Work Text
"Please!" you went down on your knees and bent so low your forehead bumped the floor. "I need this job!"Tears ran down your face, mixing themselves with your blood that poured down from one of his henchman’s punch.Will Becket, second-in-command of the gang who ran the district. Nothing compared to bigger famillies, but they weren’t any less dangerous. Especially when he shows up out of the blue with a handful of scary beefy guys and destroyed everything like right now. Of course you protested, even threw a few punches, but a simple bar owner like you was nothing to them. And they made it clear with only one jab to the jaw.Will combed throught his long blond hair, with a look of imense satisfaction. You could tell with his giggles he was wearing a smug smile, and it made your stomach ache with shame and anger."Sorry Doll," he said. "But with the Matsu-ditch, gotta look for alternative businesses." he paused. "Nothing personal." he slowly said with a haughty tone.Yeah, you heard of it, but you were hoping you wouldn’t be suffering the consequences. A month ago, the Matsuno familly, one of the biggest and most powerful famillies of criminals, controlling several citties, including this one, just...closed up. The six heads, the leaders just went out one day and they still haven’t come back. Rumors say they got into a fight, but nobody really knows, and no way a young woman like you, the farthest thing from mafias, could know anything about it.What you knew for sure, was that with this ‘Matsu-ditch’, the little gangs of course would take advantage of that to expand their territory. A few fights broke downtown too. Businesses were destroyed, protection fees increased, and houses were burned.You had the miracle of never having to pay a protection fee. Your bar was founded by your familly and it was passed for generations. It was as old as the four big famillies, so they never asked you to pay for anything. They never told you anything, and you sure as hell weren’t going to ask them about it, fearing that by getting their attention they would realized that they just forgot to make you pay.But with the Matsuno familly gone, it was just a matter of time before Becket would walk through that door and emptied your cash-register.Problem was, with the numerous bills, for your bar and your appartment. You didn’t have enough money to pay a protection fee.So yeah, you were in serious shit. "You know," you heard him continue. "you may not have enough money." he grabbed your chin, which brought you pain, and lifted your face up. "But you have something else of value." His sneering smile while looking down your shirt sent a disgusted chill down your spin.Were you desperate enough to sleep with such a guy? Putting your pride aside in order to keep your only source of income, familly treasure, and household?Fuck no!You shook his hand off, glaring at him. He sighed and turned away."Well, it’s not like the Matsunos will come back anytime soon." he nodded to one of his men. "A real shame though, I liked this place."A feeling of pure panic went through you like a wave when you saw him taking out a gallon of fuel and some maches."W-Wait! WAIT!" in desperation, you grabbed Becket’s coat.He paused, clearly pissed off that your worker’s hands were touching his classy clothe. You paused too. Now what?! Think of something before he burns down the place! Anything!"What if I bring them back?"Silence."Aha-ahahahaha!" he bursted out, laughing his lungs out and holding his stomach.True, what were you thinking? You just said the first idea that came to your mind!"Yeah!" you exclaimed, clumsilly standing up. "Once they’re back, your gang will have to listen to them!"Will sighed, wipping a tear away."You’re crazy Doll."He stared at you for a moment, you stared back with determination. Finally, he looked back and gestured to his man, who placed his burn-tools back."But you’re cute and you make me laugh." he looked back at you as his men went out. "So I’ll let you go on with your little plan, I give you a week. In one week I’ll be back, and I won’t give you a chance to beg this time." he smiled and walked passed you. "Oh, sorry for the mess." he said before closing the door.Finally alone, you looked around at the messed up establishment, broken glass, tables flipped over, they even stole a few bottles.You sighed and ran a hand through your face."What am I supposed to do?" you asked with a weak voice. "HAHAHAHAHA!""Stop mocking me!""You told him you’d reunite THE Matsuno familly!""It was the best I could think of at the moment! Don’t be a dick!"Still a bit annoyed, you served a glass of the surviving alcohol to Beneth.Beneth was a cheeky but sweet young pianist, around the same height as yours and fluffy light brown hair. He played in a lot of bars, including yours, because just one night doesn’t pay much. Good thing he was demanded, a shame he wasn’t famous yet. It's probably due to his work method. He comes in out of the blue and offers to play the piano for a night. Though he usually never gets rejected thanks of his talent and reputation.So you didn't call him to say you were closed for a while, like you did with your two employees. He didn't even bother to read the sign on the door and just walked in to see the place in shamble and you trying to make it look presentable. The two of you sat at the end of the little stage where the piano was and you told him the whole story."This is serious Ben," you said. "if I can’t do it, I’m basically screwed.""I know I know, but... how are you gonna do that?""I have no idea." you ran a hand through your hair in frustration. "I don’t even know what they look like! And it’s not like the heads of a super powerful familly of criminals will listen to someone like *me*!""Yeah..." he took a sip. "So you’re gonna give up?" he casually asked."Wha-How dare you?! My life and heritage is on the line! I gotta at least give it a try!"He chuckled."I know~!" he smiled widly before finishing his drink. "If you want, I got an info for you."Suddenly, your brought your face closer to his, making him jerk back a bit."Tell me.""Well, I was rejected at a bar I usually work in for the third time now. Saying a special guy will play there. From what I heard, he’s only wearing blue and has pretty dope sunglasses."You frowned with confusion."...you know, like one of the Matsuno brothers?" he paused. "Where do you live seriously?!""I’m sorry I don’t feed on gossips! I have no time to be interested in a mafia familly!""The mafia familly which controls the whole city!""Whatever!" you wrapped your arms around him. "Thank you Ben."He slightly patted your back."You’re...you’re welcome."You hopped down the stage and went to grab your coat. Then you turned back to him."And don’t think I didn’t realized your trick." you pointed at him. "You assumed I’ll give up when you knew you could help me!"He laughed. Putting his drink down, he followed you outside so you could close the door."So," you asked. "where is he?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You sat on one of those tall stools by the bar that you love so much, and ordered the cheapest drink.The lounge you just entered was pretty restrictive, with its classy drinks and atmosphere, you couldn't have a way in if it wasn't for your connection with the manager."It's been a while you know, how you been?" the woman smiled as she handed the drink.You felt bad about using her for entering and getting to someone else, but thinking about why you did it, it was totally worth it."I've been good! You know, business is good, friends are good.""Aww, no man in sight?"You coughed, not expecting *that* subject."N-no..." you turned towards the stage, changing the subject. "So, is Ben gonna play tonight?""Oh~ Ben huh?" she raised an eyebrow."It's not because of that!" you thanked the softened lights to hide your slight blush. "I'm just curious and I know he plays here sometimes.""I'm just teasing you silly." she smiled. "Nah, another guy is playing tonight. For a while now actually.""Really? How is he?""Oh girl~! I won't say anything, you'll just have to see for yourself.""Huh?" you frowned with a puzzled look."I'll just say, you're gonna be impressed."You were about to ask her more, but the lights went out, only the one lighting the stage remained."Oh, speaking of the devil."As the background music came to a stop and whispers from the audience echoed through the lounge, your heart began to pound inside your chest. You were about to see one of the most dangerous man in the entire country, from what Ben told you, the blue brother is one of the big arms, one slip from you and god knows what he would do to you.But your life was on the line here, made sense that such risks were taken. And you'll probably have to do this six times, so you better toughen up!Then the curtains opened and he walked to the center of the stage, dragging a tall stool with a guitar on his back. We was rather tall with short black hair, though he was wearing casual clothes, a leather jacket and blue high waist jeans, you could tell by his mannerism he was used to more expensive outfits.He set the stool down beside the microphone and sat on it, the confidence in his movements was intimidated. And when he scanned the audience and his eyes ended up meeting yours. You felt your breath cut short.He was wearing sunglasses but you knew he was staring at you. He slowly smiled and leaned towards the mic."My my," his voice was suave and deep. "An angel is blessing us tonight."Your heart skipped a beat at his words, or maybe the fact that you caught up the attention of a man who probably killed and threatened a lot of people. Who knows at this point.After turning his guitar in front of him, he suddenly looked up at the ceiling with a serious expression."It's cold outside..." he said before looking into the distance. "But tonight, let my voice warm your fragile hearts."He began to play a little tune.As you listened, you just realized, it was nice to see a criminal having such a nice hobby, something else to do than his horrible work."I'm falling~! Deeper and deeper~! I~ am~ falling!"'Wait.' you thought."When I think I can't fall anymore! I find myself falling again~!!!"'What the fuck?!'It was clear he was making his voice deep on purpose as he loudly sang. The cool and intimidating image you had of him at first just shattered, to be replaced by an over-dramatic guitar player."I am falling~! Deeper and deeper-er-er-er~!"Also the song was horrible."I wonder what it's about?" you asked, sharing a laugh with the managerAfter singing a few other alternatives of the same lyric again and again. He sighed hanging his head down.A moment passed before the audience started clapping and cheering."Heh," he smiled then took off his sunglasses. "Your cheers have reached this lonely heart of mine! I shall be back one day to share my music once more!"With that, he put his sunglasses back on and the curtains closed.You huffed and turned to the manager."Told you you'd be impressed." she said."Dumbfounded would be more suitable for this. Did... did nobody say anything?""No one dared, you're kidding me?"Looking back, you noticed he was about to go backstage, getting compliments from the passerby's. Now was your chance."Excuse for a second." you hoped down. "I gotta go powder my nose." You felt more and more nervous with each steps, if your idea works, the two of you will be alone. And you don't have anything to defend yourself with. You figured you'll just grab whatever throw-able object you find and launch it at his face."E-excuse me?"He turned around and smile once he saw you."Ah, my *andgelu*." it took everything you had in you not to crack up at his broken english. "What do the heavens could possibly want from me?""Um, I'm a bar owner you see. And seeing your performance, I was just... blown away.""Haha! Of course!" he placed a hand on his forehead in a dramatic pose. "Only the purest of being can understand the words from the darkest pit of hell!"'What are you even saying?'"S-So I was wondering if I could have a chat with you in private to see if you would be so kind to perform in my establishment."He looked away, hiding his face from you."...In private you say." he mumbled, shaking a bit."Is there a problem?""N-Not at all! My *andgelu*!" he said, shaking his head and hands with big gestures. Though he said that, his voice has lost its deepness for a moment, and he was doing everything he could to not look at you directly. And you could see a drop or two of sweat on his forehead. Finally, he loudly coughed and took a step to the side."Ladies first." he said, bowing a little and gesturing to the back-stage door."Um, Sir-?""No need to worry, I don't bite." he peeked at you from above his sunglasses. "At least, not without consent."Though, you gotta admit, it was a pretty smooth line. But with the behavior he just had, it just lost the cool effect. Plus..."I...don't know where your room is."He flinched, realizing he messed up. His glasses started to slip down his nose, but he quickly stood straight up and readjusted them."Heh, of course." he confidently say, his cheeks red from embarrassment. "Follow me." As you followed him through the hallway, you looked closely at him. His movements were rigid and he looked tensed. It made you think.Was he always this nervous? Surely the second head of the Matsuno family would be more sure of himself. Maybe his brothers have more assurance...?Or maybe... he's doing this on purpose! To keep you off guard, or to make you at ease. Either he's a sneaky manipulator, or a kind man. And given his background, the first one was more plausible. You pursued your lips.'I need to be careful.'The two of you finally entered his changing room, pretty simple but fancy. Looking around, your attention was caught by the three mirror on the little table, side by side, on the corner of one of them was a signed photo... of himself.'...what-.'"So?" he sat on an armchair, carefully setting his guitar aside. "What is it that you're proposing?"You gulped, your heart beating faster. "Actually..." you looked down.You realized you were playing with your finger out of nervousness. You were unsure to keep on speaking. Thinking back of the past events, you made up your mind and looked up, directly into his eyes."I'm not here for a job-offering."The man flinched suddenly tensed again, then he slowly crossed his legs, his cheeks getting redder again. He readjusted his sunglasses and kept his hand on them, hiding his expression."Then... What is the reason of this... private meeting?" he slowly asked."I know who you are. I'm here to ask you and your brothers to come back."He looked up at you, not expecting this turn of event. Silent for a moment, he sighed."So, that's what it's about." he took off his sunglasses. "So you lied to me.""I-I really am a bar owner!" you took a step forward. "That's why I'm here, ever since you're gone-!""Do not try to convince me." he put them back on. "Me and my brothers have made a choice.""I won't ask what happened. But your departure had huge consequences-!""Your attempts are useless." he removed them. "Once we stepped out, we knew there was no turning back.""But..."He grunted and put them back on- WHAT WAS THE DEAL WITH THAT?! Did he do it because the action of removing and putting sunglasses looked cool?! You shook your head, surely he was doing it to confuse you! And you won't let him have it!"You mustn't dwell on the past Sweet Little Lady," he removed them again. "face your future head on. Like the rest of us-.""No! Listen to me!" he jumped in surprise, almost letting go of his sunglasses. "My home and family establishment will get burned to the ground if you're not back in a week! I won't have a future to face without it!"You paused to catch your breathe. The emotions you previously put on pause for your mission rushed back as tears growing in your eyes. The man only stared at you with his mouth open."This bar is all I have." you said with a shaky voice, trying your best to keep your tears from flowing down. "It's all my family had for generations... Please."He didn't seem to know how to respond to that, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and was looking everywhere but at you."Please," you repeated. "Mr Matsuno. I need you to come back. I'm willing to do anything."You knew you might regret those words later, but your logic was being clouded by emotions."W-what's your name?" he finally asked. "I'm...Karamatsu, in case you didn't know."You sighed. Did you fail? Was him changing the subject a message for you to get a clue? A tear quietly rolled sown your cheek. Well...at least he's not threatening you."(Y/n), (Y/n) (L/n)."Suddenly, he spun his head and stared at you with wide eyes. He looked shocked."(L/n)?" he inaudibly whispered.You frowned. What was it about your name that made him like this?He stood up and walked towards you. You instinctively took a step back and rose your hands to your chest in some useless way of self-protection. You tensed up as he rose his own hands but relaxed just as quickly when he gently placed them on your shoulders."Worry not," he smiled. "I promise everything will be alright."Still a bit confused, you nodded. He let go of you and took out his phone. He taped once or twice before handing it to you, it was opened to the notes app."Put any location you'd like in," he explained. "Tomorrow, I'll send a car there to take you to me and my brothers, where we will discuss of your issue."You looked at him with big eyes.You did it! You don't really know how or what just happened but you did it! Step one complete!Realizing you were still staring at him, you quickly typed down your address without thinking and handed it back to him."You have no idea how thankful I am!" you said with a big smile.A shade of pink appeared on his cheek."Haha~! *Yes*!" he spun around in circle to finally make a vogue-ish pose, putting his sunglasses on (*again*) and tipping them a bit so you could see his sparkling eyes. He looked happy."Aren't I a good man on who you can depend on?! This feeling is so fulfilling to me! Aren't I kind? Aren't I generous?" he made a different pose with each sentences.Aaaand your thankfulness is tarnished.Oh who were you kidding? This man *is* generous! Giving a nobody like you the time off of his busy schedule!Oh right he's a criminal.Needless to say, you were feeling conflicted."Yes of course." you bowed to him. "Thank you so much Mr. Matsuno." you walked towards the door, feeling exhausted mentally and emotionally. "I will see you tomorrow then, have a good night."And with those kind words, you exited the room, leaving the man alone. He looked down at his phone to read what you wrote. He's never been to...this...part of town, at least not since decades ago. Thinking back to the lady who was standing here a minute ago, he smiled to himself.He went to his contact and selected a number. He put the phone to his ear and waited, with a more serious expression."...Nii-san?" he said after a moment. "You won't believe what just came up."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You checked your hair for the forth time.Mr. Matsuno, though was nice enough to send a car to your apartment, didn't gave you a time to when the chauffeur will knock at your apartment complex's door. So you've been awake since 9am, ready since 10,30 because you've used almost all the skin creams and masks you could find and you took the longest shower of your life. It's now 3pm and all you did was walk around your place, checking yourself again and again. You even changed outfits 3 times. You finally settled for a deep blue dress going down to your knees and black flats. Something simple but elegant...But was it enough?!You sighed, letting yourself fall on your couch. You've been stressing out ever since yesterday, maybe now was the time to relax a bit before the serious stuff happens.You leaned back, grabbed the remote, turned on some Netflix (money well spent) and watched a couple of episodes of that show you've been watching. Your eyes were glued onto the screen. It was the climax if the season, Jimi McJerry had the bomb in his hand, which was about to explode in a minute, and was about to launch it at Christian McChris, his best friend who's actually his father who we thought died but it wasn't him it was actually his brother (the father's not Jimi's), and they weren't actually related, they were switched as babies!A bit of a stretch but damn, you weren't expecting it!You were at the edge of your seat, holding your breath. Then, the ring of your doorbell broke you out of your trance. You loudly groaned and paused the episode.'They better have a good fucking ex-' you stopped that thought as soon as you reminded yourself of your situation.Swearing at yourself for forgetting about it for even a second, you rushed to the intercom and picked it up."Yes?""Miss (L/n)?" you heard a man, probably the chauffeur, say. "Your drive is waiting.""Yes! I'll be here soon!"You grabbed your coat and exited your apparent, checking your locked door twice, and took the stairs to get down from the third floor. It was the fastest and better way to do it, no matter what people say, you always took the stairs.You stepped outside, panting slightly. A fancy black car was parked right in front of the door, the chauffeur, dressed in a suit, was holding the door open for you."Madam." he bowed a little bit.You could feel the eyes of the neighbors and the passerby's on the car and on you. It was really standing out from this simple, humble district. A faint shade of red could be seen on your cheeks as you thanked the man and got in the car. The ride took way longer than expected. You were going farther and farther away from the center of the town, to end up in the suburbs.The car finally went up a little hill and entered the gates of a huge villa, made out of woods but it looked very modern. And expansive! The place had a large front-yard, other than that it was surrounded by trees.'That's where they were all this time?'The second you got off the car, the chauffeur said good day and drove off, leaving you alone in front of this huge house.As you slowly stepped up to the front door, a series of all the scenarios you could imagine of what will happen once you knock went through your mind.There was no turning back. This thought made you both afraid and determined, you've gone farther than you could ever hope, powerful people wish they could be where you were.Step 2 commencement.’Let’s do this.’ you nodded to yourself. Standing in front of the door, you still haven’t move a muscle in what felt like an hour.’...let’s do this!’ you thought for the fifth time.You lifted your hand to knock and stopped your movement at a few centimeters from the wood. After a moment, you groaned and hung your head down.’Get you shit straight (Y/n)!’You shook your head and give yourself little slaps on the cheeks. Then immediately, in the heat of the moment, you knocked on the door. And swore to yourself because right after, you realized you could’ve just ring the bell. Fortunately, the door was still opened by an aged lady, wearing round glasses and had her hair up in a bun.Her eyes widen and she gasped at the sight of you. She looked happy."Good afternoon ma'am." you bowed slightly. "I'm here to have a talk with Mr. Matsuno and his brothers.""Of course! Of course! Come in!" she stepped aside and held the door open for you.The two of you went up a big set of decorated stairs. Looking around, you couldn't help but be in awe with the place. The woman asked a maid to tell the brothers that you were here.She led you to a big living room with two sofas facing each-other, she offered you a seat and a drink, both of which you accepted, and asked a maid to bring you a glass of whatever you ordered.'Who is she?' you asked yourself."Are you feeling comfortable?" she asked, standing beside the couch.'More or less really... Kinda confused too.'"Yes of course."She smiled ear to ear.The double-door opened, you immediately stood up, and your expectations broke down when you saw an old man, around the same age as the woman, enter the room. Along with the maid from before who handed you your drink. An expression of pleasant surprise was on his face once he saw you."Oh it's you!" he happily exclaimed."Yes Dear," the lady said as he went to stand by her side. "the miss said herself she came to see our sons!"'They're their parents?! They have parents?!' you yelled on the inside."No code or anything?!"She nodded and turned back to look at you."We are so glad you're here.""Oh, uh, the pleasure's all mine.""We were very worried when our boys came back. We were afraid that they'd go back on being shitty NEETs."That one made you frown.'NEETs? Shit what does it stand for again?'"But we're so happy to see that some girls are still interested in them. At least, they'll graduate from being vir-""*MOMMY*!"The three of you jumped in surprise. You looked at the door, which was slammed open. Mr Karamatsu was standing there, panting with sweat dripping down his red face. He was wearing a black suit with a blue shirt and a golden chain around his neck. He was glaring desperately at his parents."Thank you Mom and Dad, we'll talk to her now. In private if you don't mind." a man dressed almost identically from him, apart from a green shirt, stepped in front.Four others men followed him, they also had identical outfits. But that wasn't what made you want to drop your jaw, was the fact that they also looked identical physically. Like... they had the same face!"Oh! Of course! We'll leave you alone then." their mother said and smiled at you before her and her husband exited the room.You quickly stood up as they walked towards the couch opposite of yours. "Oi, Karamatsu~!" the one with the red shirt wrapped an arm around his blue brother, looking at you up and down. "You didn't tell me the girl was that cute!"His gaze made you a bit uncomfortable. Not just his, the one with the purple shirt, the first one to sit, has been staring at you with unblinking eyes. At least that's what it felt like."Hello there!" the one with the pink shirt extended a hand, which you shook. "My name's Todomatsu, I'm the youngest brother. You can call me Totty if you want!"'Yeah I'm not gonna do that.'"Pleasure to meet you." you simply said, not looking directly at him."Totty!" the one with the red shirt exclaimed. "Don't try to get a head start, sit down!"Mr Todomatsu groaned and reluctantly took a seat beside the brother with a yellow shirt, who was sitting cross legged (for the exact gross reason you're thinking).You finally sat back down once five out of six brothers sat. The one with the red shirt smirked and casually sat beside you, making the others tense with fury, and you with anxiousness."I'm Osomatsu." he wrapped an arm around you, bringing you closer to him. "I'm the oldest, so I'm basically the leader. You can call me...anytime." he winked with a proud smile."W-what?" you blushed like crazy.Suddenly the green brother grabbed him by the face, not the hair, the face."Osomatsu!!!" he screamed his name as he launched him at the other side of the room, breaking a few furniture.After catching his breath, he turned towards you and bowed, joining his hands together."I am so sorry for the behavior of my older brother! Please forgive him, he doesn't know how to talk like a normal person."You looked back at Mr Osomatsu, lying on the floor and twitching in pain, with big eyes.What kind of brothers are they?What kind of person are they?!Is it too late too fake a stroke and escape by the window?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Yeah, it is too late."I-it's alright." you looked down and dusted your dress a little bit."Aow~!" Mr Osomatsu stood up, rubbing his back. "That hurt..." he paused and smiled. "Fappymat-GUH!"He bent over backwards when his brother threw a lamp at his face. You began to sweat."What was that for Choromatsu-niisan?" Mr Todomatsu asked with a little smile, raising an eyebrow while hiding his mouth with his hand."Why such violence?" the purple one said in a monotone voice."...my hand slipped!" he exclaimed after a moment.'You don't throw a lamp with a slip of the hand! You think we're stupid?!' you yelled on the inside.Finally, the two brothers seemed to have calm down and sat on the couch facing yours. You took a sip of your drink, regretting you didn't ask for something stronger. Looking at them, you noticed that, even though they looked the same, they were very different in termes of behavior, down to the way they were sitting."You guys still haven't introduce yourselves! Come on, we have a guest!" Mr Osomatsu gestured to the purple and yellow brother."...maybe later." the later one said, crossing his legs even more, while the purple one just grunted and looked away.Mr Osomatsu sighed."The one with the dark aura is Ichimatsu, and the cross legged one is Jyushimatsu."You simply nodded."You seem unwell my *andgelu*." Mr Karamatsu leaned over a bit with a concerned expression. "Is everything okay?""Of course not!" Mr Choromatsu glared at him. "With savages like you guys, who wouldn't feel akward!""I just... I just didn't expected to see... three sets of twins."Mr Osomatsu laughed, hitting his knee a couple of times."Sextuplets, that's what it's called!" he leaned back. "Yeah, it's a total hit at parties.""Pfff, say that to the hundreds of picture requests." Mr Ichimatsu mumbled."Oh god, please don't talk about that!" Mr Todomatsu put a hand to his face. "So embarrassing!""That was in the past anyway! Now look at us!""Excuse me?" Your more asserted voice brought their attention back to you.'I must tell them now, I don't care if there are six or ten of them!'"Can we please get back to the topic at hand?""Excuse us," Mr Choromatsu said. "so what is it you want to ask us?""I'm asking you to come back."The brothers, except Karamatsu, leaned back with their eyes wide."Yeah~ that's not gonna happen." Mr Osomatsu hung his head back."Karamatsu probably already told you." Mr Choromatsu explained. "But our decision was already made."His brothers nodded."Did you really came all this way just to ask us that?" Mr Todomatsu asked, with a look that was both concerned and disdainful.As they agreed with each other again and again, you looked down and clenched your fist. "Why did you invite her here if you knew what she wanted Shittymatsu?" Mr Ichimatsu looked over his brother."Meany!" Mr Jyushimatsu exclaimed."Mmh." he stood up and took off his glasses with a smile. "Certainly not, *burazars*!" he went to stand beside you. "You didn't even asked the lady's name." he said, pointing at you with a dramatic pose.You quietly gasped, a bit shocked you forgot yourself."I'm sorry to have forgotten." you bowed slightly. "My name is (L/n) (Y/n)." "...What?!" the brothers exclaimed at the same time. You blinked in confusion, again with that reaction. What was their deal?"Could you repeat that?!" Mr Jyushimatsu asked. "(L/n)?!"Though you could tell he was shocked, he seemed to wear a big permanent smile. It was actually pretty unsettling."Uh...""Do you... Do you by any chance own a bar somewhere in town?" Mr Choromatsu asked, trying to compose himself."Yes...?"As they shouted in surprise again, you looked up at the blue suited man, hoping he could give some kind of explanation."You see (Y/n)," he sat on the armrest of the couch. "Your establishment has been in your family for generations, correct?""Yes but...""Well, your grandfather was a close friend of someone very dear to us, Akatsuka-sensei."At the mention of his name, the brothers bowed their head in a little prayer. While they did that, you looked down and dived into your memories. When you were in elementary school, you used to sit at the counter on one of those tall stools, they made you feel taller and you loved it, and you did your homework while your grandpa, who still owned the place at the time, and your parents worked, sometimes asking for his help. And once in a while, a kind looking man would come and your grandpa would give him a free drink and stop whatever he was doing to sit with him and talk and laugh. You'd peek at them from the corners of your eyes.They always seemed to have a lot of fun just being in each other's presence. They must've been very close friends... "I think I remember him..." you said, still looking down."Well, Akatsuka-sensei would sometimes talk very fondly of this place." Mr Karamatsu continued, then looked at you. "Have you never wonder why you were never asked for a protection fee?"Your eyes widen as the pieces came together, seeing your reaction, his smile grew larger."I actually didn't know," you said, looking over at the other brothers. "I never asked because I thought you just... forgot." "'Course not!" Mr Osomatsu exclaimed. "This place is like a part of the family you know? Yeah we didn't go there in ages but, if we knew his pretty grand-daughter would take his place, we would've visit every day!"You didn't pay attention to that last one, and looked down with a quiet sadness."It won't be anything for long though..." the brothers looked at you with a puzzled look. "Without you guys, the little gang of my district threaten to burn my house and my bar if I don't pay.""They imposed a protection fee on you?" Mr Jyushimatsu frowned, though still smiling."Yeah they made it very clear," you pressed on those last two words, they seemed to get it. "and they increased it for the others too. Lots of house fires that week... They gave me a week to get you all back so everything could go back to normal.""Mmm, we can't say no to you..." the eldest brother crossed his arms, frowning. "But it does interfere with our plans big times."The brothers nodded. You wondered, what plans were they talking about? Could it have something to do with their departure? At this point, it wouldn't hurt to ask?"I'm sorry but, why exactly did you leave?""Well," he leaned back, smiling a bit. "a childhood friend of ours asked us to give her our house and money, and we did.""...why? Did she threaten you too?""No don't worry." the youngest waved his hand. "It's just that she's... she's just..."You leaned over as he tried to find the right words."SHE'S TOO CUTE!" the brothers suddenly shouted together, making you jump back with a yelp of surprise."The way she moves! The way she acts! It's just too much!" Osomatsu hugged himself."Her blunt honesty is so endearing too!" Todomatsu put his hands on his cheeks."She even held my hand as a thank you!" Choromatsu squealed like a fanboy."I was satisfied just by looking." though Ichimatsu's voice was still monotone, the blush on his face indicated that he was happy."Totoko-chan~!" "*I love you*~!" the last two brothers chimed with joy.You looked at them with a look that clearly said 'I am tired of your shit'.Notice how there's no more Mr before the men's name? That's because your respect for them was just threw out in the trash. Tossing away their giant business like it's nothing just because a girl asked them.This is unbelievable.Those guys are unbelievable.Just how in the world did they took control of your entire city? How are they one of the most powerful family? You stood up, but they were too busy praising this Totoko girl to notice. You took a step forward (there was no table between the two sofas) to get more space. You got on your knees and bent over with your hands and forehead on the floor. Then you waited.Slowly, one by one, the brothers became silent and just looked at you with unsure looks."Um... (Y/n)?" you heard Todomatsu call."I have five days left," you said, with no sign of emotion in your voice. "I'll stay like this until then. Then I'll go."You did sound tired though."Oh, no don't!" Choromatsu shook his head. "You don't have to do that.""I do.""Come on~ you'll make us feel bad!" Osomatsu scratch the back of his head."I'm sorry. But I won't move.""You'll starve to death if you stay like this for five days!" Todomatsu became more and more concerned."So be it. At least I won't have to witness my home being on fire.""..." Ichimatsu leaned over a bit. "It means that much to you?""Yes!" you suddenly yelled, raising your head to reveal your red face, your eyes completely filled with tears you tried your best not to let down.The brothers looked at each other, not sure what to say. All except one. Jyushimatsu hoped down his seat, he knelt down in front of you and placed a hand on top of your head in a reassuring manner. "We'll help you." his smile became warmer.You stared at him for a moment, feeling your heart flustered from his words and smile. After sending each other a knowing glance, his brothers nodded. You sniffed and the tears flowed down your face. You cried a lot. Jyushimatsu patted your hair with the same warm smile."Thank you. Thank you." you repeated between two sobs."Well then." Osomatsu stood up, as he was walking towards the door, he looked back at you, running his finger back and forth under his nose. "Let’s go make our comeback!"Jyushimatsu offered you a hand, which gladly you took and used as support to stand up. He comfortably wrapped an arm around your shoulders and the two of you followed him, the others right behind.Step 2 complete.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You finally calmed down, though your face was still a bit red.You and the Matsuno brothers got into a car, bigger than the last one, and drove off to the Matsuno HQ.Once again, the drive back to the city took a long time. As you rolled through the town center, you were actually hoping no one saw you. What would people think if they see you with *the* Matsuno brothers...?Though you sunk into your seat before, driving across the rich district picked your curiosity and you looked out the window in awe. You only saw those houses from a distance, they looked imposing before, and seeing them right up front was even more impressive. There even was a hotel that you'd probably have to work your all life just to spend a night there.Wait, did the car just stop?"We're here (Y/n)."You looked at Osomatsu with a bit of confusion, he was smiling ear to ear while his brothers got off the car you looked back out the window. Your jaw dropped.It wasn't a hotel.IT WAS THEIR FUCKING HOUSE!'You can't even call it a house at this point!' you thought. 'It's a fucking castle!'You weren't exaggerating, trust me. That place was really big. It was away from the other houses and was simply towering over them. It was just a bit taller, but it sure was larger. This was so fancy it was almost ridiculous! It was basically what would come to your mind if I said 'rich cartoon character' everything was exagerated, from the house to the front yard. Another call from the eldest brother finally made you move and you joined the others. Three men in suits were bowing to them."We welcome you back home Sirs." one of them said. "We weren’t expecting you to be back so soon.""Meh, something came up." Osomatsu shrugged. "What? Not happy to see us?""Of course not Sir." he paused. "Quite the contrary exactly.""I see.""Totoko-chan is a bit of a handful." Karamatsu sighed."I know right?! So cute!" exclaimed Jyushimatsu.As the henchmen walked you to the front of the house, you realized that something was...off, about that place.You first noticed the giant pink stickers on the double door, one said ‘Totoko’s’ the other one ‘Domain’. You looked up and saw some kind of goo, you guessed and hoped it was food, splattered on the windows from the inside. And finally, you could hear music being blasted inside. You figured a mafia family’s HQ should have pretty good isolation, so that music must be really loud. You prepared yourself to plug your ears."Remember guys," Choromatsu turned towards his brothers. "we’re taking back control. Don’t let your guard down.""Pfff, says you."He glared at Todomatsu before turning back to the door. The three men, after putting soundproof headphones on, opened the door and you quickly plugged your ears. And you were right to do so, as you and the boys were hit with a wave of loud incoherent sounds. It made them take a step back for support while you almost fell."COULD YOU GUYS CUT THAT GARBAGE FOR CHRIST’S SAKE?!?!" Osomatsu scream, doing hand gestures to make sure they understand.They nodded and rushed to wherever the music came from.If it wasn’t for the auditore pain you terribly suffered from at the moment, you would’ve admire the giant foyer, the kind of cliche one with the double staircase and the giant chandelier. Half away up the stairs, the music finally stopped, and you all sighed of relief at the same time."Finally!" "Freedom!""The relief..." Ichimatsu caressed his face."Can we please take a second to appreciate the silence?" you said, raising your hands up and down.You fell silent with closed eyes and the others followed you, with the same pleasant look of their face. Sadly it didn’t last very long, you heard a woman yelling in the distance. You reopened your eyes and ‘tsk’ed with a frown.As you got closer to where the yelling was, you could make out what she was saying."It was just fine as it was! You kidding me! You’re fired!""Y-you don’t really have the authority to do that miss." a guy nervously responded."Huh?! What you said to me! I’m at the top of the chain boy! You ain’t got shit!""You should probably stay behind us." Todomatsu whispered to you.You surely didn’t question that! Osomatsu looked back to make sure you were safely behind them and smile. Finally he opened the door."Hey~ Totoko-chan!" he casually greeted.Behind the tall brothers, you thought you would miss all the action, but you were shocked to see a giant pile of money elevating so high, you could clearly see the throne on top of it.(I’m saying this here, ‘cause there’s no way for me to put it naturally in here, but there was a bunch of handsome guys in sexy servant outfits around the pile and just flexing for her enjoyment. Just wanted to point out the ridiculousness of the situation...)And on that throne, was that Totoko you heard so much about.And she was... just more than average.Those brothers must have low standards to treat her like a goddess. "Oh~? You guys!" you could see she was overdoing it by the way she held her hand to her mouth with that innocent look. "You’re back?""And here to stay.""...uh?""We’ve been called back to business, so of course we’re gonna need our HQ and money back.""W-we’re not kicking you out or anything!" Choromatsu tried to stay on her good side.’You guys are totally kicking her out.’ you thought.Totoko stood up and slid down her money-mountain. But she didn’t stay out of your sight for very long, because shortly after, she pushed the brothers away and looked down on you with her high heels. Her face was twisted into a scary expression, you could feel a deadly energy emanating from her."You..." the venom in her voice made you gulp. "You think you can come into my territory and take my fanboys away from me? Oh, you think you're so~ special uh?"She leaned towards you, you didn't back off nor did you say anything. Of course, you wanted to, that girl was scary as hell! But you've experienced similar situations before, tons of them actually.You're a bar owner after all, you see a bunch of drunk jerks almost every week! And just like those times, people are watching, you need to set up a good example."You're nothing to me." she leaned back with a smug smile. "But why not give you the illusion that you could win? It'd be a good distrction. One on one. One round. No second chances. I will beat you to the ground!""Miss Totoko are you sure?" you 'innocently' tapped your index on your cheek while crossing your arms with a concern expression. "I thought you were a respectable adult, but you're just making a scene right now, people are watching. Why can't we just sort this out without resolving to such childish methods?"The Matsuno brothers all gasped. Totoko suddenly flinched and took a few steps back with a horrified expression."Th-that bitch..." she said, slowly shaking her head. "Taking the high road by acting with maturity! THE GUILT OF MY ACTIONS IS UNBEARABLE!" she screamed to the ceiling before fainting on the floor.You looked at the brothers, who were staring at you in awe and sighed with a hand on your fast-beating heart. "...Did I really do that?" you asked as you and Choromatsu, standing in the doorway, watched Totoko being taken away by the ambulance."Well," he said. "turns out sitting on that throne everyday since we gave her the house made her back very fragile. So when she fell, she broke a few ribs.""So... she technically did that to herself." you glanced one last time with raised eyebrows before the two of you went back inside. "She's a handful alright." the two of you smiled at each-other.You went back to the big living room , where Osomatsu, Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu, along with the maids and henchmen, were getting the throne, the money, the jewels, the giant speakers and the...chocolate fountain, out of here or back where they belong."And don't think I wouldn't see you grabbing a buck or two!" Osomatsu scanned every one of his employees before letting himself fall on the now replaced couch. "Ah~ feels good to be back!""She didn't touch any of the paperwork." Todomatsu and Ichimatsu entered by another door. "Not like she'd be interested by that anyway." the purple brother added."Hey! W-wait!" Karamatsu rushed to the two henchmen who were carrying the chocolate fountain. "Don't throw that away you cretins, bring that back to my room!""...I didn't hear anything." you quietly convinced yourself. "(Y/n)!" You turned towards the Matsuno Leader, he gestured you to take a seat on the opposite couch. You didn't disobliged of course and took that seat. It was bigger and more comfortable than the last one."Don't worry, after we've done a bit of tidying up, we'll fix your problem." he winked, you nodded with a little smile. "Who's bothering you by the way?""Um..." you put your finger on your chin, thinking. "I don't know the name of his gang, but his name is Will Becket, he's the second in command."He thought for a moment before snapping his fingers."The cracked skullz! You're not interested in the gangs and families?""I try to stay away from that kind of stuff-." you paused, then looked away, scratching your cheek with a nervous smile. "Well, until now."He giggled."Oh, here Osomatsu-niisan." Todomatsu handed him a piece of paper."Thank~ you Totty!" he glanced at you and noticed your look of curiosity. "Just a little thing I asked him to type."As the large coffee table was placed down, he put the paper on it and took out a pen from the inside of his jacket. You wished you could read upside down as he signed it.He then stood up, the paper still in hand."Karamatsu!" he called out. "You're going with me and (Y/n) for a visit to the cracked skullz!""Those guys? Mmh," he put on his sunglasses. "this will surely be amusing.""Not fair!" Todomatsu stomped his foot on the ground. "I wanna go too!"You stood up, after Karamatsu joined you, you turned towards the remaining brothers and deeply bowed."No word can express how thankful I am for what you've done.""...Don't thank us," you heard Ichimatsu said after a moment. "that's lame.""He's not actually thinking that." and that was Choromatsu. "We're the ones who are thankful to you for putting us back on track."You then felt a hand on the top of your head, you looked up to see Jyushimatsu."Stop bowing." he simply said.You smiled and stood straight, his hand was now in front of you. You shook it and his smile became brighter.'I need sunglasses.'"(Y/n)-chan~!" Todomatsu pushed his brother out of the way, so hard he went flying."TOTTYYYYY!" he yelled while doing so."Exchange numbers with me~!" he completely ignored him.Figuring it was just a brother thing, you sighed."Okay." you took out your phone and, while exchanging contacts, you noticed that he put a heart of your name, which made you flustered. "W-well, talk to you later..." you started to walk towards the exit, but you stopped and turned your head. "...Totty."He flinched, his face bright red. You smiled and followed the two big brothers outside for another ride.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The closer the three of you got to where the little gang was, the more nervous you found yourself. Guess that encounter with Will really marked you...Once in front of the alleyway where the gang was located, you quietly got out of the car and stood behind the two men, unconsciously biting your lip and twisting your fingers together.They both looked at you with concern. Karamatsu gently placed a gloved hand on your shoulder."You can wait in the car if you want. You don't have to force yourself."You were genuinely glad that those brothers were good at heart. You forced your hands to part and shook your head."I'll be fine." you thought for a second. "In fact, can I walk in first?""Are...are you sure?""Karamatsu, Karamatsu..." the eldest brother placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, shaking his head. "Respect the lady's wish." he said, then winked at you.Still unsure, Karamatsu let go of you and stepped aside for you to walk in front of them.Your heart was beating faster, but it was more because of adrenaline than of fear. You realized that while thinking about what was about to happen. And a specific moment made a shaky smile form on your face. Though you were still scared, the presence of the two brothers behind you made you feel better.You didn't think this will break into a fight, no way they'll dare, not to them. The three of you walked about a dozen of meters before three buffy men, who you recognize being the same guys from that day, blocked the way. Looking down on you, they did not look like the welcoming type."Need something?" the one in the middle aggressively asked."We're here to talk to your boss." you managed to say without stuttering. The one on the right puffed a smile."Are you now?" he asked again."Yes." Osomatsu spoke up. "We are."The henchmen suddenly looked really nervous once they looked closely at the men behind you, shifting in their position."S-Sorry Sirs." he bowed, with a higher pitched voice. "We didn't recognize you.""Can we see your boss now?" you asked.He glared at you for a second."A moment please." He turned around, while the other two stepped aside, and took out a cellphone, which looked tiny in that giant hand of his. He whispered the whole time, but you managed to make out the end."Yeah Boss, her." a pause, "And she got the two big Brothers with her."He quickly held the phone away from his ear, as if the person on the other end of the line was shouting. He whispered again, this time too low for you to hear.Finally, the big guy turned back to you and said:"Follow me please." before walking towards the end of the alleyway.You glanced back to the Matsuno brothers as you started following him, they both winked at you, though in a different manner, one casual and the other dramatic.After a moment of silent walking, the henchman stepped aside for you to enter an open door, disguised to look like the wall. Now that you thought about it, putting henchmen over there was just drawing attention to the alleyway, so really there's no point for the door to be hiden. But whatever. You went inside and walked along a little hallway, you noticed every members you passed by would stop in their track and stare at the three of you with big eyes. The two brothers didn't mind and ignored them, while you forced yourself not to look down. Finally, you entered a room where there was a desk and a simple chair. At the other side of the desk was a big armchair, its back facing you.You hesitated a moment, quickly looking back and forth between the single chair and the Matsuno brothers. Karamatsu gestured to the chair with his other hand on his chest. You wanted to chuckle but it wouldn't match the atmosphere, so you just took your seat."You think you can fool me Lady?" you heard the boss' voice behind the armchair. "The thing is, my men aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, and everyone know that the Matsuno Brothers have some kind of code color. Plus they've never seen them face to face, unlike me." he said with a voice filled with pride. "So any goof in colorful suits would pass them. But you ain't fooling me Lady. So how about you go back to you-GUH!" he turned around and was paralyzed when he set his eyes on the Brothers. "Hi~," Osomatsu waved. "Andrew was it?""Na-Nataniel actually..." he mumbled, sweating like crazy as his face lost its colors. "Andrew~" the man gulped. "A hiden door? Where did you get the money for that?" he paused, but spoke again without giving him time to answer. "You must've enjoy yourself while we were gone."You knew he said that just to intimidate the little boss. But still, you needed to get back to your thing."Can we speak to Will Becket please?""Will? He's... he's doing some business on the other side of the road.""Can't you bring him in?" you asked, looking straight in his eyes. "You're the boss after all."There was clear anger in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared once he glanced behind you. He took out his phone and called his second-in-command. "...Will," he said after a moment. "Get your ass over here now."You all waited quietly for about five minutes, you hoped Osomatsu and Karamatsu's legs weren't too tired. Then the door slammed open. "What's going on Boss?!" you turned around, Becket was panting and when he saw you, his eyebrows furrowed into a furious expression, it scared you and you instinctively protected your chest. "Back so soon Dollface?"The two brothers turned around after a quick glance at your slightly shaky frame, Osomatsu seemed to keep it casual while his brother looked like it was taking everything he had in him not to punch him dead in the face. Will's expression fell into a dumbfounded one."It's Sir to you." Osomatsu said. "You gotta buy me a drink first, and have boobs."He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He just stared at the three of you with big eyes."I did it." you said with a newfound courage."Will." his boss asked between his teeth. "What exactly did you tell her to do?""I..." he stepped to the front of the desk, playing with his thumbs. "Remember you ordered us to ask her for a protection fee, and..." his voice died down, he looked down like a kid who's being yelled at by his mom."He...we agreed that if I bring the Matsuno Brothers back, he'll remove the fee." you leaned to the side so you could look at the boss.After hearing what you said, he threw daggers at the blonde man."Now, why in the world did you do that?" he joined his hands together, which were shaking in frustration.He staid silent, you could understand why, 'just for the funsies' wasn't the best excuse you could give. Even for a yakuza."Doesn't matter, we're here now." Osomatsu stepped forwards, Becket automatically moved out of his way. "And we didn't come empty handed, here." he took the folded paper from before out of the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to him. "Our first regulation will be to let the (L/n) family alone and free of any charges whatsoever."You and Becket had now the same dumbfounded expression."Keep it," the Matsuno Leader continued. "as a reminder. And don't think we didn't make other copied. Our little bro also sent it to you by email, just in case." With that, he stepped back behind you. After reading the paper, the boss put it down and looked at Becket."Will, you're out.""What?!""You were walking on thin ice before, going solo with your plans without consulting me. Now the ice just cracked.""You can't do that?!""After this meeting's over, I want you out."He clenched his fist, you didn't look at him but you knew he was staring at you with a burning fury."I am terribly sorry for the trouble he caused you." the boss slightly bowed to you. "I accept full responsibility.""It's okay." you paused. "I'm sure it'll never happen again."It took everything in you to not smile at that line."As long as you're respecting our rules that is." Osomatsu added."Thank you for having us." you stood up. "We won't bother you more. Good day." you walked to the door."Bye~!""Tch-tchao!" the two men sent their goodbye before following you. On the ride back at your place, you let out a big sigh and sunk into your seat as they burst out laughing."I'm sure it'll never happen again." Osomatsu, in a goofy manner, mimicked the serious way you previously talked, then looked at you with a big smile. "Wow!""The little rose has some thorns I see." Karamatsu flipped his hair."I admit," you shrugged with rosy cheeks. "I did took advantage of the situation.""Ha! I know how that feels! Having control over people, it's great isn't it?"You chuckled, louder and longer than expected, but you needed to let off some steam. That felt good. Once the car parked in front of your apartment complex, you smiled at them and got off the car, but you stopped yourself before closing the door."(Y/n)?" Karamatsu called.You turned around and leaned over to look at them."Do you want, maybe... have a drink?" you pointed your thumb at your bar, which was actually just next door. "It'll be on the house.""A drink with a cute girl?!" Osomatsu moved out of the vehicle so fast, you were scared he'd tackle you to the ground if you haven't stepped back fast enough. "Don't mind if I do!""*Buraza*," Karamatsu placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have all those papers to sign and send back home. I'll go with her.""The others can sign it too, don't belittle them Shittymatsu." he threw him a mean look. "Why don't you go back and tell them? Since I'll be busy having my drink.""You can use your cellphone for that brother."They bumped each-other's forehead as they spoke back and forth."The invitation was for you two." you tried to calm them down. "Look I'll let you guys decide while I prepare the place a bit."Osomatsu stepped back, sighing."I'll call the others, Karamatsu will tell the driver to park elsewhere." he took out his phone and looked at you. "It'll just be a minute."You nodded and rushed to the establishment's front door, as you turned the key, you realized there was a piano melody coming from inside. You knew who it was, but you still frowned as you went inside, leaving the 'closed' sign on. "How did you get in?" you asked Ben, who immediately stopped playing when he heard you. "The door was locked!""Not the one in the back," he playfully spun his rotated stool around. "you always forget to lock it.""And how do you know that?""Oh please (Y/n)! We've been friends for a while, I know you."You sighed."Well if you don't want to see yakuzas, you better get out of here." you looked around in surprise. "Wow, you cleaned up while I was gone." you looked back at him, who just hoped down the stage and was walking towards you. "What a perfect little houseman you are." you smiled."Hehe, I did have some help." he shrugged. "You know, from Nari and Kim." Nari and Kim were the only two employees you had, simple college students stepping into the big world and trying to get some money. Their presence always were a breath of fresh air for you. But they weren't exactly the cleaning time, and the place was as good as new. Though of course there were less tables, you guess they threw the broken ones out."Well you must've been really bossy then." "Heh, yeah. So what do you mean by yakuzas? You in trouble?"You blinked twice. The way he questioned you was more pressing than usual."Well, I brought the Matsuno Brothers back together." you spoke quickly. "The two eldest are outside right now, we'll chill and have a drink. No I'm not in trouble, nor will I ever be." you smiled at that last one. "I'll tell you the longer version later.""They're here?!" Ben's eyes went wide. "I better get out then!" he grabbed his coat."Take the back door.""I was going to!" he yelled as he walked away. "And don't forget to lock it next time! Silly!""Next time don't break into my shit! Asshat!" you yelled back, with no bad feelings in your voice whatsoever. You went to the other side of the counter, put on some chill jazz on the speakers and took out three glasses.A minute passed and the two brothers entered the little lounge, and looked around in admiration."Welcome." you greeted. "Sorry in advance, I don't have anything fancy. But~" you placed a few nameless bottles on the counter. "I think you'll like this one.""Was someone here?" Osomatsu asked. "I heead you talking a moment ago.""Oh yeah, a friend of mine. He plays here sometimes, he's cool.""Mmh, I could sense a real talent through his music." Karamatsu looked into the distance.They sat on those big stools as you poured, shook and mixed more or less of the drinks into an empty shaker. You noticed that they were looking at you, intrigued. It made you smile."Well," Osomatsu turned his back and rested his forearms on the counter. "I sure like what you did with the place.""I try to keep it as it always was," you said as you continued to make the drink like it was nothing. "but I still had to replace the broken and update the old, you know how it is." you smiled at them. "You said you were here before? I don't remember seeing you guys.""We actually went here just once." Karamatsu readjusted his sunglasses. "When we were young and unafraid, Akatsuka-sensei took us, on a summer afternoon, to witness his beloved friend's beloved workplace." you huffed a chuckle at his choice of words. "Sadly, we also were foolish children and abused the generosity of the owners." he looked down at his closed fist."And~ done!" you opened the shaker and poured the drink in the three glasses. They took their respective ones."Cheers!" the three of you said together.You excitedly watched as they took a sip. Their eyes widen and finished their drink in one go."Ah~! Delicious!" Karamatsu spun around in his stool. "Such an explosion of flavour, yet a sweet and warm sensation is left in my throat. *Good job*!" he gave you a thumb up.You giggled."Thanks! Pretty proud of it!""What is this?!" Osomatsu asked after staring at the empty glass the entire time. "What did you put in it? I can't make out anything, and I'm the booze expert!""It doesn't really have a name, though people tend to call it the (L/n) special." you explained. "The recipe for it isn't written anywhere, my grandpa passed it to me by mouth. It's kind of a family secret, I even had to remember the bottles by heart.""Yeah I thought it was weird that they were brandless... May I?" He tried to take one of the ingredients, but you quickly took them out of his reach and put them away. "Yeah no.""Come on~, you're not cool!" he rested his chin on the counter.You chuckled."So, to come back to what you said." you put your head on your palm. "What exactly did you mean by that Karamatsu?""We were idiots and we acted like jackasses." Osomatsu's translation made you laugh. "And we got kicked out.""Pretty much yes." Karamatsu smiled, giving his brother a friendly hit on the arm."No~ there's gotta be more! Tell me everything!" The spark of curiosity in your eyes made them laugh."Okay okay! So first thing we did when we stepped in, we yelled like crazy..." "I'll be honest." you said as the two brothers put on their coat. "I had a lot of fun!" "So did we, my *andgelu*." Karamatsu took your hand and bent over. "The time we had was short, but lovely nonetheless." he kissed the back of your hand and looked up at you with a wink. "Let's wish for many more to come."You giggled, blushing slightly, and walked them to the exit."Happy to see you've cooled off around us." Osomatsu looked back at you.You thought for a moment, they really were pretty chill dudes around a drink. You'd never guess they were powerful yakuzas. "I guess I did yeah." you smiled.Karamatsu opened the door just a little bit and peeked outside. You noticed that it was dark, the time passed so quickly to you, it must be evening now."The car is right outside. Let's go.""Ah, by the way." Osomatsu stopped in his track and turned back to you. "We left you a tip on the table."You tilted your head, all he did was smile and scratch his nose."Stay safe then! And thanks for the drink!" And with that, he passed the door. Before following him, his brother looked at you one last time."*Goodbye, Karamatsu-Girl*." he said with a wink and a finger gun, then he quickly closed the door behind him.You placed your hand on your mouth to muffle your laughter. Eventually, you sighed and went to the counter to see their 'tips'.It was three piece of paper. Two of them were phone numbers, who could guess which one was whose with the numbers' color and the little drawing beside them (a winky face, and a pair of sunglasses). You smiled and put them in your pocket. You took the third paper, it was longer than the other two-You chocked on your own tongue. What in the flying fuckery?It wasn't just any piece of paper.It was a cheque. And it had a lot of zeros.Okay not that much.But it was still a lot of money."Th...that's a tip alright." you eventually said, still staring at the number.You shoved it in your pocket and cleaned the counter. Then you shut the lights off and you locked the back door!'In your face Ben!' you thought while doing so.When you closed the door, you stood outside for a bit and looked up at the dark evening sky. You took a deep breath."Feels nice. Everything's back to normal." you mumbled to yourself before happily walking back home. "Thank you for having me Sir." Will bowed to the man sitting comfortably on his big armchair. "May I say it is truly an honor to meet you, given your reputation.""Weren't you kicked out by your gang just this afternoon Andrew?"Will didn't dare to correct him."What could you possibly want from me?" he asked again."W-well, I know about the rivalry between your family and the Matsuno Family. And I think I have something that can be of good use to you. A weakness, a target, somewhere to hit where it hurts. Well, in this case, someone." he nervously smiled as he reached for something in his pocket. "Her name is (L/n) (Y/n), she owns a little bar downtown." he said as he handed him a picture of the said girl, taken when she wasn't looking.The man pointed at Will with his chin and one of his henchmen went to take the photo and held it to his boss. He looked at it for a moment before taking it himself. Will was happy about that.That means he's interested."Even before the Matsu-Ditch," he continued. "she didn't have to pay for the protection fee. I didn't dare to ask of course. But then she comes to my place with the Matsunos back together, and they give around a signed paper to leave her alone. I got kicked out because of her! If that's not favoritism I don't know what is!" he took a deep breath, calming the growing rage in his voice. "She must mean something to them if she's given such a treatment.""What a turn of event..." the man smiled widely. "And what an adorable face." he looked closer.He lingered at the picture for a bit longer before looking back to Will."Thank you Andrew for those useful infos." he put the picture in his jacket's pocket. "You don't have anywhere to go right?"Will's heart skipped a beat and he enthusiastically nodded. The man stood up."I'll give you a few men, keep a watch on her. *Don't* approach her. *Don't* touch her..." Will gulped at his menacing tone and bowed."Of course Sir thank you Sir!" he quickly said. "I'll make you proud!" he said before exiting the room.As he walked towards the back door, the man took out the picture and looked at it again. A sick smile slowly twisted his features."...that's my job."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
First off, let's talk about the money.You bought tables, glasses, restocked whatever alcohol shattered in that day and new speakers, which gave a really good sound.You also gave yourself a present in the form of a new coffee machine and a bubble bath.In the past week, you haven't seen the Matsuno Brothers face to face, but you did keep in touch by phone. You got all their numbers later on. At first you simply put their names in, but after talking to them almost everyday, in the chatroom and in private, you changed them to:Bossy Perv,"Cool" Sweetheart 💙, [the heart was for me guys, the heart was for me...]Smartass Fanboy,Chill Psycho,Ultimate Baseball-boy,and Cutie Totty.You were glad that they reached out to you because you really didn't want to bother them, afraid it would be the wrong time to message them, like maybe a meeting or a showdown when they're pointing their guns at each other or something. You were also happy that they began to talk to you with more ease, in a friendlier manner. And you talked about pretty much everyday things. From displaying your hobbies to 'omg (Y/n), you'll never believe what this person did!'Also, you noticed that, even the way they type is different. Now you could easily distinguish who was who even without the names. You were pretty proud of that. Tonight was the time of the month when you and your friends from highschool would go out for dinner. You usually were pretty embarrassed to be around them, even though you always end up having a lot of fun, they all went to college, got jobs and they have this 'I'm living my best adult life' kind of aura around them. It was intimidating to 'simple little life' you.But not this time! You proudly said that you'll treat everyone tonight, of course they had questions and you couldn't tell them what happened of course."Business has just been really good!" you gave a simple vague answer and they seemed satisfied by it.You talked and laughed and had a good time, the food was also great.Finally, you said goodbye to each other, and of course, before you went your seperate ways, you agreed that you guys should hang out more often.But you knew that wasn't gonna happen. Not because you don't like each other or anything. You all simply changed.After highschool, you tried to maintain your friendship, but with them in college and you taking over the bar, that was almost impossible. And in those years, you all changed, you all knew it but never said it out loud. This time of month became more of a break from life and a chance to look back on a simpler time. You sighed. If you were hanging out more often, you wouldn't like them anymore. Maybe you were too scared to take that risk? Maybe you were scared of such a change? Or maybe it was the fact that you'd be exposed to that aura again... You didn't know.But you know what you did know?Is that the guy behind you has been walking the same way as yours for a bit too much now.You noticed him when you glanced at the reflection of the parked car you passed by, you wanted to see if your hair wasn't messed up by the wind, and you saw a guy, about your height, wearing a hood which hid the upper half of his face. You first thought it was just a guy, but a hooded guy at night time walking behind a woman who just seperated herself from her group of friends and with nobody around, that made you a bit paranoid. So everytime you'd pass a car, you'd glance at the reflection, he was walking behind you. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself and to look like you didn't notice anything. You decided not to take the usual way to your place and you made a detour around the block. You glanced again. He was still behind you at the same distance between you and him.Okay now you were freaking out. Ideas went through your mind at the speed of light.Oh! A plan!You walked with a slightly faster pace to a little square connected to a bunch of alleyways, where there was someone you knew would get you out of this.You walked through one of those paved alleyways, hearing music becoming louder and louder as you walked made you feel safer. You did your very best not to run.You finally stepped in the square, colorful lights and a Latino band playing for a little dancing crowd. It was Repichi's restaurant, 'The place that never sleeps!' he'd always say. A real hiden gem.You began walking slower, hearing the guy behind you coming closer, and closer."(Y/n)!"You turned your head to see Repichi, walking towards you with open arms. A big muscular man with the manliest mustache you've ever seen, and a smile so contagious there was no cure for it. You laughed, more out of nervousness than of appreciation of his presence."Rip no, you're all messy, I just washed this dress-hahaha!" you said but he hugged you tightly anyway.Repichi, or Rip as he lets people he likes call him, went from his Italian homeland to here in japan to set his business, a year after you took over yours. One day his shipment was accidently send to your bar and you brought it to him. Discovering you were both struggling on how to maintain your establishments on your own, you decided to help each other. He helped you with management and you helped him with getting the best material and ingredients. You also helped him becoming fluent in japanese (he only knew the basic 'hello' and 'thank you' before).You both developed together and became quite the local celebrities. It brought you very close into an almost uncle-niece relationship."Are you here to see me petita?" he asked with a ear to ear smile."Uh..."You glance behind you. The hooded guy walked pass you, you could see a few light brown bangs, and disappeared into the crowd of happy people. "Yeah!" you turned back to him with a smile full of relief. "I just got back from my highschool reunion and it made me feel nostalgic about the good ol' days!""Ah~" he wrapped an arm around you and you both walked inside. "You're warming this old heart of mine!"Through the square and the inside of the restaurant, people greeted him and he of course responded with a similar lively greeting. Passing by the kitchen, he yelled at the cooks who were slaking off.You sat on a stair case that led to his apartment on the first floor, to have a bit of privacy."Now," he said. "what's wrong?""...how could you tell?""I know a laugh of joy when I hear one, and yours clearly wasn't. Would you tell this old man what's bothering you?"You didn't hesitate to tell him. He immediately stood up and stomped his feet towards the exit. Yelling insults in Italian."Rip no! It's fine!" you stood in front of the big man to stop him. "He's gone now, just forget about."He looked down at you and hugged you with a sigh. The comfort it brought you made you realize how scared you were, you tightly hugged him back."I'm glad you went to me first petita." he let you go with a warm smile. "If that happens again, no matter when, my door is always open for you."You nodded, feeling warm inside."Are you going home now?"You nodded again."I'll go with you." he continued before you could say anything. "Don't worry, the restaurant will be fine if I'm gone for fifteen minutes.""...thank you.""Anything for you (Y/n)." he smiled. "Let me just grab my jacket." After this exiting night, a few days passed without anything happening.You didn't tell anyone about it, you just wanted to let it go and forget. It started to work, you almost thought you were back to your normal lifestyle. A new customer entered the bar, saturday afternoons were pretty busy but luckily for him, you walking him to one of the new tables you bought, mentally high-fiving yourself in the process."Thank you very much!" the guy smiled widely at you, a bit too much enthusiasm in his voice for your taste.Still you smiled and handed him the menu card."You're welcome.""Oh, I know what I want." he held his hand up, still smiling. "A cup of tea, any type you have, with a slice of lemon on the cup."'The fuck?' you thought."Noted," you wrote down 'The fuck???' in your little notepad. "thank you.""No, thank *you*!"You didn't respond and just walked to the counter to make his order. This guy's weird."Oh my god (Y/n)!"You looked at Nari, she seemed panicked and was gesturing for you to come closer and to keep it low. With a raised eyebrow, you walked towards her.Nari was a tall and outgoing girl with her hair tied up in pigtails. She was the reason of many laughs in this place. Seeing her like this wasn't unusual, but it was still weird."What is it NariEEEEEE!" you started to say, but she grabbed your collar to duck down with her under the counter. "What the hel-mmmm?!" you tried to speak again but she placed her hand on your mouth."Do you know who you just talked to?" she yell-whispered.'What are talking about?!' was written all over your face."The lemon tea guy," she continued.You shook her hand off, and peeked above the counter. You actually wanted to stand up to have a better look but Nari was taking hold of your apron, so you had to bear the weird look the people around were giving you.The guy was comfortably sitting at his table. You didn't know what Nari was seeing in him, but all you saw was a customer waiting for his order."What about him?" you looked back at her.She groaned, frustrated."(Y/n) get your head in the game! That's the second in command of the Medicis family!" [it's pronounced with a french touch]"Ow shit."You only heard of them as one of the four families. You weren't an expert but you knew that just his presence here in Matsuno territory was bad news. "Rumor has it that if he comes to you and asks for what he just asked, you're in trouble!" Nari stared straight at you with a grave expression. You peeked at him again and your suddenly became pale the more you looked at him. You could see scars all over his hands, his suit was too expensive to be from around here. And you recognized those hair."Ow shit." you quickly ducked back down, shaking slightly. "That's him.""What?"You looked at her."A few days ago, I was being followed by this guy.""What?!""I went to Rip and he got me out of this.""What are you gonna do?"You thought for a moment."Like last time, I don't think he'll do anything with people around." you stood up. "I'll just get him what he wants. I'll figure something out. You, get up please, this is getting embarrassing."Nari kept sending you looks of concern as you walked to the guy. He was looking at what looked like a picture of someone, but he put it down face down as soon as he saw you."Here you go sir." you set up the cup, smiling at him."Thanks a lot!" he looked at you for a moment long enough to make you feel uncomfortable. "You're cute!""Excuse me?" you sure weren't expecting that."I like your style." he smiled before taking a sip of his tea.You rushed back to the counter, taking a deep breath. "Oh. My. God (Y/n)!" Nari pulled you closer again, even more panicked than before. "He likes you! You're in double-trouble!""Wha-I didn't even do any-!" you cut yourself. "Fuck." you said under your breath.Of course there was going to be repercussions to what you did. It was only a matter of time. "What do the rumors say exactly?" you asked."Well, he comes in, orders to his target, and the day after, the person's gone and... and is found dead." you gulped. "And to people he likes, they're never seen again."A cold chill ran down your spine."Keep an eye on him." you said to her before quickly walking to the storehouse in the back.Closing the door behind you and pressing your back against it. Your legs were shaking like crazy, breathing heavily, you put your hand over your mouth. You couldn't go to Repichi again, it'd only put him in the same danger as you! You took out your phone and called the only help you could get. Yeah it'll probably just push you deeper into this, but fuck, you did not want to die!"...(Y/n)! I'm destroying my brothers at-""Osomatsu I-I..." you breathed heavily and your voice was shaky, it was hard to properly talk without shouting."Wo, what's wrong?" he asked more seriously."I'm freaking out here.""Wait," a pause. "okay.""(Y/n)-chan?! What happened?!""(Y/n)!""My *Karamatsu-Girl*! What is bothering you?""Shut up! Let her talk!"You recognized the pink, yellow, blue and green brothers. You figured Osomatsu put you on speaker.But their agitation didn't really help, you were breathing harder and louder. Your throat began to hurt."(Y/n)." you heard Ichimatsu, his voice was clearer than the others, he must've taken the phone for himself. "Focus on my voice. Breathe in.... Breathe out."You followed his instruction. After doing that a few more times, you respiration came back to normal."Now," Osomatsu said. "what's the problem?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You did your best to continue your day like nothing happened. But now you were confused in addition of freaking out.After you explained your situation to the brothers, they calmly told you that they’ll help as soon as they find a plan. "And once we do," Osomatsu said. "we’ll come running at your door to your rescue. So don’t worry okay?"You sniffed, his carefree behavior making you feel better, and with a little voice, you said:"Okay." The guy who’s gonna try to kill you later left a while ago now, at least now you won’t have to feel his gaze on you.A couple of hour passed and you sent Nari to a longer break, the pile of work surely will get your mind off of things.[Forgot to mention that Kim wasn't there, he's working the morning shift.]"Maybe you could go to Rip's and stay up all night?" Nari proposed before going out the back to smoke.A good plan, but you needed your sleep time. Plus it was to late now."Just go," you slightly pushed her outside. "customers are waiting.""Sorry for worrying about you-""Thank you for worrying about me Nari, I value you and Kim, as employees and as friends." you quickly said before closing the back door.You turned around and tighten your apron."Let's do this." For an hour or so, you've been walking left and right non stop, back and forth from the counter to the tables. You could feel sweat on the back of your neck but you didn't even had time to wipe it off.It really helped you focus on the now, this was a pretty intense sport. Some would ask if you were okay but you'd respond 'yeah I'm good' with a smile. "(Y/n)-chan~!"You almost dropped go of your plate when you heard that familiar voice."What are you doing here T-?!" you started to say but stopped with wide eyes when you turned around.Where you thought you'd see the youngest Matsuno brother, you saw a girl with short brown hair hopping towards you with a happy face, wearing a sweater and a short skirt with high socks. You stared at her in disbelief."I haven't seen you in ages~!" she held your hand once she was in front of you. "I'm sorry I couldn't come for the highschool reunion, you know how stupid my brothers can be! What would they do without me, am I right?"Now that last one made a click! Seeing the realization on your face, 'she' winked at you in a cutesy manner."T....Takane!" you smiled, more than usual. "Yeah, it has been a...while. Go take a seat, I'll be right there!"'Takane', you know your good ol' friendly friend Takane, nodded and took a seat on one of those tall stools. You went to serve your order before going to the counter, luckily at this point, Nari was done with her break. You and Todomatsu leaned towards each-other so that no one could hear you."Relax (Y/n)-chan." he said. "You looked so nervous.""Why aren't *you* nervous wearing...this?" you puffed a smile."Oh please, it's not like I enjoy it." he touched his wig, blushing slightly. "I couldn't just walk in here. And I'm a master of disguise, the others don't know how to keep a low profile.""Not even Ichimatsu?""Especially Ichimatsu."You didn't know if you should be intrigued or disturbed, but you chuckled at that."So, what's the plan?""The Medicis' second in command orders and kills yeah. But he never followed his target so openly, not at night at least. Are you sure it was him?"You thought back to that night, it's true that you only saw his hair, and that was for a brief moment. Maybe... you thought too fast? But was it really just a coincidence?"I...I don't know." you looked down."It's okay, I'm here now." he smiled and winked. "I'll keep an eye on you all night.""...what?" "Todomatsu, I'll be honest, I don't know how to feel about this." you said as the two of you took the elevator to your apartment."Relax~, just one night, I'll stop the creep and I'll be out." he shrugged, typing on his phone and you both walked through the hallway. "What? Are you worried about me?" he looked at you. "I may not look like it, but I'm actually just as strong as the others! Don't underestimate me just because I'm the youngest."Though he said in all friendly-like, you could tell from the look in his eyes that he took it seriously, so you made a mental note of that."It's not that..." you looked down to take your keys from your bag.'I never had someone over at my place before!' you panicked on the inside. 'Everything is a mess! Cleaning day is only tomorrow!'"Um..." you turned to look at him before unlocking the door. "Do you mind waiting here a moment? To tidy up the place a bit.""Ah, I'm sorry (Y/n)-chan. But I should go in first.""Uh? Why?""What if the creep is already inside and waiting for you to come in?""Oh, yeah...can't argue with that."You opened the door and stepped aside."Wait here until make sure it's safe, I'll call you when I'm done."You nodded, he smiled to reassure you before going inside. He didn't turn on the lights so you couldn't see anything. A moment passed."Okay, it's clear!" you let out a sigh of relief when you heard him.You went in and turned on the lights. Walking in the living room which was also you bedroom which was also the kitchen, you saw Todomatsu looking around with curiosity. But you were more focused on the dirty laundry lying around and the dirty plates in the sink, praying to any god he wouldn't noticed.Little secret: he totally noticed, but kept it to himself! He thought it was *adorable* the way you just didn't care!"For an apartment," he looked at you. "I expected it to be way smaller.""Thanks, I guess." you set your bag down and you hanged your jacket on the coat hanger. "It was a real deal too. I'm a sucker for savings." you shrugged, smiling.You offered him a cup of tea and the two of you sat on the floor by the coffee table. Todomatsu seemed to text a lot on his phone, he began to have a look of annoyance before just setting the device aside. You still weren't open to talking though. The idea of sleeping while a guy will break into your home to try and murder you terrified you to say the least."(Y/n), calm down." Todomatsu placed his hand on yours, he was about to continue, when he made an 'oh!' of realization and stood up. "I should probably change, I forgot I was still dressed as a girl! Silly me!" he knocked on his own head before asking the way to the bathroom.After he left, you noticed his phone was still buzzing like crazy. Looking closely at his, you could make out some messages, and you laughed.'If you try anything on her I'll kill you!''If you talk about anything inappropriate I'll kill you!''Did she say anything about me?''I'll punch the teeth out of you. Whatever you did.''Your report better be filled with details!''What does her apartment look like?'(Clearly, you didn't read the more disgusting ones.)"There!" you quickly went back to your side of the table when you heard him. "So comfy~"He was wearing a pink hoodie with a green symbol on it, which you recognized as his family's symbol, it was on their house's doors. And it did look comfy. After setting the plastic bag down with his disguise inside, he sat back down and continued."Right now, we're just two friends spending the night together. So don't think about it okay?" noticing that you were still unsure, he asked. "What usually makes you feel better?""Um..." "This bitch empty! YEET!"The two of you laughed your lungs out. You've been watching vine compilations for about three hours now. You made some instant noodles, embarrassed to serve that to a guy who's drowning in luxuries, but he assured you it was okay. And with a few beers, you were totally chill."Ow fuck!" he whipped a tear away. "I haven't had fun like this in ages!""Play the next one! Play the next one!""Okay! Okay!"..."Suck a dick! Suck a huge or small~ dick~!"Todomatsu laughed so hard he fell over, which made you laugh more.Even after that, you still told yourselves all the references you could squeeze in a conversation. And because you were still in the mood, you played that rocket-ship remix song and screamed the lyrics out. "Good night Todomatsu~" you said all comfy under the covers of your bed-sofa."Sweet dreams (Y/n)-chan~" he said, lying on the kinda-bed you made for him on the floor, just beside you.You insisted on taking the floor space, but he insisted times two so u you you couldn't argue with that.You instantly fell asleep. You woke up to the feeling of pressure on your body, you opened your eyes and wanted to gasp and scream when you saw the silhouette of someone above you. But a hand was placed on your mouth and pushed it gently just enough to make sure no sound would come out. The sudden adrenaline rushed made you wide awake."(Y/n) it's me." the person whispered.'Todomatsu?!'You blinked a few more time and you began to make out his features in the dark.Why....is he so close to you???"(Y/n), stay calm." he was looking straight in your eyes. "Someone's breaking in."'What?!'You looked away and listened carefully, for a moment, nothing, then you heard a tug in the darkness.Oh right, someone's trying to murder you..."(Y/n). (Y/n), listen to me." you looked back at him, his gaze was so intense and serious your whole attention was on him. "I'll take your place in the bed, you get under it. It's safer this way. Stay there and don't move until you hear my signal. Do you understand?"You nodded. He nodded himself and let go of your mouth, but before he could move away, you grabbed his wrist."Be careful." you said, looking straight into his eyes.A moment passed and you heard him chuckle."I'll be fine. I'm a Matsuno."As quietly as you possibly could, you snuck out of your bed and under it. There was piles of dust so you covered your mouth to prevent yourself from sneezing. In the complete silence, you could hear your fast heartbeat, so clearly you were scared *he* could hear it too. You slowly breathed in and out just like Ichimatsu told you, it helped a bit.But your efforts went out the window, when you hear something open.'By the window?!' you thought. 'We're on the third floor!'You wanted to go further under the bed, against the wall or something, but you didn't want to risk being discovered. You heard a thud.He was in.A long moment passed and you heard footsteps, coming closer, and closer. You shut your eyes, holding your breath.Suddenly, the mattress moved and you heard the two men struggling, Todomatsu got off the bed and was doing god knows what to him. Finally someone shouted in pain. You didn't open your eyes yet and just waited for this to stop.A few minutes passed, felt like hours to you, and you saw the lights turn on. A moment of silence again."(Y/n)-chan? Are you okay?" you heard Todomatsu.The very sound of his voice made you lighter to no end, and you didn't hesitate to clumsily come out of your hiding spot."Are *you* okay is the question!" you said as you did so.Once you were standing, you saw the man from today, lying on the floor, unconscious and twitching from time to time. Todomatsu looked fine, though he was breathing heavily. He had some kind of taser-gun in his hand. This sight made you fall on your bed."(Y/n)." you looked up, noticing the serious look he had was still there, and you understood that this still wasn't over. "You're in triple-trouble.""What?" He wanted to explain himself, but he figured you've had enough for one day. He tightly tied the guy up and made you some hot cocoa after calling some of his henchmen to bring the guy back to the Matsuno HQ, do deal with him later. He then called his brothers and had to leave the room for that. He sat at the table, you were still looking down at your mug. Confused and tired."You have dust all over you." he chuckled, tapping your pajamas a bit to get some away.You just hummed in response."(Y/n)," you looked up. "I promise you, everything is gonna be okay. Pinky promise." he smiled as he raised his pinky.The childishness of this made you smile and you crossed pinkies."See? Now I *have* to make sure everything's okay!"He then went on to talk about everything but you, he didn't want you to think about yourself and your situation. He told you about his hobbies, his childhood and the many troubles he got into, with and without his brothers. He talked about some series he's watching, even went on a rant about the sequel of his favorite childhood show. You haven't seen it, but you still listened, he said it with such passion.As he was going on and on about how his Instagram account is totally kicking off (with a bit of "humble-bragging" as we call it), he turned his head and saw you sleeping with your head on your arms. Seeing the mug empty made him smile. He picked you up and gently placed you on the bed. He then went to take the mug and put it in the sink. He was about to go to bed himself, being super tired too, when he glanced one last time at you and froze.See, you were wearing a tank top as pajamas. And you know what happens when you sleep with one. It moves around and shit. That's right, he could almost see you breasts. He instinctively walked closer to you with a tensed expression. Just one little tug and he could see the whole thing. He rose his hand. He could just say nothing happened, you're asleep. His hand moved closer. Yes. YES!"NO!" he took the covers and put them over you. "I'm supposed to be the better brother!" he slapped himself hard. "Get it together Totty!"He then, with the speed of sound, turned off the lights and went to bed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Todomatsu woke you up early the next morning, he already prepared breakfast and a car was waiting outside for the two of you. During the ride, you engaged in friendly conversation. But his words from last night were still clear in your mind.'Triple-trouble'? What did he mean?You knew it was important if he brought you back to his HQ. As soon as you entered, the five men rushed towards you and showered you with questions about your well-being. You couldn't help but smile at their concern.You all sat again in the living room, them on one side you on the other."So," Osomatsu spoke first. "what Todomatsu meant by triple-trouble, is that, the guy who broke in your apartment last night, wasn't the Medicis' second-in-command.""Uh?!" you exclaimed in shock."Very few people actually saw him with their own eyes without being killed." he continued. "We only saw him once at the Big Families meeting, when we established our territory of each one. And that was only because his boss never shows his face.""Yet," Karamatsu place his hand on his chin. "it won't be an encounter I'll easily forget."You gulped."He does send a fake him to deliver his calling card, but never to do the actual job." Osomatsu paused. "So we think it might be a warning. And we don't know what they're planning for you."You pursued your lips, your heart beating faster. At this point, Osomatsu didn't look like he wanted to continue, he kept glancing at his brothers."We...we talked about it," Choromatsu took his place. "And we think it might be best for you to... to move out. And move in...here.""...wait what?"He didn't repeat himself, knowing you heard him. You looked down, processing what he just said, then back at them."Is there really no other way?""It's the best we could find." he replied. "Until we find the Medicis' and go talk to them. And because they're always in the shadows, it will take a while. And we can't guarantee your safety if you stay at your place.""But...what about work?""I mean... you won't even have to work anymore if you live here with us-aoch!" Osomatsu said but Ichimatsu, sitting next to him, hit him with his elbow.The older brother glared at him, then looked at you and saw your look of silent outrage. "Sorry..." he looked down."You could hire more people to take your place." Todomatsu suggested with a little smile. "And you could still go there to work a day or two, one of us can accompany you."It took you a moment to reply. You looked down, and with a little voice you said a simple:"Okay."The brothers looked at each other and nodded. You noticed them standing up and rose your hand to see what they were doing.Jyushimatsu, who was on the far right, pushed the table between you to the side before going back to his place. Now with enough space, and at the same time, the six brothers kneeled in front of you and deeply bowed. Your eyes widen in surprise."We deeply apologize." Osomatsu said."W-what?""First, we were stupid enough to leave the whole town into a big mess." Choromatsu said."You went through all this trouble all by yourself." Karamatsu continued."And now you're in this situation all because of us." Todomatsu said."We're deeply sorry!" Jyushimatsu said."Please forgive us." Ichimatsu finished. "You know, no matter what people say about us. We're still pretty shitty."You were speechless by that. "N-no-well, I mean it's okay! I don't blame you! Please stand up...""Mmh, you're too kind to us, my *andgelu*." Karamatsu said as they did so."Your room will be ready by tonight," Choromatsu walked towards you, a slight blush on his cheeks. "in the meantime, I'll get you to your place and help you pack your things.""Uh, are you sure Choromatsu-niisan?" Todomatsu put his hands on his hips. "I think it'd be better if few of us go there, just in case someone tries to get its location out of us. Only Karamatsu-niisan and I know it, let's keep it that way. I'll go.""You just got back from a long night Totty~." Choromatsu talked between his teeth, his eye twitching. "You should get a good rest. And even if I went, there would still only be three of us who know about the apartment's location. That logic is stupid.""What did you just say?" They both shot each-other a death glare, you sighed."It's in a little complex right in the middle of the city, it'd only be a matter of time before someone finds it. So it's totally pointless to know or not. So I will go wit-""Jyushimatsu you wanna go with me?""Okay!"The two brothers turned to you and their other brother walking towards the door."See you later guys." you waved at them, smiling at their dumbfounded face.Behind you, Jyushimatsu looked back at his two brothers and huffed a big smuggy smile before walking with you again. Their dumbfounded expression being replaced by one of fury in front of a common enemy. "Can I have a map of this place?" you asked Jyushimatsu as you both got back to the house with your luggages. "I'll be lost in no time without one.""Sure, here!" he took out a paper in his pocket and handed it to you. "I have a spare one."You laughed."Even you guys get lost in your own house?!" you scanned the map and frowned a bit. "Uh..." you looked at him. "Are you sure it's the right one? It seems way tinier on paper.""That's the space we're using." he shrugged.You thought for a moment before raising your eyebrows in realization."You mean all of the other rooms are just empty?!""We already have everything we need." he said as the two of you walked together to your future new room."Then, why do you have such a gigantic house?""Mmm~!" he put his hand on his chin and swung his head back and forth, he finally looked at you with a big smile. "Because it looks cool!"You staid silent for a moment, but after that, you couldn't help but giggle. Still unclear if it seriously was the reason, though from them, it wouldn't be a surprise. Today was a sunday, Kim and Nari work all day at the bar and you stay home (normally). You'll have to call them at some point about the changes that will be made, but you really didn't want to. You didn't want to call anyone, not today.The brothers proposed a little welcome party for you, but you politely declined. You just wanted to sit back and relax.And the best way you knew how, was by taking a long warm bath.Though the bathroom was way bigger and fancier than yours, you were able to forget all about your situation once you entered the water. You realized how tensed you were when your muscles relaxed. You pleasantly hummed a few times during the whole process.You didn't know how mush time has passed during your bath, you spent the majority of it just meditating (if you can call it that) in the hot water. You finally got out, you figured it'd be best to do that before you look like a blob. You put on your panties, took the hair dryer, and used it to completely dry your body. At some point, you thought you heard something. You turned the hair dryer off and listened closely. There was a knock on the door."(Y/n)?" you recognized Ichimatsu's voice. "You've been here for almost an hour. I wanna take a bath too.""Oh! Sorry!" Still dripping a bit, you quickly put on a bra and took your clothes before heading to the door. You'll change in your room, no need to keep him waiting some more.You opened the door and smiled."Sorry again, the coast's clear now-Oh my god!" you shouted when the man dropped on the floor, twitching slightly and with blood on his face. "Ichimatsu?! Are you okay?!" you kneeled down and shook him. "Guys!" "(Y/n)?! What's going on?!" you heard footsteps rapidly coming closer.You stood up and rushed towards where the voice come from and you saw the five brothers in the distance running towards you."I don't know! I was talking to him and all of the sudden he-What?!" you yelled again as they also fainted, their nose bleeding like crazy. "(Y/n), have you no sense?!" Osomatsu crossed his arms, pieces of cotton in his nose just like his brothers. "Walking around in your underwear, while being alone with six men. What were you thinking?""I thought I was gonna die." Ichimatsu readjusted his cotton."Geez I'm sorry." you rolled your eyes.At this point, you were completely dry and had changed into something else. You all were sitting on the stairs, it was weirdly casual. You spoke again."I just thought you guys were used to it.""Pfff. Used to what?""Well...seeing women in their underw-.""You-You don't have to say it, we get it!" Choromatsu waved his hands in panic, blushing like crazy.You frowned, man these guys are sensitive. You noticed that they kept sending akward glances to each other."Well, you guys are what? In your 20's? We're adults, I mean, let's be mature about it..."Your voice slowly died down. When you reminded them of the fact that they're grown men, they suddenly tensed up with a blank look on their face.You flash-backed to when they fanboyed over Totoko.'She held my hand...''I was satisfied just by looking.' "...Either you guys are seriously sensitive," you said. "or you don't usually interact to women.""Them?!" Todomatsu pointed at his brothers with his thumb. "Please! They're totally clueless when it comes to girls!""Hey! You're just as shitty!" Osomatsu shouted."At least I know how to talk to them!""You didn't even held a girl's hand in your life!"Todomatsu loudly gasped."You fucking virgin!" "Back at ya!""You guys are virgins?"They spun their heads to stare at you with big eyes, realizing they fucked up. Their face were bright red from embarrassment."U-Um..." Todomatsu stuttered."It's okay if you are.""*Really*?!" Karamatsu looked shocked."Yeah, I mean, who cares." you stood up. "I'm sorry~, I'll try to be more careful." you said with the tone of a kid who says sorry to his teacher for being late when really he doesn't give a shit.You began walking upstairs, the boys followed you with their eyes.You didn't know it, but they were actually singing your praises together in their head. On the way to the kitchen, to get yourself something to drink. You sighed loudly and place a hand on your forehead."And I'll have to live with these guys..."You were secretly exited, this could be fun.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You thought that, if everyone was just casual about it, this whole moving in thing would go down smoothly as some simple house-mates stuff.But, it really didn't.You didn't know if it was because they had a girl living with them and they didn't know how to handle it, or because you knew they were virgins and they were embarrassed by it. But come, on! You entered the kitchen, hearing Ichimatsu happily whispering things in the process, once you opened the door, he suddenly stopped and you saw him standing up, all tensed."Oh hi Ichimatsu." you greeted with a smile.He loudly coughed before turning towards you with a serious expression, trying to not look too nervous."Good morning (Y/n).""What'cha doing?""Ah! I-I..." he coughed even louder. "I was just taking a short break from all the work I have to do today. Yes serious work. Very serious... Work.""That's good. Taking breaks is importan-.""You're right I should get back to it right away!"You frowned as he quickly walked passed you and towards the exit."Ichimatsu?"His hand stopped right above the doorknob. He slowly looked back at you with that same serious face."What is it?""The cat's tail's coming out, be careful."He shouted in surprise and turned his back on you so he could properly placed the cat that he hid in his jacket. Then without saying anything else, he exited the kitchen.Now alone, you let out a big sigh.This was getting frustrating.They've been putting up this facade of 'big cool serious men' everytime you're around. And you knew it was totally useless since you've come to know them a little for during your text chats. Regardless, you've been looking for new employees and have found one more for a full-time job. Perfect! The interview was pretty akward. Since you didn't want to go outside and bother one of the brothers (because it would be even more akward), the whole hiring process was on the internet and the interview was via video call. Fortunately the person you hired were nice and capable enough to fit the job.You did have to show them the workplace though. So you brought Choromatsu with you to your establishment.You were smiling ever since you stepped outside. You missed your bar. In your habits you woke up everyday at 6am, and you walked around all day because not moving just didn't feel right to you."Hope you weren't busy." you told Choromatsu during the ride. "I was in a rush I'm sorry.""It is quite alright (Y/n)." he smiled, readjusting his round glasses. "I had to see if the security cameras our men installed were on check anyway.""You wear glasses?""Of course I wear glasses." he quickly answered."Since when?""U-um!" he avoided your eyes. "Since always. You just never noticed."'You don't even look cool with these!' you thought. 'You look like the student who licks his teacher's shoes!'As you came closer and closer, you just realized something. You gasped and Choromatsu looked at you, puzzled."Could we...like, not be be seen together?""W-why?""Well my employees would freak out if they see me with one of *the* Matsuno Brothers.""Mmm," he readjusted his glasses. "very well. I'll wait a few minutes, I'll still have to check the security system.""How are you gonna do that?""Mhmm, no worries (Y/n)." he smiled at you, though not naturally. "I know my fair share of stealth."You frowned. This persona totally did not suit him. He was being an even more annoying smartass."You see," he continued. "People may not realize it, but simple changes can make someone look totally different and unrecognizable. Glasses for example, changes the way you look by about 70%.""Uh." you were genuinely impressed by that fact. "...So you do admit that you just started to wear them.""No I wore glasses my whole life." he quickly replied, not looking at you.You still smiled. You got him! The new kid was named Clarice, a young woman from France, her accent was simply lovely. Showing her around, you thought it was sad that you won’t have the chance to know her better like you did with Nari and Kim. Speaking of which, Kim asked you to talk to him.Kim was the opposite of Nari, mostly quiet, serious and sarcastic. But once he warms up to you, he reveals his goofy side.But he did not look like he wanted to goof around right now..."What's the sitch?""Don't." he glared at your smile. "You told me you'd explain why you weren't at work for days, what happened?""Yeah some...stuff, happened.""Okay, could you develop maybe?"You sighed, you didn't like lying to him and Nari, let alone hiding the truth from them."Listen, Will went to me for a protection fee, didn't have any money so he busted the place a bit. I managed to get him off my shoes but now I'm not in the safest place. So I'm gonna try and not go outside a lot. Don't worry though, I'll still be able to come like two days a week."You only gave him a part of the story of course, you just hoped it was enough to let him out of trouble."...I see." he said after a moment. "Sorry if I was intrusive.""Nah, I totally understand where you're coming from.""Does it have something to do with the button and those cameras?" he pointed upwards."Uuuuuu..." you looked up to see security cameras placed on every corner of the ceiling, glancing at the counter, there was also a red button hiden under it. "uuuuh yes!" you looked back at him. "Yeah, and a guy's supposed to come in any second now to check on them."Just as you finished your sentence, the door opened and Choromatsu entered, still wearing his 'disguised'.'Let's hope he was right about this percentage thing.'"Welcome Sir." Clarice greeted him with a smile."Good morning, I was called here to check the security system.""Oh," she glanced at you, you nodded. "of course, help yourself."'Looks like it worked.'"(Y/n)?" Kim asked, still looking at the man. "Why is your security guy one of the Matsuno Brothers?"'FUCK!'"Uh?! A Matsuno Brother?! No way!" you waved you hands. "Can't be him! He's got glasses!"He looked at you, not convinced at all, and walked back to his post behind the counter.You gulped, sweating a bit. You went and stood beside him."You can go you know," he said. "I can take care of the tech guy."'So did I...convinced him???' you hoped even though you knew the answer."Oh nah~! I'm just waiting for my ride.""Don't you live right next door?""Um..."As you started to panic, Choromatsu walked towards you two."The cameras seem to be working. They're top qualities too, so you'll be able to recognize anyone suspicious and..."He then went on to some tech-talk no one really understood. You're suspecting him to have made up half of it. But right now you were just nodding at all of his sentences, like you were invested. You looked at Kim from the corner of your eyes. He was resting his head on the palm of his hand, looking very disinterested what he was saying.At some point, while still blabbing about tech stuff, Choromatsu took off his glasses and got out a little clothe from his pocket and started to rub it on the glass.You thought it was a good idea, it'd make it look more real-.Your mind went blank when he pushed the clothe through the glasses. In the most natural way possible.'Those glasses are fucking glassless! Is he serious?!' you thought, panicking."Uh," Kim started to say. "There's no gla-""Of course there's no glass because it's right here!" you shouted, reaching for a glass and pouring liquor in it. "Cheers!" you jugged it in one go.Kim gave you a weird look, but he didn't say any more. You let out a big sigh as Choromatsu finally went out the door. But you knew you couldn't relax now because he was now waiting for you in the car."Wwwell." you tapped your hands on the counter before starting to make your way out. "I better go.""(Y/n)."Seeing his serious expression made you stop acting stupid. He continued."We're not the closest of friends, but I know that you're a good person. Whatever this is about, I trust you." he paused, you averted his eyes. "Just one question. Are we one day going to be attacked by a bunch of criminals and end up in some gang war or something?""Kim." you looked him in the eyes. "I can promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make sure this place is intact, along with the people in it."He didn't say anything and just sighed. You knew he was worried and it made you glad."Say hi to Nari for me okay?" you smiled and started to walk away."Be safe." you heard him say."I always am!" you waved. Your mouth got wet looking upon tonight's dinner, it's the first time you saw such fancy food. Too bad the akward mood was killing your appetite.The energy coming from the six brothers was like a weight pushing you down on your chair. Osomatsu and Choromatsu were looking at some paper, Todomatsu was looking at his phone and the other chose a wall to stare at, and they just nodded to themselves with their eyes narrowed. They were doing everything they could to not look at you but you could feel their stare when you weren't looking. Still keeping their stupid facade, it just frustrated you even more!"Okay, would you guys stop?" They all looked at you with big eyes. You did not look happy."This whole...thing, it's not you guys. I know it and you know I know this! So stop acting like jackasses!" you crossed your arms. "I was okay accepting to move in because I thought we could be friends. If it's because I'm a girl...then first you should've really thought of that before, and you need to chill. Seriously." you finished with a sharp sigh.You didn't know if you were a bit too harsh, but at least you felt lighter."...how?" you looked up at Todomatsu, who finally spoke.How what? Going back to casual?Easy!"One time when I was in highschool," you said. "I was hanging out with my friends. It was a hot day and one of them was sweating a lot, but she brought deodorant with her. She passed it out to everyone. And she proposed it to me but I was like 'no thank you I'm not hungry'." you smiled and waited for a reaction.It took them a moment, but eventually, their eyes widen and they laughed out loud. You laughed with them.'There you go!' you reached to the food. 'Now I can eat!'
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
On your way to your room, after a delicious dinner and a fun conversation with the six men, your phone started to ring. You looked at the number and an 'oh!' escaped your lips. It's true that, with all this mess going on, you didn't have time to contact him.You picked up and didn't even get the chance to say hello."(Y/n)! Oh gracie a dio! Stai bene?!""Rip, you're talking italian right now." you smiled."Kim told me you just came back! Where were you?! I was this close to form a search team!""Hehe, yeah..." you closed the door behind you. "Sorry I didn't tell you anything. I'm okay."He sighed."I've only been gone for a few days you know?" you said, sitting on the bed. "I'm not a kid.""I know I know," he said in a more calm voice. "but after what happened last time you came to me. I was scared that asshole got you.""I'm sorry... I wish I could tell you what happened but..." 'I already said too much.'"Petita," the way he said your nickname made you listen carefully. "I trust you to have made the right decision, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay. But just know that if you're not, don't hesitate a second to come and talk to me. And if someone's bothering you, I'm gonna get the boys and we're gonna battere la merda fuori da loro."You felt your heart twisting at his words. You hung your head down. A moment of silence passed."I want to tell you." you said. "But not like this, and not now... I'm still trying to get my bearings right now..."'I just started to get comfortable here.'"...hope you understand.""Of course I understand petita."You could heard one of his cooks calling out for him. "You should go. Work's calling.""I don't wanna leave you though.""Aww Rip~." you smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not alone.""...I see." he paused. "Prenditi cura di te stesso Petita."You had no idea what he said exactly, but you knew it was something kind."Thank you for calling me. Take care."You hung up on those words. You stared at your phone for a while before letting yourself fall backwards onto the king size bed, breathing a long sigh.The bed was so comfortable and warm that you immediately fell asleep. Having a clearer mind helped too. The following days were simpler and oh so much better! No more akward situations and cringy lines (Karamatsu doesn't count)! You and the brothers would have friendly conversation about everything and nothing. You were happy you guys were connecting that easily. Though you didn't want to bother them when they were working (the Matsu-Ditch caused a pile of issues and unfinished business for them to take care of), you had to ask at some point."So, any updates on the Medicis?"Osomatsu sighed and put the paper he was reading (looked boring, to you and to him) on the table. At the beginning of this afternoon, he sat on patio with a fresh drink, working inside on a sunny day was just depressing to him, so he says, and you wanted to look at the garden (it was gorgeous). When you saw him you figured it'd be a good time to ask."A few leads," he said, looking into the distance with a skeptic look. "but they're just rumors talked about in bars and whatnot. Makes sense because the Medicis only work in some dirty corner of towns, in the depths. I could send men to investigate but if I'm being honest, I don't think it'll get us anywhere."He looked up at you and immediately regretted his words when he saw your sad eyes."B-but hey!" he raised his arms. "We'll find something solid eventually! I won't let you down!"Him trying to comfort you made you smile."It's cool man, I know you're doing you're best." you sat at the table, on a chair opposite to his. "So what'cha reading?""Some boring stuff.""Heh, figured.""There's so many faults too. A grown ass man supposedly wrote this report!""Really? Let me see!""Go ahead, you'll get a good laugh out of it! Check out this one!""...Oh my god!"You both laughed out loud and continued to mock over this poor man's writing. When you found out at the end that he lost a few fingers, you two couldn't help but laugh again at the irony. You opened a door and saw Choromatsu sitting at his desk, looked like you interrupted him in a conversation with an elegant-looking lady."Oh, excuse me. I must've took a wrong turn somewhere."'Looks like I still need that map...'"Wait (Y/n)!" Choromatsu stood up before you could close the door. "I was just about to go look for you.""Oh," you stepped in. "well, I'm here now."He gestured to the lady. She looked really bothered."This is Ms. Hinoka, her husband is a renown doctor at the hospital downtown.""Nice to meet you." she gave you a slight bow, which you returned after you stopped beside the big desk."Would you mind explaining your situation to her?" he asked the woman."Of course not." she turned to you. "Like Mr. Matsuno said, my husband is a well known surgeon. And lately... I've come to fear him."You knitted your eyebrows, but didn't say anything. She continued."About a couple of month ago, he started to talk a bit too fondly of his assistant. He wouldn't talk about anything else. A week after that, she mysteriously disappeared without a trace. I gave him the benefit of the doubt of course. But since then, there's been a pattern. He'd get a replacement, always a girl, obsess over her and she would disappear and he'd move on to another one-" she pressed her own hand on her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion."Here." Choromatsu handed her a tissue he took out from his pocket.The lady took it, nodding her head as a thank you. As she slightly wiped her eyes trying not to ruin her makeup, you saw that she was also trying not to lose her composure, trying to stay strong. It made you admire her and feel bad for her."I'm so sorry." you said in a soft voice."It's alright." she quietly sniffed. "I've come to accept it." her expression became more serious when she looked back at you. "The man I once loved is no more. All I want now is for him to stop whatever horrible thing he's doing to those poor girls.""And we will help you however we can." you both turned towards Choromatsu.You couldn't help but feel nervous when he said 'we'. He looked at you."(Y/n)."'Oh boy.'"I know it's asking a lot from you. But with the informations provided by Ms. Hinoka, her husband doesn't have an assistant right now. So we need to act as soon as possible. What I'm asking you is to pose as his new assistant and go undercover.""Uh..." you glanced at the lady for a second, she was looking at you with hope. "Can't Todomatsu do it? He's way more experienced.""He's dealing with his own mission at the moment, like I said, we need to act asap." he noticed your look of discomfort. "Don't worry, I'll constantly stat in contact with you. You just have to stay in character, the second something happens, I'll send my men. All we need is proof of his doing."You pursued your lips and played with your fingers."Miss, please," Ms. Hinoka said. "I'm sorry you have to do this, but please stop my husband."You looked at her, then at Choromatsu. You took a deep breath and nodded. "Are you sure this is safe?" you asked him, still inside the car, which was parked right in front of the hospital. (His men were in a van.)"Don't worry," he readjusted your collar where the device was hiding. "This camera is way too small for anyone to notice."'I'm not talking about the camera...'"And why such a short dress?" you tugged on the said dress to at least make it under the middle of your thigh."Well...you're not an actual nurse. But if Mr Hinoka really is obsessed with women, it could distract him and put him off guard... Plus it looks so good on you." that last sentence was too quiet for you to heard.He was glancing at your legs, blushing with a perverted spark in his eyes. You threw him a mean look and that was enough for him to suddenly go back on what he was doing.He typed a bit on his laptop, then the camera's image appeared on the screen."There." he put on headphones with a mic attached to it. "Can you hear me?""Well, to be sure, I'll have to go outside.""Oh. Right." he blushed slightly.You smiled, more nervously than anything."Remember, don't use your real name and information."You nodded. He looked at you and saw that your nervousness level was through the roof."(Y/n)," he gently put a hand on your shoulder. "it's gonna be okay, I won't leave your side.""...I just have to stay in character right?"He nodded with a smile. You gulped and turned towards the door."Well," you opened it. "here we go." and exited the vehicle. Your heart beat faster and faster as you walked through the hallways. You knew you were gonna mess something up.Because there was a detail you didn't tell Choromatsu about..."According to his schedule he should be in this room." you heard him said through your hidden earpiece.You gulped again and entered the operation room with shaky hands. He just got his plastic gloves on. He was what, in his fifties? He looked twenty years older. He looked at you up and down with a puzzled look."Hello I'm your new assistant!" you said, louder than expected. "I'm not undercover or anything!""(Y/n) what are you saying?!" you heard Choromatsu.Yeah... Needless to say, you never took drama lessons in school. Improvising wasn't your forte, and this pressure sure wasn't helping. You were a good liar, but when it came to play a character, you were a real dumpster fire.At first he was unconvinced, he looked at you up and down, and lingered a bit when he looked down at your legs. After that he smiled at you."Oh I see. Thank you for your help. What's your name?""My name is (Yyyyyyyy/)-Natasha..." you dragged the first syllable of your name to then say a completely different one.[If your name is actually, or resemble something like Natasha, just roll with it]"Okay..." he turned towards the patient and raised his hand. "Could you hand me the scalpel?"You looked at the set of tools besides you."That’s the pointy thing right?"You heard Choromatsu groaning while the man in front of you looked at you weirdly. You've made your first mistake, luckily you were a quick thinker and came up with something to cover it up."HAHA! Just kidding!" you loudly said with a big smile, and became expressionless immediately after your sentence.You then quickly handed him the scalpel."(Y/n), I know you're not an expert but," Choromatsu told you. "you never hand a scalpel pointy head first.""Oh. Oh!" you shouted when you finally realized a bit of the blame entered the man's palm. "I-I-I'm so sorry!""It's alright." he said before getting the scalpel out with a slight grunt, blood slowly coming out of the wound. "Nothing I can’t handle, nothing." he said the last word slowly while looking directly at you.You simply looked away, swallowing a lump in your throat. You heard him chuckle.’Please just let this be over!’"Anyway, could you help me out here?""Sure what are you operating on?""...a nose." he said while contouring the said body part with his blade.You couldn’t see it, but you felt Choromatsu face-palming himself.’This is getting worse and worse! My cover’s gonna be blown in no time! Act fast!’"Alright Dante!" you pointed a judgmental finger at him. "Game’s up! I know you wanna arrange people’s face so you will look better!""...wha-?""You killed my brother!"You had no idea what you were talking about. You were not thinking clearly right now, but you rolled with it. "What you didn't know is that Benkly my brother's name isn't actually his name! It was a boat all along! A part of a plan to steal some paper as a way to find the illuminati, it sort of dribbled off after that!""Stop screaming will you!""What's going on here?" The two of you turned towards the door, a man entered. He was bald and was wearing nothing but a giant pair of striped blue pants that went up to his large waist. From the looks of him, and the way Mr. Hinoka reacted to his presence, you could tell he had some authority here."S-Sir-""Sir this man kidnapped me like he did with those other girls." you pointed at him while looking at the new man. "What?!" they both exclaimed."He tried to make some of my fingers longer and some smaller for some weird purpose, something about him being cyberbullied because of his opinion on salt water. It sort of dribbled off after that.""I've never-!""You totally did! I see your game you little prick! Don't think I didn't see you staring at my toes!""I'm not sure what is happening," the pants-guy said. "but I get that you are guilty of something Hinoka.""No! I don't have a foot fetish!""Yeah right!" you put your hands on your hips. "I saw what you did to that last girl, replacing her hands with another pair of feet! Disgusting!""I didn't even do anything to her yet!"Silence, the man flinched and the colors were drained from his face. A moment passed."Yet?" his boss repeated.Mr. Hinoka began to shake, he looked at you with anger and panic."You..." he took a slow step towards you.You immediately backed off as far as you could. He suddenly moved faster and pointed the scalpel to you. Before he could step any further. The door slammed open and a handful of henchmen busted in the room and dragged him out.The boss called another doctor to take care of the patient and the two of you went outside too, seeing Mr. Hisoka being tackled to the ground, his shouts of struggle being muffled. He looked like the fucking lunatic he really was.You looked away, not wanting to look at him again. Now that it was over, you took a few deep breaths. Choromatsu joined you as the guy was thrown in the back of the henchmen's van. People were giving them confused, almost scared looks, but they didn't dare to say anything of course."Well," he said. "somehow, it worked." he noticed the man beside you. "Oh, hello Dekapan.""Matsuno!" he exclaimed. "You were behind all this?!""It was necessary to catch him. We'll take him home and make him spill out where he took those poor girls.""I see... Thank you." he turned towards you. "And who's this lady?""Oh, she's (L/n) (Y/n), a good friend of ours. She agreed to help me for this mission.""(L/n)... Interesting." he slightly bowed. "Thank you so much for your help.""You're very welcome." you bowed back. Choromatsu and you said goodbye to Dekapan before walking back to the car."You know him?" you asked."Yes, Dekapan is a long time friend, me and my brothers have known him since we were kids. He's a very good doctor and scientist. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to go to him, he's very kind.""Heh, okay." you smiled.You got in the vehicle and drove away, followed by the van."Again, thank you for helping me." he said."I'm sorry I messed up so badly...""No! It's okay! I know you weren't having a good time. In the end it all went well, you did an excellent job back there." he smiled at you."Yeah that was fun," you smiled back. "I will never do this again."He laughed."Anything you wanna do now?""Just...get the fuck out of that dress."He laughed again, a bit sad this time.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Let's talk about Ichimatsu.He was the last one to show his friendly side to you. With his stare, his dark aura and the fact he mostly talked in moans and groans, you didn't really know how to act around him. You tried your best not to be alone with him at first.But after that cat incident, you'd sent him some pictures of cute cats you'd stumble upon while scrolling online. And he would really appreciate it. When you were in the same room, he'd give you a thumb up and you'd always see a little spark in his eyes. It was kind of cute.And today, you were looking for him, happy with your little discovery and knowing he will be too."Yo Ichimatsu!" you called out once you saw him."Mmh?" he turned around."Guess what I heard when I was working." you paused, he simply shrugged. "You're gonna love it, a cat cafe just opened up."That little spark appeared again in his eyes. He was interested. It made you smile."A cat cafe?""I heard it's really cute there, wanna go together?"The thought of going out, just the two of you stressed him out to say the least, focusing on the cats helped him a lot. He enthusiastically nodded."Great, let's go tomorrow! I'll send you the address." you took out your phone. "Hope you like to walk.""Huh? We can just drive there.""Actually, the cafe is accessible only by foot, the streets there are pretty narrowed. So at some point we'll have to get off the car and walk there." you looked up and smile. "Plus you can't enjoy the view as much when you're driving, it'll be nice."He knew it wouldn't work, he knew it was a bad idea, yet looking at your bright expression, he just couldn't say no."...okay.""Okay! See you tomorrow then!" you smiled then walked away.Now alone, Ichimatsu looked down, thinking about what to do.After a moment, he took out his phone. "Bye guys!""Huh?" Karamatsu stopped the two of you as you were about to step out. "Where are you two going? Why so casual?"Indeed, it was sunny outside, and you were going to walk so you wore a cute and light outfit with a short and a tank top. Ichimatsu, surprisingly, was wearing something casual as hell too! A tank top, but with a jacket and bermuda shorts. All warped up in a purple palette. He also had a face mask."We're going to a cat cafe." you smiled at him.He slightly flinched."W.. with Ichimatsu?""Well since none of you love cats as much as him.""*Buraza*, don't you have work to do?""No." Ichimatsu quickly responded."What, you wanna come with us?"His expression brighten, he was this close to run towards you and say something in his broken english. But then he saw the look on his brother's face. He was behind you so you couldn't see his wide unblinking eyes, fixing his brother like he could just kill him on the spot. Karamatsu gulped."I-It's fine, I have some things to do myself." he put his hand on his chin, trying to keep it cool."Alright then. We'll be back in like a few hours." You waved. Though he would've loved to go with you, the big smile you gave him was enough, he waved back as you and his brother went out. You knew Ichimatsu was never up to conversation so you didn't mind the silent ride. While you were comfortable, Ichimatsu was discreetly and nervously shifting in his seat."Alright!" you said after getting off the car. "Let's go!"You looked back and saw that Ichimatsu still had his back facing you. He didn't look like he was fond of the situation. Maybe the walking part bothered him."Sorry dude, next time you'll pick where we go." you paused, thinking about what you just said. "Uh...as long as it's not somewhere cree-uh? Are you okay?" You took a step forward when you noticed him shaking and twitching. You were about to place your hand on his back when he suddenly turned around. His back straight and his chest bumped. He was fixing you and the cute spark you'd sometimes see in his eyes was replaced by a burning fire."I'll tell you where I'll take you!" he exclaimed with a booming voice, speaking quickly and clearly. "I'll take you to the top of the hill, and I'll watch that ass!"You backed off, eyes wide with your face as red as a tomato."Excuse me?!" He didn't answer and grabbed your wrist. He began to walk with giant and fast steps, dragging you behind him."Let's go!" he exclaimed.You were too shocked to say or do anything. Luckily for you, Ichimatsu seemed to have calmed down when you got to the cute little establishment. Like all men, it didn't last very long.You both sat at a table. Surrounded by cats, Ichimatsu seemed to be right in his element, he was looking at each of them like a child in a toy store. It made you smile, you were glad he was back to his original self."This place is awesome." you said, also looking around, though with a more businessy eye. "Honestly, if I didn't already have a bar, I'd open a cat cafe for sure.""You can still do it. You're the owner aren't you?" he said with his normal monotone voice."Haha, nah~, I like my business as it is. But if I ever do, I'll give you a call. Hell, you can even work for me so you could stay there all day!" you finished with a laugh."I got hired in a cat cafe once." he nonchalantly mumbled, petting the head of a cat which got on the table."Wait, really?"He nodded.'It never occurred to me that they had a life before being yakuzas.'"I got fired on the first day.""Really? Why?""I was supposed to be a waiter but I wanted to be one of the cats."You glanced at a cat napping in the corner and imagined Ichimatsu, from the powerful Matsuno family, napping with it, dressed as a cat. Just the thought alone made you press your hand on your mouth to hide your wide grin and slight blush. It just sounded so cute."Being a waiter sucks anyway. Oh." he realized something, he looked at you, then down. "Sorry...""It's okay. I get why you'd think so. This job doesn't suit you anyway.""What do you mean?""Well, being a waiter requires to move around a lot, like a sport only more intense. You're a lazy guy in general, so I don't really see you in those shoes."He didn't say anything. He looked down and hummed as a sign that he heard you.You ordered for the two of you while he was still petting the cat's head. At some point, another went up to him and jumped on his lap. Then another one, and another one. Cats in general seemed to like him. Ever since you two walked in, Ichimatsu's cheeks were dusted with a shade of pink, but now that he was surrounded by cats, he seemed to get more and more comfortable, to the point where a soft smile formed on his face. The cute vibes emanating from him warmed your heart and made you feel soothed.It made you think back to that time when he calmed you down through the phone during your panic attack.This guy had a real knack to calm you."Holy shit this one is so cute." you whispered to yourself and got up.Ichimatsu looked at you, at first confused, he sighed when he saw you kneel down in front of a young fluffy cat. Now alone, he turned back on his seat and looked down....should he? "Aww~! You're so cute!" you waved your finger in the air while the cat tried to catch them.You noticed a waitress walking to your table with your order."Gotta go kitty." you got up and walked back to your chair. The cats surrounding Ichimatsu were now gone, his eyes were hiden by his messy black hair. As soon as his drink was set in front of him, he grabbed it and drank it all in one go. You blinked twice in surprise. When he set his cup down, he looked at you with a flaming stare.'Oh no.'You anxiously waiting for him to say something but he just stared at you with actual unblinking eyes, it wasn't just an impression of yours. You first avoided his stare, but after a moment, you looked back at him."Ichimatsu?" you began to be concerned. "Did you just space out?""Oh I'll take you to space alright!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I'll take you to the moon, spin you around and slap your lunar surface!""Wh-what?!" you raised your hands to your face to hide your bright blush."Hey!" he slammed his hands on the table and got up.You followed him with your eyes, confused as shit. He walked towards a groups of boys sitting together at a table nearby. He looked down at them, and from the look on their face, he was scary."You're looking at my girl?!"'His girl?!?!'"You think you're a big shot punk?!" he bent down, close to one of the boy's face, who backed off. "I'll take you on right now, then I'll take on her later!""Oh my god! What is wrong with you?!" you grabbed his arm and pushed him away with all your weight. "Let's just go!""Don't think I won't follow you home bastard! I know where you live!""No he doesn't! I'm so very sorry!"You managed to push him outside. Blushing from embarrassment and now of shame. You went to the table to grab your thing, not looking up from your feet. You quickly grabbed your coat and Ichimatsu's jacket-."Uh?" you noticed something falling off the pocket.You picked it up and became even more concerned. It was a green pill. You handed the pill to Dekapan. After...this, you went to his lab to ask if he knew what it was for. As he looked at it in different angle, you glanced at his lab equipment. So many colors. And is that an inside garden?"Ah yes, I recognize it!" he finally said, catching your attention. "Those are the newest version of my super vitamin.""Vitamins?""Yes, Ichimatsu asked for some of them just yesterday.""Yeah, it fell from his pocket. Any side effects?""It's a recent version, I didn't have time to test it yet. But he really seemed in a hurry when he asked me for those, it must've been an emergency." he paused to think for a bit. "If I have to guess, they are pretty powerful, so there's a chance that if someone isn't weak enough, it'd be overwhelming for them.""For the people around them mostly..." you mumbled. You were sitting in the middle of the big stairs, looking down at the little green pill. Thinking back to what Dekapan said. You let out a big sigh."What is wrong my *andgelu*?" you looked up to see Karamatsu. "Would you like the aid of an attentive ear?" he flipped his hair. "...sure." you gave him a little smile. "I actually have a question." "Please, ask away." he said as he sat beside you.You looked around, to make sure nobody was around."It's about Ichimatsu." you spoke in a lower voice. "Does he have any...health problem?""Health problem?" he repeated, blinking twice. "No, not that I'm aware of. Why?"You looked down, not sure if you should tell him or not. "Oh," Karamatsu said. "he is the least healthy out of all of us.""What do you mean?" you looked back at him."Well, me and my dear brothers are working out frequently, but Ichimatsu does hardly little effort to stay in shape. He is a rather slothful man." he held his hand to his forehead."Really? Doesn't he need to fight for stuff?"He chuckled slightly at your question."During combat, he watches our backs from afar, with his trusty sniper." he explained. "Only using it when necessary.""That makes sense." you shown him the pill. "He's been taking those while we were hanging out, and they made him act strange...more than usual. Dekapan told me they were powerful vitamins. Since we had to walk at some point, I figured...""Ah yes." he leaned back,resting his arms on a higher stair. "Surely he didn't want to decline your offer and wanted to make a good impression, afraid to disappoint you. It is hard to say no to you." he gave you a smile. "He may not look like it, but Ichimatsu is actually the most sensitive one out of all of us. Whatever he did back there, I would bet he didn't mean any harm." he got up and stepped down to be at the level of you head. "So just wear that bright smile of yours and he'll understand."'Man, poor Karamatsu is so nice to his brothers.' you thought.Then nodded."Yeah, I'll do that."He winked before going downstairs.'If one of them ends up backstabbing him, I will hurt them.' You finally found Ichimatsu, he was outside, sitting on the ground and petting a stray cat. He was too occupied by that, he didn't notice you walking towards him."Remember to wash your hands after that."He suddenly flinched and slowly turned his head around to look at you. He seemed nervous."(Y-Y/n)...""I know about the pills."He flinched again, then looked down."Listen, if you don't wanna be tired from a simple physical effort, just hit the gym man. 'Cause when you take those pills you become a real asshole. Seriously."He didn't say anything."Ichimatsu," you pressed him a bit. "promise me you'll exercise."He nodded after a moment. You nodded."Good talk." you said before walking away.You took a few steps, then you stopped and took out your phone. Tapped a few times on it and..."Yo!" you turned around and called out, catching the man's attention. "Check your phone!"He frowned in confusion but still did as you told. He did just receive a message from you. It was a video of the fluffy cat back at the cafe, with your finger waving in the air and the cat trying to catch it.Ichimatsu quickly turned around and gave you an energetic thumb up. Though he wasn't smiling, you could tell by the sparks in his eyes that he was happy.You smiled and returned the thumb up.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The few days when you went to work were now your favorite days of the week. It was nice to not have completely cut the ties with your previous simpler lifestyle. Though, like you explained, it was kind of like a sport, nothing would relax you more than this. And with one of the brothers here, even just sitting there, you felt at ease.Speaking of which, sometimes you wondered if people figured out who they were. Todomatsu was in the clear of course, and the other's disguises were enough for them to be hardly recognizable, but even the greatest disguises couldn't hide their shitty attitudes. You would notice people staring at them and whispering to each-other with weird look on their face.Sometimes they'd ask why they've been sitting here since hour one or how do you know them. You'd simply shrug it off and say 'they're just a friend', something along those lines. They were not convinced at first, you even lost a few customers. But when they observed your interactions with them, how you laughed and smiled, they knew they could be trusted.Today, the brothers had an important meeting today, so at some point, Choromatsu had to leave. "Don't worry," he whispered. "you still have the security system."You nodded and the two of you said bye to each-other. Though you felt a bit exposed without him, you also felt like you could finally breathe, so did everyone else. You flinched in surprise when Nari put the trail on the counter a little too forcefully than usual, today she’s been rather grumpy. Maybe it was time you ask her about it before she breaks anything."Nari are you okay?""No!"You flinched again, man she was aggressive."What's up then?""What's up is that an asshole CEO is about to sell a fucking time bomb that'll doom the earth!""Uh... Here have some juice." you put a hand on her tensed shoulder and handed her a can of energy drink, which she snatched away and drank in one go.Weirdly enough, and like always, it seemed to calm her down, the two of you sat down by the bar."There’s this guy," she explained. "He’s the CEO of a construction company and his next contract which is about to be signed is for a new factory.""When...will they sign it?""Today!""How do you know that?""Oh you know, the environmental club is very resourceful.""...Damn, your club is scary.""We’re protecting the planet!" she slammed her fist on the table."Sorry sorry, please continue.""And according to our estimations, this next factory will very probably cause one of the biggest toxic waste leak in history!""Ow shit." you said with big eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've give you the day off.""Really?!""Yeah, that sounds important. Where's it gonna happen?""At some indian restaurant called the...Maharajah?"Nari yelped in surprise when you slammed you hands on the counter and brought your face closer."THE Maharajah?! How dare you called it 'some restaurant'?!""I dunno (Y/n)! I don't even like Indian food!"You loudly gasped, a hand on your chest."I could fire you right now." you whispered, then sighed. "Man~, now I really want to help...""Well you could!""Uh?""I need your experience on the business to sneak in, it's an important step in the plan that I just made up right now!""But...the customers-.""We can just tell them we're closing early, there's not a lot of them anyway.""But..." your eyes trailed to the cameras."(Y/n) come on!" Nari whined. "You'll get to save the world and also have dinner at this place you seem to love so much. I'll pay!""Let's go!" you went to grab your jacket. "Okay, let's review everyone's speech." Nari said and pointed at one of her friend. "Akane?""Arg~ my belly!" said girl made a twisted face and she squeezed her stomach, she seemed really committed to the cause."Good." she then turned towards another friend of hers. "Hiroji.""Oof, my stomach hurts!" he mimicked the same act, a bit less enthusiastic."Yeah, not bad. Kim?"Kim, sitting besides you at the table, looked down and was breathing heavily. It made you looked up from the menu you were reading with sparkling eyes."Kim?" you asked, beginning to be concerned, so did everyone. "You okay dude? We're on a mission come on!""I was acting! Stupid!" he lightly punched Nari on the arm.You sighed of relief and went back to your menu."Haha, oh he's cute!" she said. "No, the script it's 'my stomach hurt' and you make faces.""Well it's not a fucking circus.""(Y/n)," you looked up again to look at Hiroji sitting in front of you. "you said you went there a lot when you were a kid. Were your parents rich?""Well actually," you smiled, more than happy to educate this kid about this place. "one of the greatest thing about the Maharajah is, in addition of being in the fancy district, the food is very affordable. And it's delicious.""Don't salivate on the food too much." Nari said. "You gotta go soon.""Yeah about that, why am I the one who has to go?""Yeah why is she, the one...who has to go...so soon." Hiroji's voice became quieter and quieter as his face got redder and redder."Because of your experience, I told you, I remember you going on about all the crazy shit you did. And also because I'd totally just kick the shit out of him if I see this guy." she said with a clenched fist."We're college students, we're loud as hell." Akane said with a chuckle. "Also for narrative reasons.""Wha-?""I also have a question," Kim said. "what the fuck am I doing here?""We're a team dude! We're all in this together!"You pursued your lips to try and not smile, you didn't say anything, but the song was playing in your head in maximum volume."So here's his room number," Nari handed you a piece of paper. "It's the hotel right across the street. Do you remember your lines.""Uh...yeah. But another question, how do you know he’s gonna take the chicken?""We investigated on this guy, he always takes the chicken." she said with a creepy smile."Okay... Well," you stood up. "see ya.""B-bye! Bye..." Hiroji quickly said before anyone could, he waved until you were completely out of sight. It was fairly easy to sneak in, get yourself an apron and a cleaning cart and snatch his room's key card. God it reminded you of your high-school days when you did similar things with your friends, not for a good cause though, more along the lines of getting next week test's solutions. You smiled at those memories.Finally in his room, you saw a large man on the phone. He didn't notice you come in at first."Yes Sir!" he said in a cheerful voice. "Just making sure that our appointment is in order... Yes! Yes, the Maharajah. We'll go over the contract and the food is excellent! ... Well Sir, what can I say, I like to mix business with pleasure. Yes, I’ll see you there." he hung up with a happy smile."E-excuse me?"He turned to look at you, surprised at first, he sighed when he saw your apron."I didn’t ask for room service.""Oh, I probably mixed the room numbers, I apologize. I’m new here you see.""Don’t worry, I understand." he smiled.You took a few steps towards the door but stopped and turned around."Actually, I couldn’t help but hear you talking about the Maharajah?""Yes, I’m having dinner there.""Well... if I were you, I wouldn’t go there.""Why’s that?""I heard that today’s chicken wasn’t really fresh. You’ll get really sick once you eat it, it won’t be pretty."He stared at you and you did you’re best not to look away."So... instead of chicken I’ll take the lamb." he pointed at you with a smile."Uuuuh..."’Dammit why didn’t Nari think of that?!’"...no." you slowly shook your head."No?""Because... Because the lamb will also make you sick!""Listen," he began to get angry. "I eat at this restaurant for years, and I’ve never been sick. So... stop lying to me!""Well go on then. But when you get there, don’t be surprised if you see people making faces and twisting and whatnot.""I still don’t believe you.""...pff! Why would I lie to you about the Maharajah?!" you said in an exaggerated voice, also feeling angry about yourself for shading this beautiful place."Maybe to prevent me from signing my next contract?" he said with narrowed eyes.With big eyes, you opened your mouth, but quickly closed it right after."Ha-ha!" he pointed at you again. "So I’m right," he asked, looking down at you sitting on the couch while he put on his tie. "you just wanna stop me from signing my contract?"You didn’t say anything."You know it’s the deal of my life right? With it, I’ll be able to buy a new house for my mother." you looked up to see his smile soften. "She’s been working all her life to pay for my education, and it’s time to pay her back. I'm not a bad guy, I just wanna be a good son." he put his hand on his hips after making the most horrible tie knot you’ve ever seen.You sighed and stood up."You’re not making this easy for me man. ‘Scuse me." you took his tie, undone the knot and put it around your neck to make it for him."No problem. But you know, why the Maharajah? I could really sign it elsewhere.""Bad idea, I heard your prices are low, your client would totally find it suspicious." you wrapped the correctly knotted tie around his neck. "But after the chicken tikka masala and its spicy egg sauce," your gaze became distant, getting hungry just speaking about it. "they’ll be so blown by such flavor... that they’ll have to sign.""Naturally, this restaurant is excellent.""Of course!" a moment passed when you both reflected its awesomeness before you looked at him in the eyes. "But I’m not here to advertise the Maharajah, I’m here to stop you from signing this paper. It’ll make you rich yes, but the factory you’ll built may cause the biggest toxic waste leak in history." He blinked a few times before huffing a smile of some sick pride."Listen here." he went to grab his jacket.You were taken aback by the complete change of atmosphere."Why do you think our prices are so low." he put it on, still looking at your clueless expression. "Because our materials aren't the best quality. So, of course there’s gonna be leaks!""Bu-but the toxic wastes-!""Will get my mom a nice house. I’m a good son remember?" he whispered that last part.You were speechless. It only made him smile even more."So, here's what's gonna happen." he began making his way to the door, taking his suitcase in the process. "I'll go to the Maharajah, I'll have an amazing dinner with my client, and I'll make them sign my contract." he paused, looking back at you. "Because I like to mix business with pleasure."He then exited the room, leaving you with an outraged look on your face. 'Shit shit shit!' you thought as you ran your way out of the hotel. 'What do I do what do I do?! Should I push him down the stairs-No! You maniac-!'"Guh!" you were suddenly stopped by bumping into someone outside the building. "Sorry! Very sor-Oh!" you said when you looked up to see who it was.Both 'Saved!' and 'Ow shit!' ran through your mind. "You know what, the target's coming," Kim gestured to the large man walking in the restaurant. "you guys go ahead because I'm not doing this."As he cheerfully walked passed their table, Hiroji seemed to have given up on this idea. The two girls did their part, but they quickly stopped when they noticed him just smiling at them.You soon walking it yourself with frowned eyebrows and sat at your chair, just looking at this guy pissed you off."(Y/n)...?" Hiroji asked with a little voice."Well your plan didn't really worked if he's here." Kim said, still looking at his menu."Maybe we should just kick the shit out of him after all." Nari said between her teeth."Nah, just wait a second." you said, smiling because of what's coming up. And then, the chatter of the room gradually stopped when two of the Matsuno Brothers walked in, Choromatsu and Osomatsu. When he saw you from the corner of his eyes, the eldest, who was leading the way, made a discreet wave toward you with a smile, which you returned."(Y/n), what the hell-?" Nari started to whisper before you hushed her down."Shh! Wait and see."They joined the asshole CEO at his table and greeted each other before sitting down. He handed them the contract. They took it and talked to him about something. They were too far away to hear, but the man at some point lost his smile. After they were done, they just looked at him with big smiles and he stood up and rushed out. Walking passed you, you waved at him with an equally big smile which added to the distressed look on his face.After he was completely done, you happily giggled and waved at the two men, who stood up and walked towards your table."Good job guys." you said."Easiest shit ever!" Osomatsu said, articulating each words, while the staff connected another table to yours so they could sit with you guys."(Y/n)...?" Nari spoke, eyes you with big eyes just like the others."Oh don't worry, they're cool." you casually waved your hand."You called them here?""Nope, we came here ourselves!" Osomatsu said, leaning back on his seat. "We already had our eyes set on the guy.""There's been a lot of complaint about falling apart buildings recently," Choromatsu explained in more details. "and we noticed that all of them were made by the same company. After a bit of investigation, we learn about their low prices and we thought it was pretty suspicious. All we had to do was to find out why, we figured the best way to do that was to set up a deal. A victory for him yes, but one that wouldn't last.""But~thank to our new source," Osomatsu nodded to your direction, which made you smile. "we found it out sooner, so we didn't even have to buy him anything! Low quality materials? That's basically false advertisement.""So we explained to him the mess he's gonna get himself into for all of his frauds. He's probably on his way to destroy any evidence he could find, but we're having our best agents on the case right now...."..."What happened to my car?!""This is more ecological." Todomatsu said, gesturing to the tiny bike while he and Ichimatsu were dressed as those guys in hotels who park your car."I live in the other side of the city!""What?! You wanna pollute the planet even more you bastard?! You wanna walk there?! You should! Walking is good for you!" Ichimatsu raised his voice, twisting his face to look more menacing, which worked perfectly."Can... Can I at least have a better bike?""And throw this one away which will pollute even more?!"He gulped."Oh you're in big trouble." Todomatsu held a hand to his smiling mouth...."Wow..." Nari said after a moment, a bit bewildered. "Thank you.""Oh no need to thank us." Choromatsu shook his head smiling. "It's thanks to you that this mission was easier than we thought.""Yeah, thanks to you guys it won't be such a pain in the ass after all!"The kids laughed. Probably because their idea of the powerful brothers they had in mind was nothing like the guys who were casually talking to them. You were glad they took the situation well."So, are we gonna order?" Osomatsu asked. "Not to advertise or anything, but I heard that the food's delicious here.""Was it (Y/n) who told you about it?" Kim asked smiling."Oh man! At every spicy meal she's like 'yeah it's good but you know what's better? The Maharajah!'!" The way he mimicked your voice made Kim and Nari laugh, knowing you sometimes did sound like that. You punched Osomatsu on the arm."Dude! When you'll eat that shit, you'll fucking get down to your knees and beg for more!""Oof! If only it was that easy! Heheh-ouch!"Choromatsu's smack of the back of his head made everyone laugh again. God this was going to be a fun night. "She was right! There! Going around in a hotel! Alone and without protection! And you're telling me we weren't supposed to do anything?!" "Was it not the one thing I made clear? Don't, approach her."Will gripped his blond hair in irritation, trying not to growl in anger so that he wouldn't hear him over the phone."How are we supposed to get to the Matsunos if we're just letting their weakness going around?!""All goes well to those who wait. Have a little patience would you.""Waiting! We've been waiting for like a month!""Why do you say 'we'?""Huh?""You keep saying 'we' as if we were partner. I shouldn't have to remind you that I'm basically your boss.""...""You're done with your little rant~?""...yes.""Good. Well, gotta go... Geez, what's with that guy's attitude?" he heard him say before hanging up.Knowing he did it on purpose, Will stared at his phone with shaky hands."This guy's crazy." he said between his teeth.He wanted to smash the device on the ground, but he no longer had the money to buy a new one, so he just put it back in his pocket and walked away."Next time I see her, I won't fucking stay put." "Man, I can't believe you've been dealing with this creep for so long." the man softly whispered, his voice being muffled by the soft jazz music being played. "I am getting worried though. You're beginning to like them more and more." he raised his hand to caress his wall. "If you end up getting hurt, I wouldn't know how to live anymore. Don't worry though, I'll always be with you. I'll protect you."He then kissed his wall, which was covered with photos of you. On non of them were you looking at the camera. He found out this was your best angle.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Days when the boys couldn’t acompany you to work were rare, but when it happened, you got the idea of calling Ben. You figured he wasn’t comfortable with yakuza stuff. You had to tell him what happened at some point, because he was your friend and he became more and more worried about you since the last time we saw him in this story. After that he wouldn’t show up at all as long as one of the brothers was there. So when he came for work today, the customers were more than happy and so were you.It was now the end of your shift, the driver should be here to pick you up any minute now. Nari and Clarice left a while ago, leaving the two of you to enjoy each-other’s company. You were calmly cleaning the glasses while Ben was still playing a little tune."So, doing okay with your criminal boyfriends?"You puffed a giggle."As a matter of fact I am. They're way nicer that I imagined at first. It's kinda weird actually," you stopped what you were doing to look at him. "it's like they had normal lives and were just put in this situation.""And you believe them?" he asked, more seriously. "It doesn't matter what they were, they're still yakuza-.""It doesn't matter what they were, they're just the sweetest." you started talking over him and finished your sentence alone.He frowned slightly and concentrated on his moving fingers."Oh come on, don't pout!" you smiled. "Benny~!" you called and he flinched slightly, you knew he hated that nickname. "Do you trust me?""Yes.""Did I ever made a wrong choice which led to a terrible and inescapable situation?""...no.""There you go!" you turned back to your dishes. "If I ever get suspicious of something, you’ll be the second person who I’ll call right away. So stop being such a grumpy-grumpo.""Who’s the first one?" he quickly asked."Dude you made a false note!" he turned back to the piano just as quickly. "It’d be Rip of course. You jealous?"He didn’t respond and prentended to be too focused on his music. You quietly chuckled.’What a fucking tsundere!’ you wondered how to break him out of his little childish moment. "You watched Moulin Rouge recently?""Oh that movie’s dope!"You laughed again as he went on to why it’s a golden masterpiece. It’s his favorite movie. You didn’t really cared for it, but he talked about it with such passion. It was a rainy evening. You and the Matsuno boys sat around a table and decided to play some games. You all played several rounds of majhong and you found out that they were really good at this game. Even though they said they'd go easy on you because you don't play it that much, they beat you again and again. At some point, you gave up and let them play against themselves."I was wondering," you said after a while. "you guys were NEETs before right?"Jyushimatsu, who was in the middle of sipping a drink, nerly chocked on it and the liquid came out from every hole of his face.Yeah, in a moment of free time, you googled it and found out what it meant."No!"/"Yes!" Todomatsu and Osomatsu said at the same time, they looked at each other before looking back at you. "Yes!"/"No!""Dammit!" they finally said together."So I was wondering," you disregarded that little scene, knowing it would happened. "how did you guys went from NEETs to one of the Four Families?""It's true we were NEETs before." Choromatsu said, looking down, blushing out of shame and embarrassement for feeling exposed. "One day, we had enough of people complaining about our lifestyle and finally decided to stand up for ourselves. Gradually we became more and more influencial, to then become rich and finally moving out. Establishing our territory.""We sure shown them!" Osomatsu smiled as he recalled the looks on his parents' and friends' face."Yeah but, how?""We worked out!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed.You smiled and waited for the others to actually explained. But they only nodded and went back to their thing. 'What...that's it?!'In your bewilderness, you just staid quiet while they continued their games. Even if you wanted to ask more questions, you didn't want to bother them. Now that you were gone, it was an equally leveled match, it looked intense. Eventually, it ended up on a draw. What actually happened was that everyone rage quit because of the pressure.You suggested you played another game, which they gladly agreed."(Y/n)-chan, you've ever played the mexican?" Todomatsu asked as he began shuffling a deck of tarot cards."Uh no?""Totty no!" Choromatdu said. "It's not a game for her, she's a more casual player.""What is this game?" you asked, getting interested.Todomatsu walked passed his brother, giving him a smuggy glance in the process, and sat beside you. Ignoring his brothers' stare.We won't explain the whole thing of course. But to be short and simple: each player gets four cards, four cards equal four rounds. At the beginning, the players have to say how many rounds they think they can win. Then each player plays one card, the one with the biggest number wins the round. For example if a player says they'll win three times and actually just won once, they lose two lives (the numbers of lives you have can vary), even if they won four instead of three, they still lose one life. When the players only have one card left, they hold it for every player to see expect them. They'll have to guess if they'll win or not before putting down their card. Then it's four cards again, until only one player remains. [Yeah it's a real game]"So, why is call the mexican?" you finally asked."I don't know (Y/n)-chan, what do a crow and a desk have in commun?""Neither of them are made of cheese!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, making you laugh."Alright, I think I got it." you stood up to join the boys at the table. "Let's do this!" This was easy! Fun and easy!Jyushimatsu, Karamatsu and Choromatsu lost a long time ago, Ichimatsu just rage quit by flipping the table, and the two other were this close to lose.You? You were full life!At this point point, you wondered if they were really going easy on you. You were sure they did at first, but you began to notice their tensed expression. Could it be that you were a genius at this game? Or was it just beginner's luck?Either way, you didn't want to jix it."One!" you said as you put down your last card.It was the bigger one out of the three. "Boom!" you swung your hands in the air in victory.You laughed while the two losers hung their head down in defeat. A big yawn escaped your lips."It's getting late." Osomatsu said, trying to still look casual. "How about we stop for today?""Can't say no to this." you stood up and stretched your arms. "It was fun guys, we should do this again someday.""But of course!" Karamatsu flipped his hair. "Next time, I'll tell you all about a certain game of my making. The night's darkness will lit up with the lights of our joy! And our laughter will shake its silence! Together in harmon-!""Yeah totally!" Osomatsu exclaimed."Huh?" Karamatsu sadly looked down, but smiled shyly when he noticed your compassionate glance. "Yeah sure. Have a good one!" You were walking by the foyer when you saw Todomatsu closing the front door after saying goodbye to someone. As soon as it was close, the cute smile he was wearing went down to an exasperated frown. Osomatsu, who was standing by him, sighed."They're lying." Todomasu said to his older brother."Of course they're lying." he replied with the same low and slightly gravelly voice."You guys okay there?" you asked, catching their attention.Though your presence alone was cheering them up like sunshine after rain, they were still tired from their previous meeting."Hi (Y/n)." Osomatsu said. "Just dealing with some annoying Andrews.""Actually nii-san, we should stop calling him that. I think they’re getting on to it.""I don’t." you frowned. "What’s the deal with calling people Andrew?""Oh right, high-class yakuzas and criminals call their inferiors Andrew to keep them from getting over the lign. You know what I mean?""Oh~, that makes sence." you smiled. "Well, good luck with whatever came up.""Thank you (Y/n)-chan~!" Todomatsu smiled, for real this time.You waved each-other goodbye and you went on your way. The two brothers kept looking at you, finally, the youngest put a hand to his chin."Nii-san, I think I have an idea." "You ever went to the city's casino (Y/n)?""Nope, didn't have time. And when I did, I was too young to go there."You've been called by the boys to the meeting room. You all were sitting at a long table, though you gathered around one end of it, Choromatsu was standing besides his leader, his a document in his hand."Well you see, since this casino is in our territory, a big part of its revenue is given to us." Choromatsu handed you a piece of paper he took out. "But lately, we think we might be trickedYou took it and examined it. It was a chart of the amount of money they've been given over the past year. You didn't have to be a genius to figured out there was a problem. The little lign at some point suddenly goes straight down. You raised your eyebrows before looking back to the brothers."They're think we stupid or something?!" Osomatsu rapidly tapped his fingernails on the table."Pfff, they might." Todomatsu said. "We asked them about it this morning, but they just gave us a lame excuse.""We tried to be nice. Now's the time to kick." Ichimatsu smiled saying his last sentence."And what do I...""We're gonna have to do a little experiment." Osomatsu said. "And you'll be the subject.""Huh?! Oh no, bad idea!""Don't worry (Y/n)," Choromatsu smiled. "It'll be nothing like an under-cover mission. You won't have to do a thing.""Yes my andgelu," Karamatsu, sitting beside you, leaned closer to you. "just be yourself and play the night away.""I just have to go there and play games?" you thought for a second. "Alone?" you asked, more concerned."Technically yes." Osomatsu responded. "We'll also go to the casino, the owners will be too distracted by us to notice you. But we can't be seen with each-other too much, it'll get them suspicious."You unconciously played with your fingers as you pursued your lips."Don't worry (Y/n)-chan!" Jyushimatsu sitting across from you said. "We can bump into each other on purpose, we'll keep an eye on you, I'll help you if you don't know how to play a game!"You smiled. Now that your only concern was out of the way, you were looking forward to another game night."Alright then!" "How do I look?" you asked as you joined the boys by the front door.They looked at you and their face lit up with wonder when they saw you all dressed up. The casino, like all casinos, had a dress code, so Todomatsu selected an outfit for you and arranged your hair and makeup. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw the way they stared at you. But you stared at yourself in the same way (minus the horniness) when you saw your reflection in the mirror. You did look great, a black dress going down to the knees, revealing your shoulders, your hair up in an elegant bun and just enough makeup to highlight your bright (e/c) eyes.Pretty enough to turn a few heads (at least six), simple enough to fit in the crowd. A perfect mix. You saw a feeling of immence pride in Todomatsu’s wattery eyes, like a proud mother."Shall we go then?" you asked, having the answer to your first question just by looking at them.The six men offered you their arm in perfect unison. You huffed a smile while they glared at each-other. Stepping into the casino, you were welcomed by the happy jazz music of good ol’ Sinatra, the lights were making your eyes sparkle. Seeing the countless tables and machines, you felt a certain childish excitement growing in your chest. And it’s not like you had anything to lose! The brothers basically gave you access to their bank account! They gave you free rein, that doesn’t mean you’ll abuse it.You didn’t waste any more time admiring your surroundings and stepped towards the first table you saw. Meanwhile, the owner in his office on the second floor with a view of the entire venue, looking over the little people wasting their money away. ‘Huh, a new face.’ he thought. ‘A pretty one at that.’ he took a sip of his whiskey. ‘Poor little thing doesn’t know what’s coming.’His eyes wandered to the entrance and he almost chocked on his drink. The six heads of the Matsuno Family were standing there, all dressed up and looking around. The owner pressed his hands and forehead on the glass wall, hoping his sight was playing tricks on him. He swallowed a lump in his throat once he realized they were indeed here.Once he noticed an employee talking to them and recognized his number, he rushed over to his monitors and picked the earpiece corresponding to his number. You see, the owner had the brilliant idea to hide a mic on every one of his employees, just in case some funny business is going on. He listened closely. "M-May I say, you all look astonishing tonight." the poor boy nerviously complimented.’Don’t stutter you goof!’"Why thank you!" Osomatsu said with a big smile, friendly but intimitating. "But we’re not here to chat, this is an inspection."’Inspection?!’ the owner panicked."Oh? You... You didn’t notify us.""Of course we didn’t! If we did, it wouldn’t be an inspection!" he looked over at his brothers to shared a laugh with them."O-Of course.""*Mai boyu*," Karamatsu wrapped an arm around the young man, his big cigar on his other hand, white smoke coming out of his mouth as he spoke. "do not be so tensed. We are in a place where all your wildest dreams can come true. Let the jazz trace your steps towards redemption!" he gestured to the venue, like he was the one introducing him to the place. "Let us simply drink and play the games of life! Some will rise and some will fall! C’est la vie!""Yeah, whatever he says. We’ll just be enjoying the night." Osomatsu waved as ha and his brothers went their seperate ways."O-okay..."Though they were seperated, the owner was keeping an eye on each of them. Just like each of them were keeping an eye on you.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Mmm." your eyes narrowed, looking at the cards in your hand and on the table. "May I ask a question? I’m sorry I know we started long ago. It’s my first time playing poker american style.""Of course Miss, ask away." the dealer smiled."Don’t worry lady." "Yeah, we’ve all been there." the other players reassured you."Okay." you smiled at them. "So, when the cards are of the same color, it’s good right?""Why yes it is.""Okay." you nodded to yourself. "Is the number one card the weakest?""No, the ace is actually the strongest.""Oh! So if you have more than one...?""It’s very good yes."Your smile widen and the other players shifted in their seat, their smile gone."And the cards with letters on it, how many are they? Three right?""Y-yes."You counted your cards and you seemed to be pleased with yourself."Okay!" you looked at the man sitting on your right, it was his turn to play."Um..." he placed his hand down. "Fold.""Yeah, fold too."One by one, each of them gave up. They looked disappointed and you could understand why, there was quite an amount of chips at steak here. But it was better to give up now than to lose more later."Everyone folded, you win this round Miss."As the dealer pushed the chips towards you, you placed down your cards, revealing a simple pair of seven and other weak cards.The players shouted in shock and realization that they’ve been tricked. They looked at you standing up, looking down on them with the widest grin your cheeks could allow you to make."Good games misters! Farewell!" you waved at them before going to the next table.As you walked there, you texted Choromatsu the amount you just won, as you were instructed to do so. You wandered around and a table ended up picking your curiosity. You walked closer, not looking away from the cards."Care for a game of black jack Miss?" the dealer sent you a polite smile."Sure!" you took a seat. "How do you play?"She was about to answer when a familiar voice spoke from behind you."I can tell you." you looked to the side to see the fifth Matsuno Brother, sitting besides you with his everlasting smile which made you smile yourself. "You place your bets and you gotta get a count as close to 21 as possible without going over it."You nodded as he then explained the values of each cards and some other rules. The dealer was looking back and forth from you to him, a bit unsettled by how you weren't as uneasy just by his presence."Okay, I get it." you placed a handful of chips on the center of the table. "Hit me!"She placed a card down."Hit me!"Another card."Hit me!"And another one."Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!""Uh..." Jyushimatsu was about to call you by your name, but instead rephrased what he wanted to say. "You're at 19, are you sure you wanna keep going?""..." you narrowed your eyes. "Hit me."With a discreet shake of the head, the dealer placed yet another card down. Seeing what the card was, her eyes widen, so did Jyushimatsu's."Tw-twenty-one, you won.""Boheba!" Jyushimatsu made a weird face and yelled in his surprise."Woohoo!" you swung your arms in the air while the pile of chips slid your way. "Thank you Sir for your advice!" The big bright smile you gave him before walking away made his heart jump. "Look at her," Karamatsu told Choromatsu, sharing a drink with him and looking at you walking around. "she's having so much fun.""She's like a child. So cute~." the oldest said, trying his best not to shout his adoration.Knowing that looking at you too much wasn't a good idea (with or without the owner spying on them), they both turned towards the bar."And that outfit looks so good on her.""Than kyu Totty."Choromatsu closed his eyes. If he listened carefully, he could hear your laughter in the busy crowd. Ringing in his ears like a little bell. He never realized how much he was smiling that night.Seeing you happy made him happy.It made them happy. "All on 23!""Miss, are you sure you don't want to try another number for a change?" the dealer asked, beginning to be concerned."Nah man, 23 is where it's at." you placed your chips in the shape of a pyramid. "The pyramid is never wrong."The people around were looking at you, flabbergasted to see such an elegant lady speaking with so much familiarity. You have bet the exact same amount on 23 over and over again, yet you still had a aura of confidence around you.Your eyes were fixing on the little white ball, rolling around the wheel to finally land on..."23 baby!" you exclaimed.Your little pyramid times four was pushed towards you. You pour it all in a little bag they gave you when you couldn't hold everything with your own hands. You stood up and walked away, looking for your next game. You spotted Ichimatsu walking to your direction. He took advantage of a wave of people to slow down his pace and exchange a few words with you."Why do you leave the table as soon as you win?" he asked, his voice only just above a whisper."It's my first time in a casino, I wanna try every game as soon as possible."With this, you walked passed each-other. Though it has been the tiniest conversation ever, the two of you smiled. "Uh, sir-?""What?!"The little employee flinched when his boss aggressively turned around, his eyes tired from looking at his monitors for too long."W-well, we're having a bit of an issue.""The big boys are here yeah I know!""No. A woman is winning at all of our games.""Well fix the games and make her lose." he returned to the screens with an 'I don't care' wave of the hand."We tried, but she always ends up winning anyway and makes all of her money back. It's like her pockets are bottomless."This caught the attention of the owner, he fixes his employee for a moment before turning back."Where is she?"The boy walked up to his side. After a minute of searching, he pointed at one of the monitors."The one with the (h/c) hair and black dress."They looked at you as you just won at pachinko.'The new face huh?' he smiled, finishing his glass of whiskey.He knew it would be bad to let you run around his establishment and that he should stop you, but he also felt a growing spark in his chest. Like a kid who just saw the newest video game."How long has she been here?""About three hour now.""Well," he finally said. "maybe we should invite her up here.""Why Sir?""Isn't it obvious?" he looked at him. "We'll play some games." "Ma'am?" you felt a hand on your shoulder. "The boss would like to personally invite you to the VIP lounge.""Huh?" you looked back at the man behind you.You didn't really know what to say. You weren't supposed to catch the owner's attention. Maybe you enjoyed yourself a bit too much..."Uh...no thank you." you quickly looked around, searching for any of your friends."Now now Ma'am," his grip tighten, keeping you from getting away. "you don't just turn down an invitation from the boss."His grip and his pressing tone made you more and more uneasy. You wanted to shake him off and yell at him, but you also didn't want to make a scene and catch even more attention to yourself. So you just averted your eyes from him, getting agitated."What's going on here?"You both spun your head to look at the leader of the Matsuno brothers, walking up to stand between you and him."You know, it's not very gentleman-like to push a lady around like that.""N-No Sir! It's all a misunderstanding! You see..." he leaned closer to whisper in his ear."Huh? Why are you whispering?" Osomatsu asked with a disdained look."Well, it's kind of confidential." you heard him say while you frowned in confusion as to what was happening in front of you.As the man explained the situation to him, Osomatsu glanced at you and winked. It instantly made you feel relieved."Oh~ that IS a problem." he put a hand to his chin in some fake-thinking after the man finished. "Mmmm~. Alright, let's go!" he went by your side and offered you his arm, which you gladly took."Sir, we can sort this out ourselves.""The casino is a part of my territory, its problems are my problems." he smiled as the two of you walked pasted him.You both looked back to see his dumbfounded face. You looked at each-other and tried your best not to laugh. You did snicker though. The VIP space was apart from the principal venue, it was tinier too. There was only the owner sitting back on a red couch, waiting for you and surrounded by three of his men. Of course he wasn't expecting you to be accompanied by Mr Matsuno. He suddenly became all tense once you stepped in. But Osomatsu, in his casual fashion, simply said hi and went to sit in a corner with a drink, where he had a full view of the room. Though he mostly focused on you.You were glad he was here, you wouldn't know what to do if you were alone."Good evening Miss." the owner nodded as a sign of greeting, which you returned as you went to sit in front of him. "I'm deeply sorry if I interrupted your fun."You looked up and down at him, a rather little man, slim with round glasses, his black hair combed. You'd mistake him for a college kid if it wasn't for his beard and the few white hair he had."It's alright," you said. "I was just done playing a game of pachinko.""Yes, I heard you were quite the player." he smiled. "And I happened to be a gamble enthusiast myself." he leaned over a bit. "And you just called the gamer in me. Care to play a few games with me?"Osomatsu had to take a long sip to hide his ear to ear smile.You blinked once or twice. This was the reason you were here? Really?"How about we put the money you gained tonight on the table?" he looked over at your bag. "Oof what a sum, it's almost full."'Of course, the money. Figured.' you quietly sighed.You put your bag on the table."What game shall we play then?" you asked with a smile.'This could be fun.' you and the man thought."I propose a simple one to start us off with..." he raised his fist. "Rock paper scissors."'Huh?! That's a kid's game!' Osomatsu thought, but refrained from saying anything."Ooo~ alright." you two shifted to be at the edge of your seat and raised your fist. 'He must know a few tricks if he chose that game.' you thought."Three rounds then, count to three.""Sure. 1, 3, 2!""Huh?!" he let out at the three, he understood when you said two but it was too late for him to think.He did rock, you did paper. You smiled."People tent to do rock when they're confused." you explained.He frowned, only for a moment."This time I'm counting.""Alright. I'll do paper again."He glanced at you, trying to look past your trick. You kept looking down at your hands. You glanced up. He seemed confused."1, 2, 3!"You did scissors, he did paper.You chuckled."Works everytime." you allowed yourself to brag a bit.He clicked his tongue."This time, no tricks." he said. "Just raw thinking. Okay-""Wait, are you ready?" you pointed at him."Yes. 1, 2, 3!"You did rock, he did scissors.He smacked his hand on his knee."You want to know why I won?" you didn't wait for a response. "When I pointed at you, I did the scissor sign."Thinking back to it. He did realize that you were pointing at him with two fingers, apart from each other enough to look like scissors. He gritted his teeth, annoyed. "This was only the appetizer. I won't lose on this next game-""Oh, can we play the mexican?!" you exclaimed. "I'm feeling like playing the mexican.""Huh? It's a long game, it'll probably take us the whole night to play." he paused. "Have you played it before?" he cautiously asked. "Only once. But it was fun."Hearing that, the owner smiled."Can we have a tarot deck in here?" he asked one of his men.In his corner, Osomatsu was a bit worried. Yeah you were good at games but... This is the owner of the casino. He knows everything about every game. You managed to catch him off guard before. It may not work this time... Here the life count: him, 6/20.You, 16/20.And you just kept on winning. Guess you had a real knack for it. With each round, his frustration turned into desperation. "Guys, I'm gonna say it." you looked at the men around with a big smile. "I like this game!""Okay stop." he dropped his cards on the table. "You win. Please stop this humiliation, take your money and go.""Well, actually. You can have it." you handed him the bag."What?!" "Ooo~ what a turn of event!" Osomatsu said with a hand to his mouth in shock."Yes, I only came here for the games anyway." you smiled.Hesitant at first, the owner ended up taking the bag."It's getting late I think. I'll take my leave now.""Allow me to walk you to the door Ma'am." Osomatsu quickly got up at offered you his arm once more.You smiled and took it."Thank you, whatever your name is."He tried not to laugh as the two of you went on your way out. Osomatsu was about to open the door when it opened. A little object was thrown into the room. Smoke everywhere, you couldn't see a thing in a matter of seconds. You clinched onto Osomatsu's arm but you heard him yell in pain and suddenly he was gone."Osomatsu!" you called in panic and confusion.You blindly stepped back as quick as you could, hoping you'd get to a wall. Instead you bumped into someone."Osomats-?" you turned around, praying that it was him, that he was okay, that the both of you would be okay.Your heart frozen when you caught a glimpse of blonde hair.Then, a sharp pain in the side of your head.Then nothing. "They've been in there for a while now." Ichimatsu said to Todomatsu."We should go check on them."After making up an excuse and notifying the others, they made their way to the lounge. The bad feeling they had at this moment made them walk faster."Look!" Ichimatsu pointed at the bottom of the door.Smoke was coming out of it. Suddenly alarmed to no end, they kicked the door open and ran through the hallway to the lounge.The room was filled with white smoke and they covered their mouth as they went inside. The smoke slowly cleared. They found the owner and three of his men unconscious. Todomatsu also found his older brother, in the process of sitting up from the ground, a bit of blood dripping down his mouth and jaw."Nii-san!" he knelled down and gripped his shoulders. "What happened?!" he looked around. "Where's (Y/n)?!"Osomatsu said nothing, just stared into nothing with big eyes. Todomatsu shook him, but it didn’t change anything. He was completely mentally stunned."Osomatsu?! Where is she?! Osomatsu!!!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The first thing you felt when you regained consciousness was the cold floor and the tight ropes around your wrists and ankles.Your entire body felt sore, but the adrenaline rush you got remembering your situation made you forget all about it.You opened your eyes just a little bit. You saw a silhouette in front of a bunch of screens. You breathed faster due to the fear slowly growing in you. He must've heard it, considering the disturbing silence of the room, he turned around."Finally awake Dollface."You opened your eyes completely, looking up at him with anger.'Will.' you wanted to say his name with a voice full of venom, but you were so weak couldn't even sit up. "Oh don't look at me like that, you're gonna break my heart." he jokingly said, walking closer to kneel down in front of you. "Feeling uncomfortable? Good. I made sure to put you in the trunk in the most painful position possible."He didn't spoke for a minute, acting like he was waiting for you to speak, even though he knew you couldn't. He was mocking you and you hated it.Suddenly he gripped your hair and lifted your head, making you yell in pain."What did I just fucking say?" he asked between his teeth, bringing his face closer. "Stop looking at me like that. Like you're not that fucking helpless."In the pain you felt, your hateful stare turned into a pleading one. Feeling satisfied, he let you go and your head fell back on the floor with a thud. You grunted at the impact. He got up and turned towards the screens."Everyone keeps looking down on me," he said, his shoulders tensed from trying to control his anger. "saying I'm 'impulsive'." he said the word with a silly voice while gesturing the air quotes. "Bullshit! You're here now aren't you?!" he spun around to look at you. "I would've waited another month, maybe more! But no! I took down the fucking Matsuno leader and now you're at my mercy!" he sighed with a smile. "When he finds out what I did, he better apologize for his shitty plan. Nobody will dare to call me Andrew after that."'He. Him? Wait! Take down?!'You didn't mind the Medicis' bastard right now, you were getting worried for what could've happened to your friend. But denial took over. You furiously shook your head, ignoring the neck pain it was bringing you."Oh what's that? You think they're gonna knock on the door and pick you up in a limousine with a cup of hot chocolate?" he bent over a bit, still smiling. "Oh, but there’s something you don’t know Dollface. Something nobody knows." he paused because he’s one pretentious dramatic infuriating bastard. "The famous and powerful Matsuno Brothers...are stupid! Stupid and lazy! They don’t know anything about how things are done in the criminal world." he laughed. "No one noticed of course because they never notice anything! The men they'll send, I’ll shred them all into pieces." he gestured to the monitors. "And you’ll be in the front seat of the action. I’ll only spare one, I’ll send him back to them with a message to let them know not to mess with me. And to make sure they understand, I’ll give them a piece of you." you felt a cold chill as he scanned your body. "I don’t know of what yet...I’ll figure it out later-" Suddenly, a booming sound resonated through the room, it came from outside and it sounded not so far away. Will casually turned towards his screens. A man in suit entered the room in a panic."Sir! The Matsunos are here!""Huh, earlier than expected.""No Sir! You don’t understand! *THE* Matsunos! They’re actually here!"Will’s smile fell while yours grew. He quickly brought his face closer to the screen that shown the front entrance and zoomed to the max. You managed to drag your body a bit so you could also see. The front gate has been exploded open by a grenade. A car was parked in the middle of an empty street (the whole area was). The doors opened and one by one, five out of six of the Matsuno Brothers got out and stood in front. They were completely alone.Will was right, they were stupid.As soon as they found him, they went there without thinking.You were washed over by a feeling of relief just by seeing them. But it lasted a moment, once you saw their look. Jyushimatsu was holding a bit metal bat, his smile was larger than usual and so were his eyes. He did not look happy. He was twitching, as if impatient to run inside.Karamatsu had his arms crossed but anyone could tell he was just as eager as his brother. At his fingers were golden brass-knuckles which fit him like a glove.Todomatsu was looking down at his phone, typing like his life depended on it. His face was down but you could see his frowned eyebrows.Choromatsu was staring at the security camera with all his might. Like he could destroy them with his mind.Osomatsu was the only one smiling. Leaning back on the front of the car, his index playfully tapping it. He had a bandage on his cheek and you were glad that it was it.They all looked...different. And you didn't know if you liked it or not. It was the first time you saw them like this.It was the first time you saw them in battle mode. "Shit shit shit shit shit!" Will was shaking. "Fuck!" he looked at you. "Just what are you to them?!"You didn't respond and just looked at him. Even if you had your full strength, you wouldn't have said anything. He just groaned at looked back at the screen.His breath was cut short once he saw Osomatsu move. He reached for something in his pocket, took out his phone. Tapped on it a couple of times before putting it to his ear. Still smiling.After a few moments of silence full of tension (mostly coming from Will). A phone rang, coming from the henchmen who entered the room. Confusion written all over his face, he took it out of his inside pocket while you and Will watched him. He picked up."Y-yes?" he asked in a little voice.A moment passed. He then handed the phone to Will. Will looked at them through the screen and quickly took the phone. He seemed confident, but you noticed his shaky hand. "Matsuno." he said."Will~! Great house you got there! Is it new? It's so big!"The fact that Osomatsu was talking in his usual casual manner pissed him off."Your precious little thing's with me. She's safe...for now.""Yes. You kidnapped her-""GIVE (Y/N) BACK YOU BASTARD FUCK!!!""Calm calm Jyushi. Calm calm." he pushed his brother away from the phone."Does your superior know about this?" Choromatsu asked."Y-you should worry about something else for now! Like how are you possibly gonna find your-""Of course they don't know Choro!" Osomatsu smiled at his brother, ignoring Will. "The Medicis would never allow such an attention grabbing operation!""H-how...""You think we didn't kept our eyes on you after the look you gave her? Even if we didn't, you're so predictable." Choromatsu looked straight into the camera."We don't want to start any trouble with the Medicis." Osomatsu continued. "You attacked us first, our action is completely justifiable. We won't kill anyone. Just give her back now and that'll be the end of it."Will quietly gulped, he glanced at you wondering what the hell they were saying. Giving you now, without even enjoying his revenge for the humiliation you put him through?His ego just couldn't take it."Come at me!" he looked back at them.Osomatsu sighed. Acting like this wasn't what he wanted to hear."Fine." he looked at the camera with a burning stare, not smiling anymore. "We're coming for you." Will hung up, you couldn't tell if he was pissed off, or anxious. Maybe both but you didn't know why."Sir! Are you seriously thinking about taking them on?!" the henchman asked, desperate. "We won't survive if-!"He jerked back when Will threw his phone at him."They're five! There's like fifty of you in this damn house! Just go and do what you're paid to do!" he spat at him before turning back to the monitors."How do you think they became one of the Four Families." the man mumbled, though his boss ignored him."What do you mean?" your voice was raspy from tiredness, but was audible enough for the guy to hear.Hesitant at first, he bent over a bit."Everyone knows they're idiots." he whispered. "But that's not why they're so powerful..."You frowned in confusion."They're just too damn strong." "Remember, don't kill anyone." Osomatsu looked towards his armed brothers. "You can go now."Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu didn't waste any second and walked into the big villa with big steps, cracking their knuckles and neck."You're too calm Nii-san." Todomatsu glanced up at him."It's you guys who are too tensed." he shrugged.Choromatsu glared at him, and sighed."You got it yet Totty?" he asked."I'm trying, but she keeps asking me when we'll hang out." Todomatsu clicked his tongue. "Can't believe I have to act like this right now. She's so clingy too.""You shouldn't complain about that kind of stuff, you idiot." Osomatsu gave him a light hit on the shoulder. "Plus don't worry, they probably won't immediately need it." Jyushimatsu was the first one to step inside. He was welcomed by guns pointed at him. Without a word, he scanned the henchmen one by one. His eyes moving quickly like a robot."Drop the bat ya bastard!" one of the five men in front of him shouted.He stepped closer. He tried to look tough, but when Jyushimatsu's eyes fixed his, his hands became a little shaky."I said drop it!"A few long seconds passed. Jyushimatsu looked down and dropped his bat in front of himself. He used the tip of his fingers to slightly push the bat down as a way to make it bounce. Once. Twice.From there, everything went fast.In mid fall, he grabbed it and took a giant step. He lowered his whole body to then elevate again, swinging the bat upwards, the push on his legs added more strength to it when it hit the guy dead in the jaw.The now unconscious man fell backwards, knocking out another one. The three remaining looked at their colleagues in a moment of shock. Their guns lowered but they pointed back at him again.Jyushimatsu bent over. They were too focused on him to process anything else. So when Karamatsu used his brother's back as a leverage to jump onto them, it was as if he appeared out of nowhere. In his fall, he pushed one of the man's face to the ground with his foot, putting all his weight into it. Immediately after they touched the ground, Karamatsu grabbed the remaining two henchmen by their neck, his grip making them drop their guns, and pushed them down on the ground.Karamatsu stood up and let out a single sharp breath. The two brothers now free to move, the eldest walked forwards. Jyushimatsu grabbed one of the guns and with his bat he launched it at the security camera by the ceiling, breaking it into pieces. You and Will were still staring at the screen, now showing only statics, with the same dumbfounded expression. What? Who? How?!Jyushimatsu, pure ray of sunshine, and Karamatsu with a heart of gold, both of them were like a tornado, taking down whoever were blocking the way. Their movements were perfectly coordinated. Two brothers fighting alongside each-other. The two big arms of the Matsuno Family.In other circumstances, you would’ve melted with how cool they looked, instead you decided to take advantage of Will’s moment of disbelief. You looked at the screen which shown the front of the house.’Where’s Ichimatsu?’A quiet gasp escaped your lips in realization. You looked back at the window, searching for something specific. Your mind began to race once you found it.'Phone, phone, come on phone...' you pressed as you struggled to get your hands in your pocket (The dress was fluffy enough to have hiden it completely).You thanked your past self to have given the phone such a simple password. Though with your wrists tied, you could only manage to use your index to tap on the screen, you were a handy gal and managed to type properly. Quickly glancing at Will from time to time, fortunately he was too busy being completely stunned. Choromatsu looked at his watch. He clicked his tongue when he saw that only a minute passed from the last time he looked at it."Yeah I know." he looked at Osomatsu who spoke up and was still looking towards the house. "They've been in there for a while now."Choromatsu was about to tell his brother, in a passive-but-mostly-aggressive way, how he despised seeing him so calm when this blond incompetent asshole could be doing God knows what to you. But he then noticed the metal of the car bending a little bit under Osomatsu's grip. He quietly sighed."...If we don't get anything in ten minutes, we're going in. Sounds good?" he asked, leaning back and crossing his arms."Thank you yes." Osomatsu answered quickly."Ah finally!" Todomatsu said, raising his head. "And...sent." One by one, the monitors stopped working, even those who weren't destroyed by Karamatsu or Jyushimatsu. Only the one showing the three brothers outside remained."No no no no! Dammit!" Will slammed his hands down the control panel, getting more and more helpless.He turned back and saw the perfect opportunity to vent his anger when he saw you typing on your phone.'Send it send it send it come on!' you watched as the bar was slowly going to the right."Oh Dollface!" you didn't have time to even look at him, he firmly grabbed you by the collar, making you yelp in surprise. "What do you think you're doing?" he talked through his teeth, his eyes fixing yours. "We're having a moment right now. Don't ruin it!"At this sentence, he punched you right in the cheek with full strength, with an 'oof' of pain, you dropped down back on the floor. It became hard to keep your eyes open. You saw your phone getting picked up by Will.It was still turned on so he could read what you just sent to who.In the chat room 'bitches be empty', you wrote 'Seriously why bring a Parasol? I want to look at the Stars!' followed by a heart eye emoji.Will frowned in confusion. He shook his head, thinking it didn't matter, as long as it didn't concern the brothers.He let the phone go. It dropped in front of you. Right before it was smashed by his foot, you saw the 'message sent' on the screen.You closed your eyes with a deep breath to try and calm the pain down. This all you could do. Now you just had to wait. "You know, she might be clingy, but at least she's a good hacker." Choromatsu nodded at Osomatsu's words."Nii-san!" Todomatsu stood straight. "(Y/n) just sent a message in our chatroom!"Osomatsu snapped the phone out of his hand, and him and Choromatsu looked closely at your message."...What is that supposed to mean?" Osomatsu asked."Oh my god she may have gone delusional as a cope mechanism!" Choromatsu cupped his head with his hands."No you idiots! She's not stupid, you guys are just not paying attention." he took Choromatsu's earpiece by force. "Give me that.""Why?" Choromatsu said, rubbing his ear with a bit of annoyance."To talk to Ichimatsu-niisan, obviously. The message was meant for him after all."Osomatsu and Choromatsu shared a puzzled look. Looking around as he walked down another empty street. Ichimatsu stopped walking and as soon as he heard his youngest brother through his earpiece."Todomatsu? What is it?"A moment passed."...that makes sense now." he mumbled, thinking back of what you sent.He smiled, showing his pointy teeth, before continued onward. A long black guitar case in his hand. Three henchmen were locked in a room, nervously waiting for this mess to be over. Like everyone else, they knew this operation was gonna be a fiasco. As soon as they saw the two Matsunos fighting, they ran to the closest room with a lock. At least now they were safe.In one single kick, the door flew out of its handles and hit the opposite wall. Shaking like leaves and holding each-other, the three men looked from the broken door to the doorway. Jyushimatsu scanned the room with one swoop of the head. He paused when he noticed the henchmen, who flinched when their eyes met. Seeing that they weren't going to do anything and that you weren't in this room. He went back to the hallway while Karamatsu was using the same method to look for you on the floor above. Your eyes shot open when you heard the door getting destroyed. At first you thought it was Will going from verbally insulting everything and everyone to physical violence. But you forced yourself to sit up once you saw Karamatsu in the doorway. The animosity in his eyes turned into worry, concern and relief as soon as he saw you."(Y/n)!""Karamatsu!""Will!" The pure joy both of you felt from just hearing each-other's name disappeared quickly when Will, who shouted his own name to remind you that he's still there, stood beside you."It's over." Karamatsu looked at him, his fists clinched with hostility. "You're all alone now. Give her back and we'll be on our way.""How about this." he took out a gun from the inside of his jacket and your blood froze when he pointed it at your head. "You go on your way, and her brain won't be splattered all over the god damn carpet."Without looking, you could tell by his trembling voice that his hand was shaking. And you knew it only made him more dangerous. You didn't dare to move and kept looking up at Karamatsu, who kept looking at the blond bastard with narrowed eyes. His fists were still clinched but now more out of frustration, towards Will and himself. In the complete silence you could hear your own quick heartbeat. Your mind was full of emotions yet you could put no words to your thoughts. In your mental mess, the only clear thing was a desesperate hope.Then suddenly, a sound. Two to be precise. It wasn't like the explosion, it was right beside you.First, broken glass.Then...something you've never heard before.Just as you began to question what that last one was, your mind went blank. Time seemed to slow down when you saw from the corner of your eyes Will's body falling forward like a puppet. A single red spot on the back of his head.Your eyes went wide and you became pale at the realization of what just happened. Before the body even hit the floor, you were now in Karamatsu's embrace, keeping you from seeing anything. In this very short moment, he gently squeezed you, more than happy to see you alive."Come on," he picked you up bridal style, still gently pressing your head close to him. "let's get you out of here." "Ichimatsu! What the hell?!" he heard Choromatsu shout. "We said we wouldn't kill anyone!""...my hand slipped." he mumbled as he disassembled his sniper to put it back in its case.His brother sighed, this call back ticking him off a bit. Though, if he wasn't the responsible one, he would've thanked him. Osomatsu Choromatsu and Todomatsu, all three sighed in unison when they saw Karamatsu stepping out of the home, holding you in his arms. Seeing that you were still tied up, Choromatsu got out a knife and cut the ropes when his brother and you joined them by the car.As soon as you could move your arms, you wrapped them around Karamatsu’s neck, pushing your face in his chest. Feeling your body shaking, he didn't hesitate to hold you back."There, there." he gently stroked you hair."(Y/N)!!!" Jyushimatsu ran out and hugged you along with Karamatsu. "You're okay! Thank god!""I'm back." the three brothers who weren't occupied with the hugging (although they wish they were) looked at Ichimatsu who just joined them."So...Will's dead?" Osomatsu quietly asked him.He nodded. Osomatsu patted him on the shoulder."How did you know which building he had to take Totty?" Choromatsu asked."Simple." he shown them the text you sent. "(Y/n) never capitalize a word in the middle of her sentence. Plus she never uses emojis." "And when I saw a building with a starfish painted on it and a parasol on one of the balconies, I got that she was talking about that one.""Wow...clever." Osomatsu looked at you.You were still hiding your face in Karamatsu's chest. He let out a long sigh and joined on the hug."You clever girl." he whispered to you.You only sniffed as an answer. One by one the six brothers hugged you tightly, the relief of seeing you overcoming them. They knew you were crying but they didn't say anything. They let you hide your weak side, knowing how strong you really were. "Come on." Osomatsu was the first one to let go, he scratched the underside of his nose with his index, his eyes a little watery. "Let's go back home."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Repichi's restaurant closed earlier, he felt in the air that tonight wasn't a good night to dance. He had a sixth sense for those things.He was now alone in his empty restaurant. A little serene smile on his face. Though he was a man of party and music, he knew how to appreciate the quiet moments too.He heard a knock at the door, probably someone who felt like partying he thought. He felt bad about telling them that they were closed, but he couldn't do anything to help it.He opened the door and his words were stuck in his throat.You nervously smiled at him. A bandage on your swollen cheek. Behind you were six men in suits, looking just more anxious than ever."So yeah..." you said. "Things happened." After you told him everything, Rip shown no reaction. He kept his arms folded and continued fixing the brothers at the other end of the table, who were doing their best to avoid eye contact."(Y-Y/n) told us a lot about you." Choromatsu had the courage to spoke up, let alone to smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Rip-.""It's Repichi for you boys."The brothers gulped together at his menacing voice."Rip, come on." you said. "I don't know what would've happened to me without their help.""It's because of THEIR irresponsibility that you were in this mess in the first place." he looked straight at you. "You could've been killed! Killed!""Can we talk about this in private?" you stood up from your chair, feeling the brothers' guilt from where you were."No! I want them to hear it!" Rip shouted, his accent getting more present because of his outburst of feelings, then pointed at them. "You left the town to discord and fire! You made her a target for every criminal in Japan! And now she's forced to stay with you and can't even step foot outside by herself! Even in your presence she got kidnapped!"Osomatsu clinched his fist and looked down, the guilt hurting him the most."I called them for help because I trust them!" you shouted back. "I lived with them for a month and now I know for sure that they're good people! They're my friends and they only have my best interest in mind, just like I have their best interest in mine! This isn't just something I jumped in without thinking! We've known each-other for years Rip... I thought you'd know me better than this."Rip looked up at you, a little calmer after hearing what you felt."I know and I understand why you're angry. I would've been too." you sighed. "But I just can't let you pushed them down like this."A moment of silence filled the room, it completely lost its serenity."Sir." Osomatsu spoke. "We've made a lot of big stupid mistakes. We've put (Y/n) in danger and it hurts us just as it hurts you-.""You know nothing of me monello." Rip said in a growly voice."Ah...of course." he bowed his head as an apologetic sign. "But none-less, I can promise you that what happened today made us want to be better and smarter about our actions. I swear that we'll do anything we can to protect her. We'll be better."Rip could see the determination in his eyes. Letting out a sharp sigh, he stood up and walked to the kitchen. You sat back down. The brothers sent you a puzzled look and you shrugged. "Tgere." he came back and put a bottle of wine and glasses for all of you, along with some dried sausage. "Help yourself."You smiled at them and pour yourself a glass. The brothers thanked Rip and served themselves as well."But remember these two things." Rip said, raising an index. "Don't just protect her, protect the city too. It's your responsibility, don't forget that." the brothers nodded. Rip raised another finger. "If anything else happens to (Y/n), I'll never forgive you. And I'll make sure you never forget it."They gulped again, you on the other hand, felt lighter."So how was your day Rip?" you asked."Oh Petita! You'll never believe what this Umeko lady did!""Oh no! She came back?!" you laughed. "What did she do this time?"The Matsunos had no idea who that was, but they still had a good laugh out of that story. "Thank you for having us sir." Karamatsu, in his normal voice, bowed to Rip as he as his brothers stepped out."Just Repichi is fine." he leaned towards you. "Did his voice just change?""When he's not acting all cool and dramatic, yeah that's how he sounds."Rip chuckled and slapped Karamatsu's back, making him let out a dry 'oof'."That's good, always stay true to yourself."Karamatsu looked up at him with big eyes, then looked down and nodded before going to the others. Your long time friend looked at you walking away, seeing your smile."You really care about them huh?"You stopped and turned towards him."Yeah...I mean don't get me wrong, they're complete idiots." the two of you shared a little laugh. "And idiots make mistakes, that doesn't make them bad people."He placed a hand on your shoulder."Remember, my door's always open for you."You smiled and hugged him."I love you Petita.""I love you too Rip." During the ride, you received a text from Ben. ‘hey! just about to start performing. how u doin? you weren’t at work today so i was wondering’ with a bunch of emojis. You glanced over at the brothers, then back at your phone.’Yeah I’m good! ^^ I just overdid it a bit yesterday so today I felt pretty sore and decided to take a me-day. Good luck with your performance!’You sighed after sending your reply. You didn’t like lying to your friend, but you also didn’t want to worry him more than you already are just by being with the Matsuno Brothers. You understood why he felt this way, but really, he shouldn’t.Plus with Will gone, it’s one asshole out of the way. He replied.’pfff! don’t need luck!’You giggled. His feet were loosely swinging above emptiness. The man’s arm grabbing his neck was the only thing keeping him from falling off the bridge. He gripped it with all his might, breathing with more and more difficulties. The evening wind sounded so much louder at this moment. The man in front of him was showing no sign of humanity, his wide cold eyes never leaving his. In those little seconds, the man seemed like he enjoyed this moment.Then, a tango melody came to his ear. At first he thought he was going insane from the lack of oxygen. Then the man sighed."You mind if I answer?"He frowned. What the fuck was he on about now?! The man took it as a ‘nah go ahead’ and took out a cellphone from his pocket. The grip on his neck became slightly looser."Yyyello? ... Yeah what, I’m pretty busy right now." he turned to him and rolled his eyes. "...come again." he turned his own head away. "What happened to Will?"Silence again, it might have been bad news, as the grip on his neck became even tighter than before. The man turned his phone off and put it down. One thing to another, the phone in his hand was replaced by a knife, sticking it deep into his victim's stomach. The man kept looking down, even when the life drained out of his eyes, even when he let him fall into the river. He must’ve been pissed."Damn it." he mumbled to himself, putting the knife back in it’s hiden case.He kicked off a nearby pebble and went on his way."How am I gonna get new pictures now...?" "Here you go Sir. The money we collected this month."The casino’s owner handed Osomatsu the monthly cheque. Still leaning back in his seat, he took it with a disinterested look. He read the amount of money written on it and his eyes narrowed."Mmm...""Is...something wrong Sir?""I don’t know Andrew. Something’s off." Osomatsu turned his head towards Choromatsu, standing beside him. "Why does something feel off dear brother of mine?""Remember the lovely lady you accompanied to the VIP lounge?""Ah yes! Very lovely, and hot too!" a dreamy look became visible, but he coughed, knowing that now wasn’t the time to fantasize. "Yeah she won a big jackpot didn’t she?""More 150 thousand." he glanced down at his phone then quickly looked back up. "...As I heard.""Yeah that sounds about right." Osomatsu waved the cheque. "I know you said your establishment was going through a rough patch, but surely you must’ve gained more than that bag she gave you."The casino’s owner was now looking down. The two brothers smiled. You were walking with Todomatsu towards the living room. Learning that he had a Netflix account, you shared your interest in series and he shared his for visual media in general. And now you decided to introduce him to your favorite series, the buddy cop series ‘McCops’. You walked through the foyer when there was a knock at the door, a bit too many actually. The two of you already didn’t like whoever was standing outside.Todomatsu loudly sighed and walked up to the door. As soon as he turned the doorknob, the person outside pushed the door open, which hit Todomatsu in the face. A tall man wearing a purple suit and a fur coat, with a can and a top hat, walked in like he owned the place. Immediately you didn’t like him, he looked like a weasel. Also his teeth were inhumanly huge."Hello Sextuplets!" he exclaimed. "Me is back from France!" he took off his coat and threw it at you, he also threw his cane and hat, that last one landed loosely on your head. "Come welcome me back! Let’s celebrate my arrival!"He glanced at you, giving him a perplexed look."Your maids are incredibly rude Ichimatsu.""Screw you!" you dropped his clothes down."Also, I’m Todomatsu." said guy rubbed his nose."Iyami?!"You turned around to see the other brothers, looking at this Iyami guy like he brought the plague with him."You know him?" you asked. "Who's he?""He's an asshole (Y/n), don't talk to him." Todomatsu gently pushed you and the two of you went to stand with the others. "You'll get corrupted if you do.""You're the one to talk!" Iyami shouted, outraged. "Is this how you welcome a long life friend?!""We're not friends. You're probably here to sell us some trash." Ichimatsu clicked his tongue."Take the trash outside!" Jyushimatsu rose his fists."And who is this?" Iyami changed the subject and pointed at you."None of your business!" Jyushimatsu stood in front of you."My name is (Y/n)." you said with hostility. "And I'm not a maid.""Mmm..." he ruffled his slim mustache. "Could you maybe be...some sort of escor-?""IYAMI!"He jumped back as the brothers yelled at the same time, he decided to not say anymore when he saw their enraged look. Wise choice. You were just frowning but you were insulting him back in your head."I live here. I'm a friend of their.""What?!" he turned towards them. "You let a woman into your house while you've always rejected me!""Last time we let you in, you were just the worst!""You abused of our kindness!""Trash! Go outside!"You looked at them, wondering if all those insults were justified. Was he really that awful? Iyami noticed your puzzled look and saw an opportunity."Oh dear lord!" he placed a hand to his forehead as he lamented. "Me just got back to a long and exhausting trip to my dear homeland! Now Me is just being dragged into the dirt!" he dropped to his knees and looked up at you, eyes big and hands joined. "Me just wanted to see my poor mother. Now Me has nowhere to go.""Oww..." your eyebrows knitted, then they didn't. "Well, good luck.""What?! How could you be so heartless?!""I don't know you dude. And you seem pretty sketchy."Iyami gasped, speechless that his technique didn't work."That's it Iyami. Get out of here." Osomatsu pushed him outside. "Go celebrate with Dekapan or something.""B-but, wait!" he said right before the door was closed on him.With Iyami finally out, you let out a sigh. "Good job (Y/n)." Choromatsu patted your shoulder."Will he come back?""Sadly, I think so." Around a week passed, and indeed, Iyami came back. He one day walked in without even knocking. With him were two men, carrying a big long wooden box."Be careful won't you!" he ordered them, tapping his foot on the floor."Iyami, what the hell is this?" you folded your arms."Oh, it's you." he frowned once he heard your voice."Iyami, what did you do this time?" Osomatsu, with Jyushimatsu and Karamatsu stood beside you."Me hasn't done anything!" he patted the box as the two men put it down and left. "Me just wanted to get in touch with my homeland's culture, so Me bought French books.""And why bringing them here?" Karamatsu asked, an eyebrow raised in suspicion."Me has nowhere to put the books. So Me decided to bring them here. The streets are no place for literature, they belong in a library. You wouldn't turn down books would you?" he 'innocently' looked at you guys.You turned your head towards your friends."They're just books." you whispered, shrugging slightly."I still don't trust him." he whispered back before talking normally. "What proves me that there are actual books in there?""I'll open it!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed before rushing out to get something to open the box."Mphmm." Iyami folded his arms and turned his head away. "You disrespectful brats have such little faith in me.""We have as much respect for you as you have for us!" Osomatsu pointed at him."Yeah, respect is a two way street dude." you backed him up.The two of you bumped fists at that, smiling and happy that this moment of friendship came naturally. Jyushimatsu came back with a crow bar and didn't waste any more time. He jammed it into the side of the box's top and pushed downwards once or twice. You stepped forwards to have a better view of the content.Finally, the box was opened, Jyushimatsu took off the lid. One peek inside and the two of you yelled in horror, jumping back in shock, as pale as a sheet."There's a dead guy in there!" you shouted."What?!" the other shouted, Iyami was louder.He pushed Jyushimatsu aside and looked inside the box. There were indeed books inside, but they seemed to work as a cushion for this nameless corpse, a few of them were scattered on him too.It was a man with pretty features and long black hair. He clothes looked expensive, but worn out. There seemed to be no injury on his smooth skin and there was no blood, which helped you cope with this crazy situation. This guy was sleeping beauty incarnated."You prick!" Karamatsu yelled. "You just wanted to drop this poor dead man in our house!""Yeah!" Osomatsu added. "I bet you're the one who killed him too! Clean up your own mess!""N-no! I swear!""...what are we gonna do with him?"Your question made them fall silent. The others have joined you guys by now. You all gathered around the box, looking down at the body."Should we call a priest or something?" Choromatsu broke the silence."We don't know if he's even religious." Ichimatsu said. "Let's just bury him now.""We should know his identity first." Todomatsu said. "He should have an ID on him.""I am not touching a dead guy." you took a little step back."Me neither." Todomatsu had already established a certain distance between him and the box. "He's probably already rotting and full of maggots.""Shut up shut up!" you and him felt a chill."No worry my andgelu, I'll do it." Karamatsu bent over to patted the man's clothes for a minute. "...nothing.""I say we close the box and send him back to France." Iyami firmly said. "We'll have to get the books out first.""Oh hell no!" you turned to him. "That's just horrible!""She's right." Karamatsu folded his arms, sending him a angry glare. "Leaving a dead man like this is like finding an abandoned child and leaving them on the streets!""This corpse isn't ours! We're just sending him back where he's from!""Who are you to decide?!" Osomatsu poked him in the chest."Oh the brats are rich, so they know everything now!"Meanwhile, Jyushimatsu has been looking closely at the man this whole time, resting his head on the edge of the box. As the conversation became more heated, he reached out to his face. He flicked his nose."Mmrph-hey." Jyushimatsu jumped back with a shocked yelp. He didn't think his hunch would be actually right. The yelling came to an abrupt stop, you all turned your head towards the man, looking at him with big eyes as he was rubbing his face. He sat up."A living dead!" Iyami began to strangle him. "Send him back to the grave!""What the hell dude-?!" Choromatsu was about to push him away when the man punched Iyami dead in the face, sending him flying at the other side of the room."I like him." Osomatsu smiled."A-are you okay?"The man rubbed his neck. He looked up with beautiful blue eyes and saw you looking at him concerned and intrigued."Au début j'ai cru être tombé en enfer." he sent you a tired smile. "Mais maintenant je me demande si c'est pas le paradis.""...huh?"He sat on the edge of the box, heavily breathing. Then he fell forward on the floor, unconscious again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You gently placed the hot towel on the box-guy's forehead. After he passed out, the seven of you lay him down on the nearest couch. Iyami was pushed outside for obvious reasons."Don't you know how to speak french Karamatsu?" Osomatsu asked."Only a few words, it won't be of any help..." he rubbed the back of his neck.The man twitched and slowly opened his eyes."Guys, he's waking up." you called while watching him sit up. The towel on his forehead fell on his lap and he looked down at it. He then looked at you and was about to say something, but his expression changed when he saw the six brothers walking towards him. He became tensed, even paler than before, and he began to shake. 'Does he recognize them?' you wondered. 'Are the Four Families internationally known?'"Don't worry they're cool. Cool, cool." you placed your hands on his shoulders.You knew 'cool' was a universally understood word. He seemed to get the message. Looking at each one of them, he frowned at first but then let out a long sigh."Maybe we should talk somewhere more comfortable." Todomatsu suggested. The eight of you sat outside, around the patio's table. Jyushimatsu brought the box with him and was now sitting on the floor, rummaging around the books with curiosity. You left the men in an akward silence for a moment to get some snacks and water in the kitchen. The poor guy must've not eaten in days."Here." you handed him a big glass of water.He took it with two hands and slowly drank the whole thing."Merci beaucoup." he wiped his mouth with his sleeve."You're welcome." you smiled and sat down beside him."You understand what he's saying?" Choromatsu looked at you."You don't have to be bilingual to get that he said 'thank you'.""So," Osomatsu put a hand on the table. "What's your name buddy? I'm Osomatsu. He's Karamatsu, Choromatsu, Ichimatsu, Jyushimatsu and Todomatsu." he listed, pointed at each of his brothers.The guy seemed really confused. A few seconds passed and he tried repeating their names, but his accent was so heavy you'd say he was saying different words, accentuating where there's no accentuation. Osomatsu shook his head and Todomatsu plead him to stop talking. You placed a hand on your chest."(Y/n)."He smiled and repeated it, correctly this time. Probably because your name isn't of japanese origin, so it was easier for him to pronounce. He put a hand on his chest."Alex.""I see..." you thought for a moment and got up to get to the box, looking for something inside. 'Must be one somewhere...'"So we know his name. Now what?" Osomatsu asked."Well he could call someone he knows to let them know where he is." Karamatsu gestured to his little brother's phone."Niisan, you can't call someone if they're on the other side of the planet." Todomatsu sighed.You came back with a geography book in your hand. You sat down and flipped through the pages. Finally, you found a map of France and presented it to Alex. He let out a little 'oh', pointed at the map, then at himself."Okay but how did you get here?"You pointed at the map, then at the house. Then you shrugged, frowning. Alex placed a hand on his chin, looking for a way to communicate how he got here. He patted his jacket a few times and frowned. He stood up and rushed towards the box, Jyushimatsu, you and the others looked at him intrigued."Ah!" he took out a little box with a big smile. "J'ai eu peur!"He came back to the table and opened the box. A few pencils, a rubber and a pencil sharpener was inside. He found a blank space in the book and started to drawing on it."Drawing tools?" Choromatsu threw him a disdained look. "You get yourself inside a box and all you take with you are pencils?""Leave him alone dude." you said."She's right burazza." Karamatsu stood up so he could look over the drawings. "Our friend here is using the universal language of art, a language to which no word in needed. Infinite words, infinite meanings, infinite feelings with just a few lines! Ah~! Such beauty!""So what's he drawing?""Huh?" Karamatsu looked down as he realized his brothers ignored him yet again. You and the boys weren't expecting some over detailed masterpiece. But you were all disappointed when Alex drew some stick figures.Six of them were circling around, kicking and laughing at a seventh one which was on the floor. He pointed at it then at himself."So that's you... But who are they?" you pointed at the other six characters.Alex understood you by your questionable tone. He drew a bit more details of them. Emphasis on 'a bit'.He added skirts to them and haircuts. You recognized short hair, a low ponytail, a high bun, long straight hair, a high ponytail and braids."Girls?" Ichimatsu mumbled."Did he get bullied or something?" Choromatsu asked.Yeah no one seemed to really get it. Alex then drew his stick figure self running to the box while the six girls were shooting at him with guns."Ow shit." Ichimatsu raised his eyebrows."A gang maybe?" Osomatsu asked."Either way, he felt so unsafe he jumped into the unknown." Karamatsu sniffed, filled with empathy.Alex put down his pencil and looked at you, showing you that he was done. You all leaned back in your seats. "Well, now we know." Osomatsu broke the moment of silence. "I can easily get him a ticket back to France." Todomatsu typed on his phone."Alright Alex, we'll get you home." you said as you stood up, at your last two words you pointed at him and the map.He suddenly grabbed your hand, keeping you from walking away. You turned to him, his bright blue eyes were staring at yours, you could see sadness clouding over them. They were almost hypnotizing.'Don't...don't look at me like that.' you felt your heart skip a beat."Hey, back off a bit." Ichimatsu clinched his fist."Um..." you just remembered the brothers were also here, you looked at them and got your hand back. "Maybe he could stay here for a bit.""Huh?!" the six of them said together."I mean, get this. If those girls are a gang, then he's a target, it'd be good to make them forget about him for a while." you joined your hands together and spoke in a little voice. "You did it for me didn't you?"Their heart exploded, their face became red."Okay!" Choromatsu quickly exclaimedYou smiled widely and turned towards Alex."Let's go get you a room." you gestured him to follow you before walking back inside.Alex glanced over at the boys. They were looked at you with big dreamy smiled. He huffed a chuckle and joined you. In the few days he spent here, he mostly spent it with you. Not that it bothered you, you bonded quite quickly. Unlike the brothers. You realized they weren’t very social. It was easy with you, giving the friendship between your grandpa and their sensei, but Alex was a complete stranger who didn’t understand a single words they were saying.Now, that was okay. But there was one thing that made them hostile towards the guy. Alex was sitting besides you at the table, you were teaching him how to use chopsticks. Osomatsu and his brothers were glaring at him, waves of dark energy emanating from them. But you and Alex didn’t notice. They strongly suspected he sometimes failed on purpose just to have your hand touch his, and it pissed them off to no end. He said a specific word and you laughed. It was something only you understood and it made the brothers clinch in fury.’They’re at the level of making inside jokes!!!’ they thought, cracking their chopsticks in jealousy. 'That quickly?! What the fuck?!?!'"Wow!" you snapped your attention to them when you heard the cracking wood. "Are you guys okay?"Your look of pure concern was enough to calm them down."Don’t sweat it." Ichimatsu mumbled."We’re tough!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed.You smiled."I don't like him." Osomatsu mumbled as soon as you turned back towards Alex.His brothers nodded, acknowledging that they have a new enemy. Repichi’s was full of life tonight. The band was playing with all their heart, just like people were dancing and eating with all their heart. It was a good night for Rip, so to make it even better he invited you to share this happy moment with his favorite person.You accepted immediately and asked the boys if they wanted to come with you. They weren’t sure at first, giving that the old man still held a grudge against them. But when Alex asked if he could come along and you cheerfully accepted, they all put on their disguise and got in the car without hesitation.Rip welcomed you with a hug, and Alex with open arms when you explained how he got in Japan."I know what it's like being in an unknown land bambino!" he laughed, ruffling his black hair. You were all sitting at a table with a good view of the dancefloor. Alex looked at it with sparkling eyes, exchanging a few words with you about how amazing this place is. It made you smile, he was acting like a kid. So cute! Meanwhile the six brothers were too occupied with eating the delicious food. Jyushimatsu was at his third plate.The band were done with their song. People took advantage of their moment of applause to get back to their table, making a lot more free space. Then another song, with a more cha cha rhythm to it. Alex couldn't take it anymore and stood up, catching the attention of everyone at the table.When he turned towards you and offered you his hand, it raised massive red flags to the brothers."Désolé, mais l'envie de dancer est trop forte. Et si je dois dancer, autant dancer avec une charmante femme. M'accorderais-tu cette dance?" he said with a wink."Uh-.""Oui! Let's dance friend!" Karamatsu stood up, grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dancefloor."Huh? Mais-huh?"'Karamatsu!!!' his brothers felt tears in their eyes. 'You sacrifice your pride to save us!!! So beautiful!!! Such a brotherly gesture!!!'You blinked twice, not sure how you felt about this.On one hand, you were actually glad Karamatsu stepped in. You never danced in your life, so you would've just embarrassed yourself. On the other hand... he seemed really eager to dance with Alex...But neither you or the five brothers could've expected what was about to happen. Alex and Karamatsu stood at the center on the floor. When the song started, it was like they knew it by heart. Their feet were moving in perfect unison. The dancer around them stopped what they were doing and gave them as much space as possible. The duo twirled around like old friends. The energy emanating from them was incredible.But if you looked closer, you'd find that they were more like old enemies.Sure Alex was having a good time with this little dance battle, thinking it was just fun and games. But Karamatsu was determined to make him fail first. Sometimes moving his feet to an unexpected direction, or pulling a certain move and breaking the thread of the dance. But Alex always pulled it off neatly. And always smiling. It pissed Karamatsu off.It pissed him off even more that he was enjoying this battle, that he finally found someone as good as him. Not paying attention to the time, Karamatsu was surprised when the song came to a stop. Felt like only a minute passed. And he was downright shocked when he heard the applause. He looked around and realized how many people were staring at him this whole time. He let go of Alex's hands and struck a pose, blushing from the physical effort and the embarrassment. Alex put a hand on his shoulder as the two of them walked back to the table."Mec c'êtait génial sérieux! J'me suis pas amusé comme ça depuis des années!" he said with a huge smile.Though he didn't understood a word he said, he could tell that he was thankful for this dance. Karamatsu smiled with a 'heh' a gave him a thumb up, which he returned. "That was amazing Karamatsu!" you exclaimed with sparkling eyes.He could feel his heart exploding a bit."When did you become a master of dancing man?!" Osomatsu leaned closer."Where did you even learned how to dance?!" Todomatsu asked in disbelief."Burazzas," he place his hand on his forehead in his dramatic fashion. "I've told you many times that I practice the noble art of dance for the past years. Restless training to have finally ascended to the level of the gods!" he struck another pose. "The power in my heart comes from my soul! And the power in my soul comes from my heart! And the power in both of them comes from-""His dick!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed and laughed out loud.The brothers laughed out loud, even you snickered because you did not expect that. Though this moment of praise and acceptance was short, Karamatsu will cherish it with all his heart. Alex asked if he could go to work with you today. Of course you said yes. You came to know that Alex was the kind of guy to try and experience as much new things as possible. A really nice and open-minded guy, a big flirt also but you hoped he was like this to every girls.During the ride, you taught him a few japanese words, like you did everyday now. Todomatsu, who was the one to accompany you, was 'playfully' teasing him on the mistakes he made.Needless to say he was in wonder when you three stepped in and turned the lights on. After exploring around a bit, he and Todomatsu helped you setting up the tables and you came up with an excuse for their constant presence for the day. After about half an hour, Clarice walking in. She always arrived to work an hour earlier. You were glad to see her dedication, but it made you wonder if she had anything going on in her personal life.Now that you thought about it, she's french! She could be your translator! Why didn't you thought of it befo-?"Clarice?" You were about to say hello but Alex spoke before you could say anything. You looked at him, frowning in confusion. He was staring at her with big eyes. You couldn't tell if he was happy or devastated."Alex?"You turned back to Clarice, she was also staring at him with big eyes. Expect you could really tell that she was shocked and angry."Qu'est-ce que tu fous ici?!" she shouted."Qu-qu'est-ce que *toi* tu fais au Japon?" Alex kept a quiet voice though. "Et...t'as trouver du travail?""Et bien, après le bordel que tu m'as fais subir, fallait bien que j'accumules un peu de maturité. C'est pas comme si t'allais le faire toi hein?" she folded her arms.You and Todomatsu looked back and forth as the two talked, having no idea of what was going on."Mais j'te l'ai dis que-""Oh je me souviens trés bien de c'que tu m'as dis! Graver dans ma mémoire même!""Okay time out, time out please!" you stood between the two of them. "What's with you two? You know each other?" you asked Clarice, knowing she's the only one who could give you a direct answer.She sighed."We... He's my fiance." "Wooaaaaat?!" your jaw dropped.To Todomatsu, it was like a blessing descended from the virgin-heaven. He was silently chiming his joy in his little corner. He couldn’t wait to tell the good news to the others."Well technically we broke up. I left before we could do anything. I was in a hurry, so to speak." she scratched her head. "I'm sorry (Y/n), I don't know how or where you found him but..." she glanced at Alex with anger and a bit of disgust. "I just can't work with his presence."Without even knowing what she was saying, Alex got the message. He quickly stood up and rushed out of the bar. His eyes hiden by his black hair."Alex!" you called out, but it was useless."I'm sorry for crashing the mood." Clarice looked down."No, it's okay.""I'll go grab my apron."As Clarice walked to the back, you kept looking at the door, worry written all over your face. Todomatsu couldn't bear to see it. Plus, and he will never admit it, he was also a bit worried for the guy. He stood up and placed a hand on your shoulder."I'll go talk to him. You do your thing." he smiled with a wink.You returned his smile and nodded."Thanks."He gave you another wink before exiting the bar. Todomatsu glanced at your apartment complex as he walked passed it. He recalled the night he spent with you, your first encounter. Thinking about how your relationship changed from nervous respect to friends made him smile.Going back to the matter at hand, he thought he'd have to search the whole district to find one french guy. But actually, he stopped at the alleyway right next to the complex. Alex was sitting on the floor, his head was hung down and he was taking out a box of cigarettes and a lighter from his jacket's pocket. Todomatsu sat next to him, he didn't look up.Alex put a cigarette between his teeth and tried to light it up a few times, but his shaking hands prevented him from doing so."Sa mère." he mumbled with frustration.Todomatsu took the lighter from his hand and lit it up for him. He nodded as a thank you and proposed one to him."Mère?" Todomatsu repeated as he took a cigarette out of the package.If he remembered correctly, "mère" meant mother, so what Alex said made him a bit confused. As the guy exhaled the white smoke, he made the equal sign with his hands."Fuck." he said in english, another universally understood word.Todomatsu nodded and thought a bit.'Wait, it's a double insult. Because that implies that your mom is bad enough to be related to a shitty situation. But it also means that she'd shitty enough to be an insult on her own.' he looked up with a little smile. 'Damn, french slang is violent.' He nudged Alex's arm, making him look at him. He tilted his head as if to ask if he's gonna explain anything. Though he appreciated the communication offer, Alex looked away and waved his hand.Now, Todomatsu was a virgin, but he knew his fair share about girls and relationships. And he knew what that gesture meant.'It's complicated.'But then again, either a long or a short story, Todomatsu had plenty of time. "Are you gonna tell me now?"You and Clarice went out the back door for a break, you thought it'd be a good time to explain how you met Alex and ask her about what just happened. She looked down and untied her long dark hair."Back in France, we had a good life. I was restarting college and he was working to pay for the bills. I was too busy with my studies to ask him about his job though, that was a mistake on my part. If I have known sooner...""What was this job." you leaned over a bit."Mafia member."You were taken aback. It didn't occurred to you that the Four Families weren't the only one in the world. Clarice continued."I caught him one day being all lovey-dovey with one of the bosses. I left immediately after that. He caught up to me and explained that it was part of his job to act like this. So basically he's just a plaything. Makes sense, you noticed too, he's handsome and he knows it." she clinched her fists. "I wanted to leave, I had to stop with my studies to make money for a ticket. That's how I got here. Japan has always been a dream of mine...""I see... I'm sorry you had to go through all of this.""Don't be. I'm glad I'm here, I'm glad I met good people like you."You were thankful, but you didn't say anything."We should go back." she tied her hair back up. "Poor Nari must be tired.""It's a little world we live in though. You and Alex were a world apart from each other, yet here you are.""...no (Y/n), on the contrary." she paused, you tilted your head. "It's a big world, yet here we are. It makes me wonder if I can ever get away from him." she let out a bitter laugh. "Guess that's destiny for you." with that, she went back inside. As the day passed, you became more and more worried. It's was getting dark and Todomatsu and Alex still hasn't come back. Clarice didn't seem to care though.It was the end of the day, Nari left a while ago and Clarice was done helping you clean the place."Well, I'll see you next week." she said after buttoning up her coat."Are you sure you don't want to see him again?" you asked. "Did he ever explained his side of the story."She looked down."No, I left before he could say any more." she paused. "It might have been a bad thing on my part, but... I'm still hurt. I don't want to talk to him." she looked over at the door. "And I think the feeling is mutual."She turned back to you and saw your look of quiet sadness."Ow, don't worry (Y/n). There's nothing to be done. Things just don't always go well." she opened the door. "Take care." and left. Now alone, you checked the time and bit your lip. What if the boys don't come back? How are you gonna get to the Matsuno's HQ? You can't just walk to the other side of town, while it's dark outside!Before you could worry even more, the door opened. Todomatsu and Alex stepped inside smiling. Seemed like they had a good time together."Sorry we're late." Todomatsu said. "We waited for Clarice to leave.""Oh, it's okay. Glad you seem better." you smiled at Alex as you joined them.Alex smiled too and the three of you went on your way home. After dinner you asked Todomatsu to talk for a bit. The two of you were sitting in the middle of the big stairs. Weirdly enough, this open space was the place to go when you want to talk without being interrupted."So? Did he tell you anything?" Todomatsu took out his phone and shown you a screenshot of a google translation. Yeah you could've done that too, but you felt like it'd be less connecting that way. You took the phone to read it, it was pretty long.'Everything I did, I did it for her. I'm not proud of working in the mafia. It wasn't supposed to be anything harmful. But one day one of the bosses told me I've "caught their eye" and offered me a promotion. I knew it was only because of my look, and I needed the money so I straight up said yes to her. I was just acting like a boyfriend to her and her sisters, they spoiled me like crazy. I was actually having fun, felt like a kid again. But then Clarice found out and I could never regret it enough. I wanted to leave as soon as she did, I wanted to hold her tight in my arms and tell her I don't deserve her but I still want to be with her because I'm stupid and I just love her so much. But the bosses just wouldn't want to leave me alone. They kept me for months before I could make my escape. But I'm so glad to have met good people like you guys. But then again, seeing Clarice again. The guilt just made me mute and I ran away like a coward. I wish I could talk to her, just for a moment. But I don't want to be in her way ever again. She got her life now. And I'm just here, running away from everything.' "He's not a coward!""Yeah, don't worry I told him.""We have to tell Clarice!" you stood up. "She'll understand-""Nope." he took his phone back. "Alex is the one who has to tell her.""But...He won't say anything.""If he's not gonna say anything, so be it. It's their relationship, it's their problem." he huffed a smiled. "You've never dealt with relationship problems, I can tell.""Brutal honesty is the best solution for me.""That's the worst solution I can possibly think of." he chuckled."I mean yeah it hurts but it works!""Is it your motto or something?"And just like that, the conversation became lighter. 'Fuck that shit man!' you thought. 'I'll fucking tell her!'You decided to go to work the next day, unfortunately Todomatsu was the only one available. Not like it's gonna stop you though!Because you decided to go on a whim, the bar was already opened by Clarice when you arrived. Just when the two of you got off the car. The truck suddenly opened and Alex jumped out of it."Alex?!" you exclaimed in surprise.He ignored your call and ran inside the bar. You and Todomatsu exchanged a look and chased after him.There was no customers yet. Only Clarice stood there, staring at Alex who was going on a monologue. You didn’t know what he was saying, but you could hear the emotions in his voice. Maybe he's finally letting out his real feelings.Clarice was at first skeptic, but her expression gradually became softer.In your corner, you and Todomatsu were looking back and forth from the two of them, biting your lip. Finally, Alex stopped talking. The entire room was silent. His eyes were full of tears but he was doing his very best not to let them flow. You looked at Clarice and was surprised to see that she was having a similar reaction. She was munching on her lip. She walked over to him and gently embraced him."Tu m'as manqué toi aussi." you heard her whisper.Alex sniffed and hugged her back, pressing his face on her shoulder.A moment passed."You...you want me to give you a day off?" you asked.Clarice let go of Alex to place her hands on his cheeks, looking at him in the eyes and wiping away some of his tears with her thumb. She smiled and he sniffed again."Yeah," she turned towards you. "we need more time to talk things out."She took off her apron and grabbed her coat. On the doorway, she gestured Alex to come. Understanding what's happening, he walked towards you and held your hand in his own."(Y/n). Th-Thaaank you."You couldn't help but snicker at his attempt to speak japanese. But you knew it came from the heart. You patted his shoulder."Deu rienn Alex."You two laughed at your horrible pronunciation of each other's language. Alex turned to Todomatsu and the two of them exchanged a nod. Finally, he joined Clarice and they left. Now alone, you let out a big long sigh."You think they'll be okay?""Sure, nothing good communication can't handle.""Say, you seem get along way better with him. What did you two do yesterday?""Well, after he told me about his problem, I gave him some good ol' Totty advice and we hung out around town. I showed him my favorite city spots.""Totty advice?" you smiled."Yes! Totty advice: relationship and beauty tips to get cute girl, or be just as cute as them!" he smiled and winked to a nonexistent camera.You laughed and gently hit him on the arm."You see?" he continued. "They sorted this out on their own. You didn't have to step in.""Hey, you gave him advice!""Yeah but it was his choice weather to take it or not." he sat on one of the tall stools. "...Do you really think it would've turn badly if I was the one who told her?""Uh..." he thought for a bit, he didn't want to say bad things about you. "Image okay? You're having a problem that deeply upsets you and that has been going on for years. Then out of nowhere someone comes in and say they know how to fix it more than you do. How would you feel about that?""...I'd be pretty pissed.""There you go. You can always try and give them directions, but at the end of the day they're the one who decide what they'll do.""Wow... You're pretty wise aren't you?""Hehehe!" he blushed and cupped his face with his hand. "Stop it~! But thank you (Y/n)-chan!""You're welcome Totty!"He blushed even more. Around the end of the day, a question popped in your mind."...does my brutal honesty bother you?" "Huh? Of course not!" Todomatsu quickly answered."You're sure? You can tell me you know.""No no no no! I love it when you're direct with your words! It's so adorable! Like, you're not walk around the bush, you're real you know? That...makes me respect you so much." Of course he wanted to say a different word.You didn't say anything and turned away, hiding your blush and smile. He sounded so genuine, especially with his last sentence. The next day, Clarice went to pick up Alex. She said he'll move in with her. She said they weren't back together though, not as fiancee at least, as simple girlfriend and boyfriend, she said they wanted to 'catch up'."ALEX~~!!!" the six brothers hugged him, crying a bit. "Thank you for the wonderful time we had together!"'Thank you for already having a girlfriend and leaving!!!' they meant. And Alex knew that.You laughed watching them. You hugged him goodbye. And he joined his dear girlfriend to the door.On the doorway, he turned around and looked at the brothers."Elle est gentille et elle est mignonne." he said. "Vous êtes déjà chanceux qu'elle soit votre amie. Faites le premier pas avant que quelqu'un d'autre le fasse."They looked at him with frowned eyebrows, wondering why he sounded so serious. Then he nodded, and they understood. They nodded back and then he left with Clarice."What was that?" you asked."Oh nothing.""We spoke in a language only men can understand.""Nothing important though.""Hey, no! I wanna know!" They laughed and walked away, you chasing after them.A language only men like them could understand. Men in love.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
First, there is desire...
.... Today, Osomatsu was the one to accompany you to work, which meant a day-long back and forth battle of joke will be happening. And you were fucking ready for it. He's always been good at improvising things on the spot. But his jokes relied mostly on him being stupid. You on the other hand had thought of every situation possible where a good play on word would be in place.Yes, the battles were never established. But when it starts, the two of you just know it.During the ride, you glanced at him with narrowed eyes from time to time. He would just smile to himself. None of you said anything, not wanting to give the other an opportunity for a joke. But his smile made you wonder if he was plotting anything. Finally arriving at the establishment, you took your keys and turned the lock.You suddenly froze. You heard the click after the second turn. You've always turn it three times though, it's even one of the rules you tell your employees about."(Y/n)?" Osomatsu asked behind you.You turned around and looked at him with a grave expression."Someone's inside."At your words, his expression became as serious as yours. He gently pushed you behind him and placed a hand on the inside of his jacket, most likely a hiden gun. He glanced at you and placed a index on his lips. You nodded, then Osomatsu slowly opened the door. It was dark, nothing seemed out of place. He scanned the room for a moment, then went to check behind the counter while you stood at the entrance, just in case you need to run."Dammit!"The two of you looked up. The intruder was on the ceiling and jumped down on a table. You gasped in surprise at first, but all your fear went away as you recognized the voice. You turned the lights on. Standing on the table was a little child-looking man, with one single hair on his bald head and cat whiskers. He was staring at you in determined anger.You sighed."What do you want Chibita?" you asked."You know exactly what I want you idjit!"You sighed again."Yeah I know, I was just hoping it would change for once.""Chibita?" You and him turned to Osomatsu, who was looking at the little man with big eyes."Huh? Osomatsu?" his confusion turned into anger, once again. "What are you doing with the enemy?!""What are you talking about?""You know each-other?" you asked."I should be asking you this question." he went to stand beside you."He owns an oden shop down the street and he thinks we're rivals. It's been going on for two years now, when my bar regained its success after I took over. What about you?""He's a childhood friend."Not anymore!" he yelled. "I won't be friends with someone who sided with my arch-nemesis!""Oh my god, would you calm down? You make it sound like I killed your family or something.""You're gonna kill my business dammit!""I won't kill your business, you're being over dramatic.""Chibita, are you here to hurt (Y/n)?" Osomatsu asked, with a hint of hostility."No," you answered for him. "nothing like that, it's not the first time he's done this.""The (L/n)-special..." Chibita pointed at you. "I WILL find it!""You can't 'find it'. I told you many many times that there's no written recipe."Chibita growled and stomped his foot on the table while spatting out insults. Jesus what an angry child."Uh... Chibita, I think you should go." Osomatsu walked up to him and picked him up. "Your oden shop should be open by now.""Let me go! Idjit! Dammit!"He began to struggle. You couldn't help but smile watching Osomatsu taking careful steps towards the door while holding him with his arms stretched, like holding an angry puppy. You opened the door for him and he swung his arms to threw him out. You quickly shut the door after that. Finally alone, you both sighed."Man," Osomatsu smiled. "this guy should've been a scientist!"He glanced at you, but you kept looking ahead. His smile fell after a few seconds of silence."(Y/n)...?""Oh I'm sorry, did you want a REACTION?!" you spun your head towards him with a huge smile.Osomatsu shouted in his defeat, slamming his hand on his forehead while you laughed out loud. One point for you. You were having a nice calm day. You thought you'd just get on the couch and watch McCops the best series ever. To instead walk in on the brothers having a drink with your 'arch-nemesis'."Chibita what are you doing here?""Oh! (Y/n)! You live here?! I did not know that!" he laughed. "I'm here because it's been a while since I've seen my sextuplet friends!""No you're not. You're so obviously here to get to me and get my recipe that you'll never find.""I have no idea what you're talking about!" he said with that same obviously fake smile."Whatever, I'll just watch my series in another room. You guys have fun.""You sure you don't want a drink?" Todomatsu asked."Nah I'm good." you said as you left the living room.You let out a big sigh. Now you're just pissed. This guy would never give up. "No Jimi McJerry, you don't understand.""Mother?""No, I AM your father's brother's uncle!"A loud gasp escaped your lips. They pulled off another twist!Just as they were about to explain the why of the how, which was your favorite part. You heard the door being slammed open, and an oden stick was thrown at the tv, breaking the screen. You let out a sharp sigh and turned around, looking over the couch. Chibita was standing in a fighting position, he was panting slightly, must've ran here. The sextuplets were standing behind him, shocked. You'd be shocked yourself, scared too, if it was the first time he was doing this. Everytime he came to you, you always ended up with something broken."What the hell is wrong with you?!" Choromatsu exclaimed."You lunatic!" Jyushimatsu added."Guys, it's cool." you said when you saw they were about to tackle him down.You stood up and walked up to him, he was still glaring at you."You'll have to repay that.""I missed you on purpose you know?""You could've just call out for me. Now you have to repay for a tv and looking pretty dumb in the process.""GGRRRRRAAAAA! You idjit! Dammit!" he stomped his foot again."Chibita, calm down." Karamatsu said."Jesus, you're such a kid." you shook your head."No!" he pointed at you. "I challenge you! The best recipe wins! If you lose, you'll give me the (L/n)-special! A fight to the death!""Are you serious?" not getting a response, you sighed. "Fine, let's get this over with." you said as you walked passed them. "It's not like I can watch my series in peace now. Also no one’s going to die."Chibita smiled, happy with his little victory. A big room that used to be empty has been turned into a cooking show set. In the span of a few hours, impressive. You and Chibita were standing on each side of the stage, with your own little kitchen. Five out of six brothers were sitting as the audience. And as the stage man, dressed in a pink suit..."And here we are gentlemen, for tonight's showdown, a destructive battle of the culinary arts! With me as your stage man, the adorable Totty!" he struck a cute pose with a wink. "Our contestants tonight, the little oden master, Chibita."Little polite applause echoed quietly as he folded his arms with a smile full of pride. It was clear he wasn't really welcomed, only a single spotlight shone on him, and it was quickly turned off."Our next contestant!" Todomatsu exclaimed with more enthusiasm. "The lovely, the charming, the even more adorable, (Y/n)-chan!" he gestured towards you with his arms outstretched, all the lights were pointed towards you and the brothers stood up in their applause."(Y/N)!""Good luck!""You can do it!""We're cheering on you with all our heart!""I love you!"You couldn't help but smile and wave back."(Y/n), anything to say to your fans?" Todomatsu offered you the microphone."This is stupid.""You're stupid!" Chibita shouted."Wow dude, watch out. I got almost set into flames with that burn.""Aaah~! (Y/n) is so quick-witted!" Choromatsu got full on fanboy-mode."So cute!" the others said together."I'll beat you!" Chibita continued. "I'll get the (L/n)-special and my oden shop will become the number one establishment in the city! Yours will be forgotten forever!""Chibita, nobody likes a party pooper." Todomatsu sent him a sneering smile."Geez, it's getting stinky in here with all that trashtalk." you smiled at your own joke.The brothers laughed their lungs out."And she makes jokes!" Totty wiped a tear away. "She's just perfect isn't she?"The five men audience whistled and clapped. "The rules are simple!" Todomatsu said. "Our two contestants will cook us their specialty, our jury will taste it and determinate the winner! Ready... GO!" that last word was humorously aggressive.Chibita immediately started, his hands swiftly cutting, mixing his ingredients. You could tell that he was a professional just by the way he moved with ease."Wait." Ichimatsu leaned forward. "Something’s off.""You noticed too burazza." Karamatsu nodded. "This isn’t the normal way he cooks oden.""Could it be..." Choromatsu’s eyes widen. "A new technique?"Meanwhile, you crouched down and removed all the labels on the bottles, so no one will see the ingredients you use. Then you placed the bottles on the counter and did your thing like you always did."Ah~ (Y/n) is still doing it like it’s nothing!" Osomatsu smiled."I can’t believe you two got to drink it first, out of all of us." Choromatsu folded his arms, a bit grumpy."Why yes," Karamatsu made an L shape with his index and thumb and placed it under his chin. "we had a lovely conversation, just as good as the beverage.""Just as good as the company too!" Osomatsu giggled. Around an hour later, a table was placed in the center of the stage. Sitting there was Choromatsu, dressed as a professional critique, Karamatsu, dressed as a top chief, and Jyushimatsu, dressed as himself."Now," Todomatsu said. "Chibita will present his dish first."With a wide smile, he walked up to the table and put his hands on his hips, snickering."I found an old recipe in my attic, from my ancestor. I took it, perfected it, then change it to make it even better. I waited for this opportunity to finally serve it."The three judges took an oden stick each and examined it before taking a bite. Jyushimatsu just swallowed it whole."Delicious!" he exclaimed."There’s a little je ne sais quoi that just amplifies the flavors." Karamatsu kissed the tips of his finger italian style."A risky move to be sure, ten bonus points for your boldness." Choromatsu smiled.Chibita snickered again, glaring at you from the corner of his eyes. You just rolled your eyes. "Now for-get outta here." Todomatsu pushed him away. "Now, the best for last!" he leaned closer to another non-existent camera. "It’s (Y/n)-chan’s turn~!"The two men crowd cheers could compare to those of a full audience, even the judges couldn’t contain their professionalism. "There you go. Enjoy." you smiled.They looked down at their drinks and loudly gasped, their faces bright red."What’s this?!" the stage man shouted. "(Y/n)-chan placed little umbrellas inside each glass! It even corresponds to the judges’ favorite color!""H-how heavenly touching." Karamatsu said, hiding his face with his hand."Such a tiny gesture, yet it adds so much!" Choromatsu cupped his face with his hands."So cute!" Jyushimatsu shouted."Yeah, I saw them on the counter and I thought it’d look pretty." you smiled."Improvising on the spot?! Ten thousands bonus points!" Choromatsu yelled."Sweet." you smiled, not really caring."What?!" Chibita was outraged. "You didn’t even drink it!"At his words, the three judges grabbed their drink and chugged it in one go. Slamming the empty glass down, they sighed, smiling."Super mega home-run deliciousness!" Jyushimatsu swung his arms in his happiness."It’s just as good as the first time! It’s like a whole new experience everytime!" Karamatsu hugged himself."It’s like! It’s like a warm hug from a cute girl!" "Well, there you have it folks," Todomatsu said. "our winner tonight is (Y/n)-chan! Obviously...""Grrr! It’s not fair!" Chibita shouted. "She won just ‘cause you guys are totally lovesick for her!""Dude, have you even taste it?" you handed him some of the drink you had left. "Taste it.""No way am I gonna-mhmmm!"Osomatsu and Ichimatsu grabbed him, keeping him from running away. Jyushimatsu took the glass from you and shoved the drink in Chibita’s mouth. After he swallowed, they let him go."Mmm," he wiped the corner of his mouth. "it is pretty good." "Are we done playing now?" you asked."Never! And it’s not a game! Why can’t you take this seriously?!""Because unlike you, and despite everything you did, I don’t hate you."He looked up at you, at a loss for words."You know, in some weird way, you’re like a brother to me.""What?!""More like an annoying and stupid little cousin, but at the end of the day, I care about you.""Sh-shut up!" he took a step back."And having you obsessing over some drink is pretty worrisome to me.""Shut up! Dammit! You idjit!" he shouted as he began to run out the door."You can’t run away from the truth dude!" you shouted.After he slammed the door behind him, you sighed."What a little shit."Though you just insulted him, your tone made the brothers look at you. Their suspicion was correct, you were smiling. The next night, Chibita was stirring his oden, patiently waiting for a costumer to come by. Tonight was very eventless. The bell rang. He turned towards the door and smiled at the new comers. "Welcome..." his voice died down when he saw who just stepped in.Following the Matsuno brothers, you were looking around with curiosity. "I’ve never actually went inside." you said. "Pretty cozy.""Chibita did the decoration, we bought him the place." Osomatsu smiled."Yeah, we used to own him a lot of money, so we gave him a restaurant after we became rich." Choromatsu scratched the back of his head.You chuckled."That’s so you guys." you sat down at the counter. "Hey Chibita.""Uh...hey."You all order some classic oden. You took a bite and you face brighten."It’s so good!" you said, looking at the little man. "Great job dude!"He didn’t know what to say at first, averting your eyes and blushing slightly from your compliment."It’s nothing much." he said, eventually looking up at you, smiling ear to ear. "But thanks! You idjit!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Then, passion...
.
.
.
.
You were about to dig in your food when you noticed the brothers were still looking at Todomatsu. Before sitting down, he got a phone call and was now pacing around the room chatting with whoever was at the other end of the line. You joined them in the gazing of the youngest Matsuno, and you grew curious. Who was calling? Who could possibly make them look so serious, and why?Yet Todomatsu seemed to be having a pleasant conversation."Yeah? You sure?" he asked. "Mmm, I’ll have to check. With my brothers too. There’s a chance we already have something planned. Don’t worry though, I’m sure it won’t be the case. ... Pfff! You’re silly! You the one who seems pretty eager. ... Hehe, okay~! Bye~!"He hung up, his back facing you and the others. He stood there motionless for a moment. Then, he suddenly and violently threw his phone on the floor, it broke in pieces, making you flinch in shocked and the others stand up."RAAAAAH!" he turned back to his brothers, his expression at a new level of intense. "WE’RE INVITED!""SON OF A BITCH YES!" Choromatsu lifted his chair and launched it away."OH MY GOD!""FUCKU YEAYA!""FUCKIN BASTARDS!""HAHAHAHAHAHA!""MUSCLE! HUSTLE!" Jyushimatsu punched the wall with every word."You guys sound so happy yet look so angry." your voice caught their attention. "Why’s that?" "You don’t understand (Y/n)!" Osomatsu leaned towards you, resting his arm on the back of your chair. "It’s been a long time coming! Our time has finally come!""Okay...?""Let me explain." Todomatsu took out another phone from the inside of his jacket and began to casually scroll through his instagram as he sat on his chair. "There's this really classy institution. They're organizing a party next week. And the founders of this institution are old classmates of ours.""Uh-hu...?" you said, still confused.Choromatsu awkwardly coughed as a maid replaced his chair so he could sit on it."We haven't seen them in years." he said. "And they've contacted us only a couple of months ago.""Those assholes did it just 'cause we're famous now!" Jyushimatsu slammed his fist on the table."You...don't like them?""Of course not! They're total dickbags!" Osomatsu said."And the feeling's mutual. But of course, we don't show it." Todomatsu said. "They used to constantly pick on us back in highschool. And now they're acting like we've been friends from the beginning. And of course they were super passive aggressive while we talked." he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Can't believe we'll have to act like besties for a night.""Then, why don't you just not go if you hate them so much-?""Are you kidding?!" Osomatsu brought his face so close to yours you had to back off to prevent your noses from touching."You see (Y/n)," Karamatsu crossed his legs in the most dramatic way possible. "this institution is famous for its parties. They are very chic and restrictive. Only the finest can receive an invite.""And they get it a month before while they only gave us a week to prepare." Ichimatsu narrowed his eyes. "Another disrespecting move. Trash.""'Oh~ you're the last one to be invited~ the best for last you know~'." Todomatsu said in a dumb voice. "Assholes!" "So it's like, a revenge where you showcase how much you're better than them?""Not only that!" he held an index up."Yeah, with all the bullshit they put us through, there's no way we'll just chit chat." Osomatsu said, an evil smile forming on his face."Like you said niisan," Ichimatsu, along with the others, wore the same smile. "it's been a long time coming.""What are you going to do then?""Oh I'll tell you (Y/n)!" Choromatsu said, all exited about sharing his and his brother's scheme. "We'll sneak inside their office while everyone's busy with the party, and give them a little surprise." he finished with an evil giggle while rubbing his hands together."And also," Karamatsu added. "there is something meant for us in there somewhere.""They stole it from us!" Jyushimatsu slammed his fists on the table again."What is it?""You don't wanna know." Todomatsu quickly said, his brothers nodding. "The precious treasure of all highschool boys.""O-kay...?" maybe you didn't want to know yes. "Do you really think they still have it though?""We just *know* they do!" Osomatsu said, his fists clinched."Alright then." you said as you began to eat while the brothers were still scheming. "So what's the theme this time Totty?" Osomatsu asked."Mmm~, 50's Spain it says.""Ah~ perrrrfectu!" Karamatsu stood up with a giant smile, his eyes sparkling. "The muses are blessing me with their wisdom, I can feel it!" he spun around, snapped his fingers, and pointed at you. "I trust that I can count on your help my andgelu.""Huh?""What?!" the brothers exclaimed."Of course! Your part is necessary for the creation of my vision. A beautiful dance duo that will move the masses. All eyes will be on us!""But...I don't dance." you shifted awkwardly."Worry not, we have a whole week to rehearse."You were still unsure. The brothers were about to protest as well but then they realized the perfect opportunity. The opportunity to showcase them in all their glory, not only to everyone, but also to you. And they'll be the only people you know so there's little chances for you to leave their side. They could see it from here: 'Oh no~ The Matsuno Brothers are so cool and handsome~! They're so much better than me~! And the girl with them is just beautiful~! They make such a good couple~!''Man [whoever is fantasizing]matsu, I had so much fun! You really are better than them, or anyone else ever! We do make a cute couple don't we? Marry me~!' "(Y/n), please say yes!" the six brothers were now gathered around you."No, no thank you.""(Y/n), right now we're asking you to do it as a favor for your friends!""Please~!""It'll be the perfect distraction, while all eyes are on us, my brothers will safely go inside.""Can't you do something else? Like causing a scene?""And making us look bad?! (Y/n)-chan that's the complete opposite thing we want right now!"You send them a weird look, but then smile at their childish silliness."(Y/n) please! We need you!" they all said together, bringing their face closer to yours.Their eyes were full of glimmering hope. And the fact that they were intensely staring at you made you blush slightly. You just couldn't bring yourself to refuse. You sighed."Fine...""Yay!" Jyushimatsu jumped on you to give you a tight hug. "Thank you~!""Can I eat in peace now?" "Wasn't this room empty? How long has it been like this?" Osomatsu asked as the seven of you entered the dance room for your first rehearsal with Karamatsu."Ever since we moved here burazza, you've all simply forgotten."'It wasn't even on the map...' you thought, looking around.While the brothers went to sit on the floor near the wall, wearing casual sunday outfits, you staid at the center of the room and Karamatsu, wearing a long sleeves shirt with a deep V neck and a tight pair of pants, walked to the music player. He opened a little cupboard beneath it, where a large selection of various genre of music was. His hand hovered around the CDs for a moment before picking one of them.With the rhythmic melody of old-fashion samba blasting through the speakers, you turned towards Karamatsu who was walking towards you. You gulped."Now," he opened his arms, talking with a suave voice, more confident than ever. "let's begin.""Uh, I'd rather say it now: I'm sorry I messed up."He chuckled."You'll be fine." he gently took your hands. "Just follow my lead.""Yeah I hear it all the time but people never explain what that actually means!" you nervously said.He just chuckled again."Go (Y/n) go~!" the others cheered.Even though they despised the fact that fucking Shittymatsu was going to be this close to you for so long, they were glad they were sextuplets. It was easier for them to project themselves onto their brother and imagining they were the one dancing with you."You can do it!""We believe in you!""God she looks so good in a sporty outfit." Choromatsu whispered.You smiled at them. Though you really appreciated their support, having an audience only made you more nervous."Now," Karamatsu said. "position your hands this way." And just like that, you jumped right into learning the choreography. You did your very best to follow his instruction, but you expected to at least do some warm ups before."(Y/n), look at me, not at your feet." he said for the tenth time."But I-." you looked up."Ayayay!" he twitched in pain."S-Sorry!" you quickly said, taking a step back.This was the third time you've stomped on the poor guy's foot. You were worried it might leave a mark."It's not that complicated, is it? Two steps forward, twirl and mambo backwards." he reviewed, a bit conflicted."No it's...it's not."You looked down. He tilted his head and noticed your eyes were shifting from the floor to his brothers, whose eyes never left you. Karamatsu let go of you and sighed."Okay. Everyone out." he said, walking to his brothers.The serious expression matching the tone of his voice made you gulped.'He talks normally. I'm in trouble.'"What?! Why~?!" Osomatsu whined."Not fair! I wanna watch!" Todomatsu exclaimed."Out, out. Everybody out." Karamatsu pushed them to the door."We're still cheering on you (Y/n)!" Jyushimatsu waved at you."We're with you spiritually." Ichimatsu added.They continued to cheer and protest before Karamatsu shut the door on them. Now it was just the two of you in the large room. Karamatsu's hands were still pressed on the door, he sighed again. You felt bad for making him this pissed."I'm sorry...""Huh?" he turned around and looked at you. "You have nothing to be sorry about.""You're not mad?""Of course not." he walked towards the music player. "It's my brothers, I understand they can be annoying sometimes."He crouched down to the little cupboard and searched for something else to play, his back facing you. In the silence of the room, you were surprised to be feeling calmer. Was it before the two of you were now alone?'It is better when no one's staring...'In your moment of absentmindedness, Karamatsu stood up with another CD in hand. He first thought that because you didn't like dancing, you'd want to get this over with as soon as possible. But apparently, you needed a more...natural approach. He felt sorry for putting you through this, but his artistic instinct pushed him forward.
[I don't know if you want some musical reference, but if you do, look up Tam Tam 2000 - Me vuelvo Guajiro. Cool song.]
A more soothing, ballad-like music came to your ears. Karamatsu walked up to you for the second time. But this time it felt different."Okay, hands in the same position." you immediately did what he said, not wanting to piss him off. "Now, two steps forwards, two steps back, alright?"You nodded and was about to look down when Karamatsu brought his face a lot closer. You inhaled sharply, blushing. If you looked at your feet, you'd bump onto his chin."Don't look." he firmly said. "Here's what we're gonna do:" his voice became softer. "Two steps forwards, two steps back. To the rhythm, ready?""Um, okay..."You repeated the same movement over and over, all the while, your eyes were locked into each-other's."Don't mind me." he said. "Don't mind where your feet land. Only mind the music."You did the steps a few more times before you really got a hang of it. Your breathing stopped being erratic and you shoulders began to relax.In fact you so got the hang of it, you didn't realized that Karamatsu gave you more space. He smiled when he saw you didn't look down."Now," he took a step back, still holding on one of your hand. "the game here is to always step to the rhythm. Just follow the flow of the music."You nodded. The two of you began to improvise a simple moves while still holding on to each-other's hand. Smoothly moving in every direction. He'd twirl you around, make you bend backwards, make himself bend backwards, all while mouthing the song's lyrics. It made you laugh. And your laugh made him laugh. It was just a fun time. It was a bit weird, but in a good way. You never saw Karamatsu like that. He wasn't his cool and suave persona, he wasn't his shy self either. He seemed to be genuinely having fun, he seemed happy.Seeing him like this made your heart fluster. After doing this for a good while, you both decided to take a short break."See? Nothing to be nervous about." he smiled as you took a sip of your water bottle."Mmm, I'm surprised *you* weren't nervous. Usually, you freak out when I touch your hand by accident.""W-well..." he stuttered, looking to the side. "It's dancing, it's different."You puffed a chuckle."I like it when you're like that.""Huh?!" he blushed, his eyes wide."Yeah, you seem...in your element. It's nice." you gave him a heartfelt smile.He didn't say anything and turned away."I'll put on another CD and we'll get started on the choreography.""Alright."As he was walking to the music player, he pressed his hand on his crimson red face."If she keeps going, I won't be so comfortable anymore." he inaudibly mumbled. After a week of rehearsal, you and the six brothers got dressed with the nicest outfits you could find, and got in the most expensive car that was in the garage. They went full flex on this, which you found kind of amusing."Are you certain that your dance number is awesome enough?" Choromatsu asked his brother."Worry not burazza." Karamatsu flipped his hair as he looked at his lucky hand mirror. "My vision will put everyone in pure awe.""And even if we don't get enough time, we came up with a B plan." you said.Karamatsu coughed."Yes...we did."At his reaction, the five men frowned in slight confusion. The residence itself wasn't as big as the houses from the rich district, but damn was the garden vast. Lighted by all kinds of lights, a band was playing a smooth tune to start the night with. A lot of people were chatting. They looked so wealthy. You felt like a total fish out of water."Ah~haha! The Matsuno Brothers!" an elegant and handsome man, accompanied by two others, welcomed you with open arms."Tatsuo-kun!" Osomatsu gave him a friendly hug. "Thank you for inviting us.""Not at all, thank you for coming." he looked up and down at him. "I love your suit! It looks like high couture!"You noticed Osomatsu's face twitch for half a second, but he regain his friendly face just as quickly."That's because it is high couture!""Oh~ no way! Sorry, it looks great!" he laughed and tapped his chest with a big smile.'I can understand why they don't like him now.' you discreetly sighed. 'Or maybe he's just stupid.'"Hey Matsuno," one of the two others noticed you. "who's this lady?"Karamatsu and you were arm in arm the whole time, it was important that you didn't lose sight of each other. But of course, seeing a new face picked their curiosity."This is (Y/n), a good friend of ours.""It's a pleasure to meet you." you smiled politely."The pleasure's all ours." Tatsuo said. "I hope you enjoy this pitiful gathering I'd like to call a party.""Oh don't be so hard on yourself. It's very charming here.""You're too king little missy.""Heh. Isn't she?" Karamatsu couldn't help but wear a proud smile. While you began talking to him, the brothers saw an opportunity to get away. But they forgot Tatsuo's friends were still here."Hey Matsuno." one of them whispered to Todomatsu. "Where did you guys find such a pretty woman?""How did you guys became friends with such a pretty woman?" the other rephrased.Todomatsu pressed his teeth, trying his hardest to not tell them to fuck off."You know how life is." he simply shrugged with his cute smile. "It just happens.""Man, I wish I was as lucky." they both sighed."Aren't you guys thirsty?" Choromatsu asked his brothers, they nodded. "We'll get going then."As they walked away, he nodded to Karamatsu, who returned the gesture before turning back to you. You were having a conversation with Tatsuo, and you seemed a bit too pleased for Karamatsu's taste. "You know, I may be a successful businessman, I'm not that sharp." Tatsuo bashfully scratched his head. "You probably know more that I do on the subject.""Oh no, trust me I don't. I didn't even go to college. After graduation I took over my family business." you laughed in slight embarrassment."Really? Don't be ashamed of that. That's awesome.""You think so?""Why of course! I know how hard it is to take care of a company, but I had a lot of experienced people to help me. You were on your own. To me, that's amazing."You blinked twice at his words.'Maybe he's not mean, he just really is not that sharp.' you smiled. "Thank you, I appreciate it.""Aren't you thirsty my andgelu?"You weren't, and you were about to say it. Then you noticed the look Karamatsu gave you and the gentle squeeze on your arm."Oh, yes. Lead the way." you smiled and turned towards Tatsuo as you began to walk away. "Have a good night.""I'll see you later maybe." he smiled, a bit of hope in his eyes.You didn't want to say yes or no, so you just smiled and waved. "He seems nice.""Don't let your innocent heart be tricked." Karamatsu said in a grave voice. "His friendly behavior is nothing but a facade to lure you in.""Really?" you raised an eyebrow."Really.""Are you sure it's not the highschool grudge talking?" you leaned closer to him with a teasing smile."N-no!" he backed away a bit, blushing. "He really is a dickbag!"You chuckled. "Okay so from outside, we can access to the balcony by those stairs." Osomatsu pointed. "Totty can easily pick the lock so we can go inside.""Let's go!"Jyushimatsu started to walk with big steps, but Choromatsu quickly stopped him by grabbing his shoulder."Not now idiot!" he hissed. "Wait for (Y/n) to catch enough attention.""Pfff, just me?" she chuckled."Of course!" he immediately turned towards you with a big smile and rosy cheeks. "You're so talented and charming, you could grab the attention of anyone!"You chuckled again, more nervous than anything. You glanced at Karamatsu, he looked sad. You gently squeezed his arm as a sign of comfort. He squeezed back."Alright you two." Osomatsu said. "On your marks."The two of you nodded and walked to the dancefloor. After asking the band to play your song, you stood in a corner waiting for the current music to come to an end. Karamatsu could feel your arm shaking a bit. He looked over to the side to see you nervously eyeing the people dancing.'They're all so fancy...' you thought.If you make a mistake, they'll probably talk behind your back with their wealthy sneering look. Just imagining it turned you into an insecure teenager.You're not worthy of wearing such an expensive dress. Why do you even have to dance?! There was like a million of other ways for you to help without putting you under such a spotlight! What the fuck are you doing here?!"(Y/n)."You looked up to see Karamatsu leaning towards you so that no one hears what he's whispering to you."Remember, don't mind the world around you. Only mind the music. Just imagine being at the rehearsal."You gulped and was about to say something when the song stopped. The two of you walked to the center of the dance floor as the people applauded for the band. You got into position and Karamatsu noticed you were taking deep breaths to try and calm yourself down. It didn't seem to work well."(Y/n)," he softly whispered, looking straight into your eyes. "It's just you and me here."You took one last deep breath, and then the song began to play.
[I don't have a musical reference for this, choose your own if you want]
It started off slowly with a soft guitar solo, dragging your feet on the tiled floor. While dancing this simple beginning, you repeated in your head.'Just me and him. Just me, and him...'Good thing you liked this song, because when the beat started, you've completely forgotten about your insecure teenager mindset.A smile gradually formed on your face. Seeing this made Karamatsu's intense and focused expression disappeared due to the ease in his heart.At some point, in the heat of the moment, you let out a heartfelt laugh. Which caught the attention to a few people. And once they noticed the way you two moved, everyone was hooked. The other dancers stepped aside to give you more space. The five brothers took it as a 'go' sign. Karamatsu rolled your body with his arms to unroll you right after. You spun a few times and he followed you to catch you. He was now behind you, his chest pressed against your back. He lifted your arm, slipping his hand alongside it to grab your hand, and the two of you locked eyes. You blushed so many times before whenever this part came up. But now you were used to it. Still, the look of gentle determination in his eyes made your cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. At this point, all eyes were on the two of you. They didn't know you rehearsed this before, so to them you were like a long-time couple. The alchemy between you could be clearly seen through your movements. It was as if you knew exactly what the other was about to do.But, you didn't noticed. You were having too much fun. In your mind, it really was just you and him. And god you felt lighter that way. Finally, the song finished with you being held by Karamatsu, lifting up one of your thighs, inches away from your face. You both smiled at each other, panting slightly, but happily.Hearing the applause and finally acknowledging the world around you, you bent backwards as a way to look at the balcony behind you. Though upside down, you could see Todomatsu standing there, waving at you and crossing his arms to make an X.They weren't done yet.You looked back at Karamatsu, he seemed to have noticed as well."Plan B is it then." you whispered."D-do we have to?" he whispered, with a hint of nervous panic."It was your idea dude." you frowned. "Don't back down now.""But, I, we." his cheeks became redder and redder. "Maybe there's another way-.""No time." you cupped his face with your hands. "Guys, let's go!" Choromatsu urged his brothers, gesturing to the office's door."Oww~ but I'm not done yet!" Osomatsu whined."You've done enough! Let's just go!""We've kept (Y/n)-chan waiting for too long!" Todomatsu grabbed his arm and the five of them ran out.They went out on the balcony and were relieved to see that everyone was still watching you and Karamatsu. But it quickly turned to a hundred when they saw you two kissing.'SHITTYMATSUUUUU!!!' they screamed in their head.Along that was a thousand thoughts about painfully torturing their brother. You glanced over the balcony and saw the boys rushing down the stairs. You let go of Karamatsu and wrapped your arm around his, not minding his tomato red face and dazed look. Well, you did smile, because it was funny."Come on man. Get it together." you nudged him a bit. "We gotta find the others."He didn’t respond, you sighed and dragged him with you. While walking, you received congratulations from people, to which you said a simple and quick thank you. Finally, you could see the five brothers walking towards the two of you."So guys, how did you-?"Without any warning, Ichimatsu karate-chopped your arms to seperate you both, and Jyushimatsu took Karamatsu's place, sending daggers at him, with even wider eyes than usual. This put Karamatsu out of his blushy mess, and into a confusing one."Shity-good-for-nothing-matsu," Ichimatsu told him between his teeth, a dark energy emanating from him and the others. "I will kill you.""Bu-burazza, this isn't what you think it is!""Is it the kiss?" you asked. "Don't worry, it wasn't a real one.""What do you mean?" Todomatsu asked, clearly upset. "It does count as long as your lips are touching, with or without feelings although there clearly wasn't any!""Well if that's the case, it still wasn't one.""Okay then, what was it?" Osomatsu folded his arms.'God they look like the wife who scolds her husband for coming home late.' you thought."Karamatsu said he got it from his drama class. You place your hands on the cheeks, your thumbs on the lips and you kiss your thumbs." you looked over at Karamatsu with a smile. "Though, even that made him all flustered.""(Y/n), I-I don't really understand." Choromatsu tugged on his sleeves. "Could you perhaps...show me?"You gave him a weird look that said 'bro u serious', so did everyone else. A moment of silence passed."...no!""Ow come on! Just a peck! It's-it's not a real kiss anyway!""If he gets one, I get one." Osomatsu casually said."I just 'kissed' Karamatsu in front of everyone, they think we're together now. Don't blow our cover." you said more quietly, shaking Jyushimatsu's arm off to go back to Karamatsu. "Choromatsu, if you're so confused, why don't you let Osomatsu do it to you?"The two brothers looked at each other, to look away in disgust right after. You, Jyushimastu and Todomatsu laughed. You let yourself fall on the couch and let out a very long sigh. Even though you left the party early, you were exhausted. Your feet hurt from all the standing and walking, your cheeks hurt from all the smiling, and your arm was getting a bit numb. Jyushimatsu and Todomatsu joined you on the couch of exhaustion."Man, what a night." Todomatsu said."It was fun though~." Jyushimatsu pleasantly said."So Karamatsu, how was it being (Y/n)'s boyfriend for a night?" Osomatsu asked."Ah~" he hugged his arm which was linked to yours during the entire evening. "Truly, it was a dream come true.""Don't get used to it." Ichimatsu sent him a death glare, which made him gulp. After a minute of nothing to regain a bit of energy, you sat up to look at them. They were eating snacks around the coffee table. The food at the party was great and all, but nothing could compare that simple and good industrial crap."Yo, pass it." you extended a hand towards Osomatsu.He handed you a bag of chips and you took a handful of it."So," you continued. "did you find your treasure?""...no." he looked down."Honestly guys, it was pretty obvious. It's been what? Seven years maybe? The guy's moved on.""It was immature of us to assume the contrary." Choromatsu said, a bit ashamed of himself."Well, at least now you know. And you flexed like crazy back there, that at least gotta count for something."You paused to eat some chips."So, what was this surprise you gave him?""Well-""We drew dicks on the walls!" Jyushimatsu suddenly sat up, making you yelp in surprise.But it quickly turned into a laugh. And the fact that you were tired made you even more receptive to that kind of thing, so you laughed harder. And because the brothers were tired too, they laughed as well."It was-" Osomatsu struggled to say. "It was my fucking masterpiece!""Jyushimatsu lifted me up so I-I could draw on the ceiling too!" Todomatsu said with a covered mouth."I took a dump of his desk."Everyone stopped and looked at Ichimatsu. You could tell by his face that he greatly regretted what he just said."...ew." you finally said.You will never be able to unsee what you just pictured in your head.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Then, suspicion!
.
.
.
"I'm sorry?" you asked the college kid.You didn't know if you couldn't hear because you were too focused on your work, because he spoke too quietly, or because you were caught off guard by what he said. Maybe it was all three."Hiroji, you need to speak louder." you placed the trail you were holding on the counter and looked at him."I-I'm sorry." he stuttered, his cheeks bright red.A moment of him looking down and playing with his fingers passed. Suddenly he bowed down and exclaimed."E-ever since I met you at the Maharajah, I couldn't stop thinking about you! I've already admired you from what Nari spoke of you, but since that night I... I-I think I've developed... I've developed feelings for you! Please go out with me!"You blinked twice in surprise, you weren't expecting him to be able to speak loudly like that. You were a bit embarrassed though, it caught the attention of everyone, though they acted like they didn't hear anything."Hiroji, isn't she too old for you?" Nari rested her forearms on the counter."Well," you spoke for him, he looked like he used all his talk-energy. "I call you guys 'kids', but really, I'm only a few years older than you." you chuckled. Meanwhile, Choromatsu was only three stools away and was staring at the scene before him. Especially the boy. He remembered him, from what he saw, he didn't seem like the kind of guy with the most confidence. When did he get the courage to ask someone out? And how dare he ask YOU out? Wait, let's rephrase that. How dare he ask you out before Choromatsu or any of his brothers could do it?!But, Choromatsu was the responsible one. He won’t get worked up like that, unlike his immature brothers. He sighed, slowly shook his head, and with a smile, he took a sip of his ice tea.‘This Hiroji guy isn’t even her type.’ he thought. ‘(Y/n) likes a man who can actually talks.’This reassured him, no way you will-."Sure."Choromatsu almost chocked on his drink, coughing loudly."R-really?" Hiroji's eyes brighten up."Yeah, you’re lucky my agenda’s been completely empty lately." you smiled. "So, when do we meet up?""Oh! Um...mmh..." he thought in a panic, he didn’t thought he’d get this far.After a moment of nothing, you decided to help the poor boy out."What about this weekend? Are you free?""Y-yes!""Great, we can meet in front of the bar. Can’t wait to see what you planned for us." you smiled.It made you chuckle to see him gasp and blush at such a simple friendly gesture. He smiled nervously, nodded and you said goodbye to each other.While all of this was going on, a loud alarm was ringing in Choromatsu's head.A new enemy has entered the ring... Of course, you asked Choromatsu to follow you and Hiroji at a safe distance. The boy didn't look like the type of guy who could fight yakuzas trying to kill you. But you didn’t know that he brought all five of his brothers with him.You were standing in front of the bar, as you two agreed. Saying welcome to the customers out of habit, which melt the Matsunos' heart by how cute you were. Your cute outfit (a lavender dress and white sandals, it's the end of spring here) added a lot too.While waiting, you looked over at where the brothers were. They all quickly hid from you except Choromatsu. You smiled at him at waved, he smiled and waved back. You were glad he was here, you'll feel less akward on this date.It's been about 15 minutes. You checked the hour again. Hiroji as he was asking you out, forgot to ask for a time of meeting, he had to come back the day after to propose you two meet in the middle of afternoon. Maybe he was a forgettable guy, you thought. And the brothers thought the same."How dare he forget such a thing?! It's a date for crying out loud!" Todomatsu hissed."Not being late is like number one priority in dating!" Choromatsu intensly bit his lip."Stop saying the d-word. I don't know how much I can take it." Ichimatsu gritted his teeth. As soon as Hiroji was in their field of sight, Jyushimatsu began to walk towards him, with the urge to pick you up bridal style and run away. It took the strength of his five brothers to hold him back. Of course they didn't want to, but they knew you'd be upset if they totally massacred your... d-word. They didn't even want to think about it!After Jyushimatsu calmed down, they watched as Hiroji hurried towards you, who sighed of relief as soon as you saw him, and waved. They listened closely."(Y/n)!" he stopped in front of you, panting slightly. "I-I'm so sorry I'm late! Did you wait for too long?""Don't worry," you smiled. "I just got here.""(Y/n)~!" the brothers said together, their eyes watery for you but their heart full of hate for the young boy."You've been waiting for twenty minutes!" Osomatsu covered his eyes with his arm."She's too much of a sweetheart!" Karamatsu said with sparkles in his eyes. "H-hey." Hiroji said. "Your dress is really pretty.""Thank you! It's one of my favorites." you looked down at your outfit, you picked it yourself and you were pretty proud of it."I mean! You're pretty too! Not the dress itself!"You puffed a chuckled."I get it, don't worry.""This idiot doesn't even know how to compliment her!" Todomatsu clicked his tongue."He better not touch her with his filthy greasy hands." Ichimatsu said in a low menacing voice.A moment passed, Hiroji didn't say nor did anything."Say something! Stupid!" Choromatsu said."Don't just stand there!" Osomatsu added."...Shall we get going?" you finally asked."Oh! Yes! Let's go.""(Y/n)~! Stop helping him!" Jyushimatsu said."He's not worth it!" Karamatsu said. "You need a man, he's just a boy!""But before that," you said more quietly, the brothers not hearing what you said. "there's something I need to tell you.""Huh?" The date Hiroji planned out for you was the most plain and cliched thing the brothers have ever seen (granted their experience in dating came from movies and such)! The two of you went to the movies and after that you went to buy some ice cream."This guy's more basic than an instagram model." Todomatsu said."It's not that," Karamatsu shook his head. "he doesn't take any risks and plays it safe.""What a weakling!" Osomatsu said."Out!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, Ichimatsu had to pressing a hand on his mouth. You and Hiroji walked around town as you ate your ice cream. The brothers were outraged to notice that you were doing most of the talking. And they knew you well enough to know that you weren't the type of person to do so."She's helping him again!""Don't force yourself (Y/n)-chan!""One is clearly trying harder than the other!" The sun started to go down which cast a gentle orange light on the world around you. After a while you decided to take a break in the park and stopped in the middle on the bridge with a view of the lake."So, I'm curious," you looked at Hiroji. "what do you wanna do after graduation?""U-um..." he kept looking forward, too nervous to look at you. "Well there's... My dad told me I could have a position at his company, my name has been on the waiting list since I entered college. If that doesn't work out, I can always work with my mom at her shop, she said that I'm welcomed there.""Oh okay. That's not what I'm asking though."He sent you a puzzled look."I'm asking what do *you* want to do."He looked down, not responding."...you don't know right?"His shoulders tensed a bit. It's always hard to hear that kind of thing. He slowly shook his head. You smiled."That's okay.""Heh, is it?" he said with a hint of irony."Of course. If I didn't have my bar, I'd probably be in the same position as you."He looked at you and listened with open ears. Your gaze began to wander on the glittering water, a soft smile on your lips."That's why I was really surprised when you told me you look up to me. 'Cause really, you shouldn't." you chuckled quietly. "My job, my career, my future... I got it handed to me. Even before I was born. It's a family establishment." you paused. "Of course I did have a rough patch when I started, but the reputation my business has, I worked hard to get it back, not to built it from the ground up." you chuckled. "Oh, here I go rambling. Sorry." you looked at him. "What I'm trying to say is, and it's a belief of mine, I believe that people, anyone really, successful or not... Everyone is lost in life. More or less."Hiroji's eyes widen a bit at your words. You leaned on the rail."Even if you have a whole life plan for yourself. You wouldn't know what it'll be like once you're there." you frowned slightly. "The...the unknown future you know? I dunno, I'm just rambling at this point.""It's fine..." he quietly said. "What are they talking about?!" Osomatsu asked out of frustration."I don't know but, judging by the way he looks at her, I'm afraid it's...""What is it Totty?""It's... the kind of deep talk that bonds people together!""Oh no!" the brothers became agitated."Calm down guys!" Osomatsu said. "It hasn't change at all, (Y/n) is still doing all the talking. This guy has nothing to offer!""Out! Out!" You and Hiroji were on your way back, when you noticed something that made you gasped."Oh~!" you pointed. "A fair! I love fairs!"Indeed, now that it was getting dark, you could clearly see the colorful lights and hear the lively music."Let's go there!" you turned towards him.He seemed in an inner distress. You were too distracted by your enthusiasm to notice, but the boys immediately knew what it was. "Heh. Of course." Karamatsu nodded, smiling. "The unexpected turn of event, unexpected, yet inevitable.""I know what that's like..." Choromatsu glanced at his eldest brother."Not part of your little plan, is it?" Ichimatsu smirked."But you can't say no to her, you're trapped!" Osomatsu smiled as well."Man, I didn't know (Y/n)-chan could get so exited over fairs." Todomatsu sighed with a dreamy look."So cute~!" Jyushimatsu poked his own cheeks.Osomatsu gasped and leaned closer to his brothers."Guys hear me out. What if she did it on purpose?"At this, there was a collective 'oh~' of realization."Of course." Todomatsu looked back towards you. "She was so bored throughout this d-word that she saw the fair as an escape.""Something to spice up her time with this guy." Choromatsu continued. "A calculated move...? So cute~!"He, along with the others, blushed and sighed. But here's an unexpected turn of event for the brothers. Hiroji turned out to be a fucking genius at fair games. To their horror and to your amazement.He just crushed it at this shooting game, winning a giant teddy bear for you."Here you go Miss." the manager handed you the fluffy boy.After a moment, appreciating the smelly but soft fur (you'll wash him as soon as you get home), you looked at Hiroji with your eyes full of wonder."I can't believe you did a perfect score again! That was amazing!"He blushed and smiled, playing with a bang of his hair."Oh I... I used to go to fairs all the time with my sister when I was a kid.""Oh~ I'm sure she has a bunch of plushies thanks to you!"You both chuckled."She does actually."You both laughed this time. You were glad he seemed a bit more open now. As a matter of fact, the more games you played, the more comfortable Hiroji became. Slowly but surely, he began to make jokes and lead the conversation."Boom~!" you exclaimed together as he won yet another game."Did you see that?!" he turned towards you with a big smile.You liked this side of him. It was cute."Yeah, you really are a genius at this!" you smiled back. Still holding your big teddy bear, you and Hiroji were walking back to the bar. Meanwhile, in their corner, the Matsuno brothers were devastated."We're finished." Osomatsu looked down, so did the others."It's over for us." Choromatsu said."All that's left is for us to die." Ichimatsu whispered."She looks like she's having fun." Jyushimatsu ate the cotton candy he bought at the fair in one go."Who are we to stand in the way of her happiness after all...?" Karamatsu looked into the distance with a painful stare."It's over..."With a sigh of defeat, they slid down along the wall to sit on the ground, their eyes looking at nothing. Only Choromatsu was still standing, he knew he was supposed to be here for you. But if you look closely, you can tell that he's dead inside. "Again, I'm sorry..." you said once you stopped in front of the establishment.'Wait...' Choromatsu thought."It's...It's fine really." Hiroji scratched the back of his neck."You know, you seemed more confident back at the fair. You should keep that same mindset." you smiled. "I really had a good time Hiroji, thank you.""No, really. Thank *you*.""And thanks for...for Teddson."He laughed."Teddson?""I said the first thing that came up but yeah! Teddson!""The one and only." he began to step away. "Well, goodbye."He waved, you waved back. After a few meters, you called out."Yo! Hiroji!""Uh-yes?"He looked back to see you, waving Teddson's paw at him. Hiroji chuckled and waved back.Seeing you do this, hiding your mouth with bright big eyes, this childish look brought some life into Choromatsu's heart. After Hiroji was out of sight, you let out a big sigh and walked up to Choromatsu."Hey man, sorry if you wer-woo! Hello!" you said in surprise as soon as yous saw the other five. "You guys okay? You look dead inside."They only groaned in response. Your question about what they were doing here turned into worry."(Y/n)," you turned towards Choromatsu. "what were you sorry about?""Uh? Oh! Right. Nari asked me to say yes to the date beca-""WHAT?!"You flinched and yelped, the six brothers were now gathered around you."Y-yeah, back up a bit!"You sighed once they stepped back, and went on with your explanation."Nari told me he was gonna ask me out. She asked me to help him be more confident and sure of himself during this date. I was supposed to tell him after the date, but it'd be too cruel, so I told him right away. I'm glad though, it seemed to have worked a b- Uh... You guys okay there?""Yes!" they said together, happy tears flowing down their face.You were confused. You giggled in your confusion. "So," Choromatsu said during the ride home. "if Nari haven't told you anything, would you have said yes?"You thought for a moment."Nah. He's sweet but," you smiled at him. "I like a guy who can talk."A spark of joy and hope fuzzed around his chest at your words. Hiroji was replaying everything that happened on his date, smiling all the while he did so. He was sad that you didn't say yes for the date, but he still had a good time.Then, he couldn't breath.Suddenly he was slammed against the wall of the alleyway he was just passing by. His feet were barely touching the ground. The dizziness in his head and pain in his back added to the pain on his throat. He coughed, his mouth dry. And grabbed the hand that was pressed on his neck. Trying desperatly to push it away. It did not budge.He opened his eyes and his blood went cold. The man before him was only holding him up with one hand. But it wasn't his inhuman strength that made him terrified. It was his eyes, behind light brown hair. He looked angry. Just angry."Don't approach her." he quickly yet clearly said, his voice devoid of emotions. "Don't touch her. Don't talk to her. Forget about her. She's nothing to you."Hiroji would nod if he could. The man finally let him down. He coughed loudly."Out of my sight."Hiroji didn't waste a second and ran away.Now alone, the man bit his fingernail.This was bad.He was getting impatient.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jealousy!
.
.
.
.
"Ouch!""Wow! You okay?" You quickly joined Ben on stage. Before opening the bar, he wanted to tune the piano. But it seemed like he had some difficulties with it."My hand slipped and I hurt my fingers." he shook his hand, as if it could be of any help. "Man that usually never happens when I tune a piano.""It's a very old one, I guess it's pretty tough. Let me see you hand."Ben didn't seem like he wanted to let you see. For as long as you known him, he was never the touchy type. But you didn't care, and grabbed his hand."Hey!" he said. "Be gentle would ya? My hands are basically my livelihood.""Which is why I can't let you go without disinfecting your wound." You scanned his fingers. The tips were red, but they weren't bleeding. Touching it, his hands felt pretty rough. Are piano players like guitar players, or does he play guitar too?"Go get yourself some bandages. Sit back and patch yourself up." you patted his shoulder. "I'll tune the old thing for you.""Oh please (Y/n)!" he huffed a sneezing smile. "If I have a hard time with it. It's definitely impossible for you.""Just how weak do you think I am?!" you laughed, even though you were a bit offended. "Like a little bird.""Wha-?""More like a stubborn kitty actually..." he seemed to seriously think about this. "The kind that scratches you to look tough, but it doesn't hurt one bit.""That wasn't an actual question!""And it wants to go outside, but you don't let it 'cause you *know* it will get killed if it does. So it meows all the time but-""Shut up Benny!"He tensed and stopped talking. Works everytime."Just tell me what I gotta do." you said."Fine. Take this." He handed you the tool he was using to tune the piano. You grabbed it, determined to prove yourself."You jam it in one of these." he pointed at the end of the strings. "And you slowly turn. I'll tell you when to stop."You nodded and jammed the thing while Ben tapped a note repeatedly to hear the change."Nothing's changing." he said with a smile, and glanced up at you. "Are you sure you're turning it?""Of...Of course." you failed to hide the distress in your voice, which made him smile even more.No matter how hard you pushed, the thing didn't move an inch. You didn't want to put your weight into it, it felt like cheating to you. But desperate times, desperate measures. You made a light jump to get some momentum and-"Woaw!" The tool went flying and the piano string snapped. Thankfully you were quick enough to take a step back and avoid it "(Y/n)! Are you okay?!" Ben was by your side in a matter of seconds."Yeah I'm fine, it's nothing.""It's not nothing! Piano strings can really hurt when they snap!"He grabbed your hands and arms to see if they were injured in any way. You were happy he forgets to not be the touchy type when your well-being is in question. But what just happened bothered you. You glanced at the piano.After a moment, he sighed and stepped back."See, told you I was fine." you said."You know I'd much rather... be safe than sorry.""Oh really? 'Cause you just let someone who has zero experience tune a piano.""I... Mmm..."You smiled, but it quickly faded."Sorry about that." you gestured to the cord which was now on the floor."It's cool. I just won't use this note. You know it's a no-brainer for me."He smiled and went to get himself some bandages. You looked at the piano again.'I bet one of the brothers could easily do it...' You usually wake up around 6am, but not today. Today you woke up at 5am!You walked through the house, trying not to wake up anyone. It was pretty akward when you passed by maids who were already starting their day of work while you were on your tippy-toes.You've never been to the gymnasium. It did pick your curiosity since the beginning though. On the map he gave you, Jyushimatsu circled it, highlighted it, and even drew little stars around it, you found it adorable.After what happened yesterday, you decided to put a 'workout day' in your weekly agenda. A whole day at the gym. You took three water bottles with you. You came prepared! You opened the heavy door and peeked inside. The gymnasium was huge and the ceiling was high. A large variety of gym equipment were displayed all over the center, around it was a track field. But you didn't get the chance to look around. You were too distracted by someone... That someone was running around the gymnasium. It was the first thing you saw.Ichimatsu was running.I feel like this should be said one more time.Matsuno Ichimatsu. Running. On a track field.And he seemed really focused, though struggling a bit. And the sun wasn't even up yet!'Oh my god is this why he wakes up late in the morning?' "Ichimatsu?" you stepped inside."NYAAAA!" he turned into a man-cat (yeah he does that sometimes) and jumped back in surprise.'Nya?!' you laughed internally. "(Y-Y/n)..." he turned back to normal and put his hands on his knees, panting. "Don't just sneak in like that. You scared me.""Sorry." you walked up to him. "Are you working out too?"He wiped away the sweat on his forehead, avoiding your eyes. His face began to get redder, because of the running and the embarrassment."What does it look like to you?" he asked back with a clear ironic tone."Whatever man." you looked around and noticed a water bottle and a towel not too far from here, must be his. "My real question is, how long have you been here? It’s like 6am right now." you asked with a hint of concern.He staid silent. A moment passed before he heard you gasp. He furrowed his eyebrows."Are you embarrassed to be seen by the others?" you smiled."No." he quickly responded, standing straight (at least, the Ichimatsu version of standing straight). "I don’t want to hurt anyone upon seeing my disgusting sweaty trashy self.""Aww~!"’He’s totally embarrassed!’"Don’t ‘aww’ me." he began to walk towards his stuff."No wait! I’m sorry." you followed him. "Can I... Can I run with you?"He stopped and looked back towards you."Why would you want that?""I wanna workout too.""Then I’ll leave you alone.""But, doing things together’s always more fun.""Yeah maybe with someone decent.""Pfff! You think I’m fit as shit or something?" you chuckled. "You’re probably way better than me."He turned away again, hiding his blush."You think too highly of me." he mumbled.Now you could play a bit of a mind game with him, trying to use his self-loathing to your advantage so he could work out with you. But now that you phrased it that way, it sounded cruel. Plus it's 6am and you were tired.You walked up to him and tugged on his sleeve."Come on, please?" you looked up at him.He clicked his tongue and turned his head away. But he flinched once you rested your head on his shoulder. You remembered the nickname Osomatsu gave him sometimes, and took a little voice."Ichimachan~"He became tensed. You smiled when you noticed his ears getting red.'Oh that's cute. That's just cute.'"F-fine." you heard."Excuse me?""Fine.""I'm sorry, I didn't get that?" your smile widen."I said fine! I'll workout with you."You gave him his personal space back, he sighed of relief."Cool, thanks!""Yeah, just... give me a minute." He walked up to his water bottle and drank more that half of it. While he was at it, you placed your things beside his."Oh and, that goes without saying," you looked at him once he was done. "you're not disgusting, neither are you trashy."He didn't want to dispute what you said, not with the serious look you gave him. Plus, hearing you say that in a gentle voice made him feel fuzzy. You raised your hand and caressed his arm (he was wearing a t-shirt), giving him a glimpse of hope."You are sweaty though." you said before laughing.And the hope was gone. Still, he smiled. You and Ichimatsu ran around the gymnasium a few times. You both had a hard time, but he was clearly better than you. After that you did some stretches, helping each other by pressing on the other's back to get to your toes. To name one of the many examples.Gradually, it turned into a gymnastic class. After you learned that he never learned how to do a cartwheel... "Do it again." you said after he failed again. "Expect put your hands further.""It's no use (Y/n)." he staid on the ground, his head hung down."Ichimatsu, do you trust me?"He looked up and saw you on your knee, offering him your hand. He huffed a smiled."Of course." He grabbed your hand and you both looked at each other. From you readers' perspective, you could see sparkles around around the two of you. ...and he learned that you never learned how to do a headstand. "It's the same as a cartwheel, except you have to stay up." he explained after you fell again."That's exactly why it's so difficult!" you yelled in frustration."(Y/n)~, don't you trust me?"You looked up at him and notice that mischievous sadistic spark in his eyes he'd sometimes have whenever he's in a position of control or power. Yet a smile unconsciously formed on your face because of that callback."Ah~ you son of a bitch." you stood up, stumbling a bit. "Alright let's go!" After an hour of running stretching and gymnastic, you and Ichimatsu were laying down, sweating and panting. You began to laugh after a while, he chuckled himself.Once you had the energy to stand up, you both went to eat a big breakfast. Ichimatsu went to take a shower, being done with his workout for the day. You staid in the kitchen to make yourself a sandwich for later. You'll probably spend all day in the gymnasium."(Y/n) (Y/n) (Y/n)..."You looked back to see Osomatsu walking towards you, smiling and shaking his head."What's up?" you asked.Now beside you, he leaned over to get a good look at what you were doing. He shook his head again before leaning back."You just ate breakfast, and a big one at that. Come on now. I understand our food's delicious, but I don't want you to get fat and ugly.""Would you stop bitchin in my kitchin?!""That's MY kitchen!" You both laughed."F Y I, it's my lunch, I'm going to workout at the gymnasium today.""Oh you are? Great! I was just about to go there!" he smiled widely, his cheeks dusted with a shade of pink."Really? Cool." you said as you finished to pack your lunchbox. "It'll be nice to have a sparing partner.""It'll be nice to have a partner."You looked over at him with a smile and a raised eyebrow as if to say "come on man". He just smiled proudly and scratched the underside of his nose as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge."It'll be nice to have." you said."It'll be nice to.""It'll be nice-.""It'll be nuts!""You broke the chain!" you hit him on the shoulder. "You are a asshole!" you purposefully accentuated the 'a' for maximum funny capacity."I regret nothing!""As if you regret anything!" you laughed. "So what do you usually do to work out?" you asked after the two of you placed your things on the side."Oh you don’t wanna follow me on that." he waved his hand as he walked over to the center. "It’s like, super complex.""You can just tell me what to do then.""Nah~ I’d prefer to go easy on you for now. Let’s do something easier.""I’m not a fragile little flower dude!" you huffed, taking a bit of offense to that."You sure that’s okay with you?" he looked back."Yes!" you walked up to him. "Tell me what to do."He smiled broadly."Alright!" he clapped his hands. "Come here."You stepped closer to him."What we're gonna do is called: double push-ups.""Double?""Yeah. Give me some push-ups."You got down and slowly did a couple of them, not without difficulty. Your face was already red."Well it's that but..." you felt him gently grab your leg. "you lift your leg and your body does a diagonal. Understand?""Is that really what you do?""Yeah of course! Trust me, it makes your muscles burning.""Okay...""Wait no, not like that. Your back must be straight. Just, like, that."You felt his hand tracing down your spine as he spoke, and gasped when it went a little too low."Don't!" you shook you leg off, smacking him on the face with your heel, and turned you body around. "You ass!""I don't know about mine, but yours is pretty nice." he rubbed his cheek where he got smacked."Shut up!" your face got redder, you kicked him again."Ow!" his head went backwards, in his dizziness he leaned forward and pressed a hand on the floor as to not fall on you, holding his nose with his other hand. "I think that was the one too many.""Are you okay?!" you asked, worried and a bit guilty, though it quickly went away as soon as you saw that there was no blood. "Well that's what you get for playing me like this!""Oh come on~ I can't even touch it a little bit?"You were about to respond, but your words got stuck in your throat when you realized the position you guys were in. You laying down, resting on your forearms, your face was inches away from his, and he was towering over your body. He was smiling in a flirty way, contrasting with the innocent-looking hope in his eyes."No!"You quickly crawled away from him, which made him smile even more."Oww~!" he stood up. "Well then I'm out of here." and started walking away."Wha-Are you serious?!"'I knew he was a pervert, but I wouldn't think he'd go that far!'You stood up and watched him casually walk out of the gym, angry for sure."Nevermind." you mumbled to yourself before grabbing some weight to lift. As soon as Osomatsu closed the door behind him, he held his nose with both of his hands."Ayayayayay!" he tried not to shout.When the pain calmed down, he sighed."I made her angry..." he whispered to himself, running a hand through his face. "How the hell am I supposed to face her after that...?"He really did try to keep his hands to himself this time, but like always, his perverted, NEET virgin instinct got the better of him. He had to flee the scene to spare himself the shame and consequences of his action, at least until the next time you see each-other. He knew you'd forgive him if he apologized, you already had your revenge anyway. But..."Why is it so hard to...?" he whispered, but he didn't have the courage to even say it to himself.He sighed again and started walking away.Tonight, he'll apologize."That butt was good tho." he smile faintly, making himself feel a little better. "Stupid... Perv... Manipulative..." With each time you lifted the heavy barbell, you came up with a new insult. It was like fuel to you.The thing is, you were able to do it only three times. You could feel a painful burn all over your arm muscles, but that's what it's supposed to feel like, right?"Son of a bitch..." you slowly said between your teeth as the weights were slowly lifted off the ground."(Y/n)!""Wah!"Caught off guard, you let go of the barbell. Fortunately, the bar didn't hit your feet. But you instinctively took a step back, which caused your foot to stumble on the bar, and you fell on your back with a loud 'aouch!'."Ah! I'm so sorry, it's my fault! Are you okay?!"You let out a painful moan and opened your eyes to see Karamatsu looking down at you, panicked and worried."Yeah I'm good." you sat up. "I was just surprised, don't worry." you smiled.He sighed of relief and offered you his hand. You gladly took it and you stood up, rubbing your lower back. "A-are you working out?" he asked, changing the subject to avoid any akward silence."Yeah, I figured I should try and get more muscles." you showed him your tiny bicep, which made you both laugh."But...were you lifting that?" he walked over to the barbell."Yes, you gotta start somewhere."He picked it up and examined the two weights on the two ends of the bar."(Y/n) that's 35 each! That's 70kg!""...is it too much?""For a beginner, yes of course!""Why do you assume I'm a beginner?" you placed you hands on your hips.He raised an eyebrow and showed you his bicep, mimicking the way you moved. You tried not to, but you puffed a giggle."Fine! You got me." "You shouldn't push yourself this hard this quickly." he said, looking over the various weights on display. "Start by something more in your caliber.""Step by step?""Step by step." he walked up to you with two dumbbells in his hand and handed them to you. "Ten kilograms should be good to start with."You took the dumbbells. There were lighter for sure, but you still grunted from the aching sensation in your arms."Oh, your muscles must still be tensed." he quickly took the weights away from you. "Let’s stretch before lifting anything, do as I do."It made you smile to see him like this. Karamatsu was a good coach, you figured that out back at those dance rehearsals. He was so gentle when he’s not playing his cool and sparkly persona, which you came to find hilarious as time passed. He was kind too, you could tell he wasn’t used to give instructions, and have someone actually follow them. But he was clearly trying his best, like always actually. You felt bad that no one showed him enough appreciation for what he’s doing. You hoped that if only you alone appreciated him, that’d be enough.And to him, it would be more than enough. Here's the thing about working out with Karamatsu. Like we previously said, he's a gently guy, but as he played the role of your coach, you could feel a not wanted sexual tension clouding over the two of you. But in your ultimate denial, it turned into something that was just a silent type of akward.Plus, he was wearing a blue tracksuit, only the pants part was on, and a black v-neck shirt. And that v-neck was tight! You did your very best not to stare at his muscles. But it was very difficult. 'Cause hot mama! The big arms of the Matsuno family you know what I'm sayin?!Right now, you were holding a barbell behind your head and on your shoulders. Progressively, you went from ten to thirty kilograms."Remember, put your strength on your knees and keep your back straight."From behind, he placed his hand on your waist to help you not bend your back. But he was so close to you, you could feel his breath on the back of your neck. You gulped."(Y/n)?" you heard him say."Yeah?""Are you okay?""Yeah.""Let me know when you're not feeling it, we'll stop immediately..."His last word was slow and more quiet. Did he just realize how sexually ambiguous the situation is, and what he said just added to that ambiguity? Surely."I'm good, don't worry. I'm tough.""O-okay."Unlike Osomatsu, he wasn't doing it on purpose so you couldn't say anything, or else it'll be even more akward.'Oh my god maybe it's because of that perv. He corrupted me!' you face got a tad bit redder. 'He better fucking apologize tonight!' If you don't count the times you made physical contact (because everytime you did, it was ambiguous and akward), overall, it had a good workout session. You felt like you made some progress and you were thankful."Thanks again Karamatsu." you smile, sitting on the floor a rest a bit."Heh." he placed his hand on his forehead and the other one on his hip, striking a pose. "No purobulem! If you ever need my help again, wherever I am in the universe, I will run back here to offer you my helping hand!""Wow, how nice of you." you smiled."Hahahaha~! Indeed!" he struck another pose, which made you laugh this time.He started to walk towards the exit, but stopped after a few meters and looked back at you."You're...You're not coming?""Nah. I'll have lunch here, I brought a sandwich.""Oh, I see. Then maybe you'll get to see Jyushimatsu. Don't forget though, don't push yourself.""I won't~." you stood up and walked towards your lunch box as you both waved goodbye. You were sitting by yourself, calmly eating your lunch in this giant room. You liked this scenery.The door opened, you were expecting Jyushimatsu, but you've never seen this guy before. And why is there so many of them?! Between ten and twenty, and they kept coming in! They looked tough."Oh, hello." the first one who entered said when he saw you, everyone stopped in their track and turned their attention to you."...hi." you simply said, quickly glancing at the dumbbell closest to you, getting ready to throw it."Hey, aren't you (Y/n)?""...who's asking?" you slowly stood up."Ah, silly me." he taped his forehead. "You probably don't recognize us 'cause we're not wearing sunglasses and a suit." he said, the others laughed. "We're the Matsuno's henchmen. I was on the hospital mission with you, I helped tackle that psycho down. My name is Kouichi.""Oh!" you recognized his haircut and walked up to him. "I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you."You offered your hand and he shook it. By this point, some of them were back to their routine.'Tight grip.' you thought."It's nice to meet YOU actually." one of them said."Yeah, the bosses won't stop talking about you." another one added."You could say, you got a reputation among us.""Do...Do I now?" you asked, embarrassed.Kouichi smiled, a bit bashful himself."To be honest, that reputation was more of a princess-like damsel who never leaves her tower."'Oh...' you felt disappointed."But Kara-boss told us you were working out. That's awesome!" a boy at the back said."I mean, I'm trying." you scratched your cheek."Trying's better than not trying." Kouichi said and looked over at your lunchbox. "Well it looks like you're on lunch break, mind if we join you?""No! Not at all! But, is it a good idea to eat before working out?""We just came back from a running session around town with Jyushi-boss, it's actually time for lunch for us too.""Oh, is he with you? I didn't heard him though." you looked across the large group of men."Oh he's still out there. He's a real training machine.""Knowing him, he's more of a training monster." The group laughed and you laughed. The boys sat with you and you shared a meal and a lot of laughs. They were very sweet boys. Others were minding their own business and were training in their corner. You looked at them for time to time. They seemed to be in their own little bubble, a bubble full of anger. Kouichi caught you staring at them."If you're thinking about inviting them, I wouldn't suggest it." he said, pointing at you with his chopsticks. "They're not exactly here to make friends.""They look like they're out to get revenge." you said, casting one last look before going back to your meal."Heh, maybe they are." this picked your interest and you looked directly at him. "We all used to be in our own gangs before. Then those six brothers came and kicked our asses, and now we work for them. We've come to like our new bosses, 'cause they're stupid and funny." the group, including you, laughed in agreement. "But, some of us are still a bit bitter about it.""That's... understandable I guess. Has any of them actually tried?""Oh, a lot of 'em! Some even sneaked in while they were sleeping.""Oh my god." your eyes widen."Don't worry though, all of them got beat up and banned everytime." one sitting beside you patted your shoulder.Still, you felt a newfound respect for the brothers. With the chance of getting stabbed in the back at anytime, how did they not become crazy with paranoia?'Or maybe, they're just idiots with crazy reflexes.' you unknowingly smiled. 'That one's more believable.' You were all done with lunch and you were cleaning your little lunch-corner, when the door slammed opened and you heard a very familiar:"MUSCLE MUSCLE! HUSTLE HUSTLE!" he stepped inside with big steps.You were about to stand up and go to him, but the boys were faster."Jyushi-boss!" they exclaimed as they surrounded him, you couldn't see him anymore."You guys are still not training?" you heard him ask."Ah, sorry. Guess we got a bit distracted by the lunch we had with (Y/n)-""(Y/n)'s here?!""Hi Jyushi-boss!" you smiled and raised your hand to let him know where you were. Immediately after you said that, you saw Jyushimatsu jump above the group of men like a god damn ninja, to land on his feet right in front of you. You were surprised to sat the least. You should be used to it by this point. He was staring at you with sparkles of joy in his eyes. Now in front of you, you noticed he was wearing his baseball uniform, covered in dirt from head to toe, and he had his metal bat with him."You're here to workout too (Y/n)?!""Yeah I am!" you said in the same manner, his enthusiasm getting you pumped."Ah~! Awesome home run 1 2 3! Biiiiingo!" "Yeah!!!" the boys shouted together.You couldn't help but laugh. Jyushimatsu grabbed your wrist."Let's go! Muscle!""Muscle!" the guys shouted to the rhythm."Hustle!""Hustle!"You laughed again, this was so endearing to watch. While you were still working with those barbells and dumbbells, you looked at Jyushimatsu to see that he was still swinging that bat. "843! 844! 845..."You got curious and approached him."Jyushimatsu?""Aye!" he immediately stopped to face you."Is it your lucky bat or something? Why aren't you using anything else?"Instead of giving you a direct answer, he handed the bat to you. You cast him a weird look before taking it.As soon as he let go, it fell heavily on the floor, making you bend forward. It was even heavier than the first barbell you attempted to lift"Holy shit..." you mumbled.You used both of your hands to try and lift it up, you only managed a few inches. Seeing you struggling made him laugh in amusement."What the fuck is this made out of?!" you finally said after giving up, panting slightly.Jyushimatsu picked it up like it was made of plastic, which made you frown, and rested it on his shoulder."Of metal." he simple replied."Yeah no shit. But that's like the heaviest metal ever!""It's the best one!" he said before keeping on swinging.You recalled the time you watched him through the monitors, swinging that bat like it was noting. He even had the strength to make it bounce and rotate! God you were glad to be his friend. "But, why are you just swinging it like that?" Again, instead of just talking. He put the bat down and he unbuttoned his shirt. 'Oh.' ... 'Uh...' ... 'OH!' was your train of thought as Jyushimatsu was now shirtless, and you saw of fucking jacked he was. Your face was tomato-red. You so wanted to look away and not look away at the same time. What can you say, muscles have an effect on you. Jyushimatsu took the bat again and got into position."It makes all of the upper body works!" he explained.He swung, slower than usual, and flexed his muscles so you could see which ones were working.'Oh stop!' you pleaded in your head."Jyushi-boss, I think the lady's lovin' your beef." Kouichi, who was nearby, noticed your distress and decided to make it worse for you."Really?!" "N-no! No!"'KOUICHI YOU LIL SHIT!' you glared at him, he only smiled and waved. "Ahahaha~!" Jyushimatsu scratched the back of his head, his cheeks pink. "I'm flattered!"Behind you, he noticed Kouichi pointing at you, then motioned a hug. He understood and nodded, it would be nice to show his appreciation without yelling and startling you for a chance."I-it's not-"Suddenly, you were wrapped in Jyushimatsu's arms."Thank you (Y/n)!" he squeezed you gently.'I'm dying.'When he let go and got back to his workout, you looked down at you clothes, they were soaked from his sweat. You sighed."I'm gonna have to change.""Because of the sweat right?"You looked at Kouichi, he was smirking with an eyebrow raised. You knew exactly what he was getting at."...Of course!" You stomped away to grab your thing and go get a spare outfit. Kouichi chuckled."Ah~, I totally ship it." Jyushimatsu and a few of the guy left a while ago. Kouichi staid a bit longer to tease you like crazy, you were relieved when he left. He a nice dude but damn he can be annoying."Oh my god~! (Y/n)-chan~!"You smiled and turned to see Todomatsu waving as he approached you."Oh hey!""What'cha doing?" he stood beside you with his hands on his hips in a feminine stand."I'm working on my legs." you gestured to the machine you were using at this moment. "Who knew just lifting your feet could get so difficult.""Ow (Y/n)-chan." he slowly shook his head. "A cute girl like you shouldn't workout surrounded by sweaty smelly men.""I don't mind."He sighed."You don't mind because you didn't experienced something way better." a little smiled formed on his lips. "Come with me, and take your stuff with you." Intrigued, you followed Todomatsu to the far end of the gymnasium. He felt the wall for a bit while you watched him, a bit confused now.Your eyes widen when he gently pushed a little square of the wall, revealing a keyhole. He smiled at your big eyes and mouth agap as he took out a key from his sport bag. After making sure no one was watching, he opened it and you both entered the secret room. Todomatsu closed the door behind him."Wooow~!" you said, looking around in awe.You just stepped in a awefully lovely little fitness room, decorated in a cute 80's style pink and white color palette. There was even a little lounge area, with a sofa and a selection of magazines. A tv screen at a corner of the ceiling was showing imagery of cute vaporwave aesthetic. Todomatsu smiled proudly."I know~. I had it built in secret." he walked over a music player to play a lively bumpy song. "The walls are soundproof so no one can hear us." he then opened a closet. "I keep some spare clothes. And~" he crouched. "Got a mini-fridge." he took out a fresh water bottle, by the bottle, you could tell it was expensive water. "Oh my god, I wanna live here!""I'm so happy you like it!" he paused. "Of course, don't tell anyone about its existence. It's just between you and me.""Of course, naturally. I'm glad to be part of the...the pinky fitness club."He laughed."It's actually called the 'Pink Palace: get fit my lace'." he gestured to a sign that said exactly that.You both laughed harder. "So, you don't like working out with the others?" you asked."No! Obviously!" he seemed to shiver at the thought. "Here, it's neat, it's quiet. It's my little Eden garden.""You're not scared that I'll ruin it for you?""No!" he quickly said, louder than usual, he seemed to have realized it and he turned away. "I...I trust you.""Yeah? You sure you won't get neat freak on me?" you smiled."I said I trust you! But I see you don't trust me!""Aww~! Totty~!" you jumped on him from behind and wrapped your arms around his neck."Eww! You're sweating! Get off me!" he struggled."Totty~!" "Stop!" he pushed your cheek away from his, his face red, trying his best not to smile (it failed). Working out with Todomatsu was more like hanging out with a friend. Your relationship has always been lighter than with the other brothers, because you're both very sociable people.Maybe it was because he was also the most feminine, but unlike with Jyushimatsu (who was always a handful, which can be intimidating), you didn't mind him being the touchy type. His flirt however took you a bit of getting used to. The Pink Palace was really well lit, and most of the walls were covered in mirrors. Which to Todomatsu was perfect for his instagram."(Y/n)-chan, let's take a selfie!""Uh, sure." you stood up from your machine to join him in front of the mirror."Um wait, here put this around your neck." he handed you a towel."Alright..." you took it and did as he told."Okay, stand right here-no, your foot, there. There you go. Also your hair, ruffle them a bit..."You knew his social media presence was important to him so you followed his every direction. He did went neat freak on you a bit, but eventually, the selfie was taken! And to his credit, it turned out great."We look so much like a couple on this." he giggled."You think?" you looked at the picture and slightly shrugged. "Maybe? I wouldn't know." Todomatsu wanted to press on what you just said, he did point out the couple thing just to put that idea in your head. But he saw how eager you were when you went back to your workout, that he refrained himself from saying anything, and actually felt a bit bad to have hold you back for so long. Anyhow, he went on with his instagram posting. A cute caption, cute emojis, and a lot of hashtags. Not even a minute passed and someone already liked it. He checked and his eyes widen a bit. He turned his head to look at you, your phone in your hand. You looked up at him and smiled before putting your phone away.Todomatsu turned back towards the screen, a hand on his chest. 'That was the most girlfriend-boyfriend thing she ever did!!!' he thought, his heart beating like crazy. Todomatsu had to leave at some point, but he assured you that Pink Palace was always open for you, a gesture you were genuinely thankful for. But after a while you felt pretty lonely, the little fitness room, for you at least, was a place to enjoy with someone, so you decided to go back to the gymnasium.Unfortunately, you didn't realize it in the secret room, but it was now the beginning of the evening, and the gymnasium was also empty. You were a bit disappointed, but at least you could see the twilight sky, casting a pink-ish light onto the vast space. It made you smile."Maybe I'll do something lighter this time..." you mumbled to yourself as you walked to put down your stuff. You were doing some yoga, suddenly the lights were turned on. You kept them off all this time because you loved that pink light so much, even though it faded away long ago."(Y-Y/N)?!" you heard someone shouting.You were in the candle position, so you couldn't see him, but you'd recognize that shouting shaky anxious voice anywhere."Choromatsu, don't shout like that!" you rolled back and stood up. "I could've break my neck and die!""Oh no! I-I'm sorry!" he bowed down."Dude, I'm kidding." you laughed and began to walk towards him, you wobbled a bit and massaged your temple. "Mmh~ stood up too fast!""H-hey! Be careful!" he held your arms to prevent you from falling. "You've ever done yoga before.""...nope.""Why are you doing something you know nothing about?" he sighed."There's always a first time for everything.""You don't do your first time by yourself." You smiled widely at him, he seemed to have realize it too and sighed again. He also realized that he still hasn't let go of your arms, with a high-pitched yelp, he jumped back, his cheeks red. You chuckled. He coughed, trying to be the mature and serious one like always. But with only the two of you here, it's gonna be difficult."Come on, I'll help you.""You'll help me with my first time?""Would you stop?!" he glared at you, as red as ever, which made you chuckle again. "Choromatsu, I'm curious." you said. "Do you just do yoga?""Of course not, I workout like the rest of my brothers.""Really? You don't seem like the kind who fights to me, more like a desk, talk kind of guy.""You think I'm that lame?" he quietly mumbled before responding. "I used to fight a lot back at our humble beginnings. Now I try to stay away from it. Everytime things get heated, I just resolve the issue without getting blood spilled.""A respectable decision."A moment of nothing passed. You thought back to the times the Matsunos fought for you."I also don't want to fight." you spoke again. "But if things get out of hand again, I want to be able to protect myself."He looked at you."Would you help me with that?"It took him a few seconds, but he nodded."Of course, it'd be my pleasure."You smiled at each-other. Choromatsu taught you a few tricks, from disarming someone to break away from their hold. As one last lesson, he took a training knife."I won't teach you how to fire a gun." he strictly said, clearly serious. "I never use them anyway.""You use blades instead? How are they any better?""They're more traditional and honorable."'You fucking weeb.' you smiled."And I only use them when absolutely necessary." he walked up to you. "So if sadly you're ever in that kind of situation, you stab right here." he put his hand on your shoulder and poked your flank with the knife's handle. "It won't kill them, hospitalized for a couple of months, but it'll put them down for sure."He was staring into your eyes, you couldn't look away."Killing someone is very easy (Y/n). Any idiots with a knife can do it. And when you're a yakuza, you make these kinds of choices almost daily. But, people are people, ending a life is never without consequences, to you and to others. I promised myself to never forget that, don't forget it either."Your mouth was a bit agap by his words, this was a side of him you never thought existed. Did this wisdom come from experience? You sincerely hoped not. You nodded. He stepped away and sighed after putting the knife back on the display."Well, I think we can stop for today." he said, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done."Oh cool! I'll stay here a bit longer.""Are you sure?""Yeah dude, not everyone is super fit like you guys.""Well, I think you look gorgeous." he mumbled."Wha-?""Okay then I'll tell you when dinner's ready bye!" he quickly said before walking out with big steps. A moment passed before the door opened again."Forgot my bag." he said.You smiled, but decided to not rub it in his face. "Uuuh~ so embarrassing~!" Choromatsu pressed a hand on his red face as he walked into the living room."Nothing new here! Am I right?!" Osomatsu, laying on the couch reading a manga, laughed."What happened Choromatsu-niisan?" Todomatsu looked up from his phone, taking great delight at seeing all the likes he got."Yes, what is wrong burazza?""I was having a totally romantic moment with (Y/n) and I ruined it!""Again, nothing new." Ichimatsu mumbled, making Osomatsu laugh."Ahaha! Akward!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed."Wait wait wait!" Todomatsu put his phone down. "A 'romantic moment'? You sure you weren't being delusional?""No! It was the perfect 'workout' scenario in shoujos!"Ichimatsu looked up at his brother, Karamatsu realized it too."Wait, workout?" he said, frowning slightly. "She's been there all afternoon?""Actually," Osomatsu sit up, frowning too. "She was also there this morning too.""...Has any of you seen her outside of the gymnasium today?"Following Choromatsu's question was only silence. The brothers looked at each other before standing up at the same time and rushed to the gymnasium. "(Y/n)?""Oh hey guys."They looked to the side to see you sitting next to the wall, motionless."Wow, you okay?" Osomatsu asked."Well, I wanted to take a short break, I took longer than expected, and now... I can't move a muscle.""You overworked yourself! You've been workout out all day!" Karamatsu kneeled down in front of you, upset for sure. "I told you not to push yourself!""I guess I was on an adrenaline rush the whole time, and now it faded away.""What's gotten into you?!" Todomatsu asked."I just wanted to be stronger...""Strength doesn't come right away (Y/n)." Jyushimatsu said. "And it won't come any faster if you're working yourself to exhaustion.""Step by step remember." Karamatsu added."How will you be able to defend yourself if you're on the floor like a broken puppet?" Choromatsu asked a rhetoric question."Oww~ you guys!" you said."Come one, let's get you to your room." Todomatsu said. "You'll need plenty of rest.""Come on!" Jyushimatsu picked you up, piggy-back ride style."Hahahahaouch! My everything!""Be more gentle! Jesus!" Todomatsu punched his brother's arm slightly. "Hey." You turned your head to look at Ichimatsu, who was walking close to you."You had to shake me up to start working out." he whispered. "Don't make me shake you up to stop."Now, he did phrase it as a threat, but you knew him well enough to know he said it out of care for you. You smiled."You won't have to, I promise."He glanced up at you and quickly looked away. You've been laying in your bed for a few hours now, good thing you had your phone with you.Then, someone knocked on your door, you didn't get to say anything, that it already opened. Osomatsu walked in, holding a trail and placing it in front of you."I got you dinner.""Thanks." you simply said.You took your fork and knife, but noticed he hasn't moved. You looked at him."Look, I'm sorry about this morning. You know how it is. My shitty NEET self comes back and...""It's fine. You know I always thought your shitty NEET self was you normal self." you smiled.He laughed out loud. He seemed to be taking it well. But he laughed a bit too hard for your taste.The door opened again. The other five brothers walked in, each of them holding trails."Oh guys! No~" you felt bad for them, though smiling at the comedic aspect of the situation."That's for us!" Jyushimatsu said."Yeah, we felt bad about leaving you alone." Todomatsu explained. "So when we saw Osomatsu bringing you dinner, I had the idea of having dinner in your room with you." he smiled."We came up with that idea together." Choromatsu glared at him before looking back at you. "You don't mind do you?""Of course not! Come on down!" They all happily hoped on the large bed as you sit up and crossed your legs to give them more space. Of course, they all took their shoes off. "Hey! What about me?!" Osomatsu asked. "Well you should've thought of making your own trail niisan!" Todomatsu said with a smug smile."If you want burazza, I would happily share my meal with y-.""So I just won't eat tonight?!""Huh?""You can have mine if you want." you pushed your trail a bit to the side.He clapped his hands together, rubbing them and licking his lips."Don't mind if I do!" he sat beside you."And I'll share dinner with Karamatsu." As Osomatsu's expression fell, Karamatsu's lit up in the purest way possible. You smiled, happy to have taken revenge on Osomatsu, and cheered Karamatsu at the same time. Overall, this was a good day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Anger!
.
.
.
"Oh my god~." you mumbled, bending over with a hand on your back.You and the brothers wanted to enjoy the beautiful spring weather to have drinks, snacks and chill in the garden. You, Osomatsu, Todomatsu and Ichimatsu were sitting at the table while the other were having fun nearby."Your muscles are still sore?" Osomatsu asked."Is this what old people feel like all the time?" you asked yourself. "Respect to them.""Well next time, you'll think twice before overworking yourself." Todomatsu winked, which made you groan.You rested your head on the table, pushing away your glass."I don't wanna do anything physical today...""Heh, you and me both." Ichimatsu smile faintly."I'd high five you Ichimatsu, but that's too physical.""I'll do it for you!" Osomatsu smiled and lifted his hand towards his brother. "Come on!""Fuck off." "One day Ichimachan." he said quietly to himself. "One day..." You closed your eyes to rest a bit and you heard your ring tone. You sighed heavily and took out your phone from your pocket."You want me to take it for you?" Todomatsu asked. "I can easily improvise an excuse.""Yes please." you said.Yet, as soon as you read the caller's name, your eyes widen."Woop! Nevermind!"The three brothers watched, intrigued, as you suddenly stood up from your chair and took a certain distance from the table to pick up your phone. "Hi Rip!" you cheerfully said."Of course." Osomatsu smiled and leaned back in his chair."I wish she could say hi to me like that." Todomatsu rested his head on the palm of his hand. "And here I was gonna pretend to be her boyfriend." "I'm doing great! I'm with the boys, we're chilling and having a good time. What about you? Everything okay at the restaurant?" ... "No way, it actually worked?" ... "Good for you!" ... "Oh. Then, what do you want to talk to me about?" ... "Oh my god!"That caught the attention of the three brothers, you seemed to be in shock. You ran your hand through your hair, that's a bad sign."Oh my god I can't believe I forgot!" ... "No!"Your expression changed. The brothers were at the edge of their seats like they were in front of the awesomely underrated tv buddy cop series 'McCops'. There was now a flame of determination in your eyes that they were dying to know what was the cause of it."No, I can still do it! I got more than half of it down, I still have time!" a wide smile formed on your face. "Don't worry Rip, it'll be just as awesome as last year. Even more awesome!" ... "Okay, talk to you later. Take care. Bye~." you hung up. "Duty calls guys!" you said before rushing back in the house."What was that about?" Osomatsu asked his brothers."Seemed important." Ichimatsu said, still looking towards the direction you left. For the rest of the day, you’ve been spending most of the time in your room. And you were always bringing papers wherever you went, writing and thinking intensely.You even brought them to dinner. The brothers kept looking at you, intrigued. The next day, during the afternoon, you finally left your room to get some fresh air, on the living room’s couch. The brothers took this opportunity to ask you about what you were preparing."A quizz show?!" they shouted together."Yeah!" you said with a big smile, putting your papers aside. "Way back when my business started to regain popularity, me and Rip came up with that idea. So once every year, there’s a quizz show at the bar, with an audience and everything and we just have fun. With everything that happened for the past months, I completely forgot about it.""Wait wait wait." Osomatsu raised his hands. "...a quizz show?!""It’s called the Burger Quizz." you nodded. "We figured making it american style would be more popular.""And you’re hosting it I presume?" Karamatsu asked."Yep! I was writing some jokes and trying to came up with some questions and challenges." you gestured to the papers beside you."And what’s the prize if you win exactly?" Todomatsu asked with a hint of interest."The winner gets an ingredient of the (L/n) special.""I see." Choromatsu raised his hand to his chin. "Is it really enough to gather people?""Oh you know, that’s not primarily why they wanna see the show. Yeah it’s not free, but the money goes to a good charity everytime. They also come there because it’s fun and they get to know me, Rip and my employees more.""What do you mean?""Well, okay: there’s two teams of three. Only two people are the actual contestants. The others are Rip, Nari, Kim and Ben-." your eyes widen, realizing something. "Oh my god... The contestants! I was supposed to take care of that too!""Can we help maybe?" Karamatsu asked."No, there’s no time..." you went quiet as you looked at the six brothers, a smile slowly formed on your face. "Actually, yeah. You can help." For the past week, all of you were fully dedicated to this event. Of course, the boys weren't convinced at first, but they sure weren't going to refuse to help you, and they progressively enjoyed the idea. They even helped you with the technical part of the show, like the lights and music and they let you borrow the equipment they used for that cooking show-down. This was going to be an updated version and you loved it. The few days before the big night, they went with you to try different ways of decoration, and to check the lights and sound at the bar, which was close this afternoon so you could do your check-up.Rip, Nari, Kim and Clarice were waiting for you there, but they didn't expect you to show up with The Matsuno Brothers. While the boys were helping setting things up, your friends dragged you aside."(Y/n)." Nari whispered. "Blink twice if you're taken hostage.""I'm not a hostage Nari, I'm fine." you smiled."Why did you think this was a good idea?" Kim folded his arms. "Making *them* the contestants?""They're going to scare the audience away!" Rip added.You rolled your eyes."Guys, listen. You've met them, you notice that they're just silly dudes. Right?" you pointed to Kim. "Right? Don't try to deny it." you pointed at Rip. "You all saw it." you pointed at Nari.The three of them looked at each other and reluctantly nodded."I thought they were nice." Clarice smiled. "And Alex say they're funny too.""Thank you Clarice." you put your hand on her shoulder. "That's why you're my favorite. How is Alex by the way?""Getting better at Japanese.""Now's not the time to talk about very handsome boys (Y/n)." Nari said. "Do you really think the audience's reaction will be positive with those guys on stage?" she pointed at them with her thumb."Nari, I thought now wasn't the time to talk about-" you just realized what you were about to say and, with red cheeks, you decided to stop with the jokes for now. "Okay, you realized it now that they play my bodyguard almost everytime I come here to work. And I know the customers realized it too. I just want them to understand that they're not those...big intimidating, blood thirsty yakuzas. You know?""Do you really think one night will be enough to change their mind?" Kim asked, with a raised eyebrow."Dude, it took them...not even five minutes, to act like idiots the first time I met them. People will get it." you paused to look at the six of them, working hard, you smiled and turned back. "They control the entire city, I just don't want people to shake in fear when they see them."Your friends looked at each other before looking at you again. Rip sighed."We trust you Petita. I'm sure you didn't decide this on a whim."'Actually I kinda did...' you smiled. "Thank you guys." you put your hands on your hips. "Either way, I'm the boss, I make the choices. Now back to work!" "I know we established it before, but I just wanna make sure. Promise me you won't take a dump on stage.""...I promise." Ichimatsu mumbled, embarrassed."Good." you patted the top of his head, which made him blush like crazy. "You'll be fine." you said before walking to your position.You could tell they were nervous. As you watch the people getting in their seats, you were getting nervous yourself. This night will have a big impact on the way they'll view the brothers, you must not fuck it up. And you could see they were scared.You were convinced by Kim (who was the sound and light guy tonight, the others were sitting in the front row) to not start with the stage's curtains closed, so that people see right away who they're gonna deal with all night. It was dark yes, but when they quickly figured who the six contestants were, and they began to frantically whisper together. Rip, Nari and Clarice did their best to calm them down. None of them dared to say anything or walk away, afraid to get a bullet in their hand. They must've felt like they were stuck here. You bit your lip. Making them comfortable was gonna be hard.But once again, if you want people to see their good side, the best way to do that is by acting like you normally do, like friends.'They're here to have fun.' you nodded to yourself and took a deep breath. 'Come on, they trust you, show them. Just have fun.' After a while, the music began to play, people clapped to the rhythm, though unwillingly, as the lights moved around."Wwwelcome to this year's Burger Quizz~!" the pre-recorded audio played. "Tonight we have six very special guests! Please welcome! Matsuno Osomatsu!" A red light shone on the said man, who gave the audience a big toothy smile as he rubbed the underside of his nose with his index. People cheered loudly, but you could tell they did it only to not anger them."Matsuno Karamatsu!"A blue light shone on him, he winked at the audience while doing a finger gun. You heard a few gasps of horror at that gesture, which you found kinda funny."Matsuno Choromatsu!"A green light shone on him. He swung the ketchup bottle like one of his glowing stick, smiling bashfully."Matsuno Ichimatsu!"A purple light shone on him. He shifted in his seat, looking back and forth between the audience and his hands, gripping his knees."Matsuno Jyushimatsu!"A yellow light shone on him. He swung his arms in the air with a giant smile."Matsuno Todomatsu~!"A pink light shone on him, he waved to the audience in classic cute Totty style."And as your host tonight, the one who understood the end of inception the first time she watched it, but still doesn't get the rules of monopoly. It's (L/n) (Y/n)~!"You walked on stage, smiling at the audience 's and brothers' cheers. You stood in the center of the stage, besides a screen hanging on the wall. On each side of the stage were two tables, Osomatsu, Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu were on your right, Todomatsu Choromatsu and Ichimatsu were on your left. Their tables were respectively, red and yellow, with a glass of water for each of them, a buzzer, bottles of ketchup and mayonnaise were also on it for decoration. "Thank you!" you said. You looked to your right and laughed with the audience when you saw Karamatsu doing a little dance to the music. You clapped with them. At some point, the music came to a stop."Nice dance." you said."Thank you. I did a bet with Osomatsu." he said as he sat back down."Really?""He thought that I wouldn't do it on stage. We bet twenty box.""Yeah, but that was so half-assed!" Osomatsu smiled."Oh come on burazza, I worked on this." He stood up again to do his little dance, the music played again to accompany him. The crowd cheered. After that he sat back down, proud of himself."That was good, you gotta admit it." you said."I'll admit it. I'm also okay with that, because those twenty box are actually Todomatsu's." the crowd laughed at what he said."Yeah, they're mine, I would like them back please." "If I dance, can I have twenty box?!" Jyushimatsu asked."Yeah sure, go ahead." Todomatsu smiled.He quickly stood up and danced as the music played again. As the audience clapped, Todomatsu walked towards him and took out his wallet."Man this show is expansive!" he joked and gave Jyushimatsu a card before going back to his table."The whole credit card?!" you laughed."The code is 3475." Ichimatsu smiled."Everybody knows it!" Osomatsu giggled. "Thank you very much guys for being here. It's your first time being here on the Burger Quizz, welcome.""Happy to be here!" Todomatsu smiled."Thank you for inviting us!" Choromatsu said.You looked at the audience."Now, you must be wondering why I invite them here. Well uh, during the Matsu-ditch, we ran into each-other, and we discovered that my grandpa was an old family friend of their." you told them the sugar-coated version. "We talked about that, and we became close friends ourselves. So guys." you turned back to the two teams. "To win this game, you must have 20 points, first team to get to 20 points wins the Burger Quizz, and gains one of the ingredients of the (L/n) special, which is now right here." you took out a folded piece of papers and presented it to them, they gave you a weird look. "...it's written, the paper is not the ingredient itself!" the audience laughed and you put the paper back in your pocket. "Osomatsu and Choromatsu, you two drew the shortest straws so you're your team's leader. Come over ever!" Accompanied with applause, the two brothers stood up and went to stand on either side of you."So, to know who will start first, we’ll play a little game. The winner can even exchange teams if they want to.""Wow, how nice of you." Osomatsu commented."The game is simple: I’m gonna count to three, and you’ll have to show the lower number possible, using only one hand. Ready?""Wait," Choromatsu blinked twice. "That’s it-?""1 2 3!"You looked left and right at their raised hand. Osomatsu was holding an index."Okay one." you looked over to Choromatsu’s hand. "A six? Really?" Osomatsu sent him a smug look. "My dear little brother is stealing his big brother's signature move~.""No look!" you traced over his index and thumb. "It’s a zero! Choromatsu wins this one!"The crowd cheered as he closed his fist in victory."What?!""As you said niisan," Choromatsu sent him a even smugger smile. "I stole your signature move, figured I'd use it to my advantage."Osomatsu gasped and placed a hand on his chest."Betrayal!" his choice of word was followed by laughter from the audience. "You wanna change team Choromatsu?" you asked."No thank you. My team is already pretty good.""Fine, I’ll stay with my brothers, you know, the winning team?""The other team is, you know, also your brothers?" Choromatsu mimicked the way Osomatsu just talked, in a dumber way which made the audience and you laugh."So Osomatsu, you’re on team, ketchup. Choromatsu, you’re on team mayonnaise.""Wait, we were team mayo?" he asked as he sat back down.You nodded."Meanwhile I’ve been waving this like an idiot!" he showed the ketchup bottle, the audience laughed."Here," Todomatsu switched the bottles in his hand. "they’ll fix it in post."Choromatsu swung the bottle like he did the first time, you giggled."The show’s not recorded, don’t worry." you said. "Now that we have our teams assembled, we can start the Burger Quizz! Let's start with the first segment, the nuggets!"The audience cheered. "The nuggets?" Osomatsu smiled, leaning forward."I told you, american themed." you leaned towards him then stood straight again. "This isn't a game of speed, you won't have to use the buzzer. I'll just ask you a couple of questions each. Team mayo, you won this first game so you will start first." you turned towards their table. "So, question one: In the Olympic Games of 1968 in Mexico, there has been a impressively high number of records being broken. The reason being:""Everyone was on coke~." Ichimatsu cooed, making the audience laugh.You smiled widely."Dude! Answer A- In 1968 in Mexico, drugs were very widespread and cheap." you gestured to the screen which showed the question and the answers as you said them.The brothers laughed, so did the audience."Did you wrote that one?" you asked with a raised eyebrow, to which he simply shrugged with a smile. "B- Mexico being at a high altitude, the athletes were less under the effect of gravity.C- Those were the first Olympic games where the athletes could get professional equipment.Or answer D- President Gustavo Ordáz, wanting his country to have a good reputation, asked to change the results." "B or C I'd say." Choromatsu said."I'd go with be B niisan." Ichimatsu pointed at the screen. "I get a feeling. It's, a gemini hunch.""Geminis are like, super creative but also quarrelsome right?"The way you said it with a silly voice made everyone laugh."And we're also great listeners." Ichimatsu smiled."But yeah, come on niisan. If they broke records, it wasn't by wearing brands!" Todomatsu gestured to the screen. "They're not influencers!"You giggled and the audience laughed. [I'm already getting tired of writing those three words]"No but, it gets harder to breathe when you're in high altitude." Choromatsu said. "If you're an athlete, you won't be able to play well. So, my argument is valid.""Choromatsu, at the end of the day, you're the team leader. You're the one who calls the shots." you said."That's right, I'm the team leader, and I say it's answer C. Last word.""Last word C." you paused, glancing at your notes. "Right answer is B~." The three brothers at the other table laughed in victory while the audience clapped, to cheer their brothers up. "There you go!" Todomatsu looked away in a fake outrage."Sorry sorry." Choromatsu patted his shoulder."You should listen to you brothers more Choromatsu!" Osomatsu smiled, placing his arms around his brothers' neck. "Listening to each other is the key to victory.""Look who says that!" he looked at the audience, pointing at Osomatsu. "He's a terrible brother people!"The audience just laughed, thinking it was a joke. "But yeah," you said, looking down at your notes. "because the athletes were less under the effect of gravity, they were lighter and were able to move faster." you smiled. "The gemini was right.""We're all gemini!" Choromatsu exclaimed, making you and the audience laugh."I'm turning towards you now team ketchup. So guys-""What is it (Y/n)?" Karamatsu asked with one eye closed."Don't interrupt me. So guys," Osomatsu giggled, lightly punching his brother in the arm. "Who isn't John Carpenter? ...I know it sounds weird.""Hahaha! It is weird!" Jyushimatsu said."Who isn't John Carpenter?" you repeated."A- A very famous american film-maker;B- A very badass winner of 'Who wants to be a millionaire';"Osomatsu chuckled at these answers."C- A singer of the band The Carpenters, really pop-ish;Or D- A soccer referee at the Ireland cup in 1978, not that famous.That's a hard one." you commented."It is a hard one, a really... hard, one." Osomatsu leaned forward as to emphasize the word, but his expression fell for a second and he looked upon the audience, worried. "Are there...Are there kids at this show?""It's PG 13 I'd say." you answered."Oh thank god.""He was talking about his dick! I get it!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, making everyone laugh. "It is a tough question though." Karamatsu rubbed his chin."(Y/n), next time, you can just directly give them the point." Choromatsu said."Oh 'cause you guys have the answer?" he asked in a provocative way."Of course we do." Ichimatsu said."'Scuse us!" Todomatsu folded his arms, making you giggle.Karamatsu turned towards his two brothers to find them consulting each other in ushed voices."So you guys talk between you and I'm left out?" he asked, the audience laughed."Nothing out of the ordinary here." Choromatsu mumbled before leaning forward. "What happened to communication niisan?!""I'm sorry Karamatsu, dear brother of mine!" Osomatsu wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "What do you think is the right answer?""Uh..." he looked at the answers on the screen. "I actually have no idea.""Okay." Osomatsu sighed and quickly let his brother go, dropping his loving and caring act. "It's C!" Jyushimatsu said."C, isn't the singer of The Carpenters?" Karamatsu read the answer just to be sure."Ay!" Jyushimatsu nodded."If that's the case, why are they called The Carpenters?""Because they're woodworkers!" the audience laughed. "Plus it'd be very egocentric to name your own band after you.""That... That last one actually made sense." Osomatsu said, a bit bewildered."So what would it be Osomatsu?"He looked at the screen with narrowed eyes for a few seconds of silence."D.""Oh~," you said with raised eyebrows. "Didn't see that coming.""Burazza!" Karamatsu slightly punched his fist on the table."Didn't see that coming, but it was C."Jyushimatsu slammed his hands on the table, making his two brothers flinch."Don't' worry don't worry." Osomatsu hesitantly patted his shoulder with the tips of his fingers. "I learned my lesson for the next questions." Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, the three brothers were singing in victory."God they're getting frustrating." Karamatsu said between his teeth."Sorry to be happy!" Todomatsu sent him a cute smile. "But yeah, there is a film-making, John Carpenter, made The Thing and everything. The guy in Who wants to be a millionaire, John Carpenter, the guy who called his dad right before he won. And a guy from the Ireland cup in 78, also named John Carpenter, though he's not famous. The singer of The Carpenters is named Richard Carpenter." you explained as a photo of him appeared on the screen, a real 80's man."Oh my god, his swag is, through the roof!" Todomatsu said in an exaggerated early 2000's tone."Watch out dude." you looked at him, speaking in the same manner. "You know his swag, you don't' know his past."The audience laughed, the brothers too."For this next question, Rip." you looked at the front row. "Could you help me out here and bring the kart in here please?"He gave you a thumb up and stood from his seat."Thank you~" A few minutes later, Rip came back with a kart and pushed it to the center of the stage. On it was four big bell covers."Guys on team mayo, one of these, super creepy magazines is fake. Tell me which one it is." you said as you walked towards the first bell and lifted it. "Is it,A- ‘Crimes!', 'Monstrous, those corpses he meticulously hid.'" you read the cover. "Horrible. Is it," you lifted the second bell."B-'Current threats', 'Terrorism, now what do we do?'Is it..." you lifted the third bell."C- 'Commando magazine', 'the art of choosing your shotgun'Or," you lifted the fourth bell. "D- 'Sexual Crimes', 'After luring him in a love hotel, she cuts his balls off'."The audience laughed."Wow." Osomatsu said. "Without further ado."You laughed, so did everybody else."Aha! You put that one on D on purpose!" Jyushimatsu put his hands on his hips."I did~!" you shrugged in a cheeky manner. "And three of those magazines are real?" Todomatsu said, a bit disgusted."Sexual Crimes is real," Ichimatsu pointed at it. "I know it for sure."The audience laughed."I do think it's something stupid like Current Threats though." he said."Yeah me too." Choromatsu nodded."So B?" you asked."Yes B." they both nodded."Well you're right it's B!"The audience applauded."That went so smoothly." you commented, looking at the other team."The camaraderie between brothers is simply beautiful." Karamatsu sighed, placing his hand on his forehead to then flip his hair. "So...The other three are real?" Todomatsu asked, his features twisted a bit."Yep." you replied."Really? Because that last one's a bit-" he stopped talking when he saw Ichimatsu walking towards the kart.He took the magazine and went back to his seat. The audience applauded."Go on, don't mind me." he said. "I'm just curious about what's in there..." he started to flip through the pages."Hey, I wanna see too!" Choromatsu leaned closer.His brother giggled."This is yucky." he glanced at the crowd before looking back at the article. "'Baby almost dies while the parents are getting some pleasure'."You and Todomatsu sticked out your tongue, disgusted while the brothers laughed. "One point for team mayo, zero for team ketchup." you looked over at them. "You guys seem to be getting this well.""The anger is inside." Jyushimatsu said with his signature smile, the crowd laughed."We're not worried, we'll crush them eventually." Osomatsu casually said, leaning back on his chair and resting the back of his head on his hands."Well, we'll see about that with this next part of the Burger Quizz. The menus!"The audience cheered as the kart was taken away and a music played. "We have selected three menus for you guys tonight. Each menu is a theme for a set of questions, you win two points per question." you said. "Team mayo, because you have the upper hand in this match, you get to choose first." you stepped aside for them to get a good view of the screen. "You have: 'The dream industry', 'Secrets, not that secret because we kinda know about them'," they chuckled. "Or, 'the making of harmonicas, from choosing the wood to putting it in your mouth'."Everybody laughed."You really gotta know your harmonicas." you said."Karamatsu knows a bit about harmonicas." Choromatsu turned over towards him. "Think you could play us a bit?""Really?""Naturally!" he cooed and took out a non-existent harmonica from his pocket, which made you giggled.He joined his hands together in a certain way and brought them to his mouth. He blew inside and your eyes went big when he made a sound similar to a harmonica. Moving his fingers, he played a melody."Whaaaaaat?!" you exclaimed as the crowd cheered, some 'oooh!' could be heard.When he was done, he put the invisible instrument back in his pocket, wearing a proud smile."It's a little trick!" he said."Oh, dude. You gave me some dreams." you said, running a hand through your hair. "I like the secrets not that secret." Todomatsu said, leaning towards his brothers. "Because that's us right? We're like the gossipers you know. No secrets there!"They began to laugh."He said it, with that humble-bragging!" Osomatsu said between breathes."We're kinda like that!" Choromatsu said, mimicking his youngest brother."The dream industry." Todomatsu continued. "Again, isn't that us a bit?"You puffed a giggle, trying to contain it. The audience didn't hold back though."So we'll leave them the harmonicas-(Y/n) you know what? We'll take those two menus to really get some points!" he finally said, laughing with everyone else."There's always those first times!" you said. "What do you think Choromatsu-niisan?" he asked."Those two are fine for me.""I say, the dream industry, that's the paper mills." Ichimatsu said, which made everyone laugh. "Not a lot of people talk about it.""The dream industry," you explained, looking over the questions. "is about movie anecdotes. Secrets not that secret yeah, it's...""It's on the staff members." Todomatsu smiled."Yeah exactly!" you said, smiling too. "We're gonna spill some tea." "Let's take the secrets, it sounds the more fun." Choromatsu said."Alright." you said."Wait, are you sure?" Todomatsu asked."Listen, we don't have time, the show must go on. They tell me in my earpiece..." he pressed a finger in his ear while the audience laughed. "yep, we gotta move.""Okay so tell me three ingredients of the secret formula of coca cola." you smiled as a picture of the said drink appeared on the screen.Choromatsu's jaw dropped, but he still smiled at the comedy of the situation."Oh my god..." he ran a hand down his face and looked at the screen. "Well, ice cubes, apparently."Everybody laughed. There was indeed ice cubes in the drink shown on the picture."You know what?" you said. "I'll take that. 'Cause it's too good." "What else?" Ichimatsu scratched his chin. "Um...water?""Water yeah." you held one finger."Sugar." Todomatsu pointed.You nodded, holding a second finger."Colorant.""Wow okay." Choromatsu leaned back, impressed."Yep, there you go." you said as the audience started clapping. "With the ice cubes, that four."The three brothers shook hand."Yep, a bunch of other stuff, and the secret ingredient that no one knows what it is.""Some pepper." Ichimatsu said smiling, everyone laughed. "People think it stings because of the bubbles, but it's actually this." "Next question:" you said. "In October 2017, the Trump association released a bunch of files related to the J.F.K assassination. On one of those files was the name of a famous french actress. Tell me the name of this actress."A moment of silence passed."...it's still us?" Choromatsu asked.You nodded."Oh fuck, I thought it was their turn and I was like 'oh boy I feel bad for them'!" the audience laughed."Yeah it's a hard one I know. I put it here for Clarice originally." you waved at her, she waved back."God dammit, all I can think of is Brigitte Bardeau." Todomatsu rubbed his temple."I see Ichimatsu's struggling too, so maybe I'll put you guys out of your misery." you said. "That actress was Catherine Deneuve. The CIA files published in 1969 said that she sent 1500 francs to a deserted soldier, Larry Cox to pay for his hiding spot's rent." you paused. "I don't know about you guys, but I think that's nice of her.""Thank you Catherine~" Todomatsu smiled. "Next question team mayo. True or false: In the series Game of Thrones, the costume designer used IKEA carpets to make some of the capes." you puffed a chuckled trying to contain it. "But shush don't tell nobody." you read."It's gotta be true." Ichimatsu said. "At some point they didn't have any fur left, there was only the carpets left."People laughed at that."It's cool, they're just extras!" Todomatsu said in a silly voice."It is very probable." Choromatsu said. "So we'll say true.""That's right, it's true. Good job!" you said as the audience applauded. "Yeah, the costume designer, Michele Clapton, who won awards for her work, admitted in an interview that for some costumes, like the night guard, they used IKEA carpets.""That's amazing." Todomatsu laughed."If IKEA ever sell capes like that, I'm sure they'll call in vinter." you said with a wide proud smile as they laughed. "Uh, here's now, I'm sorry, a spoiler for Game of Throne." you looked at your note as a red alarm went off. "...first episode goes on in the snow. There you go, that's the end of this spoiler." the alarm went off again as the audience clapped. "Alright guys, two more questions and you're done." "Bring it on sister!" Todomatsu tapped his hand on the table, which made you smile."In Florida's Disneyland, what's their secret for the visitors to not step on chewing-gum?""They just don't sell chewing-gum." Choromatsu simply said."Boom!" you pointed at him.His two brothers shook him in victory as the crowd cheered."Indeed, best way to not step on gum is by not selling any. Nice one Choromatsu." "Thank you, thank you." he bashfully scratched his cheek, but then smiled when he noticed something on the other side of the stage, he leaned forward. "What's wrong niisan?""Oh shut the fuck up." Karamatsu folded his arms, smiling in his rage."Why you so mean~ niisan?" Todomatsu placed his hands on his cheek in fake astonishment."We have zero points, knock it off." he waved his hands, trying to keep his cool act."Yeah you're right." Ichimatsu said. "It must be horrible, I feel bad for you." a faint sadistic smile could be seen on his face. You smiled, happy to see their sense of competition is getting the best of them. Things are getting spicy!"Last question for you three." you glanced down at your notes. "What the secret meaning behind facebook's blue color?""Easy!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed."You know the answer?" Ichimatsu asked."Oh don't try burazza!" Karamatsu firmly placed his hand on the table, gesturing the other to Ichimatsu's direction. "You guys made it clear you don't want anything to do with us!""Doesn't it has something to do with this Mark-guy?" Todomatsu asked you."Hey! Don't ask her!" Karamatsu exclaimed. "You guys have seven points already! No hints!""He's right, no hints." you nodded. "Okay, I see how it is." Choromatsu frowned."It has something to do with Zukerberg I'm sure." Todomatsu narrowed his eyes in deep thought."With his shirts." Jyushimatsu said."Shhshhshh! You crazy?! Don't tell them!" Osomatsu exclaimed, glancing at the other team."Okay, they're giving us fake hints, don't listen to them." Ichimatsu said, making the audience laugh."Something to do with his ex?" Choromatsu asked."We won't say anything dude!" Osomatsu said."Grrr! We saw the movie god dammit!" Todomatsu was getting frustrated, the people laughed more."What's your answer then?" you finally asked."Uh..." Choromatsu spoke. "Zuckerberg... used to always wear his lucky shoes, like, all the time... And they were blue.""Mmm..." you turned over to the other brothers. "What do you guys think?" Osomatsu and Karamatsu both leaned back in their chair and pointed at Jyushimatsu. Who said in the most natural manner."Zukerberg is color blind and blue is the only color he can see well.""Good answer!"Karamatsu laughed in victory while Osomatsu suddenly stood up out of joy. As the audience cheered, he walked around a bit then grabbed the two bottles on his table."Ketchup or mayo?!" he exclaimed towards the other team, wiggling the bottles around. "We don't know! We're colorblind!"You held your stomach for laughing too much. He eventually sat down when things calmed down."I hate the way he said it with so much arrogance." Choromatsu said but still smiled because come on, that was a good one. You looked over at the screen which was now showing the scores."Seven points for team mayo, that's very good!" you said as the audience clapped. You turned over towards the others."Team ketchup, I don't know if you know a lot about harmonicas but...""We'll take the dream industry I think." Osomatsu nodded."Alrighty then. First question:" you looked at your notes. "True or false, in Indiana Jones 2: Raiders of the lost ark, that famous scene where he shots the swordsman was actually improvised by Harrison Ford because he had diarrhea and just wanted to get this over with."Everyone laughed."It's gotta be true." Karamatsu said."Yeah, true!" Osomatsu said."Yeah it is true." As the crowd applauded, you glanced at Todomatsu and giggled."Ooo~! He's salty!" you pointed at him. "He's salty, he knew!""Yeah I knew." he sighed in annoyance. "I knew and I'll give some details, which will earn us a bonus point." you chuckled. "There wasn't any TP!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed."No, it's that, Indiana Jones hates fire weapons.""Oh yeah..." you said in realization."And he never uses them, but that day he was so sick, so he told Spielberg... Yeah because Spielberg told me that one." he looked over at the audience with over-exaggerated bragging. "Hey dude, I'll do this and that and bim!""Indeed a whole choreographic fight was planned, days of preparation, which is kind of a shame. But I didn't know that one of Indiana Jones’ characterization was that he hates fire weapons. I just learned something, thank you Todomatsu.""Anytime~!" he sent you a cute smile. "Next question team ketchup." you said. "True or false, Christopher Nolan left Marion Cotillard's death scene in Batman, because he had diarrhea and just wanted to get this over with."Everybody laughed, harder this time, while you smiled proudly."I'd say false!" Osomatsu said, trying to contain his giggles."That's right~!""They gained a point just for that?" Choromatsu asked."Yeah!" you laughed."I say no." he folded his arms"Oh come on~!" Osomatsu shrugged."No, it's shameful!""No shame here burazza." Karamatsu said. "Yourself could've gain that point if you've chosen otherwise from the beginning.""Choromatsu," you calmly smiled at him. "I gave you a point for the ice cubes."He looked at you in silence for a moment before puffing a smile."You're right!" he said."Because you see, that's the Burger Quizz.""You're right, and I'm sorry.""Don't be, you were defending your honor." "Next question," you said. "In The Shining, Kubrick made a numerous amount of takes of the scene where Shelley Duvall threaten Jack Nicholson with a bat. I'm gonna ask you that number. With a marge of error of...let's say, ten.""Uh...""Because he really wanted to see the fear in his actress’ performance." you explained forward."I’d say 50..." the brothers consulted themselves."No, it’s gotta be more.""Like... 70?""70 yes.""70." Osomatsu looked at you."It’s was actually 127 takes."The crowd clapped as the three brothers’ eyes widen."And he kept the second one!" Jyushimatsu smiled as everyone laughed. "Next question:" you said. "True or false, Actress Janet Leigh, who plays the victim in Psychose's shower murder scene, only took bathes after watching that scene in the theater."As they consultes themselves. You turned over to the other."That famous scene. It was a good movie, I recently watched it and I got scared.""That shows how good the movie is." Todomatsu commented."We'll say true." Osomatsu said."It is true, good answer.""You knew about it niisan?" Ichimatsu asked his eldest brother."Of course!""God, again with this arrogance, fucking christ." Choromatsu mumbled between his teeth, which made you giggle. "Worry not Osomatsu." Karamatsu said. "Only jealousy is talking.""No there's no jealousy here!""Don't let him get to you.""No he's right, being arrogant is his strategy." you smiled. "Last question guys: True or false, when people die in movies, they don't actually die."They laughed."True~!" "It is true, and that's really the dream industry." you smiled. "That last question was for me, it was for the laugh. So we have six points for team ketchup, seven for team mayo. Spicy competition! It all comes down to this last round, the check!"Cue that applause track and the transition music. "Which one of you is more likely to ask the girl to pay the check?" you asked. "Point at your answer."They all pointed at each other in a perfect circle, you laughed along with everybody else."Anyway, today's check is a game of shitty advice.""Oooooooh!" the brothers shouted happily."We're the best at this!" Osomatsu said."Good!" you smiled. "It's a game of speed, so you'll have to use your buzzers. You can try them out if you'd li-"Jyushimatsu buzzed, then Ichimatsu. You turned your head back and forth as they kept buzzing."Stop it!" you quickly said, then sighed when silence returned. "The rules are simple, I'm going to ask for advice and you'll have to give me the shittiest one you can think of. Four points by advice, and if you don't answer in time, or your answer is invalid, those four points will go to the other team.""Wow okay." Choromatsu said as he and all of his brothers placed their hands on their respective buzzer."Hoho~ they're prepared!" you giggled and looked at your notes. "Shitty advice: I'm going to my step-parents' tomorrow, I don't know what present to bring."Immediatly after you finished your sentence, Todomatsu buzzed."Bring a leathered book! You made the cover yourself with the skin of your ex!""Jesus christ man." you said as the audience cheered. "Still it's valid... Do you know a funny game we could play?" Osomatsu buzzed, though it was clear he didn't have a clear idea of what to say."The shookin Kai-guy." Everybody laughed, you face twisted trying to contain yours."What's the game then?" you asked with a hand on your hip."It doesn't exits!" Choromatsu exclaimed."No no no! I'm sorry to give an answer!""Then go ahead and explain!""The shookin Kai-guy, when you find three guys named Kai, you put them side by side and it's the Shookin Kai-guy~!"You laughed."No! No, (Y/n) come on!" "It's the best game!" Osomatsu said."You just made it up!""Let's play it now." he turned towards the audience. "Any guy named Kai here?!""No Osomatsu," you said. "it's not valid, it's not a shitty advice."Choromatsu wheezed in his contenment."You could've said something like dodge-grenade." you sais, making them laugh."No yeah I get it," Osomatsu said. "shookin Kai-guy was too cool a game."You giggled. "I really want some shitty advice okay." you said. "I'm going to a gala, I don't know what to wear."Karamatsu buzzed."Wear nothing! Reveal yourself in all your beauty!" he said with a passionate look."Now that works!" you laughed. "Uh...Where should I do my wedding proposal?"Choromatsu buzzed."Your ex wife's!" he slammed his fist down and stood up in victory. "Boom!""I got nothing to say." Osomatsu smiled. "That's a great answer.""I'm conflicted about taking this," you said, trying to calm your laughter. "because, because I find it so amazing."The audience cheered to what you said."The crowd has spoken, you take the points.""Yesss!" Choromatsu closed his fist with a prideful smile. "My brother own me money for a while now, but I don't know how to confront him about it."Todomatsu buzzed."Tell him that if I can't have my money, then he can't have a roof to live under." he said in the most serious tone.Osomatsu gulped as everyone laughed."It's funny because," you pointed at Todomatsu. "you get the points." you pointed at Osomatsu. "And you're dead.""Don't worry Osomatsu-niisan~!" Totty waved his hand. "It's just a game!" he smiled in a cute manner. "My business is doing good but I'd like to do better."Jyushimatsu buzzed."Everything for free!""They wouldn't do any business then." Ichimatsu said."And that's why it's a valid answer!" you said.The brothers became tense when they saw the score was 15 to 19. "That last question will get you five points, so it's match point." you smiled. "I drank five glass tonight, I'm not sure if I should drive."Ichimatsu buzzed."Take Karamatsu's car instead." he smiled.His two brothers hugged him tightly, shouting their joy out. The audience cheered and you clapped along. The other three, though defeated, smiled at their brothers' victory."Team mayo wins this year's burger quizz!" you exclaimed. "Come over here guys!"They went to stand beside you in the center of the stage."Thank you~ thank you~!" Todomatsu grabbed the bottle of mayonaise and held it like an award. "I would like to say, we had good opponants. So please don’t go trashtalk them on social media. Because it was a good battle.""Choromatsu, you’re the team’s leader. You win one of the ingredients of the (L/n) special." you handed him the piece of paper. "And also the right to brag about your victory for a whole year.""And that’s the real reward!" Todomatsu said.With those touching words, the winning team waved at the cheering crowd as the music played and they were being showered by confettis. Usually, when you stepped outside with the others, even after the show's over, people were waiting outside to say thank you and congradulate the others.You weren't expecting that tonight of course. Which is why you were very surprised when you stepped outside with the brothers and saw a group of people waiting. They thanked you guys for the show, congradulated the winning team, complemented their jokes. They even asked you if they'll be back next year. You weren't sure if they were saying it just to get on their good side, but you could tell for some that their expressions were genuine, so it was fine by you.You noticed Repichi waving at you, you smile and joined him."So, did you enjoy the show?" you asked."I must admit, you were right. The people loved it." he paused, looking at the brothers. "Theses boys aren't so bad I guess.""That is exactly the reaction I was looking for." you smiled.You looked over at the six men, chatting with the people. They looked so happy.And it made you happy... You all walked inside the house, ready to eat a big meal, when suddenly someone jumped from the ceiling and kicked Choromatsu in the face, making him fall. You recognized that move and sighed while the others shouted in surprise."Hi Chibita...""You idjit!" he said with a smirk, standing on Choromatsu's body. "The ingredient is mine!"He took the paper from his hand and unfolded it. His eyes widen as he saw that nothing was writen on it."T-the hell?!" he shouted, throwing it on the ground."Did you really think I would give that reward to fake contestants?" you smiled and patted his bald head. "Jeez, you're so stupid."He slapped your hand away."Did you enjoy the show?""No! I didn't enjoy your stupid show!" he ran the door. "The hell! Idjit! Dammit!""Aww cute, he totally did." you smiled."(Y/n), you hungry?" Osomatsu asked."Dude I'm starving! Let's go."Chatting, you all began to walk to the kitchen. "...you assholes..." Choromatsu said, still laying on the ground with his cheek swollen."Choromatsu," Osomatsu looked back at him. "tell yourself it's an early revenge, for all the bragging we'll have to suffer through during the year.""(Y/n), you too?" he sat up."You know," you smiled, feeling bad a bit. "I do a lot for the sake of comedy."Choromatsu felt betrayed.You laughed.Choromatsu didn't felt betrayed anymore.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Betrayal!
.
You sat on the rusty chair and waited. The officer who led you there quickly left you alone, shutting the door behind him.Left alone, you sniffed your dry nose. You haven't been here for five minutes and you already don't like this place. You knew they made you sit on that chair, with its uneven feet, just to make you uncomfortable. You frowned and rested your head on the palm of your hand. You were tired, so tired. But the single bright lamp shining down on you wouldn't allow you to rest. There was no clock, no you weren't sure how much time have passed since you got here. But they sure were taking their time. You looked over at the 'mirror' and shrugged as a way to say 'come one man'.Eventually, the door opened. A man walked in. Average height, a few white hair and wrinkles. He looked tired. So were you. But he kept looking down at his papers as he closed the door behind him and sat in front of you.You waited for him to say something, but he didn't even look up at you. After a few minutes, you were positive he was just fucking with you. You decided to ask. "Where are they?"He glanced at you, breathed slowly through his nostrils as a silent sigh, then he closed his file."Your friend was taken to the hospital." he dropped it on the table. "The brothers are in detention. After we've taken your testimony, they'll be taken to prison.""Shouldn't they also be at the hospital?""You and me both know that they can take it. Also, they're not the one with an almost fatal injury." he leaned over a bit. "Why are you concerned for them?""They're not bad people.""Maybe. But the law doesn't care if someone is good or bad." he clenched his fist as he said that. "Only their actions matters." You didn't say anything, you just looked at him. He didn't sound like he was okay with what he was saying. Like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. You couldn't help but think he was this underdog detective type of guy who doesn't go by the rules."So," he leaned back. "what exactly happened that night?""I can't really tell you without giving you some backstory first.""Go ahead then.""It might take a while.""..." he leaned forward again, looking into your eyes. "I got plenty of time."You sighed."Alright." "Have you heard?"You looked over to the three men chatting at the bar."The Black Lions attacked again yesterday."The two men suddenly seemed really invested in what the third one was saying."Is it me, or are they expanding like it's nothing?" one of them asked."Oh it's not nothing," he said. "trust me, this morning I checked the park where it happened. It, was, a mess.""Were there bodies?""Nah, their opponent fled before anything happen. But I heard from the neighborhood that there was a lot of screaming.""Jesus," one of the man ran a hand through his hair. "those guys never stop.""They're young. They have that youthful energy.""Yeah well, let's just hope they grow up one day and stop this madness. Why are they even doing this? We're just starting to do fine with the Brothers! We don't need this ride to go round again!""I hear that... Anyway, how's the kids?"You frowned when they changed the subject and turned your attention back to your work. "Sorry I'm late!" Clarice said as she stumbled inside.You turned around and your smile widen when you saw your favorite french couple walking in."Alex!" you walked up to him and gave him a friendly hug. "What's he doing here?""He insisted on accompanying me to work." Clarice explained. "The Black Lions took over the area we live in, so he got over-protective of me." she rested her head on his shoulder."They could...uh..." Alex glanced at his girlfriend, frowning. "Comment on dit 'être agressé'?""Being mugged." she said."They could you're mugged!"You and her laughed."They could mug you." she corrected, nudging him."Oh! Okay!" he laughed, bashful. You exited your room to get some fresh air when you saw Choromatsu and Todomatsu walking with big steps, surrounded by some of their henchmen."I can’t believe it!" Choromatsu exclaimed. "They have taken three of our areas. And that’s three too many!"You raised your eyebrows, you’ve never seen him this frustrated. You decided to follow them and you listened closely."They didn't even do it right." Todomatsu said. "They should've been more strategic about where they fight instead of just fooling around.""Those bastards are so reckless!""Doesn't that remind you of someone?" Todomatsu smiled with a raised eyebrow."Yes! You guys!" he quickly said.His brother just chuckled."Hey guys." Choromatsu turned around. He gasped when he saw you and his expression immediately changed. He smiled, a shade of pink dusting his cheeks."Oh hi (Y/n)!" he said."Who are you guys talking about?"At your question, Choromatsu came back in his grumpy state."The Black Lions." Todomatsu answered."Oh my god, you know that's the third time I hear about those guys. What's the deal with them exactly?"Choromatsu sighed."A new yakuza gang that formed a short while ago." he explained. "They came out of nowhere and started beating up the gangs under our order.""And it's getting messy." Todomatsu added."So I've heard." you nodded. "You think you can handle them?""We don't think!" Choromatsu exclaimed. "We will teach them a lesson!"He seemed passionate about it. It made you chuckle."Alright, I believe you. I'll leave you to it then." you waved at them and began to walk in the opposite direction. "See ya (Y/n)-chan~.""Bye! Bye. Bye..." Choromatsu frantically waved and slapped his forehead once you were out of sight. "Stupid stupid stupid." he mumbled to himself"You scared her away~!" Todomatsu said."Ow shut up."He chuckled, teasing Choromatsu was always funny. "Dude no, don't.""Ah come on~!""She's working, don't bother her.""Bother me with what?"Kim and a costumer turned towards you. The costumer's smile grew larger. He suddenly pointed at you."(Y/n), tell me a joke.""Uh..." you placed the trait on the counter. "A horse walks into a bar." you paused, trying not to laugh. "The barman asks 'why the long face', the horse replies 'my wife has terminal cancer'."You began to laugh out loud. Kim glanced at the man in front of her."Told you." he patted your shoulder as you took deep breathes. "Well (Y/n), it's time for my break.""I'm fucking crying." you quietly said."Of course you are. Don't work yourself too much just because Clarice's on her day off." he said before walking towards the back door. You went being the counter, whipping a tear from your eyes."Ah~ jesus christ.""What was that?"You turned over to Choromatsu, who's been sitting here this whole time. You smiled."I don't know. It's the first kind of joke I think of when people ask me this kind of stuff.""That's not even a joke.""No but! That's why it's funny!"You were about to defend your sense of humor when the door suddenly slammed open. A dozen of boys walked in, following this one dude."And then he told him 'Cool, then you got any braid?'!" he exclaimed, making the whole group laugh their lungs out. You frowned when you noticed that the noise they were making was bothering the other costumers. Without saying anything and in the most casual manner, they took some tables, even when people when sitting at them, and connected them together for the whole gang to sit around.People who wanted to protest were easily shut down by the look those thugs were giving them. Because of that, everyone packed their things and walked out, after paying of course, to the group's amusement.Your frowned harder, getting a bit ticked off. Still, they haven't technically done anything yet, and they are clients. You sighed and started to go get a notepad to get their order. You turned around when you felt Choromatsu grabbing your wrist."Don't." he whispered, his expression completely serious, but you knew he said it out of worry."It's my job." you whispered back. "I don't stop you from doing your gangster business."The two of you locked eyes for a moment of silence."Hey lovebirds! Stop being so gay!" you heard one of the boys say and laugh.After a quick glance at them, Choromatsu released his grip on you. You nodded your head as a thank you, and went to their table with your notepad. "So what will it be?" you asked."Ma'am." the boy they were all following before, probably their leader, said with a fake sophisticated tone. "Me and my fellow men would like your fanciest bottles of alcohol."Looking upon the group, you realized how young they looked between sixteen and twenty. The boy who spoke seemed to be around eighteen."You all got IDs?""Don't worry, we're of age." he waved his hand."Uh-hu, you all got IDs?""Ah~ come on~." he leaned forward. "Can't you let this one slide?"He looked into your eyes, his were bright and piercing, wearing red contact lenses, there was a spark of malice in them. And his smile make your eyes widen when he showed his pointy teeth. It made you wonder, what can happen to a boy's life for him to turn out like this? "If I was going by the rules, I wouldn't have let you step in in the first place.""Hey!" a big dude stood up in front of you, towering your body. "You know who you talking to?!""I'm talking to him." you pointed your finger at his leader.The big dude seemed angry and was about about to shout more at you, but he shut down when the boy with red eyes laughed at what you said."Give your orders boys" he smiled. You managed to take everyone’s order, to their credit, they didn’t asked for any alcohol, and those who did were indeed of age.When you came back to the bar, you noticed the leader was still staring at you, but you ignored him. You looked over at Choromatsu, he was also staring at you. You smiled at him to make him understand that you got it. He didn’t seemed convinced, but he still nodded.Holding two full trays, you carefully walked to the group’s table and placed their drinks on the table."Thank you~." the leader leaned forward. "Say, do you really not know who we are?"You shook your head.’I do have an idea though.’He cackled."My name’s Akira, leader of the Black Lions." he opened his arms. "And this is my closest men, I started it all with them!"The group cheered. It was weird, you thought that hearing this would make you scared, but but weren’t. Maybe it’s because you weren’t a model student yourself back then, but you couldn’t help but feel sad looking at them. The question came back into your mind, what happened to those boys for them to become a gang? And Akira, the guy fucking sharpened his teeth to make them pointy! He’s a teenager!Turning to a life of violence at such a young age.’Poor boys...’"Hey, what’s with that look?" Akira asked, still smiling though you noticed his eye twitch.He must not like being looked down on."Nothing." you simply said. "I just wasn’t expecting you to be so young.""Don’t underestimate Akira!" the big boy exclaimed. "He’ll be the next one to control this city, and soon after the whole country! The Red Dragon! You better watch out!"In his corner, Choromatsu's shoulders tensed."Wow." you said, smiling a bit at his enthusiasm.With a smile, he looked over at his leader. His expression fell when he saw the gang looking with big eyes, back and forth from him to Akira, who was staring at him with a menacing aura. You instinctively took a step back."W-what? Is it her?" the big guy asked. Akira didn’t respond. Instead he grabbed one of the opened bottles on the table."Give me your glass." he firmly said.Big boy quickly obeyed him. Problem was, the two of them were sitting on each side of the table, and Akira wasn't moving forward. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he laid his upper body on the table, stretching his arms so they reach could reach the red eyes boy. Akira began to pour the drink in the already half full glass."You've been with me since the very beginning right?""Y-yes." he looked up and saw the glass full, but he kept pouring, the liquid scattering on the table."Then," he paused. "care to fucking repeat what you said?"He didn't respond, his hands were shaking. Akira kept pouring until the bottle was empty. Oh-ho. You've seen enough detective and mafia movies to know where this is going."That's what I fucking thought." he said, slowly leaning forward. "How come you always forget that I hate it when people call me that?" he pressed on the word 'hate'.He raised the bottle above the guy's head."Please stop." you quickly said before he could smash it on the guy's head. "I think he got it. We both know he's not the sharpest tool in the shed." Akira looked up at you in silence for a long moment. Eventually he let out a sharp sigh and placed the bottle on the table."This better be a reference." he angrily mumbled between his teeth, folding his arms."It is." you said. "Smash Mouth.""...nice." the corner of his mouth went upward a bit, then he turned back towards the big-guy. "What are you doing? Drink your shit and clean that mess!"Again, he obeyed without questions, you brought him some napkins. "Oi, bar lady." he said as he saw you cleaning with him. "You don't have to help him. Let him repair his own mistake."You were about to politely decline, but when you glanced at him, you noticed he was taping the table with his finger. He was still pissed. And you were already lucky to prevent him from smashing that bottle. Better not push it."It's my job." you just said as you stood up. "You wanna know why I hate being called the Red Dragon?" he asked leaning forward and resting his forearms on his lap. "Because I haven't beat him yet.""So... There's a guy named the Red Dragon?""Not officially, but that's how we call him. He was real fury. One day he killed a guy who was the owner of a shop, with a dragon statue at the front. Beat him up and slashed him with a blade, blood covered the whole statue. That's why we call him that." he smiled as he talked. "One day, I'll beat him. And then I'll be the emperor of this city!""Geez..." you quietly said, frowning at his tale. "Well, good luck with that.""Pfff! I don't need luck!" he smiled at you. "The guy did his time, get some space for the new!""Huh, I could relate to that." you tried to stay positive to stay on his good side. The big boy finished cleaning and you grabbed the empty bottle and brought it back to the counter."I like you Bar Lady." Akira said. "I'll be bumped out when I'll tear this place to shred!"You whole being froze as the group happily laughed. You slowly looked back at him."Why would you do that?""This place's been here for a while right?" he sent you a sharp toothy smile. "It'll totally catch the Brothers' attention if I wreck it! Plus I heard you're pretty buddy-buddy with them." he raised a pierced eyebrow.You fought the urge to look at Choromatsu."I mean, I wouldn't say we're buddies." you said, nervously scratching the back of your neck. "They just...come by sometimes." "Still, they'll surely turn their heads for a wrecked building!" Akira laughed. "Not like I'm complaining that they ignored us since the beginning!""Yeah! They just gave up!" his boys laughed."They're probably too busy sucking on their own dick and whipping their ass with their money!""Nah man! They pay some bitches to do that for them!""Like, they're too lazy to whip their own ass!""Alright boys!" Akira tapped on the table, they calmed down. "Drink up, then let's get down to business. Maybe take some booze with us when we're done." Choromatsu took a deep breathe, calming his growing anger. He pushed on the counter to back away from it. He'll just step in and tell them to get the hell out. Calmly but firmly. Like the responsible adult he is.Then he turned around and his breathe was cut short when he saw you.You had your back facing the group of boys. You were shaking, breathing deeply, your wide eyes were watery, blinking rapidly and you were biting the tip of your thumb. Your face was devoid of color and your other hand was on your chest.Choromatsu has never seen you this weak, this scared, this vulnerable.He slammed his fist on the counter."HEY!"His voice snapped you back to reality and caught the attention of the boys. You watched as he stood up and faced them. You quickly looked towards their table. Akira did not look happy. "What'ch'u want old man?" he said as his boys slowly stood up.Looking at each-other with narrowed eyes, Choromatsu removed his fake round glasses."Woh!" Akira exclaimed. "The third Matsuno Brother!"You would've probably laughed in other circumstances.Akira stood up and walked closer to him. A big smile on his face."You will take your guys and you will leave this place." he said with the most grave expression you've ever seen him do."Only if I can fight you right now." Akira didn't hesitate to say."Not here. Not now. Unlike you guys I plan my battles so that there's as little damages as possible." Akira looked back at his boys, who shook their heads, disappointed. He looked back, shaking his head himself."What happened to you?" he asked. "You know, I admired you. You were the reason I wanted to be a better version of myself!" he was getting more and more frustrated as he talked."You call *that* a better version of yourself?" Choromatsu looked at him up and down."Shut the fuck up! You don't know me! You call *That* a better version of yourself?!" he gestured towards him. "You were The Red Dragon for fuck sake!"Your eyes widen and you looked at Choromatsu. His back facing you, he didn't seem to have reacted at all."Now you're a goody two-shoes who sucks up to his girl and who's like 'UuUuH! lEt'S nOt BrEaK aNyThInG oR aNyOnE gUyS! wE'lL gEt In TrOuBlE!' You're the one controlling this city! Why do you care?! You used to be so cool!" Akira ran a hand through his side-shaved head in frustration. For a brief moment, Choromatsu didn't say anything."Listen." he finally said. "In three days, us against you. In the west park. We do this by the rules, and you'll be able to do whatever you want if you win.""...what if I say fuck it and just wreck this place anyway?"You froze."I only ask you to wait a few days, surely the entire city's control is worth that. And like you said, it'd be a shame to see that place shut down forever."Akira glanced at you, you gulped. He looked back at Choromatsu and spit on the floor."Thee days." he showed three fingers then quickly put down two of them to flick him off. "Let's go." "Uh-" you said out of habit but quickly stopped yourself."...here." he threw some bills on his table. "Keep the change."He started to walk towards the door. But you didn't want him to leave like this."W-wait!"He looked back at you, seemingly pissed."What?""Uh, what you said 'let's get down to business'. Was it a reference?"He turned to face you."Yeah. Mulan.""Just so you know, I was singing 'to defeat the huns' in my head."He huffed a smile."Well next time, actually sing it."You nodded, then he and his boys left. Leaving you and Choromatsu in silence. You let out a big sigh and rested on the counter."I didn't want him to leave this pissed, he might have broke something on his way home." you looked up at Choromatsu. "Thank you."You went behind the counter. A moment passed and he ran a hand through his face, groaning. Then he went to sit on the stool he was on. You refilled his drink, you knew he needed it. He took his glass, raised it as a silent thank you, then drank the whole thing. You refilled it again."So." you eventually said. "Red Dragon?"He furrowed his eyebrow and once again drank his liquor in one go, his cheeks getting slightly red. You refilled his glass."Y’know..." he said, looking down. "You did things, that you’re not proud of..."You thought of your high-school years, all the trouble you and your friends got into."Yeah.""Well that’s it." Your brain made a click.’Killing someone is very easy (Y/n). Any idiots with a knife can do it. And when you're a yakuza, you make these kinds of choices almost daily. But, people are people, ending a life is never without consequences, to you and to others. I promised myself to never forget that, don't forget it either.’’It was from experience after all.’ you thought, washed over by a feeling of sad sympathy."And...you finally realized the effects of your actions."He didn’t say anything and just drank. As you refilled his glass, he hung his head down and sniffed."He had a fuckin family." he quietly said with a voice broken by an overwhelming feeling of shame. "He wasn’t even a big deal. He was just in charge of the stock."You shut your eyes at what he said and grabbed yourself a glass."Back in high-school I just didn’t care." you began to say to make him stop talking and hurting himself. "I knew that my future was secured, so nothing stopped me from fucking around. I could get expelled, I’d still get to work here." you took a few sips. "But around the end of the year, my friends stopped hanging out with me. I didn’t get it at first. Then they told me that they were this close to getting kicked out. It would have ruin their future career, so I stopped. Maybe that’s why we’re not so friends anymore."You looked back at Choromatsu."Hey."He looked up, his eyes red and exhausted. You handed him your glass."To the times where we fucked up." you smiled. "May they never happen again."He looked down and sighed, smiling."And if they do, we’ll remind each-other." you added.Still looking down, he raised his glass and tapped it with yours, the sound echoing through the quiet bar. Twenty meters separating them, the two gangs stood face to face, preparing themselves for battles. Akira hasn’t moved, he was just staring at the six brothers, at least one of them."Man, what a creep." Osomatsu threw him a weird look before turning towards his brother with a teasing look. "He kind of reminds me of you you know?""He is nothing like me." he said as he sharpened his blades."Young, unafraid and stupid." he said as he walked away.Meanwhile, you were sitting behind a bush, at a safe distance from the ‘battlefield’. You insisted on coming here. If things go south, you’ll be able to call the cops. Yeah it’ll put both parties in danger, but you were willing to take that risk if that means stopping this insanity.In the three days of preparation, Choromatsu made sure to momentarily close the park. The place was empty expect for the two gangs. You gulped, hoping nothing serious happens.After an hours or so, the two parties went quiet and got into position. You saw two guys from each side walking towards each-other. According to the rules, two guys from each side must go before battle to talk to each-other, see if there was another way to settle this. There was never another way of settling this.You looked down and sighed at this stupid rule, what’s the point then? Suddenly, you heard two bangs. You looked up and saw the two guys from the Black Lions down.’They shot them?!’ you thought with a shocked expression. ‘Why?! Choromatsu would’ve never allow that!’The Black Lions shouted and ran into battle. Akira shot the two guys from the Matsuno side. Without a choice, the Matsunos went to battle. You watched as the two side fought. From the distance, you could tell one side was more prepared and experienced than the other. The Matsunos had battle formations and strategy, the Black Lions’ priority was doing as much damages as possible. Though their henchmen were superior than the Matsunos’ in terms of strength, you could spot the six brothers from a mile away. Anyone who got close to them were put down (not in the dead sense).All in all, both side stood their ground. But it was only a matter of time before the Black Lions were slowly pushed away by the Matsunos.As a last resort, the young gang took out certain bottles and threw them at their opponent, creating an explosion of fire.’Molotov cocktails?! Jesus christ!’ You were feeling safe in your little corner, until you noticed on of the cocktails flying your way. In the chaos of a battle, there was bound to be some missing projectiles.You didn’t hesitate to get out of your hiding spot. Running as fast as you could from the fire, coughing, you stumbled and fell down a slope but you quickly stood up again. In your horror, you realized you’ve enter the battlefield, people all around you fighting, slashing and punching with bloody hands.Not wasting any time, you kept running straight ahead, you’ll eventually get out of this hell that way.You did well dodging any people and projectiles coming your way. And you tried your hardest not to mind what you were seeing, but you were forced to confront it when you stopped in front of four corpses.You immediately covered your mouth with you hands, the smell of blood making your want to puke. You wanted to look away and keep on running, but then you noticed something that made your mind go blank.The two guys from the Black Lions.There were shot in the back.In the chaos of the battle, no one noticed. You looked around, searching for one of the brothers. You had to tell them.But instead, you saw Akira, looking at you with shock and rage. A gun in his hand.Now you were scared of him.You turned around and ran. You thanked the heavens when you saw Choromatsu noticing you in the distance."(Y/N)!" he shouted and started to run to your direction.Though the adrenaline made you forget about your pained legs, you could feel your lungs burning. You could only say a few words. Akira raised his gun..."IN THE BACK!" you shouted with all the voice you had left. "IN THE BACK!"...And he pulled the trigger.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"(Y/N)!" Choromatsu shouted again.Running as fast as he could, he was able to catch you before you fell on the ground and he knelt down.Your scream of pain resonated throughout the whole 'battlefield'. You held your dangling arm with all your might, covering your hand with blood, as you cried like you've never cried before.Your cries caught the attention of the people around, the two parties recognized you. "(Y/n)! (Y/n) look at me!" he turned your head for you to look at him."It-It hurts!" you managed to say between two gross sobs."I know I know. Just breathe okay?" he softly said, though with a shaky voice, and ripped your bleeding sleeve off. Akira looked down at his hand. It was shaking, even when he raised the gun. That alone was a first to him. He was aiming for her back but he missed because of that.The bar lady, who understood his references and made some herself, she was screaming, she was shot, by him.But it was justified!Wait, was it?He's never felt this confused before. He's never felt confused at all!He looked back at her. Choromatsu was trying his best to use her ripped off sleeve as a bandage."I'm sorry." you said with a weak little voice, trying your best not to scream any more."No no no. It's not your fault. It was never your fault." Choromatsu also tried his best to maintain his calm. "Now stop talking. Just breathe, alright?"A few of the brothers, hearing your scream, rushed over to you."(Y/n)!" Jyushimatsu slid up to your side, his eyes full of tears, waving his hands around but too scared to touch you. "(Y/n)! Don't die!""She'll be fine. It's just the arm." Choromatsu said."(Y/n), you'll be fine." Karamatsu gently took your good hand. "Just press my hand if you feel any pa-Ayayayaye!""(Y-Y/n)-chan~!" Todomatsu sobbed. Choromatsu looked at Akira. The others might have thought you were hit by a flying bullet, but he saw. His eyes were full of rage, but Akira could see the sadness and worry hiden behind it.Akira took a step back. And he was angry at himself for doing just that.He’s never been an expert on this stuff. But he knew that in this state of emotional mess, he could not fight properly. And it's not like the brothers are really feeling it either. Meanwhile, hiding behind a bush in the distance, Ichimatsu looked at the young thug through the scope of his sniper. His finger was shaking on the trigger."Can I shoot now?" Ichimatsu asked, really to do just that."...nah." Osomatsu replied."You serious?" he said with a poisonous voice."I think he got it." he said.Though his voice was devoid of emotions, Ichimatsu knew he was just as enraged as him. He clicked his tongue. Akira turned around and started to walk away. His gang, noticing him, also retreated. Leaving the Matsuno gang in victory, though it felt very bittersweet.Choromatsu picked you up and hurried to the exit of the park. Followed by his brothers who seemed to agitated to do anything."Call Dekapan, quick!" he exclaimed. You opened you eyes the next day.You were brought back to the Matsuno house, Dekapan removed the bullet from your arm and you passed out from the pain.You looked over at your bandaged arm and tried to move it. It stung, but it was doable.You noticed that you were alone in your room. You stood up and went to look for the brothers. You were so busy being shot that you didn't know what the outcome of the battle was.You walked through the hallway and started to get down the stairs. You stopped in your tracks when you noticed the brothers standing towards the front door.Your eyes widen when you saw Akira standing in the doorway. He and Choromatsu, who was in front of him, were staring at each-other. "I accept." Choromatsu said."'kay." the boy just replied.He noticed you and glanced up. You suddenly became tense. Oddly enough, he didn't look angry, he did look tired, but not physically. He turned around and walked away.Choromatsu looked at him for a moment, then closed the door, sighing. You continued walking downstairs."(Y/n)-chan!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, noticing you.He ran over and jump all the way up the stairs to where you were, that was a lot of stairs.He kept staring at you with his huge grin. Though he didn’t touch you, scared to hurt you with his hug. He just gently placed a hand on top of your hand, covering his mouth with his other hand. It made you chuckle."Hey.""(Y/n)! Are you feeling better?!" Osomatsu asked as you and Jyushimatsu joined them."It still stings." you looked at your arm. "Other than that I’m fine." you looked over at Karamatsu. "Are *you* feeling better?""Heh." he raised his hand, red from your grip. "No one can ever hurt this metal body. Plus, my andgelu, your touch has always been a gift to me, it is always wel-""You want me to make you something to eat?" Todomatsu stepped in front."Huh?""Yeah!" Osomatsu placed a hand on your good shoulder. "Let’s get drinkin’ too!"You laughed."I could go for a beer!""Let’s go! To the kitchen!" he pointed onward. As they walked, you turned over to Karamatsu."Sorry about your hand." you smiled apologetically. "It’s my first time getting shot."He smiled, though sad by what you said. He looked over at your injured hand, wanting to hold it, protect it."Hopefully, it’ll be the last time too..." Though the six brothers didn’t want to leave you alone, you asked Choromatsu to talk to him in private."What was Akira doing here?" you asked, sitting on a chair."Oh, you saw that." he said, leaning on the kitchen counter with his arms folded. "He asked for a duel against me.""A duel?""Yeah, it’s a tradition."You were relieved to see that Akira decided to settle this more seriously. And by the sigh Choromatsu let out, you could tell he was too."But wait, is it like...a fight to the death?"Choromatsu’s expression became graver."One of the two can give up, but it’s up to the other one to stop or not."You gulped, worried. "Though," Choromatsu help a hand to his chin, frowning slightly. "you told us he shot two of his men. If he did this to justify the battle, why did he back down like this?""I don’t know... It’s true, it doesn’t make sense."A moment of silence passed as you both tried to figure it out."Well he is still a kid." he finally said. "Kids are stupid after all."You chuckled."I guess." you paused. "I’m sorry to have worry you.""Oh! No! Don’t say that!" he went to sit on the chair next to you. "You put a stop to all of this. I should be thanking you really.""..." you gave him a weird look. "You should be thanking me, for getting shot?""U-Uh!" he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Okay it might not have been the best answer for this!"You giggled."No it wasn’t!" "Well, I should be the one who’s sorry..." he said. "If I haven’t done...that, none of this would’ve happen.""If I wasn’t this stubborn, I wouldn’t have gone there in the first place." you quickly said.Choromatsu went silent. Slowly, he raised his hand and placed it on your bandaged shoulder, caressing it slightly. His touch was so gentle you didn’t felt anything. Not only that, it made you feel warm, like being wrapped in that comfy blanket. He looked at you with sad eyes and a sad smile."To the times we fucked up right?" he quietly said.You smiled too, and nodded. You entered your room for some rest yet again. You decided to check your phone, you haven't looked at it since you woke up.Your features twisted when you read a missing text from Ben.[Hey (Y/n), were u at the park? I heard a scream and it kinda sounded like u]The thing about Ben is that he could tell when you were lying, even through texts. You didn't want to upset him, given his opinion on the matter, but you knew it was pointless to try and change the subject. He is one stubborn bastard. You smiled at that thought. You typed. [Don't freak out...][So... I got shot]The second you sent those two text, he called you. "Oh god..." you mumbled.You picked up and he started shouting, not leaving you time to speak. You were holding the phone away a bit, you didn't want to go deaf, even less to get a headache, you could still hear him though. He was spitting out some incoherent questions. You patiently waited for him to calm down. Eventually, he got quiet and you slowly put the phone to your ear."So here's what happened."You explained the whole situation to him, to his credit, he kept quiet the whole time. "And that's not a big deal." you finished."That's bullshit!" he shouted."Oh god..." you ran a hand through your face."No! (Y/n)! Don't give me that!" You've never heard him this mad before, you were taken aback."How long will this going on?!" he continued. "You've been threatened! You've been kidnapped! And you just god damn got fucking shot!""It's not their fau-!""Oh so you're telling me that if you weren't buddy-buddy with them, all this bullshit would've still happen?!"You went speechless, not really sure on what to say to that."I'm worried (Y/n)." he said more softly. "If you keep this up, it might be worst. The only reason you're still here is because Akira missed.""No." you suddenly said."What?""Let's follow your logic. If the brothers weren't there, my bar would've been destroyed by the Black Lions, I would've been ruined!""It's better this than to get shot!""Honestly, I'd rather just that!" A moment of silence passed, you heard him sighed out of frustration."Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you when you end up in a middle of a gang war again." he paused. "...I really hope you get better soon."You smiled softly, happy to hear this genuine tone of his."...Thank you Ben."You hung up and sighed. Jesus this guy can be so tense sometimes!'But...' you glanced at your bandaged arm. 'He does have a point.'What happened yesterday was not a good experience. Neither was what happened a few months ago. Was all of it really worth it to preserve the relationship between you and the sextuplets?'...what kind of relationship even?'You ruffled your hair, groaning. Now wasn't the time to think and ask question! Now's the time to rest! You comfortably laid down on your bed.You'll do the self-reflecting later. In the Matsuno's front-yard, the Black Lions and the Matsunos formed a large circle to serve as a ring. Outside the circle were the two opponent, preparing themselves, dressed in a kimono.You couldn't see what Akira was doing, if you had to guess, he was slashing the air with the katana he's been offered.Choromatsu was just sitting on his knees, breathing slowly with his eyes closed. You believed in him of course, but you noticed his shaking hands."Oi! Alexfapper Abrham Bell!" Osomatsu walked up to him."Who the fuck is Alexfapper Abhram Bell?!" Choromatsu looked up at him with an angry look. "Looks like he’s ready." he pointed his thumb at the other side of the circle.Choromatsu just hummed, he grabbed the katana laying in front of him and stood up.He was about to walk in, but he felt someone tucking on his sleeve from behind. He turned around and saw you."Be careful okay?" you said, your voice filled with worry. He gulped, the look you gave him made his heart skip a beat."Don’t worry about me." he smiled. "I’m a Matsuno.""...that’s not really reassuring." you chuckled."O-oh! Yeah I guess!" he scratched the back of his head. "Nevertheless! I’ll be fine!"You smiled and nodded, releasing his sleeve. Choromatsu smiled, and faced forward. After drawing one last breathe, he stepped in the circle. Akira’s fingertips were eagerly tapping the sword’s handle, he and Choromatsu were staring at each-other. Osomatsu was standing between the two of them."Okay guys." he said. "Though there’s no actual rules here, I’m gonna ask you two to not make a mess. The winner WILL clean my front-yard if it happens."Choromatsu glared at him from the corner of his eyes. Osomatsu then casually went to join his other brothers, by your side, with a nice view of the action."Okay now go."The two of them drew their swords. Akira didn’t waste a second and charged towards him to deliver a direct blow. Choromatsu slid his blade along Akira's, made a step to the side and turned around, pushing him away at a safe distance. "A wise choice." Karamatsu said, standing besides you. "Because this boy is more blunt and violent, it's a good idea to keep him at bay. Heh. Good job burraza."'Thank you Karamatsu for this commentary.' you frowned slightly, not wanting to speak at a time like this.He was about to keep his comments going when Ichimatsu tightly gripped on his shoulder."Shut up." he simply said with a menacing voice.Karamatsu gulped. He readjusted his sunglasses and folded his arms, keeping his cool persona intact and shutting up.You kept your eyes on the two opponents. They weren't looking away from each-other, scanning their every move. There was a slight pause where neither of them were moving, taking this small opportunity to come up with what the best course of action should be. Akira charged again, Choromatsu got in position, preparing himself to dodge again. A couple of meters away, Akira got on the floor, catching his adversary off guard. He swung his leg around, sweeping Choromatsu's foot off the ground. As he began to fell backwards, Akira stood up and brought his katana down. Choromatsu let out a grunt noise. Suddenly, he used his other foot to jump away, dodging the sword once again.You let out a gasp. The other brothers were also impressed. In those little seconds, he changed his center of gravity. Though he almost never fights, Choromatsu's reflexes sure weren't rusty.When the katana hit the floor, making a loud metallic noise echoing through the front-yard, Choromatsu stepped on it with his wooden sandal, preventing Akira from moving it. Without giving him time to react, he bent forward, twisted the blade around with a smooth movement of the wrist, and he hit him on the chin with its handle."Oooooh!" you, Jyushimatsu and Osomatsu shouted. Akira made a few steps backwards to regain his balance. He quickly rubbed the spot where he was hit, in a sudden panic.It made you narrow your eyes, and you knew Choromatsu noticed too.Once the young thug realized he hasn't been hit with the blade. He looked at his opponent with rage."Don't fucking mock me!" he shouted. "Fight like a man!"He charged once more, this time Choromatsu was ready to use his weapon. He swung it from left to right. Akira bent backwards, successfully dodging the attack. But once he had enough space, he bent forward, like a spring, and he headbutted Choromatsu dead in the forehead.You inhaled between your teeth, feeling the pain of a blow to the head.Surprisingly enough, he didn't pass out from it, though there was now a dark red spot on his forehead. It must've been the adrenaline rush keeping him going. But he was forced to quickly get back to the fight as Akira jumped towards him. It went like this for a long while, without either of them getting the upper hand. Though Akira, so thirsty for violence and victory, was the one attacking most of the time. You in your corner didn't lose any of your tension, but Osomatsu, he yawned."They've been at it for a while now haven't they?" he looked at his watch. "When's he gonna make a move?""What happens if this keeps on going?" you asked, not looking away from the fight."Don't worry (Y/n)-chan!" Jyushimatsu said. "It'll be over soon!""How can you tell?""Look at the brat." Ichimatsu said. "His movements aren't as frantic as before. And Choromatsu's been only dodging. He's tiring him out."You let out a quiet 'oh', your eyes widen when you looked closely at the two's movements and noticed everything ichimatsu was saying."All that's left now is for Choromatsu to strike him down."'But...' you thought. 'He probably won't.'Karamatsu looked down, a bit sad that Ichimatsu gets to explain but he can't. Akira still had a tight grip on his katana’s handle, he was still on his guard. But unlike Choromatsu who was panting slightly, he was out of breath. Drops of sweats rolling down his face, his hands were shaking due to the fatigue. Choromatsu lowered his blade."Give up."Those two words must’ve flipped a switch in him, he just shouted and charged once more. He swung his katana, but because the action was a bit messy, Choromatsu easily blocked it. But he didn't expect Akira to use this as a distraction. From the corner of his eye, he saw his fist coming closer to his face. It was mere centimeters away when Choromatsu caught it with his other hand. Choromatsu slid his blade down to the guard of Akira's, and pushed it out of his hand. It landed a few meters away, out of his reach.Still holding on to his fist, Choromatsu spun around, his katana following his movement. He wanted to land it on his neck, without actually touching him of course. Just a little cut like the few both of them got during this match.But to his surprise, Akira managed to raise his arm. The blade landed in his forearm, deep inside the flesh but it stopped when it touched the bone."OH MY GOD!" you let out.Everyone shouted in a disgusted horror, you and Todomatsu held your arms. Choromatsu watch with big eyes as the blood flowed down like a river. Akira, his face twisted and devoid of color, kicked him in the chest. They both backed away but with the blade still in his arm, Akira had to feel the whole length of the sharp cold blade slipping through his flesh. He bit his lip to prevent himself from yelling in pain, he bit so hard a drop of blood flowed down his chin.He made a few steps backwards before falling on his knees due to the dizziness brought by the blood loss."Fuckin’ christ boss!" his men quickly surrounded him in a panic.They tried to pick him up, but he kept struggling."The fuck are you all doing! I’m not done with him!""Akira, stop!" Choromatsu exclaimed, helping them take their boss away."How 'bout fuck you!" he shouted, holding his arm for dear life. "Even with just one arm! I'll still kick your sorry ass! Come at me motherfucker! It took me two years to get here, I ain't gonna stop until I beat you to the ground!""Fine! I give up! You win!""WHAT?!"In a moment of shock, he stopped moving, giving his men an opportunity to get a hold of him."Now someone please call a doctor!""No wait! You lil shit! What's that about!!!""I'm being mature and responsible!" he paused, watching him being taken away. "Now do the world a favor and grow up!" And with that, Choromatsu walked away. Akira stared at him, blinking with wide eyes and processing what he just said. He quickly recovered and just lost it."No! NO! I'm not done with you! I'll kill you! Motherfucker I'll kill you! I'll destroy you street style! You won't see me comin'! Fight me you son of a bitch! FIGHT ME!"Watching him being dragged out by his men as he kept on yelling and struggling, you felt so bad for this kid. The anger must've taken over the pain, because right now there's a little red pool and stream but it didn't even looked like Akira even realized his wound existed. You gently squeezed your bandaged arm.'I feel a weird parallel here...'You snapped out of your thoughts when you felt a tap on your shoulder. You looked at Osomatsu who gestured you to follow him and his brothers, you nodded. You all joined Choromatsu in the doorway, he let out a heavy sigh, tired and annoyed."Nii-san~!" Jyushimatsu wrapped an arm around his neck. "You did it!""Uh, did he?" Todomatsu asked."Yeah, he did give up." you added."But even if that's the case, Akira isn't able to be the winner!" Osomatsu gave you two a smirk."And it doesn't seem like the boy will ever accept his victory. Ah~" Karamatsu placed a hand on his forehead.Ichimatsu punched him in the guts, making him fall on the ground. It seemed really painful, but the brothers laughed. Except Choromatsu, who was looking down this whole time."I saw the look you gave him." you turned over to Osomatsu. "You feel bad for him?""A bit..." you said. "But not that much. That's what he fucking gets for shooting me!"You and the other laughed. You glanced at Choromatsu to see if you managed to cheer him up. Apparently not. Of course, the first thing that came out of Akira's mouth when he woke up was a swear."Fuckin'...son of a bitch." he mumbled.He sat up, but felt a sharp and deep pain that made him flinch. He looked over at him bandaged arm. He could clearly see a big red stain under the white cloth. "BOSS!" He held his head to the voices of all his boys combined, they quickly surrounded his bed. Some of them crying a bit, some of them crying a lot. Akira looked around and recognized his room. He was back in his HQ, an abandoned building they arranged to live in together."What happened?" he finally asked."You...don't remember?""...I must've blacked out." he looked down. "I remember Matsuno said he gave up, I had none of his shit...and that's it.""The Matsunos called their family's doctor, a weirdo with just a big pair of pants. But he did a good job patching you up. He also said that...if you had staid there any longer, the wound would have infected... and he'd have to cut your arm off."Akira felt a cold shiver down his spine. "Boss I....I don't wanna do this anymore!" he looked at Big-boy, his eyes were filled with tears. "I thought we lost you!""We were so scared!""We're so glad you're okay though!""Don't you worry Boss! We'll show them what we're made of!""Yeah! You don't mess up with the Black Lions without getting hit back!""By the way Boss, you were so cool out there!""Yeah, looking back at it now. Akira was so badass!" He looked down, too tired to say anything. Though, he really wanted to. Instead he waited for them to leave him so he could rest.Cool? Badass?'Shut the fuck up!' was what he wanted to say so badly.That was not cool, nor badass in the least. It was painful. It was burning, stinging, dripping. If he wasn't blinded by rage, he would've screamed in agony. And now he's left uncomfortable and with an unpleasant sensation throughout his whole limb.He noticed his vision became a bit blurry, his eyes were teary. He quickly whipped them off.This was not a good thing that just happened. But how else would he have asserted his superiority to his idol.Wait...did he even do that?Matsuno did give up. So he won by default.Then why did he felt so much like a loser right now...?He gripped his hair and let out a long sigh as he laid down. He needed to think more about what happened the past few days.Coming to that conclusion on his own. It scared him. He closed his eyes, going into the comfortable unconsciousness of sleep. After a week or so, your bandage only covered your shoulder so you were able to hide it and go back to work. And you felt right at home!Of course you haven't tell anyone about your injury, or about the Black Lions. They came here, Choromatsu got them out, that's it.Only Ben knew, and he knew he was the only one who know. Maybe that's why he's been staring at you from time to time, from the stage where he played, with that weird vibe of judgement. And when you weren't busy, you stared back at him thinking 'fuck you man' really loudly. After another short staring contest, you were forced to give up, when you noticed a new customer taking a seat at the bar.You smiled and turned, about to say welcome, but your whole being froze when you saw Akira. He had his arms crossed on the counter, he was looking down.You gulped, staying motionless and waiting, or dreading, for him to say or do something. He glanced up at you, almost shyly, and quickly looked back down when he saw you looking at him, then he scratched his head.'Wait...is he actually being shy?! What?!'He shifted in his seat and took out something from his back pocket. You flinched, but then relaxed when you saw him putting a bit of money and his ID card on the counter."Same as last time." he softly said, not looking at you. You frowned a bit, but still took the money and checked the card. As you prepared his drink you noticed Ben, gesturing towards the boy with his chin. You shook your head to convey the message that he better not intervene, it only worsen the situation.After handing Akira his glass, you observed him from the corner of your eyes as you went to do other things. To your surprise, he just quietly drank his drink. It made you confused, but you were glad to see that he wasn't here to do anything violent, at least you assumed so. When you got back behind the counter, you figured it was safe to finally speak. You stood in front of him, which made him glance up at you. You looked over at him bandaged arm, which also made a few people staring at him."Quite a nasty wound you got there." you said with a straight face.He didn't speak for a moment before laughing in a low voice."Guess we're even now." he smiled at you.You didn't smile back. He took a sip."I know you're still mad at me Bar Lady." he said. "Can't blame ya. I'm still mad at you too for shooting two of my men." You eyes widen and you frowned."I didn't, you did."He looked up at you, seemingly upset yet containing himself."Why the fuck would I do that?" he asked, his eye twitching."Well I never held a gun in my life." You both stared at each-other for a long moment. By the look of slow realization on your face, you could tell the other wasn't lying. Akira just drank the rest of his drink. He slammed his now empty glass on the counter and sighed."Well now I just feel like a dick."You laughed out loud, taking him by surprise. You laughed louder and longer that you usually do, as a coping mechanism with this resent discovery."Yeah you are! You are a dick!" you held your stomach.Akira blinked a few times before laughing himself. Your laugh was contagious. "(Y/N)! (Y/N) WAKE UP!""W-what-WHAT?!"You were violently shaken awake and your drowsiness was quickly replaced by panic and adrenaline when you felt the heat, the orange flames, and the ashes flying.You looked at the men you woke you up."Ben?! Wha-""No time! Let's go!" he grabbed your hand and ran out the door.You knew he was right so you didn't question anything and ran. Covering your nose, you saw the fire had digested a good portion of the house. Parts of the ceiling and walls were falling down, plants, furtitures and paintings were disintegrating. And you saw maids and butler running along and screaming.But right now, your priority was to get the hell out of there.You and Ben went out the back door and were now walking through the giant garden, with a fast pace before the ashes could reach the trees and make them catch on fire too. Now was the time for questions."What are you doing here?" "I had a gig at the neighborhood's club, and after your discussion with Akira, I got worried so I went to check in. And I saw the house on fire. Must've been the Black Lions who wanted their ultimate revenge."Your eyebrows furrowed, wondering if Akira was behind this, or maybe some of his goons..."...where are we going?""Away from this madness first of all." he pointed behind him. "And to my place.""Huh?" you began to walk slower. "What about the brothers?""Oh don't worry about them. They were the first one I saw running out of here.""They must've went to call for help..." you looked down. 'Still, it is unusual of them...' "Also what? Your place?" you looked up at him, his back facing you."Yeah, you'll be safe there.""I don't know man. I think I should stay here and wait for them.""Oh yeah, because they sure waited for you."You yawned, your fatigue coming back.'I could just call them in the morning.' you decided.You felt a touch and you looked over to see that Ben gently held your hand."Don't want you to fall asleep on the way." he smiled.Too tired to talk, you just nodded. He gently dragged you behind him. You felt his hand was shaking, it wasn't that cold though, it was the beginning of summer."Are you scared?" you asked.He puffed a chuckle. "No, I'm nervous. It's the first time you'll come over to my place.""Heh, you're scared." A moment of silence past. You realized that Ben was dragging you a bit faster, but his grip was still gentle."Ben, slow down please." you said, rubbing your eye."You know, I watched the Moulin Rouge yesterday."You frowned, he completely ignored you, and he changed the subject. You can’t help but feel a bit uneasy."Ha, again?" you joked, hoping this feeling would go away."I replayed my favorite scene like five times. The story of a prostitute, and a man who falls in love with her. I remember the lyrics and the monologue at the beginning by heart." from the sound of his voice, you could tell he was smiling.It only made you tense, you looked around, hoping you’d see your friends. The burning house became smaller as you walked. Well, at this point, it was mostly Ben who dragged you behind him. "Where love for the highest bidder, there can be no trust." he recited. "Without trust, there is no love." he paused. "It’s so good~, though, I do disagree with what it says.""Huh?" you looked back at him, not having paid attention to what he said."A lack of trust in a relationship, I see it more as a challenge. It just means the man has to work twice as hard to get to his lady... I can relate to that." he whispered that last part.But in the night’s silence, you heard that.’Okay~ you’re freaking me out a bit~!’ you thought, feeling awake again. "Uh, Ben?" you gently shook his hand off."What?" he stopped walking and turned around."Uh... Are you-?""(Y/n)!"You recognized those six voices shouting your name, and at this moment, you were glad to hear them. You turned around and saw the sextuplets, covered in ashes, standing a few meters away."Guys! You’re-WOH!" you raised your hands when Osomatsu, Karamatsu, Ichimatsu and Todomatsu take out a gun and point it at your direction."Get away from her you fuck!" Ichimatsu shouted.You looked at Ben, and realized they were pointing at him."Guys don’t worry, he’s a friend. Remember? The pianist.""What?!" Choromatsu exclaimed. "(Y-y/n)," Osomatsu, speaking in a careful manner, lowered his gun and raised a hand towards you, you were worried to see it slightly shaking, in fact they all seemed on their guards, it was the first time you saw them seriously scared. "that’s..." he gulped. "that’s the Medicis’ second in command." Your eyes widen. Your mind froze. Your body went stiff. Slowly, you turned your head to look at your friend besides you. He was looking at them, smiling like he usually does. He didn’t seem to have reacted at all, and that’s what scared you the most. A meeting with the Three Big Families wasn’t a common thing. It only happened when something major occurred. And today, a fourth family was about to join them in this passive-aggressive alliance.Six brothers. Their influence recently expanded at a fast pace, recklessly yes, but effectively.Today’s meeting would officially determined their territory throughout the whole country.They walked into the room. Not a lot of lights, a big table, a big armchair at the end of it and six simple chairs at the other. Someone was sitting on the armchair, turned towards the wall, but they could see a hand swiftly playing with a butterfly knife, on the table was a box of matches. Two buff men was on each side of the person."Thought you could arrive first right?" a man’s voice said. "Too bad, the Medicis are known to be here before everyone else. Or after everyone else. Or even not ever be here at all! Depends on how I feel really."The six brothers were taken aback. They came here with their confidence at an all time high. But hearing this man, with the lighting making him look like he’s of another world, one made of darkness and arsons, it made them feel like the normies they were before.They sat down without any words. "The Matsunos..." he said, slowly waving the knife around.They squealed when the man kicked the man to his right in the knee, dislocating it. He fell down, holding his knee and screaming. The man stood up and dug the knife deep in the other man’s temple before he could do anything, killing him instantly, he only let out a dry noise. The man let go of the knife, let the fresh corpse fall on the floor like a broken puppet. He turned around, pushing the armchair aside, and took the box of matches and a cigarette out of his pocket. He took one out and knelt down to the man who was still alive, whimpering in pain like a child. He pressed the match hard on his cheek, waited a few seconds, then flipped it over to light it up. Though because it required a big amount of force to do so, it peeled the man’s skin off, which made him scream even more.The man stood up again. With his cigarette between his teeth, he lighted it up. The little flame revealed a few light brown bangs and his yellow piercing stare, fixing the six brothers. He smiled, sending chills down their spine. He waved the match to pull the flame out, inhaled, and exhaled the white smoke."It was nice to see you." he said, his friendly tone making them feel threatened to no end. "Hope we get along." And with that, he walked away. Leaving the six brothers with a corpse and a whimpering man They say first impression is everything. They were right. This won’t be an encounter they’ll easily forget.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
What does a man do when he's at a certain level of powerful?Obviously, he becomes bored.Well, that was the case for Beneth.Of course, it was always nice to fool with those around him. Showing his dominance, slashing some people, it used to be the one thing that he’d never get tired of. Being the second in command, and with the leader being almost nonexistent, you can get away with a lot of things.But, you can’t spend all of your time killing pitiful assholes.In the daytime, he was ordered to sneak around and get informations. Others could do it sure, but he was the best, and it was only for really important matters, and it was orders from his superior. And he never says no to his superior, at least he doesn't dare to.Sneaking around, being stealthy and discreet.How he hated it. But everytime, when he walked back to his other job at night, he’d spread fear among his allies and enemies and that'd cheer him up everytime. Until the next day. Over and over again."Such bullshit..." he mumbled to himself, biting his fingernail. With the Matsuno Brothers joining the party, Beneth was instructed to check out a certain establishment. A little bar downtown that, mysteriously enough, had the privilege to be free of any fee or payment whatsoever. Though Beneth didn’t care that much, he’d be lying if he said this wasn’t intriguing.He stepped in by the back door, early in the morning, as expected, he saw no one. He planned to take a quick look around, before the owner comes in."They probably won’t be here before a while. Must be lazy if they’re privileged." he said to himself.He raised his eyebrows when he saw nothing was off. No drugs, no hidden safe, just normal bar stuff. But what really caught his attention was the grand piano, in the middle of a stage. It made him stop in his track when he first noticed it. Now that he was ready to leave, he stared up at it. It was still there, looking down on him, nagging him. With no lights on, in the dark, it looked way too familiar for his comfort. It was almost forcing. He sharply sighed and hopped on stage.He stood in front of it for a moment and checked his watch. There was still some time left, this check up was quicker than he thought it'd be.He dusted the stool a bit before sitting on it. He noticed the piano was also dusted. He clicked his tongue. So much similarities it annoyed him.’Let’s just get this over with.’He opened the instrument and started to play a melody. Its notes echoing through the place in the silence of the morning. Though he was pleasantly surprised he didn't became rusty, it bothered him. It reminded him of a more complex time, when he was still learning to play. Suddenly, the lights went on. Beneth immediately stopped playing and looked over at the front door. His eye widen and he forgot to breathe for a moment.Standing there, motionless with a hand still on the switch, was a young woman, staring at him with big (e/c) eyes. He saw hostility, confusion, fear.She was simply stunning.Was it the rising sunlight illuminating her from behind, making it look like she was glowing? Was it her entrance, as if summoned by his music? Was it her delicate form, smooth-looking skin and pretty face? What could it be about her that made him stare at her in awe. He didn’t even know, nor care, how much time had passed with them fixing each-other in silence."Who are you?" hearing her voice, he flinched. "How did you get here?" "Um..." he began to playfully spin the stool around, smiling. "The back door was opened, you must’ve forgotten to lock it.""Huh?! No I didn’t! Get the fuck away from that piano!" She walked over to him with big steps, startling him. Now that was different. Her scared expression was replaced by a more fierce one. But Beneth was good at reading people, he knew it was just a facade. How cute he thought. But it wasn't what startled him. She yelled at him. For over 6 years, he never got yelled at by anyone, not even his superior. But he knew she was no match for him, yet here she was, standing her ground and protecting her domain. It just made Beneth's heart flustered.He stood up and stepped away from the grand piano with his hands raised. He didn't want to make the lady angry. She went on stage to stand between him and the instrument."Sorry, sorry." he smiled, waving his hands. "I apologize, I thought you were already here. Don't you guys come here early in the morning?""...What do you want?" Beneth slowly lowered his hands and lightly kicked the ground. He looked away as she was staring at him with narrowed eyes.'Stop looking at me like that...' he bashfully scratched his head."Well, I'm here to..." he glanced at the piano then looked back at the woman. "I wanna offer my services, you saw I could play piano."Her frown deepened. For a few seconds, she seemed at a loss for words. But it was just for a few seconds."You think I'm an idiot?! Get the hell out of here!"As soon as she started yelled, Beneth hopped down and ran out the door she came in. He stopped in a little alleyway between the bar and an apartment complex. He was slightly panting, though not from running. He placed a hand on his chest, it was still pounding.He didn't know that women. But he saw enough.Now he'll do anything to protect her and everything she loves.He needed to see her again, plus he had to find out more about her and whatever relationship she had with the yakuzas.He thought for a moment."Well I told her this piano thing," he said to himself. "so let's work with that." It was longer than expected for him to built a reputation around town. He created himself a cover: the carefree pianist who comes in without an invite. Which was just a (really) toned down version of himself.When his superior learn of this, which was the very next day, he ordered Beneth to use it as a way to get informations and sneak around in various establishments more easily.And just like that, the thing he was the most proud of became the thing he regretted the most.He found himself hating playing the piano. Everytime he'd play, images flashed in his head. His little fingers, bloody or broken depending on his father's mood, staining the white keys of his old dusty piano. Still, little 13 year-old him still played, he's always been a determined fellow. Now playing was nothing more to him than hearing the ghost of a dead innocent and naive passion. But one day, as he was talking to the manager of a chic lounge, he learned her name. Turned out she was beginning to get a name for herself.(L/n) (Y/n).(Y/n)...As soon as he heard it, he decided to write it on the corners of every paper he'd write on, with little hearts and everything. He also decided to use paper to write stuff on. Like the name of the woman who captured his heart. Since that day, everytime he'd be in a shitty state of mind, like when he was playing piano or when he got a annoying job to do, he'd just think about her and how it'd all be worth it at the end.And of course, in true Beneth fashion, whenever he'd have some spear time, he'd follow her around. But she doesn't go out much, and her place is right next door to her work, so there was little following. But everytime she did, he'd take pictures of her to put on his wall later. On none of them she was facing the camera. He found out this was her best angle. He kept his favorites in his wallet.Also, sometimes she'd go see this Italian guy, they seemed to be close, and though their relationship turned out to be more uncle-niece, that's the reason he put this guy's name on his black list (which was on paper). After months of preparation, he could go see her again. His social calculations were flawless, she must've heard of him at least four times. He entered the place in the middle of a saturday afternoon, when there's the most people. He sat at a little table and once he spotted her, he didn’t look away.She seemed so in her element, it was clear this place was a second home to her. He saw that she was breaking a sweat, yet she was still smiling. Maybe she was grumpier than usual on their first encounter because it was early in the morning, when he observed her from afar, she turned out to be a real sweetheart. With her cheeks a bit red from the physical effort, Beneth felt his chest growing tighter. "Hello, welcome! May I take your order?"He looked up, a tall girl with long black hair was smiling at him.'Who the fuck are you?!' he knew she was an employee, but that obviously wasn't who he wanted to talk to."Actually I'm here to see the manager.""Hey, aren't you that new pianist in town?"'Fucking! Go get her!'Beneth wasn't used to not say what he was thinking out loud. But it was necessary for his cover to be maintained. He scratched his head, discreetly gripping his hair, and smiled."Yeah I am. And I wanted to get a second chance here.""Second chance?"'Stop talking!'Not wanting this conversation to go any further, he simply nodded. The girl looked over at her boss, then back at him."Alright, gimme a sec." she smiled before walking over to her. Beneth let out a long and heavy sigh. He felt something cold on his wrist and realized he unconsciously took out his hiden blade. He put it back in its scabbard."Don't." he whispered. "They're probably friends. Don't.""So it was you."His breathe was cut short at the sound of her voice. He looked up and, here she was. As expected, she still seemed a bit suspicious of him, but not to the point of kicking him out a second time. It made him happy. He smiled."I heard rumors of a weird pianist, coming in without asking, sometimes at weird hours. I had a feeling it was you." she said.Now he knew that, of course. But hearing from her mouth that she heard about him made him fight the urge to giggle like a high-school girl in front of her crush. "I know we got off the wrong foot," he said. "but I wanna make it right, I really do. Can I play here?"She didn't seem convinced."O-of course it'll be free!"He stuttered, he never stuttered in over 6 years. What is she doing to him?"You're a weirdo dude." she said. "You could've just came in later in the day, or wait outside for me.""So that's a yes?"She sighed, smiling at his enthusiasm."Consider today a test."It was the first time she smiled at him, he felt the butterflies going crazy. She led him to the stage."Be gentle with it okay?" she asked, tapping the instrument. "This old thing was here in my grandfather's time, so it has a special place here.""I'll take good care of it." he smiled and sat on the stool. This day will forever be engraved in Beneth's memory. It was more exhilarating than any slaughter he ever caused. Only a turn of the head and he could watch her walking around and smile, from the stage it was a great view. It also allowed him to get a good look t every guy who was being too friendly with her. He memorized every feature of their face.Some-blessed-times, their eyes would meet and she'd wave at him. To impress her, he'd wave back, playing with only hand, the look on her face would simply melt his heart.He staid there until there was no costumers left. It was getting dark outside and her employee, Nari, was sent home.He stepped down the stage and noticed (Y/n) placing a glass on the counter."I know you said it was free," she said. "but I'd feel bad letting you go without giving you anything."He sat across from her and looked down at his drink, his eyes sparkling, then back at her."No, I can't, it was the least I could do. I technically did a breaking and entering...""No really, I insist.""Okay then." Without wasting any more time, he drank the whole thing. Being offered something SHE made for HIM, it was the happiest he's ever felt. Still he had to play it cool and humble, another little but important step to regain her trust. "Geez, you're thirsty." she chuckled.He put the now-empty glass down."I guess I was, this is so good!" "Why thanks.""You're welcome. So... Did I pass the test?"She thought for a moment, looking at him up and down."Don't sneak in ever again.""I promise," he held a hand up and the other one to his heart. "I'll come in at a more convenient time!""Cool. Good job Beneth." she smiled.'Oh my god she said my name.'"Can I call you Ben? I like it better. If you don't mind of cours-.""I don't mind! It's cool!"'Oh my god she has a nickname for me!!!'"Haha, sweet! Oh, my name's (Y/n) by the way." She raised a hand for him to shake, his heartbeat was going crazy. He took her hand, so delicate and soft against his rough skin, he was really careful not to grip it too much. He could crack her bones, so easily."Nice to meet you (Y/n)!" he said with a big smile."Nice to meet you too! Hope we'll get along!"And along they got, Ben made sure of it. The closer they got, the deeper his feelings for her became. Now he was willing to die and kill for her, she only had to say the word. Sometimes he'd wonder, why was he working so hard, when he could just take her and bring her back with him? Whenever this question popped up, he'd picture her smile and the answer would always be the same.Because (Y/n) loved her life, she loved her work, her apartment, her friends.Ben didn't want to take it all away from her, she wouldn't smile again if he did.Plus, spending time with her began to be one of the two things he could never get tired of. "How did you get in?"Ben stopped as soon as he heard her voice and looked over at (Y/n) standing in the doorway. She seemed pissed, but he knew she wasn't actually upset, she was used to it at this point. Because of course he broke his promise once they got close enough for her not to be mad at him."The door was locked!"He smiled and playfully rotated on his stool, happy to see her after a long day."Not the one in the back, you always forget to lock it.""And how do you know that?""Oh please (Y/n)! We've been friends for a while, I know you."She sighed, his smile widen."Well, if you don't want to see yakuzas, you better get out of here."His smile dropped. He thought back to their discussions two days back.'William or Matsuno. None of them would be good.' He hopped down the stage and walked towards her while she looked around."Wow, you cleaned up while I was gone." she looked back at him and smiled. "What a perfect little houseman you are."His heart skipped hearing this from her. Made it worth it to have to endure his idiots henchmen, ordering them around to tidy up the place. He shrugged."I did have some help. You know from Nari and Kim."She frowned slightly, but still smiled."Well, you must've been really bossy then.""Heh, yeah. So what do you mean by yakuzas? You in trouble?"If she said she was, he was ready to take his knife out, get her to safety in a mili-second, and eradicate anyone who comes through that door. "Well, I brought the Matsuno Brothers back. The two eldest are outside right now, we'll chill and have a drink. No I'm not in trouble, nor will I ever be. I'll tell you the longer version later." she smiled.Though the way she explained the situation to him without questions was really adorable, the situation in question shocked him."They're here?! I better get out then!""Take the back door." he heard her say as he began walking to the said door."I was going to!" he exclaimed. "And don't forget to lock it this time! Silly!""Next time don't break into my shit! Asshat!"'Oh my god~! We soooo sound like a married couple!!!' he happily squealed on the inside.But once he stepped outside, his smile dropped and he bit his fingernail."Holy shit." he whispered. "She actually did it." Of course, he believe her when she said she'd do it, but he didn't believe she'd made it. He planned on killing William and leave his body hanging on his boss's door so they learn to never bother the love of his life ever again.Of course! She just had to be a courageous, brave and amazing person! And do whatever she could to save her only source of income! That's not what shocked him the most though."Have a drink and chill..." he repeated her words.Sounded...friendly. Well, knowing the brothers, she got on their soft spot just because she was a girl.Now they're...acquaintances.And knowing her amazingly likable personality, it was only a matter of time before they became friends."No no no no no no no no no..." he gripped his hair, the fingers he was biting had no fingernail left and were beggining to bleed. He knew what this kind of friendship with those kind of people led to. He recalled all the times he used, "play" with those "friends".He unwillingly pictured her bright smiling face, getting bloodier and bloodier, with more bandages and bruises. Still smiling. How unbearable. Painful. Just painful.He punched the alleyway's wall with his full strength, leaving a mark on his knuckles and the wall. It snapped him out of this horrible imagery. He was panting, he felt sweat on his forehead.For the first time in 6 years, he was scared.For the first time in his life, he was worried for someone else. "It's fine, it's fine. It's, fine." he took a few deep breathes, thinking this through.It shouldn't be as horrible as he imagined it. After all, the brothers are amateur idiots, and (Y/n)'s a smart and kind woman. "I should keep a close eye though..." he concluded. "If everything went as I suspect, then an opportunity should come up."And it'd come later that day, quicker than expected.He looked over at the door he walked out of."I'll protect you, I promise. For real this time."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You stopped talking and looked down, that part of the story was still fresh. It was too soon for you."...wow." you heard the detective say after being silent the whole time."Tell me about it.""But what does it have to do with the Black Lions battle exactly?"You looked up at him, frowning. He sounded and looked upset. Maybe he was frustrated because this case meant something to his career, or maybe himself?"Well... since he basically was the cause of this battle, it is pretty relevant." you explained."Just get to the point already." He leaned back in his chair, he was getting impatient, and it ticked you off a bit. Was he not considering the emotional and mental mess you were in? What a dick."I just got to the point..." you mumbled before kept on going with your story. You opened your mouth, but no sound came out. You were at a complete loss for words. You were not prepared for this, you began to panic, breathing deeper and deeper."(Y/n), (Y/n) calm down." Ben leaned towards you, waving his hands up and down. "It's still me~ Benny! Oh my god you have no idea how much I love this nickname!" he suddenly spoke faster, as if lost in the moment. "Everytime you say it it just sends me chills and my brain just freezes and I love it so much and I try not to let it show, but could you call me that from now on? Call me Benny right now, so I can see your lips spelling every single syllable of it!" his voice had a hint of ecstasy to it.He put his hands on your shoulder, the brothers all prepared their guns. The physical contact snapping you out of your state of shock, you took a few steps away from him. "You... You?" was all your brain could produce."Oh I so wish I had my camera, the look you have right now is priceless~!" he cupped his face with his hands, squealing."You, what, why?""I know you're confused." he calmly said. "And I'll explain everything and answer all your questions." he offered you a hand. "Come on, let's-"You suddenly felt someone pulling you from behind and into an embrace. You looked up and saw Jyushimatsu, squeezing you tightly but still fixing Ben with a grave expression, like his brothers."Jyushimatsu! Go!" Osomatsu exclaimed."Aye!"He picked you up bridal style and ran at an inhuman speed. "W-wait!" you looked back, the group became tinier and tinier until it was out of your sight.Jyushimatsu ignored you and kept on running, dodging and jumping over any obstacle in in way. You tried to get back to the others but you quickly stopped as you ask yourself what would you do once you're there again. Who you wanted to protect exactly?You rubbed you temples, too shocked and tired to think. You just closed your eyes, feeling the cold air on your face, your heart growing tighter with mixed feelings. Ben scanned each one of the brothers standing between you and him. He wasn't smiling anymore. Sure he had his hidden blade, but they were too far away and also they had loaded guns."Totty, you go ahead." Choromatsu said. "Once you find (Y/n) and Jyushimatsu, send a car here to pick us up.""Got it!" he said before running away."I can just go you know?" Ben casually shrugged.He started to take a step back."You move again one much time and there will be a bullet between your eyeballs." Osomatsu spoke clearly.Ben stopped for a moment before slowly getting his foot back to where it previously was."We won't give you a chance to follow us." Karamatsu slowly said with a low voice.Ben narrowed his eyes."We are not getting along right now." Ichimatsu clicked his tongue."Like we give a shit." A good 20 minute passed, with them not saying a word and just staring at each-other, before they all heard a car coming their way in the distance, to then stopping right behind the four brothers.Ichimatsu went in first, and quickly his upper-body came out of the window at the other side of the car, pointing his gun on Ben again. One by one, the Matsunos got in the car but Ichimatsu and Karamatsu still kept an eye on him, to make sure he still wasn't moving. Even when they started to drive away, they waited until he was completely out of reach and sight to get inside and release their breath, sinking in their seat."That guy's a fucking monster!" Choromatsu exclaimed, shivering as he remembered his eyes scanning his very soul."...Like we give a shit." Osomatsu said with a stoic voice, staring out the window. The car led them to their parents' house, a location totally unknown by anyone. They apologized to them for walking in in the middle of the night. Instead of yelling at her shitty sons, their mother hugged them once she heard of the fire. They walked in the living room and saw their two youngest sitting on the couch, drinking something with strong alcohol in it."Where is she?" Karamatsu asked."She fell asleep on the way here, she's in bed now." Jyushimatsu responded.He noticed a phone in front of Todomatsu, it kept buzzing over and over."Isn't that (Y/n)'s phone?" "Yeah, after a while he kept messaging her. She couldn't take it, so she gave it to me."Osomatsu went to the kitchen for a moment and got back with a glass for each of them."Hand me that bottle." he mumbled.They quickly served themselves, ready to get really drunk before thinking about what to do next once the morning comes."Huh?" Choromatsu looked around. "Where's Ichimatsu?" Standing in silence in front of the door, he could hear heavy breathing. He quietly sighed before slowly opening the door. The breathing stopped as soon as he did. The bedroom was large and dark. He closed the door behind him and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.He saw you, laying on the bed, wrapped in the soft sheets. He walked up to stand in front of you, you were breathing slowly. Though it was still too dark for him to see, he knew your eyes were closed.He's been there before.Ichimatsu kneeled down, and without saying anything, he placed his open hand on the bed, right next to your face so you'd see it.A long moment of silence passed. He watch as you moved to take his hand between yours, pulling it close to you and squeezing it gently. Your breathing became heavy again. His heart twisting in a sympathetic pain, he gently caressed your head with his other hand.He kept doing that until you felt calm enough to fall asleep, for real this time. None of you talked the whole time. You didn't cry. You felt a giant pit in your chest but you didn't know if it was from sadness, anger, betrayal, or all three of them.Either way, you hated this. You hated feeling this way. Feeling so conflicted. You just wanted it to stop. The next morning, Jyushimatsu walked downstairs for breakfast. The second he saw you sitting alone at the table, looking down at your bowl full of coffee, he immediately turned his enthusiasm to the max."Aye aye (Y/n)-chan!!!" he jumped in front of you."Fuckin!" you flinched in surprised and sighed when you saw him. "Hey Jyushimatsu.""Goooood morning! 120%! Home run! Maximum thank you! Muscle muscle! Hustle Hustle! Boebah!" he violently moved and spun around.You knew that he was trying to cheer you up, which made you smile faintly."Thanks man..."You appreciated the attempt, but you could've really go without the shouting. Not that you could blame him for what he does 24/7. You were processing. Thinking about all of the time you spent with Ben in the past couple of years. You've been through a lot together, you always bickered but ultimately, you always supported each-other. You would say without hesitation that he was one of the closest friend you had.You buried your head in your hands and let out a long sigh. Images of his face lighted by the moonlight and the far away flames shining in his eyes, staring intensely at you, flashed through your mind. You felt a tap on your shoulder. You looked up and Jyushimatsu placed something on the tip of your nose without any warnings."Woah!" you flinched, and blinked twice before realizing. "Karamatsu's glasses...?""Aye!" he smiled and nodded.You frowned in your confusion. Why would he give you his brother's sunglasses? As soon as you asked yourself that question, you figured the answer.Because Jyushimatsu noticed the bags under your red puffy eyes.You bit your lip as a flow of emotion came through you. You muttered a quiet 'thanks man' before readjusting the sunglasses so that they were blocking your eyes completely. "(Y/n)-chan, how ar-oh what the hell?" You turned to see Todomatsu giving you a tired look, he seemed more annoyed when he noticed the glasses.You gave him a fingergun."Yo.""Please. (Y/n)-chan, don't." he took a seat at the table, sleepily scratching his head. "Cringiness this early in the morning isn't good for me.""(Y/n)! Not you too!"You turned around and saw Ichimatsu, who seemed beyond horrified. Next to him was Karamatsu, glad to see where his sunglasses went."Heh." you readjusted them before giving him a smile Shittymatsu-style. "What's wrong? Burazza~?"Ichimatsu shouted in horror. Karamatsu squeezed his chest, feeling his heart exploding from your imitation. Osomatsu and Choromatsu loudly gasped when they stepped in and saw you."It's spreading." Osomatsu whispered."You guys really don't like it?" you laughed. "I thought it'd look cool on me.""It does not (Y/n)." Choromatsu said. "It never does!""I-I like it." Karamatsu said."My point exactly!"You laughed out loud again. After having breakfast and teasing the brothers with your imitation, you went to the bathroom and put on some makeup to hide those bags. Then you finally gave Karamatsu his sunglasses back, apologizing for taking them without asking, but he actually seemed happy you did so. To him, your silly imitations were the best form of flattery he ever received. You joined Todomatsu on the couch."Can I have it back?" you asked."Of course." he reached in his pocket.He handed you your phone, you took it and nodded."Thanks for holding on to it for me. I just couldn't.""No problem, it was my pleasure. He stopped messaging you after like a couple of hours.""What did he say?""It was so weird!" he shifted in his seat as if he was about to drop some tea. "First he asked to talk to you, called a few times. Then he talked about how the battle with the Black Lions was 'necessary'.""So, he's the one who..." an image of the two bodies laying on the ground popped up in your mind."Basically, yeah. Saying that he used it as an opportunity to 'show you our real faces' or something? Whatever, some bullshit. Then he went on about your future dating life together. And it was creepy specific. Then he made a list of all the little things he loved about you. Again, creepy level of specific." he paused. "Um, sorry...""Nah it's fine." you shrugged. "I didn't want to read it myself. Thanks for telling me." Your phone buzzed, meaning you received a message. You checked, it was from Ben, obviously. But this time, he sent a photo."Todomatsu," you handed him the phone. "could you check that for me please?"He looked at the notification, and took the phone. He unlocked it (you told him the password), and his face twisted with cringe."Oh come on!""What is it?"He handed the phone back to you so you could see. It was a selfie with a grey filter and little pink hearts drawn around his head, with 'thinking of you' as a caption. And he had the fuck-boy-iest expression you've ever seen.Your face twisted in the same cringe fashion."Ooo boy." Right after that another message popped up. It was right in your face so even if you didn’t want to, you read what it said. And your blood turned cold.[listen I know u don’t want anything to happen to Rip]"(Y/n)...?" Todomatsu asked, noticing your change of expression.He looked over and mumbled a swear when he read. You started typing in a panic but he grabbed your wrist."Don’t."You deleted whatever you were typing. Unfortunately, it was the kind of messaging app that tells you when the other’s typing. After a few moments, Ben sent.[oww~ almost got u to talk to me~] with a sad-face emoji. [seriously tho, we need to talk]"I’ll tell the others." Todomatsu stood up and rushed away to gather his brothers. "Guys?! Guys!"Ben then sent an address.[meet me there okay? I just wanna talk][I’ll be alone, do the same] You looked up when you saw the sextuplets walking in, they seemed a bit agitated."He sent an address." you said."Okay," Osomatsu said. "don’t move, we’ll gear up and go."They began to turn around but you stopped them."No.""Huh?" they looked back at you.You stood up with a grave expression."I’m going."They were very doubtful about this decision, but they knew by the look on your face that none of them could change your mind. "I fucked up..." Ben said to himself.Standing alone in this big empty warehouse, with only himself as company, he realized that he did indeed kind of fucked up."...I didn't sent her an hour for the meeting."So he's been standing there for hours now."But it's for her so I'll stay for as much as I can."Plus, he knew you'd come. Insinuating that he'll hurt Rip, your father-figure, must've flipped your switch. Though he didn’t particularly like that predictable side of you, he knew you two would work it out. Just thinking about it made him smile. The sun began to set, a soft orange light lighted the warehouse, the silence added to this serene atmosphere. Unsettling, considering the madness that’s about to happen. But of course, it didn’t even occurred to Ben. To him, it was a perfect romantic setting.His breathe was cut short when the door opened and he saw you stepped in. You fixed him as soon as you saw him and he loved it. He smiled widely. "(Y/n)!""Ben." "I told you~! Call me Benny!" he waved his hand.His smile faded away as he watched six identical faces enter as well.The sextuplets, all geared up with their respective weapons of choice, walked passed you and, keeping a safe distance, circled him. Their game-face on, they were looking for any movements from him to charge.But Ben only looked at you with a sad and shocked expression, who were still standing the farthest away, a few steps from the door.The silence that followed was just unbearably full of tension. "(Y/n)!"Ben took one step towards you, and the six brothers ran towards him.Ichimatsu perfectly aimed at him with his sniper and Jyushimatsu was already next to him to stop him from going further. But Ben grabbed his arm and pushed him to the side between him and Ichimatsu."Dammit." Ichimatsu said, moving his weapon away.Not wasting time, Ben threw Jyushimatsu towards his brother. He managed to land on his feet, but Ichimatsu got knocked over.Karamatsu stood in front of him and attempted to punch him dead in the face, but he caught his fist. Osomatsu slid to kick his leg and make him fall over. He succeeded but he still held on to Karamatsu and used him as cushion, and landed on Osomatsu. Ben stood up."You brought them?!""Of course I brought them! You really think I was gonna come here alone?!"He let out a shocked noise. But a buzzing sound made him turn around. Todomatsu was charging towards him with a taser. He grabbed his wrist and kicked him away in the stomach, taking the taser for himself. Seeing something from the corner of his eye, he looked up and saw Choromatsu jumped down at him with a katana. Sticking the blade down, Ben swiftly dodged to the side and when Choromatsu was low enough, he tazzed him in the back."I can’t believe you!" he looked back you. "I trusted you!""Oh don’t play the fucking victim here! You’re a dick!""What are you talking about?!" Ichimatsu locked his arms from behind. Osomatsu stood in front of him and kicked him in the face a bunch of times."Don’t act like you don’t know! You lied to me!""I told you!" he bent over with enough strength to flip Ichimatsu over onto Osomatsu, breaking free of his grip. "It’s still me! Nothing changed!""Everything changed you ass!"He turned around when he heard a shout and saw that Jyushimatsu threw Karamatsu towards him. He tackled him to the ground and punch him continuously. Ben took out his hidden blade and slashed his leg. Karamatsu yelled in pain, Ben took the opportunity to push him away. Todomatsu and Choromatsu charged towards him with their knife and katana, Ben’s blade was long enough to block them both. "I thought we were fucking friends!" you yelled as they were pushing each-other."We still are! What the fuck?!""Our friendship’s based on a fucking lie!"Jyushimatsu sneaked up behind him, he swung his bat and hit him in the ribs. They heard a loud crack, but Ben only flinched. He glanced at him. He looked behond furious, and that rage was taken over any physical pain."Do you mind?!" he yelled, knelled down and stepped to the side so the two brothers fall on him. "We’re working some shit out!"His brothers' blades would've hit him if Jyushimatsu hasn't block them with his bat. But the weight of their body being pushed on it made it violently hit him in the head."There’s nothing to work out! It’s over!""WHAT?!" With his short state of shock, Osomatsu took this opportunity to kick him dead in the jaw, making him drop on the ground.The four brothers still standing (Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu were still on the floor) then proceeded to beat him.After a few moments, Ben placed his hands on the floor and rotated his whole body so his legs would elevate enough to kick all of his opponents away like dominos. But their fall was bloodier, they had big deep cuts on their chest and arms. Ben then jumped back on his feet, two sharp blades were sticking out of his shoes. He looked upset."You're everything to me (Y/n)! I just want to protect you!""Oh yeah! Because I feel very protected right now!""It's because of them!" he pointed at them."Without them I wouldn't even be here!""Of course you would! I was gonna kill every single asshole who dare to threaten you! I'm still willing to do so!""Well I hate that!""Well obviously I wasn't going to let you know! But those fucking bastards ruined everything! Well now look at them! You really think they can protect you?!"You looked at the brothers, they seemed exhausted and in really bad shape."They can't!" Ben said.He turned towards them, and you knew he was about to do something horrible. "BENNY!"He flinched, shivered, and spun around to face you. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agap."Benny." you said, softer this time.You forced yourself to look at him in the eyes. He was fixing yours as if he was looking at a goddess, or at the universe itself.You carefully walked towards him, without breaking eye contact."Benny." you slowly repeated over and over, making sure to articulate the name.Everytime you said it, you seemed to get even more of his undying attention, and you sent shivers down his spine.Now right in front of him, you felt the urge to run away, but you fought it."Benny." you placed a hand on his cheek.Your hands were shaking a lot, but Ben didn't noticed. Blushing and smiling, he never looked happier. He gently cupped your face in his hands. When you digged the knife deep into his stomach, you closed your eyes. You heard a dry whimper and felt his hands gripping on your cheeks only slightly more. With a firm yet shaky grip, you digged the knife deeper, keeping your eyes closed. You heard a gagging sound, meaning blood must be coming out of his mouth.He suddenly brought your face closer, and for a split second, you felt his bloody lips being pressed on yours.You quickly took a few steps away from his, managing to keep your eyes closed, though your face twisted with disgust. You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, but you just felt the warm liquid on your hand too.Ben laughed. Standing up was taking to much of his energy so he let himself fall. Hearing his body hitting the ground, you opened your eyes and hurried over to the brothers, Todomatsu being the closest one. You didn't look at Ben though, not even a glance."I love you too much (Y/n)." you heard him say in a weak voice. "I don't blame you for this.""You okay? Can you get up?" you asked Todomatsu, wrapping your arm around his."That's why you and I will be the victims here."You stopped moving, wondering what he meant."They're working fast, my men. I said I'd come alone. But I can't help it if they follow me." he coughed. "...guess it has its perks sometimes." You stood up when you heard sirens in the distance."Woh. They already called the cops." Ben smiled. "Wonder how they'll react seeing Ben the pianist being stabbed by the Matsuno Brothers." he chuckled. "I'm gonna stop talking now. Talking hurts like hell." and with that, he closed his eyes.You heard the sirens coming closer and closer, their sound ringing more and more in your ears. You looked down at your hand and saw the fresh blood. And your face became devoid of colors. "And then we were brought here. I waited for hours. Must be morning now. I haven't slept at all. And that's it."The detective rubbed his hands on his face, like he was processing your tale. He let out a long sigh."Jesus fuck..." he mumbled.You nodded at this reaction."Alright." he closed his file."W-wait! The Matsuno Brothers are innocent!" you leaned closer, afraid he'd leave you without saying anything. "I know they're yakuzas, but let them go this one time, plea-!""You can go now." he firmly said. The tone of his voice didn't make you want to talk back to him. But you did it anyway."No! Not without confirmation that-""Take the brothers and go.""Huh?""There's no one on the other side of that mirror." he stood up and placed a single key on the table and slid it in front of you. "The key to their cell. Second door to the right."He began to walk to the door."Hey." you said, making him stop in his track. "Just...why?"He glanced at you, then back at the door. He sighed and rubbed his face, then took something out of his pocket. His wallet. He opened it and took out a picture.He showed it to you without saying anything. Frowning in confusion, you leaned closer. On the picture, there was him standing between two boys, around 18, probably his sons. They didn't look like they enjoyed themselves, the detective however was smiling.The two boys seemed familiar.An image of their bodies laying on the ground popped up in your mind.You gasped in pure shock, a hand on your mouth, and looked up at the old man. His expression staid stoic, but his eyes were clouded with sadness."I'm so sorry." you said, coming from the heart."...they weren't bad people." he simply said as he put the picture back in his wallet, and his wallet back in his pocket. "Now get out of here." You and the six brothers stepped out of the police station. The bright sun hurt your eyes, can't believe you staid in there all night. The brothers were supporting each-other, their wounds being untreated, besides the classic ripped-shirt-bandages.You let out a big sigh, and looked at them."You guys okay there?""Y-yeah, we good." Osomatsu smiled."Good. 'Cause I wasn't gonna drag you back." you ran a hand through your hair. "I. Am. Exhausted!" you pressed your last word. "First thing I do will be to sleep. I swear to fuckin god..." you mumbled.You began to walk. The brothers looked at each-other, worried, before following you.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Summer’s here!Summer has always been you favorite season.But right now, it’s very hot outside and you hate it. So you decided to stay inside, it’s hot here too and you hate it. So you turn on the air conditioning, and then it’s cold and you hate it.Ever since you got back, you went to bed and you staid in bed. You took a summer vacation, and you don’t have the motivation to get out. Staying in bed forever in the darkness of this big room, you didn’t like that idea either, but it was the one that required the least energy. You heard a knock at the door."(Y/n)-chan?" Todomatsu opened the door."Mmh?" you didn’t even look up."Good news! A bunch of things survived the fire, and some are yours. Do you... You want me to bring them here?"Of course, he wanted to ask if you wanted to get out yourself and get them. But he didn’t want to annoy you."Mkay." you mumbled."O-okay... If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call."You just hummed as a response. Todomatsu hesitated for a moment and sighed, closing the door. A few moments passed before you raised your head and looked over at the door. ’That sigh...’ you thought. ‘That wasn’t a good one.’ You rolled over to lay on your back, staring at the ceiling."Ow shit." you mumbled to yourself, rubbing your eyes.’This isn’t my room.’ you realized. ‘I’ve basically been squatting their parents’ house.’A light feeling of self-loathing came with this realization. God you felt stupid!You sat up with a new-found determination. Nothing will get done if you stay in this room. You need to get your shit together!You stood up and went towards the window, opening the blinds."Ah! My eyes!" you closed your eyes with the bright sunlight and took a step back. "Ah! My head!" you fell back on the bed, standing up too quickly made you dizzy. "Urg~!" "Totty! Wait!" Todomatsu, along with Karamatsu, was about to go out to get his and your stuff, when he saw you walking downstairs, all dressed up."(Y/n)-chan!" he re-closed the door and looked at you up and down with wide eyes. "You took a shower!"You laughed. "Can I still come with you?""Yeah! Of course!""Cool, just wait a sec." you walked to the kitchen. "I'm bringing a bottle of water. It's summer, gotta stay hydrated!"Upon seeing you, the brothers were baffled, but glad noneless. Though few of your things were retrieved, with no clothes left, you were comforted with the reminder that most of it were still at your apartment.After cleaning the guestroom you’be been occupying, you asked for a suitcase and began packing. With the door open to air the room with the nice breeze there was today, it didn’t take long for the brothers to notice what you were doing. They all gathered behind one another in front of the door."What’cha doin’ there?" Osomatsu casually spoke for them."I’m going back home.""What the fuck?!" Todomatsu mouthed behind his oldest brother’s back, looking at the others."Really? Why?""Well," you looked up at him. "you know, he’s at the hospital now, and after that he’ll go to jail. So there’s no more reason for me to stay here." you turned back to your suitcase. "Aw man! And here I thought you’d be convinced to stay here forever." he scratched his head.You chuckled."Well I don’t want to stay here when I have my own place, it’d feel like I’m taking advantage of you." you glanced up at him and smirked. "I’m not a shitty NEET after all.""Oh, (Y/n)~!" he placed a hand on his chest. "You’re hurting my feelings right now."You smiled."Call me when you’re done, I’ll ride you home." "Thanks~." Once downstairs, out of your earshot, Osomatsu gripped his hair."And here I thought she'd be convinced to stay here forever!" he yelled between his teeth."You were actually serious?!" Choromatsu exclaimed. "You dumbass!" Of course, the whole pack of boys drove you back to your apartment. You discovered that Osomatsu was a pretty messy driver, you and his brothers nagged and teased him about it through out the whole ride.Now in front of the complex, you got off the car. You took your suitcase from the trunk. Osomatsu opened his window and you bent over to see what he wanted."Say, can we got up there with you? To see what your place looks like.""Mmm, bad idea. I haven’t been here in months, it’s probably a mess right now.""If you say so." he shrugged.The other windows opened. "You’ll still come by to visit, right (Y/n)-chan?" Todomatsu asked."We’ll come see you too!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed."Hehe, of course." you waved. "Bye guys!""Bye~!" they waved back. Osomatsu waited for you to go inside. Once you did, they all sighed and leaned back in their seats."Think she’ll be fine." he asked, looking forward at nothing in particular."I don’t know..." Choromatsu said. "She looks fine.""She’s not."They all looked at Ichimatsu."She’s not fine."Osomatsu’s eyes narrowed, his grip on the wheel tighten slightly. He began to drive away."So what do we do?" he asked. You opened the windows, now you could see how dusty your apartment got. You decided to a summer cleaning. You opened the closet to get a broom and other things you’d need."Oh my god~!" you said as you found something, and took it out. "My good ol’ fan!"You went to plug it, and sat in front of it. It was broken, always been, so it’s always turning. You had to moved along with it. It became a habit.But right now, picking that habit again felt so refreshing. Cleaning your apartment made you realized how tiny it was here, compared to the giant house you lived in for months. It was like visiting an old friend, everything felt new.Maybe a change of environment, going back to something simpler, was just the thing you needed. Calm and secure alone time to get yourself together. Slow and steady. When you were done for the day, the place looked livable again. You ordered some take outs to reward yourself. Your dinner was silent, it was the first time in months that you ate alone, it felt lonely. Watching some vine compilation helped though.Going to bed, you took one last look around. You got too used to live with six charming idiots. Now you felt a bit uneasy.Still, you calmly went to sleep, knowing it'll get better. You'll get better. The next day, as you were cleaning the table, your phone buzzed. You stopped your cleaning and took your phone. It was from the chatroom you shared with the sextuplets, though you turned off the notification because you didn't want to be interrupted, Todomatsu tagged you.[Hey @(Y/n)! It is okay if we come over? êwê]You took a look around, you could receive guests at this point, but if you wanted to was a different question. You replied.[Not sure guys... I'm still cleaning up ^^"]Osomatsu replied.[Well it's kinda too late] You frowned in slight confusion, were they already on their way? You heard the intercom ringing."Oh, what the-?" You groaned and went to pick it up."(Y/n)~!" you heard Osomatsu say. "Listen, either you come down here, or we get up here."You didn't want to leave your fresh apartment for the hot outside, so you pressed the button on the intercom to let them in.A minute passed and the doorbell rang. You opened the door and Osomatsu welcomed himself in."Hey what's up?!" he smiled as he walked passed you."Aye aye!" Jyushimatsu followed after."Man~ I'm dehydrated, it's hot outside. I'll get myself something to drink." Todomatsu followed, fanning himself with a fan. "It really is summer."You turned back to look at the other three, still on the doorstep."Sorry about them." Choromatsu smiled nervously. "Can we come in?""I think we're past the point of asking." you smiled and gestured them to come in. "Woaw, it's tiny in here!" Osomatsu looked around with his hands on his hips, then looked at you. "You must be suffocating!""Not really no-""Don’t' worry (Y/n), we got the perfect plan for you!""I'm...scared and confused but, go on." You all sat around the low table with some drinks."(Y/n).""Osomatsu.""You ever felt the need to run away? Be free? Break away from your chains of mundane life?""What is, what is this? What's happening?""Well we're here to fix that for you! Boom!" at the boom, he slammed something of the table. You looked over to see a bunch of plane tickets."What the hell...?" you slowly said."WE'RE GOING ON A ROAD TRIP!" the sextuplet shouted together with big smiles of their face."Huh? Then why is there plane tickets?""Because we're doing the road trip in Europe!" Todomatsu answered, exited. "We already planned everything.""Since when?! Planning this kind of thing takes a lot of preparation...""Oh don't worry about that." he waved his hand. "And why Europe? Why not America?"They didn’t respond, Osomatsu looked at you and raised his eyebrows. You thought for’a moment."Let’s not go to America." you finally said."Thank ypu." You leaned over to the pile of tickets."And is that...for a cruise ship? What kind of road trip is this?!""Oh that's simple." Choromatsu said. "We're planning to go on a spiral.""A spiral?"He nodded. 'Well they already planned it, so there's no point in questioning their choices now...' "So what do you say (Y/n)?" Osomatsu looked at you.You staid silent, looking back and forth from them to the tickets."We can't go without you," Karamatsu softly said. "it just won't be the same."You looked at each of them, there was a sparkle of hope in their eyes. You were quite hesitant about this whole thing, you just started to get your bearings back. But they looked so exited.Plus, you did thought about a change of environment... Maybe that could work too.You sighed."Okay, let's do this.""(Y/n)-chan~!" Todomatsu hugged you. "I'm so glad~!""Haha! It's gonna be so fun!" Jyushimatsu jumped around from joy. "Mustle mustle! Hustle hustle!""We will depart on a journey," Karamatsu stood up and looked in the distance. "to find happiness, to find ourselves, finding the happiness within ourselves! Our travels will be long, but the efforts and sacrifices will be well worth..." he finished with a closed fist.But his brothers ignored him and continued expressing their enthusiasm to you.It made you smile. Come to think of it, going on a road trip's always been on your bucket list.You began to get a bit exited as well. "So when are we going?""Tomorrow." Ichimatsu said."What?!""Don't worry~ I'll help you pack up!" Todomatsu smiled."And...and where exactly?" you asked, a bit scared to hear the answer. You made one step out of the air plane and the cold air hit your whole being like a slap in the face. You hugged yourself, with your tank top, you felt like dying.The brothers walked past you, wearing their coats. Now it made sense why they brought them in the plane and why they made you bring one.Osomatsu looked back at you."Sweden!"
[I know it’s not THAT cold in Sweden during summer but...shut up]
'I regret this.' you thought.You tried not to think this, you really did. You hoped it’d get better, and you thought it would when you drove through the city, seeing the hotels which looked very warm inside. But nope! Guess what?! The sextuplet rented a cottage, secluded from the city. Up a pretty high hill.So it was just you, them, and the cold!Needless to say, winter was never your favorite season. You hated being cold.Okay, to be fair, the sextuplets chose an old cottage because they knew you liked the charm of old places. Very nice of them. But because it was old, the isolation wasn’t that great. So even inside it was cold."Don’t worry (Y/n)!" Choromatsu smiled at you. "We can eat dinner together by the fireplace, it’ll be nice.""Awesome." you smiled back, but returned to your ‘I hate this’ face as soon as you turned around."And when night falls, we’ll go out and see the polar lights!" Jyushimatsu said. "I bet I can touch them!""You always wanted to see them for real, isn’t it exiting?" Todomatsu asked."Of course!" you said.’Is it worth it though...?’ You all went outside and began to play in the snow. You know you were supposed to enjoy yourself, you wanted to, your friends put a lot of efforts into this trip. But all you could think about right now was how much you wanted to go back to your apartment, to your little broken fan, to the summer heat! You’ll be away for probably a couple of weeks, so all the efforts you put into cleaning the place will go to total waste!Instead you’re here, with snow all over your hands-You suddenly got hit in the head by a big snowball. The freezing sensation sent chills down your whole body, making you dizzy."Headshot!" Osomatsu laughed.You looked at him."What the fuck dude?!"He stopped smiling and seemed taken aback by the genuine anger in your voice. The others also stopped what they were doing and looked at you."Fucking dammit." you ruffled the snow away as much as you could. "Fuck the snow! Fuck this bullshit!" you looked at them. "I’m sorry but yeah! I’m hating this!" They looked at each-other, hesitant."(Y/n) we didn’t tell you this but..." Karamatsu spoke. "We planned this for you.""We just wanted to help." Ichimatsu quietly said."I got that, and I appreciate the thought! But this!" you gestured to the environment around you. "This isn’t helping! I was just getting better, I was planning on taking it slowly! Trying to fuckin’...taking it all in!" you ran a hand through your hair, your eyes teary. "I... I fucking stabbed my friend!" The brothers kept staring at you, not knowing what to say. In the process of emptying your bag, it spilled out a bit too much."I stabbed my friend who happened to be the asshole who fucked up my life!""Bu-but you didn’t kill him!" Choromatsu said. "You did what I taught you! You hit where it wouldn’t be fatal.""No I didn’t!" you shut him up. "I wasn’t paying attention to that! I was too busy being scared shitless!" You hid your face in your hands, breathing slowly to calm yourself down. The brothers didn’t know what to say or do.Drawing one last deep breathe, you took a step back."Sorry, but I need some time alone." you pressed on the ‘alone’.You walked away. They didn’t try to stop you."...we’re so shitty." Ichimatsu mumbled, looking down."I told you guys." Choromatsu sighed, shaking his head. "It’s too soon-"Osomatsu dropped the snowball he had in his other hand on the ground before walking back to the cottage. Todomatsu and Ichimatsu followed soon after. The others staid outside a bit longer before going back inside. When they walked in, the fireplace was lit. They joined their brothers on the couch.Wrapped in a blanket, Todomatsu was scrolling through his instagram feed, though he was struggling with the lack of wifi. But reception was okay, so he had no problem receiving a text from you.[I’ll be fine, I know the way back] it said.He sighed."Is she mad at us?" Jyushimatsu asked, fixing the fireplace and pocking the wood with the metal stick."Yes."/"No."Osomatsu and Karamatsu looked at each other. Osomatsu was laying on the couch, Karamatsu was on the floor, his back against the couch."We basically came in and fucked up her whole dealing process." Osomatsu leaned back. "We didn’t even gave her a choice.""Sure." Karamatsu turned back. "But she’s too nice to blame us for it.""Are you saying we’re not the culprits here?" Ichimatsu clicked his tongue."Of course not! That’s not what I’m saying!" he looked down. "It’s just...""If she won’t blame us, she’ll blame herself." Jyushimatsu said, not looking away from the flames.A silence followed his words. Only the cracking of the fire was heard. Choromatsu checked his watch."How long will she be out?""Who knows..." Todomatsu sighed. "She’s never been like this before.""Well she never stabbed a guy before." Osomatsu said, looking at the ceiling."How can you say it so casually?" Choromatsu glared at him. "Can’t you be normal?""Or at least more sensitive?" Todomatsu added."...pfff~." he just shrugged, still looking up. Looking out the window and seeing it was getting dark, Karamatsu stood up."Where are you going?" Choromatsu asked, looking up from his book."I’m going to see the polar liets." he placed a hand on his forehead. "Their heavenly colors will surely bring me inspiration. Their essence will pass on to me through my voice and my guita-""Okay bye." he quickly said, going back to his lecture."Eh? You’re not coming?""We can see them by the window." Todomatsu said. "No way am I going out there at night, it’s even colder!""You could too, but you gotta be fucking cringy and shit." Ichimatsu mumbled. Karamatsu walked out, not minding his brother’s insults. He became so used to them, it became white noise to his ears.He walked a fair distance away from the cottage, so he could be sure its light won’t bother his vision and he could see the polar lights as clearly as possible. He sat in the snow and waited for a while, with only the moon and the stars to see. Though it was a sight to be seen all on its own, being in the dark, he could see all the stars covering the entire sky. Simply beautiful.He audibly gasped when the polar lights began to appear. He slid his guitar from behind his back and checked if it was properly accorded. He stared up at the colorful moving lights and started a melody. Improvising, looking for something that sounded good enough to sing along to. Going with the lights’ flow, it was as if they were dancing along. Karamatsu heard footsteps getting closer. Thinking it was one of his brothers here to mock him, or hit him if it was Ichimatsu, he didn’t turn back. The footsteps stopped beside him. Not hearing, or feeling anything, he looked up and stopped playing when he saw you. "Hey." you smiled faintly."(Y-Y/n)! You’re back!" he clumsily stood up. "Let’s go inside, you must be cold. The others were worried.""Mmmh, I’d rather stay here a bit longer. Plus the lights are here.""Oh, okay..." "Can I join you?""O-of course!"Karamatsu sat back down and you sat beside him. He glanced at you from time to time, but you kept looking up.It was too dark for him to see if you’ve been crying or not. But you looked calmer.He quickly looked back up when you looked at him."Give me a melody." you gestured to his guitar."Uh... Mmh." he nodded. He began to play a melody he knew well. You nodded along with it. It was on a loop, after hearing it a couple of times you hummed along with it. Finding something solid, you began to sing the notes, with no real words being said. Getting where you were going, Karamatsu sang along, with you on the highs and him on the lows. You smiled at each-other, finding a good musical chemistry.After repeating it a couple of times, you both stopped, seeing as it’s not going anywhere anymore. As you focused back on the polar lights, Karamatsu tried again the melody he came up with. Stumbling at first, once he found the right notes, he began to sing. Looking back at him, you followed him by singing along. It went well, but because you were both improvising, at some point you went in two different directions with the notes. You both stopped and laughed.Karamatsu then played something to end this little jamming session. "That was nice." you smiled."Thanks... You were good.""So were you."You looked up at the polar lights, Karamatsu kept looking at you though."Do you wanna go home?"You rested your chin on your knees."...nah. It’d be a shame. And I always wanted to do a road trip.""Are you sure?""I guess... I guess it’ll be more of a journey. To find happiness again, to find myself again, to find the happiness within myself again." You smiled at him and you both laughed as he understood you copy-pasted what he said.Though, he believed you were only half-mocking him when you said that. He played a bit of guitar again. You yawned."We can go back you know.""No~" you rested you cheek on your knees, closing your eyes. "Keep playing. Keep playing forever~."He chuckled. And kept playing.As he looked at you, his music began to be more soothing.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When you got back, you apologized to the sextuplets for lashing out at them, they apologized back and said that they'd totally understand if you wanted this whole thing to stop. 'Hell no' was your answer.Though you did ask if you all could get out of Sweden as soon as possible. Osomatsu immediately said you'll leave the next morning. Apparently, some of them weren't found of the idea of snow in summer either.So now you and the sextuplets embarked on a cruise ship to Spain. Which you found ridiculous, but that's how you know the Matsuno brothers planned this trip.The trip was going to be long, around a couple of day, so you all took the opportunity to dick around. You were hanging out with Choromatsu, Osomatsu and Todomatsu, it was sunny and there was a nice breeze so you decided to get on the top deck."Okay, it's recording." Todomatsu whispered to Osomatsu,holding his phone up, both of them walking at the back of the group."Oh my god. Choromatsu!" Osomatsu called out."What?" he turned around, so did you."I just realized. Cock fights...are for chickens." he said in a loud voice. Choromatsu looked around and was ashamed and annoyed to see people staring at the four of you. You on the other hand, tried your very best not to laugh. Todomatsu was giggling behind the camera."Three years of my life I'm never getting back!" Osomatsu exclaimed in distraught.Choromatsu shook his head with a hand on his face. You placed a hand on his shoulder for support, bending over because your stomach hurt so much, knowing fully well Osomatsu was just playing dumb. At the end of the first day was an open mic night at the venue. Of course you all went there. Karamatsu took his guitar and his sunglasses, and there he was on stage."This musical piece..." he smoothly said into the mic. "is very new. Yet, it touched me deeply. And if you can touch yourself..." he paused. "then you can touch anybody."The audience laughed, thinking he just wasn't speaking english well (you all spoke it fairly well, Karamatsu had the strongest accent). But you and his brothers laughed harder, knowing he was taking all of this shit very seriously. "It's the story of a man and a woman, deep in love with each-other." he said as he started to play. "Their love was so pure, how do I describe it? Sometimes she'd say 'hey, let's go there' and the man would say 'sure'."You and the audience laughed."They had no problem. So they started looking for problems." he continued. "Until one day, she checked, at 6:45pm." laughs. "She said to him, anatana omi yona~"He then started singing. You and the brothers laughed your asses off, because what Karamatsu was saying, was just nonsense. Apparently, the song was so new, there's wasn't any lyrics yet. But the audience was completely sold, thinking it was real japanese.You cried when he finished his song and the people cheered for him. You were sitting at the dinning room with Osomatsu. You were eagerly waiting for something."(Y/n)." Osomatsu said. "Someone's coming."A large smile appeared on your face when you looked at where he was pointing and saw a group of elderly people coming in and sitting on the table behind Osomatsu."Why do *I* have to do it again?""Because I can't act for shit and you're the only one here. Now go." Osomatsu sighed and put on a slightly panicked expression."I don't know what to do." he said, loud enough for them to hear, as you kept looking at them. "She thinks I'm going to the gym three times a week... I've been fucking her mom this whole time!"You wheezed, trying not to laugh as the people being him looked shocked to no end. In the pool area, Choromatsu, laying on a long chair, just wanted to enjoy his book, but this couple over there is being all lovey-dovey with their two young kids. He began to glare at them, they were talking about of much they love each-other and how much they love their kids. Their love being displayed so freely, at some point, he couldn’t take it anymore."We get it! You have sex!!!" he shouted in japanese, so that no one understood what he was mad about. You and Todomatsu got bored and went to join the kid activities. Right now, it was acrylic paint. Todomatsu wanted to do something cute, but he was soon influenced by your destructive version of fun."Blah!" you shouted as you pressed the whole tube of paint onto the canvas.Todomatsu laughed, and followed your flow."Woeh!""Tchoh!""...meh." he poured only a few drops, making both of you laugh. Todomatsu took out his phone to update his instagram story, and started filming."(Y/n)-chan look, I made a rose!" Todomatsu showed you the little painting he made on the side. "What do you think?"You noticed his phone filming you, glanced at the rose, and smiled."...There used to be a green tower alone in the sea~."His eyes shimmered when you started singing one of his favorite songs."You remain, the light on the dark side of me~." you sang together. "Love remains, a drug of the high and not the pill~. But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and, the light that you shine can be seen~" you both inhaled deeply, getting really into it, and... "BABAY~! I COMPARE YOU TO A KISS FROM A ROSE ON THE GRAVE!"The staff taking care of the kids began to glare at the two of you."NOW THAT YOUR ROSE IS IN BLOOM! A LIGHT HIT THE GLOOM, on the grey/grave~" you each finished with a different word. "You know, it’s actually the grey." you said as he put down his phone."Why the grey? What does that even mean?""I-I don’t know? The gloom? The gloom of the grey-I don’t fucking know! Ask the guy who made it!""Seal! Hold on!" Todomatsu grabbed his phone."Get Seal on the horn!" you shouted, smiling ear to ear."Siri, call Seal."A moment passed. "I’m sorry, I could not find Seal in your-""Uh! Hello Seal!" he put his phone to his ear, making you wheeze to so you hit the little kid table with your fist. "It’s been so long~! How’s Heidi?""They got divorced like years ago!" you managed to say while laughing."Oh my god~ I’m so sorry~. Anyway I wanted to know what was the deal with the grey at the end of the- He said it was grave." he put down the phone."Uh-hu, no he didn’t.""No, he did say it.""Yeah sure.""Ma’am, sir, I’m going to ask you to leave." one of the staff members walked up to the two of you. "Jyushimatsu," you asked. "how long have you been staring at that seagull?""For as long as it takes!""Wha-? What are you even trying to do?""Make her levitate with my mind!""...I'm pretty sure no one would notice!" you laughed. "Mommy! The man isn't blinking!" a little boy told his uninterested mom, while still looking at Jyushimatsu."Actually he is." Ichimatsu, who was just beside him, said. "He's blinking when you're blinking.""How does he know when I'm blinking?""He knows because he stares at you sometimes. He knows exactly when you're going to blink."The kid fixed Ichimatsu with wide eyes and blinked twice."See? He would have known you'd do that."The kid began to grab his mother's long skirt for dear life. Smiling at a job well done, Ichimatsu walked back to you and his brother. "For my son's birthday! Oh my god people were inviting *themselves* at the party! There was more people than invite I sent! Everyone was having a blast!" the french man, sitting at the long chair besides yours laughed."Oh that's nice." you smiled."(Y/n), who's that?" Karamatsu, who just came back from the pool for a break and sat beside you, whispered."No idea." you whispered back, smiling at the situation. "I bumped into him, I said sorry, and then he started talking about his money." "But they weren't a thousand or a hundred, they were like thousand and a hundred." he kept going. "It was eurovision but birthday style! People would be like 'yeah we brought a very famous DJ'- I brought the actual singers at the party! There was Taylor Swift I'm sure she sneaked in but whatever. Everyone had such a blast! I even brought helicopters to fly people around! And I was like 'Yeah I bought that! It's my money!' Everyone had such a blast!"
"Wow~"
"Everybody dancing until 10am! And it was a Monday too! How did I do it? I made that day a public holiday! The guy told me 'Sir that's impossible.' I told them 'Don't tell me that's impossible, tell me how much and I'll pay’. And I made them have blast! I showed them how much money I had and I blasted them!"
"That's nice." you said. "Did you have a blast though?"The man went silent and stared at you with big eyes. His gaze then slowly went down as his eyes furrowed. You and Karamatsu patted his back. "Jyushimatsu! What are you doing?!" you rushed over towards him."I stared for too long!" he shouted, crouched on the fence like a bird. "I've become the seagull!""You're gonna fall over! Get down from there!""Don't worry! If I fall, I'll fly!"He then began to flap his arms like wings, so quickly they became blurry. He jumped back on the deck, but for a few seconds, he floated a few inches above the ground."I'm hungry, wanna grab a snack?" he asked as if nothing bat-shit crazy just happened.You placed your hands on his shoulders, your head hung down."Dude, please never do that again...""Heh?" he tilted his head."I'm not ready... The world isn't ready." That night, there was a band playing. While you all ate dinner, Karamatsu discreetly stood up and found a corner to dance.The beat steadily went up and up, he became more into his moves. When it was the moment for the base to drop, he was ready to play it big. But then the music changed entirely for something completely different, calm and smooth. You and the other brothers laughed your lungs out. Karamatsu was bummed out that the one time his brothers paid attention to his dancing, they mocked him. But he giggled himself at the situation. "Guys!" Ichimatsu called out in the middle of the night."What?!" Choromatsu, understandably pissed off to be woken up, shouted."I think I locked myself in the toilet!""I don't care!""But..." He tried again to open the door and the handle came off. "(Y/n) look!" Osomatsu called out as the two of you went out to join the others.You watched as he walked up to a sign."'Painting class'." he covered two letters. "'Painting ass'!""...Ooooohohoho!" you faked a laugh before laughing for real this time. "You're so fucking stupid!" And that was pretty much that for the whole cruise. At the end, the boat’s staff, and almost all of its passengers hated the seven of you.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When you debarked on Spain’s shores, a car was waiting for you."Ow biiiitch!" you exclaimed once you saw it."I know right?!" Choromatsu said. "A land rover defencer vintage! It was so worth it!"Osomatsu slapped the car’s hood."This bad boy can hold eight people and still be fast as fuck!""How long has it been here?" you asked."Heh." Karamatsu held his chin between his index and thumb. "All according to the keikaku.""We got the keys mailed to us before heading to Sweden!" Osomatsu smiled as he turned the keys around his finger. "Let’s get in!""Hell yeah boy~!" you excitedly followed him. You hopped in the back seat while Osomatsu sat behind the wheel. After setting your luggage, you stood up so your upper body peaked from the car’s roof."Alright boys! We’re leaving in minus five seconds! So strap on!""Mmmh, I still think it sucks." Todomatsu staid where he stood while the rest of his brothers joined you. "Those big cars are really bad for the environment, I told you!""And I heard you Totty." Osomatsu looked at him, one of his arms hanging from the window. "That’s why I made them change the whole engine for an electric one.""Okay then! Let’s go~!" he smiled and quickly called shotgun. "Oh man, I’m gonna take so many photos. I’ll get tons of likes!""Osomatsu." you leaned towards him. "I don’t care. Once we go back home, you’re gonna do it to all your cars.""Sure, why not." he shrugged. "Let’s go!"He stepped on the accelerator and away you go. You laughed with the rush it gave you. "Totty! Put some music on!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed."With pleasure~!" he turn the radio on and plugged his phone in.You gasped as you recognized the song."Oh come on! Not again!" Choromatsu hung his head down."I called shotgun." he gave him a cute wink. "I get the music priviledges." "BABAY~! I COMPARE YOU TO A KISS FROM A ROSE ON THE GRAVE!" him, you, Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu sang. "OOO~ THE MORE I GET OF YOU THE STRANGER IT FEELS YEAH~!"After the third time this song played, everyone was singing along."AND NOW THAT YOUR ROSE IS IN BLOOM! A LIGHT HITS THE GLOOM ON THE GREY/GRAVE!""For the last time! It’s the grey!" you exclaimed."No it’s not!" Todomatsu turned back to look at you."Yes it is!" Ichimatsu exclaimed."See?!" you pointed at him."I heard grave honestly." Choromatsu said."Oh my god, just put something else on!" Osomatsu slapped Todomatsu while still looking at the road. After settling at the 5 star hotel, you wanted to go at the beach, but the brothers were reluctant, too tired after a long time on the road."Alright, I’ll go alone then.""Oh, really? Alone? That kinda suck." Todomatsu, laid on the couch, said, a bit concerned for the social impact being alone at the beach will have on you."It’s fine, it’ll be an occation to meet new people." you smiled."Uh... If you say so." he shrugged and went back to his phone. You looked in your luggage and tapped your head."Right! I need a new swimsuit." you stood up and grabbed your wallet. "Guess I’ll go buy one then I’ll go to the bea-""Let’s go together!" You flinched and turned to see the sextuplets, fully ready to go out swimsuit shopping. They weren’t gonna pass this opportunity. Of course, each brother made their own suggestion. And you followed none of them. You smacked Osomatsu’s head when he showed you something that was hentai-level of revealing. All of them suggested something that was in their style, but it wasn’t anything you wanted."Oh~!" you said as you took something that caught your eye. "Hell~ yeah~!""Ooo~! Two piece and high waisted." Todomatsu looked closer. "Good choice!""I'll go try it on!" "Okay~" he waved and turned to look at the others. "Jyu-Jyushimaysu-niisan!""Where’s (Y/n)-chan?" he asked. "I found this for her!""Oh~ nice pick Jyushimatsu!" Choromatsu exclaimed, while the others gave a thumb up."That’s not a swimsuit! That’s a mermaid disguise! Where did you find it?""The place next door!""You stole it?" Ichimatsu asked. "Nice.""Go put that back!" "Alright! To the beach we go!" you walked passed them."Uh? What about your swimsuit?" Todomatsu asked."It suited me, so I bought it.""Already?""Yeah!" you chuckled. "I couldn’t wait, I left it on me after removing the tag.""So..." Osomatsu mumbled to himself. "Her underwear...?" he gulped, face red. "...in her bag." The seven of you had a long of fun swimming around, splashing each-other. And of course, the boys were gagged when they saw your new swimsuit. You smacked Osomatsu in the back of the head when he tried to get to your bag.After a while, the sextuplets sat down a bunch of long chairs while you were having fun, still full of energy."Man~!" Osomatsu smiled. "These sunglasses sure are conviennent!""They sure are!" Choromatsu said. "We’re boldly looking at girls’ boobs and butts and no one knows about it! European girls are so cute!""Heh." Karamatsu raised an index, about to drop some wisdom. "The most important factor in girl-watching is calm burazza.""Thank you for the helpful advice!" he bowed his head to him."Thank you!" the others dis the same gesture. Karamatsu looked over and Ichimatsu, who was the only who staid silent."I don’t mind taking back my sunglasses you know?" he said."Ah! Th-thanks!" he bowed his head."Heh." Karamatsu gave him a thumb up. "Okay." Osomatsu said. "Which one do we talk to? How about that one?" he gestured to a young woman nearby with his chin."Oh yeah!" his five brothers said together."She’s cute!""Very cute!""And she has huge boobs!""Very huge!""And she’s with her friends so she probably doesn’t have a boyfriend!""Perfect!""Quick! Someone go talk to her!""..."....... "Man~! These sunglasses such are conviennent!""They sure are! We’re boldly looking at girls’ boobs and butts and no one knows-""Wait a second!" Todomatsu exclaimed. "We’re stuck in a vicious loop right now! We keep saying we’ll talk to girls but we haven’t even move from our chairs!" Osomatsu sighed."Alright, I’ll go." he stood up and removed the sunglasses."Really?" Choromatsu’s eyes widen."The eldest will show you how it’s done." he said as he walked forward with confidence."So cool!" Todomatsu said."This idiot is amazing." Choromatsu smiled. "Huh? Wait..."Their smiles faded as they watched their brother standing around, vaguely looking at the passerby women, who completely ignored him."Oh my god..." Choromatsu ran a hand through his face.Todomatsu took out his phone and took a picture."This is going in my cringe compilation." he said. "Man~! That was awesome!" Osomatsu exclaimed as he laid back down on his long chair."What the hell?!" his brothers glared at him."They’re all too plump." he shrugged."What are you talking about?!" Choromatsu asked."Too plump.""You’re just a coward!""Really! Too plump." "You guys trying to pick on girls?" They turned to see you, wrapped around your towel as you walked towards them and sat at your long chair."They’re trying." Todomatsu, beside you, smiled. "Osomatsu failed big times!""They were plump!" he shouted."I’ll show you the picture later." he whispered."Very well," Karamatsu stood up, his hands on his hips. "I accept.""No one asked you anything." Ichimatsu said."I’ll gather all the Karamatsu-girlz of the beach!" he disregarded his brother’s statement.A few moment passed before he laid back down. You laughed. "What about you Choromatsu?" you turned towards him."Nah, I’m not interested.""What?!" his brothers exclaimed."I mean, even if it works out, it’ll be all over in only a few days. We’re adult after all, not high-shcoolers in a musica-AAAAAAH!""YEET!" Jyushimatsu shouted as he launched Choromatsu into the water."Aww~ you started to use it too!" you smiled at him."It has a good ring to it!" he smiled back. "I’m going." Ichimatsu sat up."WOH!" you and the others looked at him."What?""You don’t have to do it!" Osomatsu said."Yeah, you’re already at the beach with us. Don’t push yourself further." you added."You don’t have to follow us on this, you know?" Todomatsu waved his hand.Ichimatsu stood up."Don’t do it Ichimatsu." Karamatsu said."I’m worried." Jyushimatsu said."Ichimatsu-niisan.""Ichimatsu.""Shut up!" Ichimatsu exclaimed, shutting the five of you. "Why are you being nice to me only! It pisses me off! I can be a man too you know?!" "Yeah, sorry." Todomatsu apologized."You don’t have to be angry." Osomatsu smiled."Go ahead then." you smiled.Ichimatsu sighed. A few moments passed before he laid back on his chair."The hell?!" you all shouted."A man like me is already out at the beach," he said. "don’t ask me for anything else."That’s exactly what I said!" you exclaimed."And that’s why we tried to stop you!" the others added. "Which means it’s my turn now burazzas!" Karamatsu stood up.A few moments passed before he laid back down on his chair."Jesus christ." you shook your head. "Your problem isn’t that you don’t know how to talk to girls, you don’t know how to talk to people in general!" you laughed."Oh come on (Y/n)!" Osomatsu looked at you. "Remind me who made your little quizz show a total success?""Okay yeah. But there’s a difference." you held your index. "You don’t want to just make people laugh, or else you’ll become more of an attraction. Don’t use the fact that your sextuplets either. You’re bound to have another photo situation. From what you told me, it stinks.""Yeah." Todomatsu looked down. "I really thought it was gonna work..." You leaned forward, about to drop some knowledge."The key is to talk as if you’re already good friends with them. While still coming off as if they’re better than you, it’ll drop their guard and they’ll be more open and comfortable.""Wouldn’t it just make them awkward?" Todomatsu asked."It depends on who you’re talking to." you looked around. "Which is why we need to find a real bunch of extroverts... Those guys, they seem pretty cool. They speak english too."You discreetly pointed at a group of friends, dressed in very fashionable summer clothes, getting some drinks at a stand, chatting and laughing out loud. The sextuplets gulped, those people were the pinnacle of the cool kids they were too insecure to talk to in high-school. There was this aura of ‘awesome summer with awesome confident people’ emanating from them. So bright."How do you know they’re extroverts?" Ichimatsu asked."Takes one to know one." you stood up and glanced at them, smiling. "Watch and learn."They watched as you walked up to them. "That was so cool and sexy." Osomatsu smiled."So cool~!" Jyushimatsu said."Where’s she going?" they turned to see Choromatsu walking back to his chair, all drenched up."Welcome back." Karamatsu said. "She’s going to interact with that group over there.""Woh~!" Choromatsu’s eyes sparkled a bit when he saw the group in question. "She spoke like a true professional too!" Todomatsu said as he noted your advices on his phone."Makes sense, she’s a bartender and a waitress. She talks to strangers everyday.""Shut up, I can’t hear her." Ichimatsu listened closely. "Hi!" you waved at them with a bright smile, making them look at you. "Sorry, I saw you get drinks from that stand, and the guy only speaks spanish. Could you be my translator for this?""Sure! No problem!" one of them, a tall guy with blonde hair tied in a little ponytail smiled."Thank you so much!"The two of you went to the stand to buy a fresh beer can and got back to the others who were waiting for their friend."Thanks again!""No problem!" he gave you a thumb up."You speak very good spanish, where are you guys from?""America." a girl with a straw hat said. "This guy had to endure three years of spanish in high-school!""Well it got us drinks and I could ask for directions, so it was worth it!" the guy said.You all laughed."What about you?" a guy with short black hair and broad shoulders asked you. "You’re from the east right?""Wha- How could you tell?!"You all laughed again. Meanwhile, the brothers were gagged by your social skills."Wha... What is this?" Choromatsu asked."It’s like their auras of extrovert combined. It's even brighter now." Ichimatsu mumbled, raising a hand to his eyes."It's like there's an inner, entirely different conversation going on." Karamatsu said."They're vibing!" Todomatsu exclaimed. "They're making sure they're secure to hang around just by the vibe emanating from them! ...I've only heard of it, and now I see it with my own eyes.""Just like Ichimatsu-niisan but in reverse!" Jyushimatsu said."I was thinking the same thing." Ichimatsu added."Is that a thing talkative people can do?" Osomatsu blinked in admiration. "But yeah, I’m from Japan. Here on a road trip with my friends." you smiled."Oh road trips are dope!" the ponytail-guy exclaimed."They are~! Just me and the boys! That’s how I like it!" you paused as they laughed. "Problem is... we don’t know the area for shit!""We know the area!" he enthusiastically said. "You can hang with us!""Yeah! The more the merrier!" a girl with long straight black hair, a tan and wearing sunglasses said."Oh really? You guys are night saviors!" you all laughed as you walked to the brothers. "They’re coming this way!" Osomatsu tapped his brothers, as if they weren’t paying attention."They’re still talking, they haven’t stop since the beginning." Choromatsu said, still gagging."Must be nice..." Ichimatsu mumbled."Guys. Be cool." Todomatsu whispered as you approached closer.They all got in a position that could indicate that they weren’t starting at you the whole time."Hey guys I’m back!""Ow shit!" the tan girl slid her sunglasses to the tip of her nose when she saw them. "Yeah, they’re sextuplets.""No way~! That’s dope!" the straw hat girl smiled widely.The brothers all bashfully scratched their cheek. "So here’s Osomatsu, Karamatsu, Choromatsu, Ichimatsu, Jyushimatsu, and Todomatsu.""Call me Totty!" he winked at them. "It’s nice to meet you!"He stood up and went towards them without hesitation. His brothers unwillingly envied his ability to adapt himself in social situations."Guys, here’s Ashley, or Ash." you pointed at the straw hat girl. "That’s Noah." you pointed at the ponytail guy. "Lucy." you pointed at the tan girl, then at the broad-shoulder guy. "And Pamolo, they’re staying at his grandma’s for a couple of weeks."Seeing they were still hesitant, you discreetly gestured them to come here with your head."Oh! Yes! Nice to meet you!" Choromatsu clumsily stood up."What’s up?" Osomatsu casually waved."It's always a pleasure to meet new friends." Karamatsu said, reajusting his sunglasses.The brothers all went to the american group, though Ichimatsu staid in his corner."He's really shy." you whispered to them. "You guys have matching name, that's adorable!" Ash said."And hard to memorize!" Pamolo added, making both of them laugh. "You can call us by our color if you want!" Jyushimatsu said, pointing to his yellow swimsuit."No no no," Lucy shook her head. "we'll the hang of it!" Sensing, as she said that, that the boys won't know what else to say, since this conversation has gone full circle, you decided to keep it going."So what do you guys do in America?""Oh you know, being Americans!" Andrew exclaimed.You all laughed."We're college students." Ash said. "Well, except Lucy. She already has a job.""Yeah~ working women!" you raised a hand, which she gladly high-fived."What about you guys?""We all have jobs!" Osomatsu scratched his nose, feeling so proud to finally say something like that."We have our own company!" Choromatsu smiled, feeling the same way."And I own a bar." you smiled. "Family business.""Bitch~! That's so cool!" Lucy removed her sunglasses."Wait a sec," Pamolo raised a hand. "how old are you guys?""24," Karamatsu said. "and (Y/n) is 22." "Holy fuck..." he looked stunned. "We'd be lucky if we even finish college!""I'm sure you'll get there!" Todomatsu smiled."Nah, you have no idea what it's like there!""The classes, the people-the teachers dude!" Andrew turned towards his friends."Oh my god! The teachers!""Remember that time with Mrs. Bellbottom and the skitters?!"They laughed."Wai-wai-wai-wait!" you raised your hands, getting their attention back. "I wanna know too!""Yeah me too!" Osomatsu and Jyushimatsu said together."Like everything, or...?""...Everything." you smiled, looking at him dead in the eyes.Pamolo smiled back."Alright then!" "Let's get you guys some chairs first." Choroamtsu said."We can't let you sit on the sand after all." Karamatsu followed his brother to get new chairs."We'll bring our stuff here if you don't mind." Andrew said."Of course not!" you waved your hand."We'll make a big circle, it'll be cool." Ash smiled.As they walked away, Osomatsu turned towards you."Wow." he said with big eyes. "How did you do that?!""I was lucky to get people this welcoming on the first try. Honestly I'm impressed too." you chuckled. You, the sextuplets and the americans chatted for a while. The brothers gradually became more comfortable and open the more you talked. Those four kids were nice, a bit bratty for their age though, they reminded you of your high-school-self. But all in all, they were fun to talk to. The evening was settling in, so you all began to pack up your things."So guys, where should we go first?" you asked."Oh bitch!" Andrew raised his hands in exitement. "We already had a whole plan for tonight, we'll do it together!""I'm down for that." Osomatsu smiled."Guys, we have to stop by the hotel first." Choromatsu said. "Yeah he's right." you nodded."What's up?" Lucy asked."Do you mind if we stop by our hotel to change?" he asked."Of course not, let's go!" You knew it was a good idea to have them accompany you to the hotel, the brothers knew as well. The Americans were gagged by their display of wealth.You guys just gained points in their sympathy meter.While they were looking around in awe. You looked at each-other with a knowing nod, smiling. When you walked around town to various locations, you kept the conversation going, though you always turned to the brothers. You wanted to gently push them into socializing, helping them get better at it.And yes, the Americans did ask for a pictures of them together. They accepted, though you knew they weren’t fond of it."Guys." you quietly called them before you all walked in a club. "Just so you know, you’re allowed to say no. If they’re bothering you, we can go.""No no no! It’s fine!" Choromatsu shook his head."Cool cool!" Jyushimatsu smiled."You’re too kind my andgelu." Karamatsu placed a hand on you shoulder. "But we are made of steel. We are strong! We can-!""You coming (Y/n)?" Ichimatsu asked as the other were already inside."Huh?"You glanced at him and shrugged, chuckling. The sextuplets didn’t want to drink too much, afraid their shitty NEET self would be revealed once the alcohol goes to their head. But they sure were good at pretending. Jyushimatsu drank a whole bottle to impress them, only to spit it all out once their back was turned. It was both hilarious and disgusting.You wanted to supervise them in the social department, those poor boys were still novices after all. How long has it been since they interacted with another group of people like this?But something much graver happened... "What the fuck is this?!""The drink you ordered miss." the bartender said."No! I ordered a tequila! Not a piece of shit!" you pointed at your drink like it was the most disgusting thing you've ever seen. In the other bars you're been with the others, you've became a bit light-headed. "You call yourself a bartender! This, thing, is sacreligious!""You're gonna tell me how to do my job now?" he said in an annoyed tone."Fuckin' asshole-Move aside!""No-Miss! You can't get behind the counter!""Excuse me?" a woman called. "Can I have a margarita?""Oh I'll do more than that!" you exclaimed, standing behind the counter and starting to mix up the liquids. "I'll make you the best damn drink in your life!""Miss no! You can't just-!""Done!" you handed the bottle to the custumer. "There you go!""Already?! How?!" she asked, impressed"Because *I* am a professional!" you said, looking at the bartender. "Who could've guess that (Y/n) was the angry type of drunk?" Osomatsu, sitting on a couch with the others, enjoyed watching you, smiling."So cuuuute~!" Choromatsu cooed, resting his head on his hand."But..." Ichimatsu said. "She probably won't come back.""Oh, I think we got it by now." Osomatsu looked over at the group. He narrowed his eyes when he realized Todomatsu and this Lucy girl have been talking mostly to each other."And he staid in the restroom the whole night!" he exclaimed.The two of them laughed."You really are the most mature one here!" she smiled."Yeah, I don’t know what they’d do without me!" he shrugged. "Burazza~!" Karamatsu suddenly wrapped an arm around Osomatsu’s shoulder, making him yell in surprise. "Why don’t you come dance the night away with us?! Mmmh~?!" he hummed as he pressed their cheeks together."You’re too close dumbass!" he pushed his face away. "Back off!"Being slightly light-headed as well, Karamatsu lost his balance and fell backwards. Making the other laugh.Osomatsu looked back at his little brother and the American girl. He frowned a little bit when he saw her giving him something, which he quickly put in his pocket. It was getting late, and your job here was done. Thirsts were quenched, and people were happy-drunk. The others told you it was time to go home and you went to join them."You’re so amazing!" the bartender told you as you walked away. "I learned tonight that my job has great importance! All thanks to you! Please teach me the ways!"You turned around, walked back to him and placed a hand on his shoulder."You’re a good kid Tony." you said. "Too bad you’re such a shitty bartender!" you shouted before stumping away. "Let’s go guys!" After a while, you and the four Americans had to part ways, you all said goodbye. But you later realized that you didn’t exchange contact info, you were all too tired to do so. Well, you’ll likely never see each-other again, and though it was fun, you weren’t fond of them."Wow (Y/n), you were more energized than usual tonight!" Jyushimatsu told you as you all walked in the hotel suite."I was fueled by anger and the need to impose my superiority." you yawned."Oi! Totty!" Osomatsu called out. "You were really chatty with the tan-girl back there.""Lucy? Yeah, she’s cool I guess.""She gave you something. What was it?"What he said caught the attention of the other brothers, who looked at Todomatsu."Huh? She didn't give me anything." he quickly said, stepping back as they stepped towards him."I saw it. Don’t lie to me.""What did she give you?" Karamatsu asked."Todomatsu." Choromatsu pressed."Totty~." Jyushimatsu pressed."No-nothing! Nothing!" he shook his head. Ichimatsu snuck up behind him and pickpocketed his pockets."Got it." Todomatsu turned around and was about to get his tazzer out so he could get his thing back, but Jyushimatsu use his famous octopus hold to immobilize him."Ichimatsu! What is it!" Osomatsu urgently asked."...AAAAAAAAAAAH!""What the fuck’s going on here!" you shouted, walking out of your room seemingly pissed. "People are tryin’ to sleep here!"Ichimatsu turned towards to with a look of horror."Totty’s going on a d-word!""A what?""DATE?!" the brothers shouted."A date?!" you also shouted, now with a more pleasant look. "That’s awesome!""THIS IS THE WORST!!!"Chaos broke into the suite. Ichimatsu let the thing fall on the floor, a piece of paper. On it was written a number and a location, with a little heart drawn on it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Come on guys, how long are you gonna be grumpy like this?" you asked.The next day, as soon as Todomatsu left to see Lucy, after you made sure they weren't going to sabotage him, his five brothers have been sitting in the suite with their arms folded, pouting. As a response, they just huffed and turned their head. You sighed."I know you guys are jealous, I get it. But you should be happy for Totty." They looked at you."Your little brother is breaking the cycle at this very moment! You should support him! Be his wingmen! If you guys keep cock-blocking each-other, how will you lose your virginity?!"Karamatsu ran a hand though his face."She’s right." he stood up. "Who are we to stand in the way of love?!""We acted like horrible brothers." Ichimatsu mumbled.Choromatsu stood up."Time to set things straight.""We’ll redeem ourselves!" Osomatsu joined them."Let’s be wingmen!" Jyushimatsu jumped. "That’s more like it!" you smiled. "Now, we gotta find out where they are.""We can just ask him..." you took out your phone."(Y/n) (Y/n) (Y/n)." Osomatsu lightly slapped your hand. "We don’t want to disturb our little brother on his date.""Plus, he’ll probably lie after what we did." Ichimatsu said. "He is sly after all." the others nodded."You read the paper burazza," Karamatsu turned towards him. "what was the address?"Ichimatsu stared at him in silence."...Burazza?""...""Ichimatsu?" you asked."..." "I guarantee you that you’ll fuckin’ remember!" Osomatsu shouted as he and his brothers move their knifes (which they stole from the hotel's kitchen) closer to their brother, tied up with the bed sheets."DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS WILL WORK YOU STUPID BASTARDS?!" poor Ichimatsu cried for dear life."I agree, you sure it’s a good idea?" you asked, standing at the back with a concern expression."Trust us (Y/n)-chan!" Jyushimatsu turned towards you with a bright smile. "The best way to make someone talk is by putting them in a life-threatening situation.""WELL I JUST FEEL VERY ATTACKED RIGHT NOW!""Come on Ichimatsu." Choromatsu pressed. "You sure you don’t remember?" Ichimatsu’s eyes began to dart around like crazy, mumbling and desperately trying to recall that piece of paper."The... In front of the...""In front of the what?!" Osomatsu placed his knife on his brother's throat."Don't make us tazze you in the sack!" Jyushimatsu shouted."The the-I DON'T KNOW! I'M SORRY!"The brothers sighed as their shoulders dropped. "Guys! He updated his instagram story!" The brothers immediately dropped their weapons and rushed towards you to look at your phone. It showed a busy and colorful streets, with an ice cream stand, Todomatsu was showing the environment, plus the ice cream he bought. No sign of Lucy but you figured it made sense he wouldn't show her on his social media (he'd say it's for after the third mouth of dating). In true Totty fashion, he put some animated stickers and the location, but it only said 'Spain'. Osomatsu clicked his tongue."I know where it is!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed. "We drove by that place, it smelled like ice cream!""Smelled like... Ice cream has a smell?" Choromatsu sent him a look of confusion."Whatever! Lead the way Burazza!" Karamatsu pointed forward."Aye aye!" Jyushimatsu shouted as he ran for the door."Let's go guys!" Osomatsu exclaimed as you all ran after him."UNTIE ME!""Right! Sorry!" you said as you and the others turned around and went to free the poor man. Todomatsu and Lucy walked around town, chatting and eating their ice cream. After a couple of hours, at the end of the afternoon, they sat on a bench and chatted some more. At some point, Lucy got a phone call from her parents and stood up a few meters away from him."Totty!" you called once Lucy had her back turned."(Y/n)? What are yo-GAH!" he quickly placed his hands on his mouth when he saw you and his brothers hidden behind a bush nearby.He turned to make sure Lucy didn’t hear him, and let out a quiet sigh of relief when he saw that was the case. He turned back to you."What are you doing here?!" he harshly whispered."We’re here to assist you!" Karamatsu gave him a thumb up."Don’t give me that BS!" he slapped his brother’s hand. "Why are you here?!" "It’s true!" Osomatsu said. "We felt bad, so we’re here to be your wingmen!""They are Totty!" you said."...really?" the youngest Matsuno said, finally dropping his guard."Operation S.E.X.!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed."What does it stand for?" he asked."Yeah what does it stands for?" you turned towards him."Sex, sEx, seX."You and Todomatsu wheezed. "Todomatsu! Sorry about that!" Lucy called as she walked back to him.You and the five brothers quickly hid behind the bush."I trust you guys." Todomatsu whispered.You all nodded, determined, as a sign to show that you got his back. He returned the gesture before turning back to his date, with a smile on his face."You know how parents are," she continued. "just on and on and on.""It’s okay~ don’t worry!""Should we get going now?""Oh, sure okay." he stood up. "Where do you wanna go?""Mmm..." she thought for a moment. "Actually, I'm getting hungry.""Let's go eat diner then!""Okay! Any cool place you know of?"Todomatsu froze for a short second, realizing he's just been tricked. "What the hell?" Osomatsu's eyes widen, along with the rest of you."She's been here longer than us, how should he know?" Choromatsu asked."It's a test."They looked at you, who had a grave expression on you face."She's testing him. It happens sometimes, the people who date a lot challenge the other on the first date to see if they're good enough for them."You noticed Todomatsu glanced at you. He seem to have also understood the situation. You gave him a thumb up. He looked back at her."Of course! Let's go!""Awesome!" They both smiled at each-other before walking away."They're not holding hands?" Jyushimatsu asked, fixing their every movement."They're not there yet." you looked at your fellow wingmen. "We need to find a restaurant now. And a good one.""There's the one next to our hotel." Osomatsu pointed out."We said a good one, not a great one!""Oh~ I get it!" Choromatsu put his fist on the palm of his other hand. "We don't want to impress her too much on the first date, it'll scare her away!""Thank you for the helpful advice!" Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu said together as they bowed their head."Thank you." Ichimatsu bowed his head."I mean...should be common knowledge." you mumbled. "Anyone got internet on their phone?""No." Choromatsu said as the others shook their head."What the fuck guys?!""Well, why don't *you* have internet on your phone?!" Osomatsu glared at you."Because I'm not rich as fuck! I'm on 3G and 3G never works!" you glared back."Well, same for us!""Well get yourself a better phone then!""Well why don't you?!""Well like I said! I don't sleep on million dollar bills!""Well that's not a thing!""You two stop!" Choromatsu stood between the two of you. "We're wasting time right now!" "(Y/n)-chan, what kind of place are we looking for?" Jyushimatsu asked.You thought for a moment."Something like Repichi's: private, lovely and cheap.""On it!" he exclaimed before running away."Wha-where’re you going?!" you called out."Going searching." Ichimatsu walked passed you. "I’ll go too.""Really? You sure?""I know how to get information." he looked straight into your eyes before going on his way. As he disappeared in a dark alleyway, you watch as Jyushimatsu climbed his way to the rooftops and started jumping around. You gulped and turned the other brothers."Okay, Karamatsu, Choromatsu, you two ask around." you pointed at them. "The best critics are the people."They nodded and walked away together, but soon dispatched, covering more ground. You turned towards Osomatsu."You and me, we'll keep an eye on those two. Come on." you said before walking to where the couple has gone to."Why you and me? I can go with them." he followed you."Because you'll probably get lost or arrested.""Oh, I see..." a moment passed. "Wait a second! So you're babysitting me?!""Ssssssh!" you harshly whispered. "They're right there." You noticed, as they were walking, that Todomatsu was discreetly looking around. When he finally saw you, he seemed relieved. You sent him a quick wave before sending him a text message.[We're looking for it, buy some time]After reading it, he kept on walking and gave you a thumb up with his back facing you. You tapped Osomatsu's arm."Let's get ahead of them, to clear the way.""You've done this before." he said as he followed you. "I can tell.""High-school, we were pretty popular for thugs." you smiled as you recalled all the trouble you went through. "Gotta say, I got better at it." You and Osomatsu made sure that nothing could disturb Todomatsu and his date. If something was blocking the way, you'd text him to go a different route. Problem was, you still had nothing from the others.You noticed Todomatsu glancing at you, you gave him a sign as a way to say 'need more time'. He turned towards Lucy."Oh, I didn't asked you what you wanted to eat!""Mmmh..." she thought for a second before smiling. "Surprise me.""Girl what the hell?!" Osomatsu whispered beside you. "You're the one who's hungry! Why does he have to chose?!""Another test..." you mumbled. "Jesus christ go easy on him." "U-uh..." Todomatsu acted like he was thinking deeply. "You know what? I'm feeling like eating a good steak. Let's go~." he turned the opposite direction. "It's not where we're going though. Sorry, it'll take some time to get there.""It's fine." she smiled. "I can wait, I'm not that hungry.""What?!" Osomatsu was outraged. "This all happened because you were! I can't believe you!""Sssssssh!" you placed your hand on his mouth. "You're gonna make us busted." The sudden physical contact (coming from you) quickly shut him up. When you removed it, he turned away, his face red. He was both thankful and disappointed that you removed your hand so soon. You ignored the flustered oldest brother and took out your phone."Good move Totty." you said. "But you're making this harder for us."You texted the other to look for somewhere that serves steaks."Found it!"You and Osomatsu shouted in surprise when you heard Jyushimatsu right behind the two of you. "Jyu-Jyushimatsu!" Osomatsu yelled, a hand on his chest, panting a bit.You, on the other hand, quickly recovered and got your game face back on."Do they serve steak?""Aye! Private, lovely and cheap!""Perfect! Jyushimatsu~!" you played with his cheeks and spoke like you'd do with a cute little puppy. "You a good boy!""Ahahaha~!" he closed his eyes, clearly enjoying your praises. He gave you the address and you sent it to Todomatsu. After receiving it, he sent you tons of hearts and gifs. You sent him a second text.[We'll text you regularly, it'll give you an excuse to look at your phone and you could look at the map]He replied.[OMG Ur the best~~~~!!!~*~*] with a bunch of emojis."Alright boys." you looked at Osomatsu and Jyushimatsu. "Get your phones out."Jyushimatsu immediately got his and started to type random letters and was about to sent his text, but you stopped him."Nonono, what are you doing?!""Eh?""You gotta wait at least a minute and a half between each texts. Or else she'll think it's too much and that he's addicted to his phone.""But...he is." Osomatsu said."Granted. But that's not what we want her to think.""How do you know all of this?" Jyushimatsu asked."Back in highschool, I wasn't studying geography.""Geography sucks.""Hell yeah." you high-fived Osomatsu. The three of you let out a long sigh of relief as soon as the couple entered the restaurant."How did you find this place Jyushimatsu?" you asked."I spoke to the seagulls!""..." you turned away, not wanting to know the details. You texted the others to stop their research and where to meet up, and they joined you guys soon after. Ichimatsu came back with a cat in his arms."Sorry dude, you can't take the cat inside." you gave him an apologetic look."But...Mila's going through a rough patch." he mumbled."What?""He spent all this time talking to cats." Jyushimatsu leaned in and whispered to you. "He wanted to asked them for directions, but the conversation took a different turn.""Luis said he was gonna go out with her." he continued, covering the cat's ears so that she won't hear him. "But Adelina saw him with Savannah just yesterday. That bitch.""Listen, we're about to get in, so either you let Mila go, or you find something else." you said as you turned around. Finally, Ichimatsu decided to hide the cat inside his hoodie "with the others". The six of you walked in and sat at a table where you'd have a good view of Todomatsu's table. It seemed to be going well, and you wanted to keep an eyes on them. But you all were invested in something else."Listen, all I'm saying is:" Osomatsu said, placing his hand on the table to make his statement while glaring at his brother. "Adelina is the only one who saw them together, what proves that she isn't lying?""Okay look look," Choromatsu said as he took a piece of his steak. "and because you're a virgin I understand why you'd have that perspective. But I don't think that you're taking into consideration" he ate his piece but kept talking with his mouth full. "that her and Mila have been friends for a long time. There's no way she's betray her just for one man.""But you heard the way she talks about Luis!" Karamatsu added. "If she's not interested, then I don't know what her deal is!""You can't deny that it's a possibility." you shrugged."You just want Mila to get with Andrés instead." Jyushimatsu said."She didn't even gave him a chance!""She established that they were better off as friends!" Karamatsu said. "Why can't you respect that?!""He's a nice cat and Luis just treats her like shit!""Okay I’m gonna stop you right there!" you pointed at him, shaking your head. "Andrés is one of those fucking ‘nice guys’ and if I were her I would've thrown his furry ass out a long time ago!" you shouted, getting heated by what Choromatsu had said."One time he broke into her house!" Ichimatsu added. "He's a stalking motherfucker!""They're cats! Of course they break into each-other's houses!" Your phone rang, you gasped when you saw it was Todomatsu. You turned around to see their table empty, and you slapped your forehead, pissed off to have let such a stupid argument distract you. After you made sure that everyone was brought back to the matter at hand, you picked up and immediately apologized as the five brother leaned closer to hear what their youngest was saying."Sorry sorry sorry! We were caught up with something.""(Y/n) help." he just said with a tone that what dead serious, his mouth close to his phone's mic."Ow shit, something happened?""No, no everything went well." he paused for a moment before talking closer to the mic, even lower. "We're going to a hotel." As your face was frozen with shock, the five Matsunos expressed their shocked and rage in pure silence. Gripping their air, biting the tablecloth, even twisting the silverware."I...I guess operation S.E.X. is a complete success then." you said."No, (Y/n). You don't get it. I'm freaking out right now." he said with a shaky voice."Okay, give me a second." you said before standing up and rushing outside.You stood alone in front of the restaurant and took a deep breathe, about to say some important things."Todomatsu, listen carefully." you paused, knowing he was shaking his head despite being on the phone. "I'm sorry I didn't gave you guys a sex ed class before, so I'll give you a quick rundown. Wear a condom-""She said she brought some with her.""She's prepared, that's good. If you want to do something and she doesn't say yes, don't do it. Don't be afraid to ask if you're not sure of something. And take a shower first." You waited for a moment, but he didn't talk."Todomatsu?" you asked."Y-yeah, okay. Thanks~."You could tell he was nervous, you furrowed your eyebrows. And you suddenly remembered something."Oh! Wait!""What?""There's another really important thing, so listen. If you're not feeling it, you can just not do it. I know what they say to boys but, you're allowed to say no too."He didn't respond. Your heart twisted a bit, you remembered the utter panic you were also under when you got your first time."Just know that, if you're in any distress, you call me and I'll be running over. Okay?""...okay.""And if you had any questions about sex, you won't get any answers tonight. In fact you'll just ask yourself more questions!"You heard a low chuckle coming from him and smiled, happy to have cheer him up a little bit."I'll leave you to it then. Good luck, and relax."You hung up and let out a long sigh. You let the wind caress your face for a moment before heading back inside to finish your dinner. After you hung up, Todomatsu silently stared at your contact name. But Lucy's voice snapped him out of his trance."I got the key~." she waved the card around, smiling."I still feel bad about letting you pay for it." he said, wearing his Totty smile."You paid for everything until now, and this hotel's cheap. It's cool." she held his hand. "Come on, let's go." she smiled, her voice getting a hint more flirtatious.Todomatsu screamed on the inside, since she offered to get a room in fact. Thank god he was good at hiding his emotions, and he just smiled."Okay~." As soon as the two of them stepped in the room (not as fancy as his suite, 3 star hotel), he had a quick look around to make it look like he was admiring the place. Then he turned towards her."You mind if I take a shower real quick?""Go ahead, I'll take one after you if you don't mind."He nodded before setting his jacket, shoes and hat aside and rushing to the bathroom. As the warm water flowed down his body, Todomatsu found himself wishing that this shower would last forever. It made him feel like this wasn't real, and the slight dizziness the warmth brought him was as if he has been fantasizing all of this, and that at any moment one of his shitty older brother would bang on the door telling him to move his ass out because he's taking too long.But this was real. And he wondered why it was so terrifying. He's always been bragging about the fact that he's socially higher than his brothers. Not being a virgin anymore was the one thing he and his brothers wished for before dying. Yet when he looked at his hands, he never saw them this shaky before. Only that time when you got shot.You.You...He repeated your instructions in his head and slapped his cheeks a bit. Finally he stepped out of the shower, drying himself and put on a robe before going back in the bedroom. Lucy was standing in front of a stereo, after putting some smooth music on."Okay, your turn now.""Damn, you took your time." she said as she stood up."Hehe, sorry~." he ruffled his hair, smiling."It's okay." she walked passed him and whispered. "I hope what you bring's worth the wait." she winked and locked herself in the bathroom. Todomatsu was frozen in place for a moment as the muffled sound of running water could be heard. Then he let himself fall on the bed, wishing he could just fall asleep, yet it'd be impossible with his heartbeat beating like crazy. He ran a hand through his face, took a deep breathe as he repeated what you said in his head again.'Relax. If anything happens, call her and she'll be here in no time.'His mind wandered as he stared up at the ceiling. He repeated that sentence you said a few more time.'Just know that, if you're in any distress, you call me and I'll be running over. Okay?'He could tell you were smiling softly when you said that. That soft smile you gave whenever you wanted to say that you cared so much. So soft... A second passed and Todomatsu sat up, realizing that his heartbeat calmed down. He wasn't an idiot, he knew you were the cause, but he wondered if you were also the cause of this panic he felt as he glanced at the bathroom door and imagined what's going to happen once it opened.'No, come on.' he thought to himself as he placed his hand on his mouth to think. Yeah, come on. He wanted this. Even if he won't see Lucy ever again, the sex thing was what mattered here. Graduating from being a virgin and earning a lifetime of bragging towards his brothers and the entire world. He worked the whole day for this. It’d all go to waste!Then why is it that he felt so wrong?He groaned, feeling frustrated. Again, he wasn't an idiot, he watched enough Korean dramas to know what was going on.Wait, did he really? As he asked himself that question, the bathroom door opened. After paying for dinner, you and the boys-minus-one went back to the hotel, and went to the lounge for some fresh drink, to decompress further with the events of tonight. You noticed that they were very nervous. You chuckled and gave a friendly hit to Choromatsu's arm, the closest to you."Come on guys, he'll be fine~.""Maybe we should raid the hotel." Ichimatsu mumbled."What if she kidnaps him?" Karamatsu said."What if he kidnaps her?!" Choromatsu exclaimed."Chill out guys! Geez." you leaned back in your armchair. "Have more trust in your brother.""She's right." Osomatsu said, looking at the ceiling. "From now on, whatever happens happens.""Yeah but that just because you didn't get a chance to screw it up for them." Choromatsu glared at him.Osomatsu just giggled and took a sip of the alcohol he was drinking."You’re not worried (Y/n)-chan?" Jyushimatsu asked."I have a philosophy that I shouldn’t dwell on anything out of my control." You felt your phone buzzing and took it out of your pocket. It was a text from Todomatsu.[Where are you guys?][At the hotel’s lounge] you responded."It’s him." you looked at the others after you sent the text. "Seems like he’s done.""Already?! That was short." Choromatsu said.Osomatsu wheezed."That’s probably what she said!" he said while laughing. About ten minutes passed, you looked over at the entrance and saw him step in. You waved."Totty! Over here!"He faintly waved back and joined you guys, sitting besides you."So so so?" Jyushimatsu asked as him and the others leaned towards him. "How was it?""Did you two t-tried some... things?" Choromatsu fumbled."Answer quick, before we beat your ass." Ichimatsu said."Did you conclude?!" Osomatsu pressed."Say something burazza!" Karamatsu leaned closer."Todomatsu." you said in a clear voice. "You don’t have to answer." you said, glaring at his brothers.They got the message, and backed off. "I..." Todomatsu started to say. "I paid the cab to her place.""So you... didn’t do it?" Osomatsu asked, an eyebrow raised.He looked down to the side."You look tired dude, you okay?" you asked, noticing his weary expression.Todomatsu sighed and rubbed his temple."Emotionally, very tired."You and the five brothers glanced at each-other, worried. "H-hey, it’s okay." Choromatsu patted his shoulder."That girl was super plump anyway." Osomatsu shrugged as he leaned back in his seat."How did she react?" Jyushimatsu asked.Todomatsu’s eyebrows furrowed. It was enough for you to understand. You patted his other shoulder."You know, I had a feeling she was one of those ‘nice girls’." you said."That’s right burazza! She doesn’t deserve you! But worry not, for I will aid you through this time of need. I will bring you with me next time my Karamatsu-gurrrlz are chasing after my body." he finished off with a pose."Keep looking." Ichimatsu clicked his tongue. "Look, whatever happened back there, we’re here for you Totty." you smiled.Todomatsu looked at you.’So soft...’ he faintly smiled back."Wanna drink with us and forget all about it?" Osomatsu proposed, showing the opened bottle.Todomatsu shook his head and stood up."I’ll just go to bed.""Whatever you say." he shrugged. "More for me.""Good night~!" you, Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu said. Before heading back, as he stood by the entrance, Todomatsu turned around to look at you, having fun and laughing, for just a little longer.When he went to bed, he posted a picture he took yesterday to his instagram, hoping the likes he’ll get would cheer him up a bit.