chapter twenty one

liquor store on mars

( listen to 'liquor store on mars' by kelsy karter for best effect this chapter )

Midori's backyard was filled with life and laughter. We were quick to settle our exhausted bodies on her patio furniture, which had been dragged out onto the grass. The fire pit in the back corner was lit up, the smell of burning firewood in the air as the Daruma Babies set up their keg.

Out on the street, Nakaoka and Futa were dragging the debris from the fight into the middle of the road, devilish grins on their faces.

"What are you jackasses up to?" Yasushi whined, running towards the duo. "Are we burning shit? Let me help you, I'm begging!"

"Don't let him near a match, Midori-san!" I shouted, leaning against the wooden fence to watch the carnage unfold as Futa douses the trash heap in gasoline.

Cackling wickedly, Nakaoka pulls a small lighter out of his pocket, and I find myself reaching for my phone to record the entire ordeal. I had a whole folder on my phone featuring the antics that I had borne witness to at Oya, as well as a few minor ones that I had also participated in. The boy backed away from the trash heap, keeling down to the trail of gasoline seeping away from the stack before he threw the lit lighter at it.

The boys cheered as the pile caught fire, Futa slinging his arm around Nakaoka. "I think I've found a new protégé!"

"That's a dangerous combination." Hiroto Amamiya remarked, breezing past me to enter the backyard.

I was inclined to agree.

Over by the fire pit, the Daruma were filling up and passing around red solo cups, music thrumming from a massive speaker that Sakyo had found in the backseat of his car. Jamuo was milling about with two scrawny, non-threatening men that had been hiding inside Midori's house.

Jamuo was passing out bottles of ice-cold water, and the other two were circulating with medical kits. Exhausted, I slumped down on a bench with Tsukasa, too tired to fight as a man with kind eyes and a leather jacket pressed a cold compress to the cut on the side of my cheek.

"Speaking of proteges!" Hyuga Norishia shouted, sporting a black eye and a bleeding lip. "I heard that I have one of my own!"

Oh no. Shinya Orochi, I swear to god, if word got out that you said what you said-

My stomach fell to the bottom of my feet as Hyuga's eyes narrowed in on me. "You. Kobayashi, right? Shinya Orochi seems to think that you have the best chances of becoming the next me. I think you'd look good in red, kid."

"Shinya was just kidding!" I stuttered, laughing nervously. "I'm nothing like you."

Nakagoshi, who was standing next to the keg, raised an eyebrow at me. "What did he say?"

I took a deep breath, lowering my voice. "It was the night I got arrested, Shinya was holding me back, trying to stop me before I did any more damage. Then he said 'you'd better pull yourself together before you end up like Hyuga Norihisa."

It's not like I was proud of the things that I have done. I had so many issues, and I'd always had that fire inside of me. It was a lot to reckon with, remembering what a horrible person you used to be. How confrontational and angry I was.

Yasushi snorted. "I've known you almost ten years and you have never been as bad as Hyuga, even when you went through that awful emo phase."

God, don't remind me. "Do I need to tell everybody about your mall goth phase?" I laughed as Yasushi's eyes widened, putting my arm around Tsukasa's shoulders. "I think I look better in blue anyways."

The teenagers that had learned to love and accept me for who I was burst out into cheers, a sentiment that warmed my heart. I couldn't stop myself from smiling, wondering if I had finally found my people.

Hyuga cleared his throat. "Real talk, Kobayashi, can I talk to you alone for a second?"

"Um, sure?" I said nervously, getting up from the bench, water bottle clutched in my hand.

"Absolutely not." Yasushi countered, springing to stand by my side. "You may be the leader of Daruma Ikka, but you don't scare me. I don't trust you all that much, Hyuga-san."

"'Sushi!" I cut him off. "I can fend for myself, and we'll still be within eyesight range. You'll be the first to know fi something goes wrong."

He didn't answer, crossing his arms over his chest before sitting back down on the bench in a move that I took to be something close to his blessing. I followed Hyuga across the backyard, trying to hide my shaking hands as I stood across from him in a quiet corner. My mind was racing. What could a SWORD leader possibly want from me?

"Kobayashi-chan, you need to be careful." He started, point blank. "Trust me when I say that I am the last person that you want to end up like. Quit while you're ahead, get your anger under control. Rasen Prison is no place for a girl like you. They'll eat you alive in there, or worse. You can't come back once you end up like me."

I nodded, unable to form words.

"That looks like a good group of people you've found at Oya. Please don't tell Murayama that I said that, by the way. But know your own limits. Do what you need to do to get yourself on the right path again. Don't end up like me, kid." He sighed, clapping me on the shoulder.

Back at the fire pit, Yasushi and Tsukasa were having a much different conversation.

"You like Sakura." It wasn't a question, it was phrased as a statement. "Be careful with her, Tsukasa. She's been struggling to see something great in herself for years, and I don't want to see her get hurt. The way she sees the world is beautiful." He paused, thinking over his words carefully. "When she doesn't want to punch everybody in her line of sight, which has become a little more common lately, actually."

Tsukasa smiled. "She'll be in good hands, Yasushi-kun. I take it I have your blessing."

Yasushi scowled. "Don't make me regret it, Taskajo-chan."

As he walked away, I followed him back, settling on my side of the fire pit again. Yasushi tired to push me for answers, wanting to know what Hyuga told me, but I shook my head. I didn't need to tell him. I needed to ruminate on it for a little longer.

Across the fire from us, Shibaman and Tusji sat on folding camp chairs. On the bench was Shu Kato, Sakyo and Ukyo. Hyuga had vanished. He was like a black cat, slinking around in the darkness. Out on the street, the bonfire had stopped burning.

"Alright, guys." Shibaman sighed, draining the remainder of his beer and chucking the solo cup in the fire, the sour smell of burning plastic wafting over towards us on the breeze. "I'm calling it. Shizuka has the first ultrasound in the morning, and I don't want to miss it."

I smiled. "Good luck. Give Shiz my best, okay?"

"You bet."

"Once you've seen it once, there's not much special about it." Ukyo mused. "It's like divorce papers. Whatever you do, don't marry this girl, kid. You'll regret it. I got married to my first wife at nineteen because she got pregnant, and we fell apart by the time we turned thirty, so now I have an ex-wife who doesn't talk to me, a son that hates me, and two more ex-wives."

"Oh god." Sakyo mumbled, running his free hand over his face. "Don't get him started again. Please."

"Don't listen to him." Tamao Serizawa laughed, ambling over and clapping the young father-to-be on the shoulder. What is it with men and clapping their palms on another man's shoulders? Is it supposed to be reassuring? "The ultrasound will change your life. And if she's the one, she's the one."

"Wait!" Midori shot up from where she was sitting on the back steps. "Someone managed to tame the Monster of Surzuran? You're married?"

Serizawa laughed. "That she did. I met her shortly after graduation, actually. I was on some retreat thingy with Izaki in Osaka. She's incredible, really. We've actually got a kid of our own, he's about six months old now." He smiled as he looked at his watch. "Which reminds me, I've actually gotta get home before she finds out I've been in another fight. I promised I'd quit, and she thinks I'm out getting drinks with Masaki."

"Alright man." Masaki said, pulling Serizawa in for one of those awkward dude-hugs "Tell the wife I said hello."

"Will do. And thanks for cutting Tokio and I in on this. I really missed it."

I leaned back, resting my head on Tsukasa's shoulder, tapping my fingers against the side of the cool water bottle in my hand. Fujio was circling around, taking pictures on his phone. He'd already posed with the Daruma Babies, right before he found himself flipped upside down to do a keg stand, Raita's kimono around his shoulders and cheeks puffed out like a squirrel. If squirrels filled their cheeks with cheap beer, of course.

If any of these pictures got back to my mother, I think she might just kill me.

The music changed, a soft Rod Stewart song playing. I found myself singing along under my breath, watching with an amused smile as Jinkawa, Tusji, Futa and Nakazono threw their arms around each other, singing along to 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?' with their plastic cups raised to the stars.

I felt the bench shift next to me, and suddenly Tsukasa was standing in front of me, a soft smile on his face and one hand stretched out in front of him.

"May I have this dance?" He asked, charming as always.

And I would be lying if my stomach wasn't doing backflips.

Yaushi glared at Tsukasa as I stood up to stand with him, his warm hands touching the part of my skin that showed underneath the hem of my t-shirt. I rested my hands on his shoulders, our foreheads resting against each other as we gently swayed to the music. I could have stayed like that forever.

"Okay, that's enough! Hands, Takajo! Watch where your hands are!" Yasushi shouted, trying to pry us apart. "She's like a sister to me, dude. Have some tact."

"At least he isn't actually boning your sister!" Tsuji shouted, clearly drunk. "How do you think I feel every time Shiba talks about Shizuka?"

"Get him back!" Nakagoshi suggested. "What about his sister?"

"Shibaman's sister is sixteen, Goshan." I reminded. "Tsuji is a legal adult, so he could land himself in jail."

Why do they all have sisters? Is there something in the water in Hope Hills or do I just not pay enough attention?

"Right. Forgot about that." The younger boy sighed. "Wait, that makes her my age! I can date Shiba-kun's sister!"

Laughing to myself I pulled my phone out of my back pocket to check the time. It was well past 11pm and I had to write a law test in the morning. I felt dead on my feet, and I really needed to get home.

"And on that somewhat disturbing note, I'm heading out. I have exam prep this week, and I'm still waiting on college acceptance emails." I sighed, pulling the elastics out of my hair. "I'll see you idiots tomorrow."

"Oh come on!" Fujio whined. "Stay a little longer, live a little bit!"

"Maybe next time, Hanoaka!"

I was almost at Midori's back gate, having just bid my goodnights to our leader and den mother, when someone pulled me back, draping a sheath of fabric over my shoulders. I turned to see who it was, a smile forming on my face. "Tsukasa."

The blond smiled, smoothing his grey flannel shirt over my shoulders. The tight white long sleeve shirt that he was wearing had a deep collar, showing off the silver cross chain he was wearing around his neck.

If I had been a less self-conscious person, I would have kissed him right then and there.

"We're both heading to the same place anyways. Let me walk back with you."

"I was just going to take the bus, I have a transit pass from school."

"You shouldn't be on your own this late at night. Let me come with you."

I smiled, hoping that the darkness was covering the blush staining my features. "Ok, yeah. I'd like that."

We headed back to Hope Hills, shrouded in giggles, the fading adrenaline rush of the fight, and small talk. Tsukasa's brother was engaged, and he was due to attend a suit fitting with his brother the day later, despite his older brother deciding not to include Tsukasa in the groom's party. He was a bigger person than I was. If Yasushi was getting married, I'd expected to at least be a groom's woman. I told him about my father in Tokyo, about my adorable step-brothers, and how my father was ready to rent me an apartment as soon as I got word of my college acceptance.

Of course, that was only if I got into the college of my choice.

When I asked Tsukasa what he wanted to do with his life, on the long bus ride from Kendou back to Hope Hills, he just shrugged it off, claiming that he wasn't good enough at anything except fighting, and that he'd figure it out later.

"You're good with animals." I had remarked as we stepped off the empty bus outside the Hope Hills gates. "Maybe you could do something with that? You should talk to Midori, she used to train drug dogs in Osaka."

Tsukasa laughed. "We'll see. I'm not even sure if I stand a chance at graduating this year."

"Trust me, if Shibaman can graduate, so can you. With Midori on your side, you'll be out of Oya by June."

Hope Hills was practically desolate as we walked through the square and up the Murder Block stairs. There was an eerie calm over the complex, something that I didn't see around here quite often.

The lights inside my apartment were on, shining faintly through the sheer curtains to the living room.

"Mom's home tonight, probably wondering where I am." I said quietly, stopping in front of the metal door. "But is it bad that I don't want tonight to end? Apart from the violence and the cranage, I actually had a really great time tonight." I took a deep breath, looking Tsukasa in the eyes. "I had a great time with you."

Tsukasa smiled, hands buried in his jeans pockets. "You did something amazing tonight, Sakura. Getting us all to work together on anything is hard to do on a good day. You're special. No, you're incredible."

We were standing too close. Too close for him to do anything except the one thing that I hoped he would do. The diamond stud in his ear shined under the moonlight as he reached his hand up to cup my cheek, his lips angelically parted as he leaned towards me.

Was this really happening?

I reached out, unsure what to do with my hands but settling for resting them on his waist as he kissed me, his soft lips cushioning mine as I kissed him back.

Well, I hoped I was kissing him back. In case you haven't realized, I have never done this before.

Tsukasa pulled away, his face breaking into a wide smile. A smile so infectious that I couldn't help but smile as well.

"I've been waiting to do that for weeks now." He laughed. "Yasushi said I'd scare you off. And then he said he'd push me off the roof."

I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. "Don't worry, you haven't scared me off. In fact, I think you need to kiss me again. But away from the window, that way my mom can't see, otherwise it's her you'll be fighting."

Laughing, Tsukasa took me by the hand and we backed towards the balcony where we embraced again, smiling into the kiss as hands explored covered skin, within reason of course. His hands were smooth as they caressed my sides, thumbs moving in comfortable circles as I slipped my fingertips below the collar of his cotton shirt, hands on either side of his neck.

When he finally pulled away again, I felt like I was walking on air, the smile on my face impossible to wipe away.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kiri-chan. Sleep well."

"Yeah." Was all I managed to say. "Yeah, you too. I have to give you your sweater back, right?"

Tsukasa smiled. "Make sure it smells like you. Or, you could just keep it."

I grinned, backing towards my apartment door. "Good night, Tsukasa-chan."

And when I was in the security of my room, I squealed like a schoolgirl, dropping back onto my bed as Pierre looked at me oddly from the corner, where my mother had set up the cat bed. The shorthaired cat lumbered over, leaping onto the twin bed and settling against my chest with a mewel.

"I kissed him, P. I kissed Tsukasa Takajo."

NOTES!!

AND THAT'S THE END OF ACT ONE !!!!! i can't wait to share act two with you guys, and to bring back kidra, everybody's favourite villains. thank you so much for sticking with me, i know it's taken like a whole calendar year to at least get to this point. i love all of you guys < 3