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Dear Kazutora,

It's good to see that you're doing good in juvie, I guess. I don't know man it does sound boring being there but if you find it relaxing, being away from your dad and all that's cool. Make the most of it as long as you can, but do me the favor and get your ass out of there soon.
I had a dream last night that you got out of juvie. We were beating up some idiots and then we went out for ice cream. It was nice. We will definitely do that again when you get out.
I've been running this stupid fever for two days now and I'm bored. I wanna go out but mom is not letting me. I can't go outside and head out with the gang, but at least I am catching up with my mangas so it kills my boredom. I was in the middle of reading one with some superheroes in spaceships, but I thought about you and now I am under the covers writing this letter. Hope you don't catch my sickness by holding this paper or see random snot spots. >:) Yeah I have a runny nose too.
Today Y/n called again and she got so worried when I told her I had a fever. Jeez. She kept telling me to check my temperature often, drink water and blah blah blah. She is really acting like my mom and constantly telling me to eat well and all that bullshit. She tells me the exact same things as my mom does it's crazy. Those two are acting as if it's the end of the world for me if I forget to take my medicine or not drink a bit of water and all that.
Honestly, it feels nice. For some reason she makes me feel a bit funny. She really wants to look after me and whenever I get a text or a call from her it makes my heart beat faster. Not in a bad way, I think I just feel a bit excited. Because obviously she is away in another country and it's nice to listen to her news and make sure that she is doing okay and she is safe. It's relieving that she hasn't forgotten about me or stopped caring, so no matter how much of a yapper she can be it makes me feel warm and giddy in my chest. I don't even know if that's the word for this case, but it makes me feel funny and I have this stupid smile on my face. Also, remember when I told you about the cat plushy I won for her and she named it Baji Junior? She told me she would take care of it well and cuddle with it so I would magically heal faster. I can't explain this, but I felt my heart beat weird and my chest and stomach got these weird butterfly things again when she said this. I'm feeling warm suddenly, it's either that my temperature is rising or she is hugging Baji Junior. Maybe both.

Don't you fucking dare tease me about this, asshole. I can see you smiling like a dumbass.

She is definitely doing some weird voodoo shit with the plushy. I knew I should not have gotten it for her cause now she is using her powers on it and she makes me feel weird. But in a nice way if that makes sense. It's just weird and I have no idea what to do with those weird feelings, I can't control them. I keep ignoring them to make them go away but they get stronger. Do you think I should ask my mom? Usually moms know the remedies of everything, maybe she will know what is wrong with me and will help me fix whatever problem I have. But maybe not. Cause what I am feeling is nice and I experience those happy and exciting things when I talk to Y/n and spend time with her. Even now that I am thinking and writing about her I still feel that. So I don't think I want to get rid of the feelings, I just have no idea what I should do with them. Do you ever get those feelings too, Kazutora?
I miss her already. She has been away for a while now, maybe two years more or less. She still has another two until she comes back, I think. When will those years pass? Until then you will have already gotten out of juvie. We will be so old by then. I still hope she will continue talking to me and remember me. I feel like she will. I really want to introduce you to her. I have a feeling you will like her a lot. It's just that the more time is passing and the more I think about her without speaking to her, sometimes I just get a bit sad and 'melancholic', if that's the word. Thinking about her and her not being here is painful. It just feels so different than what I have felt with others. Spending time with everyone is fun as hell but I miss the times it would be the two of us spending time together outside or at home, just being two idiots, playing video games at home or at the arcade, going on motorcycle rides or for walks, eating, exploring and all that shit. Mom loves her a lot. She gets so excited when she would come home and mom would always tease me. It makes me react in a weird and annoyed way but I just feel very funny inside and it kind of makes me want to smile when mom teases me and when anyone calls Y/n my 'girlfriend'. The feelings get stronger whenever this happens and my heart is beating fast. It is getting hard to breathe and my face feels hot and suddenly it feels like everybody is staring at me and they all know something is wrong with me. I think I am acting like a weirdo.
She is an easygoing person and she would surely warm up to you quick just as you would to her. She's nice. But she's an idiot for leaving us behind for these few years. I hope that things will be the same when we meet again. I feel kinda nervous and I don't know why.
But you're an idiot too, Kazutora. You are also away so make sure those two years in juvie pass quickly. I missed you too dumbass. I am not allowed to pay visits in juvie where you are. You guys love torturing me, first Y/n leaves for four years and now you for two years. Even if two is less than four it still sucks. Y/n has already been away for two years. You guys will probably both be returning around the same period so it's nice. I want to catch up with you both. It would be cool if we hung out the three of us. And we can bring Chifuyu along, too.

Now that I noticed I wrote so much in this letter. I can barely finish a paragraph when it comes to essays in school, but somehow I can write whole packs of papers when I write letters to you. It's more interesting cause I write whatever the hell I want and I can swear as much as I want.
Well it was your fault for telling me to tell you more about Y/n so there you have it. I don't care if you got a headache reading all this. My entire hand hurts by writing this so you better read all of it. Just don't dare start teasing me about this whole thing or say that I like Y/n romantically just like it happens in those types of mangas and movies. She is just a friend! I've known her for years ever since we were children. So what if I feel those similar feelings that the characters in stories do when they see their romantic interests literally existing, talking, smiling or even walking or eating? I definitely don't like Y/n like that. And neither does she like me back either. She is just very nice and her company is extremely relaxing and freeing that it makes me feel alive and calm and she has some weird effects on me, nothing more.
Mom prepared food so I gotta eat and take my medicine. After that I will continue my manga and then try to go to sleep. This fever is making me feel tired and I have to stop overthinking and writing. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better and I won't have a fever anymore. I have so much pent up energy I want to unleash it tomorrow on something or someone. Send me a letter soon to tell me what's up. Take care of yourself, okay? Don't stress out about things. Also send my greetings to Kensho.

Baji Keisuke

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"Eggs, check..." I mumbled, my gaze traveling lower on the small piece of paper. "Lettuce, check... Cheese, check. Milk, check. Butter, check." I kept on mumbling under my breath as my eyes would travel between the little shopping list Harry gave to me and the red basket I was holding with the other arm, making sure that I had put everything I needed. "Snack bars...." I noticed that the last thing written on the list was not in my basket. "Alright, snack bars..." I whispered and lifted my head from the paper and stuffed it inside my pocket, looking around the market and walking around to find where the snack section was.

Eventually, I found them along with the cereal section among other things and I started looking at a specific brand, ignoring the unneeded ones. My face scrunched a bit once I noticed them, but there were only a few boxes left and they were placed in a higher shelf from behind.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I gently placed the basket on the ground next to me and stood on my toes in an attempt to reach the shelf better. I raised my arm and tried to reach for the box. It was just a few inches away from my fingers, but I was still struggling to even touch it. I tried stepping closer, but I was afraid of accidentally knocking stuff down.

I exhaled deeply and stood back, stretching my arms and taking another breath, before trying again. I kept trying to reach it but to no avail.

I sighed in frustration and pulled back, glaring up at the box and crossed my arms, looking around.

Maybe I should just stick to another brand this time...

The store was empty on the most part. There were barely any other customers in it, so the slow, loud footsteps walking towards the section I was in were heard clearly.

I instictively turned behind me to notice a very, very tall man on the other side of the shelves. His appearance caught my attention, cause he did not look like an everyday person. In fact, he was wearing a low red jacket, uniform or... whatever it was. He had black boots and on the back of his red jacket were two big black letters, 'BD', along with a few symbols and strokes. His hair was long and dyed in dark blue and white-greyish streaks, falling on his back and his shoulders a bit.

Curiosity was getting the best of me and I just remained there staring for a bit. I shook my head, not wanting to be rude and turn back to my own things, but unfortunately for me, I was not quick enough. The man sharply turned his head sideways and noticed me staring.

I felt a bit cold for a moment and my heart stopped, feeling my ears a bit static for a single second once the man's angry, fierce amber eye stared right through my soul. He had a frown on his face, eyebrow angry and his lips turned upside down.

My shoulders tensed and I held my breath. I wanted to turn my head and face away from him so we would not have any trouble, but it was as if his gaze was keeping me locked. So I was standing there, petrified and staring at him like an idiot. I was sure my face was either going paler or getting redder the more we stared at each other.

He narrowed his gaze and slowly turned his entire body to face me, his head raised a bit higher, giving me a clear look of his whole face. He was terrifying as hell.

I was feeling very uncomfortable and he gave some very dangerous and eerie vibes. Something about him told me that he did not mean good news. I was afraid that he felt some kind of irritation or offended by my staring.

Before he could speak or do anything, I needed to make sure to fix the situation. "Um," I swallowed hard, trying my best to keep my shit and voce together. "Excuse me- sorry to bother you," I started speaking politely, looking up at him in his eyes. I pointed towards the snack box up in the shelf. "I- uh... I can't reach that." I said quietly and took notice of how his gaze or posture did not change in the slightest. "Could you help me?" I asked, feeling my voice get a bit higher and softer in pitch, trying to make myself sound kind and show that I had no wish to offend him. "Please?" Hopefully, he'd think that I was staring cause I needed his help. After all, he was very tall so he could definitely help me. Well, if he wanted. If he didn't, it would be cool, as long as he did not do anything.

"...." The man did not speak at all and kept glaring down at me. His lowered gaze shifted towards the snack box I pointed. With slow steps, he started moving close to my shelf. I held my breath and took two steps back, giving him space but also keeping a bit of distance. I watched him by the side as he walked, all tall and proud, his hair flying on the back and the sound of his boots making noise with each step.

He raised his black gloved hand and grabbed the box I had been struggling with ease and handed it to me. I slowly took the box with my own two hands, making sure not to touch his hand. I gave him a smile, hoping it did not look forced or awkward. "Thank you."

The man stared at me for longer than he probably intended, before he really slowly turned his back on me and walked away, not telling me a word.

The moment his footsteps faded away, I let a very silent yet deep breath I didn't know what I was holding. I looked down at the snack box and smiled a bit and quickly put it on the basket, before picking it up.

That man sure as hell looked terrifying. But hey, either way, he did help me out and did not do anything to me.

That had me feeling guilty, cause it felt as if I was easily accusing people of being dangerous just because of their looks. Although, it was not my fault that he looked like he wanted to kill me.

Satisfied with the products I had in my basket, I turned my heel and made my way to the cashier to pay for my stuff. I greeted the cashier in a friendly manner and once I paid, I took the receipt and started putting the products inside the bag I was given slowly.

"Woaahhh, it's Y/n!"

I raised my head upwards and started looking around me, to see who that high and upbeat voice belonged to. "Oh!" My eyes widened as I noticed two very familiar people.

"Hey hey, remember me? It's Smiley." The orange haired boy grinned at me with his natural closed eye smile, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Smiley and Angry? From Toman, H/n's friends." Smiley explained and pointed at his younger twin brother on his back, the fluffy light blue haired boy, whose eyes were also naturally wide and blue. For a moment I was surprised to see how angry he looked, but I quickly remembered the two brothers and how this 'Angry' guy always looked like this. "It's great to see you again!" Angry replied a bit loudly.

"Oh, hi- hey guys!" I greeted back, holding my bag. "How have you two been? It's been a while." These two barely changed. They were the same as I remembered them, even though we had only hung out once in the past back at the arcade and the restaurant. And that's when I remembered that Smiley was the guy I recognized when I saw him in Toman, but could not remember where it was from.

"We're hanging out with your bro," Smiley spoke. "Wanna come? He's waiting for us."

"You're inviting me?" I questioned pointing to myself and blinking. He grinned and nodded. "Right, Angry?" He elbowed his brother gently, shooting him a smile. "We wouldn't mind her company. Plus, she was one of the people who saved Draken! Pretty admirable, right?" Angry tensed up, his eyes widening and he nodded fiercely, gritting his teeth. "Y-Yeah!" "So?" Smiley asked, tilting his head slightly towards me. "What do you say?"

I looked at the two of them and then my grocery bag. They noticed it too and spoke before I did. "It's fine, we can carry the bag with us. Plus, we're with our motorcycles."

I thought about it. I did recall H/n saying to our dads that he would hang out with 'the brothers' while I was in my room but did not pay attention to him, so the brothers were right. And since H/n would be with us and those two were in Toman, I could definitely trust them.

"Alright," I nodded. "I just need to inform my parents and let them know about this." I said and took my phone, dialing Harry's number to let them know I would be outside, so they would not worry about my absence.

The brothers patiently waited for me as I held the phone on my ear and quietly waited, until my dad picked up the phone. "Hey sweetheart, everything okay?" "Hey dad," I looked at the brothers as I spoke. "I got what you needed from the market. Just letting you know I will hang out with H/n, Smiley and Angry, so don't start panicking if I don't return home soon."

"Oh that's great!" Harry said with a sweet tone. "I hope you guys have fun- wait, Yuri- HEY-?!" I pulled the phone a bit away from my ear, cringing at the sudden change in tone.

It was not difficult to understand that Yuri had snatched the phone from Harry's hold. "Put the phone on speaker." Yuri told me. "Uh.... alright." I said quietly and did as he said.

"Hey, you hear me, boys?" Yuri spoke in a monotonous voice. "Yup, we do!" Smile replied with no hesitation. Angry looked tense at the sound of Yuri's voice.

"Listen here-" Yuri began speaking in a more threatening voice. "You take care of her wherever you idiots go. And be careful with your dumb motorcycles, I expect my daughter to be back safe and all in one peace, or I'll come kill both of you. Got it?" My eye twitched and my shoulders slouched at Yuri's friendly words to the two brothers.

Angry seemed tense and on guard, sweating a bit. "Um- y-ye-yes-!" He sounded nervous as he tried to speak, but on the other side, Smiley spoke louder, smiling and looking completely unaffected by my dad's warning. Smiley even gave a salute, even though he was not seen. "Yes, sir, don't worry! It's all under our control." He spoke proudly and playfully.

"Good." Yuri's voice was threatening. Then, it softened and quietened as he spoke to me now. "Be safe, kid."

"I will~" I smiled. "Bye now." Then, I hung up. Angry let out a loud exhale. Smiley grinned and wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders. "Gee, always scared of mister Yuri!" Angry blushed and looked away. "Shuddup!"

"Oh, you guys... know each other?" I asked cluelessly. "Yeah, your parents and we know each other." Smiley grinned. "We two would visit your house often to play videogames with your bro while you were away. Your parents are used to us. Angry is a bit scared of mister Yuri." "He's-He's a bit scary and mean, okay?!" Angry blushed and looked away. Smiley grinned and looked at his brother and then at me. "He sure as hell is protective of you. He was always quiet and strange, but the moment he heard you're going with us he went full on protective dad mode! He definitely has a soft spot on you!"

I blushed at Smiley's words and I looked away, pushing some strands of my hair behind my ear. "Yeah- um, sure, let's go now..." I said.

"Um, hey Y/n...." Angry suddenly said, looking down at his feet and scratching the back of his head. "You- You can let me hold your bag if you want to..." He flushed. "Y-You know, if it's heavy!" "Hehehe!" Smiley pinched his brother's cheek. "Look at my little brother, being such a gentleman! ♡" Angry pushed his hand away, blushing. "Hey, I-" He stuttered. "It's a nice gesture! I don't want to let a lady carry heavy stuff!" Then he looked overmy way and then away again, his voice quietening. "Not like I am underestimating you or considering you weak, I just...."

"It's fine, I know." I smiled gently at him and handed him my bag. "You're doing this out of kindness. And I appreciate that." I gave him a warm smile.

The bag I was carrying was definitely not that heavy for me to carry. But I understood that Angry was just meaning to be nice. Plus, he was very cute and shy, I did not want to make him feel worse or awkward in any way. I wanted to help him relax. So I accepted his kind gesture and allowed him to hold my bag.

Angry locked his eyes with me, glinting a bit as his lips were a bit parted. He looked so adorable, my heart- "Y-Yes!" He said quickly and took my bag in his hand and he took a determined look. Angry was trying his best to ignore the looks and grins his brother was giving at him, but he did not say anything else.

The three of us exited the store now, me holding onto the bag of groceries while Smiley walked by Angry's side, having his arm wrapped around his neck.

I never noticed the lingering gaze of two golden eyes following my silhouette as I exited the store.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked. "Your brother is probably waiting at the arcade. We're going there to play and we'll go for food afterwards." Smiley said and we reached the two motorcycles.

I paused as I saw the two mounting their bikes and Angry hanging and securing the bag of groceries tightly and carefully on his motorcycle. Both held onto their handlers and Smiley pointed his chin slightly behind towards his cyan haired brother. "Get on his back." He motioned with a smile. I nodded and walked towards Angry who stared at me with his usual widen eyes and gritting teeth. His face looked like he wanted to rip your guts out, however... "Get on carefully. You should hold me tight so you won't fall." He was actually a very caring sweetheart who wanted to make sure everybody was okay.

I slowly got on the back of the motorcycle and wrapped my arms around him a bit reluctantly, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He blushed as I did that.

Smiley started driving with Angry and I following behind. Angry wanted to make sure that he was driving carefully with another passenger. Then, without warning, Smiley accelerated and started going with a very high speed, almost leaving us behind. Angry tensed up. "Brother!" He called out and picked the speed a bit too, making me try to keep balance and hold onto him tighter. Smiley grinned as he looked back at us who were slowly catching up to him. People walking around in the street were most likely staring at us passing by.

It took us less than two minutes to arrive at the arcade, thanks to the short distance as well as the speed of the motorcycles. My brother was standing against a wall with his phone out. The familiar, to my brother, rumbling of the motorcycles had definitely notified H/n, causing him to raise his face from his phone and look our way. His gaze lingered on me for a few seconds, processing the fact that for some reason I was along with the two brothers.

We dismounted the motorcycles carefully and Angry took a hold of my grocery bag and we approached my brother. "H/n, we found your sister on our way," Smiley called out with a grin and a high wave. "She was fighting some deliquents like a badass and we came for assistance." Angry and I looked at Smiley in disbelief and we shared a 'what the fuck is he saying' look. "She kicked the ass of 100 idiots all in one punch-" "Yeah sure," H/n spoke, rolling his eyes at Smiley before giving me a playful light slap on the back of my head. "Good job, sis." H/n went along Smiley's joke, before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and we walked inside the arcade.

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The four of us would occasionally switch games and take turns playing. Most of these games would either be single player mode or one versus another. It was a shame in my opinion that we could not play any four player games, but the game options were a lot and we found ways to have fun.

At first I was feeling a bit self conscious. It had been a very long time since I played in an arcade and my brother and his friends would play often, so they were not experienced. I was afraid of messing up. And I did make mistakes and lose many times, but instead of being underestimated, looked down on or being mocked, my brother, Smiley and Angry would guide me. Especially Angry, who seemed to be the best player. He would be showing me the buttons and giving me tips and grinning, especially when I would play against my brother. It was very fun.

I was playing against Angry and we were laughing. I took notice of the fact that even Angry was laughing and he had the look of an excited child on his face. Apparently, the irritated expression was his normal expression despite anything he felt, but I did get a glimpse of how his face seemed to soften and how he laughed and smiled.

My heart jumped when he turned his wide cyan eyes from the screen and locked them with mine. Both of us flushed and we looked back at our screens. I could tell my face was a bit heated up and I suddenly lost the courage to glance at him again. On his part, it was a good thing because that meant that I would not see his own blush.

Behind us, Smiley and Angry were engaging in a more serious conversation. Even through the loud noises of the people in the arcade and the machines and aggressive taps of the buttons and screens, their conversation was concerning about the Moebius fight and basically what happened.

"I swear, once I see that tall asshole I'm gonna fucking break his face," My brother growled quietly, scratching the bridge of his nose, the other hand in his pocket as he spoke to Angry. "I want nothing but to wipe that stupid ass smile of his face and shut his annoying voice off and shove that stupid earring down his throat."

My heart dropped at my brother's words because I knew exactly who he was talking about.

"He literally appeared out of nowhere and made everyone's lives harder back there. You saw the way he looked at Y/n? That asshole had the audacity to blame me for her being there and pretend the gentleman or some shit? Suck my ass. And I know he is plotting something. I have a feeling it won't be the last time we see this fucker." H/n scoffed and spoke in a low tone, most likely not wanting to be heard to anyone else other than Smiley. His closed eye friend snickered and aggressively rubbed my brother's head with his fist. "Our H/n is becoming a big man now, talking big words and being all angry at enemies. That's so unlike of you. But good luck trying to do all that. Even if even Mikey struggled with that Hanma guy."

It felt as if I was loosing focus on the game, but the feeling of Angry staring at me with a blank face took my attention away from the two speaking behind us. "Are you okay? Do you need a break?" Angry asked me and then took a look at my grocery back and handed it to me. "Here, you might want to eat something." He said. "Oh, it's okay!" I smiled at him and put my hand on top of his. His hand was so warm. "I'm fine, just- lost a bit of focus..." I said, not listening to H/n and Smiley's conversation about my brother's hate towards Hanma anymore.

Angry looked at me with side soft eyes and a little blush. He nodded slightly and we just stared at each other, forgetting about the game.

"Move-" Smiley demanded with his usual smile and pushed Angry and I away from the machines. "Our turn now!" He said like a child and H/n and he took over our spots, starting a new round and fighting each other like maniacs.

I stared at the playful look on my brother's face as he said things to trigger the orange haired boy next to him.

I definitely understood why H/n already held such strong negative feelings towards Hanma. Obviously, those two were enemies and any enemy showing any attention towards me would not go unnoticed by my brother. And Hanma really did show off some very weird and crazy vibes.

The more I stared at my brother's eyes, the heavier the guilt on my shoulders was pulling me and my mood down and the more anxious I was getting. My brother wanted to protect me and keep me away from danger and enemies. But he didn't know anything about Hanma and I.

There was no way my brother would hate me if he ever found out though, right?

No, of course he wouldn't. But he would be so mad. It was unlike my brother to lose his temper easily, but he already held a strong distaste against the tall smoker with just the first impression.

I loved my brother and I trusted him. He was my other half and I could always open up to him and speak to him about my problems and feelings. He was always there to guide and support me.

But even if I wanted to tell him- Even if I wanted to tell him that Hanma wasn't actually so bad, even if I wanted to tell him that I actually knew Hanma for a long time and that I even housed him and gave him our food and the warmth of our house and my room-

I couldn't. From the bottom of my heart, I liked Hanma. I believed he was very misunderstood and he was forced to follow the deliquent world and criminal acts because he didn't have any support or family in the first place.

There was no way my brother would accept any of these words or excuses. For him, Hanma was an enemy to Toman, enemy to him and an enemy and danger to me. From the first impression, if I told him that I knew Hanma and that he visited me in my room and even had sleepovers with me, he would go berserk. He was very capable of barricading my windows and always checking up to me and not leaving my side for my safety. And he would definitely inform our parents for this. Nobody would take things well if I told them 'Hey, I found a random homeless criminal weirdo outside and took him in my room and hourse multiple times without asking for anyone's permission and letting you know and he is so nice and goofy and cute and we're friends and he never do anything to me!'. I would definitely lose a lot of their trust, they would get hella overprotective and another thing was sure- I would never be allowed to be anywhere near Hanma or left by myself. I knew they would do this out of protection and care for me, but the idea felt suffocating.

They would never accept this situation of me having such a person anywhere our house or near me no matter my words and tries to convince them that Hanma was not the way they thought he was. Cause they would put my safety above anything and anyone else.

Talking to my brother about this was definitely not a wise thing to do, no matter how honest I was or how much I would try to explain things to him. It was clear that H/n already made his mind about Hanma.

Still, the guilt was there. As far as I knew, Hanma never told anyone anything about the two of us being friends basically and the small 'history' between us. But just for how long would we actually be able to keep all this a secret?

What would happen if- WHEN Toman found out? I could be considered a traitor. Thrown and left aside.

Lose the trust of everyone. My friends. My brother.

What would Mikey think about me? What about Baji? H/n? Emma? Takemitchy and everyone else?

They would think of me as a liar. A traitor. Unreliable.

Friends are supposed to be people you can rely on and they can rely on you. Keeping secrets means distancing yourself and breaking this strong trust and bond that you've formed with someone or can form.

It was not right. It was terrifying and painful. Just the thought of anyone finding out I was keeping this a secret from them could lead to such terrible outcomes.

My face hardened and I took a slow inhale and exhale, before looking at the screen blankly, not really looking at the characters of the two fighting against each other, but the reflection of my determined face looking back at me.

I have to tell them. I have to tell someone. I shouldn't keep such secrets from them, especially things concerning the gang.

I just needed to find the right way to approach the situation. Maybe- Just maybe if I do set tome details aside, I'll get them to understand in a way and keep the situation calm. Cause if anyone somehow found out themselves about the situation, they sure as hell would not be calm.

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"Hi, sweetheart!" Miss Ryoko pulled me close to her chest in a tight, affectionate and excited hug. I almost couldn't breathe but she quickly let go of me.

"My dumbass son didn't tell me you were coming over, I could have cooked something!" The raven haired woman sighed, placing her hand on her hip and shaking her head to herself. She stepped backwards, giving me space to remove my shoes and steep inside.

"Nice to see you too, miss Ryoko." I smiled and placed a hand on the door to support myself, keeping balance as I used two of my fingers to put them inside the shoes and remove them from my feet. "Well, Baji sent me a message telling me to come over or he would set my dad's car on fire." I said calmly and gently placed my shoes in order where I was supposed to. "Typical of him," The woman said without a care. "Also honey, just call me Ryoko- no need for formalities." She told me, waving her hand. Then, she looked away from me towards the house and yelled. "KEISUKE!!" The tone of her voice was completely different than it was when she was talking to me. "WHAT, OLD HAG?!" Baji called from his room loudly. "Y/N IS HERE!!" Ryoko called back. During their intense and aggressive yelling, I yawned. "WELL, TELL HER TO COME UPSTAIRS!!"

Ryoko rolled her eyes and pointed upstairs with her thumb. "He's hanging out with Chifuyu, I'll prepare you guys something to eat." She said and headed to the kitchen.

Oh, I didn't know Chifuyu was there too. How nice!

I made my way towards Baji's room and knocked. "Come in!" Once I was given permission. I gently pushed the door open and met the sight of Chifuyu sitting on the ground cross legged with some yakisoba in his hands. Baji was laying on his bed with his stomach, his shiny black hair sprawled on his back and cascading down his face at the position he was in. A manga was resting on his hands and Peke J laying on his back. Chifuyu's face brightened up once he saw me.

"Hi, Chifuyu!" I smiled happily at him and closed the door, quickly sitting next to the blond boy. "Hey Baji!" I greeted them. The black cat meowed and jumped from Baji's back, landing gracefully on his soft paws on the ground, making no sound. He waved his tail slowly in the air as he made his way to me, closing his eyes and rubbing his face against my knee, purring. "Hi Peke J!" I grinned happily and gently picked the cat in my arms, letting the cat happily rest.

"Hey Y/n," Chifuyu grinned, happy at the sight of me looking so excited and getting along with the cat. Baji huffed, not looking at me and shifting a page of his manga not looking at me. "Took you long enough to get here."

I gave him a playful glare. "Well sir, I was peacefully enjoying my food until I got a message from SOMEONE threatening to burn my dad's car if I didn't get here in ten minutes." I teased him. Chifuyu gasped and looked at Baji. "Baji-san, would you really do that?!" I laughed. "No, he's too scared to do that. At least to anything concerning my or my dads' property, he'd already do that to other people's cars' though."

Chifuyu's attention was picked. "You have dads? Two dads?" "Yeah," I nodded. My brother and I were adopted. We have two dads." "Really? Wow, that's... that's actually pretty cool!" Chifuyu said in interest. During our conversation, Baji was reading his manga and suddenly he handed me two chopsticks. "Oi," He interrupted. "You said I interrupted you eating." Baji pointed at the yakisoba in Chifuyu's hands. "Eat."

I took the chopsticks, smiling at him. "Thanks, although I guess this is more of a command than an act of kindness." I teased and Chifuyu handed me the yakisoba, letting me share with them. "What about your family, Chifuyu?" I asked, wanting to get to know Baji's friend better.

"I have a mom," He said, stuffing his mouth with food. "I don't have a dad, he died when I was young." He said. My face softened and I looked down. "Oh. I'm sorry." I said. I felt the need to comfort him in a way, but the soft smile and look on his face showed me that he didn't need that, although he looked a bit sad. "It's fine. I mean, I really did love him and look up to him." Chifuyu said, his smile not faltering. "I miss him." He admitted and looked at Peke J with a smile. "But it's okay! After all, I still have my mom, Peke J and Baji!"

I looked at Chifuyu in admiration. "Talking about Baji, I think he did tell me how the two of you met. He saved you by a bunch of deliquents, right?"

Chifuyu's eyes sparkled and he straight up jumped upwards, scaring Peke J in my arms. "Yeah!" He tightened his fists. "He was so cool! If you could just see how-" He started punching the air with different techniques as if fighting invisible enemies. His eyes narrowed with a playful and excited glint, "-he took all those idiots down without breaking a sweat! Baji was always amazing! Literally! Who else is cooler than him?"

"I know, right?!" I said, bringing my hands up and holding them tightly, smiling and naturally matching Chifuyu's excitement and mood as we stared at each other.

While the two of us were sharing our love and admiration for Baji, he had long forgotten the manga he was holding in his hands and staring at the two of us with a surprised look, his eyes softly widened. He eyed the two of us, his brown eyes moving between me and Chifuyu and the smiles of our faces. The sight of two people he loved and cared about getting along so well and sharing their feelings and admiration over him caused a genuine smile to stretch on his lips.

"Shut it, you two! You sound like two annoying nerdy fans!" Baji laughed.

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Baji, Chifuyu and I were spending time together doing and saying random stuff. Ryoko made us some delicious food in the meantime -bless her heart- and now we were just chilling and playing video games the three of us, Baji sitting in the middle on the ground and Chifuyu and I on each side of his.

Chifuyu had left the room for a bathroom break, leaving Baji and I by ourselves. I was looking through the characters the game was offering as my player.

"You know, this one is definitely my favorite," I explained to Baji, pointing at my favorite character on the screen. "The playing style is very satisfying and I have already gotten used to the controls. But I feel like I wanna try another chara-?" I stopped speaking when I felt Baji's arm wrap around my neck and gently pull me to the side, making me almost fall on him but I held my balance. The side of my head was laying close to his side with his strong arm holding me in place. I could not see his face from that position. I could smell his scent and feel his warmth.

It felt nice.

"Thank you." Baji spoke quietly. "...." I was processing his words. "Thank me?" I asked. I tried to slowly move my head upwards to take a look at him, but I could not in the awkward position I was held. "For what?"

"You saved Draken." Baji said quietly and sitting still. "Along with Emma and another idiot with his girlfriend. Mikey told me." His voice got quieter. "I had no idea you were there in the first place. Why didn't you tell me? Come find me?" He asked in irritation.

"Eem, I could barely find you in the crowd. It was dark and raining and it was full of people dressed in black and white. It was difficult on the eye!" I complained. "And even if I did come find you, you would just scold me and tell me to leave or bring me home yourself. But I was already entangled in things. Plus, you know what happened next." I sighed. "The moment I knew Draken was in danger I just- I had to act. I had no time to come looking for help-"

"Dumbass." He clicked his tongue. "You know this was a stupid move, right? Something bad could have happened to you." He spoke a bit angrily, before he got more quiet. "And I wouldn't be there for you in time."

"Oh, stop with this, I already heard this like a hundred times now." I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Everything is okay now though. Alright? And yeah I'll be careful next time."

"There won't be a next time." Baji said. "You'll sit your ass down away from trouble before I make you." He said. I rolled my eyes and spoke lightheartedly. "Fine."

Silence enveloped us for a few moments without us moving. Baji did not show any intentions to let go of me and I had no intentions to move away. "I'm really proud of you, though." He spoke. "You handled this so well." He laughed and hugged me tighter to his side. "You all got away and survived. And you didn't get hurt."

Baji wanted to open his heart and express the exact way he was feeling. He wanted to put all his admiration, respect, relief and love in words and express just how happy and proud he was to have me around. How he felt so much better and lighter whenever I was around. How my voice, smiles, laughter and teasing made his day and made all the burdens he was carrying disappear. But he couldn't. He didn't know how to and he didn't know if he had the courage to do that. He couldn't put his feelings into words and be expressive. He didn't know why.

"You're a lot cooler than you think."

Baji looked down at me with a smile. "You really are amazing. But also stupid to put yourself in trouble. Next time you want to save someone's life, count me in. Don't throw yourself in the fire so recklessly." He scoffed. "Cause if something happens to you and you die, I'll kill you."

I couldn't keep myself from snickering and then laughing at his words, earning him to smile cheekily. "Of course, when I die I'll run away from you so you don't kill me." "Asshole," Baji laughed at me.

It was the perfect opportunity for me to continue teasing him but also show my admiration towards him. Cause this was more than that, it was also bonding. And hearing Baji's words made my heart beat faster in happiness and pride. He was making my heart feel weird in a really good way.

But our cute boy Chifuyu walked back in the room to see the two of us at this point cuddling next to each other, our controllers long forgotten on our hands as we were facing the screen but not really caring about the game anymore.

Chifuyu blushed and pointed at the two of us like an Ace Attorney character. "I knew it! I knew the two of you were a couple!"

A controller was immediately sent flying over Chifuyu's head.

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Surprise surpriseeee :D yes, indeed another brand new 2-day-early chapter, this is the most earliest chapter I have ever published so far. I just figured that due to personal issues, I would publish this chapter earlier instead of publishing it later, cause I would be unable to publish this on the date assigned. Hope you ate well with this chapter and remember to stay hydrated ! Every comment is appreciated 🫶🏻💞💞💞

NEXT UPDATE: July 27