during a sparring session- Rihito, you son of a bitch!," Himuro yells when Rihito throws a banana peel in front of him on the track and makes him spin. Rihito laughs out loud.

"Suck on that banana, you man-whore! And yeah, man, you should've said that. It was a lie, but it was for the greater good, right?"

"I thought about doing that, but I couldn't!," He gestures frustrated. "I don't know what's with her eyes, but I'm totally incapable of lying when I look into them! It's a mix between Puss in Boots from Shrek and a human version of Hello Kitty with the softest, most good smelling boobs in the world! It was a lost battle from the start..."

"You couldn't even put your foot down? Like, saying you won't take her to see a Kengan match and that's it, no more whining?," Himuro asks, grinding his teeth while trying to pass by Rihito without being hit by the green shells that surrounded him. Okubo shakes his head, shoving the rest of the pizza into his mouth at once.

“I wanted to do that, but I just couldn't. She was naked at the time, just out of the shower, all wet and smelling good," He can't hold back, smiling when he remembers, still chewing. "With her asking like that, there's no grown man who can resist."

"Holy shit, dude… now I understand why you took so long to fuck her."

"What do you mean?"

"You knew that your brain cells were all stored in your balls and that she would empty them without thinking twice."

"Fuck you, Rihito!"

"Too late, I'm doing just fine! Yes!," Rihito raises the joy-con in the air in celebration as he manages to pass Kaneda on the last corner and cross the finish line first. Kaneda moans, throwing his head back, while Himuro throws a small tantrum and throws the other joy-con onto a cushion. Good thing, because Okubo would beat his ass if he broke even one piece of his Nintendo Switch. "Gentlemen, I'm fuckin' unbeatable!"

"No way, this is just the first championship you've won tonight," Himuro snorts with a frown. "You were ahead of Kaneda by a measly four points."

"Which I intend to keep in the future. Now, go eat a pizza slice with Egghead, I have a lil' fucker to beat," Rihito dismisses him with hand gestures, to which Himuro gives him the middle finger before leaving the joy-con aside and walking away, sulking.

"Asshole... get his ass for me, Kaneda."

"Haha, I'll do my best. Anyway, Okubo...," Kaneda turned to Okubo while Rihito adjusted the game's settings. "Now that you promised her, there's no going back. Breaking the promise could be worse for you."

"I know…," Okubo scratches the back of his head, tired. "I wouldn't do that to her anyway. She's been honest with me, the least I can do is reciprocate."

"Yeah, but at what cost?," Himuro says while grabbing a pizza slice inside the box on the kitchen counter. "We already talked about the risks, remember?"

"I do...

"And you're still going to go ahead with that idea?"

"It's not because I want to, Himuro," He retorts angrily. "Don't you guys understand? She didn't give me a choice. It almost looks like an ultimatum," He sighs. "If I keep more things from her, she'll think I'm not being honest enough and conclude that it's not worth investing in our relationship. It's that thing about giving too much and getting too little in return... and I want to give as much as I get."

"Holy shit, that came out so wrong, hahaha!"

"Shut up, Rihito, I'm serious!"

"Okay, okay, you want to be serious, right? So let's be serious," Rihito forces himself to stop laughing, looking seriously at him while Kaneda chooses a cup. "You don't want her to know about the Kengan Association because it might be risky for her or is there more to it?"

Okubo immediately gets uncomfortable. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know, you're focusing too much on something that can be easily solved," Rihito shrugs. "If your concern is with her safety, that's fine. She'll have you and us, if you're the one fighting, to protect her."

"Wow... would y'all really do that?"

"Of course. We like her too," Kaneda guarantees with a nod. "Not just because she's your girlfriend who isn't quite your girlfriend."

"Yeah. She's just a nice girl," Himuro shrugs.

"Yep! She's crazy and a little sarcastic and judgemental, but still cute," Rihito agrees. Okubo sniffs a little.

“Gee, guys… you really-”

"Not to mention that if I play bodyguard, she'll owe me one! Then I can ask for her friend's number as a payment without feeling guilty about it."

"Holy shit, you're the most self-serving jerks I've ever met in my entire fucking life," Okubo runs a hand over his face, grunting. "Okay, I'm glad you guys want to do this for her too. But continue your reasoning, Rihito."

"Alright," Rihito and Kaneda turned their attention to the match again, but the former kept talking. "If that was your only concern, you'd already know that it is very easy to solve. But there's more to it, right? Because when you mix Miss Uta and you, there's always something more. I've got your number..."

"Unf. Aren't you an observant motherfucker..."

"You're just that obvious, bro."

"Indeed," Kaneda and Himuro nod together, and Okubo glares at them indignantly.

"And you still agree with him! Ugh... okay, it's not just that," He finally admits. "It also has to do with moral issues."

"Moral issues?"

"Yeah, like... you're aware of how she's an avid martial arts fan, right? She's always watching the fights in the major leagues, even the lesser known ones," He takes another pizza slice from the box, eating it with a frown. "Only all those leagues are public, safe and full of rules. I don't know what she'd think of an underground league, let alone one like the one the Kengan Association maintains..."

"Look, I think she already guessed that you're involved with underground fighting, considering how you kept hammering this 'backstage league' thing," Himuro forms quotation marks with his fingers, to which Okubo shakes his head.

“But she doesn't know the full extent of the whole thing. It's something much more serious than a bunch of alley jesters getting together to beat each other to a pulp without much safety involved," He finishes chewing and swallowing, burping afterwards and continuing, "Rock bottom always has a basement. And I... I don't know, I'm worried that she might think this is wrong."

"But that's the thing, man… from a legal point of view, it's wrong ," Himuro arches an eyebrow, to which he snorts.

"Wrong to the point that she thinks our relationship isn't worth the effort! That she doesn't want anything to do with a guy who gets involved with that stuff. And the whole thing is very violent, much more than what she's used to seeing on television..."

"Oh... you're thinking she's one of those purist fans then... Damn it!," Rihito curses when a blue shell hits him, allowing Kaneda to pass him. "There'll be payback, mark my words!"

"I'm going to leave my change purse ready, haha ," Kaneda jokes.

“Either that or she became more adept at the concepts of right and wrong after she got over her delinquent phase,” Okubo muses, and Himuro frowns at him.

"Delinquent phase? What, just because of that tattoo?"

"No, she was absolutely deranged during her teens, according to herself. She almost got expelled from school once," He says, eyes wide; the fact still amazed him a little. Rihito lets out a mocking laugh.

"Give me a break! The tattoo thing I can believe in, but this?"

"If you're doubting it, ask her the next time you see each other. Anyway...," Okubo shakes his head. "She doesn't deny her past, but today she tries to distance herself from it. And if she concludes that I'm not following the same path, that the Kengan Association goes against the kind of life she's been trying to maintain... ugh, I don't know," He scratches his whole face with his hands, eyes squeezed shut. "I just don't want her to give up on us because of this!"

"Does that make you rethink your participation in the Kengan matches as a whole?," Kaneda asks, and Okubo needs to think a bit before answering.

"No… I mean, I'm just like you guys, I enjoy fighting without all the rules of the public leagues. Ultimate Fight has hardly offered me more challenges, I'm already at a much higher level-"

"If your ego inflates more, it'll replace your car's airbags."

"And the Kengan Association provides me with that," He continues, ignoring Rihito's comment. "I don't care about the businessmen's shenanigans, as long as I can fight strong guys. It's the same with you. I'm just worried that she won't accept it..."

There is a brief moment of silence while Himuro thinks and Kaneda and Rihito slaughter each other on screen. Himuro then asks the question he honestly didn't want any of them to ask.

"If she doesn't accept it, will you consider this a thing that's doomed to fail? If neither you nor she are willing to compromise..."

Okubo sighs heavily.

"I don't know, man. I don't want it at all. But if things get to that point..."

"If it gets to that point and you see that you are at an impasse, it means that she's not the right girl for you. It's that simple," Kaneda says. "And there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes people just don't work together and it's no one's fault but circumstances'."

"I know. But it's been a while since I wanted something to work so much in my life," Okubo admits, a little embarrassed, but unable to contain himself. "You can say I sound like a sappy fagot and shit, but I don't think I'll find anyone like her anytime soon. And I don't want to. I just didn't want to have to give up one thing to have the other. It's so fucking unfair"!

"Maybe you don't have to!," Rihito says, leaning to the side when making a sharp turn. "If she really was that deranged like you're saying, maybe she won't think it's that wrong. Who knows, maybe she even likes it," He suddenly gives a mischievous laugh. "Maybe she'll get all excited with your performance in a match and wants to try some moves with you on the mattress, hehehe..."

"Rihito, what are you saying..."

“No, Iron Fingers might be right. This is an outright muscle eater we're talking about," Himuro says to Kaneda. "Like, I don't think she would like to see Okubo killing someone in the middle of a match-"

"I don't even intend to! I almost killed my first opponent in Ultimate Fight and I'm traumatized to this day...," Okubo shivers. Himuro nods.

"See? She wouldn't like it, but a fair, violent, bloody fight is something else. Some girls really get turned on with this stuff. If that's Miss Uta's case..."

Okubo blinks. And then he opens a huge stupid smile, even blushing a little.

"Jeez, gigolo, you really think so? Because man, if I win a Kengan match and it gets my Tomoh all horny for me, I'll be more than happy to crush other people's faces!"

"Fucking simp!"

"Fuck off, Rihito," He snorts while Himuro and Kaneda laugh. "The day you feel the softness of the right titties, I'm the one who's going to be laughing."

"Look, I don't know if they were the right ones, but I sure felt the softness of several titties a few days ago," Rihito opens the very same stupid smile. "There's no best way to celebrate Komada's first victory in months, dammit. .."

"Oh yeah, you went to celebrate at Ms. Rino's club on the same day as Okubo's Kengan match," Kaneda comments, and Rihito nods, his chest puffed out.

"We sure as hell did! The girls were so sweet with us. First time I went to celebrate with Komada and Ivan too, since my official brothel bro gave up on that life," He mutters in a sullen tone, to which Okubo smiles in the corner.

“Sorry for that, man. I liked the Golden Pleasure Club as much as you, but I wouldn't trade what I have now for anything."

"I know, bro. 'We're happy for you, you know that," Rihito nods. "And it's because we know how important this is to you that we're telling you not to expect the worst. Your chick is a martial arts lover. She's the type who knows that, sometimes, men only understand each other through violence," He laughs. "Just tell it like it is. If she knows you like she says she does, she won't be on your case."

Okubo smiles wider, his chest lightening considerably. He scratches the back of his head.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks..."

"Yeah, you're so right I'm almost wondering if you're really Rihito," Himuro arches an eyebrow, to which Kaneda chuckles.

"Don't they say that even a broken clock is right twice a day? Well…"

"Why don't you go screw yourselves? Fuckin' bastards," Rihito grumbles, ignoring the laughter of the others. "You shouldn't even be surprised, I've been on a winning streak like no other lately. It's one win after the other!"

"You say that, but you're still behind me on that last lap..."

"Not for long. Go boomerang!," He screams, and laughs loudly when said boomerang hits Yoshi right in front of him. Kaneda lets out an indignant exclamation.

"Aaah! I could accept it if it was a shell, but a boomerang? It's too humiliating!"

"People do what they can with what they have, man! Hell yeah!," He celebrates when he crosses the finish line in first place, even getting up from the mat to do a little victory dance. "Another glorious victory for me, dammit! The other pizza is all mine!"

"Shit…," Himuro grunts, rolling his eyes while Kaneda scratches his headr tiredly. ​​"Now we're going to have to put up with this bullshit… can I go smoke on your balcony, Okubo? I'll close the glass door so the smoke doesn't get in, I just need to put nicotine into my system to withstand this..."

“Sure, man, go kill your heartache with some cancerogenous smoke,” Okubo jokes as Rihito does a victory dance in the middle of the room. Kaneda sighs and puts down the joy-con as Himuro marches to the apartment's balcony, looking pissed, ignoring Rihito's mocking laughter as best he can.

"Who said Superman's winning streak would be short-lived, huh? I'm kicking some major ass!"

"Yeah, just be careful not to fuck it up to the point of fucking your business," Okubo hands him another pizza box, still unopened. "Yamashita is sending you messages about your employees’ licenses issues. Better get that outta the way before it comes back to bite you in the ass, man."

Rihito moans loudly, throwing his head back.

"Damn, I hate these bureaucracies."

"It's annoying, but necessary, since you're a CEO as well as a fighter," Kaneda comments while turning off the Switch. "The sooner you deal with this, the better."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop by his office on Friday and sort this thing out, I promise," Rihito nods before turning to Okubo. "And you! You better solve this mess with Miss Uta sooner than later too. We can't wait for this soap opera to end and for us to reap the fruits of it."

"Bro, I swear to God, if you talk about her friend's phone number one more time...!"

"Nah, this time I'll be quiet. Unless, of course, you mention to her that we were the ones who pushed you in the right direction, and if she wants to thank us by being generous..."

Kaneda ends up laughing, and even Himuro, from the balcony, lets out a low, husky chuckle. Okubo just rolls his eyes, but he does so while trying to hold a smile back.

He was already kind of indebted to his friends for everything they had done to help him sort things out with Tomori, Rihito in particular. If everything worked out between them and she accepted this unconventional aspect of his life, why not bring the subject up? At least Rihito would stop pestering them like that. And he would pay off his debt.

"I hope your friend likes inconvenient idiots as much as you do, Tomoh..."

* * *

"So, what do you think?," Okubo asks while closing the door behind him, his tone a bit playful to disguise his shyness. "Is it as you imagined or did the typical masculine carelessness exceed your expectations?"

"What exceeded my expectations was the size. Holy crap...," Tomori comments, sounding impressed, as she walks around the living room of his apartment, even walking backwards so she can contemplate the place as a whole. "So this is how the luxury apartments in Tokyo's upscale area are from the inside!

"Eh, there are much more luxurious buildings around here, to be honest. For a guy who lives alone, this is enough," He decrees, hands on hips, to which she smiles a little mockingly at him.

"A guy who lives alone and has lotta cash in the bank, right?"

"Hey, I'm no saudi prince, but I deserve to have some luxuries with the money I earn working, right?," He shrugs, taking it in stride. "You could also have some if you let me spend a little on you..."

"Nah-ah-ah! You can stop right there," She raises the palm of her right hand to him like a traffic cop. "I'm getting enough luxuries just to be able to spend one night here with you. You sure there's no problem?"

"None! I cleaned the whole place to be worthy of your presence," He jokes, going to her and hugging her around the waist. "I even went to the market and stocked the fridge, all with your teachings in mind. We'll be able to watch Seki's fight in style!"

"Really? Such consideration!," She returns the hug, smiling at him. "Unless, of course, this is a very well thought out scheme to make me cook."

"Would you rather eat food made by me then? The guy who couldn't even get the shape of rice balls right before you showed him how?"

"I would help you! It would be a nice thing for us to do together."

"I'm up for it, but right now I'm thinking of something else for us to do together...," He bends down to reach her, exchanging a peck with her before going to kiss and nibble her neck, to which she laughs and shivers with the tickling.

"Wow, I really spoiled you, didn't I? Leave it for tonight, after Mr. Seki's match," She murmurs against his mouth, after giving him a longer kiss. "Then the gratuitous violence on television will have put me in the perfect mood."

"You're such a weirdo, Tomoh."

"Pot, meet kettle. I've got your number, mr. 'I-Get-Sad-And-Pouty-When-The-Woman-I-Like-Doesn't-Let-Me-Spend-Stacks-Of-Money-On-Her'."

"That just makes you even weirder," He smiles more, lifting her off the ground and making her scream. "And it makes me like you more and more..."

He kisses her again, and even though she starts slapping his shoulders, she doesn't protest in the slightest. On the contrary, she manages to encircle his waist with her legs, and Okubo concludes that it would be very easy to take her to the bedroom (or to the sofa, in case they concluded that the distance between the bedroom and the living room was too great) and get busy with her. The could leave the tour on the whole apartment for after they've satisfied themselves. They would have all day, after all.

It was so good to have fallen in love with a woman who seemed to have the same sex drive as him, or at least enough that neither of them ended up frustrated. Another of the many things they had in common, and he couldn't get enough of discovering more and more of them every time they were together.

It was what made him not want to believe what Kaneda had said a few days ago. That speech about her not being the right girl for him, in case their opinions regarding his participation in an association that promoted underground fights were very discordant. Where else would he find someone as amazing as her? Someone he was so in tune with? Where else would he find that warmth, that joy, that feeling that everything in the world was in the right place when he was with her?

He didn't want to give that up if he could help it. He wanted to get those doubts out of the way so he could commit to her, and not hide anything else. The opportunity had arisen when Sekibayashi Jun's next performance had been announced to be broadcast on a pay-per-view channel, and Okubo had offered his own television, with the combat channels already included in its premium subscription package, to Tomori, so that she herself would not have to pay.

"Is everything all right for you, Naoh?," She had asked, surprised and a little hesitant, after he had made the offer during their date a few days before. He had nodded with a laidback smile. "It won't be any trouble?"

"Of course not! Why would having you at my place would be trouble?"

"No, that's not it. It's just that... now I know that you get a little jealous of seeing me kissing up to other fighters, so I don't want to push your goodwill..."

She had looked embarrassed, and Okubo had felt bad for making her think he was the kind of possessive idiot who was jealous of even the celebrities his girlfriend admired. He reached across the table where they were both eating, in a small pub.

"You won't, I promise. I'd never ask you to put aside your love for martial arts because of my insecurities, Tomori. It's that dedication that makes you who you are, and I'll never want to change that."

She had smiled when he had touched her face, lifting her fingers to touch his hand as well.

"Great. Thank you..."

"And there's no reason for me to be jealous of that old man Sekibayashi, who's more like a grandpa on a national scale than anything else, haha!"

"He's not even ten years older than you, so your national grandpa status shouldn't be more than a decade away either."

"Hey, hey, how long are you going to make fun of my age? That says more about you than me, you old man lover!"

She had laughed out loud, holding his hand up to her face and turning her head to the side to plant a kiss in the palm.

"I'm not an old man lover! I only like one in particular..."

He would have kissed her right there if the place had been more suitable. And now that they were there, in his apartment, away from judgmental eyes and safe behind all those walls, he just couldn't and didn't want to stop.

If being completely honest with her had been easier and potentially less painful, he already would have been. He would have taken her to watch a Kengan match live, even. But the fear of losing all that was still too much, so he preferred to test the waters before being more open. A good start would be to give her a fun day, back at his apartment, which she's been wanting to visit for a while. Combining business with pleasure, that's what they called it.

“And if I can tame the beast with some sexy times, even better!”

The thought makes him deepen the kiss, whereupon she moans softly against his mouth and grips his shoulders through the top of his shirt.

"Hnnn... man, you really don't waste time..."

"I'm no broken clock to waste time. I like to get straight to the point, you know..."

"I know that well now. But I still want to see the rest of your apartment, you know."

"Oh, we can take a tour right now," He suggests, pulling his lips away from hers just enough to be able to speak. "Starting with my room…"

"Oooh, that's right. Your room," Her eyes suddenly narrow. "It's the place I'm most curious to see, to be honest."

He smiles, all mischievous. "Heh, I can imagine why. I assure you, my bed is almost as big as the one in that love hotel's room-"

“I still haven't got even for that day."

Okubo's smile dies a little, giving way to bewilderment.

"Even...?"

"Yup. Put me down, please," She asks, and he, even more confused, obliges. She marches into the hallway, as Okubo follows. What the hell was she...?

His question is answered when she reaches a door at the end of the hall. She turns to him, arching an eyebrow.

"Is this your room?"

"Uh… yes, it is," He nods, his brow furrowed. "Why? What are you...?"

And instead of answering, she simply reaches out and grabs the  doorknob, turning it and opening the door. Okubo can only stare, speechless, as she looks over her shoulder at him, gives him a petulant look as if daring him to protest, and enters the room without even asking permission.

Shit, he didn't know whether to be indignant or have a fit of laughter. He opts for a middle ground, chuckling softly as he rolls his eyes.

"Okay, I deserved that."

And he enters the room right behind her.

He watches her, from the doorway, walk around the room while inspecting everything with interest. He chuckles again when she places a hand over her chin, frowning.

"Disappointed?"

"Not at all. Your bed is really big, wow...," She comments, sitting on the huge mattress, and he smiles more.

"Now you can see why I want to get you there so badly. Just imagine how comfortable it is...," He pats one of the pillows, very pleased to demonstrate its softness. In general, his room was a bit plain, with the king size bed custom-made for him, the dressers flanking it, the closet and the bathroom with a huge bathtub that completed the suite. More personal things that denoted more of his personality and tastes were in his game and reading rooms, but banging her in those places wouldn't be nearly as comfortable as here. "And there's even a view of the city lights at night!"

He indicates the large window in the wall beside the bed, which gave them a view of the surrounding apartment complexes. Tomori smiles, lying on her side on the bed.

"Yeah, it must be very romantic..."

"That's because you haven't seen my lighting system yet! Check it out..."

He rushes to draw the curtains around the window, plunging the room into a soft gloom. And then he claps his hands twice, while throwing a mysterious smile at her.

"Open Sesame!"

Tomori lets out a sound that was a mix of laughter and excited gasp as soft lights come on behind the headboard and at strategic points on the ceiling, around the main source of light, giving the room a cozy atmosphere. She claps her hands as well as she sits back on the mattress.

"Beautiful! I'm going to love sleeping here tonight."

"Thank you, thank you very much," He gives a playful bow. "But you sure won't love it as much as I will!"

"We'll see about that... but look, Naoh, the correct phrase would be 'let there be light', right? ‘Open Sesame’ is for opening things, not turning on lights, haha.

"… If I say that what I wanted was to 'open your legs', will I be able to get away with being made fun of without sounding like a complete asshole?"

She laughs out loud, opening her arms to him.

"No, you won't. Now come here and kiss me before I change my mind and hit you."

And he goes, flushed but still as happy as he can be, climbing onto the bed and holding her close as he complies with her request with an excitement that has her giggling against his mouth. Soon they were lying on the bed, he propping himself up on his elbows so he wouldn't put too much weight on her, her hands touching his back over his shirt as her legs lifted, her feet brushing the sides of his hips.

“Hnnn… I kinda made a miscalculation,” she murmurs after they've both pulled back just enough to catch their breath. Okubo blinks.

"Miscalculation...?"

"Yeah. I should've explored the other rooms in your apartment before I decided to be petty and go into your room. I can see that we won't be able to get out of here anytime soon, haha..."

"And you think you won't have another opportunity to see everything?," He looks at her with a malicious smile. "Or to spend the night here more often?"

She smiles back, practically melting under him at those words.

"Now that I've heard it, I don't think so anymore."

And she then brings him for another kiss, already starting to try to take his shirt off by the hem. She loved to joke about how he was in a hurry, but he sure as hell wasn't the only one there who wasted no time...

He loved it when she didn't stall and showed ho much she wanted him. Promptly, Okubo removed the shirt she held by the hem, letting her help him, and promptly letting her caress his ego with her eyes. And her brown eyes, practically devouring him, made him feel like he was on fire.

"I really don't know how you can think you're ugly," She purrs, those avid eyes seeming to burn. "I think you're really hot, I always have…"

"I don't think men are hot, that must be why," he jokes back. "But you…," he kisses her neck, lifting her blouse.

She raises her arms to make his job easier, and soon, her breasts supported by her pale blue bra are visible to him in all their glory.

"I never get tired of hearing that, you know?," She murmurs, her tone desirous. "I used to get frustrated, thinking that you only thought I was cute. But now that I know you think I'm hot too... wow, that drives me crazy...," And she lifts her hips a little to rub herself between his legs, through the fabric of her skirt.

“Always and always,"” He pulls her bra over it this time, so as not to confuse where the clasp is, and he immediately buries his face between her breasts, purring contentedly with her softness, warmth, and scent. She giggled as she shivered at his breath on her skin.

"Your favorite pillow, right? Oooh...," She gasps softly with his kisses there in the middle. "Naoh..."

"More than that…," he laughs softly. "It’s closer to the heart of the one I love…"

The smile fades as her mouth opens in an O of astonishment, her brown eyes widening. He could see a very distinctive glow forming at the bottom of them, her cheeks staining with that shade of pink he loved.

"... Huh? Naoya, you...," She swallows hard, and when she speaks again; her voice seems almost choked. "It's- It's the first time you say that..."

He looks at her, big gray eyes peeking out between her breasts. "Hmm? Say what?"

"... You're really going to make me say it, aren't you?," She closes her mouth when her lower lip trembles a little. "It's the first time that you say you love me."

... Oh, fuck. Loudmouth was the perfect nickname for him, wasn't it?

He feels his face burning, his eyes widening, his stomach doing somersaults worthy of an acrobat. Holy shit, he had planned so much, rehearsed so many times in front of the mirror, had fantasized so much about the best ways to confess to her! But he had to blurt it out like that, on the spur of the moment!

“Well, there's nothing you can do about that now, dumbass! Just go with the flow and clear your doubts while you’re at it!"

"Oh..." he babbles, his face red. "Yeah… I said that. Do you like it?"

"… I do," She nods after hesitating, looking at him with an affection so intense it takes his breath away. "Because I feel the same way. I... I love you too, mountain. Uugh, you…!," She hides her face in her hands, as red as he is. "Making me act all sappy when I want to be naughty…!"

He blinks in astonishment, suddenly feeling all warm inside, smiling like an idiot, but not in a perverted way. It was almost as if his eyes had doubled in size, his breath hitching for a minute.

“Damn it, she loves me too!,” was all that ran through his head, like a wonderful movie that he would never get tired of replaying, over and over, until the idea sank in. He looks deep into her eyes, and in her flushed face, he sees no reason to doubt her words.

“She loves me too...”

Then his smile turns into something naughty. "And can't we be both? Here, I'll show you," he kisses her on the neck. "My beautiful, gorgeous, delicious brunette who fills me with hunger…!," and grunts against her skin between kisses. "Raaaawn!"

She squeals and laughs out loud, bucking all over beneath him, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. He couldn't tell if they were from laughter, from happiness or both. All he knew was that she looked even more beautiful that way, damn it!

"Hahahaha! That's a low blohohohow...! My god...," She goes completely limp, throwing her head back, the smile seeming about to tear her face. "I'm so happy, I want you so much..."

"I want you too...," He lifts her skirt, kissing down to arouse her, and massaging her legs in the process, even kissing the inside of one of them to make her shiver with the proximity. And he succeeds, making her shudder all over as she bites her bottom lip.

"Hnnn… you really like kissing me there, don't you? Ever since that time at the love hotel..."

"A fruit like that is something I'll always want to eat," he surprises her by going straight to the middle of her legs, over her panties, biting the fabric. She arches her back into the bed, letting out a loud sound of astonishment and pleasure as she wraps her legs around his head automatically, making his face practically rub against it. Holy shit, that was a leg lock capable of knocking any motherfucker down, no matter how big he was!

"Aaaah...! Yeah, right there...," She support her hands on his head, her nails passing through his scalp, scratching lightly. He only gets a little space to run a finger and push aside her panties and kiss her, right there in the middle. And he opens her lips with his tongue to reach a very important part.

Her moan echoes in the room, her legs opening wider and letting him breathe as well as giving him more room to work. He sees her lift her head, staring at him from between her breasts rising and falling with her breath, her eyes almost black.

"Yes, I love your tongue, I love you, I- oooh, yes, yes...!," She closes her teary eyes tightly with his licks. If he wanted romance amongst the naughtiness, that's what he was going to get. He smiles and kisses her more languidly, loving the sounds she was making, squeezing her buttocks in his hands, lifting her a little higher to explore new areas.

Her toes twitch as she bites her mouth, hands cupping her breasts, her fingers playing with her own nipples. She thanked every deity that might exist that he learned so quickly, that tongue was devilish in every sense of the word. But the damn panties getting in the way were so annoying... she reaches out to cup his face, making him stop.

"Naoh, I wanna try something…"

He stops, looking at her and licking his lips. "What?"

She pulls away just enough so that she can take off her panties, dropping them on the bedroom floor. And then she pats the mattress with her hand, right beside her.

"Lie down for me, please…"

Okubo complies, smirking, curious as to what she's going to do. She notices that he was already quite excited under his pants. If he was like this with just tasting her… She really hoped he was only going to get even more excited about what she was going to do from then on. She smiles, climbing on top of him and kissing him, tasting herself on his tongue before stopping. And then she climbs higher, lifting her hips, until she's right on top of his face, her legs straddled and braced on either side of his head, her breathing faster with the urge.

“Wow, I've always wanted to try this… wanna try it too?"

He smiles. "Wow, if you always wanted to, then it's my dream," he pulls her to literally sit on his face, and sighs. "Nnnnh, thanks, ahahhah," and he laughs before kissing her again.

She can barely laugh along, already moaning with satisfaction and bracing her hands on the headboard for support, moving her hips back and forth slowly, following the path of his tongue.

"Hnnnn, you're- you're welcome... ooh, yeah, you're doing so great... I taught you well, didn't I? Hnnnn...!"

"Being hot is your natural talent…," he says while savoring, supporting her buttocks with his arms so that she can move more comfortably. And she gladly does, squirming in his face and loving it, shivering and throwing her head back every time his tongue goes over her clit, moaning loudly because she knew how much he loved to hear it.

"Oooh...! Naoh, this feels so good... I-I'm almost there, don't stop...!"

And he wouldn't be crazy to do that. He even sucked at her noisily, massaging her legs even more, taking a lick to catch her honey, and punishing her clit with his tongue.

The "punishment" proves too much for her, and soon he's tasting her, pure and concentrated, on his tongue, accompanied by those familiar pulsations and her moan that was almost a scream, filling his ears like erotic music.

"AaaAAAAH! Naoooh...," She bends forward, her legs shaking on either side of his head. "My- My god, you're too good for me, hnnnn..."

This softened his ego so much that if someone made a roast beef out of him right now, it would be the juiciest of dishes. He gave her one last kiss before making her come down and sit on his lap so he could appreciate her face, her messy hair, her rosy cheeks, her shuddering breath. She finds his semi-smug face.

"I'm just what you deserve me to be, Tomoh..."

She even shudders at the husky tone of his voice, as well as the place where she was sitting. The bulge brushing between her sensitive parts…she shivers all over as she bends down to kiss him, not caring that his mouth was all sticky.

"Hnnn... oh yeah? So you deserve me to be very good to you too..."

And she bends down to kiss and lick his broad chest, as he had done to her. He laughs a little, feeling a little ticklish, but still lets her kiss him, holding onto her waist, biting his lip as he feels her sway on top of him. He wanted to remove the rest of her clothes, but he let her play with him a little more. Things shouldn't be rushed, not when he wanted to enjoy every second.

Soon her hands were on the waistband of his pants, and apparently she didn't have much patience for teasing that day, because she was soon opening the button and unzipping his pants, licking her lips as she did so.

“Hnnn… you got that way just from licking me?," She asks hoarsely, getting rid of his pants and holding his cock by the base.

"And seeing you, smelling you… I have to control myself, you know? Hnm," he sighs when she holds him and starts massaging him. "And now, with you touching me, there's no other way I can be…"

"I can see that... what if I do this?," She looks at him as she licks the tip, circling it with her tongue before closing her lips around it and sucking. "Hnnn…"

He trembles, biting his lip and hissing. "I think… oh… I don’t think I need to answer, right…? Ooh…," he holds her hair, in a ponytail on top of her head, so as not to disturb either her job or the view. She responds by lowering her mouth further, circling it with her tongue and then moving up while applying pressure. And from there she said nothing more, letting her actions speak for herself, eyes closed as she moved her head up and down, her mouth making smacking sounds. Her enjoying doing it so much was something he was never going to get tired of, holy shit.

"Tomori... hmmmm…," he murmurs. "Ooh… and you still talk about me… oohh… I'm loving this… hmmm… yeah, babe, just like that, oohm…"

She looks at him, not stopping what she was doing, but changing tactics a little by releasing him and closing her mouth around his cock, goingo up and down while holding him with one hand, the other resting on his thigh. That mischievous face, those eyes staring shamelessly into his... how could he ever think she was the epitome of innocence?

He had never been so happy to be wrong. Wolf in sheep's clothing, indeed. And what a wolf!

"Hnnn… I really do," She murmurs after releasing him to breathe. "Because I know you're as naughty as I am," And she keeps going back and forth with her tongue, from base to tip. He doesn't deny it, because it was the purest truth, and because that hot pressure rising prevented him from being very coherent.

"Uuhh… hnmmm… Tomoh… oh," he trembles. "I'm… hmm… I'm almost…"

She retraces all the way to the tip at that, closing her mouth around him again and sucking hard, massaging what she couldn't quite swallow with her fingers, her tongue punishing the slit, as he had done to her. He loved it when she got vindictive like that, damn it!

"Hmmm! Oohh… Tomo-ohhh!," he arches his back at his climax, trembling at the base, and upon feeling that he's locked, she quickly feels him spurt into her mouth, hot and plentiful. She sucked some more to clean it all up, enjoying his dazed face. She then lets go of him, taking a deep breath and licking her lips before going up, kissing his body all the way until she reaches his mouth, which she kisses even harder.

"Hnnn, I love the way you taste..."

He doesn't respond right away this time, just reciprocating, hugging her tightly, massaging her back, hips and buttocks happily, and then letting go of her mouth.

"Hnn... I can't find anything I don't love about you, Tomori."

She smiles, and this time, it was a tender, cheerful, adorable smile like only the ones she knew how to give. She gives him a peck and hugs him back, her head snuggled into his shoulder.

"If you think about it a little bit, you should find something, but I won't ask you to do that. Right now I can't think of anything I don't love about you too..."

He smiles, stroking her hair. It was so soft… he even closed his eyes in satisfaction, stretching out on the bed. He could feel himself light-headed, carefree…

"Naoh...," She calls out suddenly, her voice low, hesitant. "Did you… did you mean it when you said that earlier? It... wasn't it on the spur of the moment?"

"Hm?," he looks at her. "I decided to be honest with you, didn't I? So, yeah, I'm serious...," He didn't want to say how much he wasn't willing to let go of her at any moment; he still feared that it could be used against him, somehow. He loved her and that was undeniable, but holy shit, if that story about true love not making you blind wasn't true. She curls up in his arms, sighing.

“It's just that sometimes it feels too good to be true, you know. I don't know if you feel the same or if it's just me..."

"I have no idea how to compare it, Tomoh…," he sighs. "But I just know that I really care and I'm willing to prove it."

"… Then say it again," She asks, swallowing a little. "Please. Now that our heads are a little clearer..."

She sounded fragile, for some reason. As if she was afraid of something and wanted to be reassured, comforted…he didn't know what had caused it, or if for some reason she had trouble believing it. But if that was a trap...

“Is that what you expect from the woman you swear you love? Maybe you don't love her that much then. And you keeps accusing her of always jumping to the worst conclusions.”

Guilt makes him cringe too. And it's the desire to prove to his conscience how wrong it was that impels him to say what she wanted to hear, and honestly, what he's wanted to say for so long.

"I love you, Tomori," he smiles, and speaks a little louder. "I love you, Shortie."

She lets out a loud, pig-like snort and quickly covers her mouth to stifle her ridiculous laughter. He, on the other hand, laughs out loud without trying to hide it.

"What the fuck was that noise?!

"Shut- Shut up, leave me alone! You're the one who started with this 'shortie' thing..."

"Which is what you are!"

“Anyone is short next to you, you freakin' Ent..."

"If you knew half of my social circle, you wouldn't say that. Now it's your turn!"

"Me? Oooh, now I don't want to..."

"No, now I want to hear it from you too, Piglet!"

She slaps his chest, trying to look angry and failing. There's a brief moment of silence before she looks up at him, her cheeks flushed, a smile lifting the corners of her lips.

"I love you too, Naoya."

He kisses her, as if to reward her, but also tickles her just as a joke, trapping her. It works, considering how she giggles against his lips and squirms, trying to escape his arms but soon giving up.

"Uugh, you take advantage of me just because I'm a 'shortie'…," She whimpers after returning the kiss. "I'm glad I found ways to knock you down, haha."

"I want you to knock me down, that's why I tease you," He smiles mischievously. "How are you going to do it now?"

Her lids droop, her brown eyes darkening again. She lifts her head enough to brush her lips against his neck, tracing his Adam's apple with her tongue and slowly sucking the skin there as she wraps her legs around his waist.

"I'll do it with words," She murmurs in a hoarse tone. "Let me ride you like a bull, c'mon."

"Ooohh," he smiles at her, after shivering with her words. "So you want me to be your bull… hehe, I like that…," he holds her breasts. "But only if you let me move like one and give you trouble."

"Even better. I'm going to love to tame this bull," She bites her lower lip with his hands on her breasts, giving him a quick peck "Do you have a condom? I brought one in my purse, but it's in the living room and I'm too lazy to get out of bed and go get it, hahaha."

"Yeah, I do," he reaches out to get his pants, and from there he removes his wallet, handing it to her. "Right here!"

"Thank you very much. Now if you excuse me...," She kisses him, and with her hands on his shoulders, she encourages him to lie down again. She goes back to holding his cock by the base, stroking it with her hand in that up and down movement that made him a little dizzy. She even went back to licking and kissing the tip to make it easier, dammit... he couldn't stay put in bed after that. Or, just that specific part. The rest lay flat, while another grew larger.

"Ohh… I really can't get enough of this, Tomoh."

"I know, that's why I can't either," She gives him a wink before covering him up and getting up, positioning herself on top of him and biting her bottom lip as she made him brush against her, threatening to fit and not doing so, just to tease him. "Are you enjoying the view?"

"Yeah... it's the best view," he smiles, keeping his hands away from her, but placing them under the torso, his eyes narrowing with the near-contact. "I love when you tease me, I can't get enough…"

She lifts her hips just enough to position herself, and then she moans softly as she sits back down, shuddering at the warm, luscious feel of him slowly entering her. "Ooh, I can't get enough of that either…!"

He hisses low at the contact, but doesn't hold her legs this time. He starts to move his hips with her on top of him. "Now… hmm… it's your turn to ride the bull, he's moving..."

She gasps when he thrusts deeper into her like that, hitting a spot that made her nearly lose her balance. She leans her hands on the headboard again, moaning and trying to keep up with the movements of his hips as she lowers and raises hers, squeezing herself in the process so it feels even better for him.

"Oooh... Let's- Let's see about that... hnnn, Naoh...!"

"Hnmmm… Tomoo ohh…," he groans, moving his hips with her. "Hmm… I can feel you taking me all the way in, oohhh…," He looked at her, his eyes seeming to devour her, while he hissed and gasped with her grips and thrusts.

“And you're going so deep, I love it so much…” She gasps, her expression a little dazed, and he watches her breasts bounce as she rides him hard, sweat trickling down her skin, her full and wavy hair disheveled, wild. Hell, what had he done to deserve such a wonderful view? He didn't know but he was loving it and he wanted her wild like that whenever she wanted to ride him.

"Ohhh… Tomori…," he bites his lip, moving his hips harder. "Hnmmmm… that's so fuckin' good… but… I want to see you…," and he takes a hand to the middle of her legs, rubbing her clit with his thumb. "I wanna see you coming for me…"

"Aaaah! I- I will, I'm almost there, almost...! Na- NaooOOH!," And she collapses on top of him, shivering all over as she squeezed him hard in those rhythmic pulses, and it was so good that she was so much smaller than him, because it felt even better that way, holy shit...!

"Ooohhh… me- me too- hhnnNNNn!," he trembles as he collapses onto the mattress with her on top of him, instinctively holding her hips as he reaches his climax, panting heavily, even rolling his eyes back in delight. He hears, from somewhere in the distance, her breathless giggle. He feels her soft, warm, sweaty body lie over his, and soon, her lips are attacking his in a hungry kiss, her chest rising and falling quickly with his.

"Hnnn... there- there we go... a duly tamed bull..."

"Moooow!," he bellows playfully, laughing out loud along with her afterwards. She gives him one more kiss before lifting her hips, pulling him out of her, and pulling out the condom for him. And she even gives one more lick and a suck on the tip to emphasize, that miniature devil. He shudders and gasps, and she smirks at him.

"You clown... lucky for you that was so good..."

"You're invited to do it more often with me," he smiles, rolling over on the bed to face down. "Come on, let's see the bathroom and then we'll take a shower so we can watch Seki's match."

“If we fit in your bathtub together, I'm up for it. Carry me?," She asks, reaching her arms to him. "My legs are still wobbly, riding you demands a lot from me."

"Don't even ask twice," he picks her up and carries her, taking her to the bathroom. "hohoho, I'm carrying you like a princess! I love it."

"I'm the King of Combat's princess then?" I love it too," She giggles, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes, smiling satisfied. "I accept the title with all the honors that come with it. Being carried is one of them."

"No, no, princesses are too cute for what you really are," He laughs. "If I'm the King, then you have to be the Queen."

She flushed with happiness, even swinging her legs as she hugged him back.

“Okay, a Queen, then. Your queen…”

He had to stop himself from bouncing with happiness as he carried her into the bathroom. He still wanted to retain a shred of goddamn dignity!

* * *

"Damn, Naoh… your bathtub is a dream come true!," Tomori sighs while she and Okubo leave the bathroom, steam following them through the door left open. He smiles as he closes it behind him.

"Did you like it?"

"I loved it! It was like walking into a private bath house where no one makes a fuss about my tattoo,” She smiles at him over her shoulder, finishing wrapping herself in the fluffy towel. His expression becomes insinuating.

"And where we won't be kicked out if we decide to play in there a little. All pros and no cons," He approaches and bends down, moving her wet hair away to smell the nape of her neck, making her shiver. "You can bathe in it whenever you want."

"Hnnn… and what is the fee?"

"Your cookies, your kisses... and whatever else you want to give me," And he takes a bite on her warm and fragrant skin, making her shudder and laugh, moving away from him by slapping his hand.

"You're very easy to please, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's how lucky you are! Almost as much as I am..."

"Stop it, you...," She laughs and gasps when he grabs her by the hips, pulling her to smell and kiss her neck. "That way we'll end up in an endless sex-bath cycle, again and again..".

“You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It's not, but I really don't want to lose Mr. Seki's match. C'mon, don't make that face," She asks when he frowns. "I already told you that you have no reason to be jealous..."

"What? ... Oh no, that's not it," He shakes his head after a few seconds of confusion. "I was just remembering something and I got thoughtful..."

"Can I know what it is or is this another one of your secrets?"

"No…," He scratches the back of his head, looking to the side in sudden embarrassment. "​​I can talk about it, but it's just… it's kinda ridiculous, to be honest."

"Look, I think we've already reached the intimacy stage where ridiculous situations are part of the package," She argues. "We've moved on from there. I promise I won't make fun of it... too much."

He rolls his eyes, trying not to smile too much when she laughs.

"I would be worried about you if you didn't make fun of it. Anyway...," He shakes his head. "Remember that time when I was trying to win you back after my fuck-up? With the gifts and everything..."

She raises her eyebrows a little, nodding slowly.

"Kinda hard to forget. First the chocolate box, then half a flower shop's stock..."

"And you liked it, you can stop with the exasperated tone," He snorts. "But anyway, the chocolate and the flowers… they weren't the first gifts I bought for you. There's another one... and you can use one of them if you like. They're comfortable..."

"Huh?," She blinks, momentarily confused. And then her eyes widen a little when she understands. "Wait, you – you bought me clothes?"

“Uh… yes?," It was supposed to come out as a statement, but it came out more like a question, given the slight nervousness.

"In plural?"

"Yeaaaah...?"

"Aah… oh, Naoh…," She blushes a bit, scratching an arm. "I… oh, damn, I don't want to sound ungrateful, I swear I'm happy about it, but… how much did they cost?"

He frowns, a little sullen.

“Hey, hey, you don't ask the price of a gift given from the heart."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I...," She ends up sighing. "Anyway, why didn't you give them to me before, in that case?"

"Well… I was going to, but the guys warned me that it might be… inappropriate," He gestures uncertainly. "Under the circumstances, at least."

She blinks again. And then her eyes widened even more, her checks blushing even harder, and this time it wasn't hard for Okubo to read her expression.

"It's not lingerie or anything like that!," he exclaims, alarmed, and she immediately relaxes, taking a deep breath in relief.

"Oooh, good… but what else would be considered inappropriate, in that case?," She asks, and it's his turn to blush. He wets his lips and turns to his closet.

"Yeah, I think you'd better see for yourself..."

He opens the door, allowing her a brief glimpse of the various shelves drawers, the hangers and the items of clothing they hold, the shoes, the baseball caps and various boxes containing sporting equipment before he closes the door behind him. He leaves about half a minute later, carrying a pile of T-shirts, looking a little mortified.

"Okay... first of all, promise you won't get mad at me?"

“I… I don't know if I can promise something like that, so I'll just promise I'll try,” She says after hesitating, to which he sighs.

"Fair enough... here, they're all the same size, so if they don't fit... oh no, the refund deadline has already expired, so it doesn't even matter," He sighs again, more dramatically, and Tomori just can't contain herself.

"Damn, now I'm more curious than worried! Let me see this..."

She picks up the top T-shirt from the pile and unfolds it. She is expressionless for about a second. Then her jaw drops.

"Oh, God..."

"Yeah…," he pouted. "I bought some shirts printed with my face from the store, because well, you're my fan, and I thought if I gave you some… but the guys said…," and he stopped, looking at her. "What's with that face, Tomoh?"

“… It's- It's just that I…,” She starts to say, not seeming to know how to continue. She turns the T-shirt over, checking the back of it and showing him his own face, in profile and smiling, stamped there in a scale of white and gray. She clenches her mouth, holding back a farting sound. "I… I kinda already have one of these, hahaha!"

"... Oh," he sighs. "Okay, I didn't see that coming. So does that mean you like it?"

"Of course!," She exclaims, clearly more relaxed, and that was a tremendous relief. "I mean, if you'd given me that back then, I would've found you very audacious," She admits, but without stopping smiling. "But now… damn, why I wouldn't like it? You gave me the entire collection!," She leaves the shirt aside and goes to inspect the others, excited. "Do you want me to wear one of them, then?"

"Well, they are kind of tailored for you, I think," he says, without much idea in his head. "I hope I got the size right and it's not too tight."

"Let me see…," She removes the towel, allowing him to have his favorite view for a few seconds before putting on one of the shirts. She opens her arms, smiling, showing his own face on her chest. "Yeah, it fits! How do I look?"

"Just like Donald Duck," he laughs. "Wearing a shirt and nothing else."

“Uh… aaah, you jerk!," She hides the middle of her legs with her hands, turning red again, while he bursts out laughing. "If I knew how to make a Donald Duck impression, I'd tell you everything you deserve to hear in his voice!"

"Hahahah, and who said I didn't like it?," Okubo smiles. "You look great in it. If it was up to me, you'd watch the match like this. It would make my job easier later..."

She puffs out her cheeks, still flushed.

"Pervert... I'll wear at least one pair of pajama shorts. Can you imagine me jumping up and down and screaming while my lady bits are ventilated? No, thanks!," She lets him have one more fit of laughter before continuing, smiling knowingly. "But you sure don't play around, huh. Wanting me to watch another one of my idols fight while wearing your face on my chest... they call it 'marking territory', right?"

"Oh, come on," he laughs again. "It's not like you're making a fool of yourself for wearing my face on your clothes… except if it was in front of an audience."

"I know I'm not. But I'd only wear it in front of an audience if you were also wearing something like that, so we can even it out," She jokes.

"Hmmm…," He has an idea. "I think I know exactly what I can do! Wait a minute," he walks into the closet and closes the door. About a minute later, he speaks from inside. "Ready, Tomoh?"

 “I have no idea what for, but sure,” She nods, looking curiously at the door.

"Okay, there you go!," he walks out the door, and there he is, dressed from head to toe as a clown. "Ta-daaaa," he waves his gloved hands, smiling, joking around.

"Uh- Ooooh, my God!," She scratches like a crow, laughing and then pointing. "It's a Kuidaore Taro costume! I can't believe you have something like this, hahahaha!"

"Well, this is a new version, but yes, I do," he scratches the back of his neck. "I wore it in the last tournament I participated in, the guys even encouraged me… but nobody recognized me and that sucked," He sighs. "But it's fine, at least my number one fan recognized it and that's enough for me."

"How could I not recognize it? I baked a whole batch of cookies with his face the second time you visited the bakery, remember? Oh, my Gohohohod...," She bends over herself, still laughing. "All that's missing is the little drum and the drumsticks! Oooh man, I have to take a picture, wait!," And she runs out of the room, with her ass still out.

"Okay, now I'm feeling kinda weird watching you run with your ass out like a nutcase. I want to see more, but I'm dressed as a clown and it's distracting me from my cosplay! My God, that's so fucking perverted, ahahhahaha," He stifles a laugh.

"Dude, control yourself, you have to maintain the character! Come here, the lighting in the living room is better," She calls, and when he goes, she's wearing tiny silk shorts, her phone already in her hand. "Okay, can you concentrate better now?"

"Awwww…," he pouted, and in that costume, it looked like someone had hurt the clown's feelings. "Now I'm bummed, I wanted to keep this mental image of you being cute and sexy in my living room…"

"Naoya, look at the size of these pajama shorts! Only the complete set can be sexier than that," She slaps her own ass, laughing. "You'll see for yourself later. Come on, you don't want to appear in the photo with your 'circus tarp' all set up, do you? Hehehahaha!"

"Damn, that'd be one hell of a weird porn… but I'm not going to do that. Okay, if you're taking a pic, what pose should I do?"

"The classic 'playing drums' pose would be perfect, but I don't think you have the drum or the sticks... Oooh, I know, do a super sentai pose, it'll look funny!," She puts the phone horizontally. And relax, I won't" show it to anyone, it'll just be for me to keep as a souvenir. You look so cute, my God...!," she coos, and it didn't sound mocking. Hell, what had he done to deserve that woman?

He smiles. "Okay then, how about Ultraman's pose, like this?," he raises one arm and flexes the other, leaving his legs apart. "Then I'll open my best Kuidaore smile, just like this…," he smiles.

She laughs out loud and snaps the photo. And then another one hits. And other. And yet another, all of it non stop laughing, varying angles, herself seeming to strike poses in her excitement.

"That's perfect! Now flex your muscles... yes, just like that!," She was approving, and then she runs to him, hugging him from the side. "Wow, I can even see 'em through the costume! Lookin' gooood..."

"And it's all yours," He smiles. "Well, how about if I do this…?," He flexes his arms downwards, making them appear under the costume, and still looking smiling like an idiot, to Tomori's delight. "Yeah, now how about a-," He cuts himself off when he hears the doorbell ring "Oh".

She stops laughing, looking a little startled at the door.

"Oh, are- are you expecting someone? Who is that-"

"HEEEY, IS ANYBODY HOME?!," A thundering voice is heard from the other side of the door. "Is this where someone ordered a half margherita, half Florentine pizza, to match the owner's egg head?"

Tomori's eyes widen. "Rihito?"

"What the…!," he blinks. "I didn't invite him over…," He goes to the door and answers it. "Hey, Rihito, you could've told me you were coming, man!," He stops halfway to open the door when he sees Himuro and Kaneda. "Oh, you guys came too…," and he opens his mouth in astonishment when he notices the seven feet tall man right behind them. "Agito?!"

"Huh?," Tomori frowns, approaching to try to see behind Okubo's body. She could see Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and... holy crap, who was that giant man right behind them?!

"Can you believe it, dude? Rihito ran into him when he was leaving Yamashita's office and…," Himuro was about to say, but he was interrupted as he looked him up and down, making a slightly perplexed expression. "What's with the costume?"

"And… Miss Uta? You're here?!," Kaneda widens his eyes when he notices Tomori, right behind Okubo. Rihito widens his eyes too, looking from her to the bald man, stopping to analyze the situation... and then making a face that was a mixture of horror and disgust.

"Holy shit, what the hell were you two doing in here?!"

The couple turns extremely red. An awkward silence falls over the group for a few moments. And that's when the huge man right behind the other three idiots, with slicked back dark hair, sunken eyes without eyebrows and wearing biker attire, finally speaks.

"Hnnn… is this what Narushima Koga calls 'bad timing'?"

NEXT CHAPTER

[critfumbled]

Hi! I'd honestly love to talk about Akira because there's no one I know who even knows what it is :') Excuse the long rant, but I guess my main issues with the movie were:

Kaneda was so ready to kill his (basically) brother even though 10 minutes before he was essentially ready to die to save him

The fact that it appeared to me that Akira was most powerful being and all the other children were just trying to replicate him, but the government tabled him away? I see no need to rip Akira apart because they wanted to use him. Was it for later? Surely Tetsuo going apeshit qualified the use of Akira

The worldbuilding was a struggle for me because it seemed like the children (and Akira) were basically gods with absolutely no rules or limitations to their power. it seemed to me like all of them could manipulate time, space, and matter, so there wasn't anything that made each special or more powerful than the other

the kids really sacrificed themselves for a random teenager they didn't know, despite the fact that they seemed to follow the goverment and the government were clearly trying to take down Tetsuo

what's to stop this scenario from happening again, because the government could totally make another Tetsuo/Akira and the entire story can just repeat itself. other than city damage and deaths, there were really no consequences because it's not like the entire government died. This seems like a small part of a bigger story that was left unfulfilled

I didn't understand Ryu's role, as seemed like he was working with the government but Kei was pretty confident he was working with their freedom group? was he working both sides? his side of the story and his goals weren't clear to me

I do know that the pills have a big role in the manga (Kaneda's jacket) but the way they were just mentioned in the movie, it gave Tetsuo a lot of power, then was never explained bothered me.

Also this is totally a personal thing but one of my biggest book/movie pet peeves is when everyone knows something, but they're just using the vaguest terms to describe it to not let the audience know. not between Tetsuo and Kaneda , but between the military, all the scientists, and the kids, they kept just saying the VAGUEST terms for Akira to not let the audience know even though they all knew what they were talking about and that just grinds my gears because it's a way to build false tension instead of naturally letting it build up

I'm sorry for doing a super long ask, but I can't reply to people on my tumblr :/ but yeah those were my issues. I appreciated the art and the music slapped though, and I appreciate how it pioneered certain animation tropes, but overall I was super confused the entire movie

I want to start by saying that basically everything you mention here is expanded upon within the Manga. As I said before it is a lot longer and it is entirely different from the movie. If you are interested in the world, and the story, and you want to know more I would definitely recommend it. I feel kind of remiss in giving you all the details here as I think it will take away from the manga if you do intend to read it. That being said I'll try to give some broad strokes.

Firstly I agree it was a little rushed in the movie, but it was basically the death of Yamagata that turned Kaneda against Tetsuo, Yamagata was also a very close friend of Kaneda, being his right hand man within the gang.

The children were not an attempt at recreating Akira's powers, Akira and the children were apart of the same experiment that consisted of 41 test subjects. Akira was just the most powerful of said subjects.

Akira was the cause of the explosion at the start of the movie, this is why he was iced by the government/military, basically because they were incredibly scared of the power that he had, and the destruction that he could cause. Also they didn't have any way of controlling Akira, so releasing him would mean they would be releasing a world endingly powerful free agent, who they weren't sure they could stop again.

Regarding the children's sacrifice, I don't want to say too definitively as I don't exactly remember but broadly I believe it is because they are altogther altruistic, and they are still children. They are afraid of killing people, and they don't want any more people to die. Also they are very afraid of Akira returning.

Ryu was working with the resistance the throughout the entire movie. Im unsure as to where you got the idea he was a double agent. It's been a while since I saw the movie. Again however the resistance and their motives get a lot more "screen time" within the manga, which I would imagine would help to ease this confusion.

In regards to it all happening over again, we see in the movie that the government do not believe in Akira, and it is only really the Colonel who is pushing for more research in this area. The rest of the government see Akira and the project as a failure and a waste of resources. This also gets expanded on by the manga, with an entirely different ending.

In regards to the pills, I agree they could use more explanation within the movie. They basically ease the migraines that Tetsuo gets, as well as giving him a short term power boost.

I hope that helps. Admittedly it has been a while since I watched the movie, so don't take these as 100% fact. Also I tried to stick with the content of the movie, however it's hard to not think about it with the context of the manga as well.

[rainsoftenings]

for the ask game

16: you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

and

17: there should be more of this type of fic/art

16. oh god this applies to so much but i genuinely wonder why so many ppl thought tetsuo was like. a genuinely kind person in some way deep down? maybe at one point when he was a kid but hes so convinced he was never loved and that justifies his cruelty (even when both those things are demonstrably, blatantly false) and so bad at communicating that when ppl write him actually saying things as innocuous as "i love you" it's like. who is this guy. a close second is the vast number of ppl who thought kaneda really was as much of a cocky asshole as he presented himself instead of being a deeply sad character at his core

17. i am BEGGING literally anyone to examine the female characters please for the love of god. i never see fans analyze kei or kaori w/the fervent intensity that they do any of the male characters and that makes me really sad :-[ i think kaori in particular was wasted potential especially in the manga but just bc she's poorly written doesn't mean she's not infinitely worth knowing. so to see her basically erased from existence while kei is boiled down to a #girlboss yaoi accessory is depressing. and frustrating. especially with what they both represent! it's just bad analysis of both their characters

[storge]

Senpai! Senpai! Senpai!

Senpai, This Can’t be Love!

[rikkaidaily]

What really concerns me is Kaneda fifth place. How this happened. What are the reasons. I needed to google him to realize what team he was even in. Explain please.

[tetsuocommittee]

fridge-04 replied to your post: “fridge-04 replied to your post: “okay but would makiko calling chiyoko...”:

Incidentally, found a voice I’d like for Chiyoko. Mindy Sterling who voices Lin Beifong in Legend of Korra. Like that voice she uses just gives me proper Aunt Chiyoko vibes. (Also I’d tend to agree on the age thing, I just usually skirt around mentioning their age in my posts cos I wuss out of committing to an age hahaha)

Just looked her up and damn, good voice choice

[litchihikxriclub]

i would love a character analysis on tamiya, little cutie

Honestly, Tamiya is very much a normal boy. Out of all of these kids, he's the one who seems to have himself the most put together, and the one who has the least outright issues. To me, he almost feels like an odd one out in the setting of fucked-up little guys...

The first thing you notice about Tamiya is that he's very level-headed. Furuya described him as "as cool as a cucumber" at one point, and that's quite true. Tamiya knows how to keep it together. Even in a crisis, he's calm, rational, and direct. He doesn't freak out or let himself get carried away with emotion (well, not most of the time), and yet, he still addresses conflicts with concern for those involved.

He's also very kind. From the beginning, we see that Tamiya cares about people a lot. Probably more than he should. He's inseparably close to Kaneda and Dafu, he invites Nico into a friendship with no second thoughts (as well as defends him with very little basis), and he even easily allows the clear social reject that is Zera into the club. Tamiya doesn't have any hesitation when it comes to trusting people and letting them get close. Especially at that age, he firmly believes that anyone he meets is a friend waiting to be made.

This kindness never really fades, either. When it comes time to make tough choices, Tamiya makes them with other people in mind. He protects his sister, he protects the unknown girls, he tries to get his closest friends out of the club, and in the end, what forms his massive grudge against Zera is the way that Zera treats other people.

Tamiya is likely from one of the better-off families among the boys, if not the best one of all of them. He has parents who love him, a sister he gets along with, a decent home, and doesn't seem to be overly suffering from the poverty of the area. He has an advantage over the others, but he doesn't rub it in. Instead, I imagine Tamiya frequently gives his two best friends a place for a good, regular meal.

However, the combination of Tamiya's kindness and better place in society does give him a certain level of obliviousness. Until things with the club really start going downhill, he doesn't seem quite aware of just how bad things can get. He places too much trust in people that he shouldn't, and he neglects to realize just how fucked-up the world can be. It's not until it's too late that Tamiya hardens his heart enough to fight back, and by then, he can't do much. He's determined enough to see defeating Zera through to the end, but that costs him a lot— his life. I also think that Tamiya can be somewhat insensitive to other people who suffer more than he does, solely because he doesn't understand what they're living.

So overall, Tamiya is a good person. He's a kind, open-minded kid with a good head on his shoulders and a lot of potential for bringing people together. But he's also a bit oblivious, a little (or a lot) too trusting, and too confident in his own ability to save the day.

[heretherebedork]

As much as I love senpai this can't be love Im not liking the high step back in the relationship that we just got moving forward in ep 6 and even the end credits have reverted back I still love and adore the show but I am a bit disappointed

I understand the step back, it's been a year apart.

But I feel like the show went too hard on the regression of character as well.

Yanase might have grown professionally but he appears to have frozen in that last moment of time.

And to have Kaneda go from yelling at people for their own good and confessing to Yanase to yelling at Yanase and hiding things in his house and giving no indication that he still cares is rough.

Yanase texted him, tried to be kind and find time to be together and Kaneda runs back to see him and neither of them... does anything? Even tries to be friends?

I think my biggest issue is the complete removal of the friendship they'd reached. The romance makes sense to have been stepped back from, they've been apart a year and apparently never spoke (why?) but the complete removal of the friendship they'd formed was just... sad.

My favorite scene was Yanase looking for the post it notes he'd given Kaneda and finding them gone. That felt authentic to trying to figure out the change in their relationship and if things could go back to the way they were. But the rest of the show just felt inauthentic and played more for laughs than for the actual relationship.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

It's been a week since I last posted (I swear it had been just a few days!), so it's clear life is a little bit busy at the moment, but I can't abandon this blog just yet...

This might get a bit rambly but I thought I'd just organise my thoughts around the series I'm watching at the moment before I watch Vice Versa and maybe go feral over it if the snippets I have read about it are to be believed. Also, since several series finished in recent weeks, I've had to update my top ten list. Ooof that was difficult.

So, the series I'm currently watching in order of enjoyment:

Love Mechanics: I adore this show. I love the angst and Yin and War do it so well. I can't even fault Vee as a character for leading Mark on because Vee is so conflicted about his feelings - unable to let go of something so familiar but also with a desperate need to be with Mark. I am both looking forward and dreading the 'break-up' post-Vee kissing Ploy one last time. Insert: 'finally some good fucking food' gif.

Senpai, This Can't Be Love: Ahhhh mutual pining. One not understanding if he just worships the other as an idol or if he wants to be with him romantically...and the other so unsure if his feelings are reciprocated that he's scared to pursue the first (plus the roles of work mentor/junior putting a block in the way. I didn't really like the Canadian dude...but I do like that one of the leads is called Kaneda, emphasising the running theme.

My Secret Love: This is fun and cute and makes me laugh out loud sometimes ("Guys I have some good news." "What? Gas prices going down?" - I mean so random and yet topical) but also make sme cringe...a lot (when they fake cry - is it supposed to be fake or real? They're so ott...). But since the pairs are mostly established, we're starting to see where the angsty forces will come from - for Mek and Kim it seems Mek wants to study abroad, and for Park and Lee it's the photography issue.

Even Sun: Okay, I don't actually think this is very good but I'm watching it because I can't help it and also because Boun is so compelling. I think I prefer Prem in a more shy role like in UWMA. The plot is meh but I'm interested enough to see where it goes. I think a third couple will be introduced soon (if the opening credits are to be believed - ha! - and those actors seem promising) and the locations are gorgeous.

Sky in Your Heart: Yeah...I dislike so much about this series but I'm mainly salty that it could have been SO GOOD but it just...isn't. *sigh* but as above I'm watching because I can't help it and I do want to see how it ends. But it's just frustrating and illogical and just poorly done. But great to see Aun even though it is yet again in a side role - lead role for Aun when exactly? Poor guy has been waiting in the wings for too long - and he looked fantastic with his hair slightly curly in the rain. Come on GMMTV!

Right, now to watch Vice Versa - I've heard there's a lot of colour-use/symbolism, so I'll be on the look out for that! Maybe if I have time, I'll post about it...

And my ask is always open if you want to come talk to me about any bl series!

[silenthillmutual]

Kaneda/Tetsuo for the ship asks. I actually don't ship these two myself but I'm curious to hear your opinions about it!

Whether I ship it or not

After a fashion! I like it well enough that I had it as an aspect of the fic I was writing a while back, but it's not, like, a main draw for me or even the focus of that fic.

Why I ship it or not

I say 'after a fashion' because I'm not really invested in relationships between teenagers anymore, like, I can't relate to that (not that I could relate to much romance when I was a teenager, honestly). But I think the relationship between them is a major aspect of both the anime and the manga that it's easy to focus on it when writing about or for Akira, whether you interpret that romantically or platonically.

My opinion on their canon potential

Like most media I have hyperfixated on in the past it is regrettably heterosexual, but I think they have that potential to fit the friends to enemies to boyfriends pattern with way, way more violence. And some gays do like fucked up and complicated kinds of relationships, which I think they have by nature of them just being who they are and their surrounding circumstances. There's potential, I think, even for a better friendship between them, but part of the tragedy of the narrative is the ways that they fail to reach a better understanding of one another regardless of that potential. I think the ways in which Tetsuo greatly misunderstood their friendship is what makes the ending such a big gut punch for me. In another world - or even in an alternate course of events - they could have avoided all this conflicted or mitigated it, but the problem is that they come to these conclusions too late to change anything.

My opinion on the fanon interpretations

I haven't delved into the fandom in a long time so I'm not really sure what fanon is saying at the moment or what's popular, but I am glad I haven't seen nearly as much, uh... woobification? uwu-ing? the characters. They're both very much bastard and products of their environment. Though I will say that the last time I did look on the AO3 page there was just a real lack of fic in general and I've yet to be in a fandom that didn't have at least some form of Alternate Universe for levity's sake. But then I also stay away from fandom sometimes when I have strong opinions and I want to keep my cool about things, so there's that!

[useless-bi-otch]

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 21

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 21 - Masterstroke

“I swear, you have no idea who you've messed with, schmuck!"

"You've been saying the same thing for three matches in a row, Okubo."

"This time it's for real! I let you win the previous ones, I wanted to study your movements, understand how your head worked. Now you don't stand a chance!"

"Yeah, sure thing. Just pay attention to the screen, I've already given you two combos and it hasn't even been two minutes since the match started."

"All part of the strategy! Now you'll see that Okubo Naoya isn't called the “King of Combat” only inside the octagons! Take this, and that e- aaaaaargh! Noooo...!," Okubo grabs his head with both hands and throws it back, wailing dramatically and making other players around them jump. "I got the combination wrong!"

"I said to talk less and play more," Kaneda smiles satisfied, raising two fingers of his right hand in a V for Victory while the screen of the arcade machine displayed his character's victory stand. "With that, that's four consecutive victories. Are you sure you want to continue betting? At this rate, there won't be any money left in your wallet, hahaha!"

"Shut up! I don't accept that I can't beat you in absolutely any of these games!," He points to him while yelling. "I'll find a game where I can beat you, even if we have to turn this arcade upside down, do you hear me?!"

"Seriously, Okubo, why do you still insist on challenging Kaneda on these things?," Himuro asks, bored, with his eyes glued to another arcade machine. "It doesn't matter what you play with him, he always wins and cleans your wallet dry. It doesn't qualify as a robbery only because you're the most willing victim I've ever seen."

"You shut up too, Himuro! You want me to give you hell on The King of Fighters too?!”

"As if you could. And watch your language, we have ladies in attendance. Okay, see? It isn't that difficult,"  Himuro smiles at the two girls who surrounded him, watching his demonstration attentively. "It's all a matter of motor coordination, knowing how to switch between the buttons and the lever, setting the timing..."

"Ooh, Himuro makes it look so easy!," The chubby one whimpered, pouting as she clung to his arm. The other, thinner than her friend, nods and squeezes his shoulders affectionately.

"I know, right! Nanao and I are going to need a few more demonstrations, maybe more direct help..."

"I'd be a terrible teacher if I said no, wouldn't I?," He laughs, opening space for them to approach. "Here. Who wants to be the first one?"

The two girls got into an argument over which one of them would be the first to receive arcade lessons, while Himuro grinned in the middle of them, delighted to be up for grabs. Kaneda sighs.

"Not even when we are killing time in the least conducive environment possible to get dates you guys abandon the hunter mentality..."

"Hey, don't put me in the middle of this! I'm here, minding my own business, just waiting for you to put another token in the machine," Okubo declares, frowning, his arms crossed. "I still haven't given up on my rematch."

“Heh… you'd probably have better luck hunting down for dates, to be honest."

"No chance. For the moment I'd rather crush your spirit until there's not even dust left to tell the story."

“Wow, that came straight from your heart!," Kaneda laughs, looking over his shoulder. "Are you listening to that, Rihito? Okubo found a motivation unrelated to women! You should follow suit-"

"I swear to you, there is nobody in this arcade capable of beating my record in OutRun! Stick with me and I'll teach you everything you need to know!," Rihito was saying, a little too loudly, to two other girls occupying an arcade machine, both staring at him with a mixture of confusion and discomfort. "Tell me, do you want some help? I can show you the best way to pull the lever, hehe... and then, later, we can go out for something to eat, how about that? Come on, don't be shy, I promise I won't do anything you don't want! Here, lady, your posture is kinda wrong, if you want I can help you correct it and- hey, where are you going? Hey!," He exclaims when the two girls walk away quickly, half shrunken. "Wait, I...! Uugh, how does Himuro manage to do that?! Fucking hell, I can't do anything right..."

Kaneda sighs again. "Eh, never mind. He's a goner. I'm just surprised you don't want to join him like you always do..."

Okubo looks to the side, his expression a little uncertain, before shrugging and returning his focus to the arcade machine.

"I already told you, I'm more worried about my rematch. Come on, Kaneda, I know you have more tokens there! Don't run away from me!"

Kaneda decides he isn't going to try to argue anymore. But Okubo better not think he didn't notice all that hesitation. He took great pride in his observation skills, and they were rarely wrong. He inserts another token into the machine, smiling to himself.

He wondered if Rihito and Himuro had also noticed how Okubo seemed so uninterested in the female clientele around them. Women made up a significant portion of arcade goers, contrary to what many thought, and when they decided to go and spend their free day in one, Kaneda had already been preparing for the inevitability of finding himself alone while his friends were going to hit on any creature wearing skirts nearby.

Not that he had much to worry about, as Himuro was the only one there who got lucky in those endeavors. Rihito and Okubo were too pushy and desperate, they always had been, and it didn't take more than half an hour for them to give up and come to him while licking their wounds. It had become routine by now.

Or at least it used to be routine. Now, Rihito was chasing women away by himself. Okubo, on the other hand, hasn't shown interest in absolutely any of them so far.

Kaneda knew very well why. He knew, but he wanted to hear it from the accused party himself before making assumptions. He takes a couple of steps away from the machine to let Okubo choose his character.

“Are you sure you want to keep challenging me? It's silly to throw money away like that because of a game..."

"It's not money thrown away if I know that one hour or another I'll end up winning," He declares with conviction. "And anyway, I want to gather more tokens. There are some cool prizes here..."

"Yeah, there really is," Kaneda looks at the area where the arcade prizes were displayed. "But you can try to win tokens by playing alone, instead of betting them with me..."

"I know, but now it's become a matter of honor, man!"

"Honor or masochism? I wish I had that much cash in the bank so that losing a few yen wouldn't be a worry...," Himuro grumbles, holding the hand of one of his newest friends while helping her with the lever. "But relax, girls, I still have enough for a few more matches with you, maybe even for dinner afterwards, haha..."

The girls laugh, and if Okubo had rolled his eyes more, he would have been able to see the insides of his own skull. Apparently, a pretty face was an essential factor for those stupid pick-up lines to succeed. He was glad he didn't need it anymore...

"If you're broke to the point of needing to warn your friends, Himuro, don't worry. Let's play and bet while we're at it, and if I win-"

"I'm not going to give you the number of one of my friends, forget about it."

"I wasn't going to say that! I was going to say that if I win, I want half your tokens."

"Oh…," Himuro blinks, exchanging a brief look with Kaneda before nodding. "That's all? Alright then. If I win, you'll pay my bill on our next night out."

"Deal!"

"And he still complains when I say he throws money away…," Himuro rolls his eyes. "Just don't complain after you make a fool of yourself in front of the ladies here."

"You're the one who's gonna make a fool of yourself! Just let me slay this lil' fucker here first," He declares as he also chooses his character. Kaneda doesn't even try to argue, shrugging.

"Okay. Let's just bet the tokens this time, Okubo, otherwise you won't have any money left over to pay the bet with Himuro..."

"Are you already assuming that I’m going to lose?! I won't say out loud what you are only because we have ladies present in the room!," Okubo snorts, and suddenly focuses his attention on the girls surrounding Himuro. "I want to ask you ladies a question, if you don't mind."

“Uh… sure, go ahead,” The chubby one exchanges a bewildered look with her friend before they nod, a bit hesitant, while Himuro shoots Okubo a warning look. If he even tried to rain on his parade...

"If you were to choose one of those prizes, what would it be?"

It was hard to say who had the more astonished expression there: if those two girls or Himuro himself. The three stared at Okubo as he pointed to the prize counter beyond, waiting for an answer. The girls look at each other again.

"Uh… well, I don't know," The thinner one looks sideways at her friend. "One of the electronics, maybe? I've been needing a new headset, but they cost a shitload of tokens..."

"Yep. But there are some more affordable prizes that are cute, like those keychains in the shape of arcade machines.

"Yes! And the teddy bears..."

"And the neon signs! They are a nice decoration for the bedroom, or for the kitchen area..."

"A neon sign!," Okubo exclaims, smiling excitedly. "Damn, how come I didn't think of that before? Now I know exactly what to spend the tokens I'm going to win on!," He turns to the arcade machine, even more determined. "Thanks for the female opinion, ladies!"

"Uuh…you're welcome!," They nod, still stunned, but also looking relieved. "Anyway… will you continue teaching us the mechanics of the game, Himuro?"

“Uh… oh yes! Yes, of course, excuse me...," Himuro nods quickly, returning his attention to the arcade machine, but not before exchanging a somewhat astonished look with Kaneda. The later just can't resist, wanting more details while he and Okubo go back to playing.

"Hey, don't you already have one of those neon signs in your apartment?"

"Yeah, in my reading room. There, take this sequence, sucker!"

"Oh, there will be payback! But seriously, why would you want a female opinion to get another sign?"

"Oh, the sign isn't for me," Okubo shrugs, almost pressing his eyes to the screen in his concentration. "It's for Tomori. Something cool for her to put in her kitchen..."

Kaneda had suspected that since Okubo started asking Himuro's friends questions, but it was good to hear confirmation. He smiles to himself, hoping that Himuro had heard that too.

"If that’s the case, I might let you win a couple of matches, just to increase your chances…"

"Don't you dare! How am I going to give her a gift that I got only 'cause my opponent pitied me?," He asks indignantly. "I couldn't consider myself a worthy man! Forget it, I'll get those tokens on my own merit!"

“Then you'd better step up your game, because at this rate you won't even be able to pick up pins from the prize counter. Aaand I won again!"

"Argh, no! Holy shit, you...! You distracted me on purpose!," Okubo points accusingly at him, furious, to which Kaneda shakes his head, smiling cheekily.

"Baseless accusations are the weapon of losers. Your tokens, please."

"Uugh… I'll get them all back, just you wait! But on another game, 'cause I already gave up on this one..."

Kaneda was still laughing when Rihito approached them, hands shoved in his pants pockets, face twisted in a spectacular frown.

"No luck on the hunt, I suppose," Kaneda deduces, to which Rihito snorts.

"What do you think? Even the nerds don't care about big, bulky guys! All they want is the pretty boys, with their lustrous hair and their sissy colognes..."

"If that's not an incentive for you to take more baths, I don't know what else would be."

"Shut up, Himuro! Look, he's just being an asshole, okay? I take lots of baths!," Rihito exclaims to Himuro's companions, in a rush that makes them take a step back. "Even when I don't have to!"

"Yeah, right. And relax, he looks like a gorilla in heat, but he's harmless," Himuro assures the girls. "And he won't participate in the lessons either, I'm a feminist teacher who values ​​female education above any other, haha."

They laugh, leaning closer to him again, whereupon Rihito glares at him with a rage that would've set him on fire, if looks could kill.

"Ugh, I'm so fucking pissed!," He snarls, almost knocking over a nearby machine by abruptly inserting a token into it. "Are you guys seeing this? And he has the gall to complain when we get together to beat his ass, right, Okubo?"

"Yeah, he’s a narcissistic asshole," Okubo nods, then points "Anyway, let’s play OutRun, Rihito! I'm tired of fighting games for now..."

"Kaneda made you his punching bag again, didn't he?"

"Fuck off! Do you wanna play or not? I know I can beat you."

“Ohoho, you shouldn't have said that. I'll turn you into roadkill! C'mon," He makes room for Okubo to join him. “This way I can distract myself by destroying you so I don't have listen to that man-whore's cheap pick-up lines!"

"Yeah. It's a win-win situation," Okubo nods, and Kaneda watches as he concentrates completely on the game, while Rihito continues to throw irritated glances at Himuro and his friends from time to time.

"That fuckin' playboy… I'm sure he does that on purpose."

"Yeah...," Okubo just nodded, absorbed in the game.

"Rubbing his conquests in our faces… what would it cost him to lend a hand to his pals? It's not like he lacks female attention!"

"Yep..."

"He's picking up two chicks at the same time. Two! Y'know those documentaries about compulsive hoarders? That's what Himuro is! A hoarder, and he needs an intervention in the form of a beating!"

"For sure."

"Doesn't that make your blood fucking boil? I know Kaneda doesn't care but we're basically starving for pussy and he doesn't even take pity on us!"

"I know, right."

"... I mean, it's not your case anymore, right? You have Miss Uta now, you haven't banged her only 'cause you're a sucker..."

"Yeah..."

"I knew it!," He slams his hands on the panel, indignant. "You're not even listening to me, you asshole!"

"I was paying attention to the game! The game you just lost, by the way," Okubo points to the screen, smiling devilishly. "Who's the sucker now, huh? Finally I got something out of this shit, man!"

"What- did you do it on purpose? Have you became this lil' fucker's apprentice or something?!," Rihito points indignantly at him, and even Kaneda laughs at that, putting a hand on his chest and pretending to wipe away a tear.

"They grow up so fast!"

"Let's pray that he doesn't grow even more, otherwise he won't be able to go through any more doors..."

"Shut up, Himuro! Anyway...," Okubo huffs while Himuro's friends giggle. "I was really concentrating on the game, but I heard you muttering incessantly and concluded that I could use that to my advantage, hehe!"

"Son of a bitch."

"Hahaha! No, seriously, what were you talking about, man? It was something about Himuro..."

Rihito stares at him as if questioning his intelligence. Or his sanity. Probably both.

"Dude, are you serious? You always get as mad about it as I do!"

"Mad about what?"

"What do you mean 'about what'? About how easily Himuro picks up chicks, while the two of us are always left with crumbs!," He exclaims in frustration, opening his arms, and Himuro, further on, flinches when his two friends stare at him with wide eyes.

"Ahaha, he's exaggerating, that idiot... stop raining on my parade, you jerk!"

"Shut up, that's what you get for not being more humble! And you," He turns to Okubo again. "Since when have you been so indifferent to his conquests? Just because you already scored with one girl? Or..."

Rihito falls silent as Okubo widens his eyes a little, his face starting to flush, unmistakably red under the neon lights inside the arcade. Kaneda takes a step closer to them, curiosity getting the better of him. Even Himuro stopped paying attention to his new friends to listen to their conversation intently.

"Okubo...?," Rihito calls, starting to widen his eyes too. "You…?"

"H-Hey, what's this? Are you going to keep changing the subject instead of demanding a rematch like you always do?," Okubo interrupts him quickly, putting his hand in his pocket to pick up a token, which he almost drops in his desperate rush. "Let’s play more, c'mon! Unless you're scared of losing to me again..."

"What the- as if!," And with that, Rihito's attention is masterfully diverted,his fists clenching with determination. "Just you wait, I'll get my tokens back and rub your ugly mug all over that panel!"

They focus their attention on the game, while Himuro and Kaneda once again exchange a look that was worth many words. Rihito might have the attention span of a hyperactive child, but they weren't like him. They weren't going to drop that matter.

After some time of gameplay, name-calling and threats from one of the arcade employees that Rihito would be thrown out if he punched another machine, the four of them had won a lot of tokens between themselves, Okubo in particular. He happily counted them, ignoring Rihito's resentful glares.

"There's going to be payback, do you hear me? I’ll come back for more!"

"Of course, man, my ass beatings are quite addictive!"

"Shut up, you lost a match against Himuro and two against Kaneda!"

"And thanks to you I recovered all the tokens I had lost in them. Thanks a bunch!," Okubo pats Rihito on the shoulder, and walks away laughing when he threatens him with his fist. "Come on, Rihito, you also won enough tokens to get a prize at the counter!"

"Yeah, but not as much as you guys! Speaking of which, you got enough tokens for what?," Rihito asks Himuro and Kaneda, who were also counting their tokens.

"Enough for a mini-game, I think. But I also got two phone numbers, so I have nothing to complain about," Himuro comments, ignoring when Rihito flips him the bird. Kaneda, on the other hand, smiles excitedly.

"I think I have enough for that headset! It's what I wanted, so I'm satisfied."

"Lucky for you… if I manage to get a t-shirt with the arcade's logo, and one that fits me, it'll already be a lot," Rihito snorts, turning to Okubo next. "And you? What prize will you take?"

"One of those neon signs! There are some cute ones that I think will look cool in Tomori's kitchen... what?," He blinks when he sees his friend's disbelieving expression.

"Are you going to get a prize for Miss Uta? Aren't you going to spend that pile of tokens on yourself?"

"Of course I will, man! With what's left over, I can get that cool Ultraman keychain-"

"What keychain, man! There's so many cool things to choose from that counter, and you choose to spend your tokens on a gift for a girl who isn't even here playing with us?," Rihito insists on his questions, gesticulating agitatedly. Kaneda looks from one to the other, very interested, while Himuro rolls his eyes.

"If you followed that example, you'd get some phone numbers too..."

"Shut up! I know you wouldn't spend your tokens on any chick!"

"Yeah, I wouldn't spend it on chicks with whom I'm just fuck-buddies with,  anyway. But in Okubo's case..."

"Ugh, leave me alone!," Okubo turns his back on them, the tips of his ears red. "What I do with my tokens is my problem, okay? If I want to spend them on someone else, it's my fuckin' right!"

"Yeah, but I don't see how you're going to be able to bang someone with a stupid neon sign..."

"Ugh, forget it," Okubo rolls his eyes. "Lets just go to the counter already, I don't want anyone passing in front of me and taking that Ultraman keychain..."

The other three don't argue, following behind. But Rihito continued to stare at his back suspiciously. Himuro and Kaneda just hoped it didn't take too long for him to get what was going on too.

The prize counter was currently full, the attendants having to split up to tend to the queue of players who wanted to claim their prizes. Fortunately, no one there seemed to have won as many tokens as they did. It was one of the perks of being fighters with superhuman reflexes.

"We need to come back here more often. This is the perfect place to get useless, cool trinkets," Himuro comments, and Kaneda nods.

"I know, right! How about we take a day to choose the most expensive prize and join forces to gather enough tokens?"

“The problem is, we'd have to share whatever the prize is in that case. But I'm up for it, if y'all don't try to be smart asses about it."

"We were the ones who should be telling you that! You're the one who most needs to learn the concept of sharing..."

"Is this about those girls' phone numbers? I won't give you one, stop insisting!"

"Come on, what would it cost you? You have five hundred others in your contacts!"

"I swear, Rihito, you're worse than those elementary school kids who want everything the others have in their hands..."

"You could at least arrange something with one of them for me! The thin one had a prettier face, but the chubby one had a nice ass..."

"Man, I swear I want to help you, but I can't do shit when you don't help yourself!"

"Aren't you going to ask for the phone number of one of those girls too, Okubo?," Kaneda asks, while the other two argue. Okubo looks to the side before shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm good. It's not like Himuro would give one to me, anyway..."

Kaneda nods slowly, his fox-like eyes fixed on him as he leans toward the prize counter, inspecting it with interest.

"Man, it's kinda hard to choose. There aren't many with a culinary theme," He comments, frowning a little. Most are gamer-themed..."

"Huh. I wonder why? The fact that we're in an arcade shouldn't have anything to do with it."

"Shut up, Himuro."

"Why not choose one with a broader theme?," Kaneda suggests, leaning over to inspect the signs, which were exposed on the wall just behind the prize counter. "The one where you read 'Smile and Smash' is funny, because the word can refer to both food and fights. .."

"You're right!," Okubo smiles, excited, taking the tokens from his pocket and depositing them on the counter as he called, raising his arm, "Hey, lady, excuse me! I want to exchange these tokens here for that sign-"

"Hey, no! I want that sign there!"

Okubo immediately looks over his shoulder in surprise upon hearing the voice that exclaimed in agitation. He assumes a defensive posture, placing himself in front of the counter, straightening his back so his height and width are clearly evident. He didn't enjoy intimidating civilians, but if he had to...

"Oh, come on, don't make that face! I swear I'm willing to negotiate for it, haha."

Okubo's determination to fight for the prize wanes a little when he realizes who his challenger is. A woman was approaching quickly while smiling sympathetically at him, carrying a bag full of cute pins and charms. She nods in a friendly way, and if it weren't for the words she used, he would never have guessed that she was talking to him.

“Uhhhh…” He scratches the back of his head, exchanging a brief look with his friends, to which they just shrug. He turns to the girl again. "Sorry, lady, but… do you want that sign? That one specifically?," He points to said sign on the wall, to which the woman nods.

"Yes! Sorry, but I've had my eye on it since I walked into the arcade earlier."

"Well, so did I," He frowns a little, looking to the side. "Look, can't you pick another one? There are some really cool models too, and some even cute, girlier-"

“Hey, that's stereotyping, you know?," She puffs out her cheeks a little, and the expression reminds him a lot of Tomori. "I want this one, it's the one that best matches the aesthetics of my apartment. Why don't you choose another one? There are much more masculine ones there-"

“Hey, now you're the one stereotyping!,” He complains, raising his index finger in warning. And to his surprise, instead of taking his cue and raising her voice, she laughed. And it was a very delicate, bashful laugh, a hand with well-painted nails over her mouth.

"Ahaha, fair enough! Sorry about that. It's just that when you see a man as big and strong as you, a cute neon sign isn't the first thing you associate with him."

Okubo blinks, taking a few seconds to understand her words, as well as the slightly ingratiating smile that accompanied them. He distinctly hears Rihito mutter a “you gotta be kidding me…” from behind him, and he couldn't help but share the sentiment.

Holy shit… he would've looked around for the cameras recording a possible prank if he wouldn't look ridiculous doing it. He clears his throat in an attempt to find his voice.

"Uh... yeah, I'm a little box full of surprises, haha ," He laughs a little too loudly. "But the truth is that the sign isn't for me…"

"Is it for a sister? A niece? Anyway, it's very sweet of you," She deduces, her smile widening, "I'm even embarrassed to keep insisting on taking the sign, in this case."

"Uh- no, actually it's for-"

"How about we make a trade then?," She suddenly suggests. And at his confused expression, she laughed again. "Oh, am I being too forward? Sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Hirata Chise, but you can call me just Chise. And you?

"Huh... Okubo. Okubo Naoya," He answers, without thinking too much. And his surprise only grows when her eyes widen in sudden recognition.

"Okubo… wait, isn't that the name of that famous fighter? The MMA one?"

... Seriously, was that some kind of delusion? Was he dreaming and he didn't realize it? Or was he suddenly transported to a universe where women recognized him and were interested in him as if he had switched places with Himuro?

He again looked over his shoulder, wanting to see if Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda were listening to make sure he wasn't freaking out, but the three had walked a good few steps away, seeming interested in what the prize counter was displaying. Or at least they pretended to be. He'd known those fuckers long enough to know they had their ears pricked.

"Ahaha… yeah. That's me,” He nods, scratching the back of his head again, and the girl lets out an excited gasp.

"Damn, I can't believe I'm talking so casually with a guy like that!l" She exclaims, clapping her hands excitedly. "One of my friends back there commented that she thought you looked familiar!"

"Wow... I'm flattered, being recognized like this by a group of pretty girls. It doesn't happen every day, haha!," He comments without thinking much; if he hadn't been able to control his silver tongue all those weeks, he wouldn't be able to now. "But in that case... do you think an autograph and a selfie are enough to pay for the sign?"

She laughs again, shaking her head. "Nice try. But I was actually going to propose a more specific exchange."

"Oh... I'll cover part of the price for the sign, if that's the case, no fuss-"

"No, that's not it," She turns her head a little. "I'm not interested in money. I'm more interested in knowing a little more about the guy offering it to me."

... Holy fuck. That was the only reaction his mind was able to conjure up at the moment. Just... holy fuck.

He now wondered if the girl's initial intention was really to convince him to give up the sign, or if it was all just a pretext to get closer. And he wondered, too, if he wasn't being too arrogant to consider that possibility. But after all those years, he couldn't conceive a reality where women spontaneously flirted with him. None had done so before.

None, except for...

“Uh…look, lady-”

"Chise."

"Chise," He corrects himself. "I… damn, I don't even know what to say, haha…"

"You don't have to say anything, just answer if you accept my proposal. What do you think?," She plays with a lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear, and again, Tomori's smiling face appears in his head. "Want to go grab food after we exit the arcade? Your friends can come too! One of my friends even wants the number of that tanned guy..."

Okubo distinctly heard one of the guys further back having a coughing fit. Rihito, probably. He, however, concentrated on taking a closer look at the woman before him.

She must've been a little shorter than Kaneda. She was dressed casually and a little heavy, considering it was summer, but with the arcade's AC running, it shouldn't have been a nuisance to her. A delicate white wool cardigan over a baby blue boatneck top, a pink slant skirt, tights and ballet flats. It all complemented her proportionate figure. Her hair was black and straight, framing a face with skin so fair it was almost freckled. Her eyes were large and expressive, and her pink painted mouth looked very kissable.

Verdict: she was a pretty girl. Beautiful, even. Hell, two months ago he would've accepted the invitation without even thinking twice! But now...

Well, now all he could do was look at her clothes and think that cute pastel style would look just as good on Tomori.

Holy shit, if he'd had any doubts before that he was really fucked, it was gone for good.

"... I appreciate the invitation, Chise, seriously," He assures, smiling with a certain guilt. "But I can't accept it. What I was trying to say is that this sign is a gift for a woman, but not a sister or niece. It's a friend. But she's still someone important to me.

“…Oh,” Chise blinks, and her disappointed expression manages to make him feel a little guilty. “Wow, I- I didn't know you had a girlfriend…”

"I don't. But..."

“But she is a candidate for the post. Got it," She nods, looking to the side while making a face. "Damn, that's kinda embarrassing..."

"Don't feel bad, you're pretty as hell! It's just that I-"

"I understood. You don't have to try to make me feel better," She interrupts him, waving a hand. "I'm late, that's okay. Life goes on."

"Uh… my tanned friend can still give you his number, he's available," Holy shit, when would he have thought that one day he would offer Himuro's contact information to random women without seething with rage and envy?

"Oh… well…," She looks from behind him, suddenly interested. "Yeah, he's really hot, wow!"

He didn't know whether to be relieved or offended that she had recovered from his rejection so quickly, and all because of that man-whore's presence.

"Yeah, that's what they all say. I can call him right now if you want-"

"Hey, lady, is that a number you want? Well, you can stop looking for it now!"

Rihito's loud voice, right next to his right ear, made Okubo jump, but not as much as Chise did. She takes a step back as Rihito claps his friend's shoulder in a friendly way, smiling a bit too enthusiastically at her.

"So, what do you say? My pal here is not interested, but I sure am! You're a knockout, y'know?"

“Uh…thanks, but I-”

"And you still came with a bunch of equally hot friends! Wonderful, so none of my pals will be alone. Let’s exchange numbers! Then we can schedule a mixer!," He offers. "In the meantime, do you want help choosing another prize, since my friend here wants that dumb sign?"

"No, no need to-"

"Come on, don't be shy! I just want to lend you a hand, be a gentleman. You like gentlemen, right? I can be that and much more with the right encouragement, hehe- hey, hey, where are you going? We haven't even exchanged numbers yet! Hey!," he calls, a little too loudly, as the girl hurries away with a grimace. He sighs. "Man, it's always the same. But hey, this time it was for a good cause."

Okubo imitates poor Chise's grimace.

"Wait, is this serious? Like, it's nice of you and all, bro, but there's no need to scare the poor girl away just so I wouldn't get in a tight spot-"

"What? I didn't do this for you, what the hell! I did it because Himuro already got two numbers, and I'd be even more pissed if he got a third."

"... Son of a bitch. A genius, but still a son of a bitch. And stupid, because you ruined a chance to go out with that girl, I could have introduced you, to her, dumbass."

"Wow," Rihito raises an eyebrow. "Were you really going to introduce me to her? You, the guy who's as pussy starved as I am? So does that mean you weren't interested in her?"

Okubo's eyes widen at his friend's question, but he takes a deep breath, both to avoid punching him in the face and dying of embarrassment. "​​I can't do two different things at the same time outside the octagon, I'm focused on getting my freakin' prize!," he points to the sign. "And really, if you're that desperate, go to Miss Rino's club and leave me alone!"

"Without you? Man, the problem with your dick is worse than I thought..."

"You're going to have a problem with yours if you don't quit your bullshit…," Okubo threatens, getting tense, the tokens in his hand crumpling. "Either you stop bothering me or I'll make you a punching bag and we'll never come back here again!," he looks Rihito in the eyes, showing his full height, the shadow passing over the other. Himuro and Kaneda knew that pose very well, but he had never threatened Rihito with such anger.

Rihito blinks, momentarily perplexed. But considering how his expression darkened as well, he recovered pretty quickly.

"Huh? Are you trying to intimidate me,you jerk? You're thinking I'm afraid of your fucked-up face or something?," He yells, advancing and pointing to the other. "You're big but so am I, fucker! Fuckin' come at me!"

"Not as big as I am, asshole!"

Both raise their fists.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!," Himuro's voice interrupts them, while he puts himself between the two with Kaneda. "Let's stop right there because things are getting very serious! Seriously, Rihito, dude's hung up on only one girl, so let him be. And you, Okubo... you can stop hiding it, we already know that you got it bad for Miss Uta. So calm the fuck down, grab that stupid sign and lets get the hell outta here, okay?"

If there was a more effective way to quell a heated argument, Okubo didn't know it. He stares at Himuro, dumbfounded, mouth gaping in mute shock. He turns to the other two, wanting to say something, but his voice just won't come out. Rihito crosses his arms, frowning and still breathing heavily, while Kaneda just sighs heavily, running his right hand through his hair.

"Look, Himuro is right. Let's just get our prizes and leave before the arcade staff come shooing us out for good. We can talk better once we're out."

Rihito lets out a disinterested grunt, shrugging, while Okubo can't think of anything to reply. The expression 'deer in the headlights' seemed to have been made for him.

They exchange the tokens for the prizes and leave the arcade very quickly, being followed by several pairs of eyes. Yeah, apparently their faces wouldn't be forgotten so soon. Once on the street of the shopping area, Okubo seriously considered running away, but decided against it after concluding that those three would easily catch up with him, considering the movement around them. He didn't want to look like a coward, either.

He winces as he feels the three pairs of eyes glued to his back, practically burning the back of his neck. He wanted to tell them to fuck off, Rihito in particular. What the hell did they want him to say?! That he was sorry for not saying anything sooner? As if they had an obligation to share every single detail of their lives with each other...

"So," Himuro sighs. "We already know, big guy. Spit it out."

He lets out a huge grunt, throwing his head back in an exaggerated motion. Kaneda sighs too.

"Don't be dramatic, Okubo, c'mon..."

"I'm not! Why do I have to spit out something?," He asks, a little too aggressively, as he glares at them over his shoulder. "Haven't you already figured it all out on your own? Aren't you hard-boiled detectives, the fucking japanese Sherlock Holmeses? So there's that!"

"Yeah, but we still want to hear it from your mouth..."

"Well, it ain't gonna happen! And you won't make me, not even if you threaten to beat the shit outta me, the three of you at the same time," He warns, pointing to them. Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda looked at each other, communicating non-verbally in a way that got on his nerves. And then Rihito snorts, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

"Oh, we won't? I didn't want to do this, but you gave me no choice."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"If you don't say what we want to hear right now, I'm going to call Miss Uta and spill the beans to her."

"What- No!," Okubo almost screams, turning around immediately, his eyes bugging out. "It doesn't- I mean- you're bluffing, you asshole! You don't even have her number!"

"And how do you know?," Rihito narrows his eyes menacingly. "I entered her house even before you did, remember? What guarantee do you have that I haven't had her number for a while too?"

"Rihito...!," Okubo growls, getting redder by the second, and Himuro and Kaneda move away to avoid the collision, in case he charges at the other. "I swear I'll rearrange your whole fucking face! Drop that phone!"

"Eh, I don’t feel like it," He slides his thumb up and down the screen in defiance. "My thumb is itching to press the call button..."

"I'm serious! Give me that shit!," Okubo reaches out, furious, but Rihito is faster, throwing the phone aside. The device is deftly picked up by Himuro, and Okubo just wants to scream in frustration. "Damn you...! What do you want from me?"

“We want the truth, man. That's all," Himuro shakes the phone from side to side as Okubo scratches his scalp hard.

"Ugh, why? Didn't you already figure it out on your own?!"

"Yes, but it's still serious enough to demand confirmation from the accused party himself," Kaneda declares, and when Okubo tries to steal the cell phone from Himuro's hands, he more than quickly throws it to him, and Kaneda puts it inside his garments. "Come on, just say yes or no. Are you in love with Miss Uta?"

"I..."

"Don't give me that 'I' crap, it's yes or no, dipshit!," Rihito rolls her eyes. "Go ahead, spit it out, or Kaneda will have a lot to talk about with Miss Uta on the phone.”

"Fucking hell, I hate you guys...!"

"We love you too. Now answer us, goddamn it, before-"

"YES!," Okubo finally shouts, throwing his arms up in absolute frustration and making some people passing nearby jump. "I've got it bad for her, damn it! So much so that it even scares me a little! I keep thinking about having the sappiest moments possible with her and I can't even be embarrassed about of it, for fuck's sake! I know this all started because I wanted to get laid, but now that's not all I want, okay? She's cute, funny, firm in her convictions and fiercer than half the guys I've faced in my matches! I want that woman all to myself, and if I have to give up the playboy lifestyle, then so be it! She's worth ten thousand others!," He faces his friends, furiously red, breathing hard. "There, I said it! Are you jerks happy now?!"

Rihito, Himuro, and Kaneda just stare at him, eyes wide and jaws slack. The uncomfortable silence lasts for almost half a minute, where they are sizing each other up, waiting for someone to make the first move. Some people on the street were watching them, curious, worried about the shouting, some even laughing as they sneered at Okubo. Did he have time to run to the light and throw himself in front of the first car that passed?

It is then that Himuro lets out a farting sound, turning his face to the side. Kaneda hides a chuckle by covering his mouth with the sleeve of his robes, and Rihito opens a huge devilish smile.

"Yeah, man, now we are. But you wanna hear something funny?"

"What?!"

"I was really bluffing. Miss Uta never gave me her number. Sorry about that, hehehe."

“Wha- oooooh, you fucking bitches!," Okubo almost squeals, barely making himself heard amidst the laughter of his friends. "You tricked me! You deceived me! You stabbed me in the back! You fucking traitors! You deserve to burn in Hell!

"Hell? After everything we've been doing to help our soap opera protagonist? Our little allotment in Heaven is already reserved!," Himuro declares, imitating his dramatic tone, and Rihito laughs mischievously.

"Reserved with all honors, because only a saint can endure all this sissy shit without wanting to pull his hair out, hehehahaha!"

"But our mission will only be complete when the main couple is made official, which I hope will happen without half of this fussiness, for the sake of Okubo's dignity," Kaneda comments, still laughing, and the three disperse between laughs while Okubo tried to kick them, mortified.

"I'm going to make your death certificates official, you assholes!"

"Don't do that, Okubo! You can't tell Miss Uta everything you told us from inside a prison cell!"

"No, he can! This will only make the soap opera even more dramatic and interesting to watch!"

"A statement straight from the penitentiary, guys, it's pure originality! It's just a shame that Okubo won't be able to remain faithful in that case, if the stories about what goes on in the showers there are true!"

"Seriously, can you guys remind me why we're still friends? At the moment I can't think of any reason! You shitheads...," Okubo gives up on his rage, putting his right hand on his furiously red face and groaning, trying to ignore how the other three laughed in his ear.

"Want a reminder, you jerk? Don't forget that we've been willing to accompany you all these weeks to that sugar shack, all the times you wanted to see this girl, without asking for anything in return," Rihito points at him, to which Okubo rolls his eyes.

"Anything? I've already lost count of how many cookies, donuts, croissants and nightcaps I had to pay you."

"And that, for your bank account, is the same as nothing!"

"You really think that I shit money, don't you?"

"Doesn't matter! The point is," Kaneda starts, raising a finger. "We've always been here, supporting you, haven't we? We helped you with every doubt you had about the best ways to approach Miss Uta."

"We even agreed to learn how to cook rice balls and research about flowers when you insisted on that complete bouquet shit," Himuro crosses his arms. "Is that being a traitor? You ungrateful asshole."

Okubo blushes again, remorse overcoming his anger and embarrassment. He presses the neon sign box to his chest.

“I… I'm sorry, guys. It's just that...," He then sighs, running a hand over his face. "I've wanted to be open with you for a while, but I couldn't..."

"Why not?"

"Because I knew you were going to make fun of me, damn it!"

"Of course we would! It's one of life's inevitabilities!," Rihito shrugs. "Even more so with that statement of yours now. We really didn't expect you to give in with such enthusiasm..."

"Give in? What does that... oooh, you...!," His eyes widened when he realized. "Was all that antics, from the arcade until here, on purpose? Even your teasing, you bleached fag?!"

"That's not what your mom called me last night! But yeah, it was on purpose," Rihito admits, not seeming at all ashamed of it. "After seeing you rejecting a babe like that, we had no more doubts. It was all about getting you to spit it all out.

"Yep! And there's no 'we', Himuro and I had realized it a long time ago," Kaneda says. "I just wanted to make sure that you yourself had realized it too."

“Yeah, I… I already had. It's been a few days, actually," Okubo admits, a little grudgingly. Now that he'd given himself away like an idiot, there was no point in trying to hide it. The four of them resume walking, still talking. "Since that day I entered her house for the first time."

"Jeez, since that day? But…," Himuro then blinks. "Wait, wasn't it the same day you found out about the posters in her room?"

"Holy shit, it is! So that's why you didn't bang her?," Rihito asks, a bit indignant. "Because you realized that you've got it bad for her? Was the poster thing a lie?"

"Hell no, it was true!," He reassures quickly. "I didn't send pictures to prove it only because I was too shocked at the time!"

"And because it would be a tremendous disrespect for her privacy, right?"

“… Y-Yeah, that too."

"Good lord..."

"Anyway!," Okubo shakes his head, his face red. "I did intend to finally get to third base with her that night, and the fucking posters got in the way. But then when I realized how I felt... I concluded that this was no longer my priority. I'm not saying I don't want it anymore!," He warns when Rihito opens his mouth to say something. "Because I really want to! It's just that this is no longer my main goal, but a consequence of it."

"So your main goal is for Miss Uta to be your girlfriend, is that it?," Himuro asks, and Okubo nods shyly.

"Yeah. My official girlfriend, the kind I won't hide even from paparazzi."

"You wouldn't have to, it's not like you need to worry about paparazzi on the same rate as Sekibayashi or Gaolang…”

"Fuck off, Himuro."

"Anyway, it's like Kaneda said, isn't it?," Rihito says suddenly. "The soap opera doesn't end while the main couple isn't made official. As long as Miss Uta is not officially your girl, this hullabaloo will never end. So in that case..."

"What? Are you- Are you still going to help me?," Okubo asks, surprised and a little emotional, "Even with the change of plans?"

"Of course! I mean, it's not like I can make a pass at her right after you any longer. I would be the biggest backstabber this side of Tokyo," Rihito shrugs, "And if you become a fallen soldier, there's less competition during our 'hunts'."

“And one less desperate idiot to bother me when I'm gathering phone numbers,” Himuro nods, and Okubo stares at them, unimpressed.

“I should've figured it was because you were going to get something out of it…"

"Yeah, we all got something out of it. You included. Come on, we still want to see you happy, and we've proved that to you from the start, haven't we?," Kaneda smiles, giving him a friendly pat on the back. "We're just going to keep doing what we've always done. Not even our strategies need to change. You've seen how good we are with them."

"Yeah! Thanks to our masterstroke, you spilled the beans," Rihito raises a thumb, smiling sharply. "We just need to maintain the quality of the service and Miss Uta will be yours in no time. And it's not like she doesn't want the same anyway."

Okubo swallows a little, trying to clear a sudden lump in his throat. Those fuckers managed to prove themselves the best of friends even when they were acting like self-serving assholes, holy shit...

"Yeah... thanks, guys... but do you really think she feels the same?"

"Bro, only an idiot wouldn't think so! She's been crazy about you from the start!," Rihito gestures, to which the bald man shakes his head.

"She was crazy about me from the beginning like a fan is crazy about her idol. But now things have changed between us. And even with the dates, kisses and fun times spent together, I don't know if her feelings are growing alongside mine, at least not at the same speed..."

"Dude, give us a fucking break!," Rihito rolls his whole head along with his eyes. "Worrying about this now will only get in the way of your plans. If she doesn't happen to feel that way now, just make sure she feels that way from now on!"

"Man, it's not that simple..."

“Actually, it is that simple. Yes, Rihito is right, as absurd as it may seem," Kaneda nods, ignoring when Rihito gives him the middle finger. "Even if by some chance she hasn't reached the same level as you in terms of how she feels, nothing prevents her from reaching that point eventually. Just keep doing what you're doing, it's been working so far."

"But I personally don't think that's the case," Himuro comments. "The way she was looking at you when Murobuchi showed up at the bakery that day... if that wasn't the look of a girl who was completely smitten, I don't know what else would be."

"Really?!"

"Trust me, I'm somewhat of an expert in that department."

"Stop using our pal's amorous afflictions as a pretext to boast, you man-whore!"

"Ahahaha!," Okubo laughs loudly, his free hand on his stomach. The other three stare at him in disbelief.

"He didn't give a shit about Himuro's exhibitionism… yeah, he's really fucked."

"Yeah, but he seems to be happy about it too. That's what matters, I guess."

"No, that's- that's not it! It's just that I…," Okubo coughs a little to try to control his laughter. "It's just that I'm feeling lighter, after finally telling you guys the truth. It's too good to know that I no longer need to hide, pretend, make excuses..."

“Yeah, well, now you're free to be the hopeless romantic you've always been inside. We're not going to judge you… too much," Rihito adds after thinking, and then he laughs at Okubo's frown. "Come on, man, isn't it enough that we're on your side? That we want this to happen almost as much as you? I said that day, making this girl yours is now a matter of honor!"

"Yes! Seriously, thanks, Rihito-"

"And if you want to thank me when you two are officially together, her friend's number is enough payment!"

"Holy shit, this obsession of yours reached pathological levels! You fucking nutcase!"

The four of them continued walking, laughing and teasing each other, normality returning with an ease that Okubo was very grateful for. In love or not, he hoped he never changed how he saw his best friends, and he hoped they wanted the same...

It is then that Rihito's phone, still inside Kaneda's robes, vibrates. Kaneda stops walking, taking it out of there and giving him back to it's owner.

"Here, man. I forgot about it during the conversation..."

"Well, it served its purpose and that's enough, hehe. Okay, let's see who's bothering me this time...," He comments without much interest, dragging his thumb up on the screen. "A message from Kazuo about the thing with the licenses, and... wow!," He suddenly stops short, widening his eyes, as the other three almost run into him.

"Damn, don't block the way like that, dumbass!," Himuro exclaims. "What is it?"

"It's a message from Koga!," Rihito clicks on the contact, opening a huge, excited smile. "They did it, guys! Miss Kanami and the whole gang from the bakery found an available location!"

"Wait, really?!," Okubo exclaims, a little too loudly, while Himuro, Kaneda and he run to crowd around Rihito, wanting to see the messages too. "They really did?"

"Yeah! Apparently Gaoh found an empty lot not far from the SJPW headquarters that is the perfect size for the new facility. They went to check with Kazzy to see if there was a way to get in touch with the lot's original owner, and then Yoshitake helped too," Rihito explains while sliding the screen upwards with his thumb. "Now it's official, the lot is now Auntie's property!"

"Oh, this is great!," Kaneda exclaims while the other three punch the air excitedly. "​​After all these weeks, their efforts finally paid off! They honestly deserve it..."

"For sure! And we were part of it!," Himuro exchanges a high-five with Rihito. "Miss Kanami must be throwing punches of joy around, hahaha!"

"As long as it's not at us, I support it!," Okubo laughs loudly. ​​"Man, that calls for a celebration!"

"Koga and you thought the same thing, bro!," Rihito laughs out loud too, bringing the phone closer to Okubo’s face. "He’s already inviting everyone to a party at the sugar shack, that’s why he sent these messages!"

"What, today? Now?"

"Yeah! What do you say, gentlemen?," Rihito smiles invitingly. "Is there still room left in those bellies of yours for a feast?"

"Hell yeah!," Okubo, Himuro and Kaneda exclaim in unison, throwing their arms up. Hell, there would always be room in their stomachs for the wonderful food at the Heavy Bakery, especially when it had the sweet taste of victory going with it!

And for Okubo, that was another excellent excuse, because he could celebrate alongside Tomori! He could congratulate her on that achievement, eat and have fun with her in a happy and festive atmosphere and who knows, maybe even ask her to dance if they decided to play music...

It's then that an idea pops into his head, making him pause, arms still outstretched. He turns to his friends, his excitement building.

"Wait, guys, time out! I just had the best idea, but it's going to require us to go back to my apartment. We're going to need my car."

The other three stop celebrating and stare at him, curious.

"Oh yeah? Why?"

Okubo smiles in a hopeful way.

"Well, you won't want to carry our musical instruments on foot, on your backs, will you?"

NEXT CHAPTER

[kingofangst]

Nimura: I cannot understand this

Tetsuo: What?

Nimura: When you're pissed off, or under stressful influence, your hair becomes disheveled and spiked up, something I can't calculate.

Tetsuo: It's called emotions Mura. Plus that happens when you're upset or angry.

Kaneda: That also happens from other things too. Just 10 minutes ago he was recovering-

Tetsuo: *In horror* SHUT THE FUCK UP KANI!!!

Nimura: *Confused* His hair got more disheveled...