A/N: AU where the puffs didn't exist but they're extraordinary civilians, the ruffs (calling them The Triad here) brings justice, traditional pairing though. You can count on that.

Moreover, I want to clarify these two groups I'm going to identify in this fanfic since I'm not an expert with their erm… "culture"? So this is somewhat how they are in this abomination I'm going to write- lol.

Mafia: protection racketeering, loan sharking, hired assassins

Yakuza: basically like what mafia does but more territorial, all members are of blood-related

Some groups would be uh made up ones haha. Anyway, on with the story

And oh, reviews and critiques are encouraged!

A faint breeze entered the room just about to brush on her bangs. Keeping her eyes steady was hard enough. She bit her lower lip, refusing to let out a tempting yawn. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"You okay, Momoko?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been headbanging for a couple of minutes." Her purple-haired friend gave her a skeptical look.

"I was?" Momoko's face flushed bright pink. She hadn't realized she dozed off earlier.

"You gotta stop binge reading mangas." She commented with a faint snicker.

"I wasn't!" Momoko hissed. For someone who has big projects due for a week consuming her little free time, crankiness is inevitable. Nonetheless she loved working on those. Designing weapons was her forte.

But these projects were probably the worst- more appropriately- ridiculous as she'd put it. Why in the world would they want a vehicle that can outmatch a tank? They are more destructive than any work I've put into; superhumans for god's sake.

The buzzing of the school bell didn't help her situation. Still, she thanked she's done with half of this obligatory education.

She felt a warm hand over her forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever."

"No, I'm just tired." Momoko giggled softly. "Thanks, Miyako."

"You're always tired y'know." Her other friend said while munching on her bento. "You should sleep early. Take care of your health!"

"It's not that easy, Kaoru." She merely pouted.

Momoko sometimes wishes she was like Miyako, aside from the strict grandma, she was just a simple girl- beautiful at that. No responsibilities or deadlines.

Her phone buzzed.

Or annoying subordinates. No way in hell she'd accept those rude, self-righteous pricks as the big guns… even if they were.

"Ah. Those commissioners I've talked about." She gave an apologetic smile to her friends.

"Not even gonna eat lunch?"

"I'll just be on the phone outside." Momoko rolled her eyes at their concern but it felt nice.

Closing the door as she left the class, she pressed the answer button. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?"

"Jesus- it's lunch!" Momoko felt her nerves twitch. "What do you wa-"

"We've come up with another idea. So just trash the other thing that we asked."

"Wha- Are you crazy!?" She was halfway done with the project and now they want something else!? Furious isn't even gonna cut what she's feeling right now.

"Boo. It's fine we'll cover the expense. We'll talk later." And click, the call ended.

The urge to throw her phone at that son of a cow's face was strong. Her patience was running thin but well, she hated their first idea in the first place so she let it go for now.

She went back to her room and started chewing furiously at her food.

Kaoru was about to comment on something but a loud deafening squeal got beyond her words.

"Look this way!" Girls were swooning, harmonizing with the other classes; if you call monkey screeching a harmony. "It's the Shishido brothers"

"They're so cool!"

"Ugh, are they blind?" Momoko seethed.

Kaoru raised her eyebrow at this. "I thought you liked those types of guys?"

"No way, I have better tastes." She blew a raspberry on her.

"I don't see the difference." Kaoru muttered while sipping her orange juice.

Meanwhile, Miyako was having a look at the commotion. "They look nice."

"Peh." The two just eyed Momoko questionably.

They were out of class and Miyako was heading for her locker. As usual, people greet her. How lovely she was. How pretty her dress looked.

Snakes. Scums of the earth. She'd give them her purest smile. Fools would think that she's a wholesome being. Well, she was till she happens to know what her future holds.

Was this the so called phase? She had always been obedient. Never missed out on her grandmother's teaching. She should have known though. From the moment she was formed in her mother's tummy, her life was decided.

She felt being used. She hated it. She hated that she had this autopilot self that would hide what she really was.

"Miyako, want me to walk you home?" Kaoru just popped from somewhere. Sometimes this girl scares her. She would just move swiftly without noise. It was troubling. "Man, we were called out early today. Coach had some important business or something."

"Thanks, Kaoru! You're the best." Miyako was glad she had wholesome friends. What would they think if she was just like those girls? "I guess Momoko's busy with something?"

"Yeah, told me about the commissioning stuff."

"I hope she's alright."

"Wow, what a secure place to talk about things." Momoko sarcastically said as she scans the menu. "Don't you think this is risky, Yokaze?"

When she got no response, she smacked the guy's hand lightly with the said menu. "Especially for me."

"Look at the death stare those girls are giving me." She glared at the orange-head in front of her.

"Relax, would you?" He smirked while having that playful glint in his eyes. Usually, Momoko would have melted on that. But she knew him too well. "And who told you we'll talk about it here? Pick already."

Momoko blinked twice. Why was he nice now? "If this is your apology for that project-"

"Pfft. You'd really think I'd apologize?"

Momoko narrowed her eyes. "I'm getting the most expensive then."

"Only that?" That. That cockiness that she wants to shove in his damned throat. He gestured at the waitress.

"What would be your order?"

Miyako looked over to a fancy café and got a surprise as she saw a familiar pink-eyed friend. "Isn't that?"

Kaoru was chomping on her ice cream which baffled Miyako on how she can bite on that teeth-cringing treat without getting all sensitive. She pointed the direction. "It's Momoko."

"Hm?" Kaoru, looking uninterested, took a lazy head turn. "OH, HELL."

"And she said she wasn't interested." Miyako laughed and stopped Kaoru from going over. "Kaoru! We can ask her tomorrow."

"I want to cheer her on!" Miyako sighed at her friend's odd antics.

"Why didn't she tell the truth?"

"Just let her be, she looks like she's having fun." There was a gentle smile on her. "She's been stressed for a week, let's let her be."

"I guess." Kaoru still had her eyes wide open. "I'm so calling her after this."

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Kicking off her shoes, she made a run to her room but is stopped by her mom.

"You've got another package!" Somehow she sounded bitter despite that cheery face she gave.

"Oh." Kaoru had been getting free stuffs, sometimes annoying, from a certain uncle only named as her 'Secret Santa' since her first birthday. She talked about it with her mom once and it ended up to verbal fighting. "Good that it's a small box, heh." Big boxes meant clothes- dresses to be precise.

She took it and went upstairs. She pressed dial on her phone and was about to call her friend. She reconsidered. Maybe they weren't done yet. I don't wanna be pokey about it.

She looked at the small box. There was a tag with 'Secret Santa' written on it. She started shaking the box. Oh, god it's a jewelry.

She put it beside the boxes she hadn't open yet, sat on her desk to do her homework.

A minute of brainstorming for an essay, she absentmindedly thought about the gift. Dang it. Her curiosity got to her. Sighing, she picked it up and opened.

Holy shit. It wasn't that bad. It had a herringbone golden chain and sat at it was a small green tourmaline gemstone surrounded by diamonds. The necklace wasn't big but it kinda weighed a bit for a necklace.

Unlike the other gifts, it has a note.

"Dear child, I may not last long in this place. I want you to have this as a reminder that I have loved you since you were born. You are my little goddess. My wish would be is that you wear this every day to not forget me. Signed, Your Loving Grandfather."

We definitely have to talk about this. "MOOOOM!"

Miyako had prepped herself for a bath. She faced her old room. Somehow the colors turned dull in her view. Not to mention her things packed in boring beige boxes. Her room was full of it now, ready to take off somewhere not far but very unfamiliar. Later on, she will too.

She huffed. She'd done this whenever she's stressed, uneasy. She needed a long bubble bath.

This was a weird day. Momoko jumped to her bed relieving the exhaustion. She checked her phone. "No calls."

He was acting weird and even walked home/office with her. Walked. Brick usually have his car over. Chit chatting wasn't fun either. Momoko didn't know what he could get from this.

But you know what they say, calm before the storm.

Her phone buzzed, she instantly picked it up. Her face lit up as she answered. "Hey, mom!"

"How have you been there? Are they treating you well?"

"Oh well, it's actually nice here." Minus the bastard. "I'm doing well. How about you guys?"

The call lasted about 7 minutes and the instant they said their goodbyes and hung up, another caller popped on her notifications.

Ugh, Brick. "Geez, desperate much?" She heard a weird sound from the other line.

"Hell no." Brick coughed out. "Was your phone turned off? You know-"

"My parents called." If only he could see how far she's rolling her eyes right now. "Why did you have to call? I'm literally two floors below you."

"Well that's… I need to uh." A long pause. "Fine, I'll e-mail it."

Momoko sighed. "And…There goes the beep."

"I haven't ended it yet- whatever. Goodnight." The tone was cold but that was hella weird.

Momoko shrugged and thought he probably had food poisoning and would reboot to his old self tomorrow.

She thought about the next project. "Well, that's a problem I'd be facing tomorrow."

Ch.1 end

Thanks for reading~