#yamashitakazuo

[aneenasevla]

Spookengan 8 - Haunting Memories

Previous/ MasterPost

Made in Collab with @useless-bi-otch

Ohma looks at the skull ornament. "How weird, putting skulls to decorate a party…", he was about to hang it when Kanami says from the kitchen: 

"No, no Ohma, the skull ornaments are not for hanging, they go in the table…"

"Oh, okay" he says, putting the bag somewhere else "And what do I put up here?"

"Look for the bone strings or the pumpkin strings, whichever looks nicer in this corner" Kazuo intervenes, holding the said strings. One had leaves and miniature pumpkins, the other a bunch of little bones hanging like a Christmas ornament, only in a different way. The Halloween-like way.

"This is even weirder", he points to the bones "What are these things for, Yamashita Kazuo? Aren't bones for dogs and, like… for cemeteries?"

"Ahaha, it's kinda weird, isn't it?" Kazuo laughs a little at his confusion "But Halloween is a festival adapted from a very old custom. Some cultures believed that at this time of year, spirits returned to the world of the living to visit them. What's better to represent this than bones and skulls? … And yes, I read this in a magazine to find out more about the subject" He admits, pouting "The boys like these Americanized celebrations, it doesn't hurt to know more about…"

"I can answer that too, Mr. Yamashita", Kanami smiles "And yes, that's pretty much it."

Ohma nods, but still grimaces at the bones "Okay, but the pumpkin is at least edible. Bones remind me of empty plates and garbage.” He picks up the string with the pumpkins.

"Good choice, these pumpkins are cute", Ryuki comments while holding a very confused Dorobo in his arms "Put the bones near the cats, Mr. Yamashita. Then it'll look like they just ate a monster."

"Ooh, like they're protecting the house or something?" Kanami gets excited, looking at the boy holding the cat "Sounds cool! I bet that'll scare off evil spirits!"

"Is this really that scary?" Ohma raises an eyebrow "I think it scares the living, at best."

“The objective is to scare the shit outta everybody, man. That's the fun of Halloween" Koga smiles sharply "Just wait 'till you see the costume I got, then you'll know what a real scare is."

"Please don't" Kazuo groans "I'm too old to be scared like that. You don't want to take advantage of the month of the dead to make me join them, do you?"

"Don't say stuff like that, Mr. Yamashita!" Kanami shivers.

"If you do join them, can you please let grandpa know I'm fine?"

"Ryuki!", Koga and Kanami exclaim at the same time. Ohma chuckles.

"I'm sure the Old Man is with my master, since he was also his master. But old Yamashitakazuo has better things to do here, right?" He taps the old man on the shoulder, smiling mischievously.

"Ahaha, I- I sure do!" Kazuo, who had turned a little pale, smiles nervously and raises a thumb "I want to live long enough to see Yasuo giving me a daughter-in-law, and maybe a grandchild. And to see the two of you tying the knot..."

Kanami's eyes widen, her face turning red. Ohma, on the other hand, only smiles more.

"Nah, you need to put more goals in there, Yamashita Kazuo, our knot is already tied enough..."

"Ohmaaaa!" Kanami whines, mortified.

"What? I live here, and so do you. What's more tied than that?"

Ryuki smiles, looking at the kitten in his arms "And they also have two kids!" he shouts while lifting Dorobo by his armpits.

"You mean Ohma and Sis are 'pet parents'? That's so freakin' cheesy, hahaha" Koga chuckles.

"Have some respect, they're a piece of work just like kids!" Kanami exclaims, pointing the meringue-full whisk at him "I was already a 'pet mom' even before Ohma brought Dorobo home!"

"So you were always cheesy and he got infected just by living under the same roof, hehe… hey, calm down, sis, it's a joke!" Koga starts running when Kanami drops the whisk and threatens him with a wooden spoon instead; a much more effective weapon. Kazuo just watches them, smiling tenderly. He really missed that laid-back atmosphere, the silly, familiar banther, which felt as natural as breathing. It reminded him of when Kenzo and Yasuo were little, when his wife was still with them, when they were a happy, functional family…

The thought brought a cold, unpleasant feeling to his chest, and he tried to distract himself as he arranged the skulls on the dining table. He hated when that melancholy came to disturb him at the most inopportune moments…

"Hey, Yamashita Kazuo" Ohma calls for the old man "Relax, we were joking' about the bones, but you aren't supposed to join them. They are for Kanami's birthday."

"What? Oh no, Ohma, it's not that'' He shakes his head quickly "I was just thinking, reminiscing a few things…" He tries to smile "Seeing everyone getting together like this just brought back some bittersweet memories, nothing more."

"Hnmm… Kanami said that she also has bad memories of her birthdays" he looks at the decorations "She said that everyone got bummed after a while, with the parties lookin' the same every single year. Then I said I wanted to see it… and she replied with something very interesting."

"Oh?" Kazuo adjusts his glasses "And what was it?"

“It will be nice to make new memories with you.” He smiles sideways, watching Kanami guide the two younger men while Koga decorated the cat tree and Ryuki made meringue bones on a platter.

Kazuo can only stare at him, eyes wide. Ohma had a very simple line of thought, and it was in that simplicity that he managed to express a wisdom worthy of a philosopher. He'd always done that, as long as he'd known him...

And with that thought, the old man ends up smiling. Ohma had really changed his life, hadn't he? He helped him reconnect with his sons, taught him to be more confident and assertive, to persevere even when things seemed too difficult… his family had even grown thanks to him. When you had someone like him always encouraging you, making brand new memories sounded marvelous.

"New memories, eh…? I used to think I was too old to make something like this. But apparently there isn't an age limit for that" he concludes.

"You bet. Come on, there's more bones to toss around the house, and they're not yours" Ohma jokes, nodding.

"Hahaha, and I'm glad for that!" Kazuo shivers, but still laughs in the meantime "As I said, I still want to live for a very long time."

And he really hoped he still had a good few years ahead. He didn't want to miss out on any more new memories that Ohma and he would create, alongside the little family they'd formed.

Next Chapter Here

[vulgarcute]

First Contact || Jinx x Ohma || “Gods of Love”

Summary: After a long day Kazuo takes Ohma to an affordable restaurant serving high quality meats. What he doesn’t realize is that there will be a lack of customers, workers, or much of anything at all as the owner works to provide her customers with premium service. Service that Ohma can truly appreciate.

Word Count: 1,696 words

The night air was crisp with the dropping temperature enough to make anyone feel a select kind of shiver run through their body from head to toe. Every light in the bustling city streets acted to make things a bit warmer in the same vein that the body heat of those just passing by unknowingly did. Not that any of it was  important when the warmth brought on by glee was factored in. “Oi,” a voice called out to his smaller (and much older) companion with only a shred of concern, “aren’t you moving a little fast?” The man stood tall, everything about him swollen to match. Every muscle he had worked to it’s limit pushing against the tighter fabric of his jacket in an ever lovely manner that still managed to seem pitiful in comparison to the mess or black tresses sprouting from his head without much care or consideration. And yet there he was, a man with charm, a man with outward appearance  above the rest without even realizing so. 

That wasn’t to say his older friend didn’t have merit. He may have been older, his hair an organized mess and glasses stylishly outdated, but he too held a charm. His whole being encompassed the idea of a fatherly businessman taking out his son (or in this case figurative son) for a nice meal to celebrate whatever grand achievement caused him to beam with such unbridled boastfulness. Though he barely had one his chest was swollen with pride and steps full of fragile confidence.

Confidence that the meal he had promised the taller gentleman would be as delicious as victory, “Oh come on! You know they used to call me fast Kazzy back in my day!”

In the wind he had seen an advertisement fly by for a shockingly cheap restaurant by the name of “Lace Jelly”, and while the ad did seem a bit girly the promise of good food for a better price was enough to put away the idea that this might be some pop up cafe for women. If it was he would just… have to find somewhere else to eat. 

He found no comfort when, after going through a few alleys and into an isolated area, the sign above the shop was as decorated in lace and pearls as one could imagine. But this was no deterrent for the younger man, apparently Ohma, who pushed open the door without hearing the silent protests of the older man before he looked over his shoulder with a raised brow, “Yamashitakazuo, aren’t you coming in?” Again with the calling of his full name! Kazuo would never understand this young man. Alas, while he entered the sound of the calmly crackling radio entered his ears and filled the old man with a sense of nostalgia made only more potent by the smell of freshly baked bread; one basket on every table from what he could see.

The walls were a subtle pink that held the sunlight leaking through the windows in a manner one would think impossible given how the building was tucked away. The tables were rounded with an ornate wooden base lovingly painted a pale rose and white marble table top. There were already four white cushioned chairs around each of these five tables, paired with four pastel heart shaped dinner plates (each a different color), mugs to match, and silverware laid over rather plush looking napkins. It was all rather feminine yet still felt like a home in a way no other little cafe he had entered did in a very long time. 

Stepping forward Ohma took a menu off of the stool at the front and moved to one of the empty seats, not a single customer in sight despite the sound of things being put together in the kitchen, “We’ll be seating ourselves! A table of two!”

His voice carried apprehension as well as it dripped confusion as he sunk into the alarmingly cozy chair.

He opened his mouth to try and make small talk with Ohma but he was already drooling over the images of thick steaks on the menu. Closing his eyes he relaxed into his spot only for the sound of someone speaking to frighten him to the point of stiffening up, “what can I get for you two gentleman today?”

A bit high, but still holding as much youthful vigor as a voice could. It held motherly backing and at the same time was cute enough to reveal her as someone young. Not that her appearance didn’t give that much away. Her blonde hair was divided in three distinct parts; one large pigtail on either side of her head and the rest flowing behind her. The top was decorated with a cartoonishly large bow. The rest of her was just as unfortunately fitting. Her little baker’s uniform was off white with a cranberry apron buttoned on with a heart shaped pocket resting on another larger pocket nestled against the left side, a white band around her waist, bunny stockings, a bow bracelet, and black shows with a pure white heel. But despite it all evoking his need to adopt this unknown grown woman; it wasn’t truly what caught his attention. It wasn’t her blue eyes that sparkled with excitement even through her glasses, it wasn’t how she effortlessly filled both glasses on the table with ice water despite the size of the jug she held that looked much to heavy, no, it was the fact he didn’t sense at all that she was coming that struck a chord with him. And from the look on Ohma’s face, he was dealing with the same experience.

How was it that she managed to sneak up so effortlessly? He must have been staring, because the poor girl began to look a little uncomfortable. He should say something before-

“I’m sorry gentleman, I didn’t mean to sneak up on y’all. I just got excited about having customers and all that. How about I give you your first serving free, as amends?” She gestured to the empty tables with a twinge of sadness, “as you can see, it wouldn’t hurt anyone else’s orders.” “Steak.” Was all Ohma said, pointing to an elaborate looking dish on the menu with a bit of the free bread still tucked into the corner of his mouth like a chipmunk guarding it’s harvest. “Yes sir! And what about for you, mister?” she didn’t even seem worried about if Kazuo had accepted her offer, which made sense seeing how quickly his dear fighter had taken her up on it. Clearing his throat the man looked for something simple before deciding on what looked to be just that.

“I’ll have the, uh, how about your burger,” just a simple burger patty, didn’t seem all that complex right? Nothing to worry about. With a nod of her head she just seemed to fade into the background as she headed for the kitchen. Looking up at Ohma, Kazuo prepared to speak once more but instead found himself curiously watching the man across from him who stared at the door into the kitchen with an expression he had yet to have seen. In all the times he had taken ohma to eat, this was the first time he had seen the man focus on anything but the meal in front of him.

In a moment’s time the girl ame back to the front with two armfuls of food. One hand held an american style burger with all of the fixings and the other several rather hefty looking steaks, “now I don’t want to see either of you leaving a speck on these plates! I portioned it out so you wouldn’t fill up too much before your next helping!” With the trained hand of someone who had worked in the industry for far too long she handed both men their meals and stood there a moment to gauge their reactions. She was a business owner in a business that was frankly going under. If there was anything in the faces these men made to tell her anything it was her job to see it! Kazuo was a bit bewildered, but began to eat as not to be rude. But Ohma hadn’t waited even a second before chowing into his food without even a second thought about etiquette. He wasn’t even using the silverware she so lovingly set out for customers! After he finished the second of three steaks she spoke up again, “easy big guy, can't have a handsome gentleman like you dying in my shop! The paperwork is one thing but watching art die is another.”

For the first time since they had begun to eat together Kazuo saw Ohma pause.

“How could I eat free every day?” He sounded so curious but the way his plate had been cleaned revealed his enjoyment more than verbal communication could possibly have done so. But this was worrying, Ohma had an unknown background and didn’t seem to know enough about the world to live in it without the help of someone guiding him. He had common sense and basic intelligence in everyday life, expert intelligence when fighting, but in social situations he was as lacking in skill as it could have been. Enough that most jokes-

“I’d only every do that for my husband,” an innocent comment followed by a jest, “unless you’re volunteering.” Flew over his head. It was in that moment Ohma made a foolish decision that would have an outstandingly positive outcome, “I am.”

With a laugh the waitress stuck out her hand, “well husband, I think we should introduce ourselves before you do that. I’m Jinx, owner of the Lace Deer. I’m twenty four years old and my hobbies are running my restaurant and decorating.”

“Tokita Ohma,” He didn’t know really how old he was, just that he was in his late twenties if he counted years he could remember, “I like to eat, and I’m the strongest man you’ve ever met.”

And just like that, as he took her hand and agreed to something beyond what either realized, the fated pair had made their first contact.

[aneenasevla]

Red Velvet - Chapter 7

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Last chapter here

Chapter 7 - First Snow

Himuro has never felt so at peace as he did in these last  two months.

To begin with, he had won a match within the Kengan Association, securing yet another new property for his boss to further expand Ginokuniya Bookstore's business and, as a bonus, he had received a large commission to put him at ease regarding financial matters for the next few months.

Afterwards, he got a little closer to one of Tomori's friends who had become interested in him and asked for his contact information. Her name was Mariko, and she had a very refined taste for drinks and cocktails, so they were getting along quite well. A friendship with benefits to keep him warm in those cold days.

And finally: it had been two months since Rihito had stopped bothering him with his constant whining and requests for alms in the form of girls' phone numbers. The truth was that Rihito no longer complained about his lack of luck with women, because through some miraculous intervention from some merciful god, he had become able to attract them on his own.

May God, the devil or whatever bless Agata Akane, because she deserved it. 

His phone buzzes, and a text appeared in his friend's group chat:

Dickhead_Tokita:

Kanami invited you guys for a hotpot here at our house on christmas eve 

we’ll have karaoke and dancing games, according to her

come if you want

EggHead:

If it has karaoke and just dance, tomori is already in for sure, and so am I LOL

Himuro smiles at this, setting the dishes aside and drying his hands on the tea towel so he can type.

Gigolo_Master:

I’m in!

is it okay if I bring a friend?

miss kanami knows her as far as I know

it’s one of the girls tomori introduced me to 

GiantKiller:

I’m going to spend Christmas with my family this year, guys, sorry 😔

But even if I went to this hotpot, I would be just third wheeling

EggHead:

c’mon, man, hiro and mr. paikon are single too, they’ll probably also go

and koga and ryuki, and kazzy… 

GiantKiller:

True, but I still can’t go. My bad

Dickhead_Tokita:

no, the two kids and yamashitakazuo also have plans

kaede went on vacation

it’s just us

Gigolo_Master:

lets fill that house up then

I’ll bring my friend

we need more women for that party lol

and don’t worry kaneda

will you also spend new years with them?

GiantKiller:

I can spend it with you guys if they don’t force me to stay with them 😆

Gigolo_Master:

try to show up, we’ll spend new years eve getting shitfaced lmao

I finally got a day off on the 31st guys

the first in two years, holy shit

we can’t miss this opportunity

EggHead:

well, if we do that on a safe place, I’m in

Dickhead_Tokita:

the message is given anyway 

we can inform ichiro later 

Gigolo_Master:

I haven't heard a peep from him since afternoon

he must be out on the razzle somewhere

or getting busy with miss agata 😏

EggHead:

Oh damn xD

ATTA BOY 

Chu-cha-cha-chu-chu-cha 🎶

GiantKiller:

You really liked this brazilian funk thing, uh 

Gigolo_Master:

LMAO

I swear to you guys

you have no idea how PEACEFUL my life has been in the last two months

first okubo got a girlfriend and stopped being a pain in my ass

and now rihito finally got a fuckin grip and learned the bennefits of kissing and not telling

or fucking and not telling in this case LOL

and consequently he stopped bothering me too

I’m living the fuckin dream

Dickhead_Tokita:

that’s what I call a christmas miracle

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

nope, you learning how to get outta the convo without kicking yourself outta the chat is what I call a miracle

dumbass

and good evening guys

Gigolo_Master:

speaking of the devil

there he is

good evening loverboy

Dickhead_Tokita:

hey there is an invitation up there in the chat

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

I saw it and I’m also im!

especially since we'll be eating auntie's food

hell yeah 😎

hey can I bring someone too?

EggHead:

I already know who it is

Dickhead_Tokita:

Kanami said she knows the organ thief, and she does not steal organs 😎

so its fine

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

my guy, she steals other things

not organs, but sometimes what comes out of them LMAO

but yeah, its her

she's already an old friend of the bakery staff, so I think it'll be alright

Dickhead_Tokita:

so she steals blood then?

I do that too, but with my fists 😎

GiantKiller:

Seriously, guys, quit with these jokes Ohma never gets 🙄🙄🙄

Dickhead_Tokita:

I actually got it, kaneda

you are the ones who did not get mine 😎

Gigolo_Master:

and seriously kaneda

you're asking rihito to stop being an idiot, basically

its like asking water to stop being wet 

just give up

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

🖕

EggHead:

man I don't know if ohma is dumb or if he just pretends to be

Dickhead_Tokita:

you will never know 😎

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

anyway

I'm too busy to try to understand what's going on inside tokita's head

but I'll go to the hotpot, it'll be dope

Dickhead_Tokita:

alright, I will tell kana

she told you guys to bring drinks, minus okubo, who will come with tomori

he can bring some soda

EggHead:

fine be me 

but the party is in two weeks, isn’t it?

miss kanami really likes to give invitations in advance, doesn't she?

GiantKiller:

Well, she’s a business owner 

She needs to be organized 

And early invitations help us to prepare accordingly 

It helps you guys, in that case

Dickhead_Tokita:

well, now the message is definitely given

Gigolo_Master:

drinks are kinda my thing, so we're covered

I'll tell my friend to bring some too

speaking of which, mr. ohya gave me a nice gift

do you remember that pricey sake called Kotozakura?

he gave me a full bottle!

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

damn himuro

that’s what we’re talking about!

this is getting better and better!

EggHead:

HELL YEAH!

Dickhead_Tokita:

if you start to drink too much and do some stupid shit, I will kick you guys out

kanami said that

Gigolo_Master:

relax, we’ll behave

you heard that, rihito?

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

for fuck’s sake

I didn’t do anything!

I’m just chilling! 

Dickhead_Tokita:

said the guy who got arrested about 4 times for doing dumb shit after drinking

And you say I’m the dumb one

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

shut up, I’m not the only one!

okubo also got arrested with me

but you fuckers always forget about that

you guys are obsessed with me, I swear

do want me to fuck you too or something?

Dickhead_Tokita:

what, are you mimicking your friend now?

are you also a cannibal? 😎

EggHead:

damn, I went to drink some water and came back only to be accused of past shit

CANNIBAL LMAO

first an organ trafficker and now a cannibal, this shit only gets better LOL

Dickhead_Tokita:

If you bring her, you will be the dish, not us 😎

EggHead:

fuck, and that makes so much sense

he called her a "sword swallower"

that's why he's so quiet now LMAOOOOO

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

you guys can go suck a bag of dicks

fucking assholes

anyway, I’m kinda busy here

I’ll take to y’all later 

Gigolo_Master:

too busy fucking and not telling?

Dickhead_Tokita:

(answering to @Mr_Iron_Fingers) Nah, I like mangoes better 😎

Gigolo_Master:

DAMN OHMA

what’s happening to you

you’re scaring the hell outta me

Dickhead_Tokita:

???????

Why?

EggHead:

since when do you make this kind of joke? o.O

Dickhead_Tokita:

I learned from you guys 🤨

I’m not deaf, and I’m a quick learner 

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

Hell yeah bro!

you’re finally learning from the master, eh, seaweed head

I’m so proud!

you’re going places!

Gigolo_Master:

weren’t you busy?

Christmas came early?

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

Fuck you!

it’s ‘cause you guys won’t shut up!

Dickhead_Tokita:

what a short attention span 😎 

GiantKiller:

I think I finally got it, Himuro

Ohma uses the smiling face with sunglasses emoji to make it clear that he’s joking

Dickhead_Tokita:

yes, and I’m doing it right now

koga says it helps making things clear

if I don’t use it, everyone thinks that I believe all the shit you guys say

kaneda almost started crying last time

and koga thought we were going to spar in the middle of the night 

he waited about 30 minutes for me and almost froze from the cold

GiantKiller:

Oh, poor kid 🤣🤣

He’s okay, right?

And thanks for your concern, Ohma

I can tell when these three are joking, but you almost never change your tone when in or out of the chat

I really thought you went to call the Kure that time 😭

Dickhead_Tokita:

he survived 😎

and just remember that I would have to pay an arm and a leg

the kure would never work for me for free, and I don't want it either

raian is my friend, but I don't want anymore favors from the Devil 

he's more of a cannibal than ichiro's girl 😎

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

RIHITO

GODDAMMIT DUDE

how many times do I have to tell ya???

and she isn’t my girl

she’s just a friend that I fuck occasionally 

Dickhead_Tokita:

change my nickname and I will think about using yours

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

for fuck’s sake

(@Mr_Iron_Fingers changed @Dickhead_Tokita’s nickname to @Kelpthullu)

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

there

happy now?

Kelpthullu:

my name isn’t Kelpthullu, dumbass

fuck it, now you’re Ichiro forevermore 😎

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

DUDE FUCK YOU

Kelpthullu:

go cry about it on Cannibal’s shoulders 😎

Gigolo_Master:

holy shit rihito

even ohma is making fun of you

you’re out of your game lol

Kelpthullu:

I'm also inspired today so don't get used to it 😆

this must be the afterglow you guys talk about so much

Gigolo_Master:

LMAOOO

seriously, guys, I’ll be off now

my shift is almost over and I have to catch the train home

I’ll talk to you later

Kelpthullu:

I’ll be off too, I was going to just send the invitations but got carried away

later

And the chat went silent after that.

Himuro puts his phone in his pants pocket, still laughing to himself. Adding Ohma to that group chat had been the most genius idea they had come up with. Now only quality jokes came out of there.

He finishes stacking the glasses and heads out to clock out; he couldn't wait to get home and take a hot bath. It was freezing cold now. Soon the first snow would fall. It would be the perfect time to stay under the blankets with someone...

…

And at another establishment, on the other side of town, another member of that group chat was enjoying the evening in the exact same way.

"Rihito, are you okay? You're looking at your phone like you want to punch it..."

Rihito starts a little, turning his head to look over his shoulder. He was sitting on the edge of the huge bed, in one of the several rooms in the luxurious Gold Pleasure Club building, in the company of two beautiful employees who were willing to warm him up on that cold night, the three of them resting from the night's activities. He smiles awkwardly, trying to contain his anger.

"Oh, it’s okay, girls, relax. It's just my friends talking shit in our chat group, as always. I'm turning off notifications."

"Anything interesting there?," One of the girls, a curvy blonde, bites her lip. The other one, who talked first, had dark skin and curly hair.

"Nothing as interesting as you!," He lies down again, and they both laugh when he hugs them, bringing them close to his huge chest. And he does it without grabing them too enthusiastically, which was a very welcome development "I was feeling so lonely today... you guys just made my night better."

"Yes, you've been coming here alone these last few months. So Okubo really got a girlfriend?," the dark-skinned one asks.

"Yep! And now he's out there, too busy being all cute and disgusting with her," He pretends to sniff, his tone playfull "He's too good for his brothel bro now..."

"That's so mean," the blonde pouts, "Leaving his friend behind like that..."

"Well, at least we still have this hottie here to keep us company," the dark-skinned one puts a leg over his hips, smiling "But man... is it just me or you got sexier?"

"Yeah, you made me shiver all over," the blonde laughs "Even more so when you asked me to sit on you."

"C'mon, I pale in comparison to you," He laughs slyly "And I really developed a taste for that, I won't deny it. What can I say? I see these smooth, soft skins and I already want to kiss them all over...," He pretends to try to bite the dark-skinned one, who makes a sound that was half a scream, half a high-pitched laugh, playfully pushing him away.

"Oh, okay, that's enough," she gets up "Let us clean up, you animal. Come on, Naoko," she calls for the other one.

"We'll be right back," she kisses his neck before getting up.

"Alright. I'm just going to stay here and laze away...," He smiles as he stretches, dropping back onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. Wow, what a great way to end that night! Good booze, some snacks, two beautiful girls on each arm... was there a better way to live life?

"It's just a shame Akane is so busy with that evil lair she calls a hair salon..."

The thought makes him open his eyes. Akane and he had gone out together a few more times in the last two months, to eat or to dance, and they always ended the night at some small love hotel or at her apartment, if they were close enough to it. He honestly preferred the apartment; he had developed a taste for colorful walls and tacky decor, especially the hot pink monster that was the couch. Just as he had enjoyed Akane's company too. So much so that he even missed it. She was busy during the end of the year, with women appearing one after the other in the salon, wanting to get all dolled-up for the holidays in an attempt to impress uninterested husbands. So he had to seek company at the Gold Pleasure Group, which always ended up emptying his wallet. He couldn't wait for the year-end bonuses... 

He hears a very low buzz and some giggling in the bathroom of the suite, but what caught his attention the most was hearing his name.

He raises his head immediately. Oh, were they talking about him? A mixture of strong curiosity and fear took hold of him. Were they arguing about his performance? Those giggles were worrying... unable to resist, he got up from the bed and went to the bathroom door, as silently as he could, putting his ear close to the door to hear better. 

"... when he got closer I thought he was going to grab me, but then he brought me closer slowly, and gave me a sniff on the neck… wow, I got goosebumps…," he heard the blonde say.

"I saw it... but I was too busy feeling him inside me... where did he learn to do that?"

"Girl, I wouldn’t mind if he comes after me again, I swear to you…"

"I know! He’s much better than before. What happened to him?"

"I don’t know, but it was good… a winter miracle, I’m actually cumming for the first time in months…"

They begin to laugh coquettishly.

"Stop, that sounds so wrong…"

"Am I lying?"

"I was luckier than you then… but it’s true, he’s really getting better."

Rihito had to make an absurd effort not to run to the window, throw his fists in the air and scream in triumph for the entire fucking district to hear.

Damn, he had done it! Two girls loved his performance, and not out of pure pretense so as not to hurt his ego! He had truly learned how to be a good lover!

“And it was all thanks to her!”

And again, thinking about Akane brings that warm joy deep in his chest. Damn, he was going to make that woman moan and scream so much the next time they met! She deserved all that and more.

"Oh... damn," he heard the dark-skinned one say.

"What is it?"

"Our time is running out... shit, I wanted him to give me head too."

"We can ask him later, outside…"

"For free? No, he'll get used to it."

"Yeah…," she sighs "It’s a shame… but we’ll offer our services if he comes later, okay?"

"Hell no, I want him for myself."

They both laugh louder.

"Okay, let's go, we have to tell him anyway...," he hears footsteps.

He starts for a second, running away from the door and lying back down on the bed, trying to strike a relaxed pose on the sheets, with his arms behind his head and one leg casually bent up. That's it, a badass pose, he had to keep good impressions with the girls...

They look at him, picking up their dresses from the floor while smiling at him.

"Sorry, Rihito, we have to go."

"Yeah, time's up…," the dark-skinned one says in a sad tone, which he learned was genuine.

"So… are you going to come visit us again?," the blonde smiles.

"Oh, it’s a shame, I was loving the company," He smiles at them, "And I intend to, when my wallet is a little fuller again, hahaha! But it was really worth it. You two are wonderful," He coos, in a deliberately sugary tone to make them laugh.

And they really laugh, one of them waving her hand shyly. They quickly put on their clothes and leave.

"Oh, you still have another half hour, so just relax," the dark-skinned one says "You already know how it works."

"I know! I'm going to stretch here a bit. Good night," He blows kisses to them, and they laugh again as they close the door. He takes another deep breath, stretching and hugging a pillow.

That bed was really huge, warm and comfortable. But strangely, he missed something. Preferably something a lot more... fuzzy.

He opens his eyes again. And here come those strange thoughts... it was probably because she had been mentioned in the group chat, when he had received carte blanche to take her to Kanami's house, at the upcoming Christmas party that their friends would throw.

He frowns. Would inviting her be too weird? They weren't dating or anything, just having fun together every now and then... but damn, they were friends now, weren't they? What harm would it do to want to have some fun with a friend, especially among so many others? He finally makes up his mind, grabbing his phone from the dresser next to the bed and searching for a specific chat.

Himbo_King🦍:

hey miss lumberjack

are you busy? lol

She takes a few minutes to respond.

Boss_Bitch🍑:

hey he-man ❤️

I’m home now

Himbo_King🦍:

I have an invitation for u

do you have any plans for christmas eve?

Boss_Bitch🍑:

I’ll be busy during the day

those hags love to show up at the salon on short notice

but I’ll be free after 5 o’clock

we’ll have the next day all for ourselves ❤️

why?

Himbo_King🦍:

great, it's a nighttime event anyway

our friends are planning a hotpot for christmas eve

at miss kanami’s house

you’re invited

we’ll bring booze and ours empty stomachs lmao

Boss_Bitch🍑:

wow, really?!

Butch’s gonna throw a party?? And she’ll cook???

she never baked me a loaf of bread without charging me for it!

damn what a Golden boy doesn’t do to a bitch’s humor LMAO

A fuckin christmas miracle indeed 

I’m in! Christmas Eve, right? 

Himbo_King🦍:

yeah, but quit with the Golden boy shit lmao

that sounds so fucking gay

I’m a Fuck-Buddy with a capital F 😎

and anyway, her boyfriend eats like he’s about to starve

he must have convinced her lol

Boss_Bitch🍑:

I’m talking about HER Golden boy, dumbass LMAO

and yeah, that must’ve been it

Butch’s the kind of girl who grabs men by their stomachs 

and you’re a Golden Retriever, yea, but far from a Golden boy, get a fuckin grip LOL

Himbo_King🦍:

ooh, got it

but he isn’t golden either

he’s a cosmic horror creature coming straight from the depths 🐙

then he found his own Amazon

you’ll met him at the party

Boss_Bitch🍑:

well fuck

I’m curious now, he doesn’t seem bad…

is he such a pain in the ass?

anyway, forget about it

I got worried that Butch was with some good-for-nothing pos, but I remembered that she would’ve kicked him to the curb if he was that bad

that woman is terrifying 

Himbo_King🦍:

believe me, I know that lol

and don’t worry, he’s nice

he’s one of my bros

he’s just dumb as a roch

*robs

*ROCK

DAMMIT

Boss_Bitch🍑:

LMAO I got it

anyway… are you coming or will you stay there, scratching your balls?

or did you already have fun and just wanna chat?

I guess it’s the third option, you usually show up earlier than that

Himbo_King🦍:

hey, is this an invitation?

I can crash at your place, no problem at all

I prefer your nails to scratch my balls anyway LMAO

and sorry, you were busy at the salon today

I thought I would be a bother if I showed up

Boss_Bitch🍑:

well, if you went straight to the salon you wouldn’t come out alive LOL

but you’re welcome at my place

speaking of which, I still haven’t crashed at yours

do you have a roommate? 

since you do not bring any girls there lol

Himbo_King🦍:

I was talking about waiting for you at your doorstep, dummy

I won’t steep a foot in that chicken house you call a salon ever again LOL

I thought you were too tired to do anything, but if not, I’m coming

and yeah, you still haven’t see my place

I also live alone

Boss_Bitch🍑: 

A massage from your fingers would be really nice, not gonna lie

and well, I’d like to come to your place, but you can come to mine today

and since you must’ve already fucked some bitch today, I'm going to prepare a bath 

I won't kiss a mouth that tastes like other chick's pussy LOL

Himbo_King🦍:

dude fuck you LMAO

alright I'll tidy up before I go

gotta rinse my mouth to meet Her Highness' demands lol

I’ll be there in 20m

man its so fucking cold!

a hot bath would be really nice, specially with good company 👅 

Boss_Bitch🍑:

exactly

you really think that I’ll waste water just to wash your stinky ass?

you must want some glitter-filled bath bombs too, oh my

maybe for me cause this bitch here likes to smell good, but you?

only if its like when we're on my couch

you on top of it and me on top of you 🍑🍆

Himbo_King🦍:

have some shame, you demon LMAO

I’ll give you some real bombs after the bath, not before

right on top of your pink-pornstar monster 

no, seriously, I’m coming

want me to bring something?

chocolate, some beers idk

Boss_Bitch🍑:

dunno, bring some noodles or anything we can microwave

and yeah, beer and chocolate sounds good too

oh yeah I almost forgot

bring your sausage and two eggs causa I’m starving LMAO

I mean, if there’s anything left for me 😗😗

if not, we can do netflix without chill LOL

Himbo_King🦍:

fucking hell woman LMAO

you wanna make me run like the fuckin wind or something??

I need to be careful, I don’t wanna get run over lol

but alright then, beer, chocolate, instant noodles, my sausage and two eggs

that’s my grocery list

be there soon 

Boss_Bitch🍑: 

man take your mind outta the gutter 

I just want a sandwich 😇😇 

Himbo_King🦍:

yeah, sure you do

a sausage and eggs sandwich

whatever, I’ll bring everything

kiss on ya tits 🍒

He then leaves his phone aside, going to the bathroom to take a quick shower, just so he doesn't show up in her apartment smelling like perfume from two different women. They weren't dating, but it was all about respect and consideration.

About ten minutes later, he had already paid for his stay, gone to a convenience store nearby and bought everything she asked for. He had even bought more than one chocolate bar, because in that cold weather, a sweet treat sounded really good. He walks through the busy streets of the outskirts, the extremities of his body slowly becoming numb from the cold. Holy shit, it seemed like winter was getting more intense with each passing year, and it wasn’t even snowing yet! He lets out a shaky breath, the air leaving his mouth and condensing into smoke, hanging in the air. He then makes up his mind, taking out his phone and sending a private text to Okubo.

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

seriously, man

let’s bring some quality booze for the hotpot

if it’s cold af now, just imagine how much worse it’ll get til christmas

Okubo answers pretty quickly; he must’ve already been on his phone.

EggHead:

I’m counting on that bro

I’m shivering all over and I’m not even outside wtf

I’m on my car, with the heater turned on and everything

wyd man?

your space heater broke or something? lol

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

I’m leaving the golden pleasure club  now

all alone in a cold winter night, all because my brothel bro found a bedmate to keep him warm

I’m going to akane’s house

EggHead:

lol you’re one to talk

you have a bedmate too, she’s just not your gf

anyway, I have to go now, I’m kinda in a hurry

I have to get there in time before the First Snow falls 🥰

Rihito frowns, the sight of that emoji sending shivers down his spine.

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

First Snow?

and what the hell is up with that emoji??

dude, are you gay? 🤨

EggHead:

I should ask you the same lmao

you never heard about the First Snow thing? I read about it recently 

it’s a thing about couples watching the first snowfall of the year

it’s said that, if a couple watch it together, their relationship will last forever

it’s the kind of cute, cheesy thing tomori likes 

will I get something good in return? For sure

so I’m in 😁

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

… Okubo Naoya

my man

my guy 

my chummy chum

that was the gayest shit you've ever said on this chat

fuck that first snow crap

why are you making excuses to get laid? Just get under your sheets with her and that’s it

you can watch that first snow from the window while you’re pounding her

EggHead:

says the guy who twerks like a bitch LMAO

and my girl like this stuff, man

if that makes her all wet for me, so be it LOL

and besides, it’s fun!

getting under the sheets with a hot cocoa mug and my chick to keep me warm sounds fuckin awesome, 10/10

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

LMAO you fucker

I knew it, you’re a pervert just like me afterall

but whatever, do what you want

I don’t need all that to get laid, I’m a very simple man

and I only twerk if I know that’ll get someone twerking for me in return

EggHead:

see?

it’s the same principle, dumbass

my girl only asks for a bit of snow

yours asks for you fucking dignity LOL

Mr_Iron_Fingers:

what dignity LMAO

I have way more dignity than a mf who’s gonna watch some stupid snowflakes fall

drinking hot cocoa and eating some sissy cookies

while he waits for his missus to get in the mood

but again, do what you must to get a good fuck, that’s not my problem

have fun

and tell tomori that akane will be at the hotpot

EggHead:

hell yeah!

alright, go twerk and have some fun yourself

send my regards to your Cannibal LOL

And his icon goes offline. He must already be on the road.

Rihito thinks about calling Okubo every name under the sun, but it wouldn't be funny since he wouldn't see those messages until the next day, after spending the night fucking his girlfriend to the sound of crackling fireplaces and snow piling up on the windowsill. And like the helpless romantic that he was, he would be too happy to care about some dumb insults. It wasn't even worth wasting time.

He huffs and puts away his phone, picking up the bags with his purchases and walking faster, eager to get away from the cold. He didn't need all that cheesy bullshit. He had found a friend who disliked them as much as he did. And they were both going to enjoy that cold as it deserved to be enjoyed, yes sir.

The relief is great when he finally sees the dirty block where Akane lived. The good thing about that freezing cold was that the smell of garbage and cat piss was much less pronounced.

He goes up the stairs; the place was strangely quiet for such a neighborhood. Normally he would hear some ear-splitting music from some apartment, or some crazy couple in the middle of a screaming match or even cats fighting or mating on the roof. But the night was completely silent. Which was actually good, at least the walls were thick.

He knocked on the door and a moment later she opened it. She smiled and opened it completely when she saw who it was. She was in her homely clothes, with her glasses and a loose shirt, and barefoot.

"Hi," she lets him in and closes the door, giving him space and grabbing the bags he was giving her "Get in the bathroom, I'll put the groceries away and I'll be right there." 

"'Night!," He greets her with a smile, his face red from the cold, but it didn't seem to have affected his mood at all "Sorry for coming this late. If I had known that you'd be free after work, I would've come straight from work," And after taking off his shoes, he heads towards the bathroom, without thinking to much. He had been visiting that apartment for two months now. They were already past the formalities.

"Sorry, I also thought you were busy. I remember once you were working late on a last minute delivery, and the next day you had a match scheduled," She says while putting things away.

"See? It’s not just you who’s racing against the clock because of a job," He comments, raising his voice as he opens the door to the bathroom, already taking off his clothes and folding them over the basket next to the sink "Year's end has been pretty busy, but after the holidays we'll be able to make the most of it..."

Rihito had seen that bathroom before: it was tiny, but organized and very clean, and of course, a bit cluttered, with colorful things on the shelves, some motivational pictures (his favorite was the one were it was written “one shit a day make your problems flush away”) and some little decorative plants. It still was way less eye-catching than the rest of the house (no piece of furniture had surpassed the vintage-porn couch yet), but still, he doubted he would ever meet a more extravagant, wild and exigent woman when it comes to home decorations and her own appearance, but that still had a no nonsense attitude and was as foul-mouthed as a truck driver. 

This stark contrast, to this day, made his head spin so much that he simply went with the flow while trying not to laugh to himself as he undressed.

As she had said, the bathtub was already filled with hot water, which was good for the cold night; it was a little shallow because otherwise, given its size, the water would overflow. He was a big man, afterall.

A thought comes into his head, “She thinks about everything, doesn't she?”

The sudden thought ended up eliciting a mischievous half-smile from him. Yes, that woman thought of everything, including the best ways to take advantage of a poor motherfucker who until recently was a lost cause in terms of interactions with the opposite sex. But he would never complain about that, because he was learning a lot from her. Not only to be a better lover, but to be a better friend and person as well.

He enters the bathtub after having undressed completely, closing his eyes and letting out a low sound of pleasure as the hot water enveloped him, up to his chest. He rested his arms on the edges of the bathtub, throwing his head back a little "Damn, this is one of the best things you could do at the end of a long day... you can almost nap in here..."

"I do it often," Akane appears at the door, coming closer to him "Even more so after I had a really busy day," she sits on the closed toilet seat, on the edge of the bathtub, enjoying the view "Feel free to relax."

"I already am…," He jokes, smiling at her "But what about you? A bathroom isn't the best place in a house to keep your clothes on, you know…?"

"I know... I'm just enjoying the view for now...," 

"Oh, feel free to enjoy it, but you can also enjoy it while your sausage is warm from the water," He laughs, while she gets up and opens a side cabinet, where there were some hygiene products "So... are we going to have a party at Butch's house?"

"Yes, we will! A Christmas party with everything we could ask for, a courtesy from Aunty! But we still need to bring booze."

"Aunty? You're hopeless, man, if she hears you...," She laughs softly, taking a weird little ball from the cabinet "Anyway... I'll go for a casual look, since the girls will be there, and Kanami's house usually has a more cozy atmosphere."

She takes off the loose shirt she was wearing, and... oh, what a surprise, she wasn't wearing anything underneath. She takes off her glasses too, throwing her curls around to loosen them. She sighs, approaching the bathtub and throwing the ball she had in her hand inside of it. The ball hits the water and immediately starts to sizzle, releasing good-smelling bubbles.

"Yeah, it's some sissy shit but I love it. Shut up," she says as she was getting into the tub, and the water overflows when she sits on his lap.

"Hnn…," He shivers slightly, the middle of his legs being duly graced by her ass, which for him was very welcome "I deal well with other people's sissy shits if I'm well rewarded for it, you know," And he hugs her to his chest, bringing her closer, one hand already going to lazily play with one of her tits.

"The view is enough for you, don't lie," she uses a little bowl to catch some water and pours it on his head, wetting his hair "Did you come to spend the night here? "

He closes his eyes so the water doesn't get into them, blowing some, the droplets spreading around "Yeah, the view is pretty awesome... and I'd like too, if that's okay. It's freezing cold outside... returning home in the early hours of the morning would be torture... it could start snowing today."

"The forecast said it was likely," he feels, still with his eyes closed, her nails massaging his scalp, applying some kind of shampoo with a subtle scent there "In that case, you’re more than welcome. I think I have something in my room that might help you. If I remember correctly I have a pair of sweatpants, so you don't tease me early in the morning," and she laughs softly.

He laughs along with her... and then wonders how a single woman, who lived alone and was so thin could have sweatpants that fit him. Was it someone else's? The thought wasn't the most pleasant, but damn, it was either that or his dick would shrink two inches from the cold, and that was the last thing he needed that night.

"Fine by me. And I hope it's not yours, because if it is I'll finally find out how guys who have a fetish for wearing panties feel, hahaha!"

"Hahaha, no, dumbass, I bought it for you," she presses her nails into his scalp, laughing "I knew that one time or another you'd end up spending the night here, so I took precautions," She throws some water in head head, rinsing his hair.

He chokes on the water, such is his amazement. He wipes his eyes quickly, blinking awkwardly at her.

"What… did you buy me sweatpants? Really?!"

"And why not? Or do you prefer to sleep in jeans?," She raises an eyebrow "I don't think so," She continues to wash his hair, her expression unchanged, but still seeming a little embarrassed by his surprise; her already small mouth had turned into a pout due to her full lips.

 "No, that's not it! It's just...," He doesn't know what else to say, even more disconcerted when he sees her embarrassment. He tries to get back on track by hugging her again, his hands around her hips, her breasts pressed against his chest. And for the first time in two months, the proximity didn't turn him on. It only increased that strange heat in his chest "It's just that no one had done something like that for me before. Damn, woman... you're making me feel like a fag here, making me all emotional like that, hahaha..."

"Then shut up and just accept it," she laughs a little "And that's not fag shit, you're just happy, and even though it's for a silly reason. It's just like you," she shakes her head "An extroverted through and through," and she continues playing with his hair "And you're my friend, so... it's just consideration, no big deal. "

He laughs through his nose, thanking the heavens from the bottom of his heart for the water she poured over his head, since he could use it to disguise any sign of emotion. Because for a tiny second, he felt his eyes burn. And crying in front of her would mean exposing a fragile side of him that he flatly refused to expose, even more so to that woman, who he wanted to continue seeing him as a friend, protector and a respectable sexual partner, and not as a crybaby who needed to be comforted all the time. He tries to interrupt that flow of disconcerting thoughts by closing his eyes, enjoying the caresses on his scalp while hiding his face on her chest, between her breasts.

"Fuck, you're such a… no, seriously, thank you. Now I’m going to think of something nice to give you in return…"

"Nah, you don't have too," she rinses his hair again, putting the bowl aside and grabbing a soap bar "I did it for myself too. Now seriously, let me finish washing your hair. It's a mess and I can't stand seeing it like that."

"I didn't have time to take care of it these days, my bad. And it wouldn't cost me anything to give you something too, come on. I usually only bring you food when I visit, not counting my sausage," He jokes in an attempt to push those strange emotions deep down in his gut again "What would you like to get? An appointment at a nail salon? Some extensions for your hair? A pair of stilettos that can be used as weapons if necessary?"

She laughs at the last one, shaking her head.

"I don't need any of that," she looks at him, and her expression is strange "Okay, you'll accompany me on a thrift store hunt. Don't make that face, you'll have fun, I guarantee it."

"... Alright then," He nods, sighing "I want to return the favor, afterall. Let’s go hunting for cheesy things to buy at a bargain price. Maybe some heart pillows to match your monster in the living room, so I have somewhere to rest my head while you ride me," And he slowly squeezed her buttocks while he lightly nibbled between her breasts. She laughs at the answer.

"You really liked my couch, huh," she jokes, shivering with his touches "Wait until you try my bed…"

He looks up at her "Good idea. Now that I'm thinking about it, I've never been in your room before," He says, surprised. Akane had never invited him into her room, and he had never suggested for them to go have sex there, both because he respected her need for privacy and because he really liked that fuzzy monstrosity in the living room. And now he wondered why she had that preference "You never invited me and I never asked..."

"Oh, it's because it's messy," She blushes a little "It's where I keep my stuff... and I have a lot of stuff," she concentrates on scrubbing his skin so she doesn't have to look at his eyes "And it's also where my sewing supplies are, so expect to see patchwork everywhere."

"Oh... believe me, I have no room to judge. My place is messy too," He shrugs calmly "Mess has never bothered me. And honestly, all things considered, I might like it as much as I like the rest of your place. All this cozy cheesiness and such," And he relax underneath her hands, enjoying the feel of the soap sliding across his skin, the hot water undoing all the tension in his muscles accumulated throughout the day.

She smiles. "I'm glad you don't mind. And it's also not fair for me to make you sleep on the couch when there's so much space on my bed... and it's a cold night too, so your presence is more than welcome," she runs her hands over his face and then stops "Oh, I didn't notice... you didn't shave before coming?"

"I'll gladly accept the offer, ma’am. And I ended up leaving it like that, I jumped outta bed in a hurry and didn't had time to shave," He pouts at the way she pressed his cheeks, smiling like the cute idiot he was "Do you like it? If so, I can leave it like this more often."

"Look, I don't mind shaving, I like it both ways, but this looks great on you too," she smiles, and then lets him go, becoming more serious "Okay, you're all clean. Now get out and let me wash myself up too. You take too much space," she bites his neck "Use that big whit towel on the basket. Now scram."

He shivers at the bite, laughing afterwards.

"Hey, I let you wash me, didn't I? It's only fair that I return the favor," He raises an eyebrow, smiling as he picks up the soap and the sponge "You know how good I am with my fingers. Don't you want to try 'em out in other areas?"

She smiles "You'll end up just groping me and making me horny. We won't be able to leave the bathtub even after the water gets cold...," she squinted at him "If you want to do it so badly then be chaste about it, you pervert."

"Are you doubting my ability to behave and do things like that without ulterior motives? ... Yeah, you wouldn't be the first or the last," He snorts, pouting when she laughs "Seriously, I want to try! I'm feeling quite generous today, so you should take the opportunity. And besides, I prefer to do our funny business on your bed, because this water will soon cool down."

"Stop messing around," she turns her back, sitting on his lap and moving her hair away "And don't make me wait," she looks at him mischievously.

"So fucking bossy...," He grumbles, but promptly obeys, rubbing the soap on the sponge and then sliding it across her skin, slowly, cleaning and adding some light pressure from his fingers on her muscles. He takes the opportunity to kiss her on the back of the head in the meantime, as innocently as he can, while bringing her closer so he can wash her chest too.

She smiles and lets him do it. She seriously thought about provoking him with moans, but when she felt his effort, she held back. But that didn't mean she couldn't relax with the massage he was giving her, even if involuntarily. He had said he had strong hands and she knew he did. But there was something about it, even though he knew how to control that strength well, he still had a somewhat rough touch, one that she liked, because, all things considered, he was extremely gentle with her.

Some intrusive thoughts came to ruin the mood, stupid memories of painful touches long ago, coming from people she thought she could trust, which made her tense.

She feels his fingers pause momentarily, seeming to hesitate. And then she hears him ask, "Hey... am I making you uncomfortable? I'll stop if you want to, okay?"

"No… it's not you. Just some annoying stuff that came to my mind. Don't worry. It's just old ladies gossiping and things like that," she diverges the subject.

"Hnn... okay," He says simply, realizing that she didn’t want to extend the subject. He felt a certain relief in parts, because he was terrible with traumatic or sentimental issues. But on the other hand, he also felt a certain guilt. He remembered all the things his friends had already told him, about how inconvenient and clueless he could be about things like personal space, especially when it came to women. After a few good blows to his ego, he had become much more aware of those flaws. And he felt distressed at the thought that he might be inflicting them on her.

He tries not to think about it too much, finishing with her chest, managing not to play with her breasts too much, and then imitates what she did with her hair, putting shampoo in his hand and rubbing it slowly, taking the opportunity to appreciate the various colors that appeared beneath those golden locks. He smiled with himself.

"That seems like a lot of work. Do you do things like that in the salon?"

"Not often, and not in colors like these. I use more of the normal ones, black and shades of brown... sometimes a redhead when someone gets divorced, ahahahaha," She says, being happy to have a new subject to focus on "I do more haircuts and hairstyles that use hairspray, and to not lose practice, I test it on myself. There are times when I wanna die of boredom, but old ladies at the salon are pretty good friends. There are times when they treat me like I'm still sixteen, but oh well, what can I do...," She leans back against his chest "It's not like I've changed much since then," She smiles, relaxing.

Okay, she seemed relaxed enough, so he wasn't the problem. He sighs in relief.

"I can relate to that, hahaha," He bends down a little to touch the curve of her neck with his nose, still massaging her scalp "And most of the clientele must be old ladies, right? It must be boring as hell. I'd schedule an appointment with you there if it wasn’t for the anti-male brigade that threatened to fry my eggs, hahaha.”

She laughs again, "Exactly... but they're right. That salon is a woman-only temple, and there are things that men cannot hear under any circumstances. And… you can still book an appointment with me, right here at home. I’ll give you a discount. I love doing freelance jobs," She turns her head, looking at him "Because they're always the most fun".

"I'm in! I'll just wait for the end of year bonuses to come in, I kind of emptied my wallet...," He makes a face while picking up water with his hands "Close your eyes...," He instructs before pouring water over her head "Thank fuck the guys came up with this hotpot, because otherwise I would spend Christmas eating noodles in my apartment or in a bar, drinking my ass off, hahaha..."

"Hey, what about me? You have me too, dummy," She whimpers "I would probably be watching movies or getting drunk at home or making things to wear or give as gifts next year," she helps him rinse her head, and then she gets out of the bathtub "Shall we?"

"Uh... would you stay with me for Christmas, if we didn’t have another party to attend?," He blinks, and then he smiles, getting up from the bathtub to go with her "I would be in! It's just that I thought you would have arranged something else if I hadn't invited you, like a night-out with your friends, or a party with your family..."

"I don't have any family," she dries herself, handing him a towel meanwhile "Well, not anymore. I don't want to spend the holidays with the salon ladies either. My Gyaru friends, or ex-Gyarus, already had their own plans too. I remember one invited our group to an Izakaya but everyone else declined, so if it was just me and her there it would feel like a date, according to her. I told her to stop being dumb and she told me to fuck off. We ended up not going out, afterall," she shrugs.

"Well, I made that invitation at the right time then, haha ," He laughs a little, trying to hide a sudden outburst of sympathy by hiding his face in the towel as he dries himself. So she didn't have a family? He understood the situation perfectly. Biological family had always been a sensitive topic for him, so he understood her need to not talk about it more tha necessary. He didn't need any fucking biological family anyway. He had a stepfamily with all the friends he had made in recent years. And maybe she had something like that too "And ex-Gyarus, huh? Traitors to the lifestyle? 

"More or less. They just changed their views, it's normal. Some of them still keep some remnants of it, but it's like something from a punk phase or a rebellious phase, you know. At some point there are people who find those studded coats a pain to wear, and there are girls who, when they leave their teens, realize that that lifestyle doesn't suit them. I… well, not only does it suit me, but I embrace it…" 

"Hunf," He sniffs with a certain haughtiness, one hand on his hip while the index finger of the other scratches his nose "So it's just you and me, the pillars of fidelity to a lifestyle, while the rest conforms over time. I won't stop bleaching my hair, and you won't stop being a Gyaru, and that's what makes us badass, hehe," And he playfully pats her on the hip, making her smile. 

"Yes, in my case I was never anything else. I've always had this tanned skin, y'know. My friends were jealous because I didn't need artificial tanning to achieve this tone," she covered herself with the towel until she remembered who was next to her "C'mon, I'll show you my room. Your pants are there anyway."

And she leaves the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, putting her glasses back on her face.

He follows her quickly, drying his hair and shoulders too, not bothering to tie the towel around his waist, either "I'm right behind you. And you can tan so easily... the beach would be another nice place for us to go, just so I can see it with my own eyes," He smiles, enjoying the sway of her hips without any shame.

"I'd love to. It's been a while since I've been to the beach, I'd been a little... eh... uninterested. But I intend to in the near future, I love summer," they quickly arrive at the bedroom door "And... eh... sorry about the mess in advance."

She opens the sliding door, and Rihito smells the pile of clothes (clean but put away) before he even enters. Yes, as he suspected, the bedroom was the largest room in the house, but it seemed small with the amount of things piled up there, and none of them, interestingly, were decorative. There were at least three closets, one with a huge mirror on the door, the other two made of wood, and they all had clothes inside, organized on hangers. On the other side, there was a shelf full of drawers with labels, saying “silk”, “chiffon”, “polyester”, “beads” and others. In another corner, barely visible, there was a very vintage, old-fashioned sewing machine, black and with a foot crank. The environment looked like the dressing room of a famous artist or the home of a costume designer who shared the apartment with the tacky owner who owned the couch. In the center, beyond the window on the wall, he wasn't surprised to found a double bed with a heavy, plush duvet, with a Frankenstein-like amalgam of hundreds of different, furry animal fur prints. Saying it was tacky would be an understatement, but he already knew it was all her: so tacky that it was actually beautiful.

"Yeah... this is my... eh... my bedroom-studio," She looks at him, blushing "I told you I sew most of my clothes".

He smiles a lot as he enjoys the immensely colorful and extravagant mess "Wow, would you look at that. The pink monster in the living room swallowed the 70s and threw everything up right here, eh," He laughs at her "I loved it, like the rest of the house, hahaha! And yes, you said you sew your own clothes. Did you find that sewing machine at a thrift store too? I think one of these costs a fortune on the internet."

"No. It's a family heirloom," She smiles a little tenderly "It was from my mother's side. But it was the only thing besides me that she left, and this beauty still works today, so it's still with me," She nods "It must already have a soul within itself, with how old it must be."

"Ooh…," He nods, trying to hide his embarrassment, wondering if he should say something. Damn, he was starting to get frustrated with his own insensitivity. Well, the others had always told him... "Maybe it has, who knows? If you took such good care of it all these years... it must've become the protector of the apartment or something. She and that pink monster, beating the shit outta intruders to keep them from disturbing the Force, haha."

"Ahahaha… very likely. If you were surprised by my pink monster, then it must definitely have a sense for disturbances in the Force. It's aura is very unique, as Butch said," she covers the machine and the table with a heavy cloth. She was probably working on something before he arrived "And again, you reacted much better than I expected...," she opens an embarrassed smile, blushing a little, as she sits on the bed.

"I didn’t react badly to your vintage porn couch, why would I react badly to your room?," He shrugs, unconcerned "I already told you, I like the atmosphere in your apartment. All the cheesiness is fun. And I find it cozy. It's not like those houses of stuck-up rich people that look more like a dentist's office, where everything is white, cold and there's not even a fucking plant in a corner. It's a house that really looks like a house, where there are people actually living, not just existing. Do you understand me? Or am I talking nonsense? I don't know, I just know that I like it and that's it."

She smiles "Yeah, I understand, and I think the same. I like colors," she lies down on the bed "And interesting things to look at. And you can get a sense of the personality of the person living there. I think you look at a jaguar print on a dress in a store and think 'Akane', right? Or cheesy and furry things in general."

He... he had been a little amazed to find that she was right. How many times in the last two months had he passed by a thrift store on his way to the fridge or the gym, seen things like leopard print rugs or pink plush dice and immediately thought that Akane would to have one of those? Four? Five? It was kind of impressive that he was able to remeber her tastes that well and had learned to make associations automatically, without anything needing to remind him of that. Was this what happened when you became intimate with someone? Did things that reminded you of that person start to appear frequently? Or have they always been there and you simply become more interested in them?

He didn't know, and that complex monologue was already overheating the simple machine that was his brain, leaving him frustrated. He dispels those conjectures by doing what he does best: smiling and being a hopeless pervert.

"Sometimes. And what reminds you of me every day? The sausage you buy at the butcher's?"

She laughs loudly and turns her back to him on the bed, still laughing, even letting out a light snore before composing herself "No... not exactly...," she doesn't turn around, letting him look at her back "But now that you mentioned it, I'll put it on the list."

Her back, exposed like that, naked and sporting those almost imperceptible bikini lines, was too tempting for him to resist. He approaches, climbing onto the bed, supporting himself on his elbows and knees above her, and she feels his lips touching the base of her neck, descending with a slowness that makes her shiver.

"I want to hear about the other items on that list later…"

Akane shivers at his touch, smiling a little, turning her head so he has better access to her neck "Oh... I have some... like... I was watching a movie where one of the guys was splitting wood and he picked up the wood and ripped it in two with his fingers. For some reason it reminded me of you and that coin. I see… hnmm… a fit guy leaving the gym, then I… you're going to think it's crazy, but I keep thinking that you could easily beat his ass. And also... cats. Big cats...," she turns around, pulling him into a hug, while sighing "And for some reason a very big and fluffy golden retriever from a neighbor reminded me of you, but I apologize for that, because I laughed," she laughs softly.

He had to hold back for a while not to grab her right there, exultant with the comparisons as he returned the hug "Splitting logs in half, huh? Yes, I can do that, I'll even show you later if you want... and I certainly have the capacity to beat some gym rat's ass, but it won't happen because I don't want to be arrested, hahaha! And I'm a leopard, lady, just like you... but a golden retriever?," He blinks. And then he smiles scathingly "I'm a leopard, but I can also be a dog. Raawn!," And he nibbles her neck, then licks it.

She gasps, laughing, and hugs him more "Ahaha, hnmmm... I know, but part of it is because you're both blonde and cute," she then blinks, a little surprised by what she said, making a pout.

He looks up at her, equally surprised. Boy... had she called him there to have sex or to make him all disarmed and dumbfounded every five minutes? He manages to recover relatively quickly, however, smiling mischievously "Oooh, I think I understand... today you want me to be cute, then? I can do that. I'm going to be adorable," And he kisses her, his tongue asking for passage, his cock slowly brushing between her legs.

"Ooh," she lets him kiss her, and thanks the heavens that he is stupid, or at least ignores these things. She didn't really want to think about it. She hugged him with her legs, passing her thighs along his sides "Yes... but not too adorable, I'm not made of porcelain," she jokes, and her nails passed over his torso, tickling him in a good way "I'm not much in the mood for foreplay, anyway," she looks at him, biting her lip; her eyes were light brown, but like when she was using blue contacts, they were very intense.

He shivers with the feeling of her nails running across his skin, with the heat between her legs, and especially with the words spoken. He was already getting hard as a rock "Hnnn... not even a little tongue? We're being very straightfoward today...," He jokes, his hands massaging her breasts, his thumbs playing with the nipples until they become hard.

"Oonh… I like it, but when I'm a bed with you like this I get wild," she runs her nails through his hair, letting him play with her, panting softly "Hnmm…. so much so that...," she pushes him away a little and turns onto her stomach "I want you like this...," she pushes her buttocks against the middle of his legs, her torso on the mattress, looking at him "Choose your entrance...," she says in a malicious moan "As long as you come in slowly."

He kneels on the mattress, and she sees, over her shoulder, the exact moment his brain turned off and everything else turned on, his green eyes becoming a little unfocused, delight written in every line of his expression.

"Damn, that's the best invitation I’ve been given today…," He leans over to kiss the tattoos on her thigh, moving down to her buttocks afterwards "I accept it… but doing it dry like that won’t be good for you, right? Don't lie to me, you want some of this...," And she feels when his fingers slide from bottom to top along the line of her sex, massaging it, searching for her clit and gracing it as soon as they find it. 

And he is surprised when his finger practically sinks into her heat when he presses a little, before reaching the clit. She gasps more when he moves, shivering all over.

"Ahnn.. I told you… ooh…," she looks at him "But don’t stop, please…"

He would be a complete idiot if he didn't comply with that request. He goes back to kissing and licking her buttocks, positioning his arm more comfortably and then moving his fingers back and forth, moving his phalanges to massage her insides, especially that little elevation he felt when he went up to where her clit was. And all the while he was admiring how wet she was, running on his fingers, his mouth watering at the sight.

"Damn, you got like that without me barely touching you... all this just by imagining me fucking you? Hnn?," He asks in a hoarse growl "Naughty girl... "

"You already know who I am…," she says between moans, looking at him "And I know you were already getting a hard-on just with me invited you in, you big dog. Just me calling you-aaah!," She trembles all over, arching her back, when he touches a sensitive spot beyond her clit.

"Dog... you know what happens when you provoke a dog, right?," He takes a bite there, on the juicy flesh of her buttocks, sucking a little to leave a reddish mark and smiling mischievously at her reaction to the capricious work of his fingers "You get eaten... both ways. Only one thing at a time...," And he presses his face against her ass, giving a nice lick from bottom to top, from her sex to that tight hole between the buttocks, and her stays there, his tongue caressing it while his fingers work vigorously. 

"Aaaah...," She trembles all over "Oh, fuck yeah... Rihito, this is torture," she doesn't make any move to stop him, however "I love that tongue, and those fingers, ooh... they make me melt, aahn...," she was so wet that her juices ran down his fingers.

Her praise made him even more hallucinated, hard as a rock, and even more desperate to devour her and extract more of those sounds. He makes her lift her buttocks so he can move his arm more freely, loving the sight of his fingers moving in and out of her, the pink flesh hugging them in a way that makes him ache for his dick's turn. He licks her butthole in the meantime, kissing it afterwards, saying in a low growl, "Ask for it. And don't play coy with me. I want to hear it, Akane..." 

"Ahnn… eat me, c'mon… fuck my pussy and fill my ass up...," She asks, and in such a sultry way… she even wiggles her buttocks in his face "I know you want it too…," she leaves her glasses on the bedside table and when she comes back, she hands him a package. He knew exactly what it was.

"Fucking hell, woman...!," He takes his soaked fingers out of her, almost panting with excitement, bending down to give that juicy flesh a long lick before picking up the condom, wraping himself up as quickly as he can before positioning himself, his huge hands firm on her hips "Yeah, lift that ass for me... hnnnn...!," And he shivers as he enters her all at once, being immediately pressed into that delicious, warm grip that made him a little dizzy "Fuck, there's- there's nothing better to do in this cold...!"

"Aahnn!," She moans loudly "That's it, c'mon, fuck me! hmmm!!," she lifts her torso a little, to arch her back more "Say you love this, say you'll always want to fuck me!"

She was a vocal girl, she knew that, but she always had this fear of being foul-mouthed with her partners, so much so that she had heard complaints or even hands over her mouth several times... but with Rihito... no, with Ichiro, she knew that he loved every note and every sound she made, and he even asked for more. This euphoria was everything to her.

And holy fuck, how much he loved it. He holds her even tighter, grunting like the dog she accused him of being as he thrusts into her, slamming his hips into hers with loud, wet sounds, rotating his hips to make sure he hits her in all the right spots "Damn, I want...! I want to fuck you every day, all the time, I can't stop thinking... hnnnn...! Thinking about those beautiful tits, that ass, that pussy...! And your face..."

She raises her torso even more, placing her back against his chest "I want it too, I'll never get tired of such a hot motherfucker, aaaahn!," She grabs his neck, bringing his head to touch her shoulder "Oohhh yes, I love it... more... hold me tight, don't let me get away... Ichirooo...!"

And the sound of his real name was like a magic word. He grabs her willingly while biting her on the shoulder, growling, keeping her in place like a male cat biting a female's neck, the pounding of his hips against hers becoming even more merciless.

"Gruunf...! I'm not going to... you're gonna stay here with me, you're gonna let me fuck you and make you come all night, you're not gonna leave my side...!," And one of his hands moves between your legs, his fingers firmly on her clit, his strong, hoarse breathing in her ear, an extremely welcome sound as an accompaniment to those wet pops.

"Aaanh! Yessss...!," she moans loudly, and when she is touched she practically whines, facing him, her breasts bouncing with his thrusts "K-Keep going, Ichiro, I love when you fuck me like that, uughnn... I love it...!," The view of her mouth open, her sexy face, with her eyes closed facing a window showing the dark night sky, the snow falling outside... it was something that would remain engraved in his memory.

He stares at the window with snow piling up on the eaves, the dark sky seeming to be dotted with white spots that fell in a slow dance, the ecstasy of the climax arriving seeming to make the scene more surreal, intimate, cozy... and then he lets out a deep sound of pleasure, the back and forth getting rougher, as well as his fingers "Fuck, Akane...! I'm almost there, come with me, squeeze me tighter...!"

"Aaannn, me too, Ichiro… don’t stop-aaahh! Ahhhnn!," She squeezes him hard, with her arms and with her insides, while shaking hard, bouncing on top of his dick while riding her climax "Ohhh... Ichiroooo... I love... oohhh..."

"A-Akane...! hhnNNG...!," He locks his hips, holding her tight against him, and damn, cumming hard while he was inside that wonderful woman while snow was falling outside in the silent night was an almost magical experience, fuck how cheesy that is sounded! He then goes limp, resting his forehead on her shoulder, breathing heavily. She feels his lips sliding there, on her skin, in a small kiss. "Holy shit... I love it too... shit, I've really missed you..."

He ends up sitting on top of his own legs while she sat on top of him, still panting her, leaning against him.

"Oh... me too," she turns her head and kisses him. "Hmmmm," she lets him go slowly, looking into his eyes. In that light, her eyes were even more bright, and she looked at him with a face full of want that gave him goosebumps.

He looks back at her, his eyelids heavy, his face sweaty and his breathing still labored. Her eyes looked like a cat's in the dim light, bright and penetrating... yes, there was no better nom de guerre than 'Panther' for her. He smirks, a shiver running down his spine. "Good to know... because I didn't forget that request of yours... about filling your ass up. Just let me recover first...," He gets rid of the condom (good thing there was a little trash bin next to the bed. She'd certainly thought of everything, huh), and then makes her turn over onto her back, slowly laying on top of her. A hand goes up to her face, giving her another kiss, and then he rests his head between her breasts, an idiotic smile of satisfaction taking over his face. "You're so fucking hot that I can barely stand it, haha…"

"Hnmm... with someone as hot fucking me, is hard not to be," She hugs his neck, keeping his face between her breasts, caressing his head. "Hmm... I love this feeling... the aftergloow ... hmm," She hugs him more "It makes me melt..."

"Me too... I don't even want to get out of bed to eat...," He murmurs, almost moaning with her caressing his hair. "Even more so in weather like this, hnnn... damn, this bed is almost as good as the pink monster in the living room, yes sir..."

"Haha, I told you… good thing there's enough space for both of us and very warm blankets…," She pulls out a pillow and adjusts herself on it… then she lifs her eyes and sees it. "Oh, just as the forecast predicted. It's snowing outside… it's a very nice sight when you're inside a cozy room, right?"

"Hell yeah!," He turns over in bed too, looking at the window. "I kinda saw it two minutes ago, but I ended up forgetting. You are a sucker of memories, as well as souls, hehehe!," And he puts a hand on her back, watching the snow fall with a happy smile "The first snowfall of the year…"

"Hnmm… yeah…," she says nothing more than that, caressing his head with her nails, as if combing his hair, a smile on her lips.

He reciprocates by caressing her back more, his fingers very gentle, almost affectionate, seeming perfectly happy to just stay there, enjoying the moment with her. He covers them both with the blanket (colorful, fuzzy and patterned, because if it weren't, it wouldn't be Akane, after all), murmuring against their skin, "Thank you for inviting me to come here. On a night like this, it's better to sleep with someone than alone."

"I agree... and I wouldn't leave you in the cold like that, honey," She kisses him on the top of his head. "Thank you too."

In the silence of the room, with his body still not very tired, his thoughts did some pirouettes until they reached what his friend had said. The First Snow… He chuckles. 

"Hey, lemme tell you something funny. I exchanged a few texts with Okubo before arriving here. Guess what he was gonna do with Tomori," And he indicates the window, which had already accumulated a certain amount of snowflakes on the sill, with a gesture of his head.

"Let me see… Tomori and I are birds of a feather, but she loves cheesy shit… so some really good sex, with hot cocoa and fluffy blankets on the side?"

"The Egghead loves that shit too, even though he doesn't admit it, that's why they're perfect for each other," He laughs more "And that's exactly it, but that would be the consequence of their original plans. They went to see the First Snow," He rolls his eyes with a smile that she saw was more affectionate than mocking "Some kind of winter magic and whatnot…"

"Really? What kind of magic?," She blinks "Never heard of it...," She blinks,  and then she seems to remember. "Oooh, it's a Korean superstition about the first snowfall of the winter," She smiles at him. "It's just that they believe that if a couple confess to eachother as soon as the First Snow falls, the love between them become pure as snow, so it will last forever...," She laughs softly "Tomori kept telling me that, and she and I watched some Korean soap operas that had that trope in them. Kinda cute, but… that's… eh…," She sighs, looking disbelieved.

"Oh, so it's Korean? I didn’t know that. But yeah, that's exactly it! The gayest shit to end all the other gay shit," He has a small coughing fit while laughing. "My bro was never into that stuff, but he found a girlfriend and immediately let the hopeless romantic that always existed inside him come out," He pouts , making kissing sounds, and then he looks out the window at the snowy night. "Eh, he's as happy as a clam, and that's what matters..."

He turns to her. Then he notices her thoughtful expression. The smile fades from his face.

"Uh… I'm just joking, okay? I don't think less of those who believe in that stuff, I just think it's funny..."

"It's okay. It's not like you can actually kiss someone under a snowfall and shazam! True love...," She snorts, shrugging a bit. "But I'm happy for my friend. Good for them..."

"... Yeah," He looks at the covers, before looking up once again, admiring the dark winter night outside. "I don't have any experience in the department, so I can't say much. But I know that, with those two specifically, it wasn't a Disney movie or all the shit we see in soap operas. I saw everything unfold from the beginning. I know they built something nice and solid together. So this First Snow shit seems a bit unnecessary in their case. But yeah... I'm happy too." 

"Huhum…," she strokes his head once again. "Tomori told me some things while it was all happening, but I couldn't do much for her, unfortunately. I was in a tight situation myself, but when I managed to settle everything, I went to talk to her, and she told me that they had sorted things out. I was happy for her, she'd been waiting for her special someone for years, and she was lucky enough to bump into her idol at Butch's bakery. But seriously, was that pure coincidence? You guys saw the bakery, got in to have a quick snack and boom! Instant meet cute?"

"Actually, we found out about the bakery through Tokita and his employer, Mr. Yamashita," He tells her, smiling again. "Some crazy things happened that made Miss Kanami need help, and our friend group ended up offering themselves. Because of this, Okubo, Himuro and I decided to go visit the place. We were curious to meet the buff baker," He laughs softly. "And what a surprise we had when the cute  subchef had a burst of happiness when she saw Okubo and ran over to ask for his autograph. You should've seen his face, the happiest dumbass in the whole world, hahaha…"

"Ooh… so it was thanks to the buff couple? How interesting...," She smiles too. "And cute... she got the romance she wanted so much. Now my chest feels all warm, "She looks at him. "And your face looks pretty warm too," She laughs.

He laughs too, all happy, pushing his face between her breasts even more.

"Girl, it'll be warm for the whole night if you let me stay here. But anyway! The Seaweed Head was the pure definition of a clueless virgin, and then, out of nowhere, he and Aunty fell in love. Three months later it was Okubo Tomori's turn. Mr. Yamashita says that Tokita finding someone was the event needed for  some cosmic lock to open, and them things snowballed from there. What do they call this stuff again...," He frowns a little, making a face of hilarious concentration before continuing. "Oh yeah! Butterfly Effect."

"Interesting. And a clueless virgin? Really? A handsome guy like that? He must've been traumatized to his core. Maybe someone fucked him and he ended up not liking it," She wonders. "I've seen people like that."

He shudders, making a slightly scared face.

"Don't joke about these things, Phanter. And anyway, he's not even that handsome! He just has that sulky face that a lot of girls like, I don't know why...," He makes a jealous pout. "But anyway, I don't really know what happened to him, but I know he had a fucked up childhood. And meeting Mr. Yamashita, us and, later, Miss Kanami, gave him the chance to live like a normal person. That's it. He's even making double entendres in our group chat nowadays, the clown..."

"That's good to know," she nods, and the she looks at him, raising an eyebrow "And I wouldn't call it a 'sulky face'... it's pure presence, the aura of someone who doesn't playt around. You know, that person who enters a saloon in cowboy movies, and everyone inside stops whatever they're to look at his face. They're all tense, already thinking that he's going to shoot everyone if someone messes with him... that's what I'm saying. This type of person has this kind of presence for two reasons," She raises two fingers, pointing at eachone. "Either someone fucked him up and he's trying to get revenge, or he ruined a lot of people's lives and enjoyed doing so. In general, women like this kind of guy because it's the aura of someone who doesn't need to prove anything to anyone and has a lot of self-confidence. A lot of girls are deceived by that and fall into his web." 

Her tone, he noticed, was not that of someone who admired this kind of man. She sounded like someone who had seen a lot, to the point of being able to analyze these things from afar and not fall for the trick.

"... Alright, fair enough. Can we stop talking about the Seaweed Head now, please?," He asks, almost whimpering, hugging her tighter. Damn, it was quite a sight, a man that size acting all jealous. It seemed that he didn't get even more mad only because he realized that she was speaking as an analyst and not as an admirer.

"You can have all this confidence too, you know?," She smiles at him, when she notices the pout he made.

He looks up at her. And then he smiles happily.

"I already have it. All thanks to you."

Her eyes widen as she blushes. She was going to tease him about also being fucked too boost his confidence, but he caught her completely off guard. Shit, why did he had to attack her with a cuteness combo? The entire sentence she was formulating went down the drain in her conscience and her chest began to complain about the blow, so she looked away so as not to stare at that human golden retriever with leopard claws.

"T-That's good to know... I was good for something," She opens an embarrassed smile, still mortified. "I'm happy to have helped you, yeah..".

"Don't talk as if your help wasn't a big deal, or I'll be forced to fuck you even harder just to reinforce the message," He stretches a little to reach her lips in a quick kiss. And then he lifts himself up a little, sitting up and taking the covers with him. He calls her as he pats his own lap, smiling more, "Now, since we've succumbed to all that cheesy shit, how about we just go with the flow? I can wear the sweatpants you bought me and then we can stay here, watching the snow fall until we feel hungry," He looks out the window, his eyelids getting heavy, his expression serene. "I have to admit, it's really pretty…"

She looks at him again, her eyes glistening. It was the third time he's seen her with that slightly surprised, even helpless look, as if he had break down a wall that was surrounding her. But it always lasted half a second, with her smiling a little mischievously and shrugging. "Heh. Alright then. If you're going through Hell, walk as if you own the place...," She hugs him, resting her head on his arm "... which I do, since I'm a she-devil."

He laughs loudly, hugging her eagerly and throwing the fluffy covers over the two of them. "Well said. And you can sit on my lap whenever you want while we're doing so, hahaha!"

"Careful what you wish for, big guy," She jokes more, tickling his ribs a little. "Because I’ll do it."

"As if I were going to stop you in any way...," He smiles in the same way after laughing with the tickles, reciprocating with a firm grip on her tattooed thigh. They ended up getting into a playful fight, while she furiously tried to tickle him and he calmly parried her blows, barely using any strength. As expected, Rihito ended up winning, pinning Akane by her arms to the bed. Their movements caused something to fall from the bedside table with a thud, and when they realized with alarm that it had only been a plastic lamp, neither of them could hold it, laughing loudly. 

Deciding the game was over, but still laughing, they arranged the pillows so that they made a soft backrest where they could relax, slouching on them under the covers.

And then they stayed there, hugging each other, watching the first snow of the year fall.

[aneenasevla]

Kengan Semi-realistic Sketches Part 3

Requests from Reddit/Tumblr/Twitter

Kaolan/Gaolang Wongsavat

Yamashitakazuo

Wakatsuki Takeshi

Meguro Masaki

Comment who shall I draw next!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

[aneenasevla]

I think he has a bug

ohmatokita.exe stopped working 

KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED 

 please contact your system admininstrator or technical support group yamashita_kazuo for further assistance

[aneenasevla]

I'll just... uh...

I'll put this here. LOL

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 17

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile /Previous Chapter

Chapter 17 - Six Months Later...

“That's it, girl, go, go!” Sekibayashi cheers, while Kanami did the leg day exercises “get that skeleton moving, is the iron making you slow? You can't, come on, one, two!” He smiles at her excitement.

Actually, Kanami was frustrated, although giving her best. She didn't want to give in, with weights on her legs, she was jumping from circle to circle, sweat dripping in every corner of her body, but that was no problem, she loved that feeling. The problem was, the frustration of having to go too long to just punch someone was exhausting.

Never in her life Kanami really wanted to hit someone. She was always thinking a lot about defense… blocking blows, countering, dodging… and protecting. She was never the type to strike first. She wanted to be a wall between danger and those she liked, never someone who was defiant.

But those punches in her arms that day gave her a hard lesson. Screw it if she was defending her position, fuck if she was even the slightest bit interested in that guy… fuck Ohma, in that case. It was not that, definitely.

She could take many things, but never breaking her personal barrier, carefully erected to avoid being hit again. Barrier that had taken years of extensive mental training. She was perfectly fine until that… that uninformed big guy showed up.

Speaking of him, she hadn't seen him in ages. Hiro had even asked about him once, but she had no idea where he was hiding. He never appeared again, not at the bakery, not anywhere. And yet on that subject, she had discovered a while ago that she knew next to nothing about him. Not even age - even though she was sure he was an adult, come on - not if he had any fights planned “behind the scenes,” if he was having a hard time looking for that organization… not even she knew where he lived. One or two things because of observation, okay, but, not much else.

“Hey, Kanami” Sekibayashi catches her attention “Hey, look here, oy, focus, girl!”

She stops  “ah… sorry. I'm just catching my breath.”

“Hnm… is something worrying you?”

“No… nothing… just things from… work” she raises her fists again, assuming the pose, to start the series of kicks “I can handle it.”

"Okay…" He raises an eyebrow. She clearly wasn't comfortable talking, so he respected her space.

Side kicks… mid kick… high kick, front kick. She repeated the blows to the sandbag, one set on each leg. She couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened, was he really busy? He could have taken her contact, the card she had left in the thank-you-cake had the card… although he might not have taken the card… so maybe Mr. Yamashita?…

Hell… they were friends and she didn't even have his number… maybe he didn't even have a cell phone?! 

“Okay, stop”, the giant stopped her leg, releasing it for her to balance “You’re doing really bad today, Kanami, let's stop.”

“But already? What was my problem today?”

“You're not focused, it's not going to happen”, he puts his hands on his hips, “what's going on at the bakery? Financial problem?”, he looks at her, genuinely concerned.

“Oh, no, that's not it… we're fine“ she then closes her mouth when caught in the lie.

“That's what I thought. Usually on training days you get really excited, but today you look like you woke up on the wrong side of bed, hehehe.”

“No, I… I'll get better… just a few worries, that's all.”

“Of what nature? Do you want to talk about that?”, that was Jun Sekibayashi. She looked like a grandmother when it came to his students. And Kanami turned out to be no different, after showing some interest and competence in training.

“I don't know… I'm feeling a little down. My motivation is low today too…”

“Got it”, he looks to the side of the entrance “Oh, hi Ohma…”

Kanami practically jerked her head to the side where he was looking, but when she saw that there was no one, Sekibayashi burst into thunderous laughter.

“Ahahahaha, I knew it!”, he smiles a lot, “You haven't seen him, right?”

Kanami frowned. She hated being read so easily.

“How do you know?” she gives up, blushing a lot, the damage was already done.

“Well, he didn't show up here at the Dojo to visit us either. He just texted you asking if you were making progress…”

“He did?”, Her eyes opened again.

“No” and he laughed again with her reaction, “ok, ok, I’ll stop” he then takes a bottle of water and gives it to Kanami, choosing one for himself too. “Seriously now”, he drinks from the water. Kanami imitates, “I think he's fine, but I've been a little worried some time ago. He said a few months ago that his heart felt strange…”

“What?”, she asks, almost choking on the water, “his heart? Like, pain...?”

“You still don't know?”, he then clears his throat, “Ohma, in the past, had serious vascular problems, due to the high load he gave when he was at the height of the fights, one after another, no stop…” she didn't need to know about the Advance, so he hid it, “so much that... he practically died.”

“Wha-?”, she widens her eyes, “He… died?! How come he is still alive?”

“That's it, we all thought, but in fact, the medical crew managed to receive a heart transplant, since the previous one was detonated…”, another sip of water, “For two years, he was hidden from us while he was recovering, among the Kure.”

“That's why he's like that... along with them…”

“Yes, in short, after Ohma had defeated Raian, the most powerful of the Kure, in the tournament, Erioh, the patriarch of the Kure, really liked him, and he was who, at the request of a doctor partner of ours, hid the guy from everyone. Even from Kazuo.”

“Even from Mr. Yamashita?! But why?”

“From what they told me, it was because they didn't know if his heart was going to be rejected by his body or not. But apparently not, and then he appears to us alive, completely recovered and healthy, after two years. Of course, all of us, and even some of their friends from the “backstage” fights, cried with emotion when they learned that he was alive. It even had a party, because after that tournament, he had become very dear to us, he only lost in the final, because of the injuries he had.”

“Wow…” she smiles “so he really marked all of you…”

“For sure! He was a debutant at that time, a bit of an asshole and immature at first, but then he started to get higher and higher in the ranks, win after win, and started to open up more to us. The Ohma you met last semester is much better, and more mature, than the asshole when we first saw him.”

Kanami smiled, remembering him. So she starts to worry as she remembers what he said.

"So does that mean he might be in trouble? His heart and all?”

He sighs.

“I don't know, Kanami… I tried to send him a message, but he seemed busy… he didn't even see it” Sekibayashi shrugs his shoulders, “Kazuo is the one who knows more about him. You can look for him, after all, his office is very close to your bakery…”

“I… I think I'll look for it. He's still my friend, after all. And I would hate to know that the guy who helped me through my hardest moments was suddenly put in a hospital bed, intubated…”’

“Turn your mouth away… I would hate it if any of my students got into such a rut. Even more my  Ken… eh… Backstage friends.”

“Fine, I'll look for him.”, she decides, “so… the training is over for today?”

“No, there's still stretching, then we're done.”

“Alright…” she was still embarrassed “sorry if I ended up making the training finish early…”

He starts to laugh audibly. When Kanami frowns he says, “sorry, it's just that it's rare for a student of mine to be sad because training is over. Usually it's like children when they leave school, running.”

She smiles, “yeah... I like training. It's an old flame of mine…” she laughs softly, “It's still too early for me to go home, though… Do you want help making dinner for the guys?”

“With your talent in making food? There are only two answers: “yes”, or “of course”!” He smiles, “go clean yourself, I'll meet you later in the cafeteria.”

She runs out to the locker room to take advantage of the time it was empty.

Sekibayashi sighs. It didn't feel right to say that, in fact, Ohma was doing very well… so much so that even, in those six months, after knowing from Kazuo, he learned that the fighter had returned to participate in Kengan matches… After all, she was still a civilian, it wasn't good for civilians to know about the clandestine matches.

He didn't want to keep it a secret from her, after all, she had practically become one of the family. But she had to, for her own sake.

…

“Aaaaaaannnd… we have a winner!” the judge announces the end of the match with a sign up, indicating the victorious fighter “And the winner is TOKITAAAAA OHMAAAA!”

The roars of the fight participants were quite agitated today. The legendary Ohma was back, and pulled out ten good wins in the last ten matches he played. He leaves the middle of the circle made by the people, towards a corner of the abandoned port warehouse where the match was being situated.

“‘Hey, man, congratulations!” Koga approaches, and slaps the other on the shoulder. He had a towel over his shoulders, shirtless, as he'd been the first one that night, and he was still kind of sweaty.

Ohma smirks “You’ve been evolving well, boy.”

“Thanks, I'm feeling a lot better too,” he makes some fake punches, while smiling “and everyone is talking about you after that Purgatory tournament…”

"Like I said, I'd fight again if I felt like it." He smiles, sitting on a crate.

“Yeahh! Congratulations Ohma!” Kazuo approaches, with a towel “You two actually managed to get great victories!”

“Ah… Yamashitakazuo” he accepts the towel “thank you.”

“But, Ohma, I just have a question”, Koga crosses his arms “you could have defeated that jerk in just one well-placed punch… Why did you want to extend the fight?”

“Yeah” Kazuo confirms, adjusting his glasses, “He didn't have half the training and condition that you have. Did you want to extend the fight?”

“‘Yeah, I did that”, he drinks the offered water too, “what's the problem with that?”

“It's just... it's not like you, doing that kind of thing”, Koga comments, “it even seemed like you were out of your mind…”

“The strangest thing is that you love to fight, but never take it lightly”, Kazuo approaches, “is something happening?”

“Nothing's going on”, he almost growls, “I'm great, stop pestering me…”

Kazuo takes a step back. He looks at Koga and jerks his head away from the scene, looking to the boy, who clearly got the message.

“Okay, soooo... I'll see if I'm on the corner, sorry. And congrats again, dude”, he scratches his head, as he walks away, muttering.

Kazuo watches the fighter. He was physically as strong as ever, really in his prime, and knowing the man, he was training practically every day, then his physical conditioning couldn't have been better. He was even more tanned, because of the time in the sun…

But therein lay the problem. He looked overtrained… like he was almost in a fever pitch, before he went down for good.

“Are you… feeling yourself going down, Ohma?”, Kazuo askes carefully.

“Wha, me?” He looked at Kazuo, who was serious, his glasses flashing. He sighed. Yamashitakazuo was the last person he could lie to. Even more, considering how long he'd have known the manager “Not exactly… I just… lost some of the excitement… I don't feel so excited to fight anymore, even with absolutely everything the same. My fists still hit…”

“So… if it's not physical, what bothers you? he sits next to the fighter, on the crate “Is there something wrong?”

“You’re right, as usual”, he finishes the water from the bottle, talking a little about the heart problems he had discovered with Hanafusa.

“So… you have this problem, and you didn't say anything to us.”, he gets up in a jump, “how do you hide these things, Ohma?! If you passed out in the middle of the fight, what do you think I would think?!”

“Hey, calm down, Yamashitakazuo…”

“I won't be calm!” he had to control his voice not to scream “after that shit on the island in the Annihilation tournament, I'm not going to stand by watching you ruin this heart again because of pride!”

“No, wait, it's not physical…”, Ohma almost flinches at the elder's scolding.

“Uh? Eh? Is not?”, the old man disarms “what do you mean, it's not physical?”

“The guy said it was psychological, something in my head, so I went to focus on what I have, you know, forget about this… para-nods…”

“You mean… paranoia?”

“Yeah, this... And it happened, for a while, but then I was... sad…” he sighs, “I know she's fine, but I'm worried…”

“Worried? With her? Who?”

“Oh, it's Kanami. She is the cause of my uncontrolled heart. So I walked away, I don't want to go through that again…”

Kazuo then lowers his shoulders, starting to chuckle softly, and the laughter builds, until it almost bends the old man in half, tears of relief running down.

“Heeey, What's so funny!?”He frowns, grimacing. He didn't like not understanding.

“Ahhh… oh”, he tries to stop, now almost out of breath, “huff, that was really good. Ohma, let's get out of here, have a beer and some meat. I prefer to say this with a little alcohol in my blood.”

Ohma is confused, but it was food, so… he was always willing.

…

Koga had been sent home, and now only Kazuo and Ohma were alone, the fighter now clean and freshly dressed. The ember was strong enough, so the fighter took the lead and put the meat to roast on the grill in Yakiniku's restaurant. Kazuo had ordered a beer, and when asked what Ohma wanted, he decided on a fruit cocktail.

“Well… what did you want to tell me, Yamashitakazuo? I still don't understand what you were saying.”

“I guessed that” Kazuo says, taking a sip from his beer mug “but first, tell me, how exactly this has been feeling.”

Ohma then tried to remember what had happened, as he drank his cocktail, giving the details to the old man, who nodded and listened with an air of interest, but strangely serious.

“So… I thought it was serious” he sighs, “I was… avoiding them, because of that.”

“So that's why you've been showing up very little there in the office”, he takes another sip of his mug “is because you've been avoiding Kanami.”

“Yeah, but… I miss the cakes. Seeing the bakery, listening to the atmosphere… and talking to her. I don't understand why this has happened.”

“This reminds me of you avoiding Karla at the tournament-”

“No, it's different…” He interrupts, and finishes drinking the third glass, at that stage, already feeling a little sleepy, but his voice was looser, more comfortable, while eating the meat “I don't find her annoying, like Karla, on the contrary. She doesn't jump on me or approach me suddenly, or… or undress in front of me, wanting perverted things, or look at me like she wants to devour me. She listens to what I have to say… I feel like talking back, and I like her presence… I think even more than Kaede and Rin. But then my heart feels strange, and that… Well, we have to recognize our priorities, and preserving my health was the best thing to do.”

Kazuo smiles. In fact… the old manager was almost ecstatic, but he couldn't think of anything yet. In fact, he wondered if he would ever be alive to see it. He eventually found out he did.

“Look, Ohma”, Kazuo smiles, tenderly, like the father he is “I understand your thinking, and I even think it's a good idea, but… you're not sick.”

Ohma blinks “I’m not?”

“No. That's what you've been feeling, all the "symptoms"... are completely natural. There's nothing wrong with you.”

“I remember Hanafusa said it was normal, but I didn't believe it… and I don't know if I believe it now…” - He grimaces.

“No, listen to me”, he touches the fighter's arm as if he was going to leave, even though the guy hasn't moved a muscle, “That's alright, Ohma, it's just love.”

Ohma continues to stare at the old man, even more confused, wide-eyed, looking at Kazuo as if he was the one who said he had heart problems.

“Huuh?”, he made that face… he really didn't understand anything anymore. The old man laughs.

“Yeeeee…”, the old man was also already tipsy, “that's it, Ohma, it's love, you're in love with Kanami-san. It's weird, you've never felt something like this before, but… listen to me, listen to me…aaand tell me: did you by any chance… think about her at this time you were avoiding her?”

“Yea.” The fighter was cautious “She haunts me whenever I start listening to music… and eating sweet things, or when I'm watching something on TV. Mainly the women's league in MMA… I've recently started to get interested.”

“Does thinking about her comfort you? Knowing that she's there, at the bakery, safe, with people around helping her… Does it make you happy?”

Ohma nods, the amazement passes and a smile starts to appear in his corner. Kazuo was feeling his hope rising.

"And is there something about her that you think bothers you?"

“Not exactly…”, he chews the ice left over from his glass, “except that she refuses to really fight… says she wants to protect who she likes… even though she has some talent for the thing… I don't understand that. It's just that… she herself, no.”

“Do you think it would be a good idea to teach her?”

“Yes, that's why I suggested to Sekibayashi to train her as she was one of his students, as you indicated to Koga when he started.”

“And why don't you do it yourself?”

“I…” he thinks a little “I actually don't know, I think I suck on that.” He thinks some more, “But as I start to think about it, the motive I suggested she train was because… the scene of her, in that alley, when I called you to help me, keeps coming to my mind. I was… afraid. I don't want to see her the same way again…”

“Hmmm…”, He smiles, now more excited, “My boy, you filled in all the answers. And passed the test.”

“Huh? Test?”, He raises an eyebrow.

“It's a force of expression… but all the facts indicate. You like Kanami. Love her. Not just as a friend. I'm really happy for you, honestly. In fact, it was a bit late “spring”, and I thought he was not interested in women, which is, okay, I learned that is normal… but it was just a matter of…”

“But what were all those symptoms?”

“Nah, relax”, the old man finishes his mug, “you were just nervous… from what you described to me… you were wanting to approach her, but you can't, because you don't know if you're allowed to do that, right?”

“ …”, he takes a moment to answer, recapping the scene, “Yeah, it… makes sense.”

“And you get anxious, lighter, more agile, when you realize you're close to the bakery, both from the perspective of the cakes-”

“As of seeing her” he nods “Yeah... Wow, everything makes sense now…” he holds his head, running his fingers through his hair “And the fact that I'm down…”

“It's because you miss her. Bingo.”

Ohma couldn't believe it, at least not right away. It was all very new to him, now that he thought about it. He didn't remember Niko ever saying anything like that, other than "Talk to her if you think a girl is nice, and always be polite when talking to women." He had never thought he might actually have any interest, even more because of bad experiences...

But his mind had never been clearer, had never felt so good, since he'd regained his memories of Niko's style, his primary style of combat. He smiled, as if he'd solved the world's hardest math problem.

“Yamashitakazuo… “

“Yeah?”

“Thank you…” he sighs, “I… feel like a weight in my mind is practically gone…”

“Well, you're welcome”, Kazuo laughs “but it's understandable, m’boy, especially considering the fact of the place where you've lived all your life…”

“There's only one thing now…” he sighs, turning the meats on the grill, now returning to his usual half-disinterested self.

“Hey, what else is missing?”

“It's a thing between two people, right?”, he looks at the old man, seriously, “And if it's not the same with her?”

Next Chapter Here

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 9

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile /Previous Chapter

Chapter 9 - The Cook Always Eats Last

arly in the morning, Kazuo woke up to organize the household’s breakfast when he heard the sound of someone slicing food on the board very fast.

“Ah, Yasuo, I didn't know you had woken up so early”, when he turns to look from the door, he finds, instead of his son, a tall woman with light brown hair in a bun, with a concentrated expression. He blinks, trying to understand, until he remembers.

“Ah… Kanami-san. Already up so early?”

“Oh..”, she stops what she was doing and then smiles  “Ah, Mister Kazuo. Good Morning. You told me yesterday that I could use the kitchen, and I'm usually at the bakery by now…”

“Oh, it's true” he approaches, “do you need help?”

“Oh, not in general, thank you”, she smiles, “but I need you to help me locate things, you can do that sitting at the table, if you prefer.”

“Well, alright then”, the little old man sits down at the table, “So… Oomori Kanami, huh?”

“Yes sir.”

‘You told me the details yesterday, but some things stuck in my head: so you mean he went after you to order another cake?”

“Yeah, he came asking urgently, saying they wouldn't let him eat. He looked pretty annoyed. In fact, he was almost like a five-foot-five kid with his hands in his pockets. All he needed to do was pout like that” she puffs out her cheeks, glaring at a spot on the wall.

Kazuo chuckled.

“Yeah, he's not one to make that face, but the rest described it the same.”

“Yes, and then I said that if he wanted another, he'd have to buy it. And he accepted without even arguing. I honestly asked for a much lower price than I should have…”

“Oh, was it? How much is the difference?”

“Huh? No, no, sir, you don't have to. I made that first cake out of gratitude, so I didn't really calculate any prices. I just gave the standard price I usually do, so no loss.”

“Well, if you say so…” he nods, “well, me and the boys are partly to blame for that…”

“Oh, so it was you?”, she didn't seem upset, not at all “what did you think? Was it good?”

“It was great, I didn't eat much, but you have talent. Kaede-san loves your cookies too.”, he laughs, “Hhehe, of course this sharing was not given willingly.”

“He said he was upset that he had to share… that sounded a little selfish, in my opinion…”

“Well, I can say that there was almost a fight between him and the boys”, Kazuo sighs.

Kanami looks surprised.

“They fought over the cake?! Sorry, I didn't mean to cause confusion…”

“Oh, no, it's ok, it's not your fault, and no, no one came to blows, Ohma who got ahead and wanted to take everything at once. Besides, you sent it to the office as a way of saying thank you to all of us, didn't you? So Ohma really was the wrong one there.”

“True”, she nods, before going back to frying the eggs she was preparing. “If he's aggressive like that, I'll remember, if there's a next time, to make two and put a card saying one is just for him, and one for the rest of the group.”

“That's the thing, he's not like that, normally, he usually shares. I think it's because, because he did all the work, he thought you gave it to him specifically. He's a very simple-minded guy.”, he smiled. Kanami nodded in agreement.

“Have you known Ohma for a long time?”

“About four years, almost five.”, he tells a brief abbreviated story of how he met, excluding the details of the Underground part, the part how they had rehearsed before “we've been business partners and friends ever since.”

“Okay… I understand. What about the Raian Kure part?”

Kazuo spits the coffee through his mouth, coughing to recover from his choking.

“W-What do you mean the Kure?” he smiles very awkwardly, “W-what do you know about them?”

“Raian Kure… a tall, blond boy, in the same category as Ohma, with silver eyes with dark sclera, very sinister…”

“Ahhh, yes… yeah… he's one of our associates…”, Kazuo was almost in a cold sweat, smiling awkwardly.

“Do you also hire assassins in sports wrestling leagues?”

Kazuo had to take his jaw off the table. Shit, she was too smart. Just when she didn't want her to get involved...

“Ah… he… he can't kill in the ring… he's there more for the sport” Kazuo puts his fingers together, looking to the side, she could see the cold sweat on his face.

“But he doesn't obey, does he…?”

Kazuo gives up trying to lie, he was never a good liar, so he blurted out with a defeated tone, “no... luckily the fighters are all monsters too, so they manage to hold him back.”

“Ah… well, the “backstage” is actually much bloodier than I imagined… it's no wonder you guys seem to radiate such a sinister aura…”

“Huh? Aura?”, he adjusts his glasses, “so you are sensitive?”

“Ahnnnn… you can say so… but only for people who seem to be suspicious, or dangerous, in some way… it’s not any supernatural ability, it’s just a self-preservation instinct… which I think is kind of broken these days, but I intend to improve.”

"Interesting. Too bad they don't have a women's league where I work, if not, who knows what gems we might find?”

Kanami had to laugh, “Ah I'm just an amateur, I don't fight to be the strongest…”

“What a pity”, they hear footsteps, and Ryuki goes through the door, “because you could be strong.”

“Ah Ryuki, good morning. Yasuo!”

“Good morning Mr.Kazuo.”Ryuki sits at the table, without ceremony.

“Good morning Dad. Hi, Miss Kanami, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”, she nods, “I had some problems sleeping, but it was more my circumstances…”

“We understand. It's not easy for anyone.” he smiles, understanding.

“I hope this week with us helps you get over what you've been through”, Kazuo completes, smiling in the same way.

“I think that Miss Kanami can, yes, get stronger, and overcome this problem easily.” - Ryuki continues.

“Oh, You think?”, Kanami smiles sheepshly.

“Well, you're weak for now,” he says, without hesitation, cleaning his glasses. Without them, he looked even more like his “cousin”, “But I've seen weak people get stronger in a short time. If you train with the same dedication you make food, you'll knock anyone down.”

She blushed, looking at the young man. He didn't seem to have any noteworthy expression in what he said, and the way he said everything so abruptly...

“Well… thanks for your consideration, Ryuki-san.”, she smiles, “I'm flattered.”

He smiled a little, Kanami could even see a cute aura radiating from him. "My God, he's just like a child, how cute!" She turns to work, smiling.

“Ryuki, where is Koga?” Kazuo asked.

“He has already woken up, but now is getting organized… strange… he is seeming to take a while for some reason…”

“Relax, folks I'm here”, Koga entered the kitchen, “I just slept a little badly.”

“Jeez, did you have some trouble with your bed?”, Kazuo smiles.

“I think so” he sits down at the table, a little frowning, “weird dreams, like, I was in the ring, then a fuckin hot gods-”

“Oh my, this smells good” Ryuki comments, “ Miss Kanami, what are you doing there?”

Koga widens his eyes and turns around, realizing that the girl was stirring the pot. She turns and smiles at them both.

“Oh, just the basics. Tamagoyaki eggs stuffed with kani, miso soup with vegetables and the rice I seasoned with some nor laying aroundi…”

“Oh fuck… I almost said obscenities in front of a lady”, Koga straightens up, holding back the shame.

“By the way”, she brings the trays to the table, “it's served!”

The boys smile with things done.

“Damn Kanami-san… that looks like a restaurant thing.” Yasuo blinks.

“As expected of a professional cook.” Kazuo smiles.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go for it!”, she washes her hands, “I wash the dishes when you're done.”

“I'll do that” Ryuki comes forward, taking his portion of rice, “you already did the cooking favor, your work is done.”

“Oh thanks.” she delivers the last tray to the table and mentions leaving the room.

‘Aren't you going to sit down to eat, Kanami-san?” Yasuo raises an eyebrow, noticing her leaving.

“Oh no”, she smiles, “you know that phrase “ the cook always eats last”? It's actually a myth, we eat our share while cooking, that's the cleverness of the thing.” She winks an eye “I'll get organized, then I can go out with Koga.”

Koga was silent, staring at the food. “Damn, she is hot, I bet she can lift me in the shoulders and on top of that she's a professional cook… if she gives me a big punch there at the gym I’ll give up, this girl is way beyond my league”.

“Are you ok, Koga? You’re pale…” Ryuki notes, returning to the table, “Oh, take your bowl. You need to eat”

“Oh, thank you.”

“The guy looks like a withered baloon”, Yasuo laughs, “Bro what happened to you?”

“Nothing. I'm just thinking...”

“I've seen this face before”, Ryuki comments, “he's impressed with the girl.”

“Shut up, you fucker!” Koga explodes, turning red from embarrassment. Kazuo and Yasuo hold in laughter.

“Oh, so it’s true?”

Koga sits, still too red to his liking.

Ryuki continues “But uh, she's Ohma's friend, you know.”

“And what does one have to do with the other?”

“You really don't remember the look on his face when we wanted to eat the cake? She is the one who made it.”

Koga seemed to realize what was going on. And didn’t quite believe.

“Really? He only cares about the food…”

“To the point of saving who made it?”

“Boys, let's not jump to conclusions”, Kazuo intervenes, “She was attacked by gangsters affiliated with the Worms. She is a civilian who was dragged into this misfortune, and Ohma felt responsible after she was kind to him. That's history as it is, and you know more or less how Ohma thinks. There's nothing absurd there.”

“There's just one thing I found absurd about all this”, Yazuo comments.

Everybody looked curiously at Kazuo's youngest son.

“Yea? And what is it?” - Koga asks, not holding back.

“This food is absurdly good, holy shit…”

 There was general agreement after a good laugh. Then they stopped talking, finally focusing on breakfast.

Next Chapter Here

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 5

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile / Previous Chapter

Chapter 5 - A FUCKIN CAKE!

The weekend, in fact, was a bit hectic, with the smaller team, Kanami had to watch her employees doing things for her, but, as she herself had said “you wouldn't survive without my inspection in the kitchen” and, In fact, Tomori couldn't handle two men asking her everything left and right about how to handle dough. With the owner and main cook at least giving tips, things went more smoothly.

It was only by mid-afternoon when everything was more calm, everyone was having refreshments (for some reason everyone decided not to drink alcohol that day, not even Paikon). Tomori was intently watching the television.

“Ooohh, this is going to be good!” she smiled widely, while watching a Japanese Wrestling match, “Old Seki will participate this year!”

“Seki?”, Kanami raises an eyebrow, as she approaches, staggering using a crutch so as not to hurt the stabbed side, “Who is this?”

“Sekibayashi Jun, I told you about him already…”

“Aaaaahhh, the big one with the dreads on his head, I remember”, she smiles, taking another sip at her juice glass, “Didn't he participate last year?”

“No, he apparently stayed out because of some serious injuries he suffered during a training accident… weird isn't it?”, she doesn’t take her eyes of the television.

“It can happen. Remember when I showed up here with my arm bandaged? My coach was the one who had rescued me, I fell in a bad way in training.”

“Well, it could be. But this one is a walking wall, how could he have been hurt so much?”

“Getting hit by a car is one way to get hurt a lot.”

“True”, Tomoyo widens her eyes “Jeez, it's him! GO SEKI, GO, SHOW THIS MOTHERFUCKER WHO’S BOSS!!”, she starts screaming at the television and Kana cringes.

“Ouch, Tomoh! Television doesn't listen, but I do!”

“Sorry, I get carried away…”

Kana sighs, shaking her head, pulling away. Then turns around “Hey, Tomoh”

“Hmmm?”, she nods, still had her eyes on the television.

“I, uh… could you help me with something?”, she blushes a little, normally she was the one who helped, not the other way around, “I'm going to need to do something at home, and I'd love an extra hand…”

“Hm?”, she looks at her friend, “Oh, why, of course I’d help. Out of curiosity, what do you want from me? Can I help bring anything?”

“Yes, bring ingredients for a Red Velvet… I already have the ingredients for icing, but I want to make one nicely decorated, you know?”

“Did you receive a commission? Damn, Kana, in that state of yours it's not good…”

“It’s not an order, it’s… to thank… the guy who saved me… I feel a little indebted…”, she shrugs a little, still with color in her cheek “I think a one-kilogram sized will be good…”

“One kilogram?”, she blinks, “Honey, did you see the size of that man? And the request he made? He ate the first sheet of our menu all alone!”

“…Two, then?”

“I'd do a three-kilo one, just in case.”

“Damn, that's an exaggeration, it would be enough for at least thirty people. Two Kilos!”

“Okay, two… but well decorated! And three layers of filling!”

“ Is the cake for him or for you?”

“It's OUR thanks. Mine, yours and everyone else's at Heavy Bakery! So let’s make something HEAVY!”

“Okay…” she sighs, “a two-kilo Red Velvet, my God… to take this from my house to there… this is going to be hell…”

“Hiro has a car, we'll handle it. Hoooohhh, this is going to be fun!!”, she jumps a little too excited, “Do you still have the business card?”

“ I do… and it already does have the address of his little gentleman’s business…”

“Perfect.”

…

“Ohma?”

“Yamashitakazuo.”

“Hey, are you busy?”

“No, why?”

“Well, can you come over to the office?” 

Ohma could hear a buzz in the room where the old man was, like a “HOLY fuck!” 

Kaede's voice "Koga, be more polite!" 

“But it's a fucking cake!” 

And Ryuki's voice whistling "damn it's huge". 

Kazuo sighs “Boys, can you speak more quietly?” back to the phone, “Eh, apparently there's something for you here…”

“I'll be there”, he hangs up.

…

Ten minutes later he goes upstairs to the Yamashita office and finds everyone around the thing, exactly what the boys said: on top of the office table, there was a huge, tall cake, all decorated with icing and berries , with chocolate syrup pouring down the sides, and a card on top, written in calligraphic letters:

Thank you for your help. I guess we’ll even, then? 

The Heavy Bakery

“Bro I still can't believe it, is it someone's birthday today?” Koga exclaims, looking at everyone.

“No, apparently it was from the bakery on the corner, whose owner Ohma rescued last week…”, Kaede corrects.

“Damn, the one that made those cookies?! Wow, you’re awesome, bakery auntie!”, Koga opens his smile.

“It looks delicious”, Ryuki was already watching with hungry eyes, licking his lips and adjusting the fake glasses he used to wear.

After the initial shock, Ohma approaches and observes the “work of art” of sorts in a contemplative silence. It was probably one of the most "expensive-looking" things he'd seen in a long time, and so up close...

“Did she make this to me?” He was clearly and genuinely surprised.

“Well, apparently so”, Kazuo adjusts his glasses, “they even left some disposable plates and cutlery-”

“No need, thanks”, Ohma leans over to get the cake by the trail and take it, but is stopped by everyone with a collective scream.

“EEEEEEEEEEP!”

“What're you doin!?”

“No, heeey! Put it down!”

“Come oooOon!"

“Whaaaat? The cake is for me, isn't it?” Ohma blinks, confused.

“What the hell, man…?”, Koga exclaims.

“Share with others, you selfish!” - Ryuki accompanies.

“Are you sure you're going to eat this alone? You’re going to have a stomach ache…” Kaede looked as angry as the others.

“I think Kaede is right, Ohma, unlike the meals you usually eat, a cake that size is too heavy for the stomach all at once…'' Kazuo comments, always soothing things out.

Ohma seemed to really dislike this, looking at everyone as if he wanted to growl, the air actually became tense and chilly. Ryuki also grunts at the guy, ready to attack if necessary. Koga only makes an angry face but wasn't willing to let go either, responding with the same tense aura as the eldest.

“Do you really want it?”, the biggest one asked almost as if asking if those kids were willing to fight over the food.

“I don't want much, I can't eat a lot of sweets”, Kazuo already backing off, “I'm already an old man, as you know…”

“I want it!” Ryuki and Koga respond together.

“I wouldn't mind a little bit. I was willing to buy one to try it out, but this is an opportunity that came in very handy…”, Kaede tries to circle around, blushing a little intimidated by the tense aura, but not giving in.

Ohma takes one last look at the other two fighters, “Don't you forget it's my cake, you busybodies... she made it for me - but ends up dropping the plate with a grunt - you thief...

Koga cocked an eyebrow, confused.

“Hey bro, we don't want to steal anyone, it's just a cake-”’ 

“MY cake.”

“And why this exclusivity? Do you like the Girl that made it, by any chance?”

“Huh? What?”, he blinks, confused, “No. Where did you get this from?”

“Ahhh” Koga laughs, embarrassed to have to explain “you’re so angry with just a cake, man, this is not normal, even to you!”

“Uh, is it not?”Ryuki seemed to understand only now, apparently he didn't know either.

“It's my cake, you guys want to steal it, it looks normal to me to get angry!” - Ohma counters.

“We're not stealing the whole cake like you!”, Ryuki exclaims, getting irritated, “we just want a piece. You can have the rest. You are just being selfish.”

Ohma just crosses his arms, scowling, as she takes a step back, letting Kaede, the most neutral after Kazuo, cut the damn cake. The most tense moment was him inspecting Kaede to give each one a little piece, and woe betide anyone who asked for a second.

Of course, Ohma took the rest home, apparently in a bad mood, even though he took more than three-quarters of the thing.

It was a funny day, according to Kazuo.

Next Chapter Here

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery sketches 2

- Kanami gives chocolates to Ohma at valentines’day. Yamashitakazuo said that next month is his time to give something back. That what happened.

- Koga when he discovered he is also an amazon chaser. Don’t worry, in this scene he didn’t know Ohma and Kana liked each other. But looking is free, right?

- Ryuki loves sweets, and of course asked Kanami to teach him how to do it. In exchange, he teaches her some fight tips.

- Random thought at the beach. He likes meat, right? Nice LOIN, Kana.

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 1

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile

Chapter 1 - The Heavy Bakery

TIMELINE: this story happens sometime after chapter 148/9 of KENGAN OMEGA, and somewhere before the second KAT. After this time, it counts as an AU too.

It was one of those tiny establishments on a corner in downtown Tokyo, it could even be unnoticed if it wasn't the accurate sense of smell of a guy passing by. His eyes looked partially uninterested at the sign, but actually the logo and the unusual name caught his attention. He extended one of his hands and held the shoulder of a much smaller old man, stopping him from walking past him.

”Yamashitakazuo, let’s eat here” he said, with a low and steady voice.

“Uh? H"here?” the old man read the sign “Heavy Bakery, huh? Funny, I've been here in this district for four long years and never noticed this here…” He gets surprised when the younger man was already entering the front glassdoor “H-hey, wait, Ohma!” and starts to run to reach him.

The smell of freshly baked bread, pastries, sweets, cakes and breakfast/brunch meals invade the two men's noses, and the sight of so many different breads and food makes Ohma's stomach growl.

Giving a satisfied half smile, he makes his way to a table in the corner, taking a seat on the nearest couch table, right at the entrance, without a second clue.

Kazuo, on the other hand, watched his surroundings a little longer, while adjusting his big glasses. It looked like something out of a fifties’ movie, the place’s vibe like a Diner. It had basically a single aisle, a huge counter on one side, the display going halfway to the end of the store, and on the other half, a series of upholstered tables, typical of American cafeterias, decorated softly with red, white, black with gold, neon blue and pink accents. 

A few people were sitting there this morning, and a waitress on roller skates took orders to the servers. A lively but calm jazz background music played in the background. The old man smiled a little, despite the more modern touch, it certainly gave off an air of nostalgia…

“Yamashitakazuo, what you’re doing standing there?” The guy called Ohma asked, raising an eyebrow, awakening the older man of his thoughts.

“Oh, yea, sorry” he goes where the other guy went, sitting by the table, on the opposing side at Ohma. 

The waitress arrived. It was clearly a high school girl, wearing a pink apron over her red dress.

“Hello, good morning and welcome to the Heavy Bakery '' she said in a smiley tone but clearly rehearsed. “My name is Tomoyo and this is our menu, if you prefer, you can also choose directly from the balcony. All the breads, cakes and meals are handmade and baked or cooked daily. What’s your order, sirs?”

“Ah, good day” Kazuo takes his sheet, looking carefully. Kazuo smiles. “I’ll take this cheese sandwich and a cup of green tea. How about you, Mr. Ohma?”

Ohma also had his own copy, and was reading even more intently, It took a good moment, so he glances to the girl and points to the beginning of the front page “I want all these things from here…” then points to the bottom “to here… and a milkshake”

The girl looked at the menu in disbelief, then took a good look at the guy. He was a big guy, at least six feet tall, and although his red and gray sweatshirt was hiding a lot of it, she instinctively (and by the definition of his neck) knew he was packed with developed and tough muscles.

She almost swallowed hard when she looked into his eyes. Light brown shining eyes, but underneath that indifferent expression, there was something there that she couldn't explain, that only made something signaled in her head "be careful with him, he is dangerous". It would have been all over his face if it weren't for the mountain of wavy, greasy hair covering his head, looking like a clump of seaweed.

 “O"okay…” she takes the menu back, a drop of sweat on the side of her face, “and you get a grilled cheese with green tea, don't you?” she smiled at the other, who, unlike the younger one, was a nice old man in his sixties, or almost, wearing deep-bottle glasses over his wrinkled and smiling face, but he also was shrunken and eternally embarrassed, as if he knew very well that the man in front of him emanated that ominous aura.

“Y"yes” he answers in exactly that tone "Oh, and a box of cookies to go. I think bringing some to Kaede would be a good thing, don't you think?”

Ohma nods, softening his expression slightly "Koga too, and Ryuki, just not to say I didn't give them anything”.

“Oh, then bring me three of these. God knows those boys need the calories" he laughs a little and hands the menu back  “thanks, Miss Tomoyo”.

She smiles back and slides her skates to the counter to pass orders. She was even relieved to have to get away from that pair. It wasn't that they meant trouble, she just didn't want to mess with people much bigger than her, and who gave off a strange aura. One specific person in those conditions was enough, and that was her boss.

"Miss Oomori!" she calls from the balcony "we have a veeeery big order here, please come over…”

“A Big order?” The woman approaches, leaning on the balcony. She wore an apron and her caramel hair was pulled back in a bun. Looks at the waitress. “Tell me, then”

“Yes ma'am, from here to here and a milkshake… Uh… he didn't say the flavor…”

“Chocolate!" Ohma shouts from his table, making Kazuo jump in his chair, and the girl get a little scared.

“Ah, okay, chocolate…" the young woman blushes a lot, “also number fifteen with green tea and three boxes of assorted cookies to go…”

"Heh, got it", she smiles widely, “right away!”

In fact, Oomori Kanami was not all that surprised by that request. On the contrary, she loved people who asked for so many things, either he was a foodie or he was a generous guy who would take everything on a trip to distribute to his friends. Whatever it was, she already felt that with that huge order, the week's quota was already guaranteed.

“Tomoriii!”  She calls the other cook "A chocolate smoothie, please. I'm loaded with things to take right now.”

“Jeez, Kana, for you to be loaded–" she stops when the other pierces her with her eyes "ah, yes, chocolate, I got it, on my way!" and obeys.

Five minutes of tidying up and two trays full were in poor Tomoyo's hand, and she had yet another huge one to go. Kana sighed, it wasn't fair to put that amount for a sixteen year old to carry.

“No, wait, Tomoyo, I'll help you” she took one more of the trays to the table with the waitress.

Ohma lifts his head to watch the two arriving. In addition to the teenager on roller skates, a woman in her late twenties came carrying two of the trays. He didn't pay much attention to her at first, other than acknowledging that she looked taller and much stronger than the girl.

“There it is" said Tomoyo while handing the trays, looking a little shy. "A-anything else?”

“Yamashitakazuo’s request…” Ohma starts.

“Here, sir" the older woman handed it to the old man "Bon appetit.”

“Ah, thank you" the little old man smiled, "sorry for all the work…”

“No, don’t be!" Kana smiled kindly. "Here we like people with a good appetite. If you need anything, just call Kanami, that's me”

Ohma didn't seem to bother, he was already starting to eat, but he did a favor to look at the woman, to memorize her name. Kazuo nods kindly, and the two leave to sort out the other customers.

“Yeah, she seems nice," Kazuo comments, before unpacking his sandwich.

Ohma just nods a little, as he eats. He seemed to open his eyes a little more, interested, looked at the food and stopped to chew for a moment, then nodded once more as his eyes twinkled, pulling his trays towards him, as if to protect his possession. Kazuo had already understood these little nuances of him, and it looked like he seemed really pleased with the meal, and that made the old man happy.

“So, Ohma, what did you want to talk to me…?”

Ohma woke up from his food daydream and stared at the old man "ahh yes!" he spoke half with his mouth full but waited to chew completely and swallow before saying "there's something I need to do with a certain person, and I'm going to need the others for that..." he muttered a satisfied “hmm” as he bit back into his bread “this is good” he muttered.

Kanami watched two men from afar while they went about their business. Okay, no wonder the guy scared poor Tomoyo, he looked like a mastodon next to the old man. But that mastodon didn't really seem aggressive, and he was also talking seriously with the other one, who, at second glance, really looked like an experienced businessman, dressed even in a suit, tie and jacket. Surely Kanami’s instincts told her they were up to something shady, but was thankful to God they weren't really something to do with the bakery. Still, it was good to keep an eye out for them. Although he was clearly well adjusted and organized, it was not common to see people from the "Inside" around those parts… she had an instinct to smell them… by leagues…

“Hiro" she calls the pretty guy who took care of the cashier, speaking softly "Please, keep an eye on the guy at table one, for me?”

Hiro blinks, wondering at the request, but then he widens his eyes when he sees the guy " ooohhhh… what is thaaatt mountain…?" squints approvingly "not bad, not bad at all… huh…”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, dude, that's not what I'm asking for. That big guy sure has a suspicious look…”

“Yeees, suspect of making my heart race…" He bites his lip, making Kanami blush with anger and embarrassment. It wasn't the first time he did this, she already knew very well his taste for men, but it never stopped being a shameless one.

“‘Ugh, at least if it's going to make you pay attention, I don't care, he just looks like he's from those shady places, you know?”

“Ahhh, I get it" Hiro nods, "but do you think he's going to make something, or…?”

“No, no, just keep admiring the seaweed head, let me know if something tells you that’s off." and pats her friend on the shoulder, smiling.

“Roger that” he nods, continuing to count the coins. 

Kanami hears the front bell and starts saying the usual welcome when she stops her voice, holding her breath on instinct. Her fists clenched, shaking from serious memories of the past. There was a motive she had that “smell instinct”, and a lot of memories in her mind had awakened that instinct with that vision.

“Shit, not again…” She thought, an old memory already starting.

NEXT CHAPTER Here

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 19

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile /Previous Chapter

Chapter 19 - Fight Me!

“What did you want to talk about?” She asks, in the alley in the back of the bakery.

He said he wanted to talk to her in private when he was about to order the food earlier, inside. She'd seen the guys making fun of him at the table, but it didn't look unusual at all. Still, she was still curious, and wanted to ask “were those guys exaggerating in their taunts? Did they say anything ill about you? I saw you get red earlier…”

Ohma always found her behavior strange, but not in a bad way. Was she worried about him? For being teased? He shook his head, hiding the hint of a smile, feeling his chest warm up a little. Now that he knew what the hell was going on with his body, he learned to appreciate those strange sensations…

But that doesn't mean he wasn't ashamed to feel or show them.

“No… they were being themselves. I would stop Lihito and Okubo's fight if you weren't there-”

“Oh, thank you”, she smiles kindly “I appreciate it, but I'm the only one who can hit someone there, and only to kick bad guys out, okay?”

“Precisely.” He nods, wondering what he would do in this situation.

“Well, what did you want to tell me then?”

Yamashitakazuo had said that, when asking someone out, most of the things one sees in a movie or those over-the-top things on TV wouldn't work in real life if it wasn't something genuinely coming from him, and only from him. It would sound fake and corny…

Well, it would sound, if he knew what the hell was in those movies. He hadn't seen many of them at all, and he honestly didn't feel like finding out since they were so bad… so he'd been thinking of ways to get something out. He started with the obvious.

 “Are you… are you still training?” he shifts weight from one leg to the other. After all, it was what he did best… if she said “no”… well, he didn't know what else to do right away.

“Yes, I still am,” she stated, to his inner satisfaction, “training with Ryuki and Koga once a week, and the other two days, with the guys from SJPW…

He nods, then prepares to say something genuinely nice… 

“Fight me” and failed miserably.

She blinked, looking at him in surprise “Huh?”

Ohma sighs, frustrated. Just at the best time that his brain is lacking.

“I want to teach you,” he tried to explain, “so I will fight you - with you!”

Kanami then puts her hands on her hips “you… want to teach me how to fight…”, he nods, she continues, “so… will you train with me?”, He nodded again “right, how do we do that?”

He stops, looking at her.

“How do we do what?”

“Hey, when will it be the training, where will it be… and what am I going to give you in exchange for that?”

He raises an eyebrow. He really didn't want anything in return, why would anyone give something in return for something he really would do for free to help someone he likes to get stronger?

“Uh…”

“Cakes?” she smiles, jokingly..

“What? No…” he immediately regretted having said that, but he wouldn't even go back, or charge her for something “No. You want to be strong, I want to help you. Just that.”

"Although a cupcake would be nice, however...", his brain gave the air of grace. Too late, idiot.

“Gee…thanks,” she smiles, still with her hands still on her hips. He notes they were even wide hips “I appreciate it, but I'm going to have to clear my schedule to fit you.”

“I'll go wherever you go” he shrugs “it's not like I have anything to do outside of scheduled fights. My workouts can be with you.”

“Ah…”, he saw her blush. He wondered if he had said something wrong “If I don't get in your way…”

“Well, you won’t.” He shrugs again. She then nods.

“All right… I'll accept you there with me. And honestly, I am really looking forward to finally seeing you in an arena.”

“I can get you…” he stops. Would it be a good idea to take her to one of the Kengan matches he had scheduled for this week? He decided to ask Yamashitakazuo first…”I can show you there at the gym, on wednesday. You can choose someone for me to go against. Anyone. ”

“Seriously?” She smiled “Damn, it will be great to see you there. It’s settled then.”

He feels the clean air entering his lungs. He made a mental note that that smile of hers would make him drop anything to see again.

“Right.”, was what his brain managed to release in response.

“But, I just wanted to know one thing…” She crosses her arms.

“What?”

“Why did you ask me to train with you in private?” she smiles without showing her teeth, an eyebrow raised in malice, “Are you ashamed to be made fun of by those other fighting males?”

He raises his eyebrows, taken by surprise. He didn't quite understand why he'd done it, but what she said made a lot of sense. Lihito wouldn't leave him alone for at least a month. But he didn't think of that when he decided to talk to her.

“I don’t think so…”, he was confused now, and thought about it a little before continuing, “but it's not for being made fun of… I wanted only you to hear what I had to ask. Those guys are my friends, but they have nothing to do with you and me. That is it.”

“Oh…” he sees her blush again. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not, and honestly it was making him anxious.

“Oh and about… the karaoke…” he says on impulse because of that “can we go another day? I don't know any around here, I went to one but it was… in a place far away from here. So I've never been to one around here.”

She smiles, amused. “Please smile again,” his idiot brain echoed.

“I know a few, but if you must know, I don't like them very much. Too many rules, too little food and too many strange people walking around watching us do shit…”, she looks disgusted, “and there are weird smells on the sofas, it's not very clean. Definitely not comfortable for me.”

“Hnmm… then no” he sighs “okay…” he just wanted to hear her voice again, in a different way, like before.

“We can borrow Tomori's machine and assemble it at home again, what do you think? We can have popcorn”

He couldn't contain the corner of his mouth.

“It can be” he nods “whenever you want. I mean, except Tuesday night. I have a fight scheduled…”

“Oh cool! I can see?” she smiles “I can even see how you behave…”

“I can't” he shook his head, “Well, I have to ask Yamashitakazuo, but I don't know if…”

“Ah, yes, the Backstage… apparently it's something quite secluded”, she sighs, “okay, that can’t be helped...”

She accepted it rather quickly. But he saw that she looked sad.

“I'll do my best not to get hurt” he says, before his short-circuited brain processes something  “Then I'll be in one piece to see me spar in the ring at the Gym.”

She looked up at him, green caustic eyes, widened in her expression of good surprise. She was staring at him as if he had something on his face, so much he felt an urge to scratch his nose, which he held on with all his might, but his cheeks felt hot.

“I'd rather you never actually get hurt, but yeah, do your best.” She smiles again.

Again that feeling in the center of the chest. What a troubled heart, this new one.

“Right. Now… will you go back to work?”, he clears his throat, not wanting to extend the conversation much farther.

“Yes, but mostly because I have to close the shop and settle everything for tomorrow. Do you have something to do now?”

“No, I can go with you. I came today to see you.”

“Really?”, she smiles more “I appreciate you finally paying a visit”

Damn, now the whole body was reacting. It was that smile, it could only be.

She was actually looking at him, those two green orbs glowing.

Stop it, for the love of god…

“Yeah, I knew you were worried about me, so here I am,” he says quickly, looking away with a shrug, before she burns him with that acid.

She nodded, holding back her smile and closing her eyes. Good thing she read his mind.

“Okay, you can go back to the front door, when I'm ready, I'll call you.”

He nods and turns to leave.

He hears a low chuckle behind him. He feels the chills, but not in a bad way.

He had to stop himself from running away. This was not something to run off of.

Next Chapter Here

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 21

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile /Previous Chapter

Chapter 21 - Like Brothers to Me

“Hey there!” Koga greeted her the other day, already wearing a sleeveless shirt and a pair of sweatpants “are you ready for a new session, Kana?”

“Yes, I am” she bandages her hands, to protect them “I've done my warm ups. Where is Ryuki?” she didn't find him anywhere, in or by the gym.

“He said he had things to take care of, but he said he'd be in time for his baking class. He asked me to teach you fighting, in his place.”

“In his place?” she raises an eyebrow “But weren't you in class too? Or did you decide to give up?”

“It's not giving up” he huffs “but it's just that I realized that I'm not good at it, and I have to choose my battles, right?” and smiles “but at least I can understand now what you're talking about, like buying the ingredients, even helping out at the bakery if you need extra hands, no big deal. And I've also been busy at Mr. Yamashita's office.”

“Fair enough” she nods, better securing her hair in the usual ponytail, “but you can come to the bakery whenever you want too, you two are practically my brothers now.”

“Hehe, we talked about this the other day”, Koga comments, flexing his arms-so we can say that we agree with her statement.

She laughs.

“I'm glad we agreed. Just one thing I won't admit.”

“There is? And what would it be?”, He puts his hands on his hips. She jumps up and takes on the combat pose.

“That you win today without receiving a blow from me.”

Koga laughs loudly, readying his fists.

“That's what we'll see.”

…

Ohma walks to the gym. Or rather, he almost ran, but still, he felt weird. In these two weeks that they started to talk to each other again, he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone somewhere with such excitement if it wasn't for the food. He stopped a few steps from reaching the street, and already started to perk up.

As Yamashitakazuo had said, it was a feeling similar to missing something with some constancy, something that simply motivated him to keep his feet moving. It was something he didn't know he could be interested in.

His cell phone rang, and he answered it.

“Raian.”

“Hey motherfucker, where the fuckin hell are you?” His voice sounded irritated.

“I'm busy.”

“Hey? What do you mean you’re busy?”

“I’m busy, man, does it have another meaning?”

“Doing what?”

“Nunya”

“What?”

“Nun’ya business”

“AARRGHHH… Ya fucking bastard, wait until I show up…”

“I'm going to train somewhere else, damn it” he finally says “and I can't go with you, I'm fucked up from the other Tuesday.”

“Since when you're afraid to take a few more slaps…?”

It took a toll on his ego, but he already knew how to handle it. He did.

“Fuck you” he hangs up. Meh, he doesn't need to give satisfaction to the devil. Even more if the Devil is an idiot who has nothing else to do between his killing missions.

He continued walking, slightly uncomfortable now. If that bastard showed up, things could get complicated. And he was hoping not.

…

He heard typical martial arts sounds before entering. Kanami had started without him, which was good, which meant that if he was late, she wouldn't miss the day. He walked through the balcony door and saw her trading blows with Koga.

“Yes, Kana, faster, you can do it!” the blonde incited, while the girl continued punching, from time to time kicking.

Ohma leaned against the doorframe, watching, not wanting to get in the way. She was indeed getting better, he could see.

He noticed that she was going to take a direct hit to his spleen, but she held back and aimed lower. Another time it was a high kick that could have hit him in the face, but she aimed for the shoulder. He raised an eyebrow. She'd already seen her throw powerful punches and handle street fights perfectly well, why was she holding back?

“Okay, stop” Koga blocks her blow, and holds her hand on the other side “you're not using your leg muscles, it damages the force of your punches. You were doing fine in the sandbags, what was it now?”

Ohma's eyes opened a little wider, his brows lowering as he noticed the way the other man was looking at her, teasingly, almost too intimate... Something bubbled inside him, but he stopped when she pulled away her arm, scoffing.

“There's nothing wrong” she puts her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes “you guys are too fast.”

“You're holding back” Ohma couldn't resist and spoke, making them both look at him in surprise. It never lost its fun for him, but this was no time for jokes. He approached the two.

“Hi Ohma…” Kanami nods “… but, what do you mean?” and she shrugged her shoulders a little.

“I saw it twice, actually a lot more than that, you could have landed several hits on him” he stopped in front of the two ”why did you hesitate?”

“Come to think of it, it's true” Koga agrees, approaching her “what's up, Kanny?”

Ohma blinks. Kanny? Was he using a nickname now?

Wait, since when did he even care about that?

“I…” Kana sighs, “I don't want to hurt him. I would hate to do that.”

The two men look at her, Koga raising an eyebrow, Ohma simply and genuinely confused. She continues.

“Oh come on, I'm not in a real battle. I'm training, so…” she tries to smile, but the two continue to stare at her. Kana sighs, “I don't want to hurt anyone, okay? I'm learning to fight to defend myself, not to attack.”

“But attacking is also part of defending yourself,” Koga says slowly.

“Prevents your opponent from getting up to hit you more.” Ohma completes, making Koga nod. Kana sighs again.

“Yeah, but in the end I want him to get up” she points to the blonde with her entire hand “I don't want my brother to get his face crumpled because of me.”

Ohma raises an eyebrow. Brother?

Koga smiles, suddenly blushing “oh come on, Kana, don't underestimate me, I can take a punch or two…”

“Oy, I'm not underestimating you…”, she grunts a little, embarrassed “sorry. It's a limiter of mine. I don't fight to attack, I fight to protect.”

“Heh. You really are a weird one” the blonde smiles.

Ohma still had “Brother” echoing in his head.

“So… are you brothers?” Ohma inquires, remembering the photo he had seen in her house “you don't look like her father… I was never told that.”

The two looked at Ohma, looked at each other and laughed.

“What is so funny?” The fighter narrowed his eyes.

"Not a real brother, man." Koga's shoulders were shaking.

“It's like a high-level friend” Kana explains “we've been punching each other for a long time, and he's been helping me there at my work, so I ended up practically adopting him” she pinches the other's face, who laughs “him and Ryuki”

Ohma makes an “oh” with his mouth, and nods. This thing he could understand.

"Okay then." He shrugs. Kana smiles.

“And you? Do you want to be my brother too?”

“No.” he stares at her. Her smile kind of lowers, and his chest sinks “I accept to remain your friend, though.” He completes before making some damage.

Koga laughs awkwardly “it wouldn't happen, man, it would suck to call you Big Bro…”

Kana chuckles as she sees Ohma twist his mouth in disgust.

“Sorry, sorry, I'm kidding”, he raises his hands, still smiling “but tell me, man, what did you come here?”

“For training” he looks at Kanami “I think she'll do better if I'm her opponent this time.”

Koga lowers his eyebrows “Why?”

“Because, being her brother, she won't be able to hit you. But me…” he shifts the weight of his leg, staring at the blonde “I'm not.”

Koga raises an eyebrow, now a bit awkward, mainly because he looked like he was really trying to intimidate. Then that memory of what Ryuki had said came straight to his mind, and he finally got it.

“Okay, man”, he took a step back “You came just in time, I've been wanting to take a break” then smirked at Ohma, who raised an eyebrow, backing off.

“Stop it, you two” Kanami sighs “I still like to train with Koga, but I confess that my performance has been dropping. Nothing against you, Koga.”

“That’s okay, Kana” he smiles “I think I'll go early, is that ok for you?”

“Fine,” he says first. Koga didn't miss Ohma's gaze. Being similar to Ryuki, he ended up learning that the guy showed a lot through his eyes. And he was looking on with a note of satisfaction.

“Alright” he says, lowering his voice.

“Heh, have fun” Koga does a few backward steps before turning and running to the locker room.

Kanami looks at Ohma as the blonde walked away.

“Seriously, what was that?”

“What was what?” He turns his head to the side.

“You looked like you were ready to grab his neck…”

He looked surprised.

“Did I?”

“Yea. Seriously, don't do it again. I was almost attacking you on his behalf.”

He then smiles a little.

“But that's the intention. You have to want to attack me” he approaches her “Because once we start, I won't show mercy.”

Kanami senses that she wants to take a step back, but steadies her foot, holding her gaze, even having to turn her head up to do so.

“I'm not afraid of you, big guy” she squints her eyes, trying hard not to look at his mouth, but her cheeks are already gone red “You're not two of you.”

“Good” he smiles a little “I was already thinking you were going to give up.”

She pouts, trying to maintain her defying expression.

He feels his heart tighten. Please, idiot body, don't break it for good, it's already like this just looking at her face, let alone pouting.

Then she moves her arm a little, and he reacts before she even manages to land a close-range punch to his stomach.

“Wooooops” he jokes, laughing “One-inch punch, flat-footed? You’re so mean…”

“Looking at that face of yours makes me want to… punch you!” she growls, trembling, eyes like acid piercing him, “my blood boils!”

He smiles more.

“That's what I want to see” he does his fighting pose, turning a hand to make a sign of calling “it can come boiling, I'll turn it off.”

And she lunges upwards with a shout, now the fight has begun.

…

Koga hears the sounds before looking, and sees the two of them still in the duel. Kanami's face was concentrated, focused, even a little angry, and Ohma seemed to be enjoying himself as never before, blocking the attacks and fighting back… with less force, but still, without underestimating her. From the noise he could hear, that was definitely not a fighting hobbyist civilian's punch anymore. They were focused blows, with purpose solely on making damage. She sure, like himself, had come a long way with a few tips in a short time. Koga felt that his and Ryuki's work had paid off after all.

He smiled satisfied, leaving the gym.

And for the first time, he felt happy for that stupid seaweed-head.

Next Chapter Here

[aneenasevla]

Heavy Bakery - Chapter 29.5

MasterList / Kanami’s Profile /Back to Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - A Lot of First Times (NSFW scene)

He pulls her to a little shallower part into the pond, the kiss getting more intense as they touch. She holds onto his head, grabbing his hair with those magical fingers. Now he was convinced they were magical, as they could make him both calm and happy, even excited, it was as if she knew the right buttons for all of this. And the soft touch of her skin only made it worse.

The rush made him miscalculate the ground and he slipped on a rock, the two falling into the shallows with a thud and a splash, both screaming with the fall.

“Ouch” he holds the back of his head, she almost despairs.

“Are you okay?!”

“Uh, yea” they then look at each other, and then start laughing.

“You fell like a ripe fruit, man” she mocks, still on top of him “be careful, ok?”

“Okay…” he grabs her ass again and makes her sit on top of him. She smiles, the smile he loves to see, now in the half-light of sunset. “so… where were we?” he asks as she smile.

She responds with a quick kiss, but proceeds to attack him on the neck, biting hard. It gave him goosebumps, especially as she raked her nails across his chest. It made him want to lift her legs, to place her better in the middle of him, and feel the heat that was already building in her region. He could feel it, she wanted it as much as he did.

Kanami didn't know, but Ohma had just loved her reaction earlier. He really thought she was going to be scared and shaking, scandalous like Yamashitakazuo was when he saw him doing that, but she didn't. She widened her eyes and worried about him, but at no time was she scared, instead, she even praised him and was proud. It inflated his chest in a very strange way. And it even made his cheeks get hot, and, as usual, his heart raced again.

The memory of the scene lit him even more, and soon he was hard, thrusting his hips up to meet her heat, on instinct.

Kanami looked at him, smiling, and said nothing, just stood up and snuggled with him, moving her hips down. He pulled her to lie on his chest, and caught her arms, moving her hips to thrust deeper inside. The water churned around them, and she sang those sounds again. He never tired of listening to them.

“Ohmaa” she whispered his name in that tone. That voice he loved to hear “hnm..this…” stuck as she was, she could only scratch at his chest, and it was something he really liked.

His hips were moving, but he had a better idea, so he tugged and turned them both over, now she was the one lying on the ground. He braced himself, releasing her arms, which were going to hug him, but he held them. Not today.

She opened her eyes in surprise, but smiled. Her legs held him then. He snorted, he didn't miss an opportunity to command too, right?

But it turns out he was also a fighter... and fighters fight for dominance.

He responded to her with his hips going hard, his teeth gritting with intense pleasure, especially when coupled with her loud moan. He continued, bending his own body to reach the source of her scent, another drug he was addicted to. He sniffed, and with one lick of her skin, his senses were finally all intoxicated at once.

With what he did, she surrendered a little, softening the embrace of her legs, and that gave his instincts more fuel, his hips moving on their own, seeking more of the wet heat that received him. The heat increased, and as it tightened, her voice was higher, concentrated, charged. He answered her, closing the distance between the bodies and kissing her on the jaw. The source of her voice in his ear… it took him to another level.

Soon he himself couldn't take it anymore, but he led the way, her voice reaching a high pitch and her grip impossibly tighter, her hips moving in sync with his.

This… this was what he was looking for. His mouth opened, releasing an air he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and he added his heat to hers, so contrasting with the water that greeted them like a cold blanket. They both shivered, and he let go of her hands.

To his surprise from somewhere in his crazy brain, she hugs him and pulls him in for another kiss, which he immediately returns. He felt euphoric, and it was as if flames were crackling on his skin, like the end of a fever.

“Oh... wow” she says, making him come out of hypnosis “I think this was the first time you really got me…” and smiled “I liked it.”

He couldn't help but smile.

“You've been teasing me since I got back this morning” he sniffs her neck again “I had to let you know that I'll never let you get out of this, Kanami…”

“That was my intention from the beginning” she laughs “you ate right out of my hand.”

“In your hand?” he bites her on the shoulder “my appetite is much bigger than that.”

“I know…” she hums, and they separate, she holds him “wait…”

“What is it?”

“Could you help me?… I can’t move my legs right now”

“Oh.”

It was at that moment that Ohma had to remind himself of how strong he was… she didn't complain, though.

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