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darkdevasofdestruction · 1 year

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Chapter 23 - The Connector

"Ohhh, that's so awesome! Really?" Ohma's eyes widened a little, watching his wife, upside down on the couch, her long hair sweeping the floor as she giggled on the phone. "Even the Russian Mafia joined? No way! Ha, that's so cool!" it must have been Inaba she was talking to, otherwise she wouldn't be giggling and gossiping like that. "And you've got the Brazilians too? The Portuguese? The Yakuza also? And a lot of cults and political factions too? The Worm's gonna get annihilated in no time, amazing!" she's been talking on the phone for at least an hour - On face cam, no less. Ohma couldn't hear anything they were saying on the TV. "Oh, okay, okay - Go say Hi to Uri from me! See ya, Sadako-chan!" finally, Kisara closed the phone after nicknaming the Black Phantom after the ghost girl from The Ring. Very smart.

"You talked through the entirety of the film. Film that YOU wanted me to see." Ohma grumbled, playfully glaring at her. "Well, yeah, I did - But! Inaba told be about their meeting with the big powers and how their Anti-Worm alliance went. I have to call Raian and see what he knows also, but all in due time. The Kure clan is pretty busy lately." the man rolled his eyes, snatching Kisara into his arms and taking the phone away from her. "Shut up and replay the movie from the beginning." the girl giggled, doing just that before relaxing in his embrace. "Say, have you heart anything of Koga lately?" Ohma hummed in affirmation. "Yeah, he's with Kano and Rolon, training. On a trip with the Purgatory chairman or something." "Oh, is that so? Maybe we should go on vacation soon, how's that sound?" Kisara grinned up at him. "We just returned two days ago, you disaster woman." he ruffled her hair, amused. "Nothing's to say we can't have fun whenever we want. Not like there's anything holding us back, anyway."

True, there was nothing holding them back, except a lowkey duty to destroy the Worm, if the time arose. With a well-planned scheme and lots of people involved, Inaba and Himuro found Xia Ji, the one who brought Ohma's cloned heart to save him, and tried to subdue him; They failed. With the aid of Medicine Man's tracking device, Akoya and Ryuki found him and tried to take him down - They, too, failed, but Ohma was there to make a deal with the Chinese leader. If he doesn't run away, he won't hurt him - Otherwise, he won't be able to move ever again. Tokita guided Xia Ji to a warehouse, where not only those who tracked him down were waiting, but the Heavenly Wolves also, but Kisara and, of course, the main fighter, Narushima Koga who was waiting for his rematch after what happened months ago when Ji and his gang almost killed him and Yamashita Kazuo. Were it not for Ohma and Raian, they'd have been minced meat.

If Ji wins, he gets to walk away without anyone trailing him. This was Koga's closure, and Xia Ji seemed to want to fight him also, under who knows what pretext. He looked desperate enough, and bloody and bruised to the core - Yet his pride, most of all, was destroyed. Just as expected, the enemy pulled out weapons, but it took no time for the youngster to beat punch him away, throwing away any said blade. Punch after punch, Koga kept beating the feral man down, until he god up, more desperate than ever, and like a spiky wolverine, he began attacking with a ridiculous amount of force, almost reminding Kisara of Wakatsuki's punched. Hold up - With how easily he gets up, and his weirdly ferocious punches... Could he also have a milder Superman Syndrome? What a joke. Every word out of his mouth is a lie, and every deed is an act, yet in all honesty, Kisara and Ohma agreed to one thing, watching the fight - He's stronger than Koga is at the moment. Those martial art skills were truly wasted on that rat man.

Every time Koga knocked him out, Xia Ji got angrier, spewing shit about being the ruler of the underworld and that he'll destroy everything - Was he connected to the head of the Worm, then? Did he have all his power taken away from him? That wasn't the behaviour of a leader, he was far too emotional and distraught, not to mention, a complete and pathetic failure. He appeared dangerous, practicing some techniques from Chinese Wushu schools, turning his whole body into a whip, concentrating his strength into his fingers so that he may inflict the maximum amount on damage at a rapid pace - Even so, Koga had the upper hand, chopping at his wind pipe, punching away the weapon he tried to use as a trump card, and using his Crescent Moon Kick as a finisher, Xia Ji was on the ground, groveling pathetically, begging for mercy though contradicting himself - Saying he won't kill anyone, but in the same breath, denying the worth of the dead.

Finally, Ohma stepped in, stopping Koga from killing Ji, and letting him go - A debt, repaid in full. A mercy undeserved. But if he ever shows his face again, Ohma will kill him himself. Nikaido Ren mentioned that, although they had orders to eliminate Xia Ji, they have been revoked - Ji was no longer affiliated with the Worm, he has no power anymore - Still, they will continue monitoring him every so often.

Since then, Koga continued to train with Ohma and the others, preparing for the Berserker Bowl that will be taking place soon enough. They've got some big names getting to fight in the Kengan x Purgatory joint project tournament, including Cosmo and Saw Paing, but also, some of the so-called supernovas. As soon as Kisara heard Rihito's going to enter the tournament, she cringed, calling Yamashita Kazuo about entering. She would rather die than allow that idiot the chance of winning. He had enough luck to get the easiest matches and find his way to the top. She was gonna crush that hope.

"You're kidding." Ohma looked at her, incredulous. "I never knew you were so petty." "That's an understatement, love." Kisara's smile was poisoned like Snow White's apple. "I've been hating that guy even more with each time he hit on me like the disgusting pervert that he is." Ohma huffed, amused. "Alright, Your Majesty. Go win that crown."

Though she entered that tournament, she hadn't told anyone, so it was a huge surprise for everyone upon seeing the Queen of the Kengan Matches in one of the eight pools. She only fought twice - A win and a loss, both in high-stakes tournaments - Yet both fights were at least two years apart, it was as though she had retired. Not only that, but she was still the CEO of the Hasashi Company.

Pool A: Furusaki Jinsei, Leonardo Silva, Hong Xiaohu, Albert Hiruma Poo B: Sakuragawa Arata, Yurikawa Taiju, Tsukamoto Seishiro, Imai Cosmo Pool C: Ilyukhin Asimov, Death Crow Jr. , Yuge Tsuyoshi, Rihito Pool D: Mark Myers, Pitali Klitschijo, Kim Jang-Gi, Onoda Ikkai Pool E: Kim Seung-Yuop, Aki Saito, Narushima Koga, Funayama Yoshiki Pool F: Kono Haruo, Himuro Ryo, Luca Tyrant, Adam Dudley Pool G: Hasashi Kisara, Nam Nhat, Sawada Keizaburo, Yoroizuka Saw-Paing Pool H: Gaoh Ryuki, Ushiroda Takero, Chiba Takayuki, Tokeshi Kota

Each entrant will fight one match every two weeks, so a minimum of four weeks to determine which single person from each pool moves on to the championship. What a pain in the ass, Ohma agreed with Kisara's statement. They were used to fighting everything, all at once - This was far too lax a schedule. Unfortunately, each Pool had fights in different cities, so it was rather a drag. In spite of that, Kisara convinced Ohma to go support Koga, whereas Yamashita Kazuo was in Hokkaido with Ryuki. She was fine with Tsuki-san as her supporter. Her first fight was against Sawada, the fighter using dancing at his core. The red head smirked, knowing she will get an easy win. Coincidentally, just after getting Ohma back, she started taking dancing lessons. Why? Because she noticed her lack of grace, caused by all those manly fighting styles she was using, and how in the world could she be a pretty princess dancing gracefully the bride and groom dance, huh? Clearly, she needed some practice, and what better than to learn those pretty Chinese dances she saw in the Imperial Dramas, alongside with some Wushu schools, to add the cherry on top?

Now, now, Sawada didn't have to see her going all out fighting, he wasn't worth her time, unfortunately, so might as well have a little fun, yes? She fought much scarier opponents before, so this should be a piece of cake. Confident, Kisara initiated the fight, baiting the opponent with a low palm strike, before dodging a chop with her forearm, followed by a kick attempt. Sawada tried to hit her with some roundhouse kicks, but she easily evaded them, before kicking him in the ankle, to make him lose his balance a little. Just as he tried to lunge at her, she went in for a diaphragm kick, an uppercut, ended by an elbow to the back of the head, and a knee in the face, making him fall backwards painfully. Quickly, he got up, jump-leaping at her with a heel strike, but Kisara ducked, swiftly following close behind and kicking him in the butt; As he was down, she hit his head down to the ground with her heel. Not giving him any time to breathe, she grabbed him up, gracefully twirling with two strikes to his vitals, and another palm to his jaw, and another barrage of well aimed strikes. Finally, Keizaburo used his whirlwind strike, which made the fox girl smirk - As he was rotating her way, she swooped to the ground at the single leg supporting him. As he stumbled, Kisara jump-kicked him to the ground, before doing a backflip, hitting him in the head weird her feet - With a graceful pirouette in the air, she landed gracefully on his head, stomping him into the ground into a perfect K.O., as she did a pretty courtesy for the audience.

Hasashi Kisara won.

As expected.

Still, it almost amused her how they still referred to her by her maiden name. Not that it matter, she was still the one and only Kitsune Queen.

Kisara grinned, jumping up and down like a child in front of Takeshi, gleaming with cheerfulness. "Was I cool, Tsuki-san? Was I? Was I?" The man pat her head, humming in amusement. "Of course you were. I told you, you had a real career as a fighter - Not that it's any of your priorities." he said. "Were you so bored that you entered this low-stakes competition? It's not like you." Kisara's smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "I just didn't want to let that blond idiot, Rihito, win." Takeshi's eyes bulged open in shock, only to start laughing. "You're ridiculous." he shook his head at her.

The outcome of the first match was as follows: In Pool A, Leonardo Silva and Hong Xiaohu won. In Pool B, Sakuragawa and Cosmo won. Pool C, Rihito won, unfortunately, and the Russian guy too. Pool D, Myers and Kim won. Pool E, Koga and Aki Saito won. Pool F, of course, Adam won, and unfortunately, Haruo won against Himuro, only to forfeit because of an injury - What a pity. Pool G, Kisara won against Sawada, and Saw won against Nam Nhat. At this rate, she's going to have to fight that hard-headed dumbass puppy. Awful odds for her. Lastly, in Pool H, not only did Chiba win, but shockingly, Ryuki lost.

Two weeks passed by past, and Kisara now had to face none other than Saw Paing - And honestly, what a drag! That guy was as though as it gets, and even crazier than the craziest weirdo in the world! Who the hell could break the ground with their head, anyway? Should she use speed, like Rei? Should she use Aikido? No, most of her Aikido moves involve throwing and head or face hits, that's not going to work on his ironman. Agito's style, maybe? But she'd rather not show everyone her Dragon Shot again, just like in the Kengan vs Purgatory tournament. After two years, people might have forgotten she even knows the Fang's fighting style, so better to use that in the later rounds, and keep diverting now - But Saw was not a person worthy of underestimating, he was incredibly strong, and Kisara feared him. She was sure punching a brick wall hurt less than punching him.

"Haha, sorry, Kisara! Can't believe the first time we meet after your wedding is in the fighting ring!" he laughed, pumped up for the fight. "Forgive me but I'll go all-in with our fight!" "And I promise I'll do the same, Saw!" the girl promised him as they both took their stances.

Saw took his usual Muay Thai stance, whilst Kisara got in a basic Kenpo low stance, hoping she was capable of learning enough Wushu techniques to beat him. Saw charged in, delivering two alternative punches before doing a roundhouse kick to her head and a knee to her jaw, as the height difference permitted, and a kick to her ankle - Though it hurt, Kisara managed to block all attacks, using Indestructible. In retaliation, she got in a crouch, sweeping at his feet and charged with a butterfly twirl kick, only to block again two punches coming her way swiftly. Damn, this man is hella strong, she tsk'ed, aiming a jab move similar to Gaolang's, though she knew very well he knew how to counter it. She couldn't continue blocking his hits, she would soon get too injured to carry on - She had to get on the aggressive at once.

She quickly did a high kick, followed by a few feint jabs at his jaw, an elbow to the diaphragm, and a fast donkey kick with both feet, driving him further behind. She rolled to the ground, jumping up and uppercutting him, continuing with a chop to his wind pipe and a quick fall to the ground, scissoring his feet into stumbling away. As he got up, she jumped and heel-kicked him twice before hooking her foot to the back of his neck and slamming him into the ground - She followed by grabbing his wrist and elbow similarly to what Hatsumi taught her, and falling to the ground, she destroyed his joint so he'd have less use in his right arm.

Facing again, Saw continued using even that injured arm, fighting through the pain, and they hit each other with new techniques, either blocking them or baring through the brunt of the jab - Either way, Kisara knew she must not allow him the chance of using the Hammer of Burma, or she was dead meat. She had to hit his windpipe somehow and knock him out, and fast, otherwise she doubts she can win with her force.

In a quick sequence of movements, Saw managed to score a punch to her abdomen, knocking her backwards, following with a few more well aimed hits towards her head, a shin kick and an uppercut with all connected, leaving the woman gritting through the pain. "Damn it, Saw." she wiped the blood from her chin, jumping up, only for the Burmese to spring at her immediately with high kicks and an attempt at grabbing, which thankfully failed - Her Aikido was always going to save her, it seems. She quickly grabbed Saw's wrist, rotating with him to change the flow of the motion before pushing him away so she can get going and finish this quickly.

Kisara got in a low eagle stance, spring up with two strong palm his to the diaphragm - As she was rotating, she grabbed his other wrist, using her elbow to hit him hard, which she repeated as she faced him again, with an uppercut. Still holding onto his wrist, she dove behind him low, kneeing at his lower spine, swiping back at his feet, dragging him to face her, kicking him in the abdomen and palm-striking him away. Instead of falling back, Saw grabbed tightly onto her arm - He was ready to use the headbutt on him, but he didn't have a good enough grip on her. Before he could charge, Kisara held on his forearm, tripping him and getting to his side before instantly karate chopping at his windpipe, making him fall to the ground - To make sure he would get up, she quickly kicked him in the ribs to roll him on his belly and slammed her knees onto his back, immobilizing his joints again.

"KISARA WINS!"

Oh, thank fuck, Kisara breathed out in relief, shakily getting up to her feet. Somehow, that fight was worse than the one in the Purgatory. Maybe. Whatever. She stumbled slightly walking back to Wakatsuki once again, who gently put a towel on her head, wiping away the sweat and blood. "I never want to fight that monster ever again. How did Gaolang keep up with him all these years, anyway?" Kisara groaned dramatically. "Nah, well, I suppose Gaolang is Gaolang. I doubt I could do that every again though. I'm just glad Hatsumi taught me well enough to do cheap, dirty tricks like that." "A win is a win, don't think too much of it. It was a great fight." he handed her back the phone. "And I filmed everything, as promised." "Sweet! I can't wait until Ohma starts picking apart every mistake I made!" she laughed mirthfully, evidently joking. "Hey, Tsuki, let's go grab Cos and go for a drink, yeah?" "Sounds like a plan." the man smiled simply, waiting for her to get showered, get the medical attention required and change to her civilian clothes before leaving the arena.

From Pool A, Leonardo Silva won. Pool B, of course, Cosmo won with no problem. From Pool C, annoyingly enough, Rihito won. In Pool D, only Mark Myers remained to advance further into the competition. Pool E was easily won by Koga and Funayama. The brawl between Himuro and Adam in Pool F was won by the American who trained hard with Kureishi and Cos. Kisara won and advanced further into the competition from Pool G. And Pool H, well... Ryuki won against Chiba after almost assassinating him. Poor man, he might not be a brilliant fighter, but he's doing well enough for himself. They had to do something about Ryuki before he does something irreversible.

Late into the evening when Kisara finally arrived home, Ohma was already there. He seemed pretty content - Had he just finished a sparring session, maybe? Regardless, she made a beeline to change in her sleepingwear and let herself fall on top of him, exhausted after such a long day. "So, what did you think about my fight? Worth writing in the book of records?" "Hell no." Ohma chuckled. "But considering who your opponent was, you did pretty damn well." he praised her. "Ha! You're getting mellow. It's almost like we're married!" Kisara grinned, nuzzling in the crook of his neck. "So, three more fights, huh?" Ohma hummed. "You really want to win, don't you?" "Oh, I don't care about winning - But losing means getting beaten up to a pulp and getting knocked out. I don't want a reminder of what happened in my fight with Takeshi, y'know? So - By default, I gotta win to avoid pain. That's enough of a motivator for me." Ohma actually chuckled at her hilarious resolve. "That, and I get a rush of dopamine when I beat Rihito." "You're a menace." "You won't be coming to the drawing ceremony, will you?" she asked, raising her head to kiss him. "Nope." he smirked. "I and Yasuo are gonna watch from the comfort of our home, stuffing our faces with a ton of food." "Yeah, that does sound like you, alright. You're such men, it's unreal." she laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'll write my autograph on your forehead after I win this." "And Her Majesty's ego is bursting through the roof again." Ohma rolled above his wife, trapping her face between his hands. "Not only that, but this Queen deserves a little bit of royal treatment, don't you think?" she smirked, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss. "So demanding."

With the tournament beginning, Kisara dressed in her most beautiful green hanfu dress, flowing around her as if she was a Spring Nymph, with her hair filled with flowers. She might not be Chinese, but considering the amount of things she learnt from that culture, from fighting style, dancing, history and what not, to the time she spent learning from Agito in the years they were away; There was nothing more beautiful than the awakening of one's soul and the happiness achieved through enlightening. Or whatever Buddha Gautama said - He's the top guy, he knows best. Might as well become a princess! Buddha might have renounced his titles and luxuries, but she was far too shallow to let go of her hard-earned possessions. And she liked being pretty! Though she'll have to wipe off her make up before her fight, she wouldn't want to look like a Kiss member after a concert, or a wet, trashy raccoon.

"It's time to begin the draw for the Main Tournament!" Sayaka called out from the stage, next to Alisa. "And now, introducing the Eight Berserkers vying for the top!"

One by one, the champion of each pool walked forward on the stage. Pool A: Leonardo Silva Pool B: Imai Cosmo Pool C: Rihito Pool D: Mark Myers Pool E: Narushima Koga Pool F: Adam Dudley Pool G: Hasashi Kisara Pool H: Gaoh Ryuki Everyone was dressed their best, all of them beautiful and shining - Of course, Kisara, the single woman there, was the most glamorous. If people thought the only woman fighter might have stood out the most, they were wrong. Koga, dressed like a fucking pimp, was the single sore spot on the roster. Poor boy truly needed some female influence in his life. With the draws done, the matches were as followed:

Match 1: Imai Cosmo vs Hasashi Kisara Match 2: Mark Myers vs Rihito Match 3: Narushima Koga vs Leonardo Silva Match 4: Gaoh Ryuki vs Adam Dudley

Finally, everyone could relax and enjoy the banquet at their leisure, for on the morrow, the tournament will be taking place. Regardless, Kisara had a lot of fun with Cosmo and Adam, taking their sweet time laughing and gossiping, catching up and what not. Koga was at the table with all his other supernova friends, Rihito was flirting as always - But Ryuki was all alone, in a corner. Kisara felt like she should try and comfort him in some way, or maybe encourage him, yet she had no idea what to do, so she continued her own fun. After enough pictures taken to commemorate a lovely evening spent, and a flooded social media, they returned home to rest until the tournament.

The Tournament was taking place in the Purgatory-Owned Coliseum, called "The Core", a hundred meters underground. Unfortunately, Nogi wanted to add the pathetic Ringout rule, so Kisara had to pay extra attention to what she was doing. Before the first match could take place, Kisara quickly paid a visit to the manager who was watching from one of the best stands up in the audience. "Hey, hey!" Kisara smiled brightly, flinging around her arms to play with her long sleeves. Though she couldn't wear a pretty dress anymore, there was nothing to say she can't continue wearing her pretty haori or hanfu coats over her equally pretty gym clothes. Gotta be a fashion icon even while sweating to hell! "Oh, Yamashita Kazuo, you've got a friend! You are so sociable, I envy you!" she grinned, turning her gaze to the man who was drinking canned beer with the old man - He was tall and well built, just like a fighter. He had a calm yet almost apathetic or bored look on his face, and he had his messy blond hair kept in a tail. "My name is Hasashi Kisara - Oh, actually, I suppose Tokita Kisara, considering I got officially married recently." The man looked her straight in the eyes for a few seconds, almost making her feel uncomfortable, before he spoke. "Jackie Lee." he said his name. "It's lovely meeting you, Miss Kisara. Your match is coming up soon, isn't it?" Kisara smiled, as if she was sparkling. "Are you Chinese?" she asked. "Oh? How did you know I am a foreigner?" Jackie tilted his head a little in surprise. "Yamashita-san also guessed well. Is it my accent?" "I'm not sure! It's just - I've gotten acquainted with the language over the past five years or so, and I think it has a certain melodicity that Japanese doesn't have. It's like... Like a honeyed mead caressing your soul. Does that make sense? No, of course it doesn't, that was stupid, forgive me." Jackie smiled at the woman, shaking his head. "Don't apologise. I'll take that as a compliment." he said. "I actually think it's remarkable how you picked it up so easily." "O-Oh, I'm glad you think so!" Kisara smiled cutely, bending a little to his level, only for her eyes to widen a little. "Oh, you have such beautiful eyes! I've never seen anyone with Polycoria before! And your shade is truly unique!" "Ahh, you flatter me, Miss." he smiled friendly. "Can I treat you to anything? I wanted to go get more beer for the two of us." the man asked gracefully. "Oh, no, I couldn't ask that of you!" she stammered quickly, not wanting to inconvenience. "Besides, I have to rush to my match. I hope I'll live up to expectations!" Jackie look at her again, almost as if he was analysing every inch of her body, before he smiled again. "Don't worry, it's on me. Good luck with your match, Miss Kisara." "Xièxiè!" Kisara attempted to thank him in his own language, offering a peace sign before rushing back down to the arena so that she can begin her fight.

To think, out of all the possible fighters, she had to be pitted against the one she was most afraid of! Well, Adam was rather fearsome also, not to mention, they both trained with Kureishi. But Kisara was good at taking down huge guys like Adam. But people her size, specialised in grappling? She was screwed. Her joints and limbs were weak, and she has a low pain tolerance. If she lets him grapple her and gets a solid hold on her, she's as good as done for.

"Pity the two of us have to fight, huh? Frankly, you're the one who scared me the most - Such luck I get, huh?" Kisara chuckled softly, looking at the confident Cosmo in front of her. "I thought the same, Nee-san." Cos rose his hand for her to shake. "Remember years ago, when you saw my first fight? Remember how I said I wanted to spar with you one day?" "Your dream came true, Cos." she chuckled, shaking his hand. "Let's have fun, yeah?" "Hell yes!"

The two stepped away from each other and took their stances - For the first time, Kisara actually did a stance - Cos saw her fight before, there's no use bothering to play the stanceless non-fighter card anymore... At least, not against him. Kisara was the first to throw a lazy feint kick, getting him on high alert before stepping away. Just like in a UFC fight, they assessed each other's every twitch of the body, only for Cos to quickly need to block a fast kick to his head, followed by a feint jab to his chest. "Damn, you're fast, sis!" Kisara attempted another blow, only for Cos to duck and grab her arm, pulling her towards him so he could side-step behind her and punch the side of her face. "Not faster than you, it seems." Kisara had a pained smile on her face, stepping away from him and keeping her feet first as Cos kicked at her ankle, but couldn't make her stumble. They had an equal exchange of quick jabs to the face before the boy feinted a jab to her diaphragm before crouching for a low-grab, his hands trying to grip tightly on the back of her thighs, but his had got hold in between her arm and ribs and managed to wrestle him away, leaping backwards. Cos might not be an enemy she's used to, but it was the first time she fights someone close in weight with her - She couldn't believe she could actually fight him, what a revelation. Still, her master plan was to throw him out of the ring - There was no other way around it, and with her Aikido, she might just make that happen.

As Cosmo was doing his footwork, he rushed right in front of her, aiming two straights to her face - Unbeknownst to him, as he was attempting a grab, Kisara fell low to the ground, her arms around his thighs, going for a similar grab as him previously, and as he tried to get out of her grip, she used her weight to throw him to the ground, on his back like a turtle on his shell. She was on her feet, between his legs, trying to land a strike but also guard against his kicks - What a fucking standard UFC moment, she thought, remembering all the fights she saw with Ohma when he taught her how to fight against grappling, her biggest weakness on Earth. She landed a sweeping kick to his thighs, looking down at him, before scaring him with a fake attempt at jumping down on him, as though she was Seki doing a fascinating Pro-Wrestling move. As if!

Sike.

She jumped again, one leg carefully in front of her so her knee and thigh would get caught between his legs and she could hold all her weight concentrated on her knee, down on his abdomen, while she landed a nice punch to his face, and rolling away to safety. She watched the boy pant, evening his breath, his back slightly hunched on the ground and his legs up - She remembers a Baki episode, when Yujiro Hanma proposed that the invincible move. But she had the perfect counter.

Kisara waited for Cosmo to kick his legs in retaliation to a feint from her, so she did a cart wheel, grabbing his legs and rolling him with her - But she couldn't get on top of him, for he wrestled away perfectly. Damn grappler king, his reputation preceded him. "I hate grapplers." Kisara breathed out, making the boy grin and jump to his feet, lunging at her with another few strikes - Once again, Kisara forced another grab by kneeling and grabbing at his thighs and waist from the side, similarly to what Agito was doing, and managed to get him on his back again, her torso against hier crossed shins, and she tried to punch him somehow, but he grabbed her arms and hand. They were in a tight lock and struggling for domination by holding tightly onto the joints. "Where'd you learn to grappler so well?" Cosmo gritted through his teeth as the woman managed to slip from his grip - That sweat was making her slippery. "I have a husband, you know." she grinned at the implication. "The least Ohma can do to be useful is to be a good practice dummy." somehow, she managed to get up and grabbed at his ankle, dragging him around a little, as if to play and taunt him. She was subtly dragging him closer to the edge, whilst also making her unnervingly close. What a gamble. She only bet on people, not on situations like this.

She allowed Cosmo to get up, not wanting to deal with that annoying ground grappling anymore, only to block a few punches with her arm, using Indestructible - But her thigh didn't work as well for that blocking. When he aimed a kick, she grabbed his ankle, throwing herself to the ground, but Cosmo grabbed her head, aiming a hard punch, getting each other in a tight lock and standing up. He landed a painful knee to her diaphragm and a jab to her face, making her gasp, breathless, and be forced to retreat immediately. That hurt like hell. She had to end it immediately.

With a few steps took forward as if to scare him, Cosmo stepped back before grounding himself steadily on his feet. Cosmo lunged and attempted a punch to her face, but just like before, Kisara ducked and grabbed at his knees, trying to wrestle him down - She got her head in a suffocating headlock and Cosmo kicked her feet, making her fall down to the ground. Immediately he got behind her, his arms around her waist, getting her up, holding her so tight that she feared losing her breath altogether. Her nails were digging desperately into his hands, trying to break free in some way - The line was so fucking close, if only she could... If only...

As she was stumbling around on her feet, feeling her vision blur rapidly, she fell to her knees, her forehead planted on the ground with Cosmo still holding her, kneeling just next to her. This was it. It was do or die - Whether she wins or loses, it's in this last move. With her last strength, from that uncomfortable position, she got up, clawing at his hand so hard that she managed to snap away the grip of his intertwined hands, and grabbing his wrist, she dove under his arm, tripping him forward and throwing the both of them to the ground, rolling with him like two children and making Cosmo touch outside of the ring.

"MATCH OVER! KISARA WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS!!!"

Cosmo's eyes shot wide open, and he looked down at the bloody grin of the woman underneath him. "Sorry, Cos. It was the only way I could win against you." "I can't believe I forgot about the Ringout. How annoying." despite the disappointment, Cos smiled and offered his hand to help her up. "Five years ago, you ran away from Senpai after getting him to the ground. To think you'd trick me like that - What a Kitsune!" "That's the only thing I'm good at, after all." she chuckled, getting up and hugging the boy. "You better with this, okay, sis?" they fist bumped, making a promise. "You've got it, Cos!"

She left for the showers and was ready to look for her darling, but for some reason, she found herself returning to the manager. Why, she wasn't quite sure - On the other hand, she knew that multiple rounds were definitely not her thing... Not in fighting, at least. For other things, well - It's not like she's the one doing most of the work to begin with.

By the time she got up the stands, she saw that Koga's uncle, Joji, also joined them in drinking. Those three seemed to be having lots of fun and were getting along well. "Hi, again." she gave a brief wave of her hand, and the trio, as if sharing a single braincell, waved back in unison. Jackie, who was towards the edge, patted the empty seat next to him for the girl to join, before handing her a can of coke. "You fought well. Thought you might need some energy to keep you going." Kisara smiled gratefully at Jackie, sitting next to him and enjoying the cold beverage. "Thank you, Jackie, you're very sweet. I hope we hang around again someday!" she said. "Somehow, everyone becomes friends with Yamashita Kazuo. It's really cool, right?" Jackie nodded in agreement, handing her a plate of sweets. "Enjoy." "Hey, that's too much! You've already got me so many things, I can't --" but the casual look on his face showed her he wouldn't accept a negative answer, and to leave the formalities. "Fine, fine. I'll treat you to something later then." she said, munching on e pocky stick. Coincidentally, Joji and Jackie did the same thing, at the same time. Were they kindred souls?

She took out her phone, taking a winking selfie with the pocky between her lips and sending it to Ohma, texting him about random things as she listened to the old man telling them that Myers was a serial killer pardoned by Idemitsu from his 3000 year prison sentence. He won over two hundred matches with his physical abilities alone, and just in his third year in Purgatory, did he start learning martial arts. "Oh, come on, I don't want to fight a serial killer. I've had it with that." Kisara groaned, leaning back on her seat. "If I knew Rihito would get the short end of the stick and face off against that guy, I wouldn't have bothered entering the competition." she ruffled her crimson hair, pouting in annoyance. "You seem pretty confident that he's going to win." Jackie pointed out. "Yeah, well - I don't give two cents on Rihito. I firmly believe he's the biggest shame of Kengan." she shrugged, bored, looking at his stupid coat with << I'M A SUPERMAN >> embroidered in the leopard patterned material on his back. "The only reason I entered the tournament was to make sure he doesn't win. I couldn't live with the idea of the biggest loser in the world winning out of sheer, dumb luck." "Fascinating resolve." Jackie looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. "You must mean - Ridiculous. Petty. Stupid." she chuckled playfully. "I know, I know. But what can I do? I guess I was a little bored, that's all." "I don't think that matters. As long as you're having fun and enjoying yourself, I think that's all." Kisara looked at the man and smiled, happy that someone was so understanding of her weirdness. "That's a positive outlook, I love it! Thanks!" she hummed, leaning on the side to clink her coke can to his own beer can.

That Myers guy pumped his muscles up with Indestructible and engaged in a barrage of punches, but nothing he received seemed to affect him. There was no way Rihito's finger slicer were going to affect this though guy, Kisara thought, and the two men next to her were munching aggressively on the chocolate glazed sticks. Rihito seemed to be doing well dodging all hits. He must have realised already that the Indestructible, especially used by a newby, was heavily flawed a technique - The sturdier he was, the more rigid - Rihito was attacking his knees until Myers gave out - And he slashed at his face - Uh, mask - With his Razor's Edge technique, making him bleed heavily, and fall to the ground, needing a medic urgently.

"You canNOT be serious! That was ridiculous!" Kisara groaned, slapping her forehead. "Look at the bright side. You'll get to defeat him in the semifinal." Jackie pointed out. "Well... Yeah, true, but..." she muttered softly. "But Ohma got a scar from him, you know? It's pretty bad, and it still hurts him, with the change of the weather. I'm a girl, I don't like scars. That guy's a menace to fight." "If you know where to strike, you won't need to worry about that." Jackie said. "You've got a good handle on Aikido and Wushu. Grab his wrist after he tries to slash you and knock him out with a good hit to the face." "Glabella, philtrum and chin." Kisara gasped in realisation, earning a nod from the man. "Jackie, you're a genius! If you're not a fighter already, you should be! You'd be the new star of Kengan!" she grinned, newfound vitality energizing her again. "I'm not that good." he dismissed her claim. "But I'm glad I give off that impression."

Next was Koga's fight against Leonardo Silva, and as expected, Silva lunged first ready for a low grapple, only to miss and get a hard punch to his face. Instead of stopping him, Silva continued him torso-grapple, throwing him to the ground - Only for him to be forced to let go of the clutch. Good work, Koga. Your Redirection Kata worked wonders. Your hard work and dedication bore fruit, after so long. Koga tried to punch his with the Ironbreaker, but got redirected, thus had to engage in a rush of hits with his opponent. Parry and counter, parry and counter, until Silva found his hand aching like hell trying to hit Koga's forearm. Once Leonardo stopped countering and began ducking, it was Koga's time to realise that his Adamantine technique expired, and his fist was twitching - He got distracted, allowing himself to get tackled to the ground. The two grappled and wrestled, his head kept in a tight rear naked choke.

The only way for Koga to get out of that hold was to bite down on his arm while breaking it with the Ironbreaker, causing Silva to leap away - His bone was cracked and in agony. Ohma was very proud of his student. Koga used his finisher on Silva before following close behind with a flying knee, and punched his down with Ironbreaker once again.

Koga won.

"He's a wonderful fighter." Jackie said. "That's my nephew. As in, my relative." Joji spoke blankly, while Yamashita was cheering, excited. "You might just be fighting him in the finals if he continued fighting like this." Jackie turned his gaze at Kisara. "I like the confidence you have in me." she teased him. "I wonder if I can beat him. I'm already feeling as if a panzer tank ran me over... Though, I don't think he's doing much better anyway." she chuckled lightly. "Still, he's been training hard every day for the past years. I've just been dancing and traveling." she laughed leisurely. "What's life without some fun, huh?"

As Koga existed the arena, he was met with Ohma who praised his wit and craft, even going as far as to suggest teaching him another move before his match against Ryuki. Hopefully, he won't use it on Kisara though, should they meet in the finals - Though, Ohma has the feeling that his wife could easily defeat Koga, considering she is the most familiar with his Niko style and all the people that helped train the boy. That tricksy little vixen always ended up surprising, one way or another - Though, he was very proud of her ground grappling. His husbandry work was well done. How funny.

Jackie came over with a whole bag of cans and sweets, wearing the same apathetic look on his face. "Thank you so much, Jackie! You can sure poind these back, can't you?" Yamashita was blushing with glee and a little drunk. "I'm just, how you say... Boozing and Schmoozing, you see?" how could he say that with such a straight face? "Jackie, nobody says that anymore. It's not Hip." Joji informed him seriously. Out of nowhere, Yamashita's other CEO friends, Yoshitake and Ken came over with more booze, just as hammered. "Narushima, that's pretty old-fashioned too! Hey, Kazzy! I brought us some good sake!" Ken chirped. "Oh, my word! Who's that dandy over there~?" Yoshitake flirted with Jackie, most likely. "Kenny! Mr. Yoshitake! Let me introduce you! This guy came all the way from China." Yamashita explained as Jackie bowed to them humbly, telling them his name and everyone started drinking. Only Jackie made sure Kisara had a nice and cold coke to drink, as she had to fight again soon, in the semis. Men and their drinks.

The fight between Ryuki and Adam began soon and Ryuki started swinging in a way similar to that of Agito's Formless stance, and in the blink blink of an eye, he was on the ground, attacking Adam - But unlike his past mindless brawler style from before, he was much better prepared, especially in fighting theory, and he hit with a high stick shot, and many other hits and kicks, even easily managing to evade an eye gouging attempt by throwing himself shoulder-first into Gaoh's pelvis, making him fall down. When Adam tried to kick at his fallen opponent, but Ryuki got in a handstand, kicking him away, getting his ankle caught in a tight grasp and twirling him around like he was a toy, and from the friction with the ground, his back was bleeding heavily. "Ah, damn, I know those moves. That damn Setsuna... No wonder Ryuki's so hell-bent on killing. How frightsome." "You seem to know quite a bit about this." Jackie noted. "Oh, yes, well - I got in quite a scary encounter with the man who taught him these moves, you see. Quite very scary. If it weren't for my husband, I don't know what would have happened. He was rather mentally unstable also." Kisara shuddered softly, remembering that day when Kiryu took her away, saying he wanted to save her or something. "At the end of the day, I'm still a girl, you know? I don't like fighting that much, but I like knowing I am safe even if there's no one protecting me all the time." she smiled softly. "You, men, are something else, you know? Going out of your way to get hurt, and all that, just for some adrenaline rush. It's kinda adorable." "Interesting. You say all that, yet you're going to fight again soon, under the pretext of boredom." Jackie could feel a smile tug at his mouth. "Ah, well - You won't see me fight again. I've had it with tournaments, officially." she declared. "But I can't deny, I like learning all sorts of things. And encouraging my friends. I don't like watching them lose, but I like seeing them win and be happy." "And if they die?" his question rang somber. "Jackie... I don't want to think of death." Kisara shuddered, uncomfortably. "I... My husband died in my arms. I mourned him, almost three years." she spoke softly, looking down with a sad smile. "I thought life ended for me also. Well... In a weird way, I've got someone to thank for saving him. He might be an enemy, but he brought my husband back to me. Xia Ji might be a pathetic rat man who killed hundreds of people, but for that at least, I can thank him." "Xia Ji, huh?" Jackie muttered under his breath. "You heard of him? He looks like a weirdo, and he doesn't take care of his hair. It looks like hay." she chuckled at him. "No, never heard of him." he shrugged carelessly. "At least you are happy." "Yeah, you're right." Kisara smiled at him kindly. "I am happy."

Adam continued to punch and kick Ryuki, easily tanking his hits, and even if they did hit, he wasn't all that shaken up. Adam was so used to Cosmo's speed, Ryuki was in slow-motion for him, hence why it was so easy to predict his moves and kick him to hell, following up with a rush of heavy punches to the face and even a stomp to the belly, and kicked him into rolling to the other side of the ring like a soccer ball again and again.

Adam didn't beat down a fallen enemy - Instead, he waited until Ryuki stumbled to his feet and tried to block a hit, only for Adam to play with him like a rag doll, slamming him into the ground. When he wasn't looking, Adam got a small Setsuna-like attack on his forearm. The flower of carnage has blossomed, and Ryuki was ready to kill. Ryuki wasn't broken yet - He knew was being beaten to hell meant, he was trained by his grandpa after all, and just like Ohma, he had to almost die, to become this strong and resilient. The young boy took more and more hits, like a Kamikaze soldier, and before he knew it, Adam's latissimus dormi muscle was completely twisted to hell my Setsuna's Rakshasa's Palm technique - It only left the hockey master lack-luster in his attacks. Ryuki used his assassin fingers to shrike at Adam's neck, knocking him out - He was in a critical condition and needed emergency care.

With all the drama from the last fight, the four went down to congratulate Koga on his win, and wish him good luck on the semis - Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the two friends were in a deep argument, with Ohma hiding behind a wall, motioning for them not to interfere. There was no chance to save Ryuki while he was still under the clutches of Setsuna - Surely, Ohma realised that too, as he comforted the depressed manager.

As soon as Ohma saw Jackie however, he looked weirdly at him. "Have we met?" "No..." Jackie almost seemed to hesitate. "This is my first time talking to you." "I see. Sorry, I must've been mistaken." Ohma shrugged, unbothered. "There are a lot of lookalikes out there." as the old man pointed that out, Kisara felt a weird, uncomfortable pang in her heart, as though there was something odd, not only about Ohma and Ryuki and their cloning, but of the Worms, the Connector and all these coincidences going on. "This is Jackie Lee, Ohma. He's Yamashita Kazuo's and Joji's new friend. He's been getting us drinks and snacks all day. He's really cool!" Kisara skipped to her husband, getting on he tippy toes to steal a kiss, her arms wrapped around his torso. "He even gave me an idea on hos to defeat Rihito without getting injured at all. Girls care about scars, you know?" Ohma nodded, smiling down at his wife. "Glad to hear you're having fun." he said. "The intermission is about done. Isn't it time for your match? Why are you loitering about, you little dumbass bookworm?" "I wanted to see my stupid gym rat for a lucky charm kiss." she smiled innocently at him, before stealing another kiss and rushing towards the prep room to change in her fighting clothes.

"The first match of the Semifinals - The Trickster Kitsune, the Queen of the Kengan Matches, Hasashi Kisara! - Versus, The Superman, Rihito!" Sayaka called out loudly. "And, in the second match, The First Eye, Narushima Koga! - Versus - The Dragon King, Gaoh Ryuki!" she continued, waiting for the chanting and cheering to subside. "All four are powerful fighters, but two will be eliminated! Their chances are half and half! Who will be in, and who will be out?!"

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useless-bi-otch · 1 year

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Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 32

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 32 - Loyalty

TIMELINE: This chapter takes place at the same time as Heavy Bakery’s Chapter 34, under a different POV. You can read it here

Okubo did his second getaway race of the night, with his girlfriend acting as his navigator, only this time following a taxi through the streets of Tokyo.

"Only that guy would leave like that without saying anything to anyone," Okubo grumbles, at the wheel. "He could've asked for our help, he knew we were there! But no, he has to sort things out on his own… looks like someone I know," He looks in the rearview mirror at Rihito, in the backseat with Himuro and Kaneda.

"Are you going to throw this in my face for the rest of our fucking lives?," Rihito grunts, frowning in the rearview mirror. "Let bygones be bygones! And anyway, we have a much more important matter to deal with."

"True," Kaneda nods, seriously. "We still don't know what happened to-"

"Why does she get to call shotgun?!," Rihito interrupts him, pointing indignantly at the front seat, where Tomori was sitting. "I always had that privilege in your car!"

"Your loss," Okubo decrees without taking his eyes off the road. "When the car owner has a girlfriend, she always calls shotgun. It's an iron rule. Deal with it."

"I have to agree," Himuro nods.

"And what are you?! A Shotgun Expert or a Gigolo?!," Rihito shouts, crossing his arms.

"Can't I be both?!," Himuro makes a face. Kaneda just groans, throwing his head back.

"If this is our new normal, it's going to take some getting used to it..."

"Guys, please. Naoh, to the left! The taxi's headed for the perimeter!,” Tomori points, seriously, and Okubo immediately turns the car at high speed around the curve, almost passing by another car that honked fiercely. "That's it, I can see it! Oh! He's stopping at that hospital!"

"Fuck, the Hospital?!," Himuro widens his eyes. "This is more serious than I thought."

"I fucking told you! I'm going to park, Tomoh, calm down," Okubo says, entering the parking lot.

Tomori sees Ohma getting out of the taxi and running to the front door, not shatering the glass door by a hair. It makes her heart skip a beat. If Ohma, calm as he was, was that desperate...

"Boys, I'm going first!," She says to them as soon as Okubo turns the key in the ignition and turns off the car, taking off her seat belt and opening the door abruptly. "I'll ask about her at reception! Follow me when you can!"

And she then bolts toward the building, for the second time that night. Only this time, the thing seemed more serious. Much more serious.

"Hey, wait!," Okubo was about to say but the madwoman had already run ahead. Then he looks to the side and seems to be startled by something. "Ahhh, shit!," He closes the car door on reflex. Kaneda sees the headlight beam right in his face before another car approaches at high speed…

"AAAAAAH FUCK!," The other three idiots scream in the backseat, practically running over each other in an attempt to stay as far away from the impact point as possible, talking on top of each other in the midst of desperation. Okubo only has time to hug his own head. When the sound of screeching tires comes and the impact doesn't happen, they dare to peek through the windows. "Who's the loose nut that...!"

"Oh, my God…," Kaneda stammers suddenly, sounding like a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder. "I know that car…"

"So do we," Rihito and Himuro speak at the same time, trembling at the base.

* * *

Tomori turns to the side and sees a car pulling up masterfully next to Okubo's with a drift. She holds her breath when she sees how the car didn't hit her boyfriend's by a hair, but sighs in relief when she sees that it was Hiro. That nutjob...

He comes running and stops beside her, out of breath. "Tomoh! You're here already! I came running as fast as I could when I got the call! Have you seen her?!"

"Not yet, but what happened?! I-"

"Something serious! She was attacked!!," Hiro follows her, opening the glass door with a push. "I swear, that woman will be the death of us one of these days!"

"What?!," Tomori doesn't pay attention to hospital norms and screams, her stomach plummeting and freezing with fear. "By whom? Another one of those thugs?!"

"I don't know! I was only told that things didn't look good!," Hiro explains as they head towards reception, the blood pounding in Tomori's ears as she tries not to panic. Good God, why did these things keep happening to her friend? She deserved peace more than anyone here! Why did the universe insist on testing her like that?!

They finally make it to the front desk, bypassing the short line and running straight to the attendant, who looks up, a little startled, when Hiro nearly bumps into the counter in his flurry.

"Oomori Kanami! Where is she? They said she's in this hospital, right?," he asks, snorting from the rush.

“We got a call that she had a serious accident,” Tomori was almost jumping with nervousness, her eyes watering. She had to be alright, help surely didn't arrive too late, please, please...!

"Sir, Miss, please calm down. She is fine."

The two immediately turned around at the sound of that voice. The blonde woman, dressed as a secretary, approached looking directly at them. Despite being serious and a little pale, she was composed, remaining calm. It took a couple of seconds for them to recognize her.

Hiro looks at the woman, straightening up. He stares at her seriously, his tone firmer than usual when he speaks:

"Oh, you're Mr. Yamashita's secretary… where is she? We want..."

"Yes, we want to see her!"

The exclamation makes them jump a little. Okubo arrived out of breath at reception too, stopping and even sliding a few inches across the smooth floor until he stopped in front of a very surprised Kaede, who blinked.

"And what are you doing here, Okubo Naoya?"

"I was at Tomori's parents' house," He explains quickly, running over his words, because dammit, it was much easier to give the abbreviated explanation than to go on about the Via crucis that Tomori and he had done that night. "We almost had a heart attack when we heard about what happened… tell me she's awake."

"Oh, wow," Kaede adjusts her glasses. "Well, I…"

"Kaede!"

Holy shit, how many more scares would they have that night?! There came Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, out of breath and sweating, followed by Koga and Ryuki, both looking terrified. Just seeing that expression on the usually indifferent face of the boy identical to Ohma was enough to make Tomori's anxiety rise.

"We saw you three running out of the Kengan match, what happened?," Koga asks anguished. "Ohma didn't seem seriously injured… so we thought…"

"Koga, Ryuki," Kaede sighs. "Calm down, she is…"

"Okubo! Holy crap, you were faster than us!," Rihito exclaims, his voice too loud for the confines of a hospital. "We saw the two kids running like crazy, right after the match..."

"Guys, please…," The receptionist said quietly, intimidated by all these muscleheads, but it didn't look like anyone there was willing to listen to her. They were all talking at the same time, wanting to hear from Kanami or arguing with each other.

"Oh, my…," Tomori blinks, seeing the confusion at the reception. She wanted to scream at them all to shut up, anxiety over Kanami's condition being compounded by frustration. She just wanted to know how her friend was doing, holy shit-

"SILENCE, ALL OF YOU!"

And apparently, Mr. Yamashita's secretary was perfectly capable of taking care of that little problem, because all it took was one shout and all the men immediately fell silent, surprised and cowering; Rihito was even pouting. Damn, she would get along well with Kanami...

Kaede takes a deep breath and continues, "Kanami is fine, she had an accident. Ohma and Mr. Yamashita are upstairs with her. Please, no riots. Visiting hours for today are over, so anyone who has a phone, let the desperate other know that everything is fine and she is doing well. Mr. Hiro and Miss Uta," She turns to Hiro and Tomori. "You two are closest to her, so I'll accompany you. The rest of you, please kindly leave the hospital and wait outside. You're bothering the other patients."

"Hey, what about us?," Koga steps forward.

"We are her brothers!," Ryuki crosses his arms.

“I would let you pass, but given the circumstances, you will be the first to break the news that she's okay to the others. Please, I will help you to be the first to see her on the visit."

The two stared at each other and nodded in mutual agreement, then turning to help the crowd disperse. Kaede sighs as Tomori takes a calming breath, hand on her chest, the momentary relief making her want to burst into tears.

Kanami was fine... despite the scare, she was fine. Her legs give way, and she has to keep her body rigid so she doesn't lose her balance and fall to her knees on the floor. Soon, she feels a huge hand on her back, stroking it, giving her a sense of balance, of having her feet firmly on the ground. She looks up and sees Okubo, slight concern in his gray eyes.

"Okay, I'll see you later, Tomori," He leans his forehead against hers. "Let me know if everything's fine, okay?"

"Let me know if you need me here, waiting for you."

She understood without him needing to elaborate. She would kiss him if they weren't in a public area, in a crowd of people. She closes her eyes and sighs, pressing her forehead against his for a second too long.

"Yes, I'll warn you. Go calm your friends down," She assures him, and he nods, discreetly touching her face before straightening up and heading out of reception with the other guys. Tomori watches him walk away, only turning to Hiro and Kaede when the cashier sighs.

"I need to see her. I don't know how her parents didn't come flying too," He comments. "Honestly, in a little while the rest of the world appears…"

"Kanami has always been the type that doesn't let anyone know her weaknesses… she prefers to protect others, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, that she-hulk," He grunts. "But it turns out that we think everything is fine and then boom, a bomb falls on her house and gives us a heart attack…"

"Yeah, but now she's safe… let's calm down, shall we?," Kaede assures, indicating the way for both of them. "It's this way."

* * *

Hiro and Tomori entered the room with Kaede and were surprised by the sight. Not only did they see Kanami unconscious, lying down, sleeping all connected to wires, but there was also a mountain sitting on the side of the bed, his head down on the matress, sound asleep. They only recognized it as Ohma at that moment because of the clump of seaweed he had for hair.

"Oh…," Hiro smiles, for the first time he wasn't too excited to throw one of his tantrums, but Tomori just couldn't take it. The relief at seeing her friend alive and in such good company made her grab her phone from inside her purse and start snapping pictures, practically jumping from one foot to the other in an outbreak of cuteness. Jeez, such a lovely sight after a terrifying night, it did those things to you!

"Ooownn… my god, how cuuute," She coos, moving closer so she can adjust the camera's focus. "I'll save this for eternity…"

"Damn, Tomori…," Hiro sighs. "Kanami is unconscious on the bed and you're taking a picture?"

“You'd be doing that too if she was awake,” she whispers, pouting. They had just had their suspicions confirmed, dammit! If she didn't gather evidence, who would believe her? Not to mention that she would need something cute to look at when trying to recover from the traumatic events of that night…

It is at that moment that they both hear a low growl that makes them stop. Ohma was starting to move, his face scrunching, as Hiro glared at Tomori.

"See, Scatterbrain? You woke up the Kraken!," He whispers, trembling a little, taking a healthy distance. "Come here, we don't need to get close, there's a bouncer already."

He didn't move anymore though. A couple of seconds passed before they both let out a sigh of relief.

However, they see Kanami shake her head, and her eyes slowly open. They approached, slowly.

"Kanny," Tomori whispers, her throat closing, her vision blurring as her eyes water. God, she's there, alive, with them...! "You're okay…"

"Girl, don't do this to us," Hiro says in the same tone, shaking. "We love you too much…"

She blinks a little, before seeming to focus and understand who was there with her, and she opens her mouth slowly.

"Sorry…," She said weakly, her throat very dry. "I didn’t mean to…"

"Were you attacked again?," Hiro holds her free hand. "Who did this?"

"Karla," Ohma says, half sleepy. "It was her. But she won't bother us anymore… Kana won."

"Oh my God, were you awake, man?," Hiro returns a little more to his normal self, but he was still speaking low.

"You guys are noisy," Ge grunts, still lying down. He then looks at Kanami. "Hi."

"Hi…," she continues stroking his head "I'm glad… that you're all here…"

"Of course, Kana. We're your friends…," Tomori says, getting closer too. "You scared all of us.”

Kanami smiles more. Hiro watches her pat Ohma's head, the two of them looking at each other, and even more so when her hand gained a little more strength, and she buried her fingers in his hair, as if, in that moment of weakness, she still held onto him. Tomori and Hiro look at each other, and both understand the meaning of that gesture.

“I knew iiit!," was what Hiro's look meant.

"I suspected from the beginning!," Tomori nods back in confirmation.

"Oh…," Kanami blinks, bringing her free hand to her own head. Only now does Tomori notice, with astonishment, that her friend's long, well-groomed hair had been roughly cut, probably by force, the uneven strands sticking out to the sides at shoulder length. Holy shit, how violent had that fight been for things to get to that point?!

Ohma lifts his head, looking at her with a genuine concern that was so rare in that slow-moving face.

"What's it?," He asks.

"My hair… I… I cut it during the fight…," She whimpers. "My beautiful long hair..."

"Oh, it'll grow again, Kanny," Hiro assures, more relieved.

“We'll take you to my friend's salon when you're better. Our treat. You're still pretty anyway," Tomori promises right away, to appease her sadness. Surely the salon where Akane worked would offer a good price? She wasn't much of a believer, knowing her boss, but dammit, for Kanami, she was willing to open her wallet. And he knew Hiro was too.

"I like it that way too…," Ohma murmurs, relaxing again; he was visibly tired. "The rest still exists, anyway…"

Kanami smiles at the comments. "Wow, you really like me…"

"We love you, Kana…," Tomori smiles. "I say this without any fear.

"We'll go to hell for you, if we need to," Hiro smiles tenderly, approaching her. "I'll ask Daddy Satan to get you out of there."

“You never stopped fighting for me, and you almost died,” Ohma says, half-awake. “I would die for you, Kanami”

Tomori and Hiro both turned their heads towards him with wide eyes, barely having time to register that dramatic statement in their heads before Kanami made a sound like she was barely holding back her tears. And that again stole their attention.

"Wow, guys…," She stammers, her voice cracking, breaking on the last syllable… and then she breaks down sobbing, fat tears running down her wounded, tired face, but still so full of life, relief and emotion that no one else could hold it any longer.

Soon Tomori was crying her eyes out too. Hiro followed close behind, outmatched, the two hugging as the volume of their crying rose. They were in a hospital, but at that moment, they didn't care about anything else.

Ohma just smiled, leaning his head against Kanami's leg, slowly. She went back to stroking his head. And that sight made Tomori decide that she didn't need anything else. Despite the scares to death, the brief uncertainties and the point of no return she had got herself into, she felt that she regretted absolutely nothing and that she would keep things exactly as they were.

She had her family still together, her friends, old and new, supporting each other. And then there was her boyfriend, who helped make it all possible.

Seriously, what more could a girl want?

* * *

"Ohma… I watched your match earlier."

After all the crying, Kanami had gone back to sleep, still exhausted and in need of rest. That's why Tomori, sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed, spoke low, almost whispering. Hiro had gone out to get a cup of coffee, planning to stay overnight at the hospital and needing some much-needed fuel. So it was just her and Ohma keeping the baker company.

"Oh. So you were watching my match?," he straightens up, groaning a little and remembering his own wounds, then getting up, leaving Kanami's hand resting gently on her lap. "Okubo took you," It wasn't a question. He was heading towards a closet in the hospital room.

"Not really," She keeps her eyes on Kanami, watching her serene expression. "Rihito had a match before yours, and that was the one I went to watch. But it was on myt own. I left my phone in Naoh's car and tracked it when he went to watch the match. Then I managed to get there... and now I understand everything."

"Oh, so these things exist," he nods, without showing any emotion. "I see," and opens the closet, checking the contents, immediately taking some gauze and bandages. "So you saw Ichiro's match and mine," He looks at her. "And you look normal. You're tougher than I thought. Usually normal people from the 'Outside' are too soft."

“Outside..?," Tomori repeats, a bit confused, but she ends up shaking her head. She wasn't going to try to figure it out. She had discovered too much already that night; it was time to retire her Sherlock Holmes persona for a while. "Eh... thanks, anyway. But I think it's more because today's events have desensitized me a bit. When it hits me, I'll probably have a fit," She laughs softly. "I never dreamed there was such a thing... an organization with this level of influence and that you were all part of it..."

"There are worse things," He shrugs and heads to the bathroom, leaving the door open. And she just sees him taking off his sweatshirt, grunting under his breath.

She widens her eyes a little, and then looks away. God, he was so shameless...!

“You saw him shirtless a few hours ago, you idiot!”

“Yeah, but the context was different, damn it!”

"I know... just don't let either Kanami or Naoya know that you ogled this guy for like, two seconds."

Tomori tells her conscience to shut up, continuing to talk to keep it that way.

"Yeah- Yeah, I can imagine! But…," She thinks of something that makes her frown. "Does Kanny chan know about all this?"

"She knows. Since we got together. I didn't hide it from her," he looks at Tomori, and then at the mirror, analyzing his own wounds and using a cotton ball to spread the antiseptic, only huffing through his nose in reaction to the burning, in the worst spots.

“Hnnn… you were more considerate with her than Naoya was with me in the beginning,” she comments, unable to stop herself from sounding a little resentful. Both with her boyfriend's delay in telling her the truth and with Kanami not telling her anything either.

“That traitor… an underworld full of fucked up, violent, visceral fights and she never told me anything! Me, the martial arts freak!”

"She didn't tell you because Kanami was dragged into this world by the men who attacked her and made her finding out," He says, still looking at the mirror. "You and the others from the bakery have nothing to do with this. She didn't want you to get involved with those kinds of people. She wanted to protect you from that. As Yamashitakazuo says, 'sometimes not knowing is better', or whatever… I never know anything, that must be it…"

"I know. I'm not angry about it anymore," She sighs, again looking at Kanami. She reaches out a hand and gently brushes her bangs to the side. "It's just that all I can do is look at her in this state… and wonder if we're not trying to chew more than we can swallow. I don't feel it and I know her well enough to know she doesn't either, but when you like someone a lot, you tend to not have much common sense..."

"She wasn’t attacked by a thugh," he approaches her, bare-chested, with something in his hand. "It was Karla," He looks at her face, and when he sees that she made a face (although trying not to look at him ), he turns around. "Oh, you don't know who I'm taking about. Here," He hands her an antiseptic and a piece of cotton. "There's one wound on my back I can't reach it."

She stares at the objects, hesitating at first, but the good Samaritan inside her speaks louder. She sighs and gets up from her chair, dipping the cotton pad in the antiseptic and gently pressing it to the wound on his back.

"Who is this Karla?," She asks. She had only understood that it was a woman, and imagining another woman who was capable of doing that to Kanami gave her shivers.

"Hnmmm…," he thinks a little. "Remember the blonde guy with the black eyes? The one with a crazy face?"

"Hnnn… I remember a guy like that going to visit the bakery with you once," She comments after thinking a bit. "What about him?"

"She's his cousin. Just as crazy, or even more so. She wanted to marry me, regardless of what happened," He grunts in anger, even shaking a little, but soon he cools down, looking tired. "She saw Kanami with me and thought it would be a good idea to kill her to have me… but Kana won the fight."

Tomori stares at his back in bewilderment, wanting to ask a thousand questions and not knowing which one was most urgent. Holy shit, was there ever a moment that night where her head wasn't spinning like a tire?!

“My God, I just want my house, my bed...”

"And you reported that crazy bitch to the police, right? Because she can't get away with this," She hisses indignantly. "Even though she got beat up by Kana, which is what she deserves!"

“She's a licensed assassin. From a powerful family. I didn't want things to come to this. But we were hiding it from everyone because of her. She wanted to fight for me…," He sighs, pulling away and taking the medicine bottle from her hand. "Anyway. Kana won the fight, and her family is pretty...traditional, if you know what I mean. If she lost the fight, then she lost me. It's over. I'm not hers… I'm not anyone's stud horse," he approaches Kanami and touches her face, stroking her hair. "But… Kana respects me, Kana listens to me… damn, she almost died for me… while fighting for me. She…she deserves my loyalty."

Tomori watches the scene, words slipping away as the lump starts to tighten in her throat again. She takes a deep, shaky breath.

“I…I believe it. The truth is that I kinda already suspected that something was going on between you two, but I decided to keep quiet. It was a matter that only concerned you, after all," She sniffs and smiles, in a tired but still tender way. "But… I don't want this to keep happening, again and again, with my friend. You understand right?," She asks, and when he looks at her over his shoulder, she commands, trying to put firmness in her voice, "Promise me that you'll take care of her. That you'll value her, the same way she values you. And that if there's ever a risk of it happening again, you'll be able to do for her what she did for you."

“I would die for you,” he had said. And she wanted to make sure he didn't pay lip service to that. She needed that.

He nods, not looking at Tomori, moving away from the bed a little. "I love her, Tomori. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't love her. I wouldn't want to be in her place right now if I didn't…," he sighs, and then he turns back to the bathroom, looking for his sweatshirt. "I'm getting cold… and hungry, and tired… but I don't want to leave. I'm scared. I'm afraid that she won't be here when I get back… you know?"

"I do," She nods, smiling, her heart much more peaceful now. "I'll stay here with her until you get back, or until Hiro gets back. And... she'll still be here, Ohma. She'll be with us for a long, long time. If that didn't bring our she-hulk down, nothing else will."

That made him smile a little. "Yeah… that's true. But still… I told the truth, I'm hungry."

"Then go eat something, the hospital has a cafeteria," She laughs. "Don't worry, she's not going anywhere."

He looks at her for a second, almost as if assessing whether she can be trusted, and then he sighs. "Okay… take care of her."

Ohma leaves the room, still glancing at them before closing the door.

Tomori sighs, sinking into her chair as she looks at Kanami, still in that dead, exhausted sleep. She pats her friend's hand across the sheets.

"You've always considered yourself a protector… it's good that you found someone who wants to be the same for you. It's really good…"

* * *

"Well, everyone. The news spread fast, but I assure you she's fine," Kaede said to the crowd of people gathered in front of the hospital parking lot; most of them were people from SJPW. "She woke up and is conscious, she just needs to rest. She's with friends from the bakery," She sighs. "And with Ohma too.

It was just as well that she had the good sense to tell everyone to wait outside, because there was a general uproar. Jeez, she'd never met a louder, more inconvenient group of men... but there was no denying it, their concern for Kanami's health and their joy at knowing she was all right was endearing, to say the least...

"Auntie is fine, dammit!," Rihito throws his arms up. "Give me a hug, Kaede!"

Aaand okay, that wasn't endearing at all.

"Rihito, no!," She huffs, dodging when Rihito tried to grab her, to which he almost crashed to the ground. "And can you all celebrate lower? We are facing a hospital..."

"Sorry, but we really can't help it," Okubo scratches the back of his neck. "It's the second time I've been to a hospital today. My head is kinda messed up right now."

"Second? Jeez, man, what happened?," Koga asks when he stops jumping, to which Himuro replies:

“His girlfriend's father was so thrilled to meet him that he nearly had a heart attack, literally."

"Damn, I knew you were ugly, but not that ugly," Ryuki comments, and everyone just bursts out laughing.

"Screw you! Uugh, I won't tell you all to fuck off only because everything worked out in the end," Okubo crosses his arms, looking sulky. "Tomori's dad is fine, and so is Miss Kanami," And then he smiles. "The night didn't end so bad, right?"

"It could have ended better, but considering everything, I can only say thanks to that," Kaneda sighs, scratching her hair. "And Ohma really got attached to her, didn't he? To want to stay at her bedside like this..."

"Actually," Kazuo approaches, leaving the hospital to see the commotion." "He's more than attached. They are together."

Everyone present, at least fifteen heads, all turned towards Kazuo at the same time. "WHAAAAAAT?!"

"I noticed that a while ago," Ryuki crosses his arms, unconcerned.

"Oh… yeah…," Koga smiles. "I was rooting for them."

"I KNEW IT!," Sekibayashi, also in the middle of them, smiled immensely. "They always got along very well, It was only a matter of time!"

"Damn, it makes perfect sense!," Himuro feels his head explode.

"So he was interested in her this whole time?! I thought he stared at the bakery counter too much, even when the counter was empty," Kaneda exclaims, eyes wide, while Okubo's chin almost hits the floor.

"Holy shit… this bakery not only changed my life, it changed Tokita's life too!," He notes, stunned. "That place is magical, let me tell ya!"

"No, wait! So that means...," Rihito looks horrified. "Tokita, the eternal virgin, got a woman before me?! This is worse than losing to him in a match!"

More laughs from everyone. Kazuo scratches the back of his neck. "It was a secret, but I don't need to keep it anymore. They are a couple, indeed..."

"What an outcome...," Kaede sighs. "They were hiding their relationship because of Karla. But the Kure have already spoken out and said that she will be punished. And well... she lost the fight, which to them means she lost the right."

“Load of freaks,” Koga mutters.

"I know, right! It had to be someone from that fucking psycho's clan!," Rihito snorts. "Treating Tokita as if he were a stud or something..."

"Are you jealous of that, Rihito?"

"Fuck no, leave me alone!"

More laughter.

"Anyway… now it's over," Koga sighs. "Ohma and Kanami can now be happy in peace. And she's fine, guys, let's come back later. I'm tired, and you?"

"Everyone here is, to be honest," Himuro scratches the back of his neck, sighing. "It was one of those days…"

“I'm too pissed off at the injustice of this world to get tired,” Rihito snarls, to which Kaneda shakes his head.

"You had a Kengan match a couple of hours ago. You need to rest more than anyone."

"Oh, that's right," Kaede turns to Rihito. "Were you able to solve your… problem?"

"Yup!," He nods, forgetting his anger for a second to smile at her. "It was kinda harsh, but in the end, Superman was victorious! I have a clear conscience."

"Really? Were you able to resolve even the issue of the fine?"

“… One thing at a time, Kaede, please."

There was one last burst of laughter before Sekibayashi spoke, "Okay, everyone, let's go home. No one will let us in and we'll have things to do tomorrow, then we'll say hello to her, right? Moving along…"

And out of all the people in the place, only the four idiots, Koga, Ryuki, Kazuo and Kaede were left. She sighs.

"You won't want to leave until you see her, will you?"

"Yeah…," Okubo shrugs. "Actually I'm fine with her, since you guys are here. It's Tomori I'm most worried about, she's still in there."

“She's fine, Egghead. She's with the little twinkie and Tokita, keeping an eye on Auntie," Rihito shrugs, and Himuro nods.

"Yeah. Someone will soon take her place, and then she'll appear," He picks up a pack of cigarettes, but then he remembers that he couldn't smoke in the hospital premises. He puts it back in his pocket, huffing. "After today, I don't think she'll want to spend the night as a companion at the hospital."

"Yeah. The night was quite exhausting for her, considering everything," Kaneda comments. "Go see her father later, Okubo. It's by showing concern that you’ll get even more into her family's good side, if you want some advice."

"I know, I already asked about him today, we'll arrange to go see them again. I hope this time he doesn't get scared, ahaha," he laughs, making his friends chuckle at the joke. "But I'm waiting for her to leave, then I can take her and all of you home. I'll go inside to look for her."

"I'm going home too," Kazuo says. "Kaede? Koga, Ryuki?"

"Yeah, let's go, Ryuki," Koga says to his friend. "Tomorrow we'll visit her. Let's go, boss. Good night guys.

"Goodnight!," The four idiots wave together. Kaede ends up nodding.

"I'll go with you too, my work to contain visitors with no sense of decorum has already been completed. Rest well, especially you," She points to Rihito. "Don't give Mr. Yamashita and me any more headaches like that, do you hear me?"

Rihito blinks. And then he breaks into a huge smile.

"Aaawn, Kaede! You, worrying about me? That's so cute!," And he jdoesn't grab her only because she blocks him in time, one hand pushing his chest and the other, his face. "C'mon, let me thank you for your concern properly!"

"No, thank you!"

"Just a little hug, to reinforce the message- OW!," Rihito screams and walks away at the same time, jumping on one foot while grabbing the other, which Kaede had just kicked with the toe of her heel. "Damn, you just had to say no!"

"I said it, but as usual you didn't listen! There's your reinforced message," She grumbles while the other idiots burst out laughing. "Good night to you all."

" 'Night!," Okubo nods. He then looks at Rihito. "Give it up, man, that one knows you too well to fall for your tricks, hahahaha."

"Eh…," Rihito pouted while watching Kazuo's group walk away, still massaging his sore foot. "Her loss. She doesn't know what she's missing…"

"She knows, and that must be why she doesn't mind missing it."

"Go fuck yourself, Himuro!"

"Heh… wow, what a night," Kaneda sighs. "Maybe you'd better go look for Tomori, Okubo. After all that, I'm also ready to go home..."

"That's what I'm saying…," he starts to walk, but then he stops. "It'd be good for you to get out of the cold too. Here," He throws his car keys to Lihito. "The battery is fine, you can turn on the heat. I won't take long."

"Cool!," Rihito exclaims excitedly. "C'mon, guys, let's have a party in Egghead's car until he returns!"

And the three of them walk towards the car, laughing and ignoring Okubo's indignation.

"No, you fucking won't! If I come back and there's anything out of place, I'll beat the shit outta you all!," He threatens, but then he shakes his head and enters the hospital. After passing reception, he knocks on the bedroom door and enters. Inside, Tomori was picking up her purse, while Hiro was having coffee in the chair next to the bed, where Kanami was sleeping. They turn towards the door, and Tomori smiles at the newcomer.

"Hey, Naoh. Hiro will stay here until Kanny's parents arrive. I'm already leaving."

“Me too,” Ohma appears out of nowhere behind him. Okubo almost screams and throws a punch, if he hadn't clamped his mouth in time, occupying his hands.

"Shit! Damn bro," he whispers in a thin voice. "Don't show up like that, you ninja wannabe! Fuck, if I had a weak heart I would be dead by now..."

"I don't wish this on anyone," Ohma enters the room. He reaches Tomori and lightly squeezes her shoulder. "Thank you," And he goes to the bed where Kanami is.

"You're welcome," She nods at him, smiling. "Good night, Ohma. And good night, Hiro," She says to the cashier. "Text me later, updating me. I'll be back tomorrow to visit."

“Okay,” He lifts a thumb, giving Ohma room to sit beside him.

Okubo looks at Kanami from afar before Tomori closes the door.

"She's fine, isn't she?," he asks, when they were leaving.

“As far as possible,” she murmurs in a hoarse voice. "She broke a rib, suffered a laceration on her leg and got beaten up pretty bad. She'll need to stay put for a while, which she won't do, if I know her well,” She smiles tiredly. And now that they were in the well-lit hospital corridor, he could see that her eyes were puffy.

"Oh…," He noticed that she'd been crying. "She's gonna be fine. And if Ohma respects her, she's certainly strong. She'll get better in no time," And he puts an arm around her shoulders, bringing her to lean against him. She closes her eyes and nods, sniffling.

"I know. But it was a close call. My God, first my dad, and now her..."

"The day is ending, so that's good. Let's go home, I have some shirts that fit you, and you need a really wide and spacious bed to roll in if you have insomnia," She glares at him and he winks. "No malice, I swear. We'll just sleep."

She sighs, nodding.

"Okay, I think I need this. A huge bed and some company while I'm in it," She lays her head on his chest, closing her eyes. "I got to talk to Ohma before you arrived. He... I didn't say anything to you, but now they're together..."

"I know, Kazuo and Kaede spread the good news to everyone. It was quite an uproar down there, celebrating her being well and this news," he summarizes. "Look… I'm happy. I'm not the only one who found someone. It was a shock, Seaweed Brain himseltf, but eh. He's happy, I'm happy...," he squeezes her a little in the hug, smiling. "And now we can go home. I'm just going to have to deliver some freeloaders that I brought in tow but I committed to it, hahahah."

"Hehe… those freeloaders deserve your commitment, after everything they did for us," She gives a hoarse laugh. "Especially the blonde and inconvenient one…"

"Yeah…," Okubo thinks for a while, wincing his shoulders, before plucking up the courage and saying, "Maybe he deserves a phone number too…?"

She stares at him, blinking in confusion for a second. And then she gives him an absolutely unimpressed look when she understands.

"Seriously? I have enough of him pestering me for Akane's number..."

“I know, it's annoying as fuck. But honestly, Tomori?," He gestures with one hand, making a face. "Rihito is an idiot, but he's not a complete asshole. You've seen for yourself what a nice guy he is when you give him the chance to show it. He wouldn't be a jerk to your friend if we nudged him in the right direction. She can have fun with him, he's funny, after all... oh, I don't know...," He shrugs. "You have the final say in this and I'll respect it, but at least think about what I said, please."

She clenches her mouth, her expression a little exhausted. And then she throws her head back with a huge grunt.

"Uuugh…okay, I can try talking to Akane about it, but I won't make any promises," She says finally. "If she says she doesn't want to, it will be the end of the conversation."

"Fair enough," He smiles a lot, hugging her sideways. "Thanks, Tomoh."

She ends up laughing again, though.

"You've been pretty unselfish these last few hours, you know..."

"For that idiot, there's no way not to be," He smiles tenderly at her. "It was with his help, Himuro's and Kaneda's that I won you over. My best gift..."

Her eyes get teary again. She sniffs and returns his side hug tightly.

"You too... I'm glad I decided it was worth staying..."

“And I'm glad you've decided I'm worthy of your loyalty."

"Loyalty...," She repeats in a whisper. "It's funny because I've been talking about this with Ohma until now. About how he's loyal to Kanami, and she is to him... I want to build that with you too, Naoya."

"Me too, Tomori…," he sighs. "I'm still sorry for what I did. But from now on… I'll have no more secrets with you. Not when you accepted even my darkest side. Loyal and honest. That will be my new motto."

"Heh… mine too," She raises her little finger at him playfully. "It's a promise."

He locked his own little finger with hers, playing along... and pulling her in for a quick kiss afterwards, because there was no better way to seal a deal than that.

NEXT CHAPTER

#Kengan Ashura #Kengan Omega #kenganverse #fanfiction #Okubo Naoya #Naoya Okubo #okubo x oc #kengan oc #Rihito #Himuro Ryo #Kaneda Suekichi #Tokita Ohma #Yamashita Kazuo #Akiyama Kaede #Narushima Koga #Gaoh Ryuki #Sekibayashi Jun #cookies'n cream #the heavy bakery series

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luneengene2 · 8 months

Text

"Papa, I'm not a Jinx"

• Synopsis : 17 years have passed after his wife's death, but Kei has not been able to recover from that loss. The death of his wife due to giving birth to their daughter really made Kei feel numb to any woman. And not only that, a hatred for his daughter also emerged in him and did not disappear for dozens of years. For years he blamed his own daughter; Sora, for his wife's death, because for him if his wife had not kept Sora, Kei would not have lost his wife. During her 17 years of life, Sora never received Kei's love as a daughter. Even more sadly, Sora knew that his father hated her because his wife died giving birth to her. Her father's hatred and the unfairness of life that ehe experienced made Sora sick and in the end she fought back against it which ended in something tragic happening to her.

• Pairings (Platonic) : father!idol!kei x oc!fem!reader

• Warnings : Contains grammatical errors, angst content, suicide, mention of death, talking to spirits (?)

• Type : A Two-Shot Story

• A/N : This story will have two separate parts!!!

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The public always thinks positively about Kei. Saying that he is a good single father, who loves his daughter more than anything. Especially after the death of his wife, many people think that their daughter is everything to him, being his medicine after his wife's death. Even Kei's movements, which always 'appear' to be trying to protect his daughter's privacy from the public, are enough to illustrate that he is a good person. However, all of that is just a lie. Lies to cover up the true image and reality.

The public does not know that Kei, who is said to always protect his daughter from the media or the public, is not because he wants to protect her. But he didn't want his daughter to reveal clearly what her real life was all of a sudden. He doesn't want his daughter to ruin his career, after she ruined his life.

For him, it was enough that his daughter had taken his wife's life, not the career and success he had built with his wife.

"Predicate C- in Mathematics? Can't you be smart for once, Sora?!" Kei threw Sora's math test results harshly after seeing the unsatisfactory results on the paper. Sora winced in surprise and squeezed her skirt as hard as she could when Kei started to look rough.

"Don't you study properly so you always get bad grades in Mathematics?! My money is used to make you smart, not stupid and reckless!" Kei continued sharply, Sora lowered his gaze, not daring to look at his father who would be furious. Kei snorted with a sarcastic smile then looked back at his daughter sharply. "Just once, just once, Koga Sora! Just once you can make me proud, not make me annoyed like this! Is it possible?! Don't waste my money if you just grow up to be a stupid girl," Kei's words succeeded in making a single tear fall from her left eye. Heartache rose in her chest again.

"I don't know why your mother defends a stupid girl like this more than her life which is more valuable than yours," Sora felt her head start to 'spin' because her father started discussing the past which was her weakest point. The death of her mother he never met. "If your mother hadn't kept you, my money wouldn't have been wasted to provide for you," Kei continued, whose emotions still hadn't subsided, he never cared about Sora's feelings when he said this sensitive thing.

"Why don't you just die if you're just bothering everyone, Sora? You know, your presence ruined my whole life," Hearing this thing repeated over and over for dozens of years made Sora start to get sick of it, it always sounded clear in her ears. Playing in her head like a broken record. Sora raised her head then looked at his father with tears streaming down her face. "Then why don't you just kill me, Papa? Why didn't you just strangle me to death when I was a baby if I ruined your life? Why did you raise me if you hate me? Why not just throw me into an orphanage? Why keep me?" Kei was quite shocked when his daughter dared to reply to his words for the first time. For years, Sora remained silent when she was insulted by Kei, but this time he actually responded and asked a trick question.

Kei raised his eyebrows then let out a breath that seemed to mock Sora. "One of my late wife's wills was to protect her bad luck, so I'm just carrying out the trust she gave me," Kei said flatly which made Sora close her eyes, tears continued to flow from her eyes. "Why are you looking after the jinx, Papa? You know, if I can trade my soul to save Mama, then I'm willing to trade my soul if it can bring Mama back to you," Kei immediately laughed softly when Sora said that. "Trading your soul? Even with insects you're afraid, idiot girl. Don't act stupid,"

"I'm an idiot because of you, Papa. You're the one who made me an idiot like this," hearing Sora's words that accused him then made Kei furious and stood up from his chair. "What did you just say?!" Kei asked in a low but pressured voice. Sora got up from his seat too and looked at Kei with a hurt expression.

"Isn't that true right? You couldn't educate me well until I became an idiot like this, all my life you only blamed me, right? Not like Uncle Taki, who received a good upbringing from you," Kei gripped Sora's shoulder hard, even though she was in pain, Sora's facial expression did not change. "Why should I educate a jinx? It's useless," His words were piercing.

"Useless? Then kill me now! Kill me, Mr Koga! Kill me and send me to my mother! Kill me so you can live in peace! kill me if you have a grudge against me! Fucking kill me right now!" Sora put her father's hand around her neck, and seemed to guide Kei's hand to strangle her as hard as possible. Kei was immediately really shocked when his daughter acted like this, making him panic, not wrapped up in emotions.

Suddenly, a flash of his late wife lying weak in the hospital spun around, and was replaced with Sora's face in the same condition, but wearing a white dress. Like a corpse about to be put in a coffin. And it spun repeatedly as long as Kei's hand was still around his daughter's neck.

For some reason, Sora's energy became very strong, making it difficult for Kei to pull his hand from Sora's neck, and this succeeded in making Sora's breath become thinner because his hand kept pressing Kei's hand on her neck. This made Kei panic even more, unconsciously tears also started to flow from his eyes.

Like it or not, Kei used his free hand to push Sora until the young girl was thrown onto the sofa quite hard. Kei also almost fell because of his own push.

Sora was shocked, her eyes stared at the sofa and then he hit the sofa hard while crying quite hysterically. Frustrated and tired of what she was going through. Kei just stared and then left his study, as if to let Sora cry there to her heart's content.

Kei's feelings immediately fell apart drastically, he wiped away the tears that had suddenly come out. Leaving Sora who seemed insane in his study.

~One week later~

The incident one week ago actually made Kei and Sora's relationship even worse. Sora rarely goes home and spends more time at her uncle EJ's family's house. Kei's group friends don't know what really happened, why Sora rarely comes home, even though Sora always comes home even though Kei treats her badly.

Kei entered the bathroom, he woke up at five in the morning. He immediately brushed his teeth and washed his face. When he looked in the mirror, he was surprised by the figure of a woman wearing a white dress with a headband. Her face was flat and cold, looking at Kei with anger and disappointment (?). Kei immediately recognized the woman's figure. His late wife. Nami. Not afraid or screaming, Kei was immediately shocked when he saw Nami's figure in the mirror. This was the first time he met Nami again in dozens of years. Kei looked and Nami was still standing in front of her.

"Oh my darling," Kei said softly, he approached Nami and was about to touch her, but the touch was transparent. Making Kei pull his hand back. "Nami my love, it's been a dozen years since you left me, I still miss you and remain like that. I can't get up from that downturn, darling. Why don't you ever come to my dreams to meet me for just a moment?" Kei's question made Nami's figure look even darker at him. A look that Nami had never given during the time she was alive. Kei quite got goosebumps when that gaze pierced him deeply.

"Because I hate you, Kei. My soul hates you after seeing how you behaved after I died," Nami answered, her tone really hurt. Kei was shocked when Nami said that to him. "But why—"

"You treat my daughter like trash, the daughter whose life I fought for, hoping she could be happy with you, but you treat her like trash. She's not trash, she's our daughter!" Nami said that with a loud cry. "As long as I die, I feel tormented by what you did to my Sora! You violated my will to look after her, you made my daughter suffer, I really hate you!" Nami screamed hysterically.

"Nami she made you die—"

"Shut your bastard mouth, Koga Yudai! Shut your fucking mouth!" Nami snapped harshly, cutting off Yudai's words. "You know, if I were still alive and saw how you treated him so badly, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you! You want her dead? Your words can come true if you don't immediately realize what you have been doing all this time. You could lose Sora, Yudai. Losing your only daughter. Without you realizing it, she is your precious treasure. Sora's death will be a more painful disaster than my death for you," As if struck by lightning, Kei really felt hit by Nami's words. He also felt a feeling of disapproval if that happened to Sora.

BRAK!

Suddenly Kei opened his eyes. And his body was actually on the bed. He looked around his dark room, and it turned out that his meeting with Nami was just a dream. Kei sighed then covered his face, he looked frustrated. But, he was grateful that it was just a dream. Kei thought that what Nami said in his dream was just a form of his pain because he missed her. There's no way Nami hates Kei, right?

Kei got up from his bed, closed the open window which caused the loud sound. After closing the window Kei looked at the clock on the wall in his room, it was 5.30 in the morning. It was still quite early, but usually Kei was awake at this time.

Today is a routine practice schedule before &Team's world tour. Making Kei is really rare at home.

Drrrt drttttt

Kei's cell phone suddenly vibrated quite loudly. Kei immediately took his cell phone. And it turns out, Euijoo was calling him. Kei frowned in surprise. Why did Euijoo call him at this hour?

Kei immediately picked up the phone, worried that Euijoo had something important to say.

Kei : Hello, Euijoo. What is—

Euijoo : I'm really going to beat you up right now, Yudai! Or maybe kill you!

Kei was immediately shocked when Euijoo immediately shouted at him in informal language. Euijoo isn't usually like this.

Kei : Euijoo, what's wrong? Did I make a mistake?

Euijoo : Yeah, you made a big mistake, and in an instant you almost lost another part of yourself! Bastard!

Kei : Euijoo what do you mean?! Calm yourself. Why are you getting angry like this at me?!

Euijoo : You'd better calm yourself down after I say this. Your daughter attempted suicide! She threw herself in the river near my house! She was found in critical condition and was quite far away!

Silence. Kei didn't speak at all after hearing that. His brain couldn't even accept what Euijoo meant.

Kei : Don't joke, Euijoo. This isn't funny! Is this a plan by you and that kid so she can gain my sympathy?!

Euijoo : What are you saying? You are such a bastard! Your daughter is fighting a battle between life and death, and you think this is a trick? Damn man!

Kei didn't speak any more, as if something heavy had hit him. When Euijoo mentioned the hospital where Sora was being treated, Kei immediately hung up the phone and took the car keys. Fuck, he's still wearing his pajamas, he looks like he's really about to experience a major disaster.

During the trip to the hospital, Kei couldn't stop cursing. He even cried hysterically and had to stop for a moment to clear his head. The shadows of the past came back to haunt him.

And, the events of a dozen years ago started to play back in his head like a broken record. A memory where he lost his wife forever. And his imagination if he saw Sora in a coffin, made him even more heartbroken. That imagination, the imagination he always hated even though he didn't 'want' his daughter.

He regrets it...

PART 2...

#&team imagines #&team angst #&team k #koga yudai #&team #kpop angst

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voltage-vixen · 2 years

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‘Tis the Season for Love Content Creation Challenge Masterlist

Here’s the Masterlist from @xxsycamore’s and mine ‘Tis the Season for Smut Challenge! The featured content includes an assortment of creations, and includes works from the following fandoms:

Cybird >Ikemen Prince >Ikemen Vampire >Ikemen Sengoku >Ikemen Revolution Genius >My Secret Spy Lovers Genshin Impact Mystic Messenger Obey Me Twisted Wonderland Voltage >Ayakashi Romance Reborn >Court of Darkness >Destind: Mr. Almost Right >Kings of Paradise >Oops! I Said Yes?! >Star-Crossed Myth

A 🎨 next to a creation indicates it is artwork.

*Please be advised that some of the content created for this challenge contains NSFW content and to respect the creator’s warnings and labels while also reading at your own risk.

The Fluff Prompts

Starting with preparations way too early

Cybird

Ikemen Vampire

One More Christmas With You: Comte de Saint Germain x MC @xxsycamore

Voltage

Star-Crossed Myth

Recovering My Star’s Shine: Zyglavis x OC @fang-and-feather

Sipping hot chocolate and then stealing a kiss

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Right Here: Clavis Lelouch x f!Reader @scorchieart

Sipping Hot Chocolate and then Stealing a Kiss: Leon Dompteur x Reader @violettduchess

Sipping Hot Cholate and Stealing a Kiss: Luke Randolph x Reader @aquagirl1978

Ikemen Revolution

Sipping Hot Cholate and Stealing a Kiss: Harr Silver x Reader @aquagirl1978

Ikemen Senogku

Sipping Hot Cholate and Stealing a Kiss: Kennyo x Reader @aquagirl1978

Ikemen Vampire

Sipping Hot Cholate and Stealing a Kiss: Jean d’Arc x Reader @aquagirl1978

Voltage

Ayakashi Romance Reborn

Like You as You Are: Shizuki x MC @lost-khione

Sweet Drink: Koga x MC @lost-khione

Oops! I Said Yes?!

Cocoa Kisses: Shu Hasunuma x f!MC @voltage-vixen

“Okay, maybe I DO need help putting the star on top of the tree.”

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

A Little Bit Short: Yves Kloss x Reader @myonlyjknight

Make Me Reach for the Stars: Yves Kloss x MC @xxsycamore

My Shining Star: Gilbert Von Obsidian x Reader @aquagirl1978

“Okay, maybe I DO need help putting the star on top of the tree.”: Chevalier Michel x Reader @violettduchess

“This gingerbread house just WON’T stay up!”

Cybrid

Ikemen Prince

A Chaotic Christmas: All princes, Emma, and OC in a platonic grouping @myonlyjknight

A Sweet Moment: Yves Kloss x OC @fang-and-feather

Ikemen Revolution

“This gingerbread house just WON’T stay up!”: Harr, Loki, and OC in a platonic grouping 🎨 @krys-loves-otome

Sharing a scarf

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Scarf Sharing: Leon Dompteur x Reader @violettduchess

The Scarf: Licht Klein x Reader @myonlyjknight

Warmth: Gilbert Von Obsidian x OC @gilbertvonobsidian

Ikemen Sengoku

A Warm Winter Day: Kicho x Reader @aquagirl1978

Sharing a Scarf: Kennyo x OC 🎨 @krys-loves-otome

Ikemen Vampire

Attention On Me!: Napoleon Bonaparte x MC @xxsycamore

Mystic Messenger

Snuggles in the Snowfall: Jumin Han x f!MC @voltage-vixen

“I said that I’d teach you how to ice skate, I didn’t say that I know how to ice skate.”

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Ice Skating: Clavis Lelouch x Reader @violettduchess

Voltage

Kings of Paradise

“I said that I’d teach you how to ice skate, I didn’t say that I know how to ice skate.”: Yosuke Sagara x OC 🎨 @cupidocherie

Forced to wear an ugly Christmas sweater

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

An Uncanny Resemblance: Silvio Ricci x MC/Emma @midwinterrmemento

The Ugly Sweater Party: Silvio Ricci x Reader @aquagirl1978

Ikemen Vampire

Our Ugly Getalong Christmas Sweater Party: All residents of Comte’s mansion in a platonic pairing @xxsycamore

Being the MC/LI’s fake date for a Christmas party/ball

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Fake Date: Nokto Klein x OC 🎨 @krys-loves-otome

Mine For a Christmas Night: Jin Grandet x Reader @xxsycamore

What a Difference a Year Makes - Chevalier Michel x Reader @aquagirl1978

Genius

My Secret Spy Lovers

My Rescuer: Masamune Araki x Reader @ikemen-prince-writers-posts

Voltage

Ayakashi Romance Reborn

Dancing Between Emotions: Toichiro/OC @fang-and-feather

Surprising their partner in the morning with a new pet underneath the Christmas tree

Cybird

Ikemen Vampire

Birds Of A Feather: Dazai Osamu x MC @xxsycamore

Voltage

Court of Darkness

Puppy Love: Toa Qelsum x MC @chirp-a-chirp

Destind: Mr. Almost Right

The Gift of Family: Rei Rindoh x f!MC @voltage-vixen

��Those clichéd traditions are exciting for me, now that I have you.”

Obey Me

It’s A Wonderful Life: Diavolo x gn!MC @chirp-a-chirp

Twisted Wonderland

Traditions: Malleus Draconia x Reader @ikemen-prince-writers-posts

Voltage

Ayakashi Romance Reborn

First Shrine Visit: Gaku x Futaba @lost-khione

The Smut Prompts

Warming up together after a snowball fight

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Warming Up Together After A Snowball Fight: Chevalier Michel x MC @ludivineikewolf

Genshin Impact

The Winnings of War: Childe x f!Traveler @voltage-vixen

Wearing nothing but a ribbon around the neck

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

A Kitten for Christmas: Sariel Noir x Reader @norel-ravenclaw

Ikemen Vampire

I’m Yours Tonight: Arthur Conan Doyle x OC @fang-and-feather

Fun under the blanket

Cybird

Ikemen Revolution

Fun Under the Blanket: Fenrir Godspeed x MC @ludivineikewolf

Ikemen Vampire

Another New Year: Napoleon Bonaparte x Reader @aquagirl1978

Bodies roasting by the open fire

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Bodies Roasting By An Open Fire: Clavis Lelouch x MC @ludivineikewolf

Ikemen Sengoku

Warlord Roasting By An Open Fire: Nobunaga Oda x f!MC @voltage-vixen

“A kiss under the mistletoe doesn’t have to be where we stop.”

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Don’t Stop: Jin Grandet x Reader @aquagirl1978

Insatiable Cravings: Silvio Ricci x Reader @ikemen-prince-writers-posts

Ikemen Revolution

Mistletoe Not Require: Zero x f!Reader @chaosangel767

Voltage

Court of Darkness

Nothing Else to Compare: Roy Invidia x MC @chirp-a-chirp

Star-Crossed Myth

Sweet Heat: Zyglavis x OC @fang-and-feather

“I’ve decided I don’t want to be on the nice list this Christmas.”

Cybird

Ikemen Revolution

Dalim, Baby: Dalim Tweedle x f!Alice @voltage-vixen

Ikemen Vampire

The Gift of Your Touch: Issac Newton x OC @fang-and-feather

“Actually, there is one more thing on my wish list.”

Cybird

Ikemen Vampire

A Joyful Wish: Charles-Henri Sanson x Reader @aquagirl1978

“Actually, there is one more thing on my wish list.”: Vincent va Goh x OC 🎨 @krys-loves-otome

Obey Me

A Wish Come True: Diavolo x f!MC @voltage-vixen

“Those clichéd traditions are exciting for me, now that I have you.”

Cybird

Ikemen Prince

Yours For A New Year’s Morning: Jin Grandet x Reader @xxsycamore

#'tis the season for love #'tis the season for smut #'tis the season for fluff #ikemen prince #ikemen vampire #ikemen sengoku #ikemen revolution #my secret spy lovers #genius otome #obey me #mystic messenger #voltage inc #ayakashi romance reborn #star crossed myth #oops i said yes #destind: mr. almost right #genshin impact #court of darkness #twisted wonderland

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piyantas · 8 months

Text

hey besties!! im mimi, and im looking for some 1x1 roleplay partners!! i don't double, just so you are aware!!

a little about me:

24 years old, looking for partners who are 18+ ( preferably 20+ )

cis woman, she / her pronouns

i live in the eastern standard timezone (est) and i am hoping you live in a similar timezone!!

i write in 3rd person POV, 2-4 paragraphs regularly.

oc x canon / f x m ships, with me playing a fem oc.

the fandoms / characters im hoping to write against:

baldur's gate 3: astarion, gale dekarios, rolan, halsin

dragon age: alistair theirin, cullen rutherford, solas

stranger things: billy hargrove, steve harrington, eddie munson

haikyuu: atsumu miya, bokuto koutaro, kuroo tetsurou, iwaizumi hajime

ensemble stars: kaoru hakaze, rei sakuma, koga oogami

anyways, i am looking for someone to write with me on discord, i prefer to write on private servers instead of dms. feel free to like this post and ill reach out, or you can contact me directly through this blog!!

#bg3 rp #baldur's gate 3 rp #dragon age rp #stranger things rp #haikyuu rp #hq rp #ensemble stars rp #enstars rp #rp finder #rp search #1x1 rp #18+ rp #rp #roleplay

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hamanochiaki · 5 months

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Nine People You'd Like to Know Better

tagged by @unviincible!! sorry it took me a few days to get around to it! ty for the tag!

3 Ships: matchablossom (sk8), viktuuri (yuri on ice!), dimileth (fire emblem 3 houses) I haven't read fic properly in forever i want to get back into reading more fic this year i miss it! i've been thinking about matchablossom a lot recently bonus: karlach x lottie (my tav that i plopped in from a failed campaign....i care for them deeply)

First Ship: me x koga from inuyasha LMAO.....i dont think i really got into ships until high school so honestly it was probably sasunaru or like naruto ocs of some kind

Last Song: Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan it is LODGED in my brain, anytime it goes quiet it starts playing in my head. if its not that its Bling-Bang-Bang-Born by Creepy Nuts

Currently Reading: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir started reading it for an online bookclub but am SO slow i'm not finishing for our meetup :') enjoying it so far though!

Last Film: i've been watching a lot of series lately, so i think the last movie i actually watched was Saltburn. it was fine i think ive been on the internet long enough that i was expecting all of the controversial scenes to be way worse than they actually played out, but the movie itself was like, just fine. i gave it a 5/10

Currently Craving: the tzatziki from a local restaurant, jamaican rice and peas, or ramen

I tag: anyone who is interested in giving this a go, but feel no pressure to if i tag you <3

@festivetrickster @a1ani @sinelanguage @mxihi @batwing1012 @kweiyi @bikenesmith @puddimilk

#kay text #text post meme

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o7k5a8m9i · 1 month

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My Inuyasha oc!💮 Kusachi Okamko

~ Name! ~ | Kusachi Okamko

~ Sex/Gender ~ | Female

~ Favorite food ~ | Rice and Steak

~ Favorite color ~ | Red

~ Race ~ | Half wolf demon and half human

~ Hair color ~ | Brown

~ Eye color ~ | heterochromia × Sky Blue & Pinkish Red

~ Height ~ | 5'1

~ Weight ~ | 101lbs

~ Age ~ | 17 or 18

~ Occupation ~ | Slave (formally) Mother and Co-chief of the wolf tribe

~ Family ~ | Mate/Husband × Koga :: Kids × Himei, Tora & Kiba

~ Skin color ~ | Fair

~ Hobbies ~ | Running, Reading, Climbing tall things, Spending time with her family ect

tagging a few folks who seemed interested!💖🌸💮

@pineyw00dsshesquatch @n1ggasbwer1d @starsv3

@kinmokusei-stars @a-dash-in-the-middle @xxaeryxx

@leiaismyhero @you!💖

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findroleplay · 5 months

Note

Hello! Searching for a few RP partners (also thank you for running this kind of blog!!) Literacy: Preferably mostly literate (I can handle a few grammatical errors, but please nothing shorthanded, carelessly written, etc.)

Fandom: Marvel (specifically Loki, preferably Avengers era), Harry Potter, Twilight, Naruto, InuYasha

Pair: M x M (my OC is trans, just as a heads up!)

Character(s): Marvel: Loki, Thor, Tony | HP: Draco, Weasley twins, Cedric | Twilight: Emmett, Jacob, Embry, Paul, Jared | Naruto: Sasuke, Itachi, Kiba, Neji, Gaara, Kankuro, Kakashi | InuYasha: InuYasha, Sesshomaru, Miroku, Koga, Naraku

Ship(s): OC x Canon

Triggers: Pretty much open to anything - we can discuss more when we talk (:

Genres: Action, adventure, romance, angst, dead dove, potential NSFW/smut (again, discuss more when we talk)

Plot ideas: Depends on which fandom and pairing, honestly. I have most of my character points written on a blog for each universe which I can send to whoever my partner(s) are

Where: Preferably either in reblogs or Tumblr messages; might be easier to keep clean/semi-clean RPs as reblogs and anything explicit in private messages

Other: I tend to prefer long/para roleplaying; plotline and character development is essential to me because it's what drives the RP. Please like this post if you're interested and I will message you if I think we'd be a good match 😊

#rp #roleplay #marvel rp #Harry Potter rp #Twilight rp #Naruto rp #InuYasha rp

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avionvadion · 10 months

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So, in the two hours of sleep I got last night, I had the weirdest (kind of fucked up) dream of when Irene and Sesshomaru have baby Sora.

For all intents and purposes, I don't plan of adding this into the actual fic (unless ya'll want me to) but it was a wild dream with a somewhat cute ending. Angst galore.

Long story short (mostly because I don't remember a whole lot of it) everyone knows Sesshomaru has pretty much accepted humans at this point and has even accepted the idea of a human partner (Irene) but don't know if he's changed his opinion on half-demons at all.

A while after Irene and Sesshomaru spend their first night together, Inuyasha (very loudly and utterly horrified by the knowledge of who the daddy is) reveals that Irene's scent changed and that she's preggers. Miroku comments on how he wonders how well Sesshomaru will take this news. He then throws out the question of if Sesshomaru's hatred for half-demons is so strong, would he truly be so cruel as to do something that could result in a child and then try to kill it as soon as it's born, regardless of Irene's feelings?

Needless to say, Irene and Sango panic.

Sango leaves her nearly one-year-old twins, Gyokuto and Kin'u, with Miroku while she and Irene fly over to the wolf demon tribe mountains to ask Koga for help, seeing as he was once close with Irene's older sister. Koga is happy to shelter her. The wolf scent is very strong and pretty much hides Irene's scent from Sesshomaru long enough for her to give birth.

She goes ahead and names the newborn Sora, and I guess because the scent is pretty fresh and very similar to his own it helps Sesshomaru track them down?

Irene is terrified he's going to hurt Sora, but instead he acts very gentle and soft (and Koga very reluctantly lets him approach since he doesn't sense any ill will or malice from him) as he remarks on how Irene has already chosen a name for their daughter, and I think he wrapped her up in his fur as he flies and takes Irene and Sora back to Kaede's Village?

He's lowkey very pissed she jumped to conclusions and ran off, especially since her lifespan is much shorter than his and if she died giving birth he would have never known, but he also can't really blame her for said conclusion because he did try on very, very, very many accounts to kill Inuyasha in the past.

#inuyasha #inuyasha oc #sesshomaru #sesshomaru x oc #forest deep #the premise is kinda oof but like with Sess' track record can you blame 'em for assuming the worst???#my brain truly chose violence last night I guess #mirsan #koga #wolf demon koga

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writinghabits1 · 2 years

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Karma Part 4

Part 3

Pairing: Ghost x OC

Warning: Talk of killing and war

Summary: It's mission brief time. Now they have a target.

______

“Apologies for the slight misinformation given to you all.” Price spoke as he stood at the end of the briefing table with Karma and Laswell. The two teams sat on either side, watching the Captain as he spoke. “While the training was helpful, it is not the real purpose for the Angel’s visit.”

“What is then?” Gaz asked curiously as he sat with his hands crossed over and his elbows on the armrests of his swirl chair.

“As you may know, we handle mainly human trafficking and smuggling groups across the globe,” Karma muttered as she moved to the table and moved some paper around. “There has been one group, led by a man named Kago. South African criminal turned businessman.” Karma shows a picture of a man dressed in a white suit shaking hands with a known terrorist.

“Every time we got close to him, he escaped.” Widow added as her eyes looked up to Karma, who nodded.

“Our source had dried and went quiet,” Karma explained as she turned her head to look at Laswell. “Which is why we came to Laswell.”

“My source gave us information about a hideout just off the coast of Somalia,” Laswell added on. “We believe that Kago is held up there under a small army of men to protect him.”

“Getting this man will stop thousands of young women and boys being trafficked. It will stop money from going to terrorists to allow them to fund their regimes.” Karma explained. But Ghost could see there was more in her eyes that she wasn’t letting out. He rested his head against his left fist with his elbow and the table. A pistol sat in front of him; he had to take it out because he couldn’t sit on the chair comfortably due to it against his thigh. He only wore his balaclava, his skull mask off and in his room. He had brewed himself a cup of tea before he was dragged into this last-minute meeting, meaning he couldn’t enjoy it. Ghost knew by the time this meeting was over; his brew would be cold.

“What I don’t understand, though, is why involve us?” Ghost asked, watching her body language closely. He was trying to understand this woman. One moment she was relaxed and smirking, completely readable. And then, she was stone cold in an instant, and he could not read a thing from her.

“After the last time, we realised that we can’t get him alone,” Karma answered as her eyes snapped over to Glass, who had a worried expression.

“What happened last time?” Soap asked as his eyes never left Glass and her pained expression. Her eyebrows scrunched together in fear, something he would never think to see on an Angel’s face.

“There were too many of them,” Fox explained as her eyes moved between the other three Angels. “Glass was wounded by Koga; it was a little too close.”

“They have an army, and against four, it was impossible. But eight of us, we stand a chance.” Karma looked around as she put both her hands on the table’s edge and leaned forward with a soft sigh. “That being said, if you don’t want to join us. It won’t be held against you, and no questions will be asked.”

“You know that wherever you go, we follow.” Widow spoke to Karma as the other two women nodded in agreement, even Glass, who now had a determined look on her. Karma looked at her while tilting her head slightly as if to ask if she was all right with this.

“Till the bitter-sweet end,” Glass smirked at her, causing Karma to lift her mouth into a side smirk as well with a soft nod.

“I think I speak for all of my team,” Price said while looking at the men with an agreeing look. “We’re in. What’s the plan?”

“Great,” Karma said before leaning forward and moving paper around to reveal a large, printed layout of the compound where Koga was believed to be. “We split into teams of two. Assault from different sides. We will hit them at night, so suppressors and knives are necessary.”

“In and out, better to keep knowledge of us being in the country to nothing,” Laswell added as Karma nodded.

“So, it’s a black op?” Gaz asked as Karma shook her head softly.

“No, there won’t even be a record of this.” This made them realise almost exactly what they were getting into. “If we’re found, it could spark a war.”

“So, in and out?” Soap asked as Price nodded.

“We get in and kill Koga. A boat will be waiting for us just off the coast, around three miles from the compound. It will take us to a cargo ship which Laswell will be stationed in.” Price told him as he nodded.

“Widow and I will be first to attack from the north. Then Ghost and Soap from the east. Price and Gaz from the south and Fox and Glass from the west.” Karma explained to them, pointing at parts of the map. “It’s important that we attack at separate times; that way, they should be distracted by different sounds from different directions.”

“If you see an opening to go into the compound, you take it.” Price told him as he tapped two of his fingers over the picture of the compound itself. “And if you have a shot, take it and confirm it and then get the fuck out of there.”

“There will be a chinook on the cargo ship as an emergency evac.” Laswell looked at Karma, who nodded.

“Let’s pray we don’t use it.” Glass muttered as she eyed the compound map.

“Alright, any questions?” Price asked.

“What if there are civilians?” Gaz asked a genuine question, and Karma looked him dead in the eye.

“Leave them.” She told him bluntly without any emotion in her voice. Gaz’s face scrunched up in distaste at her answer.

“Come on; you can’t just leave hostages,” Soap called out almost in a yell as he moved forward in his chair, clearly upset with her answer as she just shook her head.

“They will only slow us down. I have contacts to go in and get them home, should there be any.”

“And how can you trust these contacts?” Ghost asked as Karma’s eyes snapped to him with a deadly stare. He was challenging her, and she didn’t like it. But something else flashed through her eyes that Ghost couldn’t catch in time to figure it out.

“Are you questioning your orders?” She asked him deeply, waiting for his answer. Karma stared directly into his eyes, neither of them wavering against the other, fighting a silent battle between themselves. Karma could feel the hairs lift on the back of her neck as his eyes dropped from her eyes to her lips. But it was only for a brief moment, so quick she actually doubted it even happened and that it wasn’t in her mind.

“When the orders are questionable, yes, Ma’am.” Ghost returned fire as her mouth tilted into a smirk as she straightened her back. You could hear the smirk in his voice, almost like he was purposefully trying to taunt her into an argument. But she just dropped her gaze to the table under her hands and chuckled deeply before looking back up at Ghost with an amused look.

“Good,” She smirked, which caused most to be confused with her answer. “Never leave a question unanswered. Especially in this line of work.” She smirked at him before walking around the table and tapping his shoulder as she headed for the door to the room, “But yes, He and I trained together many years ago.”

“Wheels up in two hours,” Karma called as she left the briefing room and walked to her bedroom. She was offered an officer quarter, but she hated them and would rather stay close to her team. Thankfully she was never one to unpack her go-bag, so she decided to go for a shower before leaving.

She wasn’t sure how long they would be away, so she decided to get a little luxury before she left. The warm water felt glorious against her skin as it washed away the sweat from the day she had. Finally, they had a lead on where Koga was, and she would finally get him after what he did to Glass. Watching Koga drive a knife into Glass’s back played back in her mind. They hadn’t seen him leave the room they had yet to clear, she hadn’t seen him, and he stabbed her subordinate, her friend, in the back. They were lucky he had just missed any vital organs. But it took nearly six months for Glass to be back to fighting condition. They were lucky that time, and she could only hope that luck would continue until Koga was dead.

Part 5

#ghost x oc #simon ghost riley x oc #simon ghost riley #ghost fanfiction #ghost cod #modern warfare #ghost mw2 #mw2022 #simon riley x oc #simon riley #task force 141 #cod #call of duty #fanfic #karma

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darkdevasofdestruction · 1 year

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Chapter 24 - Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu

"Hey, babe, sorry, but I won't hold back. I'll try to keep from hitting your pretty face though. It would be a shame to hurt such a beauty." Rihito grinned flirtatiously, making Kisara gag internally. "Rihito. I'm married. You came to my wedding." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Married or not, you're still hot and I want your number." Kisara groaned in frustration, not bothering to listen to any of Mokichi's professional commentary.

As soon as the referee announced the moment to take their stance, Kisara cracked her knuckles and adopted Agito's martial arts stance, waiting. The fight began, and Rihito sprung at light speed towards the red head - Only to find himself knocked out, on the ground. For the ordinary people with no experience, it looked like some kind of magic took place - But the others cheered the fantastic win lasting less than a minute. It was a classic Hatsumi Sen win that only someone as fast as Kisara could accomplish. First, she leaned to the side, grabbing his hand, or rather, wrapping her fingers around his thumb, gripping and forcing it in an awkward angle, forcing him to his knees. Before Rihito could escape with the aid of his other hand's Razor's Edge, Kisara used Senpai's Gathering Clouds: Triple Strike move on his face, hitting the glabella, philtrum and chin with such speed that he fell on the ground, knocked out and bleeding.

Kisara smirked, doing a pretty princess courtesy towards the audience, before getting out of the ring, and back to where the manager was waiting to congratulate her, along with Jackie and Joji. She hadn't even sweat, at all - To think that what a semifinal worthy of a Kengan x Purgatory Tournament... What a disgrace! Her fight with Wakatsuki from many years ago was far more entertaining than this hilarity. As soon as she got up the stands, she double high-fived both Jackie and Joji before slumping down on her assigned seat next to the foreigner who offered her another pocky pack and a coke can, with which she clinked to everyone's beer or sake cups.

"You made that look very easy." Jackie said casually. "It is, actually!" she smiled, munching on that pocky. "It's not." he said. "It takes years of practice. How long did it it take?" "Hmm... Let's see... About four years, I think?" she pondered over. "Ah, but don't think I was in any way athletic back then! Goodness, no I-- I was pretty pathetic and weak. I was still in Uni and studying all day, barely living on coffee and a light meal per day. If it wasn't for Ohma encouraging me to get healthier, I wouldn't have gotten where I am." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "It took years to gain any ounce of self-confidence, control and discipline over myself. Hatsumi-Senpai helped me a lot in that regard. I used to be such an anxious little mouse before!" she giggled lightly. "But I got to do a lot of mountain hiking, which was super fun!" "You're just being modest, then. It took your Senpai years to perfect a move and learn how to teach it to you. Don't downplay your hard-work." Jackie hummed, nonchalantly drinking his beer. "You're just too nice, Jackie." she hummed. "Would you like to go hiking with us some day?" "Sure."

The second semifinal began with Koga against Ryuki, which was an exciting and thrilling match. Gaoh began with a fantastically quick footwork towards and around Koga using Setsuna's move, but Narushima was able to dodge before he got killed. Was Kiryu around, maybe? Could Ryuki be so directly influenced by Setsuna, all of a sudden? He wasn't like this a while ago, during the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament. If Ohma finds him, an all-out war might explode. Ever since Ohma got his memories back, he's gotten so much wiser and level-headed, so grounded and calm, it was truly wholesome and heart-warming; Hence why, Kisara was almost sure that Ohma was protective over Koga, but also wanted to protect Ryuki from negative outside influence - In this case, Setsuna - Knowing he was just a child traumatised by the Inside, similar to him in many ways, but also, so very different. Tokita Niko and Gaoh Mukaku were definitely miles apart on the spectrum.

Koga looked almost helpless before Gaoh's fierce rush - Truth is, Koga wasn't tried to kill his friend, while Ryuki was actively going out of his way to assassinate him. He was dodging and evading, parrying and blocking, even a combination of Koei style Blink and Rakshasa's Palm. All of a sudden, Jackie got up abruptly. "Something wrong, Jackie?" Joji asked him, looking up at the man whilst still drinking his alcohol. "I'm gonna buy some more beer. Want me to pick up something while I'm there?" the foreigner offered. "Can I have fried offal and noodles? I swear, I could live the rest of my life on nothing but fried offal and noodles." Joji chuckled lethargically. "Are you sure you're okay, Jackie? You seem upset. Is the match boring you?" Kisara automatically got up to her feet, her hand reaching out to gently touch his biceps. Jackie looked down at her, his empty eyes boring into her beautiful green ones, and his expression subtly lightened. "Yes, I'm alright, don't worry about me." he placed his large hand over her her much smaller and delicate one. "For a fighter, you have very soft skin. It would be a shame if you got hurt." with one finger placed under her chin, he rose her face up. She was as beautiful as always, he thought, and without a second word, he left to the shop, leaving Kisara very much confused.

Meanwhile, Koga used the Indestructible, risking the Rakshasa's Palm rotation and punching Koga's face hard enough - He finally realised that the rotation is tearing apart not only the muscles, but the bones and nerves also. Poor Adam, taking the brunt of that. Even Nikaido, years ago. Thank goodness Master Gensai fought him in the next round and put him to respect, otherwise, who knows how many more people he would have almost killed. Ryuki got in a low stance before leaping up with two Air Rending Gaoh Style techniques in a row aimed at Koga's head - He combined the Gaoh style with the Koei style again, what a monster; He did the same with the Blink and the Earth-Crouching Dragon. Koga managed to land a beautiful straight to his face, sensing Ryuki fall to the ground, but he got back on his feet right away.

Koga used the Flame Kata - Raging Fire Dash, grabbing Ryuki in a low stance, and though he tried to pull the Rakshasa's Palm move twice on him, it didn't work. Koga easily figured out the spin goes from below the elbow down. He's got him all figured out. Ryuki used the Armor Clad, a technique similar to the Indestructible, to which Koga punched with with Ironbreak - Though in a twist of events, Gaoh used Swift foot, hitting Koga's torso with Setsuna's move, catching him off guard; Thankfully, the silver haired young man managed a semi-perfect Indestructible before he could get any real damage to his body.

Whatever conclusion both of them reached was unknown, for they engaged in an outright slugfest, using Armor clad and Indestructible. Koga combined the Iron Breaker with the Raging Fire, lunging at Ryuki with mad speed and strength, breaking through his defenses, sending him flying - But he went on ahead once again, smashing him with a Flashing Steel, landing a clean hit - Though his fists were massively bleeding. Ohma must be pretty pissed off that Koga hurt himself by using techniques blindly without thinking.

Who'd have thought that Ryuki would be beaten by his best friend, using his infamous Earth-Crouching Dragon uppercut strike on himself, the person he relied on the most, knocking him out instantly? Narushima Koga advances to the finals. As Kisara got up from her seat and walked towards the arena, she encountered Jackie, as if he was looking for her. He didn't bring her something to either drink or eat - In fact, he seemed to have bought nothing at all. Was he not returning to the others? Was he in a rush to leave?

"I need to leave soon." Jackie said, his hands in the pockets. "I'll look for you after you win this to say goodbye. That's what friends do, right?" Though a little clumsy, Kisara smiled at the nice thought. "Of course. I hope my match will impress you a bit more than the last one." she said, before taking his hands in her own. "But, Jackie - Are you sure you're alright? You seem really upset. Like - Really. Is something the matter?" Jackie looked down at her, squeezing her hands softly, but his expression didn't change. He looked as bored as always. "I'm fine. Worry about your match. In fact, that's why I came to find you. I thought of a way to evade any injury." Jackie said, gently taking his hands out of her hold and rummaging in the pocket of his jacket. "You said that boy knows your style, and you knows his. The solution is simple. Do what you do best." the ghost of a smile touched his handsome features. "Dance." "Dance?" the girl rose a questioning eyebrow, earning a nod from the man. "You've shown everything in fights, except your dancing. Wushu can be mastered through dancing. That boy is injured enough for you to be able to pull off a quick win." he noted, taking out a beautiful golden jade pin, ornate with flowers, and put it in her velvety carmine hair. "Achieve victory." he said in a more stern voice, turning around to leave. "And never fight again."

Kisara had no clue what happened, nor could she understand the peculiarity of her interaction with Jackie. Not only was he acting weird, but was also being overly familiar, speaking as though they knew each other for ages. But that accessory was very pretty and seemed veritable - She wasn't going to throw away a gift. Regardless, she had a match to win. She walked into the ring, and saw Wakatsuki standing next to Jerry and Sayaka at the commentator's table. "Thank you for being with us, Wakatsuki! Can you tell us what to look out for in this match?" Jerry spoke. "Well, if you ask me, Kisara's going to be a force to be reckoned with. I've fought her before, and she gave me a run for my money. That's not to say it's a sure win. Narushima's style is versatile, witty and strong." Kisara wanted to chuckle at his comment, especially as Koga was in such a battered state. The two stepped close enough to fist bump and grin at each other. "Let's do this, Kisara!" Koga said, pumped up. "Yeah, let's enjoy this fight." she stepped backwards towards her spot. "You should know by now though, I'm more of an expert in the Niko style than you can imagine." she chuckled, taking the graceful stance of a dancer, while Koga took the usual stance.

Dance - Jackie said. Alright then, let's dance for the Emperor. She smiled gracefully, knowing that her husband was watching, and as soon as the referee yelled the beginning of the fight, Kisara hummed the melody of the Lanling Prince in Battle song, performing every move that the beautiful concubine in that movie did. Though she hadn't a mask or a weapon to signify the duality of the prince, nor the war he was fighting, she twirled beautifully towards Koga, evading with ease his hits, and with the elegance of a swan, her palms struck him hard, making him reel backwards. There was not a single hit that Koga could aim - He felt as though he was fighting mist, or even the flowing water - Yet when she kicked him, she hit harder than a hurricane.

"Sorry, kid." Kisara apologised to Koga as she twirled, striking him hard in the face with an open palm hit, before doing a few pirouettes towards him, grabbing him by the chin, dragging him forwards. She then took his wrist, ducking behind him and kneeing him in the liver from behind, before twirling in front of him again, pulling him by the hand and doing a backflip, kneeing him in the diaphragm again, and graciously landing on her feet to deliver her last hit, her finishing strike: The Dragon Shot.

Koga was unconscious on the ground. "THE QUEEN OF THE KENGAN MATCHES STRIKES AGAIN! KISARA WINS!" the winner did a few beautiful moves as courtesy to the cheering audience. To think she'd actually win a tournament, isn't that hilarious? She sure had a ton of good luck. Was it an auspicious day or what? Ah, she's beat. She just wants to go home and cuddle Ohma to sleep.

She skipped out of the arena, looking for her husband. She found him, along with some others, who congratulated her. Jackie was leaning on the wall, but he came over just as Ohma pulled her in a kiss. "Well done. You fought well." the foreigner spoke in a low voice. "Now stop fighting." not only her, but Ohma and some others who weren't too drunk, or too engulfed in conversations looked at him confused. "It's a man's job to protect his woman. You had your fun. Now stay safe." "If Kisara wants to continue fighting, she will. She doesn't need anyone's protection." Ohma defended his wife's tenacity and resolve. "My wife will do whatever she wants." Jackie shared a short exchange of looks with Ohma, before his gaze fell on Kisara for the last time. Unexpectedly, he spoke one last phrase, in his mother tongue, before leaving. "Zàijiàn. Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu." Kisara gasped, her eyes wide open, and her mouth agape. "What'd he say?" Yamashita asked, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. "I have no clue. What language was that anyway?" Ohma grunted, furrowing his brows slightly. "I think it was Chinese." the manager replied. "Kisara, did you understand what he said?" she nodded her head. "You have a weird look on your face. Did he threaten you?" "No... On the contrary." she muttered, pulling away from Ohma. "Find me outside in ten minutes, okay? I need to seek some answers." they needn't ask for words - They understood each other through looks alone.

Kisara ran after Jackie, all the way outside. She spotted his messy blond hair and she grabbed him by the elbow, stopping him from advancing further away. He hadn't turned around to face her though. "Why did you say that to me?" Kisara asked. "I don't know Chinese very well, but I can tell simple words like that." she gulped. "Farewell, my beloved Fox Empress. That's what you said, isn't it? Why did you say that to me?"

"Because that's what you've always been." he answered so nonchalantly, but somehow, Kisara felt scared like never before. She never once felt any kind of malice from Jackie - Why now? Why does she feel in danger, but also... Safe? That made no sense whatsoever. "Jackie. Do you... Know me?" she asked, feeling a shiver down her spine. "Jackie. Jackie... That's not your name, isn't it?" she bit her lip. "Jackie. Are you... Are you the 'Connector'?" The silence from the one calling himself Jackie was eerie and dangerous like nothing she's ever experienced before. "You've always been too smart for your own good. Your wisdom was wasted on a woman. Nobody listened to you." a painful sense of dread froze her heart. "They should have listened to you." Confused but also creeped out, Kisara took the pin out of her hair and analysed it. She might have known some words here and there, but she definitely couldn't read the symbols. "Am I a clone like Ohma and Ryuki, then? I couldn't be, could I? If Huisheng might have been taught and done for over a millennia... Now or then... I doubt I'd have had any worth to clone. So if that's not it, then... Then how do you know me?" "You are right. You weren't worth cloning, any more than anyone else, except for the Connector." Jackie spoke. "Are you a Buddhist?" Kisara was perplex at such a question, only to realise it made sense, in an odd way. "Are you trying to ask me if I believe in Samsara? Reincarnation?" he nodded his head. "I... I don't. Or rather, I didn't. With all this cloning and Huisheng going on, I... I'm not sure if I should let anything surprise me anymore." "I am many, though I am one. You are one, yet you are many." his phrase sounded more like a riddle than any answer. "Don't let them kill you again. Ruyi."

Kisara's eyes widened, shocked at the name she was given. "Are you trying to imply I'm Chinese?" "Once, a Princess. Now, only by thinned blood, yet with no less of the grace." whether he knew the effect his words had on her, creeping her out like that. Or, perhaps he knew, for he took a step forward, ready to leave. "Wait - Jackie!" the man did not stop; Instead, he spoke a single word before vanishing through the crowd of people, as though he was a phantasm that she imagined. "Shen", he said. Was that his true name, then? Or, at least, the one she interacted with. "Kisara." someone placing a hand on her shoulder made the woman jump in her skin with a yelp of shock. "Easy now, it's me. You were zoning out." "Ohma." Kisara breathed out shakily. "Let's go home. I need to call Katahara." "Huh? What happened?" Ohma's eyes widened in shock as Kisara threw her arms around his torso, clinging tightly onto him. "I'm still trying to figure out what happened. Let me explain while we go back home. It's... A lot to take in."

Kisara recalled the dialog and interactions she had with the man whose name may or may not be Shen truly, and she even researched the symbols on the accessory - Princess Ruyi - It said. How scary. "I want to ask Katahara and Wu Xing if they know anything about Reincarnation. I want to know how does the Connector know me, and why would he bother going out of his way to get so familiar with me. I mean, he's the head of the Worm, right? He's supposed to stay hidden, yet he went out of his way to befriend Yamashita Kazuo and Joji. He didn't hide away from you and the others either." she laid on the bed in deep thought. "He told me not to let them kill me. He told me to stop fighting. He told me my smarts were wasted on me for being a woman, because nobody listens to women." Kisara suddenly shot up in a sitting position, turning to look at her husband. "It almost sounds like the story of the Lanling Prince and his wife. She begged him not to go to war, but he went anyway, so she followed after him. Instead, the prince ended up watching his wife get killed in front of him. As she lay dying in his arms, her blood splattered all over his mask. You remember that show, don't you? Almost a hundred episodes - Though you slept through most of it anyway."

"Aren't you overthinking it? I mean, it doesn't really matter in the end, does it? Whether incarnation is true or not, you aren't connected with your past selves like the Huisheng bastards are. If you don't remember anything, it doesn't affect you." he, too, got up, cupping her face. "Whatever you were in the past doesn't matter. Right now, you are Tokita Kisara, my wife. You're a fighter because you want to, and you did a ton of things thanks to your intelligence. You've got a bunch of friends and your whole life ahead of yourself. Who cares about that guy, anyway? Besides, he had every chance to kill you, but he didn't seem hostile to you, you said; On the contrary. So even better. If the Worm head doesn't want you dead, all the best for me, I won't have to worry too much." "Since when have you gotten so wise, anyway?" Kisara climbed in his lap, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I almost don't recognise you for the stupid gym rat you were a little ago." "Shut up, you dumbass bookworm. I'm just saying - Don't bother with that guy. As long as he ain't trying to harm you, he's not our concern yet. You're worrying too much. I bet you're overthinking yourself to death now with all sorts of bullshit." Kisara offered a wry smile, feeling guilty and busted.

"Of course, you are right. I can't help but think about what he said. About all this. If the Connector dates back over a thousand years ago, well - Confucianism was a big thing in China - But then why did he ask if I was a Buddhist? Thing is - There are so many contradictions about all this. I mean - Confucianism rejected the idea of reincarnation, saying a single life was enough. The Connector is cloning himself, thus, continuing to live and relive. It's like a continuous Samsara, in a weird way, with no Nirvana. Buddhism believes strongly in rebirth until one achieves nirvana." she rested her elbow on his shoulders. "Shen said my talents were wasted on me, because I was a woman. He called me an Empress. A Princess. If we were during a Confucianism time, then the Annalects speak that women must obey their father, husband and sons after the death of the husband. Likewise, they say if a woman doesn't hold the "four virtues" - chastity, modesty in speech, neatness of appearance, and good needlework and cooking, then they aren't worthy. Women aren't important. Which would make sense with what he said." she continued with her ridiculous overthinking. "When in comes to Buddhism, I think the Sutras and the Jataka tales tend to contradict themselves. I heard that Siddhartha Gautama called equality among men and women when it comes to attaining Spiritual Awakening, but at the same time, there are writings that say women aren't allowed to become Bodhisattva and must have a good karma to be reborn as a man to have any chance of attaining nirvana, because they are seen as polluted with menstruation, sexual intercourse, death and childbirth. By this accord, I am fated to keep this Samsara cycle for an eternity, because I've sinned for centuries, and by bad karma is punishing me in this cursed body, unable to achieve Enlightening." she hummed, her eyes narrowed a little. "But then, if I was a weak, useless woman, why would I be killed? Why would he care? He's the Connector, and he admitted I'm not worth cloning, like everyone else except for him - So why does he cling to my supposed reincarnation?"

"Are you done?" Ohma had the most done with life expression on his face. "For now, I think yes." she nodded casually. "Good, because I zoned out a while ago." he scoffed, pushing her on her back on the bed. "You speak too much and I don't understand jack shit. Didn't I tell you not to use use smart words cause I don't understand? Everything you said is just a bunch of unimportant thoughts that you have, that's all. What's the point in thinking about a past you never had, when you're living in the present? Confucius and Buddha, and whatever anyone else thinks or believes in - You don't believe in any of that shit, you said that countless of times. So if you don't care about that, why the hell would you get so deep into this? Forget it." Ohma towered down over her, his long hair draping over her face, tickling her into giggling. "That's it. That's the beautiful smile I wanted to see." he placed his hands over hers, intertwining their fingers together, squeezing lightly. "You won a tournament. You made yourself proud with your hard work. You were great out there. Why go out of your way to upset yourself? We're living in the present - Remember what we talked about on the island? We're creating our own lives. Together." Kisara smiled sweetly, feeling her eyes sting with emotion, small tears slowly escaping at the corners and streaming down. "You have no idea how much I love you, Ohma. There's no one in this world that could understand me like you do. I'm so lucky to have you in my life." he simply chuckled, leaning down to capture her sweet lips in a tender kiss. "I love you, Kisara."

Days passed since the tournament, and with that, Ryuki's departure back home, to his grandpa in the Inside. Problem was, the summer ended, and with it, so did the connection with the boy. He was nowhere to be found. Of course, everyone worried over him and together with Retsudo, they formed a rescue party, adding Himuro and Rei, who would be great additions. Along with the manager, they gathered at Katahara's home, around a large map that depicted the map of the Inside based on satellite photography and statements from the residents. The GPS tracker placed on Ryuki had stopped responding around Rhoza district, so something must have happened around there. The change of the borders was always changing though, so they must have probably already shifted drastically.

Rei had been on a job there before, at the border of Rhoza - Apparently, Himuro was from there also originally. They say they keep putting up new buildings and apartments where there were roads the previous day, so it's a real mess to deal with. Ryuki was lost somewhere in the middle of the map, which was not a part of Rohza anymore, but a contested territory by all districts around. They were walking in the middle of a turf war. Not great.

Yamashita Kazuo remembered Ohma mentioning having a villa in Shiki, and he though he must have travelled diagonally, from one end of the Inside, to the other. Of course, that wasn't the case, he wasn't suicidal - He went outside the borders, taking refuse in Shiki when things got to shit in Tokita.

While they were discussing a plan, Koga had left to see the border with the Inside, trying to convince himself and find his courage and resolve to join them in their venture in hell. He even got to see a Seki vs Naoya fight, to which he was told a lot of encouraging words - Finally, he was ready to go.

They were leaving on the morrow. Himuro would be leading them through Rohza and Rei would accompany them until they reached the disputed territory. They'll need a guide through the disputed territory though - Retsudo seemed to already have someone in mind though, so things were good. Clearly, he was in it to get more info on the Worm - Smart boy. He'll become a fantastic chairman, just like Katahara was.

Before they left, Kisara, Ohma and Koga went over to Masaki at Toyo corp to retrieve their reports on the Inside - Surveys made by his supposed father were made from two years prior and what not. "Are you sure you want to come?" Ohma turned to Kisara, checking one last time. "Of course. I want to rescue Ryuki as much as everyone. Besides - I want to stay by your side, remember? I don't want a sudden repeat of a few years ago. Someone has to keep you safe, right?" she winked at him playfully, holding his hand. "A'ight, Your Majesty, protect me." Ohma chuckled as they traversed the thick wall corridor that led to the Inside, a desolate place abandoned by God like no other.

It almost felt as if they weren't in Japan anymore, with bazaars and black markets everywhere, soldiers, refugees, merchants, vendors and everything else you'd think of. Weirdly enough, Ohma seemed to be grinning, reminiscing about Tokita Ward. Weirdo. They went to search for some lodging for the night, in the biggest dump in the entire world - Kisara wanted to tear her hair apart from disgust, but she signed herself up for it. Well, at least she won't stay too long in this shithole - And Ohma led her and Koga to eat some pretty damn good ramen, though she didn't want to know what it was made of. He told Ohma that he wanted Koga to come over because the Niko style originated here, and he wants him to inherit Niko style wholly... But he said it in such a creepy way. "So if something happens to me..." he said, making both Koga and Kisara slam their hands on the table, protesting. "You're making it sound like you're dying!!" they both yelled at him. "You know about me and Ryuki, don't you? We're somebody's clones, and that somebody is after us. Anything could happen. That's why I wanna teach you what I learned from Niko, like I taught Kisara, while I still have the chance." Ohma's voice was so stern and somber that Kisara hit him in the head with the spoon. Hard. "If you even think about dying on me a second time, I'll never forgive you." she hissed at him. "I won't let him die, don't worry." the eerie voice of none other than Kiryu Setsuna made them all snap their gaze at him as he sat down next to Ohma - So close that he made him visibly uncomfortable. "Can you not make my husband cringe from how uncomfortable he is?" Kisara sighed, defeated. "Instead, tell us about Ryuki. I know you had your hand in making a killer out of him and losing his mind in the process."

"Ah, yes, we exterminated Worms together." he spoke so nonchalantly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Well, it sort of was, in a way - For them, at least. "FUCK YOU!" Koga howled, grabbing Setsuna by the neck of the shirt. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE RYUKI LIKE THAT!" he continued shaking him violently. "Koga, calm down, you're attracting unwanted attention to us." Kisara coughed, looking around at the prying eyes. "Don't misunderstand me, Narushima. I never once ordered Ryuki to do anything." he said it was the same thing as what Ohma's doing, passing on his legacy to him. "Ryuki's going through a dilemma right now. He's between a rock and a hard place." "Is it about his grandpa's teachings, and Koga's resolve of not killing?" Kisara asked, earning an empty smile from the man. "You've got it right." he nodded. "I last saw him the day before he went back to the Inside. Ryuki said he'd come back right after that, but he's still not back yet - So I came to the Inside to look for him." "You said Mukaku's got safehouses all over the place?" Ohma asked, interested in Setsuna's knowledge. "Yeah, seems he made a lot of enemies. Ryuki said he had around twenty places and that's just as far as he knew. Ryuki's GPS tracker has stopped moving for the past few days, before stopping responding entirely." Setsuna explained simply, though he did seem a bit worried for his pupil also. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Kisara had to shove Koga back down on his seat to make him stop overreacting. "There's a good chance that Ryuki's found Gaoh Mukaku, and that he's in trouble." Setsuna got up from the table. "Wait, you think Ryuki's grandpa would hurt him?" the woman's eyes widened in realisation. Kiryu shrugged vaguely. "I'm going to look for Ryuki on my own. The Worm's in the Inside too. We need to find Mukaku before they do - Otherwise, they'll kill him." so it's the Worm they should be worried about. Then, could the Connector also...?

Early in the morning, while Himuro and Rei were up and ready for a high-level spar, a messenger came over with an invitation from the General, a soldier named Zhang who was buddy buddies with Himuro. To offer than a guide, one of them had to defeat one of his men - So Retsudo offered, getting in a Silat stance that Misasa would be proud of, and going forward for a few feint jabs - And when the enemy pulled out his knife, Retsu took his small hand-knife, stomping on his foot and slashing the enemy well, hitting all his vitals. What a beast, and he's so young also! And so cocky, teasing the enemy into attacking blindly - He easily parried a punch with his elbow twice, before slicing at his face and destroying him. No wonder he's about the only one capable of coming between Ohma and Raian when they're fighting.

Kisara clapped at the cool young man. "That was awesome, Retsu, well done! Misasa would be so proud of you!" Ohma, also, praised and high-fived him. Out of nowhere, this creepy, bandaged up guide appeared - So fast and silent that not even Rei sensed him. What a monster. He guided them through the district, towards the Underground, all the way out, in the disputed territory. Somewhere along the lines, Rei and the guide stopped, defeating one of the White Worms who reported directly to the head.

They found an abandoned temple looking rather run down yet still standing. As they walked up to it, they got attacked by someone, the main target being Ohma. Damn it, not again, Kisara thought, realising that her husband was always the prime target for everyone in the world. Gaoh Mukaku was glaring at them, holding a meat cleaver and claiming they were Worms. Thankfully, Koga ended up explaining everything. "Wait, you mean you're not Worms?! You should've said so sooner!" "You jumped us before we could even say anything!!! What the fuck were we supposed to do, you old coot?!" speak about a short-temper, Koga. Was it the youth? Nah, Retsu was calm. Maybe a fire sign? "Are you sure this is our guy?" Himuro sweat dropped at the childishness of the old man. "Yeah... No doubt about it. This old man is Gaoh Mukaku." Retsudo's voice was low, sending a tremor down Kisara's spine. This Mukaku was creeping her out. "That's MR. Mukaku to you, whipper-snapper!" Mukaku growled at him. "Is that really him? Are we so sure that this isn't Okubo's grandpa?" Koga glared at the old man. "Who's this Okubo? And that sounds like a slight against this Okubo fella if I ever heard one." Mukaku glared back at the child. "Well, sorry for stopping by unannounced. See, we're here in the Inside looking for Ryuki." Ohma finally attracted the conversation in the right direction. "Ohh, you're friends of Ryuki's? Well, Ryuki was here. I can tell you that much. He dropped by here about a week ago. I've got a couple Safehouses in the Inside, so I reckon he had a tough time tracking me down." Mukaku explained. "Is Ryuki still here?" Ohma asked straight forward. "Nope, he ain't here no more. You just missed him." Kisara didn't believe a word he was saying. "Do you have any ideas of where Ryuki might've gone?" Retsu asked.

"You wouldn't happen to be Metsudo's grandson, would you?" Mukaku was trying to divert the conversation again. "I'm his youngest son. We need to take Ryuki into our protection as soon as possible." Retsu tried to return to the point. "Ohh, you're Metsudo's son, no wonder I saw the resemblance." he stroke his beard, only for his eyes to bulge and start screaming. "Wait, SON?! What kind of stallion IS he?!" Kisara groaned, slapping a hand over her face. "DON'T FUCKING CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Koga yelled at him, frustrated with his senile behaviour. "Hmm... Take him into your protection, eh? Well, he doesn't need any of that. I've trained him real good." he sat down, lighting up a pipe to smoke. "Are you crazy?! The Worm's not messing around here!" Koga yelled again at him. "Oh, I know. Ryuki and I have been hard at work, exterminating the Work. I let Ryuki fight in the Kengan matches just so the Worm could find him. Ryuki is indispensable to the Worm, so I reckoned they'd send their top men after him. See - Ryuki's a clone of this So-Called Connector that the Worm Worships." Kisara felt the blood freeze in her veins, and she turned her head to look at her husband. She couldn't see the resemblance though. Was she just awful with faces? It wasn't wrong, she could never tell apart family members based on their common features.

Kisara felt a little lost in her own mind again - She was zoning out a little, thinking of what Mukaku might know that could make her piece together some lost puzzle pieces. He knows of the Connector - Does he know him personally? And if yes, could it be possible to know any of her past incarnations? Gah, she can't believe she fell so deep into this ridiculous theory that she doesn't even believe in. That man messed with her mind big time. Rei said he took out a White Worm - If the officer was here, could the Big Boss be here, also?

Mukaku began a story of his youth, from many decades ago when he got in the Inside and took some students in to teach and conquer the place. Though he took a whole crowd of students, only seven of them could keep up - The Seven Nikos. He also confirmed everyone's inkling that the Inside was created by the Worm - The Inside was a huge ass Gu Ritual chamber, like what Agito had to go through, poor man. Kisara couldn't help but shudder, imagining going through that at such a frail age.

The Seven Nikos, however, began killing each other in the forest where they took a trip, until only two remained - Four, which was Ohma's Master, and Six, the Other Tokita Niko who taught Setsuna. Five and Six claim to had recently defected to the Worm, hence why they betrayed Mukaku - But who knows how true is that, really? Six used Five as an experiment anyway, so he was very much dead to this day. Mukaku continued to go around the country, destroying Worm Bases, until he found baby Ryuki, whom he adopted - Though he claims he didn't know he was the Connector's clone at the time.

With the story over, everyone went outside. Himuro and Ohma were discussing the story while Koga and Mukaku were chopping wood. Kisara stepped over to Retsudo, making a sneaky little plan, involving calling out Mukaku's veritable lies. At some point, Himuro got a got and left. When they were done, they walked over to the old man. "Ryuki has just been taken into our custody." Retsudo said with a straight face. Nothing ever betrayed his emotions. The shock of such a notion tricked Mukaku into turning his head in a direction - The direction where he was keeping Ryuki captive, no doubt. "You haven't killed him yet, I see." caught in his own lie. "His response just confirmed it, Ryuki's still somewhere on the premises, isn't he?" "I said he ain't HERE no more." the old man scoffed in annoyance. "Give it up, old man. It's too late." Ohma warned him. "Wh-What the hell are they talking about, gramps?! Is Ryuki really here?!" Koga screamed at him in disbelief. "I had my doubts about you, all along. From the moment you attacked Ohma, I had my doubts about you. I thought you attacked him because you mistook him for the Connector - But you didn't, did you? You tried to kill Ohma because you mistook him for Ryuki." Retsudo called him out. "Pesky little bugger. I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance." Mukaku growled menacingly. "Where is Ryuki? Tell us now." Ohma spoke sternly. "I don't know." he shrugged, sitting on a log. "But you do, don't you, you filthy Worm?" Kisara smiled enigmatically. "Yes, look at me. Get a good look at me. You know me too, don't you? The Connector told me all about you. Ah - Or, maybe I should say - Shen told me about you?" the aggressive look in his face as she provoked him made her feel small and terrified, but she masked it well enough. "You have no idea how much I want to see your pretty face contorted with fear and agony as you die in that fucker's arms. Over and over again. I get off on that every time I remember." Kisara felt a shudder down her spine, and she stepped backwards, behind Ohma. Retsudo saved her from Mukaku's wrath, telling the story of the Gaoh Style hoax, and that Gaoh Mukaku actually never existed, but that he was a Remnant of Wowang - The last of the five of the Syndicate to keep alive. Mukaku accepted that he was found out eventually, but wouldn't tell them where Ryuki was. Instead, he got up, stepping menacingly towards them. "I don't think you'd want to fight us, Mukaku. It doesn't matter whether you're a Worm or not. Shen is here, looking for Ryuki as much as we do. And you know what? If he finds out you've cause me any harm, well - It won't end up well for you, will it?" Kisara tried to threaten him, hoping he'd be afraid - He wasn't. He smirked instead. Shit, she only made things worse. He took a weird stance, and so did Retsu and Ohma. "I don't think your words are going to scare him, Kisara. Stay back." Retsu warned her as him and Ohma cautiously took their own stances - Only for Koga to lunge headfirst like a dumbass. Lucky him, Ohma saved him before getting fatally struck by a demon wheel, whilst Retsu went on ahead, slashing away quickly with his knife, but it didn't work. With his Adamantine Kata, Mukaku threw an Ironbreaker punch towards Metsudo's son; Ohma was there to shield him with Indestructible, but the two got thrown away. It was only Kisara left standing.

"Oh shit." she wasn't sure what to do - If Ohma couldn't fight him, she had not even the slightest chance of touching him. Running, though, as good as it sounded... Where could she go? Back to the Underground, maybe? "You're not afraid of Shen, are you?" she sweatdropped, hoping to stall him. For a single second, she actually prayed for the Connector to come over and beat him to death for threatening her like this. "Afraid of him? Ha! I'm gonna rip him to shreds! But before I do that, I'm gonna kill you in front of him - His face watching you die is otherworldly! It's the sweetest revenge I've got!" he lunged at her, making Kisara squeak, terrified, and duck under his arm to run around and evade his hits. To think she'd use her dancing agility and flexibility to learn Wushu moves and save herself from a fucking behemoth. Insane. Absolutely insane.

She should have remained in her bed.

"Stop dancing around, Princess, it ain't gonna save you. I know your tricks - I've already seen you die four times in my life!" Kisara turned to look at him in shock - Four times? How old is he? And not only that, how young was she that she died and was reborn four fucking times? "Hey, I know I'm pretty, but I don't wanna die young, okay? Gimme a break!" she yelped as she got caught by the end of her swishing long hair, and with a rough tug, Mukaku grabbed her and slammed her into the ground so hard that she thought her spine shattered to dust. Dust to Dust. Pulvis et Pulvis. From the dirt we are born, and to the dirt we return. Fuck this. "You're just a woman. No matter how strong you are, you can't compare to me. Not even Shen Wulong could save you." as Kisara was struggling to breath through the pain, forcing her vision to unblur, she saw the outline of a fist coming down hard, aiming at her solar plexus. Despite the vertigo, she quickly rolled over and snatched her hair pin, using it as a small dagger which she slammed into his face, slashing it diagonally, blood splashing around - Though he didn't seem phased, the accessory was in shambles on the ground, drowning in her blood.

"I don't need Shen Wulong to save me! I only need Ohma! Fuck off away from me, you psycho! I've got nothing to do with any of this!" she managed to evade and run back to the group, stumbling over her feet and coughing blood in her palms. "Kisara, go with Retsudo. I'll hold him off for you." with a shared look between the two lovers, Kisara begrudgingly agreed and ran with Retsudo and Koga in the direction indicated by Himuro who had contacted them. "Well, at least he said The Connector's name. If that is even it." Kisara muttered, still in pain.

They arrived at Himuro's location, at a small storehouse - Ryuki must be in the conspicuous cellar. As soon as they opened the doors and went down the stairs, the horrible stench of rot, death and decay made them all feel nauseous to hell. "What's that stench...?" Retsudo growled. "It's a deeply ingrained smell of rot. I doubt this was recent." Himuro noted. "I pity Ryuki if he's really here, having to endure this." Kisara hissed in disgust. "I think I'm gonna throw up." Koga almost hurled, but a single look up, and he saw his friend, shackled up and barely conscious. "You're kidding, right? Does that mean this smell is..." with the fire from the lighter, they saw countless bones, as if the whole cellar was made out of cadavers. Awful.

As Kisara checked for Ryuki's vitals, Mukaku led Ohma to the cellar, promising not to attack again. He affirmed that he was a member of the Wowang Syndicate, and it originated from the Worm. Wowang's leader, Dage, was an aide to the Head of the Worm. Dage went independent from the Worm on the Head's orders and formed a commando unit called Wowang. With this happening over 80 years prior, well - The old man was surely over a century old. No wonder he claims to have seen her die so many times. Wowang's purpose was to crush any organization opposing the Worm, and they were so strong that the leader got the ambition of a King and wanted to crush the Head. He began plotting to get rid of the Head of the Worm, and the absolute ruler of the Worm - The Connector, Shen Wulong.

"So Shen Wulong is the original we were copied from?" Ohma asked. "I'm not sure. You and Ryuki are almost like twins, but... You saw Shen yourself, he doesn't look all that much like you guys. Though maybe that's because he's blond and keeping his hair tied." Kisara thought out loud. "Tell us more about that. Who is the Connector anyway, and why does the Worm follow him?" Retsudo asked the right questions. "Nobody knows how long he's been around." he continued speaking of an old tale about a safe living deep in the mountains of China since the age of myths. The locals believe him immortals, most likely because all of his descendants have taken the name of Shen Wulong. This sage presumably was mostly harmless and barely interacted with people, though on rare occasions, an 'Aberrant individual' emerged, he says. Around 1300 years ago, when the Connector declared war on the Worm, he defeated the then-Head and brought the Worm under his control. He then started a total war with the Wu clan, who were long-tine antagonists of the Worm. They say he beat them decisively. To think that the Worm and the Connector have been going for so many centuries insane - Nothing ever lasted this long.

"So did the Wu split up 1300 years ago because they lost to the Connector?" Ohma asked, pondering. "I don't know what he was thinking. He might've even thought he was bringing God's wrath on the people who annoyed him - So we began getting ready to kill a God." Mukaku continued to speak of an ace in the hole - The Advance, the Possessing Spirit, was based on this thing. They waited for the moment when the Connector was alone to ambush him in an alleyway, but with undeniable ease and grace, the Connector created an outright bloodbath. A one-sided massacre. He swatted down the Five Kings like flies. With Mukaku being the only survivor, he fled to Japan, changed his name and the whole things with the Nikos went on, and he even did Gu Rituals and what not.

"You knew Ryuki was a clone, didn't you? That's why you took him in." Kisara pointed out. "Yeah, of course. The current Shen Wulong is a clone of his predecessor. The Worm's been engaging in cloning research, in order to make a more perfect 'Connector'. I attacked a Worm cloning research facility and destroyed it. For whatever reason, most attempts to clone Shen Wulong ended in failure. There haven't been any new clones since I destroyed that facility. Which means that Ryuki is the last existing clone. Funny, right? They'll want Ryuki back at any cost. That's why I sent Ryuki to the Kengan Association and had him announce his location to them. Thanks to him, I can kill Shen Wulong this time around! He's made the perfect bait!" though Mukaku was smug, it was Kisara's turn to laugh at him mockingly, all while Koga was so angry that he was trying to punch the old man.

"You? Beat Shen? Ha! Prostrating King, you say - You're nothing but an old man who wants revenge, that's what you are. Shen's going to swipe the floor with you. Oh - Maybe it is that you get off on being beaten up by him, huh? Is that it?" she taunted him - He deserved it after the pain he caused her. "You little shit..." the man growled, glaring down at her. Ohma had to hold Koga back before he'd overheat from intense rage and bust his fists again. "Grandpa... You... Were you just using me...?" Ryuki's betrayed voice made Kisara's heart weep. "Huh? Why else would I keep you around?" the disgust and indifference in his voice earned him a punch in the face from Kisara, who went then to boy to hold him in her arms as if he was her child. "The only reason you're still alive today is 'cause you're the clone of the Connector. That piece of shit wants you back no matter what. Then again, I find it hard to believe - How can a weakling like you be one of his clones, huh? What a failure the last clone turned out to be."

"Look at yourself. You've been alive for a century and still can't get anywhere near Shen's level. Pathetic." Kisara hissed at him harshly. "I understand. You're not my grandpa anymore." Ryuki spoke, defeated, feeling the woman's arms holding him in warm and loving embrace like he's never experienced in his entire life. As they helped the boy get out of the cellar, Ryuki told them how his grandpa punched him out of nowhere, imprisoning him in hopes of re-educating him. What a mad man. As they were discussing about what happened, Ohma spoke about wanting to get the hell away from that god-awful place. Though he's seen plenty of strong people, his power was unfathomable and he doesn't want anything to do with him ever again. "Oh, wait - Can you wait a second? I hair pin - It fell to the ground back at the temple. Do you mind if I go quickly to retrieve it?" Kisara stopped abruptly in her tracks. "Are you sure? You can get another. It's dangerous around that bastard." Ohma warned her, though he could see the conflict in her eyes. "You're not returning for the pin, are you?" "I have a weird feeling in my gut. Does that make sense?" Ohma sighed, nodding his head. "Alright, fine. We'll wait here, but don't take long. If you're not back in 10, I'm coming over for you." Kisara grinned, kissing his cheek. "I'll back before 10."

----

If only they knew that just as they were escaping, none other than Shen Wulong visited this damn fraud, looking as calm as ever. "Gaoh Mukaku. I want you to give 'Me' back." Shen ordered leisurely. "You nitwit, you're too late. I got rid of your clone a long time ago. My condolences!" Mukaku cackled at him tauntingly. "You're lying." Shen affirmed. "That's not the kind of man you were in my memories. You wouldn't get rid of a bargaining chip for no reason. You'd use any means at your disposal to survive. I remember you well. You used your comrades as shields just so you'd survive. I'm somewhat impressed by how attached to life you are."

"Haha, guess you really love me, huh? But now I'm just the fraud founder of a phony martial art. But what's wrong with being a fraud? I don't give a damn who I am, as long as I can kill you!" Mukaku laughed, bumping the ends of his arm guards. "Is that so?" Shen sighed, crouching to the ground and picking up the broken hair accessory from the ground. The ornaments on it were scattered in the blood, but it was nothing that couldn't be repaired. Though he wasn't one to get emotional, Shen felt rather pissed off. "You're going to die." he said, comparing himself to the immune system of a single large organism. "I can hear the earth telling me to eliminate you."

Mukaku thought he slashed in two at the Connector, he missed entirely without him even moving at all. He tried multiple tricks, activating booby traps planted throughout the temple, using swift assassination methods, but Shen threw him of with the flick of a single finger. "You're strong, I admit. I assume only a handful of the people close to me would be able to beat you." Mukaku hid inside the temple. "Hey, I haven't finished complimenting you yet. The first backhand punch was a good move. You drew my attention to your gauntlets while throwing iron pellets at me, and those were pretty powerful. They could kill a man if they landed right." he said nonchalantly, not bothering to move an inch. "Splintering the wall to blind me was a good move, too. Personally, I would've thrown in a few iron pellets in the splinters - If they landed, that's a few free hits." Mukaku was angry beyond belief. "You pretended you'd face me with martial arts only to use hidden weapons, duck and hide, sneak around and scheme. You were prepared for me, weren't you? I admire your tenacity."

Through the thin wall of the temple, Mukaku tried to impale Shen with a lance - The tip of it, of course, was pinched easily between his fingers. "Very meticulous. You should be long past your physical prime by now. I assume you're doping to make up for your declining muscles and reflexes, aren't you? It's a miracle that you're alive at your age." he spoke simply. "But that is one fortune that Ruyi was never blessed with." Mukaku could feel his heart stop in fear. He fucked up. "No, no, don't worry, it's not just for today, but for every time you hurt her, that I'm going to enjoy playing with you." Mukaku was unable to say a single thing, watching how easy it was for the Connector to pinch the blade away. "Ah, just so we're clear, I don't have Superman Syndrome. This isn't about power, it's about technique. One second thought, maybe even that's not the right word either. Principles? Yeah sounds right - All I'm doing is holding down the point of the force - Anyone can do that if they know how it works. No, wait, maybe Ruyi couldn't. I wouldn't want her to cut her delicate hands. She always gets papercuts." he hummed out of nowhere, as the long handle of the spear broke, and he smirked. "I'm so angry that I want to play with you a bit longer. I'll give you the chance to kill me."

He's just getting more and more dangerous, Mukaku realised, freaking out - What the hell kind of monster is he anyway? "Hmm, will this do?" Shen hummed, cracking his fingers. "I've relocated my tendons and suppressed my muscle power output. I also limited my joints' range of motions. I brought my neuro-transmission speed down to the lowest setting and shut down some of my brain's circuits." Shen smiled, ready to destroy the man before him. "I've come down to your level. Let me enjoy this moment. Don't die yet, okay?" with that, Shen punched Mukaku the hell away from him. Mukaku tried again to get up and attack, but was struck down with a simple arm sweep. "Too slow. Your body's awfully sluggish - You're almost not worth killing. Are these your senses in action? They must be a real handicap." Mukaku kicked a loose board from the ground, hitting Wulong in the chin and trying to beat him down into the ground with the Ironbreaker, only to get sent flying by the man who easily liberated himself. "Not bad, not bad at all, Mukaku." Shen smirked, wiping the blood off his face. "You wanna have another go? Or should I end this already?" he dug his hands in his pockets once again. "Hmm, I'm picking up an exceptional hatred from you - Shouldn't that be the other way around? I know what you've done today. But choice, really." he hummed, not twitching a single muscle. "Maybe you hate my former self for killing your comrades in Wowang? But I thought they were just total strangers to you." "Before that. Dig a little deeper into you memories." Mukaku struggled to speak between his panting. "Hmmm~?" after a few seconds of deep thinking and pondering, Wulong finally gasped theatrically with a lightbulb realisation. "You're that boy!" Mukaku's vendetta against Shen Wulong started in China, about 85 years ago.

The Connector once had three groups under his command - The Worm, the Westward Faction and the Dragon Tribe, who were descendants of Long Min, the Hero of the Chu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn period. They were friends, sharing the same name of the dragon, yet Shen Wulong felt betrayed. Long Yi disagreed with the Worm research involving the cloning - Though he didn't mind the Huisheng reincarnations. Cloning is a violation of the natural order, a heresy. Shen Wulong didn't want to kill his friend - All of the Dragon Tribe was already dead. Of course, the old friend wasn't going to retreat, that was the way of the general. He allowed Long Yi to attack while his back was turned, but just like the others, he fell dead, to the ground, with a single strike. In spite of his quick death, Long Yi managed to leave Wulong's first injury in years. The only man left standing was Long Xiu, a young warrior of 15 years old, who would later be known as Gaoh Mukaku. Long Xiu was Long Yi's grandson. It was then that the current Shen Wulong realised that the Wowang Syndicate conspired against him, all instigated by Mukaku.

"Yi was a good man, but he made one mistake - He didn't kill a bastard like you." Mukaku attacked him with the Long clan secret technique, Dragon's Maw Fist, but of course, it did nothing. "Awe, man, you're a real two-timer." "Oh shut up, fuck-wit!! I'd turn to the Gods and the Demons if they'd help me kill you!!" Mukaku growled at him. "Aaaaand you've lost me. I've had enough of this." Shen rolled his eyes, bored out of his mind with his repetitive antics. All of a sudden, a rustle was heard, and a few soft footsteps followed. "Hey, psycho geezer, did you steal my pin? I know I used it to slash your face, but - You've gotta hand it to me, it's your fault you attacked me! I just defended myself! ... My spine still hurts like hell though. If I need spine surgery because of you, I'll sue you for ten generations." Shen's eyes widened, and he turned his head to see the beautiful young woman struggling to step through the rubbles of the destroyed temple. As soon as she rose her head to look for the old man, she saw not only him, but Shen also - The shock and fright were evident on her face, and she looked like a deer surrounded by predators. "I... Should not have returned. I, uh... I-... I'll leave. Bye!" panicked, she tried to leave the temple immediately - She was, thankfully, just at the entrance, though even there, she unknowingly stepped on a trap that would be slashed her to fish-bite pieces, were it not for a strong force tackling her to the ground. "Sh-Shen...?" she gulped, feeling his strong arms keeping her safe and shielded from danger. Looking up, she saw the overly sharp piano wires that would have easily cut her in pieces as if she was a Happy Tree Friends character. "Oh my god, you psycho, what the hell is this?! You almost killed me - Again!" her body's reaction was to spring away from Wulong's arms and run the hell away - But he didn't let her.

"I can't believe my bait returned willingly. You thought yourself smart, but you died a fucking dumbass each and every time. It's your fault you died, you know? And his, for not protecting you." Mukaku put on a gas mask and readied his sword. "I almost shattered your spine, and you return for a hair pin? Ha! You deserve to die, woman." Kisara squeaked in fear as Mukaku, with incredible swiftness, brought down the sword, ready to slash her and Shen where they stood - But somehow, defying the laws of physics was a regular thing for the Connector, who kept her safe, held by one arm to his chest, his hand placed over her mouth and nose as if to prevent her from breathing, while the other hand caught the blade. "Terrible decision, really." Shen glared at Mukaku. "Not even close." "Yeah, you're right - But this should do the trick!" Mukaku used Indestructible on the blade, cutting Wulong's hand into bleeding. "Shen - You're bleeding! Let go of the blade!" Kisara managed to speak through his fingers.

"Don't worry about me. Try to keep from breathing as much as you can. This cheap bastard flooded the room with Carbon Monoxide. It's just one thing after another." as instructed, Kisara picked up the handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to his face to help him with the breathing."Very kind of you - But I'm fine. I don't need to breathe. Use it for yourself, Ruyi." Shen told Mukaku that the man who killed his clan was his previous iteration, and some illogical shit about stopping the breathing process, to slow the aging process. He then easily got up, throwing away the sword and kicking him in the face. "Did you seriously think you could outdo us? How asinine." Shen used the sword to impale Mukaku's shoulder. "Running away? You don't have that privilege anymore. I told you - I've grown tired of you." "Are you sure you wanna kill me?! If I die, Ryuki dies too! I'm the only one who knows where he is! Are you just gonna let yourself die?!" Mukaku spat, desperate to live. "Ryuki's safe with us! Stop lying, you jerk!" Kisara soon started coughing - The Monoxide was beginning to take effect. "How come you're so obsessed over Ryuki anyway?! Ain't Tokita Ohma one of your clones too?! Why does it gotta be Ryuki?!" Mukaku was, no doubt, trying to prolong his suffering. "Hey, don't you dare bring my husband into this! He already died once, I don't need you getting him in another situation, you bastard!" Kisara hissed at him. "Besides - Don't act as if you ever cared for Ryuki! You're just an evil man. A traitor." "Oh man. Yan's gonna give me hell for everything I've done lately. Well - You're gonna be dead anyway, so there's no harm in telling you!" Shen sighed in realisation. "W-Wait! Don't say it! I don't want to die because of his curiosity!" the woman stepped backwards, gulping slightly. "...Don't worry. I don't think you'd get it, even if I told you." he smiled condescendingly down at Mukaku. "Tokita Ohma... Is not me." "HUH?!" Mukaku was on the ground, bleeding heavily. "Wait, hold the GODDAMN PHONE! What the hell are you talking about?! You can't expect me to believe that bullshit! I mean - Have you seen the guy?! He's the spitting image of Ryu...?!" Gaoh gasped loudly, as Shen was vibing with a dark, killing aura. "Yeah, I think you've figured it out by now." with an effortless swing of his wrist, Shen snapped Mukaku into pieces. "So die." Kisara had to jump back behind Shen, so all the blood wouldn't splatter on her. "Three times. You're the first person who's made three attempts on my life, and on Ruyi's. Looks like third time wasn't the charm, after all."

Shen turned around, throwing away the blade, looking down at the woman who looked uncomfortable and outright fearing him. "Ruyi." he called out, before quickly correcting himself. "No, sorry - You're called Kisara now, right? Kisara. I won't mistake it again." he gently put a finger under her chin, raising it up to make her look at him. "What do you see?" Though he could see the fear in her eyes, there was also deep confusion, and he couldn't blame her. There were far too many things to find out, in a single day, out of which few made sense. "I still don't think you look like Ohma at all." the comment earned a small huff of amusement from him. "So... Are you going to kill me, now that I know your secret about Ohma?" Shen didn't say anything - Instead, he retriever the pin from his pocket, along with all the broken accessories. "Did it save you?" Though Kisara had no idea why he'd change the subject like that, she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. I... I used your name to get a rise out of him, hoping he'd tell us where Ryuki was without a fight. But, uhm... He threatened to use me as bait and kill me in front of you. For the... Fifth time, he said. Or, uh... Maybe he just meant he knew I died four times during his life. I'm not sure. He was weird." he uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck. "I was weak. I couldn't evade his attacks and he grabbed me. Slammed be to the ground, tried to punch my guts out. Before he could though, I slashed away at his face and ran away." she hung her head down, feeling guilty looking at the beautiful yet broken accessory. "I'm sorry. I know it must have meant a lot for you, and I broke it." "A pin isn't worth more than your life, silly girl." he spoke with an amused tone. "I'll just get it repaired and return it. It's yours, not mine."

"But, Shen - It means nothing to me. Ruyi means nothing to me. Maybe you believe that it's my reincarnation, in the real sense, not the Huisheng sense - But even so, you're the only one who knows of Ruyi, and... All my supposed past selves." she explained softly. "That could be solved. I remember every incarnation you had - Or at least those who managed to live past a certain age. Unfortunately, there weren't all that many." Kisara looked down, feeling a weird pang of pain in her chest. "I have to go, Shen. I'm sorry." she looked into his eyes. "I will accept the pin, if you want me to have it... And I'll keep the secret to myself, even though I didn't understand it at all. I don't want to die, but more than that, I don't want Ohma, nor my friends to die." she sighed, extending her hand towards him. "But Shen - I am married. And I love Ohma more than I love life itself." Instead of looking or even emanating anger or any negative emotion, Shen smiled, placing the pin in her hand, closing it for her. "As long as you're happy."

A loud gasp of complete and utter shock resounded through the desolated temple, and a man who looked similar, but much prettier than Xia Ji was looking at the two with huge eyes. Realising he was someone strong and important to the Worm, Kisara instinctively tried to step away, only for her back to his Shen's.

"What's wrong, Yan? Cat got your tongue?" Shen asked, oblivious. "Oh, come on, gimme a break! How'd you get injured?!" this Yan crumbled to the ground, having a mental crisis. "Something weighing you down?" Shen asked, even more confused. "You are, you moron." Yan groaned pitifully. "U-Uhm... Mr. Yan?" Kisara spoke in a mousy voice. "Shen got injured because of me. Forgive me." she crouched to his level, putting a gentle hand on his arm and helping him up. "After all the shit he's pulled over the years, this is how he ends up. Pathetic." that man, the Other Tokita Niko, gruffed at Mukaku's corpse. "Oh no, what have you done?! What's with her?!" Yan's overreaction made her step back away from him again. "Uhm... I-I think I should get going." she stole a look at the Connector, seeking permission to get the hell away from there. "Yeah, sure. Take care." Kisara didn't need another word, she was already rushing away - Only for a man looking around her age or younger, with the obvious Kure eyes, blocked her exit, towering over her. A lankier man, just like him, trailed just behind. "Gilbert, what crawled up Yan's ass and died?" so this was Gilbert Wu. Kisara felt surrounded by what seemed to be the whole Small Council of the Connector, as if she was in Game of Thrones or something. She looked at Shen again, waiting for him to give the signal for Gilbert to step away from the exit so she could bolt off. "Ah, yeah - I know this really good jeweller for that pin. He should repair it in a week or so." "Lovely!" Kisara forced a smile. "I, uh -- See ya!" she bolted the hell away.

Thankfully, on the way back, she met Ohma who was already rushing her way. "No questions. Let's run the hell away. I'll tell you when we get out of the Inside. My brain is imploding." Ohma blinked, perplex, but questioned nothing. "Fine. Let's go."

Thankfully, they managed to get the hell away from this awful place, and while Retsu and Himuro took care of Ryuki, while Ohma, Kisara and Koga went to the manager's office. Here, they were greeted with open arms, and great news on TV - The Kengan Anti-Worm Alliance was going splendidly, and most of them, even the officers, were either killed or detained. The Worm Purge was going quickly.

"Wait, is it over then?" Koga gasped, looking at the TV. "It's not." the woman gulped. "The Connector is alive. His subordinates are alive. The Other Tokita Niko is alive. Gilbert Wu is alive." she bit her lip hard. "Ohma, you said Gaoh Mukaku was a monster. The Monster is Shen Wulong. He toyed with Mukaku like he was a ragdoll. He outright destroyed him." "You met the Connector again?" Kisara nodded. "I don't know how I'm still alive, but by the Gods alive, there's nothing scarier than being surrounded by those guys." finally, she could sit down - Her legs felt like giving out. "We've got a lot of problems on our side - And, Ohma - Shen said something weird. I don't quite get the implication, but... He said... You are not HIS clone, but Ryuki is." "Wait, but Ohma and Ryuki look the same, don't they?" Ohma, Kisara, Koga, Yamashita, Kaede and Rin all looked at each other with wide, scared eyes.

Is there more than one Connector out there?!

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Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 22

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 22 - Maximum’s Song

TIMELINE: This chapter takes place at the same time as Heavy Bakery’s Chapter 28, under a different POV. You can read it here

“WE DID IT, FAMILY!!”

Kanami's triumphant shout echoed through the kitchens, accompanied by the sounds of beer cans and juice glasses clashing in midair and the loud celebrations of all the Heavy Bakery employees, who were as ecstatic as she was.

"CHEEERS!"

They all drink together, Tomori, Hiro and Paikon with their beers, Kanami and Tomoyo with their juice. But with or without alcohol, the drinks tasted just like victory.

When Kanami appeared at the bakery at the beginning of the day, her face lit up in exuberant happiness, the employees already imagined that she had good news, and with luck, it would be the one they had been waiting for. But their expectations were exceeded, because no one there had expected that she had not only already found the ideal site, but was already able to acquire it with the least possible bureaucracy involved!

That was her oldest dream, and Tomori couldn't be happier for her friend, and for all of them. That was a new beginning for the Heavy Bakery, and after so much effort and suffering (especially on the boss' part), the feeling was of pure worthiness.

“How awesome, Kanaaaaaaa!” Tomori smiles a lot. “I was really running out of hope, that was a miracle!”

“Yes, even I was hunting,” Tomoyo nods. “Looking for a good site is really hard…”

"Yes, but my other friends managed to…," Kanami seemed about to cry, her eyes undulating. "I… I really…"

“You have a hot back now, right girl? It's really cool, you're wonderful,” Hiro hugs her, caressing her hair to comfort her. “We'll be able to grow and make that bakery-restaurant you wanted so much… and we wanted that too, we want to grow with you!”

"It will be a very good thing for all of us," Paikon nods, a little too enthusiastically; he'd already had more cans of beer than Tomori and Hiro put together. "Growing on the job is great, but the job growing with you is even better."

"Yeah!," Kanami sniffs, accepting Hiro's caresses while trying to hold back her tears. "The land has finally been acquired, and we can build in it now… we'll have to organize the plan, the space, which will be even bigger… there's the possibility that we'll have to hire more people…"

"But that's what we wanted to do from the beginning," Tomori nods. "I already have a list of what to ask for future candidates, I've been doing this since that time you were out of the bakery for a while…"

"Yes… but… what matters now… is that, as I promised, everyone will be on paid vacation during this construction period!"

"YEAAAAAH!!!," If that wasn't another wonderful news, none of them knew what else could be. Even Paikon joins the chorus of happy screams, while Hiro bounced around as if he had springs in his feet.

"My dream came true!," he shouts, scandalous as always. "Long live Kanami's hot back!"

"Hurray!," Paikon and Tomoyo shout together.

Kana shakes her head in affectionate exasperation. "Oh, you…"

Tomori could only laugh, still celebrating as she hugged Tomoyo tightly, making the girl gasp. She was over the moon with Kanami's achievements and excited for the future of the bakery, but a whole month of vacation was the icing that was missing for that delicious cake to be perfect.

Laughing to herself, Tomori was already pulling her phone out of her purse, wanting to send a message to Okubo, when the loud knocking sound on the bakery's front door interrupted their celebration. They all turn to the pantry window in surprise.

"Hey, the bakery is closed at this hour," Kanami comments, wondering, while getting up and leaving the kitchens towards the counter. Tomori, Hiro, Paikon and Tomoyo exchange puzzled glances, the three youngest employees immediately going to peek into the table area through the pantry window.

From that distance, they could only see Kanami's back, a little tense as she hurried to peer out onto the street. And that's when they hear her gasp.

"What the… Ohma? What are you doing…?"

"Yo."

They all widen their eyes when they hear the voice of Seaweed Head, who had become the bakery's number one customer.

"Ohma?," Tomori frowns, speaking low. "It's not possible that he already found out, is it…?"

Kanami opens the door, staring at whatever was on the other side in a silence that they understood to be stunned. And soon they hear Ohma's voice again.

"I think the news got out."

And soon other voices joined his, and Tomori's eyes widened even more as she recognized some of them.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself…"

"Me neither, I was too happy when I found out that they had closed the deal… and the meeting went well like that…"

"Frankly, you can't keep your mouth shut… but yeah, we're all happy."

"What's up? Are you going to invite us in, Kanami?"

"Mr. Seki?!," Tomori screeches, and Hiro and Tomoyo have to catch her as she leans too far over the edge of the pantry window and almost falls, as more voices follow Sekibayashi's.

"Yeah, we brought drinks!"

"And food too!"

"We even have things to do, if you let us. This is going to be a hell of a party, man, there will even be a barbecue!"

"Good lord, did they bring a complete party kit? With cakes and all?," Hiro's eyes widened while he and Tomoyo helped a very flustered Tomori to straighten up. She spits some hair out of her mouth, her eyes still popping.

"That's Rihito's voice! So that means...!"

"Oh… my god, guys…," Kanami's voice sounded quivery, almost emotional, as she took a deep breath, her back now a little shaky. "I… okay, you morons! Come all in!"

A collective roar followed outside, and that would have been frightening if not for the current circumstances. Kanami opens the door and steps aside, and then a veritable battalion of people enters the bakery, mostly huge, muscular men. But they were still all familiar faces.

Ohma is accompanied by an older man whom Tomori immediately recognized as the man who had called for an ambulance when Ohma and the four idiots saved her from that bunch of troublemakers (Mr. Yamashita, isn't it?) and a woman with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and looking very professional, with those formal clothes and glasses that immediately made her conclude that it must be Mr. Yamashita's secretary.

Further back came the group that almost made her freak out with joy: Sekibayashi Jun, accompanied by Haruo, Jose and all the other SJPW-affiliated wrestlers, carrying various bags and gadgets that she recognized as being suitable for barbecue. Koga and Ryuki were with them as well, the former a little embarrassed, but still smiling, and the later looking a little distant, but still calm. And the third group that entered right after...

She probably would have fallen over the edge of the pantry window this time if she'd still been leaning over it. There came Okubo, Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, very excited and carrying not apparatus worthy of a steakhouse, but musical instruments. Okubo breaks into a luminous smile when he sees her through the window, waving his free arm as he holds the case of one bass guitar in the hand of the other.

"Hey, Tomori! We didn't have time to bring food too, but hey, we didn't come empty-handed!"

"You...!," She couldn't even formulate a sentence in that first moment of astonishment, leaving the kitchens with Hiro, Tomoyo and Paikon to join the newcomers. "But how did you…?"

"Apparently the Goku wannabe here spilled all the beans," Kanami sighs, indicating Koga with a gesture of the head, to which the boy shrinks a little.

"My bad! But seriously, sis, don't you think a feat like that deserves to be celebrated? Everyone here was so happy for you and wanted to congratulate you in person!"

“More of an excuse to party,” Ohma comments, to which Kazuo arches an eyebrow at him.

"And you disapprove of that, Ohma?"

"On the contrary. They brought meat. There's nothing to disapprove of."

"Oh, good, I was starting to wonder if you were another clone," Kazuo jokes, patting Ryuki lightly on the shoulder, who rolls his eyes.

"Yes, Ryuki… I still couldn't thank you enough," Kanami says, and pulls him closer, pointing to him while saying," "Guys, look, he was the one who found the site! He deserves an extra glass of milkshake..."

"Whoa, there's a milkshake too?!," Ohma exclaims and widens his eyes, very interested, and several others follow suit.

"Nice, will there be a milkshake too?"

"Milkshake for everybody, guys!!"

"No, wait… it wasn't…," Kanami tried to say, but Ohma, Ryuki and about five other fighters went to the counter area, Ryuki pushing the others away, so as not to break the machine. This made the bakery owner sigh in exasperation, scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah, I said that… eh, I’m glad we’ll be closed tomorrow…"

“Life's inevitabilities, Kana, honey! Relax, I'll keep an eye on the bad boys to make sure they don't turn the kitchen upside down," Hiro assures, his smile almost predatory as he goes to join Ryuki in the task of keeping all those mastodons under control. "Oh, the sacrifices I make for this establishment... thankfully, for all those beautiful people, it's worth the effort..."

“And I'll get the bucket and mop. There's still no mess, but with this bunch, it's just a matter of time," Paikon sighs, but he doesn't seem to sound exactly angry. Kazuo gives a humorless laugh as the janitor walks away.

"Ahaha, S-sorry about that! I- I swear we'll cover the cost of any damages..."

"For any damage caused by ours specifically, please," The secretary adds, adjusting her glasses with a serious expression. "And nothing more. We should not be fully responsible for the excesses of these grown men..."

“H-Hey, Kaede, that doesn't include me, does it? I don't want anything deducted from my salary, I don't have money to pay for machinery repairs...!," Koga says quickly, alarmed, to which Kanami shakes her head, Tomori laughs out loud and Tomoyo rolls her eyes.

"It'll come out of the payment I give you for helping at the bakery, dumbass," Kanami points to him, making the others laugh at him.

"It's true, you're working as a helper at the bakery," Himuro comments, smiling. "In that case, it's better to set an example and go help your co-workers, don't you think? I want a chocolate milkshake."

"Me too! And put some of those sissy sprinkles on mine while you're at it, today I'm in need of some extravagances," Rihito laughs, and Koga gives them the middle finger, furious.

"Don't go thinking I came to work as a waiter, you assholes! I won't serve you!"

"We are the musicians, the souls of the party, kid! If you want some cool ambient music, you'll have to pay for it somehow," Okubo says, to which Koga snorts.

"Don't wanna! Your band ain't all that shit, anyway..."

"Say that again, motherfucker!," The three of them shout at the same time, while Kaneda just laughs softly.

"Just stick to the milkshakes while we're playing, it never sounds the same after you drink."

Koga turned red.

"So I'm going to be indebted forever...," he mutters a little loudly.

"Huh? What's that? Are you saying that I don't pay you well enough?!," she exclaims, going after him, and the boy jumps over the counter running to the kitchen. "Come back here!"

"Hey, Koga, now that you're going to the kitchens, bring me some water, please!," Kaneda exclaims to him while Okubo, Rihito and Himuro just laughed. "The drummer is the one musician who tends to sweat the most, you know…"

"Hell no! None of you have broke arms or anything!"

"I also want a chocolate milkshake, Ryuki," Ohma says. "Put everything I'm entitled to."

"Which means, nothing," Ryuki grunts.

"Damn kid, what did I do?," Ohma laughs.

'He's kidding," Koga comes back with a water bottle. "He's just too serious."

"I'm not,"

"Hey, Mr. Kaneda, there you go!," Koga throws the bottle to the drummer.

"Thank you!," Kaneda quickly picks up the bottle. "Now I'm ready to play!,"

"Kaneda gets his order, but we don't? I smell favoritism," Okubo grumbles, to which Rihito and Himuro nod while huffing. Kaneda laughs, opening the bottle.

"Try not to act like self centered rockstars, for starters. People tend to like you better that way."

"Oh, but then you are demanding a lot from us! Especially now, when we're going to play for potential fans," Okubo smiles at Tomori, who vibrates with excitement as she understands.

"You mean I'll finally be able to hear a Maximum the Dogegencho concert?!"

"And in a privileged seat, if it's up to me!," Okubo declares, his chest swelling with a very particular pride, while the other three idiots watched him with an air of laughter. "Such an event deserves a celebration on pair with it, right, guys?"

"Yeah! And guess what, Miss Uta!," Rihito leans towards the sous chef, opening an insinuating smile. "The idea of us doing a private show was all Okubo's."

"Yep! It was the first thing he thought of, after Koga had sent us that message," Kaneda nods, joining in.

"Yes! He said, verbatim, 'Tomori already wanted a live performance from us, why not take the opportunity?'," Himuro tells her, and Okubo blushes a little, snorting.

"You...! Yes, I thought of her! So what? Are you going to sue me for that?," He crosses his arms, a little sullen, to which the others laugh. Tomori can only blush too, her chest warm with joy.

"Was I the first person you thought of? That's so sweet of you, Naoya..."

And they all saw, as if by magic, the irritation in Okubo's expression evaporate and be replaced by stupid, open happiness. He scratches the back of his head.

"Ahaha, a- and who else would I think of? I mean, the owner is Miss Kanami, so technically that's who we should be playing for, right? But you were the first person who was really interested in listening to us, so... I...," He stops, looking to the side. And then he grunts, putting a hand over his face. "Rihito."

"What is it, man?"

"Tell me to shut up."

"Alright. Shut up, Okubo."

Tomori couldn't say why, but that made her laugh out loud again.

"So I'm to understand that the only sounds you're going to produce today will be from your bass, right?"

“I was told to shut up, miss, I'm sorry. Come talk to me when I'm feeling less stupid."

"Which means, never," Ohma grunts.

"And he says I'm the one who's mean!," Ryuki complains.

"He's my friend and he has the right to, you attacked me gratuitously."

"Cut it out, you two, you sound like siblings bickering," Kanami laughs while helping the others to set the barbecue kit up in the kitchen. "Yes, you can use the hamburger griddle, it's better than that barbecue there…"

"All right, boss!," Koga exclaims.

"Yes, let’s barbecue! And I'd be telling you to shut up too if you hadn't already told me to shut up first!," Okubo growls at Ohma and Ryuki, which only makes Tomori laugh even more. Laughter was coming so easily to her that night, and it had barely started!

"Seriously, we are very grateful! Kanny, Hiro, Paikon, Tomoyo... and me, of course," She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Will I be able to hear some of the classics that were played that day you drove me home?"

"Of course! Unhappy Lullaby is practically our flagship!," Rihito exclaims excitedly, to which Kazuo, further back, makes a face.

"I still think that's a terrible song name..."

"And then, we're going to rock with Are You Happy," Himuro promises, and it's Ohma's turn to make a face.

"No! I couldn't get this shit outta my head the first time I heard it for weeks, I don't want it to happen again."

"You're not the one choosing, Tokita, this privilege is only for the girls! Which do you prefer, Kaede? Unhappy Lullaby, Are You Happy or a guitar solo from me just for you? Hnn?," Lihito arches an eyebrow at the secretary, smiling insinuatingly, to which she snorts.

"I'd rather let the bakery employees have the right to choose."

"I'm happy with anything, really! Oh, I can't believe it...!," Tomori gives a little jump of joy. "My request is coming true without me having to ask for it!"

"Request?," Okubo repeats the word, arching an eyebrow. Tomori stops vibrating, realizing what she's just said. She feels her face heat up a little as she looks away.

"Uuh... it's just that I... a few days ago, I thought of asking you guys if you'd like to play at the reopening of the bakery, when we manage to find a new site. Of course, we would find a way to pay for the concert-"

"You wouldn't have to!," Okubo suddenly exclaims, startling her a little. "We'd gladly do it for you as a favor."

Tomori's eyes shine.

"Really? Naoya, that's-"

"Speak only for yourself, Okubo!," Himuro suddenly exclaims. "I was going to charge at least for my participation!"

“Yeah, even if it was just payment in the form of complimentary food,” Kaneda jokes, and Rihito nods enthusiastically.

"Or in the form of your friend's phone number! See how cheap my fee is?"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves for saying such things..."

“Oh, there's no need to be jealous, Kaede! I would be equally happy with your number too!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Miss Akiyama is right. Holy shit, you're the most self-serving pricks I've ever met!," Okubo grumbles. Tomori shakes her head, smiling reassuringly.

"It's okay, I said we wouldn't mind paying a fair price-"

"In the form of a phone number?!"

"In the form of money or food on the house."

"Dangit..."

"And if Miss Uta is willing to do that, what's the harm, Okubo? It just means she values our art," Himuro shrugs while Rihito pouts. Okubo wrinkles his nose a little.

"Hnf… in that case I wouldn't ask for money or food. I would ask for something else..."

He smiles in that way Tomori knew well; that sly, playful smile that always preceded requests for a kiss. Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda were giggling and Mr. Yamashita and his secretary exchanged very meaningful glances, but she paid no attention to any of that. She just kept thinking that if that was the only payment he would charge to play, then she would gladly pay-

"I don't care what Tomori pays you, as long as it's not for you to play Are You Happy! If you do that, I'll beat the shit outta you!"

"Damn it, Tokita!," Okubo turns to Ohma, indignant, while the others laugh. "When one of your pals is hitting on a beautiful girl, you don't interrupt him while making completely random threats! You shut your fucking pie hole and that's it! It's the basics of the bro code!"

"I haven't seen you hit anything yet," Ohma raises an eyebrow. "Especially notes. Just start playing already."

"Yeah, even I thought of that," Ryuki sighs, exasperated.

"Hey, keep the noise down!," Kanami warns, looking at the group at the back of the bakery.

"Eh, really Kana, sorry for the mess, we are just very happy…"

"Oh no, Mr. Sekibayashi, that wasn't you! And don't worry, I plan to close tomorrow to start working in the new site, so I guess a little mess won't hurt..."

"Oh yeah, that's true!," Tomori seems to remember who was there. "Oh my God, Sekibayashi!"

She takes off running, practically bouncing like a teenage girl who happened to see her idol across the street, talking to him and already pulling out her phone to take pictures.

"Mr. Seki, please! Can we record this moment?"

"HAahahaha, didn't we record a bunch of moments on that other visit I paid, miss?"

"I know, but this one is even more special! I mean, not that those others weren't special too, but… oh, it's just that my brother can't believe I met you in person! I need more proof to shove in his face!"

"Hahaha! Got it, Miss Uta. Come here, let's appease your fan fury," He laughs loudly, clearly used to that kind of situation. "Haruo, Jose, you get here too!"

Okubo could only stare like an idiot, which only made Rihito and Himuro smirk.

"Left aside for a pro-wrestler in his forties…"

"Bro, you hit rock bottom with a shovel so you could dig even deeper!"

"Yeah, apparently that's the only thing he can hit," Ohma snickers, and the other two scoff. Okubo puffs out his cheeks.

"Oh yeah?! So let's go, guys: Are you happy? Are you hap-"

Okubo is almost attacked by a flying Ohma, if it weren't for Ryuki and Hiro holding him back from the counter.

"Hold him down!

"My God, what is this?!"

"I told you I was going to beat the shit outta you, you son of a bitch!"

"Hey, cut that shit out!," Kanami screams. "Ohma! Sit down!"

Ohma stops short, looking at the baker. He stared at her for a moment, until he broke away from the two who were holding him and snorted, still annoyed, walking away.

Kanami looks at Okubo and points at him, her eyes like acid, "I won't be saving you next time. Behave!"

"Jeez, what happened?," Koga asks from the kitchen, now wearing an apron.

"We almost got a Punk Rock show, broken guitar and all," Hiro sighs, a little alarmed by the strength he had to use to hold Ohma down.

"Whoa, not my fucking guitar!," Rihito shouts, hugging the instrument, while Himuro and Kaneda doubled over laughing. "But holy shit, I never tought that Seaweed Head hated this song so much!"

"Me neither! Damn, now we know exactly how to respond when Kelpthullu starts messing with us, hahaha," Okubo exclaims, delighted. "And sorry about that, Miss Kanami, we promise we'll behave! Let’s start this concert, guys, I have a fan to win back!"

"Hell yeah!," Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda exclaim, still laughing, the smallest raising his drumsticks in the air. The others around celebrate when they see that there would finally be some music at that party; there was no better accompaniment to food, after all.

And further on, the pro-wrestlers snickered as they enjoyed the ruckus, still posing for pictures with Tomori.

"Hey, hermosa," José nods to get Tomori's attention. "I think your other idol is a little jealous, hahaha."

"I don't know why, young women aren't master's type," Haruo comments, a little confused, to which Sekibayashi laughs out loud.

"And even if they were, it would be pretty scummy of me to steal the only female fan that idiot has in all of the Main Island, hahaha!"

"No one has to steal me from anyone! My fangirl heart is big enough to fit all of you," Tomori decrees, all flushed with happiness, and the pro-wrestlers laugh again.

"That's good to know, miss. So Okubo over there has nothing to worry about, right?," Sekibayashi asks, smiling. He looks to the side, and Tomori follows the direction of his eyes.

There was Okubo, setting up the instruments with Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, the four of them looking amused as they threatened to start playing that song Ohma hated, just to piss him off. Okubo laughed, his expression calm as he tuned the bass, his gray eyes glistening a little...

Tomori feels her chest warm again, an involuntary smile making her cheeks hurt a little.

"Haha, no. He hasn't."

* * *

The smell of roasting meat filled the entire bakery, enveloping everyone inside in an aromatic haze that made stomachs grumble. There were also bottles of liquor being passed around, and those elements combined made Tomori think of a steakhouse, or an pub; the complete opposite of what the bakery proposed, but just by looking at Kanami's happy and peaceful face, she knew that her friend had chosen to make an exception, just this once.

She herself had absolutely nothing to complain about the surroundings. The meat skewers that came out of the kitchens, courtesy of the visitors, were delicious. The booze looked good too, considering how fast it was going down, but that day, she had chosen not to drink. She wanted to be sober so she could enjoy that night to the fullest with her friends and idols.

And of course, to never forget the performance she was about to watch.

"I've only heard one of their albums. I've never seen them play live. Are they good, Miss Akiyama?," She asks Kaede, who was sitting between her and Paikon. The secretary turns to her.

"Oh… I've never heard them play live either, to be honest," She comments after thinking a bit. "But I've seen them play on a tv show once. They're not bad..."

"A TV show? How did I never know about that?!," Tomori comments, amazed, taking another bite of her skewer. "I've been following Naoya's career for years and I'd never heard of their band..."

"Naoya...?," Kaede repeats, her eyebrows rising a little. Kazuo, who was standing while waiting for the musicians to get ready, looks over his shoulder with a smile.

"Their success as a band was relatively short-lived. They produced an album, put two hits in the charts and then fell into anonymity again. The music industry is very volatile nowadays. Back in my day, when musicians became successful, it was for good..."

"Oh, c'mon now, boss!," Koga, already a little tipsy because of the booze, gives Kazuo a tremendous slap on the back, almost sending the poor old man to the ground. "Don't start with that 'in my time things were better' talk! Hey, you four!," He raises his beer bottle in the air. "Give us some good stuff, both to impress the bakery staff and to make this old geezer take back what he said!"

"Who- Who is the geezer, Koga? Have some respect! And don't hit my back like that, I'm going to wake up with them giving me more trouble than the office computer's operating system...," Kazuo whimpers, to which Koga, Sekibayashi and Jose laugh out loud.

"Chill out...," Rihito, finishing plugging the guitar into the sound box they had brought, smiles and points at them. "You don't need to risk the fragile health of senior citizens just to hear Maximum rock out."

"Who's the senior citizen?! I barely turned sixty! Ooh, and by the way, Rihito, we have to set up a day to talk about the current situation with your employees' licenses-"

"Now is not the time to talk business, Kazzy!," Rihito interrupts him, his smile widening. "Now it's time to make art. How are we tonight, folks? Are you excited?!"

"I'm drunk as fuck!," One of the SJPW pro-wrestlers screams.

"I'm single!," Hiro yelled.

"I want more milkshakes!," Haruo shouted.

"Play Golden Wind's opening song!," Koga yells.

“As long as you don't play Are You Happy, I'm good with anything,” Ohma grumbles.

"You just had to say 'yes', goddammit!," Lihito screeches, prompting another collective fit of laughter. Okubo, with the bass already ready, lets out a snort.

"Golden Wind's opening song? give us a break, kid, that's cheesy as fuck!"

"That's right, Okubo-"

"Battle Tendency's opening song is much cooler!"

"Oh, you shut up too, you nerd!"

Himuro rolls his eyes and takes the lead.

"See? That's why I'm in the vocals, you guys don't know how to stir up the crowd! Ahem...," He clears his throat, then opens a charming smile, "Good night to all the beautiful ladies of the Heavy Bakery..."

"And what about saying good night to the guys?!"

"No fat chance, now shut the fuck up! Anyway...," Himuro cleared his throat again amidst laughter. "We are Maximum the Dogegencho."

"I hope your music is better than your band's name!"

"Screw you guys! Let's get this over with, Kaneda, c'mon..."

Laughing, Kaneda raises his sticks in the air, rhythmically hitting them together.

"One, two, three, four!"

And the small audience cheers when the four finally start to play, Tomori even dragging her chair closer, her eyes shining and the wide smile seeming permanently etched on her face.

It was a totally different experience to hear them live, she concludes. On the album, as expected, the sound was perfect, with the quality that only professional studios could offer. In live, there was the unfavorable acoustics of the bakery, the loud incentives of the spectators and the very lack of tune of the instruments, which apparently had not been used for some time, to get in the way.

And yet, Tomori decided she preferred hearing them like this, because even with all the imperfections, she could appreciate how they acted while performing live. Rihito lost all his bravado, looking all smiley and excited as he played, again that cute idiot that had softened her heart on a rainy Sunday. Kaneda seemed very relaxed on the drums, no longer one step away from losing his mind with his friends' antics, just enjoying the moment with them. Himuro, even while showing off, still made room for his friends to shine with him, even singing along with Rihito at one point, the two harmonizing surprisingly well.

And Okubo looked more at home there than in an octagon, his fingers running over the bass strings, doing a little flourish that made her conclude that he was, in fact, very good with them. And she saw dedication there, just like she saw in every single one of his matches. He always did his best at everything he tried, didn't he?

He at one point raised his head a little, and her eyes met his. He smiled even wider, starting to move his body from side to side, showing off, making her laugh and clap her hands. The others around him laughed too, but he didn't seem to be embarrassed. It seemed he only had eyes for her in that audience...

The song ends with a final guitar solo by Rihito, and soon, the bakery is filled with clapping, screaming, cheers and whistles. They even hear pans being banged in the kitchen, which immediately makes Kanami scream amidst the din:

"Careful there, I didn’t find those pans in the garbage!"

"Sorry, Miss Kanami!

"I swear to God…," she snorted, losing her anger with a sigh, sitting down next to Ohma and talking to him while he held five skewers in his hands. Hiro, who had sat next to Tomori, nudges his friend with his elbow, and nods when she looks at him.

"Look, look…," he whispers. "These two lovebirds… I told ya, didn't I?"

She laughs as low as she can, her eyes twinkling mischievously as they stare at her friend and her favorite bottomless bag.

"And she still complains when we make fun of her! We'll get back to her, hahaha... but oooh, that was great!," She jumps up, clapping enthusiastically, going to the four idiots and jumping over Rihito's guitar wire. "It was even better than listening to you via album!"

"Really?!," Okubo and Rihito exclaim at the same time, delighted, while Himuro smiles with satisfaction.

"Yeah, we know. My presence usually makes things even better..."

"She was talking about all of us, you damn narcissist!"

"Wow, Miss Uta...," Kaneda scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "You're not saying that just to be kind, are you?"

"No, I'm being very serious!," She says, grabbing Okubo's arm in excitement. "Your music genre isn't what I usually listen to, but it's nice all the same. You have a very good synchrony, it doesn't even seem like this concert was done on the fly!"

"Aaawn, Tomori...!," Okubo kicked the air a little, flushed with pleasure at her praise, and he wasn't the only one. Kaneda was scratching the back of his neck with his drumsticks now, happily, while Himuro stuck his chin out higher. Rihito vibrates with happiness, grabbing Tomori's hands and decreeing:

"You just earned the honor of being our first number one fan, Miss Uta!"

"First? Does that mean there might be others?"

"Of course! I'm sure your friend would love our music too, if I have her number to invite her to our next concert!"

"Aargh, for crying out loud, Rihito...!," Okubo puts his hand on his face while Himuro and Kaneda snort and Tomori rolls her eyes, although she's still smiling. Rihito ignores all of this, looking back with an expression of triumph.

"Did you hear that, you bitches? Now that's what I call feedback! Not all the whining about bad names and sticky lyrics!"

"You have to learn to take constructive criticism," Kazuo comments, crossing his arms, and Koga nods.

"That's right! That music just now was cool and all, but I need to hear more to form my opinion."

"Not to mention that Miss Uta has a crush on Okubo, so she's biased..."

"Ryuki!," Tomori screeches, mortified, at Ryuki's comment, and everyone else bursts with laughter at that, Hiro being by far the most scandalous.

"Ooh, boy, this party is getting better and better... Hey, darlings, how about an encore? I'd love to harmonize with you."

"Fuck, bro, I already told you to cut that out!"

"I'm talking about harmonizing while we sing, blondie."

"... Oh."

"Come on, can you play a song by Queen, or Jason Mraz?," He suggests. "I think my voice will be good for something like that, if you guys know how to play this kind of music."

"One from Queen? Yes, we do know some...," Himuro comments, thoughtful, while Kaneda asks curiously:

"So you can sing, Mr. Hiro?"

"And very well, Mr. Fox! I wanted to be an idol, after all, I already have the voice and the pretty face..."

"O-Okay, we're up for it, but not before an encore with another of Maximum's classics!," It is Okubo who exclaims, almost as red as Tomori. Hiro pouts.

"Are you going to make me wait even longer, baldie? I hope you have a good reason..."

"It's because he wants to show off a little more for Miss Uta! He got addicted to the compliments and now he can't get enough!"

"Oh, in that case go right ahead!"

“Screw you, Rihito…” Okubo grunts, rubbing his eyes hard as he endures another wave of mocking laughter. He looks sideways at Tomori, who was still looking down at the ground, embarrassed.

“Hey, don't listen to these idiots,” He mutters to her. “They call me a chatterbox, but they aren't too far behind..."

"Ahaha… don't worry," She smiles shily. "Yeah, it's embarrassing as hell, but it's not like it's a lie…"

She can't lift her head to look him in the eye, but she hears him breathe more deeply for a moment. He looked like he wanted to say something…but then Hiro made himself be heard again.

"Hehehe… so, bring it on, Handsome and his So-So bunch," he smiles a bit devilish. "I won’t say who is who…"

"Hell no, start talking! Who are the so-so bunch?!," Rihito demands to know, to which Himuro snorts.

“You guys, obviously, because he's called me handsome a few times already."

"And did you like it, Himuro? That's weird, to say the least..."

"Fuck off, Rihito!"

“Calm down, you two. Now I'm curious about this new addition to our vocals. Come on, Okubo," Kaneda invites, looking at Okubo over his shoulder with a half smile. "You can dedicate our next song to Miss Uta..."

"Leave me alone, Kaneda! But…," He turns back to Tomori, a little hesitant, but still trying to smile. "Would that embarrass you too much?"

"Well...," She plays with a lock of her hair, still embarrassed, and that seems to be enough for him for the moment. He smiles more.

"Okay then. I'll leave the dedication more implied. And thanks for the compliments," He thanks her. "Having you giving all this support just makes me want to come back with this band even more."

Even embarrassed, Tomori had to stop herself from pulling him by the shirt and kissing him right there, in front of all those people. She'd had enough publicity for one night, honestly.

"You can always count on your number one fan for that. Now go play, before they drag you away by force," She gives him an encouraging pat on the arm. "Don't doubt what Hiro is capable of when he wants something."

"I'll keep that in mind," He laughs, nodding. "Give us some more of your feedback later."

“Okay,” She nods, watching him walk away. And then she sighs, slowly returning to her chair, oblivious to the excited chatter around her. Even the presence of Sekibayashi, Jose, Haruo and all the other pro-wrestlers wasn't enough to steal her attention.

She again sits next to Paikon, who is finishing with another bottle of beer. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, turning to her.

"Look, I have to admit... these four stooges there aren't bad. The blond gorilla needs some polishing on that guitar, but other than that, their music is nice to listen to..."

“Yeah, it is…,” She nods slowly, still distracted, watching the four idiots get back in order with a distant expression on her face. Paikon stares at her sideways, one brow arched.

"Are you okay, Tomori?"

"I'm great."

"Did you drink too much?"

"Not even a single drop".

“Then what's up with that face?”

Tomori shakes her head slowly, resting her elbows on her knees, hands on either side of her face.

"Just thinking about the future. How far we've come, how things are going to be from now on... and how we're going to deal with the changes that are going to come. It's a little scary, Paikon..."

The janitor nods slowly, still watching her with a thoughtful expression. He then goes back to enjoying the happy, festive hubbub around them.

"Look, it might be. But the best things in life are sometimes the scariest. What good they bring is the reward for having faced them head on, I think."

"Heh...," She laughs softly. "Who would've thought that you'd be the kind of drunk who likes to philosophize?"

"At my age, all drunks are like that," He mutters, slumping in his chair, his eyes a little heavy. "Enjoy that you're still young and don't be philosophizing too much. Sometimes there's no point in thinking too much. Just accept these changes as they are..."

He went back to watching the racket the visitors were making, and Tomori wondered if he somehow knew what she was thinking. The man was no telepath, but she knew life had made him very observant. Not to mention she was being a bit obvious...

Speaking of which, there was another couple there who were being pretty obvious without realizing it. Kanami was smiling with Ohma by her side, and Tomori noticed how she had blushed as he offered her his last skewer with a smile, then got up to get more from the kitchens. For some reason that seemed significant, coming from such a bottomless bag.

Tomori smiles to herself. Yeah, changes were happening in all of their lives. Kanami's in particular. Ohma's arrival into it seemed to be the most impactful change yet, and despite the setbacks, she seemed to be handling it very well. And as for Tomori herself...

Soon, the four idiots had organized themselves again, and this time, Rihito put the guitar aside, putting it in the case and picking up an acoustic guitar. Okubo sits down next to him, propping his bass on his leg, and the bakery is once again filled with excited clapping and a few chuckles.

"Is this a university campus now?"'

"We'll need some pothead kids to reach that level!"

"Shut the fuck up! Ahem...," Okubo puts a fist in front of his mouth, clearing his throat, before pointing to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are Maximum the Dogegencho. I hope you enjoy this song as much as we enjoy the food and the people at the Heavy Bakery.”

"Oown, who knew this cute gorilla would be such a kiss-ass!," Hiro jokes, clapping his hands, and Okubo rolls his eyes at the laughter of the others. But he was smiling too.

"I'm no kiss-ass, just a faithful and dedicated customer! Both to the bakery and the staff..."

More laughter, only this time, Tomori took no part in it. His gray eyes had returned to meet hers for a second, communicating with her in that tiny fraction.

And when they finally started playing again, she found herself unable to look away, even though he was no longer looking at her.

Soon, the entire bakery was going along with the music in its own way: Hiro had gotten up from his chair and somehow convinced Kazuo and Koga to dance with him; they had a bit too much to drink, so she wasn't surprised when they went along without hesitation. Sekibayashi, Jose, Kaede and Paikon had started to clap along with the music, enjoying how it seemed to encourage the musicians. Tomori, still transfixed, accompanies them, eyes fixed on the bassist, who seemed to be having a lot of fun while following the chords that Rihito played on the guitar.

She wondered if she was making a fool of herself, staring at him like that, but she couldn't find it in her heart to care. Probably no one was noticing her, all of them concentrated on the show that the four idiots were doing, having fun with that strange, unconventional band, but that was still capable of holding attention. They had always done that, since the first time they showed up at the bakery, and now, just as Kanami couldn't imagine that place without Ohma's presence, Tomori found herself in the same situation with them. Okubo in particular.

Her hands stop halfway to a clap, tingling, her chest heating to a crescendo as she finally accepts facts she can no longer deny. Those feelings taking over her were no longer those of a fan going crazy about a chance to get closer to her idol. That part of her died the night she suffered a crushing disappointment. And now, she wondered if that hadn't been a blessing in disguise.

Damn... when did things change like that? Was it all too fast or did it happen so gradually that it took her a while to notice? She had no idea. What she did know for sure was that she had said things without thinking and that her words were now coming back to haunt her.

She had sworn to Paikon and to herself that she just wanted to have fun, to fulfill an old fantasy that would give her memories to take with her for a lifetime. And now... now she could only look at that man's serene and smiling face and want to have him for herself for a lifetime too.

She began to wonder when she had decided to change plans and fall in love with him. Was it when she understood that he was a human being like any other, with qualities and flaws? Or when she got to know him better and found herself a little smitten with that adorable, playful and emotionally insecure idiot, but who didn't let that stop him from going after what he wanted? She didn't know and probably never would. And it didn't even matter anyway.

It was one of the frightening changes that made her hesitate, but it was also the one that made her want to try the most, to go through with it. She felt it could work, if somehow he felt the same way. It was what Kanami was doing with Ohma after all.

If her friend was brave enough to throw herself headfirst into the unknown like that, why shouldn't she try too? She might not be a fighter in the literal sense of the word, but Okubo had told him that she still had the spirit of one. And fighters like the ones she admired weren't afraid to face whatever life threw at them. She shouldn't be either.

The song ends, followed by another round of excited applause, whistles and whoops for an encore. Hiro lets go of Kazuo and Koga, who were limping as they lose their grip, and waves an arm in the air.

"You rocked it, darlings! Now it's my turn to join too! Make room for me!"

“And will you be able to keep up with us, twinkie?,” Rihito asks, smiling defiantly, to which the cashier lifts his chin.

"Honey, I may not have a chest the width of a backhoe, but there's still plenty of breath in it to sing. Do you want to pay to see?"

“Nah, we'll take it without paying, we're all broke anyway,” Kaneda jokes, and they all laugh as Hiro runs to join them.

Tomori smiles at the scene, her eyes softening. It was good to know that her coworkers also appreciated the boisterous addition these fighters made to the bakery contingent. It was another incentive for them to never stop showing up there.

She couldn't say how long she stayed there, just listening to the music, watching everyone else eating and getting drunk while enjoying it too. Maybe it was two hours, or even more. She only knew that when Hiro and the four idiots took a break from their musical activities to also enjoy food and drink, it was already dark outside the bakery.

"And after this success, Maximum the Dogegencho asks for a break, ladies and gentlemen," Himuro announces. "The vocalists need to wet their throats, and the musicians, to rest their fingers. Make the most of this rest of the night!"

"A round of applause, please, because we deserve it!," Hiro asks, opening his arms, and the small audience erupts in excited applause, Koga sticking two fingers in his mouth to give a high-pitched whistle. Tomori claps too, laughing as she enjoys the impromptu band celebrating their little success.

"Boy, did we rock!," Okubo exclaims, exchanging a high-five with Rihito, who nods excitedly.

"I told you we still got it! It was all about warming up our fingers and windpipes!"

"Speaking of windpipes, you surprised us, Mr. Hiro," Kaneda comments, impressed. "You managed to keep up with Himuro without any difficulty. You're very good as a tenor."

"Wow, Mr. Fox, you really know how to make a guy feel special," Hiro jokes, and it was hard to tell with the bakery's artificial light, but Tomori had the impression of seeing him blush a little. "I like to sing, I always wanted to be an idol , and I insisted so much that my parents even paid for some vocal training classes when I was younger. And honestly, who doesn't get excited and unleash their voice's full potential when Somebody to Love plays?"

"I have to agree. Anyway, it was nice singing with you," Himuro pats the cashier on the shoulder, to which Rihito nods again.

"Yeah, it was! You are invited to future concerts at the bakery."

"Really? Didn't my presence make you worry that you might start to question your sexuality?"

"Fuck off, man! And I don't get uncomfortable when we're like that," Rihito shrugs with a pout. "Just keep this pattern from now on..."

"Sure thing! Let's seal our deal with a tight, totally platonic hug, shall we?," Hiro invites, smiling a lot and opening his arms, and Okubo, Himuro, Kaneda and everyone around laugh out loud when Rihito almost trips over a chair in an attempt to escape, alarmed.

"Damn it, why did I open my mouth! Go hug those who like that sissy stuff!"

“I'm not going to lie, it's kinda cathartic watching him get a taste of his own medicine,” Kaede says, downing another glass of beer in her mouth. And she almost chokes when Rihito comes towards her.

"But I accept a hug from you with pleasure, Kaede! Come on, won't you congratulate me on my performance?"

"Congratulations. There you go. Now go away," She commands irritably while placing an empty chair in front of her as if it were a barrier between them. "Ugh, I'm not sober enough to deal with this…"

"Need some fresh air, Miss Akiyama?," Tomori asks. "There's an alley at the back of the bakery, it's very quiet there. You can cool off there."

"I would appreciate it, Miss Uta-"

"I can also come to keep you company, I can even hold your hair if you get too sick!"

"No, Rihito, thank you! Could someone show me the way, please...? No, Rihito, not you!"

"I got it. This way, Miss Akiyama," Paikon gets up from his chair, a little sleepy because of his drinking. Kaede follows quickly, half relieved, and Rihito watches them go through the counter hatch and disappear into the kitchen with an annoyed expression.

"Eh, that's what I get for trying to be a gentleman..."

"Chivalry with a drunk girl can be interpreted in other ways, man."

"I wasn't going to do anything, dammit! She is the one who's too distrustful".

"You give all the reasons for it, bro. And ooh, Tomori!," Okubo waves excitedly, approaching with Hiro and the other three idiots. "You were watching, weren't you? Did you like this performance from now too?"

"I loved it!," She exclaims excitedly while the five men sit next to her. "Mainly how versatile you guys can be. You adapted to Hiro's voice in no time!"

"I was amazed by that too," Hiro nods, giving the quartet a wink. "You guys are full of hidden talents, huh. We are curious to discover even more of them."

This time, not even Rihito seemed uncomfortable or irritated by the innuendos in the cashier's words. The four of them make happy sounds, scratching the back of their necks or timidly kicking the ground.

"Ooh, you haven't seen anything yet! You should hear us playing in a studio, or with a more professional apparatus. Then you would know all the power of Maximum's sound," Rihito guarantees, and Okubo nods enthusiastically.

"If the invitation to play at the reopening of the bakery is still open, we can even provide such apparatus!"

"It depends on how long we have until then. By the way, when exactly do you intend to reopen at the new address?," Himuro asks.

“Oh, it will take a while. Kanny just closed the deal and acquired the new site, the construction hasn't even started," Tomori explains. "There's still the purchase of building materials, hiring a construction company, updating the contract with suppliers..."

“Damn, that's a lot of bureaucracy,” Okubo comments, making a face. Hiro smiles more at this.

"Ooh, but it will be so worth it. Tomori hasn't even told you the best part yet.

"Even better than the relocation you wanted?," Kaneda asks, and Tomori chuckles.

"Ahaha, not quite as much, but still great! After today, the bakery is taking a month-long break from activities-"

"What? Are we going to have to endure a month without this sugar shack's food?!," Rihito exclaims, shocked, to which Himuro looks at him frowning.

"They're going to change their address, so it would be the perfect cue for you to change that stupid term too! But yes, it is a pity that we'll have to spend a month without being able to eat here," He comments, but he sounds resigned. Okubo's expression, on the other hand, had completely collapsed.

"A whole month?! Wow, that's sucks!," He laments. "Not being able to keep you company during lunch time..".

"But you will, Naoya! You'll be able to keep me company at many other times," Tomori promises quickly, leaning over to hold his hand, whereupon he raises his head, alert again. She opens a huge smile. "Because I'm not going to work for a month, starting tomorrow! Kanny gave everyone a paid vacation!"

"Wait, really?!," He exclaims, his eyes wide, his face immediately lighting up. "A whole month without work?"

"A whole month!"

"So does that mean I'll finally be able to take you out without having a time to come back?"

"Exactly! Isn't it great?"

"ooh, hell yeah! Of course it is!," He throws his arms up in celebration, almost hitting Rihito and Himuro's chins, who almost fall off their chairs in an attempt to dodge. "But that's great for you too, Tomori! You honestly deserve it.

"Yes! Enjoy it and get some rest so you can return to work with renewed energy," Kaneda nods, and Rihito imitates him with excitement.

"Yeah! Dude, that calls for a toast! Wanna grab some beers?"

"I can't, I'll have to drive back," Okubo laments, to which Himuro smiles, putting his hands in his pant pockets.

"Sucks to be you. I'll want beer, but I'll celebrate in my own unique way too," And he pulls out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Tomori frowns.

"Are you going to smoke in here, Himuro? I mean, the bakery isn't open or anything, but still..."

"Huh? I can't?," Himuro blinks, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. "But they're doing the same thing..."

And Tomori sees, a bit startled, that some of the SJPW wrestlers have also started smoking, puffing on cigarettes between conversations. Sekibayashi seemed to be giving them a hard time about it, but none of them made a move to stop.

“Lord Satan below, Kana just let go of the reins a little bit and the horses are already running around the pasture like that,” Hiro comments, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow. Tomori looks towards the counter.

"I don't have much of a problem with it, but Kanny hates cigarette smoke. I don't think she would approve and... uh, where is she?," She frowns when she doesn’t see her friend, neither on the counter nor through the pantry window. "I could've sworn she was watching what they were up to inside the kitchens..."

"Speaking of kitchens, Ohma is also gone," Kaneda frowns, looking at the counter as well. "I thought he would be hanging around the grill by now..."

"Tokita must have grabbed a bunch of skewers and gone out to eat alone, so he doesn’t have to share with anyone," Rihito rolls his eyes. "And auntie must have slipped away so she didn’t have to swallow the smoke that those ciggies are puffing..."

"Shut up. The owner of the establishment didn't complain, so there's nothing to discuss," Himuro shrugs and lights his cigarette. "They're moving locations, anyway."

Tomori and Hiro just sigh and shrug. That was the last day of service for the Heavy Bakery at that location, after all. It was okay to let visitors go overboard this time.

"Eh, whatever. I just know that no one here feeds on cigarette smoke. Man, I'm really hungry," Rihito comments, his hand on his stomach. "I hope they grilled more meat..."

"I'll go check right now," Tomori gets up promptly. "Then I'll bring a very full tray for all of us to share while I'm at it.

"Nice!," Rihito exclaims excitedly. "Can you bring some beers too, Miss Uta?"

"And milkshakes, please!"

"Damn, you really want her to have an accident again, don't you?," Okubo snorts. "Not to mention that she's on vacation. Are you already wanting her to work?"

"It's okay, Naoya, I don't mind bringing something for everyone. I'll eat with you after all," She guarantees with a smile. And then she thinks a bit, an index finger on her chin. "But maybe I'll need some help, considering what happened last time…"

"I'll help!," Okubo gets up immediately. "Then I can explore the kitchen. Are there any of your cookies left, Tomori? It would be the best dessert after a barbecue, haha."

“There are some left, but not many. You'd have to share with others."

"Wow, aren't you going to give your idol a special treat?"

"How mean, taking advantage of your niche celeb status to get free food..."

"Hey, hey, the 'niche' part was an unnecessary addition."

Laughing, Tomori beckons him with a wave of her fingers as she heads towards the kitchens.

"Relax, niche or not, I'm still your fan. I can separate the most

tasty-looking ones for you. Today I made another batch of Kuidaore Taro cookies..."

"Woman, you spoil me too much...," He pretends to sniff happily as he accompanies her. Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and Hiro watch them walk away before exchanging meaningful glances.

"They're not even trying to hide their flirting," Himuro comments, and Kaneda smiles.

"I think we can see this as progress, no?"

"I'll see it as progress when these two finally get tired of all that foreplay and fuck eachother at once," Rihito snorts. "Until then, I'll keep saying this is just unnecessary drama."

“Wow, big guy, looks like we're finally agreeing on something!," Hiro exclaims happily. "Not that this shoujo-worthy romance isn't cute, but we already had enough sugar to cause a collective outbreak of diabetes. This is lacking spice! And I know exactly how to add it..."

"… Why am I suddenly having a sense of impending doom?," Kaneda wonders, shuddering slightly, to which Hiro smiles sharply.

“You have a keen sixth sense, Mr. Fox!"

“That's what happens when you've know these three long enough. You begin to feel the misfortunes coming with your own body."

"Drama queen...," Himuro takes the cigarette out of his mouth and blows the smoke over his shoulder. "But anyway, can we interpret these words as another one of your far-fetched plans coming up?"

"Ooh, man…," Rihito groans, throwing his head back a little. "I don't wanna waste any more food by making Miss Uta trip again! Especially if it involves beer."

"It won't be necessary, blondie," Hiro guarantees, leaning his elbows on the table and staring at them with those bird of prey-like eyes. "Remember what I said about not cooking pasta in cold water? Let's say the water is already coming to a boiling point."

"And how can you be sure?"

"You were very focused on the music, so you didn't notice Tomori's stares," The cashier chuckles. "The way she looked at baldie… that she-wolf is dying to pounce on him."

"She-wolf...?," Rihito and Himuro repeat, confused, while Kaneda frowns.

"So you think it's possible to resolve this issue today?"

"For sure! You came by car, neither Tomori nor any of us will need to work tomorrow, this party left both of them in the perfect mood...," The cashier goes on listing each point on a finger. "We won't have another better opportunity than this. But it will involve you giving up your ride home."

"Fuckin' hell, why are we always the ones who have to sacrifice something for Okubo to be able to get laid?!," Rihito asks indignantly. "First our dignity, then Miss Uta's friend's number, which, by the way, I still haven't received!," He points to Hiro. "And now our ride..."

“Calm down, sweetie. You'll lose his ride, but you'll get mine," Hiro pats his hand. "I drove to work today."

"Uh… wait, you can drive?," Rihito blinks. "Huh. How convenient..."

"I know, right! Everything is conspiring in our favor!," He claps his hands, excited. "So, are you up for it? If all goes well, we might even go out together to celebrate!"

"The four of us? And where would we go?," Kaneda asks, and the cashier shrugs, looking up.

"I don't know. I know a lot of interesting places, to be honest. Some clubs where your builds would be very successful, for example..."

"Hell fucking no, forget about it!," Rihito shivers all over, to which Himuro gives a hoarse laugh.

"As you can see, Rihito doesn't want other guys to do to him what he does to women."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, we can go wherever you want," Hiro offers with an inviting smile. "The night is young…"

"Uugh... that insinuating voice tone drives me crazy, but if this shilly-shally between those two is to end...," Rihito huffs, scratching his hair, to which Kaneda laughs softly.

“We're working well on our altruism, aren't we? I think everyone here agreed. What's the plan?"

“Oooh, it’s quite simple, actually…"

* * *

"Fucking hell… don't you think you've had too much to drink?"

Okubo had never imagined himself being the one to say that kind of sentence. He was usually the one who heard it. But since he didn't intend to drive drunk, he was being forced into the role of the responsible friend, while glaring disapprovingly at the three idiots who decided to push their limits that night.

When he and Tomori returned from the kitchens with food, Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and Hiro seemed to be in some kind of fraternization, toasting and drinking, as if they had suddenly become the best of friends. He even felt a little left out, but Tomori's presence had mitigated the feeling.

But now that the sous-chef had left the table to take a quick shower in the locker rooms, Okubo felt more and more like there wasn't a place for him there. The night was advancing, the celebration was waning while all those present fell into that happy and satisfied laziness typical of the end of a party, and still those dumbasses were not satisfied. On the contrary, they seemed even more excited now that they had alcohol in their blood!

"No, it's within our standards!," Rihito, red and smiling like an idiot, raises his glass of beer to him as if toasting. "And I'm not drunk yet! I'm sober enough to still think you're one ugly son of a bitch, for example."

"Fuck you."

"And anyway, we really need to wet our throats," Himuro comments, his voice a little slurred, while alternating between his beer and his cigarette. "We'll go back to our improvised stage soon!"

"Are you serious? You want to play and sing more?," He raises his eyebrows a bit. "Even you decided to go all out, Kaneda?"

"Yeah… it's a special occasion," Kaneda justifies himself, making a vague gesture and putting his hand over his mouth to stifle a small burp. "It's not every day that our good friends from our favorite bakery achieve such a feat, right?"

"Well said!," Hiro slaps Kaneda on the shoulder, almost making him hit his forehead on the table top. "Why should we inhibit ourselves? Today is a never-ending party, my balding friend!"

"I'm not balding, I shave my head because I- uugh, forget it!," Okubo huffs impatiently. "I don't have a problem with that. I just don't know who you intend to play for, considering that everyone here is already too shitfaced...," He comments while looking over his shoulder, contemplating the mess that the table area had turned into. Chairs scattered, the floor littered with beer cans and liquor bottles, visitors and employees alike so drunk they looked ready to sleep right there. He had no room to judge, Rihito and he had been in worse shape, but damn…

"Eeh, that's nothing!," Rihito makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Maximum's music is capable of even raising the dead from their tombs!"

"Yeah, people even come back to life to beg you to shut up..."

"Shut up, Koga, damn it!," He growls over his shoulder at Koga, who was slumped over a chair, Kazuo dozing with his head resting on his shoulder. "You and Kazzy were having a fucking blast while we played! Such an ungrateful audience..."

"Do you still think they deserve an encore?," Okubo asks playfully, to which Himuro shrugs.

“If they deserve it or not, We don't give a shit. We just want to keep playing. Right, guys?"

"Yeah! The show must go on and… eh… ooh, jeez, I think someone stole my drumsticks," Kaneda looks around, eyes widening a little, at which Hiro laughs out loud.

"Robbery at the Heavy Bakery! We have a thief on the loose! Hand over Mr. Fox's drumsticks and nobody gets hurt!"

“Who the fuck took Kaneda's drumsticks?! The drummer needs his sticks!"

"Haruo borrowed it, he said he had an itchy back and couldn't reach…"

"Damn it, Jose! Haruo, we need those drumsticks!," Himuro exclaims, and they all jump up from the table to hunt for the drumsticks, to which Okubo takes a step back.

"... Look, I'm not trying to be a party-pooper, but I really don't think you guys are that good enough to play anything," He comments, a little worried. "I mean, if things got to the point where I needed to be the mom friend, it's because boundaries have been crossed."

"Yeah, that's really bizarre. Just drink with us and we'll solve this glitch in the Matrix!," Rihito jokes.

"I can't, man, you know I'm driving..."

"Ooh, would you look at that responsible boy, acquiring conscience at the nick of time! Hey, guys!," Rihito shouts over his shoulder, smirking. "Okubo now knows that driving under the influence is wrong! Guess who made him finally realize this!"

"Rihito, shut up-"

"Miss Uta, obviously!," Rihito exclaims, ignoring Okubo's furious expression next to him. "He arrived drunk on their first date and she was furious! Poor motherfucker got traumatized, hahaha!"

"And you still say that I'm the loudmouth! You fucking tattle-tale!," Okubo yells, while the SJPW crew widened their eyes at him.

"Are you serious?"

“Dude, how could you do that?"

"Damn, bro..."

"Are you fucking stupid?"

"You're lucky she forgave you, pendejo..."

"Shut up you too! I already feel bad enough without you guys roasting me...," Okubo whimpers, looking at the ground and putting his hand in his pants pockets. Rihito pats his shoulder.

“Hey, guys, don't be so harsh. I'm partly to blame too, I was the one who insisted he drink that night-"

"Holy shit, another idiot!"

"What is wrong with you!"

"And he still complains that he's single!"

"Fuckin' dumbass!"

"Fuck you all!," Rihito yells while everyone around laughs loudly. "But anyway, Okubo busted a gut to prove he could be better and won Miss Uta's forgiveness, and now he's being the best boy possible for her, isn't he? I'm so proud!"

"Fuck off!," Okubo, very red, pushes his hand away when he tries to squeeze his cheek. "She deserves it and I'll do it gladly! And don't think I'm going to play with you if you keep being such a jerk..."

"Good thing you brought that up, man," Himuro says suddenly, still helping Kaneda and Hiro to look for the drumsticks. "We talked a little while you were in the kitchen with Miss Uta, and honestly? You don't need to play with us this time."

"... Huh?," Okubo blinks, caught off guard. "What do you mean I don't need to? I'm the bass player, man, an essential component!"

"That's debatable," Kaneda comments, sounding a bit disinterested. "I mean, Rihito has the guitar and the acoustic guitar. I know it's not the same thing, but they're a good workaround..."

"And we still have twinkie here," Rihito points to Hiro. "We'll still have four components, so you really don't need to participate. Chill out."

"Chill out- what's this? Are you dismissing me?!," Okubo exclaims, indignation making his voice squeaky. "Just like that? Your own bassist?!"

"Well, let's face it, the bassist is kinda the least necessary guy in the band," Himuro arches an eyebrow, to which Kaneda nods.

"I wouldn't say they're entirely expendable, but others can cover their part without too much trouble..."

"And honestly, which bass players are successful with women?," Rihito laughs. "I think even the drummer gets more girls, hahaha!"

"Hey, c'mon now..."

"Sorry, Kaneda."

“What the- Why the fuck are you being such assholes?!," Okubo asks, furious and astonished, while the others around him just laugh their heads off. "What did I do? If you're going to be such dicks like that then I'm really going to-"

"What's with all the screaming? Are you guys fighting?"

Okubo is silenced in the midst of his threat, immediately looking over his shoulder with a little start. Tomori had come out of the locker rooms, no longer wearing her Heavy Bakery uniform but casual clothes, her purse strap slung over her shoulder. She stared at them in confusion that only increased when everyone around her laughed even harder at the face Okubo was making.

"Uuh...did I miss something or...?," She asks confused, looking around, to which he quickly shakes his head.

"No, Tomori, you didn't miss anything. Just these idiots being assholes, as usual," He assures, facing his friends with resentment. "I was just telling them what they deserved to hear."

"Not that we were very interested… are you leaving, Miss Uta?," Rihito asks, to which she nods.

"Yeah, I am. Kanny has already dismissed everyone for the day, we won't even need to clean up this mess," She giggles. "She said this will be up to the visitors who brought a whole bar into the bakery, haha."

There's a collective groan of weariness, Koga's being by far the loudest. Sekibayashi claps his hands impatiently.

"Quit being lazy bums, we messed up, we clean up!"

"Thank you, Mr. Seki!," Tomori makes a small bow. "I hope to see you all at the reopening of the bakery!"

"Are you leaving then, Tomori?," Okubo asks, a little disappointed. "Too bad, at this point you were the only company I had. The only one who hadn't stabbed me in the back, I mean…"

"Enough said, then! Give Miss Uta a ride home," Himuro intervenes. "We already told you, we don't need you anymore for today."

"Yeah! Go on, dude, piss off," Rihito makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Get outta here and don't forget that bass over there."

“See you around, Okubo,” Kaneda waves, and Hiro blows him a kiss.

"Don't worry, big guy, I'll take good care of them. You can go with Tomori with no worries, okay?"

"Why the fuck are you pushing me so much?," Okubo asks, getting pissed again. "It even seems that you can't wait to get rid of me, you...!"

He then shut up when faced with the intense looks that all four of them were giving him. Hiro had one hand on his hip. Himuro arched an eyebrow. Kaneda smirked. And Rihito, eyes widening, gives a very confused Tomori a brief glance before turning back to face him, all serious, seeming to want to say something...

... Oh. Oooh, shit. Well, now he definitely got it.

“You fucking assholes...! You could've said something earlier!”, he complains in his thoughts, but his anger has simply evaporated. There was no more reason for it, after all. Tomori turns to him, still confused and a little shy.

"Uh… only if you can and want to, Naoya. No problem if you want to stay here longer, there's still time to catch the last train-"

"No, I'll give you a ride. I was already on my way out anyway. I don't want to look at these fuckers' faces anymore for today," Okubo decrees, staring at his friends with what appears to be contempt on the surface. But his gray eyes sparkled in a way they knew all too well. Rihito shrugs with a snort.

"Neither do we. Go, buzz off, twinkie here will give us a ride."

"Yeah, I will. Fuck you, and I wish you all a hell of a hangover tomorrow morning," Okubo goes to get his bass, while Tomori looked from one to the other with some concern. "And good night to you all. The food was delicious. See ya."

"See ya, man!," Koga and the SJPW crew wave; Kazuo, still dozing off, mutters under his breath and shifts in his chair. Okubo then smiles at Tomori.

"So, let's get going? There's something in the car I want to show you."

"Uuh- really? Okay then!," She nods, smiling, but still looking worried. "Good night to all of you!"

"‘Night, Miss Uta!"

The two wave, and the bell rings at the top of the door as they leave the bakery. Okubo looks into the establishment through the glass one last time and sees Rihito, Himuro, Kaneda and Hiro grinning at him, giving him a collective thumbs up.

He has to stop himself from laughing. Those idiots... even if nothing happened that night, he would still thank them later. That's what friends were for...

"Look, it's not that I'm not happy to be able to spend some time alone with you…," Tomori starts to say, still shy. "But I don't like to think that you're leaving the bakery like that, mad at your friends, whatever the reason is..."

"Ooh, that? Don't worry, we do that all the time," He guarantees, smiling to reassure her. "We argue over some random stupid thing, we curse each other, we each go our separate ways and then we're talking again the next day as if nothing had happened. It's routine by now."

"Ooh… that's not very healthy," She comments, blinking. "But if this dynamic works for you… it's just that I really don't want you to be on bad terms with them like what happened with Rihito that time," She holds onto his arm, looking up at him and smiling. "I want to see you always arriving at the bakery together, laughing, messing around and ready to fill your stomachs with our food. I want to see you leaving the bakery happy, not angry or upset."

If they weren't in the middle of a busy shopping area, Okubo would have picked her up and kissed her heartily.

“Damn, she's so cute!”

"Holy shit, woman…," He smiles tenderly, reaching out to caress the side of her face. "Blessed be the day I walked into that bakery for the first time and met you. I've been needing all this sweetness in my life."

"Stop it, you…," She giggles coquettishly, blushing a bit. "Don't make me want to pull you by your shirt and kiss you, there are people looking…"

"You can do it inside the car," He suggests, letting her hold on to his arm while the two of them went down the street. "Then I can give you your gift while we're at it."

"More gifts? And you say I'm the one who spoils you," She shakes her head. "I just hope it's not one of those expensive things you keep offering me."

"My, what a distrustful woman," He jokes, pulling the keys out of his pocket and unlocking the car further on. "Don't worry, it's a very simple gift, but still a nice one. The guys and I were at an arcade before we heard the good news about the new site. We won some cool prizes there, and one of them is for you!"

"Wait, really?," She widened her eyes, which were shining. "My God, Naoya, you didn't have to! You should've tried to win a prize for yourself!"

"Relax, I didn’t leave empty-handed! I got a cool Ultraman keychain," He says as they get in the car. He takes a set of keys from the glove compartment and shows the keychain in it, smiling satisfied. "See? Very cool, right?"

"Yeah, it's cute!"

"No, officer Hayata is not cute! He's a hero of justice, and heroes of justice are cool, not cute!," Okubo protests, and Tomori just laughs.

"Of course. Anyway, now I'm curious to see what you got for me..."

"Oh, yes!," He turns around in the driver's seat, looking back. "Yours is that box in the back seat... the biggest one, in this case. Those three forgot their prizes in the car..."

"Ooh, good thing we saw that before we left then! There's still time to go back there and give them their boxes-"

"No! I mean...!," He exclaims, but hastens to correct his tone when she stares at him in surprise. "I said I don't want to see their faces anymore for today and I meant it. If I go back to the bakery now, they won't stop making fun of me."

“Not to say that they're going to want to beat me up for wasting this chance...”

"Uh… wow, men can be so prideful over silly stuff," She comments, bored. "In that case, I can go back there and deliver them myself."

"No...," He speaks in a much softer tone this time, leaning down to touch her lips with his thumb. "Don't go, please. I'll deliver the boxes to them later, I promise. Now I just want to be alone with you. We didn't have many opportunities there at the bakery..."

His little plea works: she stares at him with her eyes huge, shining, her cheeks flushed. She smiles, looking to the side, her lids lowering.

"Well, when you put it like that… okay, I guess they can get the boxes later," She kisses the tip of his thumb, making him shiver. "But what about me? Can I get mine now?"

"Right here, miss!," He reaches out, picking up the box with an idiotic smile. "I saw it on the wall behind the prize counter and thought it would look stylish in your kitchen…"

"For my kitchen, you say...? Oooh, a neon sign!," She exclaims, smiling when she sees the product stamped on the box. "I never had one of these before! What is written on it?"

"Smile and Smash," He extends his fist towards her, smiling. "Because my favorite cook rocks in the kitchen, always with that beautiful smile on her face."

She follows the cue, bumping her fist into his with a gleeful laugh. And then she leans over the seat to give him a peck, her nose lightly brushing against his.

"Thanks. I loved it. I just feel bad that I can't buy you anything like that..."

"What you give me, no money can buy, Tomoh..."

"Tomoh…," She laughs again, her voice coming out hoarse and low in that sweet happiness. "It's the first time you've called me that…"

"If you don't like it, I'll stop."

"Quite the contrary. I want to hear you call me that again," She whispers against his lips, and he shivers again, his eyelids drooping and his fingers tingling with the urge to pull her to sit on his lap.

"Tomoh..." He whispers back, giving her another peck, letting his lips press against hers and stay there a second longer. "Tomoh…"

“I love you and I wish I had the courage to say it out loud.”

At the moment, he didn't have that ability. But he had the ability to reciprocate when she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss with a low moan, and that was enough for now.

It didn't take long before he let his hands act on their own and pulled her to sit on his lap in the driver's seat, his hands on her back and the back of her neck to support her as she hugged him, perfectly content to stay in that indecent position while kissing him. Holy shit, she was so receptive... it would be so easy to ask the crucial question, and then, depending on her answer, go out on the streets looking for a love hotel...

“No, step on the brakes! Where's the chivalry in that? You have to create the perfect mood so she doesn't feel like you just picked her on a random street corner!"

He wanted to tell his conscience to go fuck itself, but his need to respect Tomori was stronger than that urge. He gently pulls her away from him, smiling at her with some embarrassment.

"Haha, we- we better stop here before the cops show up and tow us to the station for indecent conduct, huh?," He jokes, then clearing his throat. "So, let’s go to your house? We can install the neon sign in the kitchen, if you want."

He waits for her answer... which doesn't come. The cheerful smile was gone from her face, and Okubo was immediately concerned to see her expression slump, her eyes settling on her hands as she turned her head to the side. She even bites her bottom lip, as if to keep it from trembling, and he is immediately alarmed.

"Tomori? What's wrong?," He reaches out a hand to touch her face hesitantly. "Was it something I said? I'm sorry-"

"No," She interrupts him, shaking her head, still not looking at him. "You didn't do anything, Naoya. That... that's the problem."

"... Huh?," He blinks, confused, not expecting that kind of answer. "What do you mean? I don't get it..."

"It's... It's just that I...m" She lets out a huge sigh, turning to him with her mouth clenched and her brow furrowed as if she's working up courage. "I didn't mean to be forward like that, but I can't think of any other way... did I do something wrong, Naoya?"

"Huh? What-"

"Did I make you uncomfortable in any way? Am I being too forward?," She asks, and now she's almost stumbling over her words, agitated by her nervousness. "You're not as interested in this as I thought? Or- Or is it me? If I'm not that attractive to you...," She swallows hard. "Please, just answer me, because I'm already going crazy here trying to understand while I'm holding back!"

"Not that attractive to me…?," He repeats, perplexed, that sentence sounding completely absurd to his ears. Holy shit, how could she think such a thing? Did she have any idea how much she was attractive to him, to the point where he even had a hard time controlling himself when they started making out like that?

... And from her somewhat desperate look, the answer was no. She didn't. His jaw drops even further.

“Fucking hell, she…!”

"Yes!," She nods, now gesturing frustrated. "I know you like me, you wouldn't ask me for a kiss every five minutes if you didn't, but that's different from really wanting to take things to third base. You can like someone, you can want to be with them, and still not feel like... you know..."

If Okubo's eyes widened any further, they would probably fall out of their sockets. Fuck... holy fuck...!

"So just answer me this, please! Do you want me that way or not? Because if not, then just tell me, so I can stop trying and getting frustrated every time...," She continues, sounding almost aggressive, but he was still able to hear the fear permeating those words. Fear of not being good enough, of being rejected...

"W-Wait!," He finally finds his voice again, holding her by the shoulders to make her stop talking, his eyes still bulging. "Time out! How- how could you think I'm not attracted to you? Holy shit, woman, you...!," He had difficulty even forming a cohesive sentence, such was his astonishment. "You're insane if you think these things!"

"I…," She moistens her lips, still nervous, flinching a little with his touch. "So you… do you want…?"

"I- Of fucking course, damn it!," He says while choking, embarrassed, but more concerned with clearing up that misunderstanding. "I don't even know how you can think otherwise! You're beautiful, funny, cute, kinda nuts, brave as fuck, fierce when you have to be... and so, so...," He runs his fingers down her arms, then touching her curves that tempted him so much. "Fuck, only a dumbass would look at all this and not want it all for himself..."

She gasps softly at his touch, sitting up straighter in his lap, which makes her breasts under her shirt touch his chest. Holy shit, holy shit...!

"Then…," She looks at him with a rather bizarre mixture of relief, perplexity and frustration. "My God, so why haven't we had sex yet?!"

At that moment, Okubo didn't know what he felt more like: throwing a punch in the air and screaming in triumph, or redirecting said punch at his own face.

Fuck, she wanted it, she had wanted it all along and he just sat there, making her wait like the perfect idiot he was...!

“No,” His conscience snorted suddenly. “You waited like you should have all along: respecting her boundaries and waiting for the green light. And now, here it is.”

"I…," He shakes his head slowly, needing to make an effort not to smile like an idiot. "I didn't know if- if you wanted to too… I didn't want to push it, I was enjoying how things were going, and so I... I thought it was better to wait to be sure...?"

"Holy shit, you…," She shakes her head in disbelief. And then she laughed out loud, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "So that was you being a gentleman all along? My god, I don't know whether to be relieved or angry, hahaha!"

"Haha, s-sorry...," He laughs too, because honestly, what other reaction could one have in a situation like that? "I'm kinda mad at myself too, for not realizing it sooner..."

"Well, now you did, didn't you?," She looks up at him, smiling a lot. "So I just need to hear your answer to my question, one more time...," And she goes back to hugging him by the shoulders, approaching with drooping eyelids, brushing her lips in his again. "Do you want that, Naoya? Do you want me?"

He wonders, in that second of delighted euphoria, if starting to take her clothes off right then and there would be answer enough. But he concluded that she deserved to hear it from his mouth, loud and clear, as he held her by the hips to make her breasts press more against his chest, his breathing deepening, his eyes dark and dangerous.

"I do. I want you so fucking bad..."

"Then that's it. There's nothing more to discuss," She smiles more, tracing his lips with her tongue, "Today we really don't have to worry about the time..."

And his response is to kiss her with a fervor that was almost frightening. All that pent-up desire came pouring out of him like water from a broken dam, showing itself in the possessive way he grabbed her, squeezed her, stroked her sides, making her rub against him. And she didn't shy away, reciprocating in equal measure by hugging him tightly, rubbing her tongue furiously against his, digging her nails into his shoulders through his shirt as he leaned her back, wanting to rest her back against the car dashboard...

BWAAAAAAANNNN!!!

The sound of the horn, pressed against Tomori's back, filled his ears like the very trumpets of the Apocalypse, nearly knocking his soul out of his body in fright. He jumps into the seat, and his head almost explodes with pain as it hits the roof of the car hard.

"OW! HOLY FUUUUCK!"

Tomori nearly falls off his lap in fright, clutching at him and gasping with wide eyes.

"My God! Naoya, are you- are you hurt?! Sorry, it was me, my back pressed against the wheel!," She says quickly while massaging his sore head. "Sorry, sorry...!"

"Oooow… damn, I…," He babbles, his head throbbing. "I hope I can still get a hard-on even with a head injury…"

Tomori laughs out loud, throwing her head back before kissing him again, and despite the pain, he gladly reciprocates.

"Jeez…," She laughs softly when they move away again, still massaging his head (damn, it felt so good, he didn't want her to stop!) "We definitely can't do anything in this cramped space. So...," She hugs him by the neck again, smiling seductively. "Wanna go to my house? My bed isn't very big, but I assure you it's comfortable..."

He almost replies that yes, he would love to... and then he thinks of all those dead eyes spread across the four walls of that homosexual sanctuary, the grimaces that could almost be interpreted as mocking smiles, the sweaty muscles and their owners, many his acquaintances, enjoying the spectacular view that was his ass up in the air...

“Hell fucking no!”

"I- I…," He tries to smile at her questioning expression. "I have a better idea!"

"Better than my warm, comfortable bed? Damn..."

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to test the strength of your mattress, but don't you think we'll be more comfortable in a bed where I fit too?," He suggests, touching her lips with his fingertips. "C'mon, let me spoil you a little more, just for today…"

"Oh God… you're lucky I'm too horny to protest," She laughs, giving him a quick kiss before getting off his lap, sitting in the passenger seat with an excited smile. "Take me wherever you want. I just want to be with you all night..."

"Me too, Tomori..."

“I want it for all the nights from now on, if you want it too”, he swears in his thoughts as he starts the car. And for the first time, he drove in absolute joy, knowing that this time, their night had no end.

NEXT CHAPTER

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