Archive of Our Own

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“Your clothes sure look comfy.”Hifumi’s voice made his eyes leave the small bento in front of him. The cheerful host often stopped by one of Gentaro’s shelters just to drop a homemade meal, afraid the writer wouldn’t eat anything if he wasn’t there. The small apartment they were in that time was made of only one big room with closets hidden behind the walls. Being so busy with writing, Gentaro had forgotten to close one of the sliding doors and now Hifumi was observing his vintage clothes.He sighed and smiled. “Oh? Weren’t you the one to describe them as antiquated?”Hifumi giggled, getting up from the tatami to move closer to the wardrobe. “I’ve said they are outdated, not uncomfortable.” He touched a short hakama jacket. “You wouldn’t wear them otherwise, right?”Gentaro nodded slowly until a thought appeared in his mind. “Do you want to try them on?”Surprised by the question, Hifumi looked at him. “Eh?”As the writer got up to join the other, he nodded again. “They’re not that different from a yukata you would wear during the summer festivals, but…”“Yes! Yes!” The host interrupted him. “Last time I wore something traditional I was still in college!”“Very well.” Gentaro started to search inside the closet. There was a specific outfit he thought would suit Hifumi. A prototype made by Ramuda with colors a little too light for his taste. After a few minutes of research, he fished out a cape and hakama pants combo in pastel green. He handed them to Hifumi with a simple light blue kimono and a white shirt. Hifumi looked at the garments in awe before starting to strip in the middle of the room. Gentaro stared at him for a second and then moved back to his bento.“Ah?! Are you not going to help me? Gentarocchi!” He smiled at his protests. “What a demanding kid you are.”“I’m older than you!” While they both laughed, Gentaro helped the host by adjusting the kimono and fixing the hakama a little. As Hifumi was buttoning the cape, the writer noticed how the pastel colors suited the other man. “Am I cute?” Hifumi asked playfully.More than usual. “Look for yourself.” He replied as he forced him to turn to the mirror. The host let out a surprised and delighted sound and began to make a few poses. “I do look cute!”“So, are they comfortable?”Hifumi nodded while pulling a little at the pants and cape. “Maybe a little impractical, but very comfortable!”Finally, Gentaro came back to the low table in the center of the room. He observed how Hifumi kept giggling, posing and slowly spinning in front of the mirror. The writer was sure the other had worn traditional and complicated clothes after college too, but on his face he could only see an expression full of joy and childish fun. He slowly grabbed the ever present notebook and pen and wrote down a few sentences describing the scene before his eyes.“Hey, we have a deal! You can’t go back to work before finishing your lunch!!” “What are you talking about? I’m not writing.” Calmly, Gentaro closed the notebook before Hifumi could see anything.“Liar! Yumeno Gentaro, you’re a liar!” He exclaimed and let himself fall against the other in a dramatic way. As he was held in that messy hug, Gentaro wondered if Ramuda would get angry if he gave that outfit to Hifumi as a present.

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Kuko glared at the few clouds in the sky as Jyushi was busy covering his nails in black polish. The fall season had started with a few sudden storms, so when the sun had appeared that day they had decided to sit on the veranda of the temple.“Kuko-san.”“Mh?” Jyushi stopped painting his nails and waited for Kuko to look at him. “Next month I have to attend my cousin’s wedding.”“Really? Sounds great. You just sit down and get free food.” He snickered, observing the lacquer as it was drying.“Yeah… well…”“What’s the matter? Speak it up, Jyushi!”Startled by the monk, Jyushi lowered his head. “My parents… asked if you want to accompany me.”Kuko stopped blowing on his nails. Well, that was new. “Oh, you’ve told your parents about us?”“N-no… what are you talking about?” “It looks like they want me to be your plus-one.” He explained, snorting.Jyushi looked at him with a shocked face. “No, no! They still think we’re just teammates and…”“Are you sure about that?” The simple question made the young man shut his mouth. Kuko had met Jyushi’s parents a few times, mostly when he swung by for reading comics with his boyfriend, and he wasn’t sure if they liked him that much. They respected him as a religious figure, but they have never actually talked for more than a few minutes. Anyway, he would bet they had understood the two weren’t just teammates a long time ago. Jyushi wasn’t exactly subtle when he talked about Kuko and the monk was the only person he had brought home ever. His parents might have been a little absent, but they weren’t stupid.“I don’t think they meant that.” Jyushi tried again. He was still holding the small nail polish bottle in his hands.“Jyushi.” Kuko sighed, taking the container to close it. “It’s your cousin’s wedding. A family reunion. Why would they ask you to bring a friend?”“Maybe… they don’t want me to be alone?”“Jyushi.”“Do you really think they know?” He asked and looked like he was on the verge of tears.“99% sure of that!” The monk laughed. When he saw Jyushi’s worried face, he patted him on the head. “If they had a problem with this, they wouldn’t have asked in the first place.”“You… You’re right…” Jyushi sniffed a little. “I’m always right!” Kuko nodded. “Now, let’s talk about more important things: do you know what kind of cake the happy couple has chosen?”“K-kuko-san! Will you come with me then?!” Before the redhead could answer, he grabbed his hands lovingly.“Of course. As I said: free food and a probably very tasty cake. I don’t need any more excuses to accompany my partner.” Jyushi blushed and pushed his face against Kuko’s hands to hide himself. The monk grinned. A few minutes passed before Jyushi started to work on his own nails.“Kuko-san, I was thinking…”“What now!”“Would it be okay to wear matching outfits to a wedding?”“And being way more fashionable than the newlyweds?! Fuck, yeah!”

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“How many years have you known each other?” The young man asked while poking at the okonomiyaki on the hotplate in the center of the table. “I mean, Ichiro, why didn’t you introduce us sooner?”Ichiro chuckled and put a hand on Kuko’s shoulder. “We met a few months ago!”The small group of friends couldn’t believe that response and Kuko didn’t really blame them.Since the day he and Ichiro had sparred, they became inseparable. There was an unexplainable harmony between them, a connection that made everything easier. A glance was enough to understand each other. A little nod of the head and their next move would be clear. They could be surrounded by ugly mugs, but they’d never lose that natural coordination. One of them punched, the other guarded. One of them had a question, the other had the answer. It was something Kuko had only seen in action comics where the protagonist would always find a sudden friend to continue the journey with, a companion who would support him. That’s what they were for each other. “And you’re lucky I stumbled on you!” Kuko laughed. “You would be lost without me!”“You’re probably right.” He nodded before smiling. His mismatched eyes were telling more than what he was saying and Kuko struggled to look away.“Be careful, Kuko!” One of Ichiro’s friends warned him. “He’s using his sweet eyes to keep you here in Bukuro!”“Uff, stop ruining my plan…” Ichiro mumbled and started to cut the okonomiyaki for everyone.“It’s true that I’ll go back to Nagoya sooner or later, but our friendship will continue!”“You promise?”“I promise, bro!”“Enough with the bromance, you two!” The friend complained. “Let’s eat!”

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A cheeky drama was playing on the television when Saburo heard the familiar sound in the front door. The oldest Yamada brother was out of town for a last-minute job, so he knew who he was going to see.“Jiro.” He greeted him without taking his eyes off the screen.He heard a loud gasp. “S-Saburo! What are you doing here?!”“Well, I live here too, you know. You can be so dense sometim-” Saburo turned to look at him from the sofa, but stopped talking at the sight of many small plastic bags in Jiro’s hands. “What are those?”“Uh? That’s… that’s none of your business, nosey brat!” Jiro took a step to escape up the stairs before Saburo appeared in front of him.The younger brother recognized one of the logos on the bags. “Have you gone to Akiba?” He asked and observed the distressed face of the other teen. “Don’t tell me you bought something perverted. I’ll tell Nii-chan!!”“What! No, no! That’s not… that’s not what I bought!” Jiro gasped again. “I mean… I didn’t buy anything!!”“Show me what you bought!” Saburo tried to take a peek at the content of the bags.“Why do you even care! It’s nothing important!”“You always do the same when I buy something!”They bickered for a few minutes until Jiro groaned. “Ok, fine! Follow me!!” He headed to his room, followed by the even more curious Saburo. The older of the two placed the bags on his messy desk before moving towards the closet. “If you say something rude, I’ll lock you out of the house.” Saburo nodded, stopping himself from talking back for once.Jiro sighed and opened the doors of the wardrobe. In the middle of the chaos of clothes and accessories, there was a small shrine with many shelves full of merchandise of the same character. What caught Saburo’s attention were a few bags with clear pockets adorned with several pins. He then looked at Jiro who was taking even more pins out of the plastic bags.“Do you… do you like ita bags?”“I like ita bags about her!” He pointed to an acrylic stand picturing a character who looked like a rockstar. Saburo was almost sure she was from the game Genshin Impact. “There’s not much merch with her, so I often go to Akiba to hunt for fanmade stuff…”Jiro seemed embarrassed even if he usually didn’t care about hiding his love for games or animes. Saburo eyes the shrine for a few more seconds. It looked… cute and curated (compared to the rest of the room, at least). The bags each had a different pattern that clearly reminded of the character in question. “That’s it?”“What do you mean?”“Were you just hiding… this?” Saburo shrugged and walked out the door. “I’m almost disappointed.”He heard Jiro struggle to insult him as he went down the stairs. Once he sat down on the sofa, he took his phone and opened the browser.“Jiro-nii is so dumb they’re probably making him pay too much for that stuff…” He mumbled as he tried to find the name of his brother’s beloved character. “I’ll find some good deals for him online.”

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Doppo surprised himself when he accepted Rio’s proposal to spend the night at his camp instead of running back to Yokohama to take the last night train. He was used to visit the ex-soldier during his free Saturdays to appreciate the clean air of the forest and the often silent but reassuring company of the other man. The option of actually sleeping there had never crossed his mind. He had planned to be a good guest and wait for Rio to join him in the tent before falling asleep, but Doppo discovered that the pillows in that small space were extremely comfortable and he nodded off as soon as his head touched the soft object. The forever tired salaryman didn’t even flinch when strong arms held him tight in the middle of the night.The smell of freshly brewed coffee stirred him awake. When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of… complete darkness. Rio’s silhouette was barely visible.“Rio?” “Good morning.” His deep voice greeted Doppo. “Did I wake you up? Sorry about that.”“Ah, don’t worry…” Doppo yawned a little while stretching his arms. He knew he had slept for the entire night, but he still felt tired somehow. Weird.“Wait, I will bring you some coffee.” The kind giant spoke softly and got out of the tent.Doppo was able to have a glimpse of what was outside for a second: darkness. He wondered what time it was. Rio’s camp was located in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. They were probably blocking the light of the sun. Ready to check the daily I’m home text from Hifumi, Doppo grabbed his phone and was met with the glaring sight of an unexpected time. 4.50 a.m.“What…”“Is there any problem?” Rio asked suddenly when entered the tent again. He offered Doppo a big mug full of hot coffee. He bowed slightly (even if Rio probably couldn’t see it in the darkness) and showed him the flip phone. “My mobile is acting up again. It messed up the time.”Thanks to the light coming from the screen, the salary-man could see the other nod. “Yeah, it’s actually 4.30.”“See, I was… right…” Doppo almost dropped his phone. “C-Can you repeat that?”“4.30.”“Ah.”“I’m going to take my morning walk soon. Yesterday you sounded interested in that. You want to join me?”In any other situation, Doppo would have refused and gone back to sleep. He knew that Rio was probably showing him his puppy eyes, the expression that had the power to calm down even Samatoki. “O-Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” He chuckled without enthusiasm. “Let me… let me just finish my coffee…”“Great.” Rio was smiling. He could hear it in his voice. “I’ll wait outside then.”Doppo waited for him to get out of the tent before almost groaning. Rio was such a perfect guy. Kind, patient, attractive… Why oh why did he have to be a Morning Person?

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They should have followed Jinpachi’s advice and went back home hours ago. In his inebriated state, Doshiro knew they both made a mistake by staying at the party for so long. Now they were stumbling against each other, too tipsy to walk straight in the foggy empty alleys of Asakusa. He took a glance at the man on his side, Masamune, who was giggling like an idiot. He was missing his usual ball cap.“What a night, uh?” He said, a dumb grin on his face.“I’m so tired… I wish I was already in my bed…” Doshiro complained. His buzz was wearing off, but his body hurt everywhere. Was he becoming too old for parties?“Same, but… can we stop for a second?”“Do… do you feel sick?” Masamune shook his head slowly and moved to rest against the dirty wall of the alley. “I’m just tired of walking.”“Oh, c’mon…” Doshiro tried to move him by pulling his arm with no avail. “We are almost home.”“I’m not that sure of that…” He mumbled while looking around. Me neither, the other thought. He tried to drag him away again, but this time Masamune resisted and pulled him against himself. “You totally ignored me tonight.” He was pouting and it would have been a cute scene if he hadn’t been a grown ass adult.“What… we danced and drank together the entire time…” Doshiro might have been drunk, but he was sure he hadn’t moved that much from Masamune’s side during the party.“Yes, but you ignored me.” Oh. Right. He had forgotten how touchy-feely the man was… especially when wasted. “Not here.”“Please…” He took Doshiro’s hand to place it against his cheek. “Just a kiss.”“And then you’ll walk?”Masamune nodded and Doshiro sighed. He wasn’t sober enough to deal with this in a mature way, so he just gave in. He gently pushed Masamune back against the wall and grabbed his hips. Their bodies pressed together, their faces a few millimeters apart. “Just one kiss.”“Yes…” As soon as their lips just brushed, Masamune’s hands flew to his dark hair to pull him even closer, to deepen the kiss. It was hot, steamy and messy, far from all the gentle make-out sessions they had before… but they didn’t really care. When Doshiro pulled away to take a breath, Masamune hugged him tightly. “Hey, now, we agreed to one kiss…”“I know, but…” He was pouting again.“We can cuddle as much as you want when we are at home, okay?” Doshiro tried again.“Really?”“Yes, now… walk.” Masamune beamed at him as he released his friend from the tight embrace. With a still unsteady pace, they both left the dark alley not realizing their shared apartment was on the other side of the city.

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“I-It’s not that scary. You were right.” Jyushi whispered, still covering his face with one of the pillows on Hitoya’s leather sofa. Kuko laughed as he let the second movie start.Every couple of months, the Nagoya trio would choose a theme for a two days long movie marathon. That day Kuko had chosen to watch the entire Alien franchise, ignoring his teammates’ protests.Thanks to a special documentary he had seen about inspirations behind the series, Hitoya wasn’t scared in the slightest. He glanced at Jyushi, who was already trembling again.It was going to be a long weekend.

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Loud voices drew distant as their pursuers passed by them. Gentaro let out a small sigh. “We’re almost there, but we better proceed without haste.”Ramuda looked up at the sky. The sun had set a few hours earlier and let the night sky take over. Smog and clouds covered the entire metropoly, but a few stars were fighting to show their light. Like his teammates, his friends, who too were trying to stay alive and keep shining in their own way.As he still observed the dark sky, a small star moved in a flash and he made a silent wish.He wished to continue the journey with Gentaro and Dice. He wished to keep on shining with them.

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The bleachers were almost trembling. Every single person in the audience had stood up and was now cheering for the respective team. The last minutes before the end of a game were always like that. Full of anxious enthusiasm and hope. Simple mistakes by the players were taken more seriously. Great actions only built the distress up.The crowd started to shout and scream as the young scorer passed the enemy’s defense. He took only a glance at the keeper before kicking the ball. The round object seemed to move in slow motion. The entire stadium fell into silence.The clear gloar was received with new cheers.“Yamada Jiro scored the third goal of the day, bringing his team to victory!” The commenter announced, joining the crowd’s happiness.Far from the celebrations, behind the metal fence, a man with dark sunglasses was observing the entire scene. He smiled with affection at the serene face of the scorer, but he quickly fixed his fedora hat and moved back to his car. He had to go away before somebody could see and recognize him. He had no intention of ruining that special day for one of his sons.Appearing now would only be an egotistical action and Jiro deserved to be happy and in the dark for a little more time

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“Jyushi, you know that Christmas is still far away, right?” Jyushi nodded and started to blush a little.“And you have already got me a present for my birthday.”He nodded again.“So, what exactly is this for?” The monk asked while eyeing the small box in his hands.“Uh, well… it’s just… it’s just a gift.”“Ok, but…”“C-Can’t you just accept it and open it?” Jyushi interrupted him in a sudden burst of confidence and handed him the gift.Kuko tilted his head in confusion but in the end he did what Jyushi told him to. Inside the dark box, wrapped in velvet, there was a thin chain adorned with little silver pearls. “This is…”“A glasses chain.” Jyushi whispered as he avoided looking at Kuko’s face. “You were searching for one of those for your new glasses and you told me the models in Nagoya were all too tacky for your taste. So… I made one.”Typical of Jyushi to remember a thing he told him once while training. Typical of Jyushi to handmade something like that.He observed the small object. The metal leash was made of small delicate rings, so light it was hard to feel its weight in his hands. In the middle of the chain there was a minuscule moon, the symbol Jyushi liked to add to any of his creations.Kuko was going to reprimand him, telling him he shouldn’t waste time making presents for him, but he stopped himself from doing so. That wasn’t only a present. After knowing Jyushi for years, he knew what the gift represented.Creating something for the people he cared about was his way to express his feelings in a more subtle way. He poured his love and passion in each single piece, as if they could speak in his place. It was some kind of secret language he had learnt from his grandmother and her handmade gifts.“I-I can take it back if you don’t like it…” He reached for the box, but Kuko simply moved it away.“I have never said I don’t like it.” The monk explained. “On the contrary, I think it’s exactly what I was looking for.”Jyushi showed him a shy smile. “Really?”“Yes! Now, let me take the glasses to see how they look together…” He grinned and approached the door. The last thing he heard before leaving the room was a low whisper from Jyushi. “Have you seen that, Amanda? He liked it!”

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Another shot. Another missed target.Ramuda groaned loudly, almost losing his cutesy facade. He placed the toy gun on the counter of the booth and glared at the clerk. “This is impossible!”“Dear customer, you just need to try more!” The man smiled in a fake way that made Ramuda’s blood boil. He went to that small fair to relax, not to spend the entire night being a loser at a random booth.“You’re not fooling me! This is rigged, isn’t it?” He cried, making a few bystanders turn in their direction.“U-Uh, what? No, no, sir, don’t say such false things!”“My aim is not that bad though… There must be something wrong with the gun…”Their quick back-and-forth went on for a solid minute until a deep voice startled Ramuda. “Amemura?” The tall ex-soldier from Yokohama was standing next to him and he had to raise his head to look him in the face.“Look who’s here! The loyal Rio is so far from his territory ✩!”“A caterer hired me as a security guard for a nearby restaurant.” Rio explained. “I thought it would be nice to visit this festival before going back home. What about you?”“My plan was to have fun tonight, but this scammy game ruined it!” “Game?” Rio looked at the toy guns and the targets. “Yeah, I wanted to win an adorable plushie, but it’s impossible!” He cried again. “I tried anything!”“It’s frustrating, but getting angry will just make it all even more difficult.” Rio stated calmly. “How many shots can we still fire?”Ramuda pouted. “Three, but it’s useless. It’s rigged!”The booth clerk glared at him again.“Let me try.” The soldier spoke again and took the plastic gun.He aimed at the target and shot. The small pellet flew in a totally wrong direction. Rio tilted his head, aimed again and this time the pellet fell down before reaching the target.“Uhm.”“See? It’s useless!” Ramuda complained again and crossed his arms.“This toy just needs some calibrations.” Rio replied while taking a screwdriver from his uniform.“You… you just go around with that in your pocket?”“Hey, what are you doing?” The clerk asked, a clear panic in his voice.The soldier looked him in the eyes. “It seems like somebody tampered with this gun, so I’m fixing it.”“Ah… well…”“No need to thank me, sir.” He interrupted him before putting the screwdriver back in his pocket. He aimed and shot without hesitation. This time the target fell, making a few neon lights go off.“Ohhhh ✩ you did it!” Ramuda cheered and jumped a little around Rio.“But… he…”“I can choose a prize, I think.” The clerk sighed and took the toy gun away from the other customers’ eyes. “That target was the most difficult so you can choose any prize you want.” He pointed to what looked like very expensive electronics.Rio tilted his head again before looking at Ramuda. He then talked to the salesman. “The pink teddy bear.““It’s one of the lowest prizes though.”“Eh?? Just a teddy bear?!” The short young man blinked in confusion.Rio took the plushie from the hands of the clerk and handed it to Ramuda. “You said you were trying to win one of the stuffed animals. This is like you: small and pink.”With his eyes wide open, Ramuda took the gift and observed the soldier. In another situation he would have complained that he was trying to win a lavender bunny, but for once he was out of words. Rio could just have chosen something for himself.He shook his head and pouted. “You forgot to add cute!”Rio, who was already walking away, stopped on his tracks and turned to look at him. He smiled softly. “I have met you on the battlefield, Amemura. You are not that cute.”

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Ichiro had to admit that spending the night at the temple was kind of thrilling. The atmosphere there had a totally different feeling from the one he had found in the city. It was like the place was from a different world.After taking an evening bath, he went back to the big room where their futon had been settled.“Oh, Ichiro! You’re back!” Sasara grinned and got up from his futon. “That means it’s my turn!” The comedian left the room, but Ichiro could still hear him commenting on the temple’s beauty as he walked down the hallway. He glanced at the closed door before approaching the monk, who was still trying to recover from the pillow fight Sasara had started. There was something Ichiro needed to talk about with him.“Ohi, Kuko…”Golden eyes moved to his face. “Are you going to start another battle?” He asked, suspicious.Ichiro shook his head and smiled a little. “No, no… just let me ask you something.”“Yeah, sure.”“Earlier, when you took our spare clothes from the closet, I noticed… I saw that you still have the red bandana from when we were a team.” He admitted. “You kept that..?”He had expected Kuko to at least stop looking at him, but the monk’s stare didn’t budge. “Of course.”“Oh.”“I mean, when I was brainwashed there was a little voice who kept telling me to destroy it, to burn it… but I have never had the strength to do that.” Kuko confessed, getting up from his bed. “And when I woke up, I didn’t see any reason for getting rid of it. We might be opponents now, but our friendship never really ended.”Speechless, Ichiro could just hold Kuko’s stare.“Do you still have yours?” He asked, tilting his head.“Yes. I tried to throw it away too, but… there were too many memories attached to it.” Ichiro replied and lowered his head. “At the time, I also thought that a day where I’d wear it again would come.”“Mh, it might be a little hard to explain to my teammates why we have a matching accessory.” Kuko laughed and turned to go back to his futon, but Ichiro stopped him by his hand. “Ichiro…”“Knowing… knowing that we both still have them is enough for me.” He blurted out.“Still so cheesy.” Kuko chuckled again as he grabbed the front of Ichiro’s kimono. “Some things never change…” He pulled him down to his height and kissed him on the lips. It was all so sudden and fast that Ichiro didn’t even have time to complain about the awkward position. When he finally realized what happened, Kuko was already sitting down on the futon, looking totally innocent.

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“Ichi-nii… are you sure you don’t want me to search for a recipe online?”Ichiro chuckled. “You don’t trust your big brother, Saburo?”“Eh? That’s not what I meant!” Saburo shook his head and hid his phone. “It just looks a little complicated.”“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”After months of studying, the last day of finals had finally come. Ichiro had seen his brother Jiro give his best for weeks without breaks. The actual grades didn’t really matter this time. He just wanted to reward him. That day was a special one and the reward would be special too.Instead of using the instant curry roux as usual, Ichiro had decided to prepare Jiro’s favorite dish following the traditional recipe. It sure looked complicated, as Saburo had mentioned, but Ichiro just knew it by heart. Each step was imprinted in his childhood memories when he would spend hours observing their long gone mother. She would smile at him while announcing aloud what she was going to do, as if he was the audience of her personal cooking show. And now he was doing the same by letting Saburo see what he was adding to the pot.The youngest Yamada brother sighed. “All this work and Jiro won’t probably tell the difference.”“Well, that’s possible.” He laughed again. “But I… You and I will know that this curry is special, made with our care and time.”

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Hitoya stared at the small card in his hands. He read the sentence. He read it again. Who the hell had put something like that in the deck?
Kiss the person to your right.
Hadn’t they agreed not to write anything too weird and embarrassing? “Well, Amaguni? What kind of dare have you drawn?” From his spot on the opposite side of the circle made of teenagers, Nao asked with a wicked smile on his face. Now that Hitoya observed the card more carefully, he recognized Nao’s handwriting. That dumb, idiot, stup-“Is it that bad?” Jakurai’s calm voice startled him and, before he could cover the card, his friend took a good look at the challenge written on it. His eyes widened by only a few millimeters, but his expression remained unchanged. He looked at Hitoya and then at himself. He was the person to Hitoya’s right. “Oh.” was the only thing he said.Hitoya was ready to protest, but the sudden opening of the door interrupted him. One of their teachers entered the room and glared at them.“What are you doing still awake? It’s past curfew!” He raised his voice a little. “You’re in high school! Stop behaving like children!”Between complaints and rumblings, the students reached their beds and Hitoya breathed a sigh of relief. He had never been so happy to see that old teacher. “If I hear a single noise, you’ll be all in detention once we go back home!” The professor announced before closing the door.Minutes then hours passed, but Hitoya wasn’t able to fall asleep. Too many questions and scenarios filled his head. What would have happened if their teacher hadn’t appeared? Would he really have to kiss Jakurai in front of his friends? How would Jakurai have reacted to his kiss…?He sat up slowly and looked at the futon next to his. The pale moonlight entering from one of the windows let him see Jakurai’s figure in the darkness. He was facing away from him, so Hitoya wasn’t sure if his friend was sleeping or not.“Jakurai…” He tried. The reply came in a whisper. “Yes?”“Are you awake?” Hitoya’s silly question earned a small chuckle.Jakurai turned to look at him with a smile. “I think I am.”“Well, I’m pretty sure I’m not a creation of your mind right now.” They both laughed a little, trying to not disturb their classmates. Jakurai was usually the first one to fall asleep in their group, so Hitoya wondered if what happened earlier was distracting him as well. “Uh, it’s the first time I see you having problems sleeping.”Jakurai sat up too and waited a bit before saying anything. “I shouldn’t have drank all that soda before going to bed. The caffeine must still be affecting me.”“Oh, is… is that the reason?” Hitoya couldn’t help but sound kind of disappointed.Jakurai snickered softly. “Were you expecting something else?” “No, I mean…”“What is keeping you awake?” The straightforward question made Hitoya lower his head for once. Jakurai knew him a little too well and, even if he looked distant at times, he understood when something was off. What was he going to say? It’s about that game? That sounded stupid in his own mind.“It’s about the game we played with the others.” He blurted out. It sounded even more stupid when said aloud.“I’m not that surprised.” His friend commented. “Maybe it’s not only the caffeine that is keeping me awake.”“What do you mean?” Hitoya turned completely to face Jakurai.“When I read what was written on the card, I felt curious and… excited. The same way I feel before a race, with adrenaline rushing through my body.” Jakurai admitted. “But then I saw your face and felt guilty.”“G-Guilty…?”Jakurai nodded. “You looked scared, embarrassed and… repulsed by the idea.”“Wait, wait, wait!” He almost forgot to keep his voice low. “I… I wasn’t disgusted or anything like that!”“Oh, you weren’t?” Jakurai looked at him surprised.“No, it’s just… you’ll think I’m childish, but kisses are something private for me.” Hitoya was sure he was blushing. They didn’t usually talk about that kind of stuff. “I didn’t like the idea to give a show in front of the others, even if it was for a stupid game.”“Let me get this right.” Jakurai’s calm tone was back. “Kissing me wouldn’t have been a problem to you.”“No, of course. I mean, you’re my…” All of a sudden, realization hit Hitoya like a punch in the stomach. He had been pissed off by Nao not following the rules. He had been annoyed by the idea of showing something so intimate to his friends. Kissing Jakurai, however, didn’t register as an unpleasant action and that was because…His face was so hot and red it could have been burning for what Hitoya knew.But Jakurai pressed more. “If we had played alone, you wouldn’t have hesitated then?” “I… I don’t think so…”Jakurai looked around the big bedroom that was silent if not for the sound of a few snoring classmates. The light from the window was right behind his back and Hitoya couldn’t see his face clearly. “We are alone now.” He commented as he moved the sheets of his futon away. “We are.” Hitoya whispered. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. He saw Jakurai getting closer, but didn’t move away. “We are not playing anymore though.”“You’re right.” Jakurai whispered against Hitoya’s lips. “We’re not playing anymore.”

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“In that case, why don’t we go find out what happened?” Rei suggested with his distinctive sly smile on his face.Rosho nodded. “It’s the only thing we can do.”“Well, the only thing I will do right now is take a shower. This body reeks of alcohol and I can’t stand it.” Kuko stated, arms crossed against his… Sasara’s chest. “Sensei! Tell me where the bathroom is!”Slightly offended by the rude tone, Rosho glared at him. “How dar-”“Behind that door.” Rei replied instead and pointed to a dark door with a nod of his head.Kuko left the two members of Dotsuitare Hompo to deal with their own hangover and headed straight to the bathroom. He was glad when he found a small cabinet with clean towels inside. Thankfully he woke up in that teacher apartment… he seemed the most responsible of the trio.After turning on the shower faucet, Kuko began to take off Sasara’s colorful clothes. How the hell was the comedian able to move around with such tight pants?! As he let the white shirt fall from his shoulders, he noticed the reflection of that foreign body on the big mirror hanging on the door. Back in the Mad Comic Dialogue era, Kuko remembered that Sasara was the leanest of the group. But, compared to those days, now the monk could see a hint of muscle definition under his skin. The time they tried to train together came to his mind and smiled. Did he start to take care of his body after that? He was feeling kind of proud of his old friend…Suddenly, a sharp pain in the head hit him as he started to feel nauseous. Sasara had spent the previous evening drinking booze with his teammates, so maybe he wasn’t the right person to praise for taking care of his body.He groaned and stepped under the still cold water in the shower. Every single muscle of that body was protesting and silently cursed that clown.

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“Ex-the-fucking-scuse me?” Samatoki almost growled from behind the bars of the cold cell. “I must have heard wrong.”Jyuto showed him a small smile. “Oh, no, you heard right. I can’t let you out today.”“This is not how it works, Jyuto.” “Mh, well, you’re the only one to blame.” The officer sighed. “I’ve asked you to behave for two weeks and what did you do? You picked a fight with a passerby.”“He bumped into me.”Another sigh from Jyuto.“Twice.”“Samatoki…”“And he didn’t apologize!”“Enough.” Jyuto got closer to the cell and lowered his voice. “A deputy chief from the higher-ups will stay in our station for the next few days and he seems eager to find anything suspicious and weird.”“That’s all? Just use your connections and…”“Too risky.” He interrupted him and smiled again. “You have to accept this situation, Samatoki.”“Shit.” The yakuza cursed. “How long will I stay here?”“Three days… a week… I’m not sure.” Jyuto crossed his arms. “Maybe this little holiday will make you understand that you should listen to your teammates’ advice more.”“Don’t push your luck…”“Or what?” The officer snickered. “Right now you better not threaten me… unless you want to spend your entire life here.”“I hate you.”“I love you too.” Jyuto blew him a kiss. “Now I’ll go back to my office.”“I bet everybody is missing you…” Samatoki whispered with a voice full of sarcasm.Jyuto, who was already far from the cell, stopped on his tracks to say something aloud. “The person who usually cooks for our inmates is out sick. I think Rio will be soooo happy to take his place!”“What!!” The yakuza grabbed the metal bars in both anger and fear. “Jyuto! Don’t you dare!!!”“See you later, Samatoki-sama!”“I HATE YOU!”

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Loud music and people shouting were the only things Doppo could hear. From time to time, Hifumi’s laughter would appear in the middle of that chaos, but he wasn’t sure where his roommate was located. The music had become more hectic, more lively, making that great mass of people jump and dance as they continued to drink sake and weird cocktails. All those bodies bumping against each other really reminded him of the morning crowd in the subway. However, that situation was totally different.As the couple swayed slowly, totally ignoring the rhythm of the music, Doppo couldn’t help but feel safer, calmer… relaxed for once. Strong hands on his hips kept him grounded, pulling him against the other hot body every now and then. He sighed and rested his head on Jinpachi’s shoulder. The peppery fragrance he had learned to recognize embraced him as he closed his eyes. Pressed as he was against the other’s chest, he felt Jinpachi’s chuckle more than hear it.“Are you going to fall asleep like this, Doppo?” He asked against his ear.The tired salaryman raised his head a little. “Maybe.”Jinpachi laughed again. “Do you want to sit down?”He shook his head. “I may be strong, but I’m a little tipsy. I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold you up.” Jinpachi explained and Doppo just clung to him tighter.Another giggle. “Weren’t you scared of my face or something a few months ago?”Doppo didn’t answer. He closed his eyes again, ready to let fatigue, booze and relaxation rock him to sleep. No matter what was going to happen, he knew Jinpachi wouldn’t let him fall down.

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“Don’t worry, Jyushi! This method is infallible!” His bandmate Kasei tried to cheer him up as the small group of people climbed the stairs that lead to the temple.How was it possible that he had to try something like that to find his soulmate? It was just not fair.He sighed and eyed the small dragon tattoo adorning his forearm. The rough drawing had accompanied him since his birth, reminding him everyday that someone out there was waiting for him. In the past twenty year though, he had seen friends, relatives and even enemies’ tattoos change from sketches to colorful masterpieces as they met their missing halves. But what about him? Didn’t he deserve to have a happy romantic life? Why couldn’t he have his occasion to be all cuddly with somebody else? He wondered if his soulmate shared the same concerns, if they were searching for Jyushi with the same craving… What if they were on another continent? What if they just gave up and found somebody else just so they wouldn’t feel lonely? The thought terrorized him.Worried for him, his coworkers and bandmates have discussed a lot about what they could do to help and, a few days earlier, one of them brought up a legend about the main Nagoya shrine. There was a hidden Buddha statue near a small pond and rumors said that if one prayed there for their soulmate to reach them, the love of their life would appear before the end of the year.Jyushi was desperate. It was worth a try.His family had often visited the small temple near their neighborhood, so it was the first time Jyushi had the opportunity to see the main shrine in all its splendor. It was a great building surrounded by a little wood. He followed his friends until they reached the pond they had mentioned earlier. He positioned himself in front of the Buddha statue and closed his eyes as they instructed him.“Now, you have to think about your tattoo, envision that dragon in your mind…” Momoko, one of his coworkers, explained.He did that and started to imagine all the things he wanted to do for his soulmate. They would become his muse for sure and they would spend hours singing and playing guitar together…“Jyushi-kun!!! Open your eyes!!!” Excited voices forced him to interrupt his visions and prayer.“Your arm, look!” His blue eyes moved from his friends to his tattoo. The small dragon was getting bigger and more colorful as seconds passed. Green and gold scales appeared and even its eyes started to show a pigmented reddish shade. Before Jyushi could say anything, a loud voice dominated his friends’ cheers.“Aren’t you all a little too old to be so noisy?!” A short figure approached them. “If you have forgotten, you are still in a temple!”Judging from his dark clothes, the young man was a monk… but he didn’t look like the ones Jyushi was used to seeing around the city. Fiery red hair. Multiple piercings. Many studded accessories. Cool, but definitely not a standard monk.“Well?? Aren’t you going to apologize?”His friends started to bow in respect, but Jyushi’s eyes moved on the monk’s exposed arms. They were toned, clearly a product of constant training, but there was something else that caught the singer’s attention. Just above one of those studded bracelets, he saw a tiny tattoo. It represented a cute fluffy bunny and, the more he looked at it, more details and colors appeared. Even from that distance, he could see that the rabbit had his same eye color.No way…He almost pushed his friends out of the way and stopped right in front of the monk.“What do you want, uh?” He asked with an irritated tone.Jyushi took one last glance at the dragon and the rabbit. They were so bright and big now. He could feel tears forming in his eyes. “I… I have finally found you…”“What the hell are you talking about?”“Oh, my… Jyushi-kun! You mean he’s the one?!” One of his bandmates exclaimed.“Look at his tattoo! He has to be!” Kasei cheered.The monk looked at them and then lowered his gaze. His golden eyes widened at the sight of the once colorless bunny. Still sobbing, Jyushi tried his best to find a cool pose to impress his soulmate. He coughed a little before speaking aloud. “Ah, the prophecy has been fulfilled! My endless prayers have finally been heard! Now, my love, let’s…”“Ehr, Jyushi. Your love has run away.”“What…?” The monk wasn’t there anymore. He took the chance to disappear while Jyushi was preparing for his speech. “He didn’t look that enthusiastic…” Momoko murmured.“Maybe he got scared…?”“He looked kind of scary himself…”As his friends chatted, guilt started to fill Jyushi’s heart. Had he been too straightforward? If so, he absolutely had to apologize!After explaining what he wanted to do, Jyushi left the group and began to search for the nameless monk in the big garden of the temple. He was a bit afraid of getting lost, if he had to be honest. Half an hour passed and the young singer thought that maybe he had to come back another day, when he heard the well-known sound of cats meowing. Three cats were resting around a short maple tree with the red haired monk. He was still eyeing his own tattoo, touching the small bunny in a caring way, and it looked like he was blushing. He was so focused that he didn’t notice Jyushi at all.“Uh, hi..?” Jyushi tried as he got closer to the tree. “I… I came here to say I’m sorry about my behaviour. I just got… a little too excited…”The monk glared at him. “You believe in this kind of bullshit?” He said after a long minute.“You… you don’t?”“Tzk, why should I…” The monk tried to hide his face a little and Jyushi tilted his head.“Are you perhaps… embarrassed?”“Don’t talk rubbish!” He protested. “I have never considered the possibility of… this happening. I am taken aback, that’s all.”Never considered the possibility? How was that possible? “I have thought and dreamed about this day since I was a child…” Jyushi sighed, trying not to cry again. “This is ridiculous.” The monk grunted and got up from the ground. “You can’t love a person you know nothing about.”“W-Well, we can change that, right?” Jyushi coughed as he straightened his back. “I’m Aimono Jyushi. I work in a conbini at the moment, but my dream is to break through with my band, ArgoξOrchestra.”The monk just looked at him, unimpressed. “You’re too flashy.”“Uh…”“And too noisy.”“Ah…”“And you cry too easily.”“M-Maybe you’re right…”After taking a deep breath, he spoke once again. “Aimono.”“You can call me Jyushi!”“…Jyushi. You need to stop thinking about love and soulmates and become a stronger person first. I want to offer you my help. As a monk, my father would say this is my resp-”While the other man kept talking about training and meditation, Jyushi’s brain registered only one specific piece of information. “Do… do you want to spend some time with me? To know me better?”“Eh? That’s not what I meant!” The monk looked at him with a shocked face.The vocalist grabbed his hands and smiled. “I will come here everyday if that’s what you want… uh… ”“Kuko.” He finished his sentence without much enthusiasm.“Kuko-san…” He whispered in a dreamy voice. “Just tell me the time and I’ll be here!”“I usually start my training at dawn, but…”“Ah! The first rays of the Sun will witness the start of our intertwined destinies!”“For fuck’s sake…” Kuko touched his own temples, but there was a small smile on his face.A classical melody interrupted Jyushi’s monologue and he started to search for his phone. “My friends are calling.” He stated, clearly disappointed.“You should go, then.”“You’re right, Kuko-san! But worry not: tomorrow we’ll see each other again!” He looked him in the eyes. “I’m so happy I have finally found you.”With that, the singer ran away leaving the still embarrassed monk behind. His happy giggles could be heard in the entire garden of the temple.

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“The secret for a perfect cup of hot cocoa is to use real chocolate.” Ichiro explained as he placed a small pot on the stove. “Those packets you can find at the supermarket might be space-saving, but the taste is nothing like the real thing!”“Ichiro, you sound like a desperate housewife.” Kuko snickered.“You better shut up if you want to have a cup too, sweetie.” He replied and the monk raised his hands in defeat. Ichiro turned his attention back to Jyushi. “So, you’ll see that it’s a very easy process.”It all started when Kuko and the two younger Yamada brothers had demanded Ichiro to make some of his super-special hot chocolate and Jyushi had asked what kind of brand powder he was going to use. After looking at him with an horrified expression, Ichiro had kindly proposed to show him how to prepare it with real chocolate.“First of all, we warm the milk with some cornstarch and wait until we see some small bubbles.” He explained while turning the stove on. “Sometimes I also add cinnamon to the milk, but Saburo is not a big fan of it.”Jyushi nodded as he kept cutting the chocolate bar in small pieces as Ichiro had asked him to do. “What kind of ingredients or spices can I add to it?”“Mh, I recommend vanilla and ginger, but you can also add more things as toppings.”Jyushi tilted his head. “What about coffee?” When he and Kuko would go back to Nagoya, he thought that Hitoya-san would prefer it with some sort of caffeine inside.“Coffee? It might work as a morning drink…Ah!” Ichiro took a whisk out of a drawer and turned the heat off. “Now we can add the chocolate.”Careful not to lose any chocolate chunk on the counter, Jyushi let them fall inside the small pot as Ichiro began to stir the ingredients. He then stopped and looked at the other young man. “Do you want to do it?”Nodding, Jyushi took the whisk and started to stir what was left of the chocolate pieces. He smiled as the hot drink became more and more dense. “Good job, Jyushi!” Ichiro grinned. “Keep going while I take the mugs.”Jyushi blushed a little at the praising, even if he knew that what he was doing was very simple. He wondered if that was how Jiro and Saburo felt everyday with a big brother like Ichiro. Somebody who encouraged them even during small tasks. “Ok, I’ll pour it in the cups. Can you call my brothers in the meantime?” Ichiro asked and Jyushi nodded again.As he was leaving the kitchen, he heard Kuko talk. “Now that Jyushi can make a perfect hot chocolate, I have no more reasons to come here.”The oldest Yamada brother laughed. “I’ll invite just Jyushi, then! So I’ll teach him even more recipes!”

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The door was closed shut, but it wasn’t enough to cover their father’s screams and insults. Samatoki eyed the entrance of the small bedroom as he sat on the bed. On his side, he could feel his sister Nemu trembling.“You don’t need to be afraid.” He told her. “Nothing bad will happen to us.”The little girl sniffled a little, but didn’t respond.The yelling just kept getting louder and louder and he knew he needed to do something to distract Nemu. “Do you want to hear a story?” She nodded and he took a deep breath.“Once upon a time, there was a couple with six daughters. Three of them had dark hair like their father, the other three had blond hair like their mother.” He explained, trying to ignore the screams beyond the door. “One day, though, they discovered they were going to have another baby and, when she was born, they were surprised to see her hair was re-”He interrupted himself to look at his sister and smiled.“White as the snow.”“White? Like ours?” Nemu asked excitedly.“Yes. As she grew up, many strange things started to happen. She was able to fly using brooms, mirrors didn’t show her image… the loner housecat loved her.”“Loner..? Sounds like you.” She giggled. “Can its name be Samatoki?”“Uh… okay.” He chuckled with her. “Well, these phenomena made her older sisters think that she might have been a witch. While they were doing some research about witches, a very bad man heard them and decided to kidnap their baby sister.”“Oh, no!”“He was very evil. He wanted to use her magic to make money.”“So evil…”Samatoki nodded. “The man secretly followed the sisters back home and tried to kidnap the poor girl. But he hadn’t been careful enough, because the cat-”“Samatoki!”He sighed. “Yes, the cat Samatoki saw what he was doing and attacked him! The noise made the entire family hasten. They stopped the bad man and he was arrested.”Nemu looked pensive. “What happened to the girl?”“She studied a lot and became a powerful witch.”“And Samatoki?”“The cat never left her side.”They both took a glance at the door. Their parents’ fight was still on. “Brother…”“Yes?”“Will you protect me? Like the cat in your story?”Samatoki tried his best to smile and hugged her tightly. “I’ll always protect you, Nemu. No matter what will happen to our family… we will always be together.”

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“Dice, you’re as pale as a ghost. Are you okay?” Ramuda asked, tilting his head to the side.“Yeah…”“You are far from convincing.” Gentaro commented before sighing. “This is our third D.R.B. and we won the last one. Don’t tell me you’re still scared…”The gambler shook his head. “I’m not scared, but I have a bad feeling. This week I wasn’t able to win a single bet!”Ramuda giggled. “As if it never happened before!”“I just don’t want this weird misfortune to ruin our battles…”“We don’t need luck to win in the first place!✩”“Don’t say that!!!”Gentaro sighed again, this time in a more dramatic way. “Well, Dice.” He spoke with calm. “You should know what they say: you have to make your own luck sometimes.” The writer got closer to the teammate and placed a hand under his chin. He smiled a little before kissing him softly on the lips.“Ohhhh ✩” The leader of the Division laughed again. “A personal lucky charm, Gentaro?”“Ah, more or less.” He replied as he moved away from the gambler. “Do you want one too?”“Maybe later! But I think Dice needs even more luck!”A wicked grin was the last thing Dice saw before Ramuda grabbed his jacket to make him lower at his height. The pink haired man started to cover the other’s face in fast, velvety kisses. He kissed him on the nose, on the cheeks, on the lips… until Dice had no choice but to respond to that attack as well, bad luck already forgotten.

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Even if it had all been a complicated joke made by Sasara’s staff, Rosho would be lying if he said that he wasn’t still a little shook by what he had experienced. After filming, they all went eating and drinking together and he got distracted, but when he had to go back home… Let’s just say that he was grateful Sasara had offered to walk him home.When their stroll was almost over (Rosho could see his apartment building), the comedian had stopped on his tracks. “Rosho…”“Mh, what?” He turned to look at him.Sasara began to tremble a little. “Have you heard?”Surprised by the question, Rosho got closer to the other man. They were the only ones in the big silent street. “W-What are you talking about?”“Can’t you hear this? Somebody is whispering…” Sasara bent down a little, clutching his head. “It’s… it’s inside my head…”“S-Sasara… are you okay?”“Rosho-sensei.” He talked with a weird deeper voice.Rosho stood frozen. What was happening? Was Sasara possessed by a ghost? For real?“Rosho-sensei….”“S-Sasara…”Suddenly, Sasara raised his head again and showed him a toothy grin. “Rosho-sensei is even cuter when scared!” The comedian’s laughter filled the empty road as Rosho observed him. Then he just turned around to walk towards his apartment at a fast pace.“Sasara, you’re an idiot.” “Oh, c’mon! Wait for me!”

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“I think we’ve got everything…” Jyuto murmured as he reread the short list Rio had sent him that morning.“Good, let’s go then. Sooner we leave, sooner we’re there.”The day before, Rio had been able to catch a wild boar that had tormented him for a few weeks and had invited his teammate to celebrate with a large bowl of stew. As usual, he asked them to buy some ingredients he couldn’t grow himself.The two began to walk in the direction of Jyuto’s car in silence. It was rare for them to be alone like that. They usually were both so busy with their respective jobs and the rap battles… Jyuto slowed his pace more and more until he ended up stopping altogether.The yakuza took notice of that after a few steps and turned to look at him with a surprised face. “What’s wrong?”Jyuto just shook his head. “I was just thinking… isn’t your favorite vintage shop down that street?” He pointed to a quiet alley on the other side of a crossing.“Yes, why?” Samatoki sounded suspicious as usual.“Do you want to go and take a look? Maybe they have new shirts…”Red eyes widened slightly. “What are you talking about, uh?”“Since we’re already here, why not take this opportunity?” Jyuto explained.“Rio is waiting for us.”“Rio didn’t give us a specific time to get there.”The two men looked at each other in silence, ignoring the pedestrians on the busy sidewalk. Jyuto started to regret his proposal.At last, Samatoki showed him a wolfish smile. “Jyuto, are you trying to spend more time with me?” He took a step closer and invaded the officer’s personal space. “Do you want to go on a date with me so badly?”Jyuto scoffed as he pushed away him lightly. Of course Samatoki would make fun of him! Their relationship… was hard to describe. They collaborated at work, they had fun behind closed doors. Nothing more, nothing less. There have been many nights where they had just spent hours holding each other in a reassuring way, trying to find comfort after a particularly tiring and stressful mission. Sometimes Rio would join them too.But dates? They have never talked about those things.“Nevermind. I was trying to be nice for once!”“Ok.” Samatoki grabbed him by his arm before he could walk away. “Let’s go. Since you are the one who invited me, if I find something interesting… you will pay!”The duo spent almost an hour inside the store,but in the end Samatoki found two new shirts to buy. They bickered for a few minutes at the checkout (Jyuto actually wanted to pay for them, Samatoki insisted he was joking earlier) until they settled with Samatoki paying for the more expensive shirt, leaving the cheaper one to the cop. Jyuto was still complaining about that, when Samatoki shushed him.Leaving the store, they had started to walk without a specific destination in mind. Somehow they ended up in a small park where white flowers were still adorning the tall trees, as if they weren’t aware that autumn had already come. Samatoki was smiling calmly at the sight of the flowers and Jyuto was almost surprised to see such a relaxed expression on his face.They watched that small oasis of peace in silence, forgetting about their date, about their jobs, even about Rio’s dinner, until a loud rumble from the sky startled them.Before they could do anything, a heavy rain began pouring down. Already drenched, they ran to find refuge under a passage right in front of the park.A curse escaped Jyuto’s lips as he took off his glasses. Samatoki kept observing the falling rain. The flowers were gone. Their delicate petals were now scattered on the wet asphalt, but also on their clothes and hair.He sighed while searching for his pack of smokes. When he realized the poor cigarettes had been victims of the rain too, he swore loudly.“Wait, let me…” Jyuto fished his own cigarettes out of the pocket of his jacket. They both laughed loudly when only water came out of the small pack.“We better wait for this rain to pass.” The officer commented, crossing his arms. “Spending a few hours in my car with wet clothes doesn’t excite me that much though.”Samatoki looked at him for an instant before speaking. “Isn’t your apartment just a few blocks away?” Jyuto noticed how the yakuza used the same tone he had chosen earlier. “Yes, why?” He asked, playfully.“Don’t you think it would be better if we dry a little? We would risk getting a cold or something otherwise.”“Rio is waiting for us.” Jyuto repeated the words Samatoki had told him.“Rio didn’t give us a specific time to get there.”  In the end they called Rio and explained what happened and the soldier just brought the stew to Jyuto’s apartment instead.

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Celebrations were over and confettis didn’t fall from the sky anymore. The press had left hours earlier, soon followed by the audience as well. The stadium was empty, if not for three men still in front of the stage. They have won, yes, but that didn’t mean the multiple battles hadn’t affected them.Jakurai’s blue eyes observed his teammates. Hifumi looked exhausted for once. Doppo… even more stressed than usual. Their clothes were torn and ruined by the duels they had fought and yet… they both were smiling.“Hey, Sensei!” Hifumi’s happy voice almost startled him. When the doctor looked at him, he saw the man waiting for him with open arms. Slowly, Jakurai approached him and let himself be held in a tight embrace.“Doppochin! Come here too!”Even if he joined them dragging his feet, Doppo’s own hug felt safe and strong. They stood like that for what looked like an eternity. None of them dared to break that embrace, as if that prolonged contact was enough to make them feel invigorated.

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The first time Jyushi had asked them to change the day for their weekly practice, Kuko didn’t think anything of it. Jyushi told his teammates he had to cover the shift of an ill coworker and that explanation was enough for him.As weeks passed and Jyushi’s requests became more frequent, doubt and curiosity began to grow in the monk’s mind. Each time he inquired to have more information, Jyushi would blurt out an excuse with an unsure voice. “Jyushi, have you found a…” Hitoya had asked one day after yet another request. He hesitated for a second, not sure of which word to use, “…partner or something like that?”“Eh? N-no! It’s not that!” Jyushi protested, blushing a little.“You know there are two things that I can’t stand. First: people who lie to me. Second: people who lie without being convincing.” He glared at him while putting on his leather jacket. “We are family, right? You should be honest and tell us the truth.”The young man looked at him with his eyes wide open before dropping his head. “Well… I’ve been taking ballroom dance lessons…”It was Kuko’s turn to be surprised. Hitoya spoke before he could make any comment about that.“Oh, really? That’s cool, Jyushi.” The lawyer seemed sincere. As he searched for his cigarettes, he showed him a small smile. “I attended a dance class for a few months as well when I was in middle school.”Kuko almost giggled. “Wait, what?”“A small family-run dance studio had opened right behind my school and all the mums thought that their kid could be the next dance star. I remember I went there with at least five of my classmates.” Hitoya grimaced at the thought. “The truth was that only one of us had some kind of talent.”From his face, the monk understood instantly who the person in question was.“But, Jyushi, ballroom dancing can be quite… competitive as a sport. Are you sure it’d be okay for you?” Hitoya asked then.Jyushi nodded a little. “I’m not focusing on competitions yet. I’m attending the lessons to improve my stamina and…” He straightened his back a little. “…posture.”“Good choice then, kid.” The lawyer ruffled his hair before saying goodbye to the both of them and leaving the temple.Left to themselves, Kuko and Jyushi finished cleaning and fixing the room they had used to practice in silence. The monk couldn’t stop thinking about Jyushi dancing around a big salon, with rich clothes one and classic music in the background. He knew he loved to dance thanks to their silly moves during Bad Ass Temple performances, so he was sure Jyushi would at least be decent at that. But he needed to see that with his own eyes.“Jyushi.”“Yes, Kuko-san?” He titled his head.“As your guide, I want to be sure these dancing classes are actually useful for your growth.” He declared, crossing his arms. “I will come with you to your next lesson.”“To… dance?”“No, dummy. To observe.”Jyushi looked at him, surprised, but then smiled. “Ok, I have to ask for my teacher’s permission though…” The teacher had enthusiastically replied that having a viewer wouldn’t be a problem so, after an entire week, Kuko found himself sitting on a plastic chair in a small practice room. The long wall covered with mirrors helped the monk observe Jyushi and the other students doing their warm up and stretching exercises. They were all wearing the same black pants with tight t-shirts, but he couldn’t help but focus on Jyushi. His long hair had been braided and then pinned at the neck in a chignon, keeping them out of his face. Seeing both of his blue eyes was kind of… captivating in a sort of way.“Okay. We can start.” The teacher, a middle aged woman with kind eyes, proclaimed after some minutes. “Get closer to your partner. Today we’ll practice the Waltz again.”Jyushi’s partner was a young girl who looked a few years older than him. She was probably the only one tall enough to dance with him. When the two held each other, Kuko had expected Jyushi to blush, but a focused expression appeared on his face instead.Then the music started and the four couples present started to move, but Kuko couldn’t care less about the rest of the students. No, his eyes were glued to Jyushi and his partner.There was not a single sign of hesitation, fear or self-doubt in Jyushi movements. He carried the girl with security and care, as if he was the king of that small ballroom. They spun and swayed in perfect coordination without losing their hold or posture.“So, what do you think?” The teacher asked him suddenly. She had moved next to him while he was busy ogling his teammate. “Can this be useful to our Jyushi-kun?”Kuko nodded slowly. “It’s rare to see him so focused and serious.” Out of his chuunibyou’s moments, at least.“Well, Jyushi-kun is always like that, but today his eyes carry something different” She smiled, knowingly. “Perhaps your presence had awakened a new fire in him.”“A fire..?”Kuko’s amber eyes moved from the woman to Jyushi once again. The couple had stopped in a slow elegant dip with the girl bent backwards a little and, in that moment, Kuko understood what the teacher was talking about. Jyushi and Kuko made eye contact thanks to the mirror since the vocalist wasn’t looking at his partner at all.Fiery blue eyes challenged Kuko to focus his attention only on him and the monk wasn’t the backing down type. Not that he had other choices anyway. Jyushi was so majestic when dancing that it was impossible for him to look away.

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Rio was what people would describe as a man of few words. He usually let his friends talk and vent, turning his ear and offering his own opinion only if asked to. The soldier was sure actions at the right time were more useful anyway.Rio applied this mindset every time somebody would visit him at his camp.His usual guests were Samatoki and Jyuto, who would spend the night bickering and complaining about each other but leaving with the same car between not-so subtle luscious glances.Sometimes the forever tired salary man would appear with the excuse to find a good calm place to fish in peace. He would rant about his bald boss and colleagues for hours (frightening all the fishes) before collapsing against Rio’s shoulder and finally falling asleep.The time he had found an almost naked man trying to steal some meat out of one of his traps… was something new. The stranger looked scared and cold and had started to talk as soon as he spotted Rio.“L-Listen, I didn’t want to mess with your trap… but I’m so hungry and I don’t even know where I am and…”Rio just hailed him to follow him and, when they reached the small encampment, he let the man sit down in front of the campfire.“Oh, man, I was freezing out there…”As he began to talk about debts and delinquents, Rio busied himself with heating up the leftovers of his lunch and finding some clothes for the new guest.“…instead of giving me another chance, they just tied me up…” He continued his story while putting on the hoodie the soldier gave him.Rio observed him for a moment. He was still trembling, so he also gave him a blanket.“…they told me it would be too easy to kill me…”Still trembling. He gave him another blanket, a fleece one this time.“…and I woke up in the middle of the forest with only my briefs on!”He covered his legs with one last blanket and took the leftover curry out of the fire.“…I was afraid a bear or something would come out…”Rio handed him the small portion of food and finally spoke. “You’ll talk later. Now eat.”The stranger didn’t need to be retold and filled his mouth with the rice.

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I see your face, it’s everywhere

I close my eyes, but you’re still there

Reminding me of things we used to do
A long tired breath escaped Hitoya’s lips as he played with his almost empty glass. The bittersweet notes of that song and the alcohol weren’t helping his mood at all. Accepting a case in Shinjuku hadn’t been one of his best choices. He knew that part of Tokyo well enough to walk around without getting lost, but wherever he went giant posters and led screens would show him the known face of an old friend. Could they still be called that? Friends?Far were the times when the two used to spend afternoons playing basketball or reading in silence, when the most important thing was a red number on a final test. The same times when kind smiles and calm words were enough to cool down any sort of argument. The same times when they’d look at each other a second too long and their cheeks would redden a little… He emptied the glass in one last sip and refused the bartender’s offer to refill it.They had both made many mistakes that ruined their friendship but, in retrospect, Hitoya knew that his inferiority complex had played a large role in their distancing. He had taken all the grudge and the pain from the past and poured them in his career, reaching the highest point of satisfaction. But then, when the rap battles had started, all the feelings from his childhood had resurfaced. He had wanted to show him that he wasn’t living in his shadow anymore, that he had changed… but he had lost again and it hurt in the same way a lower grade did back in high school. Has Hitoya really become a different person? Why was he still trying to impress Jakurai? He was too tired to answer those questions or, maybe, he was trying to find one more excuse to avoid them.After paying for his expensive whiskey, the lawyer stood up from the high stool and made a move to leave. He stopped at the entrance to zip his leather jacket up, but his eyes settled on the last thing he expected to see in a luxurious bar in the middle of the night.That wasn’t a billboard, a screen or a hologram. No. Jakurai was really there. 
I wonder what your heart is saying

When you hear a jukebox playing

The song that brings me yesterday and you
An hour had passed since the end of his shift, but he was still driving around the busy city. The doctor was tired, however there was something that made it hard for him to go back home that night.He had lost a patient during the afternoon. The surgery had been successful, without mistakes or doubts, and yet… the young man’s heart had stopped anyway. It happened while they were moving him back to his private room. All the attempts of reviving him had failed and Jakurai, still wearing the bloody gown, had watched helplessly as life disappeared from his eyes.He stopped the van at a red light and sighed loudly.His knowledge, his talent, his skill… everything had been useless. How much did he still need to improve to prevent those things? Or was that proof that even he couldn’t fight against fate?Somebody once told him that, no matter what others would say, he was just a human with limits and flaws. He chuckled remembering those words spoken with venom, those icy eyes burning with resentment. The very same eyes that had glared at him during the last rap tournament.Jakurai sighed once more. He missed those days when they would chat for hours about nothing in particular. Those days when Hitoya’s tenacity would inspire him to work hard as well. Those days when he would spend nights thinking about all those silly and unique things his friend had the courage and ability to do.If he had been more open and honest about his thoughts at the time, if he hadn’t been so worried about what was right and proper to think and say, would their friendship have lasted more? Would they have faced their personal tragedies in a different way?Jakurai shook his head a little. The physical and mental fatigue of that day was making him dwell in the past. He noticed a dim lit bar and, without thinking, he parked right in front of it. He knew alcohol wasn’t good for him (Hifumi-kun had kindly shown him the videos of how bad it affected him), but maybe something light wouldn’t have the same effect. He waited for the quiet song to finish before turning the car off and entering the bar. The warm air invested him as soon as he went beyond the entrance, making him stop to take his coat off. A small movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention and he raised his head slowly.It seemed as if fate had decided to play a little more with him that day. After the initial shock, Hitoya just shrugged. “Jakurai.” He murmured.“Hitoya.” Jakurai sounded surprised for once. “What brings you here in Shinjuku?”“Work, obviously.” The lawyer sighed. “If I had time for a holiday, I wouldn’t be here.”Jakurai just chuckled.“What about you? What are you doing here?” Hitoya asked then.This time the doctor didn’t answer and moved to the bar counter instead. He sat on one of the stools calmly before being approached by the bartender. “I’d like something…”“Alcohol-free.” Hitoya finished his order while sitting down by his side. “And another glass of whiskey for me, thank you.”“Hitoya…”“Listen, this is a nice place. I don’t want you to destroy it in a booze induced rage fit.” The bartender took Hitoya’s money with a worried face before getting to work.“Last time we met in a bar like this, it didn’t end well.” Jakurai commented with a sad smile. “Are you sure you want to join me?”Hitoya chuckled bitterly. “We might not be friends anymore, but it would be cruel for me to leave you here when something is clearly wrong.”Hesitation filled Jakurai’s chest. Was it right for him to talk about what had happened? “It has been a long day at work.”“Uh, really?” The lawyer thanked the bartender as he placed two glasses in front of them. “Let me tell you this. Alcohol is not the answer.”“And yet…” He pointed to the glass half-full with whiskey.Frowning, Hitoya turned to look at him. “Always so clever, huh?”“…am I?” The question came out in a whisper as Jakurai took a sip of his own drink. The taste of black teas and spices lingered on his tongue.“What happened?” Hitoya asked and the doctor really wanted to talk about that, about the thoughts he had while driving… but at the same time it was the last thing he wanted to do. He had no right to complain about something unfortunately so normal in his field. He had no right to keep bringing old memories up.So he just smiled in his usual kind way. “As I said, it has been a long day. Nothing happened. I apologize if I made you worry.”Different emotions appeared on Hitoya’s face, but in the end he just looked furious. “This is still your problem, Jakurai. You can’t expect people to understand you if you don’t talk.” He huffed. “And you should know by now that if you hide something, it won’t disappear.”“…”“What the hell am I doing here…” Hitoya murmured to himself in disbelief. He chugged the rest of his whiskey, but a hand placed right on his thigh stopped him before he could get up. “What?”“Hitoya.” He hesitated again for just an instant. “Please.”The small pleading shocked the lawyer. He did not expect that. He was ready to tease Jakurai a little, but when he looked at him in the face, words got stuck in his throat. For the first time in decades of acquaintance, he saw despair and helplessness in Jakurai’s eyes. He hated that sight.“Ok, fine!” He sighed while looking at his empty glass. “I didn’t even savor it…”Jakurai chuckled. “I’ll pay for another one.”“That is the least you can do.” Hitoya replied. When Jakurai tried to move his hand away from his leg, he held it there. They looked at each other again and, after some long seconds, Hitoya posed the same question as before. “What happened?”Jakurai took a deep breath before finally beginning to talk. “A few weeks ago, I met a new patient…”

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“I don’t think this is appropriate…”“Shut up, bunny cop!” Samatoki almost growled as Rio handed him his portion of curry. “Samatoki, we are having lunch in the middle of a parking lot.” The officer eyed his teammate’s camping stove with wariness.“And whose fault is that?” Samatoki grimaced. “You’re the one who forced Rio to come here because you were too busy to attend his Curry Friday.”“I didn’t force anyone…”“He’s right, Samatoki. I’ve come to my own volition.” Rio nodded slowly. “I didn’t want to waste all the food I’ve already made.”“I understand, Rio, but…”And there they were. Rio’s pleading eyes. Without saying a word, he had the power to make the other members of MTC do whatever he wanted. Jyuto knew it wasn’t intentional, but it was starting to become a problem.“Uh…okay.” He murmured as he accepted his food as well. “But let’s make this quick!”Rio smiled like a kid on Christmas morning. “Yes, sir!”

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It had been a lovely evening. A stroll around the neighborhood followed by a quiet dinner at home. Doppo had been relieved when none of his fears had turned into reality. That night Rio was going to stay over for the first time and Doppo had worried about that for the entire week. He knew the soldier wasn’t really fond of the big noisy city and he had been afraid to feel some sort of tension or anxiety in his partner. However, Rio had surprised him. He had never lost his composure, always talking with a kind tone and smiling softly at Doppo.Again, Doppo was extremely relieved.Rio had insisted on being the one to do the dishes, admitting to feel a little useless if he couldn’t help in some sort of way. So, Doppo let him do as he pleased while he prepared the infusion Rio had given him (a combination of chamomile, lemon balm and lavender that he had collected himself). Between small chats and tender caresses, the time to go to bed came quickly and they agreed that maybe they should have called it a night.Doppo spent some time in the bathroom to deal with his contact lenses and he was ready to apologize when he came back to the living room, but then he saw Rio in front of the window and totally forgot what he was going to say. He was standing there with only a pair of sweatpants on, looking outside the clear glass. “The view here is different.” He explained and pointed to the night sky. “You cannot see the stars.”He sounded a little disappointed and Doppo joined him. “Yeah, I know. It’s not that good.” He commented with a small yawn.Rio moved his arm around Doppo’s waist, bringing him closer. “Now it’s better though.”They stared at the dark sky and the city light until tiredness prevailed. Doppo hadn’t felt that relaxed in ages. He knew that in just two days he would have to face his bald boss again. He knew that his work stress and daily exhausting routine were waiting for him, but he couldn’t care less about those things at the moment.Rio’s head was on his chest. His soft breathing was the only sound in the room. He could feel the warmth of the soldier’s skin through his thin pajamas.As he stroked short red hair, he wished he could just stay like that forever.

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Moving around in the darkness wasn’t something that Jyushi found easy to do, but he had no choice. It was almost 2 a.m. and obviously his parents were already sleeping in peace. They had to wake up early in the morning, so Jyushi didn’t want to risk waking them up with unnecessary lights or noises.When he finally reached his bedroom, he let out a small breath of relief. The first thing he did was hug Amanda, who had waited for him to return with patience. She deserved some cuddles!As Jyushi took his special costume off, he still felt the adrenaline of that night’s live performance. Bad Ass Temple had been amazing as usual, but that night had been different… in a good way.It might have had something to do with the clothes he had carefully handcrafted for all of them and the approving comments of both Kuko and Hitoya. Or maybe, the songs and the small choreographies they prepared had infused him with strength and even more confidence. Or maybe, the cheers of the audience had been noisier than usual. Or maybe… the way Kuko had kissed him hard while they were waiting for Hitoya to change, not caring about the makeup they were still wearing or about the people backstage.It was probably a mix of all those things that was making his heart pound so much.After taking all the smudged makeup off and putting his pajamas on, Jyushi tried to go to sleep, but he was unable to calm down in any way. With a sigh, he got up and walked to his desk. He took a small black book, adorned with small purple and red roses, and opened it to a blank page. Maybe writing down what happened during that exciting day would help him somehow. So, pen in hand and Amanda to his side, Jyushi started to report every single thing he had felt and lived in the previous hours. Without noticing, he slowly laid his head on the desk and closed his tired eyes.

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“Thank you again for watching this special Halloween episode of NuruSara’s Bizarre Adventures!” Sasara’s cheerful voice echoed in the studio. “I witch you all a scary and funny Halloween!!!”The comedian waved at the camera until the director stopped the filming. “Good job, everyone!”The entire staff clapped and cheered as a few assistants ran to help Sasara with his pumpkin costume.“Uh, I’d actually like to borrow this for tonight!” He said with a smile. “I’ll go to a private party and I didn’t have time to think about a costume!”One of the assistants looked at him with a surprised face. “Nurude-san… Are you sure? It’s a little over the top…”“What do you mean? I look gourd-geous!” Sasara laughed, pointing to the pumpkin hat he was wearing.After the usual greetings and thanks to the guest of that live episode, Sasara left the studio alone. Osaka was decorated in Halloween themed slogans, lights and images. Even if it was still early in the evening, there were already partygoers in flashy costumes around so his pumpkin-self didn’t stand out too much. The colors, the laughter and the general mood of Halloween were something Sasara enjoyed a lot. When he was younger, he used to hate the festivity. Everyone had always forgotten to celebrate his birthday because of Halloween and, at the time, it had become a personal grudge. As years passed though, he understood that Halloween was a good occasion to make others happy with jokes and cool costumes so… he might have started to forget about his birthday too. It wasn’t that important, was it?(The last time he had actually celebrated his birthday was during that crazy period with Samatoki. The yakuza kid had gotten so mad when he discovered that Sasara had just forgotten to tell him about his birthday a few weeks earlier. He had forced the comedian to pay for his, Kuko’s and Ichiro’s dinner as a punishment, but they surprised him with a few gifts too.)He took a look at his phone. It was still too early for the Dotsuitare Dinner to Rosho’s apartment, but… it wouldn’t be the first time he entered the house with his own keys anyway. With a sigh, he headed to the Tsutsujimori household. As he predicted, the apartment was empty. Rosho was probably out picking some groceries. He took a cold beer out of the fridge and sat down on the floor. Sasara had no idea how much time had passed since he had started to watch a funny foreign movie on tv. He heard a few voices outside the main door and stood up. Even though they were muffled, he recognized Rei’s deep timbre and Rosho’s tired tone. When the teacher finally opened the door, he seemed surprised to see Sasara there.“S-Sasara? What are you doing here?”“Well, I got off work early and thought I could help you with cooking our dinner!” He bowed a little. “This humble pumpkin is at your service!”He expected a joke, an irritated comment or just… something, but Rosho didn’t say a single word. Only Rei snickered a little. Sasara looked up and observed the two. They weren’t wearing costumes or creepy makeup. The conman was carrying a box that looked like it contained a cake. Rosho had a few colorful packages in his hands.“Oh, guys…” He started with a small smile. “Is it Christmas already?”“No, you dumbass! You just… we wanted to surprise you for your birthday!” Rosho sighed and left all the boxes on the low table. “That’s why I asked you to come by at a specific time!”“Ah.” Sasara felt his cheeks burn a little and tried to hide the big smile that appeared on his face. “Maybe… I can come back later?”“Shut up.” Rosho glared at him before smiling softly. “Happy birthday, Sasara.”“Happy birthday.” Rei chuckled again. “Where should I put the cake, Sensei?”“Cake? Can I see it??” The comedian jumped excitedly around Rei.“It’s a Melon Sponge Cake and… no, you can’t!” Rosho scolded him and tried to stop him. “You will have to wait after dinner!”“B-but… it’s my birthday…” Sasara murmured, pretending to cry.Rei’s thunderous laughter rumbled in the small apartment. “Sorry, Sasara, it’s hard to take you seriously with that costume.”“It’s hard to take him seriously in general!”“Hey, I’m the birthday pumpkin-boy! You should trick or treat me better!”“You’ve ghost to be kidding me. Your Halloween puns are so bad.”As the two exchanged equally awful jokes, Rei left the cake in the kitchen and took a beer for himself. He looked at the duo, smiling. “Dinner and show for free? What a deal.”