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I HAVE NO SHAME IN REGARDS TO THIS CHAPTER.
NO SHAME.
BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE KILLING ME WITH THIS HIBAXTAKA STUFF. 3':
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To: Yamamoto, Takara
From: Kozato, Enma
I'm the exact opposite of cool. If I was cool, why would people call me Loser-Enma?
That's – Adel doesn't go that far, but she's still scary. And hating you? I find that hard to believe. What could you have done to make him hate you? And why would the police be scared of this guy?
Please don't. I mean, it would be embarrassing – but I wouldn't blush! I wouldn't I tell you! And I'd rather not be some kind of online sensation, thank you very much.
Yeah, I've got you, and you're okay, I guess. A little crazy, but okay. And yeah, I guess I have. You're a crazy old cat lady and you will be so long as you call me an old cat man.
…this seems silly,
Enma
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To: Kozato, Enma
From: Yamamoto, Takara
I'm going to smack you the next time I see you. Also, you've asked for it – you've asked for it and you're going to get it. Be prepared. Blame only yourself.
Well, you know, I brought a weapon – my shinai, mind you – to campus, then I wore a hat and assaulted one of his lackeys. And might have assisted some of his crazy-ass fangirls at some point with something. So hate is a possible thing.
IS THIS SARCASM? HAVE I RUBBED OFF ON YOU? I have, haven't I? This is great, and it calls for celebration.
Also – guess who finally has a phone?! I can text now, like a real teenager. We can be text-pals. Because Hana will probably just ignore me. But you won't, right, Enma?
Enma?
But it's not silly,
Takara
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Riding the train to Shinkawa by myself was an interesting experience, though it wasn't like I hadn't done this before. I just couldn't help but to remember all the anime and fanfiction that contained those train-perverts – the ones that groped unsuspecting girls. Luckily it hasn't happened to me, nor have I seen it happen; but the lingering thought was still there.
This time around though I was more concerned about how this was going to go, and by this I meant babysitting the twins. Overnight, too. It was that new level of "I trust you" from the adults that most teens strived for.
"Takara-chan," Enma's meek smile greeted me at the station, "It's nice to see you again."
"It is, isn't it? Speaking of which," I swatted him on the arm, earning an offended squeak, "You know what that's for. You know."
Enma's nose scrunched for a moment, but it faded his need to protest faded, "You wanted to see the kittens first, right? Before you go to your aunt's?"
If I was being honest, that was the whole reason I'd gotten here an hour earlier than need. Well, that and to spend time with Enma. Because that honestly hadn't happened since our first meeting – it had all been emails. But now – now I could accomplish something else; something that I had also promised to do.
"Hey, Enma-kun," my nose crinkled and Enma's face contorted a little in worry the moment we stepped out of the station, "Remember what else I promised to do?"
Before he could react I latched onto his arm and sucked in a deep breath, mentally screaming because this was the craziest shit I had done yet.
"*Fureri wo fukunda senkougankou wa kankakiteki shoudou~" My voice was loud and very, very out of tune, Blinded, I can't see the end, so where do I begin?"
As I sucked in another breath as Enma practically hurtled down the sidewalk with me clinging to his arm I could hear a few people commenting and see them staring. It didn't concern me much, because how often was I going to see these people? Though I wouldn't be phased doing this in Namimori either, honestly.
"T-Takara-chan," Enma sputtered, "P-Please st–"
"Say another word, I can't hear you, the silence between us," Enma jerked us around a corner, "Nanimo nai you ni utsuteru da–"
Suddenly I was pressed lightly against the wall and a hand was covering my mouth. And there was a very red, very close face that belonged to Enma. His head was half-way ducked down and when it bent further as he sighed the red strands of hair adorning his head tickled my chin. He looked up after a second and froze, his eyes wide and the compass shape very obvious to me – so obvious that I realized just how close he was, thus causing my own eyes to widen a bit.
His hand pulled away and he stumbled back, his face so red it almost matched his hair, "I-I'm sorry! Sorry! Th-That..umm.."
"Pfft, so you weren't going to blush, huh?" I sniffed, a hand coming to scratch my warm cheek as I looked to the side and out to the busy streets, "I didn't know you were this type of guy though. Naughty Enma-kun."
"W-what?!" He floundered on the spot for a moment, "I-I'm not! I – w-wait…"
The redness of his face faded several shades, "A-are you blushing?!"
"No."
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Auntie Emi had practically wrangled Enma into the house when he'd shown up with me – I figured it was the semi-kicked-puppy look that had shown in his eyes for a second when he was about to walk off. She had a soft spot for kids, even when they were somewhat afraid of her. Which I couldn't blame Enma for, since Auntie Emi had practically shoved his head into her chest when she pulled him inside.
"Now, I don't mind Taka-chan having a friend here while she's watching the twins," Auntie Emi waggled her finger at us, "I trust her judgment."
Uncle Taro was the one that finished for her, his shoulders squared and voice fatherly, "Just be out of here by seven, eh, Kozato-kun?"
At his quick nod and meek 'yessir', Uncle Taro turned to the twins who stood up and saluted him, their faces straight as the spoke in unison –
"And we will not leave them alone in a room together!"
I snickered at this – just the fact that these two were assigned to 'watch' us was adorable. Though I could see where Auntie and Uncle were coming from with it, even if they did trust me. Enma himself seemed pretty embarrassed at the thought too, seeing as his face was slightly redder than normal – a redness that didn't start fading until the two adults were out the door.
"…is it really okay for me to be here?" Enma shifted, his hands in his pockets and his head ducked into his collar.
"Of course it is, they said so, right?"
Momoko perked up at this, "Right! Kaa-chan and Tou-chan said 's 'kay, so 's 'kay."
Momoshiro piped up this time, "Neh, neh, Taka-nee, Enma-nii, can we watch th' movie Kaa-chan left?"
"Ah? Movie?" As I peered into the living room I did indeed see a movie ready to play, "Sure, I don't see why not. Then we can have dinner after."
The twins didn't need any more confirmation than that, it seemed, as Momoko had immediately grabbed Enma's hand and had practically dragged the teen to the sofa as he let out a surprised sound. Momoshiro had followed suit with me, practically pushing me down onto the couch –
"Oi, you little brats, what are you doing?"
"Watchin' a movie Taka-nee," Momoko chided in her high voice, "We gotta sit right to watch, you know?"
Enma shuffled to the side, alerting me to the fact the twins had shoved us down next to each other, "U-umm, sit… right?"
Momoko hummed happily in confirmation as she snatched up the remote before hopping up to squish herself close to Enma's side and Momoshiro did the same to me –
"This is how we sit with Kaa-chan and Tou-chan. The adult 'ave to be next to each other."
The red haired middle-schooler fidgeted and I laughed, half amused, half sardonic. My family was full of brash children. And brash women, if my Aunt was any indication.
"Momo-chin, Momo-kun –"
"Taka-nee, we have to!" Momoshiro tugged on my sleeve, "We can't watch movies any other way."
While I didn't have a problem with this –
"I-It's fine, Takara-chan. I don't mind."
My cheeks puffed and I blew out a lungful of air, a lopsided smile pulling the corners of my lips up, "Alright then. Start the movie, brats."
And that was how we ended up watching Kiki's Delivery Service together on the couch, my left side incredibly warm the entire time.
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The train ride back to Namimori the next afternoon was interesting, just like the ride to Shinkawa. Though this time it was for a reason different than pervy old men – it was because of a grey-haired teen with a cigarette hanging from his lips.
One Gokudera Hayato had finally arrived, it seemed.
And it seemed he did smoke like in the manga, though I wasn't sure why that surprised me. Though I already knew he was going to hate me after I started smashing his cigarettes when they got to be too much – the smoke from those things had always bothered me.
Where, I mused, does he keep all that dynamite, exactly? I knew he had it strapped to him under his clothes, but from what I remembered he always had more than what was possible. But if that dynamite hot Hibari off my back for a while then I really didn't care where the hell Gokudera got it.
Though there's the fact that I might be part of that group soon enough, I maneuvered through the crowd as I disembarked, A group that pretty much consists of people on Hibari's shit list.
My eyes lingered on Gokudera as he lit his previously unlit cigarette, a puff of smoke curling up from his slightly parted lips. As I passed by him I spun around to walk backwards –
"Welcome to Namimori, stranger. It's gonna be a wild ride."
He made a face, but I had spun forward and turned the corner before he could really respond, though I was pretty sure I had heard a confused and annoyed curse over the static of the surrounding crowd.
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Sender: Takara
I have a feeling shit is about to go down in good 'ole Namimori. Send care packages, please.
From: Enma
What? Are you okay? Did something happen?
Sender: Takara
I'm fine, silly. It's just a gut feeling that I've had for a while.
From: Enma
…alright. But be careful, okay?
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* These are lyrics from the song "In the Beginning" by One OK Rock.
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DO YOU LOVE THEM?
I've had this part planned in part since early on, tbh.
ALSO, I'VE REALIZED I'VE DONE SOMETHING WITHOUT MEANING TO AND I'VE BEEN DYING (in a good way) SINCE SAID REALIZATION.
Tell me, my lovelies, when they go to Kokuyo Land in the series and Yamamoto fights Ken – what does he fall through?
TELL ME. TELL ME AND KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE.
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