Games and Consequences

by DracoMalfoy456

Against his better judgement, Kiyotaka Ishimaru attends his very first unofficial high school party at the insistence of his very best friend and honorary kyoudai, Mondo Owada! It… goes about as well as you would think. Well. At least he has Mondo there to assist him...

2. Chapter 2

Hi all!

So! Second chapter! As previously said, this chapter is the main meat of the story, with the next chapter mostly being a wrap up and everything. I'm glad that people are excited for it, though! I hope it lives up to the hype, ha.

I will say one thing though, before y'all read through this... and this is a bit of a spoiler, so if you don't want even partial spoilers, feel free to skip to the story now, ha. But if you are a Leon fan, I will warn you that, uh... I kind of make him a jerk in this story. And the other characters are a bit mean to Taka. But I promise I have a reason for this! And while it's not explained in story, I will explain it in the end note. Also, I give Chihiro female pronouns, but they do still have their canon gender. I just theorize that this party takes place before Chi would be ready to express themself (and I personally view that Chi views themself as male, but I know many view them as non-binary or trans, which is why I use they/them pronouns here in this note, ha).

I would also like to say that I have never been drunk, nor have I ever been to a high school party. Please forgive any inaccuracies, ha.

Enjoy!

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Kiyotaka's heart is beating fast as he and Mondo stand outside Leon Kuwata's dorm room, his kyoudai glancing at him with worry every couple of seconds as he tries to steal himself up enough to ring the doorbell. He knows Mondo could very easily ring the doorbell himself, but the biker is kindly allowing him the ability to collect himself before they enter. He... he truly is very thoughtful, isn't he...?

"Hey. Ya doin' okay, Taka? If, uh... if ya don't wanna do this, we ain't gotta, man... know yer not comfortable 'round other people, an' while I think it'll be good fer ya ta try anyway, don't wanna make ya too uncomfortable... we can still leave, Taka, if ya want."

A-ah... just proving him right, isn't he? Must he always be so... so...

Perfect...

"N-no, kyoudai... I- I said I'd do it, and I never go back on my word! Never! S-so... we should probably ring the bell... I'd hate to be late! How embarrassing!"

Kiyotaka frowns when he sees Mondo freeze, a grimace on his lips as he raises his hand to rub at the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh... 'bout that, Taka... heh. The party might a' already a'... heh. Started an' all," Mondo starts, voice low and mumbling, only to be interrupted by an indignant Kiyotaka, eyes wide with horror.

"What?! Kyoudai! You said the party started at 8:30 today! When did it actually start?! How late are we?! How awful! They aren't waiting for us, are they?! Oh no!"

Kiyotaka is just about to have a full-on panic attack, despising the thought of being late, when he feels strong hands grab his shoulders, pulling him back into himself, his wide eyes staring directly into Mondo's soft lavender ones. A-ah...

"Aw, shi- shoot, Taka... y'ain't gotta worry 'bout that, bro! This ain't that kinda party. People can come an' go as they please, ya know? While it offic'ly started at 8:00, they ain't gonna care that we're later. Plus, I didn't say it started at 8:30... just said I wanted us ta arrive by then. Different things... heh. I just, uh… just figured comin' after everyone already showed would be easier, ya know? Less ta worry 'bout."

Kiyotaka frowns harshly at the words, shaking his head sharply as his eyebrows furrow and he puts his hands on his hips imperiously, causing Mondo's hands to fall off his shoulders. Hmm... as thoughtful as his kyoudai usually is, he seems to have made a rather crucial folly here...

"Untrue, kyoudai! There is actually more to worry about now! Such as people staring at us when we walk in! Or potentially interrupting something important! It's horribly rude to arrive late to events, no matter how loose the schedule is! You really should think of these things, kyoudai... they're incredibly important to consider!" Kiyotaka exclaims, the bubble of anxiety in his chest roiling within him with his upset at the thought of being late to his first high school party...

He winces a moment later, though, when he sees Mondo frown deeply, a hint of angry hurt entering his eyes as he bares his teeth slightly in annoyance. A-ah... perhaps he'd been too harsh again... he always does that, doesn't he...? Oh... oh dear...

"Aw, shit, man! Was just tryin' ta make the best a' this! Thought it would make things easier, shit! Sorry I fuckin' fucked up... an' I know, I know. Watch my fuckin' language. Got it," Mondo grumbles, scowling and crossing his arms angrily, the biker glaring down at the ground. Kiyotaka bites his lip at the display and also turns his eyes to the ground, the anxiety within him reaching a paramount now that he's already managed to make Mondo mad at him, despite his best intentions to be as unassuming as possible tonight. This... this evening isn't going to go well, is it...?

"I- I... I apologize, my kyoudai... I didn't... I didn't mean to make you feel bad... I just... you know I hate being late... it makes me feel like I did something wrong and immoral... and this... this is my first high school party and I know you have high expectations of me, and I... I don't want to let you down, kyoudai... p-please forgive me..."

Kiyotaka can feel tears build up behind his eyes, to his shame. He's always been a very emotional person, crying easily when overwhelmed, whether good or bad, but he doesn't want to cry right now. He wants to get the night over with, so that he can fulfill his promise to Mondo without anything disastrous happening. Though... perhaps he's already failed at that...

Kiyotaka starts when he feels gentle fingers on his cheek, forcing his wide eyes to dart up, looking into soft, apologetic lavender. A-ah... M-Mondo...

"S-shoot, Ki... didn't mean ta yell at ya... just... shi- shoot. Sorry, man. Maybe I'm a bit more nervous than I thought, heh... but I ain't got any 'expectations' a' you, man. So, there ain't no way fer ya ta let me down. Ain't even possible fer ya ta ever do that, heh... I, uh. I just want ya ta enjoy yerself fer once, ya know? Ta get ta know our classmates an' unwind fer a little. That's all, Ki. There's nothin' ta worry 'bout. An' I'll be by yer side the whole time. Won't leave ya 'lone, not even fer a second. Okay?"

Kiyotaka's breath catches when he sees the intense look Mondo is leveling at him, his eyes bright and forceful, showing just how serious he is about this. Not to mention the nickname the biker called him... Ki. It's such a silly little name, really. The nickname Mondo gave him while in the sauna that changed Kiyotaka's entire life. But since Kiyotaka protests liking the name (though he secretly does), the biker doesn't call him it often, especially not in front of other people. He only ever reserves it for the most important of times, usually when he wants Kiyotaka to listen and know that he means what he says. Like... like now, he supposes...

H-he... god. He truly is incredible...

Nodding slowly, Kiyotaka smiles shakily at his friend, trying so hard to stop the way his heart wants to combust at the beautiful smile Mondo gives him. He... he's so...

"T-thank you, kyoudai... your words mean a lot to me... I think I am- am ready to enter now. If you... if you'd like..."

Mondo's smile grows wide, the biker nodding enthusiastically as he gives him a bright thumbs up, pulling his hand away from his cheek at last. A-ah...

"Hell yeah, kyoudai! Wanna ring the bell then?"

Taking one last deep breath, Kiyotaka nods sharply and turns to face the door, hand shaking only slightly as he mechanically raises it and rings the doorbell as quick as he can to prevent himself from 'chickening out,' as Mondo calls it. He slams his arm back down to his side, face set in his usual stern expression despite himself, his arms hanging stiff at his sides as he waits for the door to open with a pounding heart. Well. He supposes this is it, then...

A few moments pass in a somewhat tense silence as they wait, Kiyotaka very aware of Mondo's eyes upon him, intense and worried in equal measures. Thankfully, before the silence can stretch for too long and the anxiety within him can swell into a fever pitch, they hear the door open, the sound of loud music pouring into the hallway as a slightly, er... inebriated Naegi-kun stands in the open doorway. Hmm... Kiyotaka bites his tongue against the comment he wants to make, so hard he almost makes it bleed. But, well... he had promised Mondo he'd try his best to not be judgmental...

"Oh! Hey Mondo, Taka! You guys here for the party?" Naegi-kun says a little too loud, his words slurred just a touch. Kiyotaka winces at the volume, eyes darting around the hallway, hoping no teachers are there to see this... if it ever gets out that Kiyotaka had attended such a party without even trying to stop the illegal acts occurring... he'd never live down the shame! And then he'd never become Prime Minister! Oh, why had he agreed to do this...?! Why oh why oh why oh why oh why-

"Hey dude! Hell yeah! Sounds freakin' tight, man! C'mon, Taka. Let's head on in," Mondo's loud voice cuts into his thoughts, his heart exploding in his chest when he feels a warm arm wrap around his shoulder, gently leading him into the overly loud dorm room. The music and excited chatter from his classmates is unfortunately making a loud cacophony of noise, however, which is already starting to make his head ache with the overwhelming stimuli. Well... at least the rooms are soundproof...

As soon as he walks into the room, however, all of the noise cuts off abruptly, even the music stopping as all eyes turn to him, wide and almost fearful. He sees a lot of frantic moving of cups behind backs, so unsubtle that even Kiyotaka is a bit ashamed in his classmates. It would just be better to accept their punishments out of hand than to make such a pitiful attempt at hiding, honestly... n-not that he intends to punish them! He promised Mondo that he wouldn't, after all...

"Aw, shit! Who freaking invited the Hall Monitor?!" he hears an overly loud voice call, making him flinch further into Mondo's side, eyes staring blankly at the wall to hide the way they stupidly want to cry. A-ah... see, this is exactly what he was afraid of, arriving late like this... h-he shouldn't have come, what was he thinking, he doesn't belong here, he doesn't belong here at all, why had he let Mondo convince him, he should be in his room studying for the upcoming week, this is ridiculous, he-

"Hey! Shut the fuck up, Kuwata! He has every fuckin' right ta be here! He ain't gonna report any a' ya, I already talked ta him 'bout that, so don't fuckin' worry. Now c'mon, thought this was supposed ta be a freakin' party?!" Mondo growls from beside him, his arm tightening across his shoulders as he glares at their classmates in turn. The gesture makes Kiyotaka feels as warm as it makes him feel cold, honestly. After all, he should be old enough that he doesn't need someone else to defend him... though it does feel nice knowing Mondo cares that much...

Kiyotaka can still see the apprehensive looks on everyone's faces, though, and he knows he must say something. With a shaky smile, he removes himself (regretfully) from Mondo's side, looking at each classmate in turn as he tries to exude a confidence he's never actually felt before. He always does.

"Ah, yes! What Mondo-kun says is indeed true! I will not be reporting anyone today, you have my word! Though... you all really should not be drinking! We are underage and not only is it against the school rules to drink on campus, but it is also illeg-!"

"Oh, shut the hell up, Ishimaru!" Kuwata-kun interrupts with a growl, his eyes narrow slits as they glare at him. It causes Kiyotaka to shut his mouth in an instance despite himself, his heart clenching painfully. O-oh... he's already messed up, hasn't he... he hadn't meant to offend, he just wants to make sure his fellows know the dangers of underage drinking... while they may not like him much, he cares very deeply about all of them, regardless, and he would hate for them to be harmed irreparably because of a simple mistake... but h-he... he hadn't meant to...

"I- I'm sorry... I... I will be quiet now..." he states meekly, far softer than he has ever let himself sound around the group before. He always forces himself to be confident and forceful, even if he doesn't feel like that at all inside, but he just... he can't help his weakness here. How... how pathetic...

He can feel Mondo step up beside him, his presence warm, and while he'd usually find it comforting, he can't help how he stiffens, now. He's not even been here a minute and he's already ruined everything... he let Mondo down and now the biker will see how pathetic and worthless he is, and whatever it is that is making him see him in a positive light will be gone, and he will leave, and Kiyotaka should want that, should want Mondo to leave him alone, knowing that they are far too opposite to ever really work as friends in the long run, but he can't help how painful it feels, knowing he ruined everything, knowing he will be alone again, knowing that he just wasn't good enough, knowing... k-knowing...

"Oh! Well, if you want to join in, Taka, that's okay! Right guys?" Taka hears Asahina-kun say cheerily, her eyes brighter than normal as she sits on the couch beside her girlfriend, Ogami-kun, smile bright and unrestrained. Kiyotaka pushes down his disappointment in his fellows for their choices and tries to smile brightly back, though he knows it looks strained.

Luckily... no one seems to notice, as most of his classmates nod their heads quickly, relaxing and taking their drinks from behind their backs, the tension fading a little as they smile hesitantly at him.

With the tension somewhat cut, Kiyotaka allows himself to look around then with only mild trepidation, and he takes stock of who is in the room, so he can adequately prepare. It does not surprise him that the entire class isn't there, but more than he had expected are. He can see Asahina-kun and Ogami-kun on the couch, of course, as well as Ludenberg-kun and Yamada-kun sitting near to— but not exactly close to— one another on the bed. Kuwata-kun and Maizono-kun are standing in the corner by the stereo, the former still glaring at him, to his discomfort. He moves his eyes on quickly and sees Hagakure-kun sitting in the middle of the floor with a wide grin, the only one among them actually old enough to be drinking legally. In fact, the fraudulent clairvoyant is quite probably the one who got them the illicit beverages in the first place, honestly. He does his best to not think on it.

Moving on, he sees— to his surprise— Fujisaki-kun sitting by the desk behind the bed, a nervous look on her face as she holds a mostly full cup of a mystery liquid that Kiyotaka firmly doesn't think about. Naegi-kun, obviously, is also there, the boy shuffling inside the room behind them, blithe grin on his face. With him and Mondo, there are now eleven students in the relatively small room, making the space very, very cramped... hm...

"Ugh. Fine. S'long as the tightass can keep his mouth shut, whatever. Don't want any lectures, though, alright?! 'S my room, I get ta kick you out if I wanna. Got it?!" Kuwata-kun grumbles, rolling his eyes at Mondo's angry growl. Kiyotaka doesn't protest, though, and just nods tightly, lifting his hand for a crisp salute. He immediately chastises himself for it internally, knowing how ridiculous it looks, but he can't allow the others to see his doubt, so he just smiles widely and speaks.

"Ah, but of course! I am merely here to, er... unwind! And have fun! I will not lecture if it is not desired! Though, really..."

Kiyotaka gets cut off by several groans, making his face flush as he snaps his mouth shut immediately again, eyes falling unintentionally to the floor. A-ah... how foolish of him...

A slightly awkward air enters the room then, all of them staring at each other uncomfortably. After a moment, Kiyotaka decides he must do something to break the tension and— for a lack of any other idea— he marches over to the coffee table in front of the couch and takes a shaky seat on the ground before it, atop a plush, carpeted rug. He normally wouldn't sit in such an area, not wanting his uniform to get dirty from the ground, but seeing as there's nowhere else to sit, he decides to make do. He hears Mondo follow after him, the biker sitting clumsily to the left of him, as the rest of their classmates cautiously start talking again. Another moment passes, and then the music is being turned back on, Kiyotaka's head beginning to pound again with its return. Ah... how wonderful...

"Hey. How ya holdin' up, kyoudai?" he hears get muttered into his ear several moments later, breaking Kiyotaka out of the staring contest he'd been having with the coffee table. Oh... and he'd been winning, too...

With a shaky smile, he lifts his eyes up to Mondo, hoping the biker doesn't see the tension within him. Judging by the worry he finds not hidden at all within lavender eyes, he doubts it...

"A-ah... I- I'm doing alright, kyoudai... it's just a lot louder than I anticipated," he claims, leaning forward to press his lips practically against Mondo's ear so the biker can hear him over the noise, initially not realizing just how close he is. But then... when he feels Mondo shudder against him, the biker's breath escaping him in a shaky gasp, well... w-well...

"Yeah?" Mondo breathes, moving so his lips are pressed to Kiyotaka's ear now, allowing him to hear every shaky breath the biker takes. It... it sure is something... "ya know, I am so fuckin' happy ya agreed ta come, Ki... know it ain't yer scene, but ya don't know how much it means ta me that ya decided ta come anyway. Always hated comin' ta this shit without ya, man. Even though it started awkward, I'm still so fuckin' glad yer here... so, uh... thanks, Taka. Really fuckin'... uh, freakin'... mean that..."

Kiyotaka can't help the full body shudder he gives at the rumbling words, his fingers tingling at the sensation that is flowing through him. As Mondo pulls back, eyes locking on his with significance, he can't help the way his eyes unwillingly dart down to look at Mondo's mouth, his own mouth drying at the sight. He watches breathlessly as the biker's lips drop open and a wet, pink tongue is made visible, darting out to moisten the dry looking lips. It... it looks so... s-so...

Kiyotaka rips his eyes away, panting lightly as he looks at the room at large, body unnaturally flushed. H-he... he can't... h-he can't...

"Of course, kyoudai! Anything for you!" Kiyotaka exclaims, loud enough for Mondo to hear him from their slight distance, but hopefully not enough to disturb the pair sitting on the couch before them. He can see as Mondo hunches slightly, his eyes dimming somewhat, but Kiyotaka doesn't... he doesn't know what he'd done, what he'd said wrong, why... why Mondo is looking at him like...

"H-heh... sure, Taka. Uh... shit. 'M gonna get us somethin' ta drink, okay? Like, juice an' shit, made sure Leon'd have some. Be right back, okay? Ya want somethin' ta eat too?" Mondo replies loudly after a moment passes, looking almost like normal, though he can still see the slight tension in his shoulders. Funny. He doesn't know when he'd gotten so good at reading the biker. He usually is awful at guessing body language... but, he supposes, not with Mondo...

Shaking his head, Kiyotaka smiles at his kyoudai, shrugging as casually as possible.

"N-no thank you, kyoudai... juice will be fine," he replies, hoping the tremor in his voice is disguised by the music. If it's not, Mondo doesn't call him out. He just grunts as he stands clumsily, ambling over to the counter where some food and drinks are located. Kiyotaka carefully averts his eyes when he catches sight of what he knows to be alcohol, not wanting to make his inner moral compass squirm any more than it already is, thanks.

Thankfully, it doesn't take Mondo long to return, the biker smiling easier at him when he hands him a cup of apple juice. He then exaggeratedly shows Kiyotaka the contents of his own cup, which he can clearly see is also just apple juice. Not that he would have doubted his kyoudai! Not at all! While he knows the biker does sometimes drink alcoholic beverages, he'd promised him that he wouldn't drink tonight. And Mondo never breaks a promise. Never...

"Heh, see, Taka? Just juice. Thought ya'd like apple, but there's also cranberry, if ya want some later," Mondo claims as he takes a heavy seat, shoulder pressing tight to Kiyotaka's, the biker not knowing the meaning of the phrase 'personal space,' like always. He tries not to let the way his heart goes crazy at the subtle heat that radiates from Mondo be too noticeable. Like... like always...

After that, he and his kyoudai enter into casual conversation while drinking their juice, nice and light and just... good. Mondo does most of the talking while Kiyotaka tries his hardest not to black out at the sensation of Mondo's lips on his ear, the biker seeming to be over the slight funk he'd entered into earlier. He's laughing and joking and Kiyotaka is slowly dying as his insides flutter so helplessly. G-god... what did he do to deserve this torture...? He does his best to converse with Mondo intelligibly, but he doubts that he is. Not with the way his tongue constantly wants to get tied whenever Mondo laughs... Kiyotaka is not at all funny, his sense of humor duller than a spoon, but you'd never guess that by how heartily Mondo laughs at his pathetic 'jokes.' And he knows it's not fake, too. Mondo is far too genuine of a person to pretend that well. It... it really... hm.

Because of the slow torture Mondo is unintentionally putting him through, Kiyotaka finds himself almost glad when the music stops nearly half an hour later after a particularly grating song, his eyes darting up to see what had caused the interruption. Ah... is the party over already? Well... that hadn't been so bad... sure, he'd spent the entirety of it sitting on the floor speaking with Mondo… but seeing as how much he enjoys doing such a thing in general, he certainly has no complaints! Well, other than the whole 'sitting on the floor' part. That he could have lived without, thanks ever so...

However, when he sees Kuwata-kun stand before the stereo with a large grin on his face, looking out at the crowd of classmates, he starts to feel a jolt of anxiety enter his heart... w-what is going on...?

"What's up, everybody? You guys having a nice time?" the former baseball star asks, voice only slightly slurred as he looks around the room. At the numerous positive replies, Kuwata-kun smirks, nodding enthusiastically. "Hell yeah! Anyway, figured it was about time to start up the games. What do you all wanna play? Any suggestions?"

Oh! Is it time to play games, then? He vaguely recalls hearing about that being part of standard party fare. While he doesn't usually allow himself to play games often, he does know of quite a few fun games he used to play in his youth, back before his grandfather's fall...

Hand up in the air before he can tell himself not to, Kiyotaka does his best to not flush when all eyes land on him, varying degrees of amusement on their faces. A-ah... how intimidating... if he allowed himself to ever be intimidated, of course! Aha!

Still... he can't help how his stomach churns unpleasantly when Kuwata-kun smirks at him, his pale blue eyes swirling with dark amusement.

"Oh? What, the Hall Monitor has a suggestion? This should be good. But hey, ya know what? Go 'head. Tell us, Ishimaru. What fun party game do you have in mind?"

Kiyotaka does his best to not wilt at the mocking words, his face flushing despite himself. While he often is oblivious to people making fun of him (which unfortunately makes the pain all the worse when they start to laugh, an action he understands fully well, sadly), he's so tightly wound now that even he can tell Kuwata-kun's true intentions with his words. It makes him want to stop talking and disappear into thin air, really. Anything to stop the casual (and before Hope's Peak, oftentimes decidedly not casual) bullying he's always been forced to face in life...

Still... he'd started this, so he will see it through, like he always must! That's a Kiyotaka Ishimaru guarantee! After all, giving up is never an option!

With as bright a smile as he can possibly manage, hoping it masks the discomfort well, he straightens and explains the game he had thought of with his usual level of enthusiasm. And if it's slightly forced… well. He doubts any of his classmates care enough to notice. Other than Mondo, of course...

"Ah! Well! I suppose I do not know much about party games, as this is the first party I've attended, but I do happen to know of a fairly fun game I used to play in my youth! Do you happen to know of the game 'Simon Says?' It's a quite wonderful game where you follow orders another player gives, which is incredibly fun, I assure you! If you'd like, I can teach you the rules, if you do not know how to-!"

Kiyotaka gets cut off as Kuwata-kun lets out a loud, mocking laugh, while little titters and giggles echo around the room from the rest of their classmates. He feels his face heat up hotter than it has been all night at the sound, his breath escaping him in ragged pants as he is bitterly reminded of his childhood. The remembered sound of children laughing at his every mistake and misfortune suddenly attacks his heart and mind in tandem, pressure building behind his eyes as his sight goes blurry despite his best efforts to push it down. H-he... he hadn't meant... he was just trying to do what was asked of him... they asked for a game, he gave one, so why... why are they laughing...? W-what had he done wrong, why... w-why...

Kiyotaka gasps softly when he feels Mondo surge up beside him, eyes wide and painful as he watches the biker glower at the room, eyes blazing like a wildfire. M-Mondo... he... he's...

"Hey! Shut the fuck up, all a' you! Ain't his fuckin' fault ya fuckers didn't clarify what ya meant! Ya fuckin' asked fer a game, he fuckin' gave one! End a' discussion!" Mondo bellows, voice oppressively loud in the relatively small dorm room. The laughter abruptly cuts off as everyone stares at the overly irate biker with wide, slightly terrified eyes. Not Kiyotaka, though. While his eyes are indeed wide, it is not terror he feels. Not at all...

Kuwata-kun is not one to be cowed, though. Not with how inebriated he is, at least. And so, rather than cower back, he just snorts, looking at Mondo with a mockingly raised eyebrow.

"Oh, come off it, Owada! If you weren't so freakin' whipped by that tightass, you'd realize how moronic his answer was! Who doesn't freakin' know what a party game is?! Damn freak. Just 'cuz you got your little thing for him doesn't mean I gotta like him, ya kn-"

Kuwata-kun's frankly incomprehensible reply gets cut off by an enraged howl from Mondo, the biker striding forward with purpose as he balls his fists, looking practically murderous. That jolts Kiyotaka out of the dazed stupor Mondo's impassioned words put him in, Kiyotaka scrambling to stand as he watches his friend rush forward. After all! It would be unspeakably bad if his best friend murdered someone! And it would be highly inconvenient to have to visit his kyoudai in jail!

However, before he's even able to stand fully, he watches as Ogami-kun stands and strides forward, grabbing hold of Mondo's arm and holding him back, her voice a light growl as the Ultimate Martial Artist restrains Mondo with ease.

"Easy, Owada-san. It would be very unfortunate if you ended up in jail before the night is over," she says quite plainly, her words blunt and to the point as she stares evenly at Mondo. While she and the biker are by no means friends— the martial artist taking great offense to Mondo's insistence that girls are inherently weaker than boys and thus need protection— they get along fairly well when not at odds. Plus, Ogami-kun is the only person who can hold the biker back when he gets infuriated like this. Well... her and Kiyotaka. But Kiyotaka's hold is not quite as physical...

Kiyotaka watches with wary eyes as Mondo's nostrils flare, glaring at the martial artist. But then... for whatever reason, the biker then glances back at Kiyotaka, eyes softening a hair when they land on him, causing Kiyotaka's body to be lit aflame. But he has no time to waste on his ridiculousness, not when he can see how angry Mondo still is, so he quickly shakes his head, eyes beseeching.

"She is right, kyoudai... it is not worth it..."

He watches with a racing heart as Mondo grimaces at the words, the biker shaking his head but not looking nearly as furious. Kiyotaka can still see his rage in the way he holds his shoulders, though...

"Shit... ain't fuckin' true, kyoudai. S'always worth it ta make sure yer bein' treated right. Ain't gonna stand by as these fuckers mock ya, not fuckin' ever. But if ya want me ta stand down... I'll fuckin' stand down," the biker says in a soft growl, eyes intent on Kiyotaka's. But then he looks around the room at their classmates, eyes on fire once more. "But if anyone else fuckin' tries ta mess with Taka, I'm fuckin' bustin' yer brains in... got it?!"

There's a quick round of nodding around the room, most of the inhabitants looking very chagrined and even... regretful. Whether it's because they genuinely feel bad for laughing at Kiyotaka or because they don't want to get on Mondo's bad side, he doesn't know, but he supposes it doesn't matter. Not when Mondo returns his gaze to look back at him once more, intense eyes solely on him, like he's the biker's entire universe or something. G-god... what did he do to deserve someone like Mondo...

Even Kuwata-kun looks mildly chastised, though Kiyotaka can still see the annoyance in his eyes. While they are both good friends of Mondo's, they have sadly never gotten along. Not with how the former baseball star, current aspiring musician seems unable to get over Kiyotaka's uptight nature, and how Kiyotaka is most definitely unable to abide by Kuwata-kun's casual rule breaking. But even as drunk as he is, the former baseballer knows how completely foolish it is to goad the biker when he's so blindingly angry.

And so, Kuwata-kun just snorts and rolls his eyes, but holds his hands up in the universal sign of surrender, not saying a word more. Mondo doesn't appear satisfied by this response, but he unclenches his fists all the same, stomping back over to where Kiyotaka is currently standing, offering him a strained smile as he stops beside him. And Kiyotaka... it's all he can do to give a dazed smile in return, hoping the way his heart is furiously beating in his chest isn't too noticeable. If it is, well... Mondo doesn't question it.

After that, there's an elongated awkward pause in the room, even Kiyotaka feeling it as he shuffles nervously on his feet despite himself. The silence stretches until-

"S-so... I've heard of this game called 'Never Have I Ever...' m-maybe we could play that?" Naegi-kun's hesitant voice cuts through the oppressive silence, the boy's eyes darting around nervously. After a moment in which everyone contemplates the suggestion, the group is nodding enthusiastically, the tension cut quite effectively. Kiyotaka does his best to not feel lost as everyone moves to the counter to refill their drinks, laughing together as they do so.

Before he can feel too left out, biting his lip unconsciously, he feels as Mondo moves closer to his front, a warm hand brushing his hip as lips press lightly to his ear. Kiyotaka tries to hold in the breathy gasp that wants to escape. He only partially succeeds.

"'S a drinkin' game, Ki. Ya go 'round the circle tellin' things ya've never done 'fore, an' if someone else has done it, they take a sip a' their drink. Same if ya've done somethin' someone else never did. Last ta empty their cup wins. Or loses... can't quite 'member which, heh. Ya gotta make sure ya choose somethin' ya think people'll have done, though, or else ya gotta take a sip instead. So, ya can't just go, like... 'never have I ever been ta the fuckin' moon,' or shit like that. Uh... sorry fer cursin', heh. But ya get what I mean. Yeah?"

Kiyotaka is having trouble focusing on Mondo's words, not with the biker pressed so close to him for no reason he can ascertain. But after a moment, the meaning penetrates his sluggish brain, making him blink, and then frown.

"It's a drinking game? How... wonderful... must you drink alcohol to play? If so, I will just sit this game out, thank you very much..."

The snort Mondo lets out practically vibrates through him, as close together as they both are standing. His skin is already tingling, and it's not made any better when Mondo tightens his grip on his hip. The biker is grinning brightly at him as he pulls back to look him in the eye, a sparkle in the lavender that makes him feel a little punch drunk...

"Heh, nah, man. Can just drink yer juice. But we should prolly fill up our cups, otherwise we start at a disadvantage. I can get 'em fer us while ya get us a spot on the rug, if ya want," Mondo mutters lowly, eyes on fire as they hold his, completely tying Kiyotaka's tongue. He can only nod desperately, everything in him roiling not unpleasantly as Mondo smiles— a genuine smile, not even a smirk or a grin for once— and nods at him in return.

No other words are exchanged then as Mondo holds his hand out for Kiyotaka's cup, which he gives the biker readily, watching him as he walks away for a moment too long. He snaps himself out of it quickly, though, and hurries back to their spot on the carpet, facing the room and not the couch this time, doing his best to not squirm at the feelings that rage inside him, resolutely ignoring what they mean. It... it's not important... it never is...

It doesn't take long for the group to refill their cups with liquid that Kiyotaka does his best to not think of. He feels his shoulders simultaneously want to relax and tense when he feels Mondo take a heavy seat beside him, a small and beautiful smile on the biker's face.

He grabs the now full cup gratefully, smiling shakily back, quickly turning to watch as everyone takes seats near to the coffee table, so they're closer to the group. It's very crowded and cramped, but he supposes it's not too bad. Not when he's forced to press tight to Mondo's side to allow Fujisaki-kun the space to sit beside Mondo and Naegi-kun to sit beside him...

Once everyone is seated, he hears Naegi-kun clear his throat before going over the rules, so that everyone can be on the same page. To his relief, the rules seem to be exactly as Mondo had said, though Naegi-kun confirms that you win by being the last to finish your drink. Considering that there are quite a lot of things that Kiyotaka hasn't done, he has a feeling he might actually do fairly decently at this game...

"So, uh... yeah! That's the rules! Um... does anyone wanna go first?"

There is a pregnant pause after Naegi-kun's question, the group looking at one another to see who will volunteer. Usually, Kiyotaka would be the first to have his hand up to volunteer for anything, but considering he's never played this game before, he's not sure it would be wise for him to start the game off. He'd hate to embarrass himself yet again...

To his relief, the silence is broken a moment later. He doesn't know how to feel, however, when he hears Mondo's deep rumble echo through the room, cutting through the thick silence neatly.

"Ugh, fine, ya cowards. I'll go first. Never have I ever been ta France. There. Not freakin' hard."

While Kiyotaka isn't looking at him directly, he can practically hear the eye roll in his kyoudai's voice. He gets distracted from that when he hears a loud groan echo through the room, eyes darting up to land on the Ultimate Pop Sensation as she is the only one to take a sip of her drink, a frown on her face.

"Okay, can we please not do the whole never have I ever been to a certain place thing? It's totally not fair..." Maizono-kun pouts, her eyes wide and beguiling. Kiyotaka opens his mouth to comment that enforcing new rules once a game has already begun is decidedly unfair, but he decides against it before he lets it out, his mouth closing with a silent *click*. It's probably best to not talk more than he has to... much as the thought does gall him.

His restraint is proven the correct move, however, as most everyone else nods in agreement readily, though Mondo just rolls his eyes, shrugging carelessly.

The game then continues after that, Fujisaki-kun going next, since Mondo declared that it would make most sense to go that direction. Kiyotaka doesn't say it, but he's grateful that Mondo declared that, as it gives him more time to get used to the game before it's his turn to go.

As they go around the circle steadily, Kiyotaka begins to feel a bit awkward as each student goes, sharing the things they've not done, the others laughing as unlikely people take drinks of their beverage. Like he'd thought, Kiyotaka doesn't take a single sip, since most of the nevers are things like 'never have I ever cracked my cellphone screen' (Fujisaki-kun's never, but Kiyotaka has never owned a cellphone, let alone cracked it, perish the thought) or 'never have I ever peed my pants in public after the age of five' (Kuwata-kun's never, which made Kiyotaka wrinkle his nose at the distasteful question. He did feel bad for Yamada-kun, however, as he was the only one who took a sip, the group snickering at the confession. The Ultimate Fan Artist hadn't seemed too embarrassed by it, though. Not like Kiyotaka would have been...)

Anyway. By the time it reaches him, most of the group has taken at least one sip, even Mondo having done it a few times (having drunk to 'never have I ever punched a person' [Maizono-kun's, likely to get back at the biker for his never], 'never have I ever eaten an entire pizza by myself' [Naegi-kun's], and 'never have I ever blacked out after drinking' [Ludenberg-kun's, said with a soft giggle. Kiyotaka had frowned at the biker for his sip, but hadn't let it linger too long, not wanting to make the biker think he was judging him. Though he was... a little...]).

Anyway. He can feel pressure build within him as all eyes fall on him. It makes him want to squirm, but he knows that he can't. That it would just show a weakness he can't afford. But he... he doesn't...

"Er... ah. I'm afraid that I- I don't know what to say," he confesses, cheeks pink. And it's true. While he's been trying to come up with a good 'never,' he just... he can't quite think of one. Not one that the others would actually have done! Or... ones that he hopes the others haven't done... like commit a crime. Though, considering who he is sitting next to...

He feels his shoulder tense when he hears Kuwata-kun's derisive snort, but the former baseball star doesn't get a chance to say anything before Mondo is glaring at him, Kuwata-kun rolling his eyes but acquiescing reluctantly. Mondo then turns to him with a kind smile, shrugging casually.

"Ain't gotta be anythin' big, kyoudai. Can be somethin' small, like ya never cheated on a test, or ya never kissed a guy. Things like that, ya know?" Mondo explains quietly, though his voice still carries in the too small room. Kiyotaka feels his cheeks flush, partially due to the attention and partially due to the second never Mondo listed. He pushes it out of his mind immediately, though, not wanting to waste too much more time than he has to, acutely aware of the eyes on him.

"Oh! Thank you, kyoudai! I, er... well! Then I suppose I have never run in the halls before!"

Kiyotaka feels proud of himself for coming up with a never for one split second, before it's ruined by another derisive snort by Kuwata-kun.

"Y'know yer s'posed ta phrase it in the proper way, right? Like... never have I ever 'n shit," Kuwata-kun slurs, his speech getting somewhat worse as the game progresses. Kiyotaka can feel his cheeks heat further at the reprimand, though, feeling awful that he'd messed up the saying. And he'd been trying so hard to remind himself to say it properly, too, since he had actually guessed that that was a part of the game... luckily (or not), he doesn't have time to get too embarrassed before Mondo is there. Defending him. Like always...

"Aw, shut the fuck up, Kuwata! Leave him the fuck alone, goddamn... the fuck is yer problem today..." Mondo growls lowly, glaring fiercely at Kuwata-kun. Kuwata-kun looks ready to fire back, his face contorting in anger, but Maizono-kun cuts him off, sighing with annoyance.

"Just drop it, Leon-san... Taka-san hasn't done anything to you today. Just leave him alone..." the pop sensation says with a small pout, her eyes a little hazy as she looks at the redhead beside her. Kuwata-kun flushes at her words, but wisely says nothing. He can still feel Kuwata-kun's glare on him, though, even as the former baseball star finally takes his sip. Beside him, Mondo also takes a sip, but he expects that. However... as he looks around, he notices that pretty much everyone is taking a sip... hm...

Once everyone sips, it's Mondo's turn again. Following a sharp glare at the former baseball star, the biker grins, though it doesn't look like a nice grin...

"Alright. Never have I fuckin' ever thrown a fast ball," Mondo claims, the look on his face smug as Kuwata-kun glares at him while taking a sip. Ah... Kiyotaka isn't quite certain why Mondo is being so antagonistic to his usually close friend today, and it honestly is making him feel a bit uncomfortable... especially since he knows he's at the heart of their feud. Oh dear...

"Ya know tha' ain't somethin' ta be proud of, righ'?" Kuwata-kun can't help but reply snidely, though he settles back against the wall when Maizono-kun gives him a bleary glare. He can feel Mondo tense beside him, which concerns him greatly, and he isn't even thinking when he... he...

He places his hand gently atop the biker's.

His body flares red hot as soon as contact is made, but he can't yank the appendage back, not without it being even more suspicious. Instead, he just leaves it there, hoping he looks somewhat normal and confident when Mondo looks at him, eyes wide with a mysterious emotion swirling within them. And then... Mondo...

Mondo turns his hand over and gently entwines their fingers, squeezing slightly-

Gah!

Positive that his face is as red as a rose in full bloom, Kiyotaka fights hard to not pull his hand back like it's been scalded, not wanting to offend the teen beside him. Plus, it does feel... oddly nice...

But the contact is over far too soon, Mondo pulling his hand away gently as Fujisaki-kun goes again, her voice only wavering a little as she states her never. After another round of sips, the game moves on, Kiyotaka finally taking a sip at Asahina's never ('never have I ever almost drowned while swimming!' Kiyotaka flushes when Mondo looks at him with concern, not sure how to explain that it happened when a classmate had 'accidentally' held him under water during their middle school swim class for long enough that he'd actually inhaled water. If it weren't for a particularly dedicated lifeguard, he's not entirely sure what would have happened that day...)

Soon enough, it's Kuwata-kun's turn, the teen having been glaring at Mondo with upset eyes since the biker's never. He smirks, however, now that it's his turn. It makes Kiyotaka feel very apprehensive, truly...

"Ya know wha'? I got one. Never have I ever had a big, fat, huge crush on a dude b'fore," the former baseball star sneers, a mean smirk on his face as he stares straight at Mondo. Kiyotaka doesn't notice that, though. Not with how frozen he feels inside, his cup feeling overly heavy in his hand. A-ah... this- t-this should be a simple one... c-clearly, he hasn't, not ever, so he shouldn't take a sip, obviously... w-why- why would he ever even consider possibly taking a sip, he's never... n-never had...

Kiyotaka's attention is dragged to the boy beside him against his will a moment later, however, his eyes wide as he watches Mondo growl softly, looking pissed off, before... b-before...

Taking a sip...

It seems Kiyotaka isn't the only one shocked, as the whole room stares at the biker with wide eyes, the chorus of girls groaning petering out as a stunned silence rises. He can both see and feel Mondo's uncomfortable shifting, but he can't help the way he stares. M-Mondo... Mondo has had a... a- a...

"What... what?! Ain't a big fuckin' deal, shit! 'M fuckin' bi, anyone got a fuckin' problem with that?!" Mondo growls after a moment, his face turning bright red with his discomfort, the vein in his temple starting to bulge with his rapidly rising rage. Usually, Kiyotaka would do his best to diffuse the situation, inserting himself and making sure no one bothers Mondo again to allow the teen the chance to cool down, but... but he can't, not with how utterly frozen he feels, his heart stopped still in his chest. Because... because Mondo... M-Mondo is... is...

Bisexual...?

It doesn't compute. It just... it does not compute! Mondo is- is the manliness person he knows... rugged and daring and d-dashing... strong and muscular and- and... h-he leads a motorcycle gang! He... he can't be... how...

A-ah... but that's stereotyping, isn't it...? None of that necessarily means that he can't... can't... w-well. Like men. And... and maybe it makes some sense, now that Kiyotaka is allowing himself to think about it. After all, there are all of those times he'd see Mondo stare after a male student or other, his eyes definitely lower than they likely should be. Or there's the comments Mondo would make about some 'buff' action movie hero, commenting quite favorably on his 'rippling muscles,' or his 'tight ass.' And... and of course there's the way that... t-that Mondo...

Mondo looks at him...

He's always pushed all that away, though. It was useless, after all. As useless as the way he... t-the way his eyes would...

But now... now that he's staring at Mondo, the proof clear before them all... now that Mondo has said it; now that he knows... he can't quite make himself push it away like usual. Part of him would wonder if Mondo had accidentally given him an alcoholic beverage, with how untethered he feels, if he didn't know better. But... but, as it stands...

Maizono-kun, surprisingly, comes to the rescue, the girl moving on quickly to say her own never, giving Kuwata-kun a small glare as she says, "never have I ever had a big, huge, fat crush on a girl," pouting lightly again. Most of the guys (and Asahina-kun and Ogami-kun) take a sip. Mondo included...

Not Kiyotaka, though.

He tries not to think on it too hard.

Soon, it's his turn again, and he simply says, "never have I ever gotten a detention that I myself did not give!" his cup still over half full. Pretty much everyone groans, all but Fujisaki-kun taking a sip of their beverage. Well... at least he has faith in the young programmer if no one else...

It isn't long after that before the first person gets out, Asahina-kun pouting for a minute but quickly getting into higher spirits, giggling at everyone's nevers and confessions. Soon after that, people start noticing that Kiyotaka's cup is still mostly full, and so they all start targeting their nevers at him, saying things like, 'never have I ever stayed up all night studying,' or 'never have I ever given another student detention.' Things that wouldn't really apply to other people, only him.

He does his best to not let it show, but it upsets him a bit, especially after the fourth person in a row does the exact same thing, making him feel oddly like he's getting ganged up against. He knows it's part of the game (though they'd all willingly stopped when Maizono-kun had asked them to), and he doesn't think they mean it maliciously, but... but still. It makes his chest hurt, and after Ludenberg-kun says 'never have I ever been on a Public Morals Committee,' he finds himself staring at the ground, cheeks pink and shoulders impossibly tense.

It only stops after Mondo growls angrily at the fifth person (Yamada-kun) to try, saying quite plainly that 'if you fuckers don't fuckin' knock that shit off...' before glaring menacingly at them all in turn. It makes Kiyotaka feels as pathetic as it does grateful, honestly.

He really should be stronger than this, though... it's bad form to let a harmless little game get to him so badly. Even though he hates losing at things, he knows logically that this is inconsequential and is more for fun than anything, and that getting upset at the others for their strategy is the sign of a sore loser. Which he never wants to be, honestly. But... but still...

Anyway. The game moves on steadily, the group getting more and more inebriated as the game goes on, most of the group getting out fairly soon after. Mondo is the fifth one out, the biker shrugging as he leans back on his hands, not seeming to care that his thumb is brushing oh so slightly against Kiyotaka's right, er... buttocks, his arm a warm brand all along his back, practically wrapping his arm around Kiyotaka.

In turn, Kiyotaka does his best to not hyperventilate, stars dancing across his vision as his left side presses firmly to Mondo's right, feeling so flushed he's sure it's not healthy, his mind nonsensically reminding him every so often that Mondo is bisexual. Really... Mondo didn't actually give him an alcoholic drink, now did he...?

The sensation does make it harder for him to think of nevers, especially now that he has to come up with more and more of them, with the pool of players getting smaller and smaller. He actually runs out of school related nevers at one point, making him scramble to come up with others.

Mondo, noticing his distress, leans down to mumble suggestions quietly into his ear, which just makes it even harder for him to think, really. Kuwata-kun predictably protests this, calling it cheating— even though he got out several rounds ago— but Mondo just rolls his eyes and says it's not since there's no rule against it. And since none of the remaining players (Yamada-kun, Maizono-kun, and Fujisaki-kun) seem to mind too much, Mondo's assistance is allowed.

It doesn't take long after that for both Yamada-kun and Maizono-kun to get out, leaving only Kiyotaka and Fujisaki-kun left. Their back and forth goes on for a few rounds, both of them having to drink on their own turn a couple times when they say a never the other also hasn't done, but before long, Fujisaki-kun's drink is empty, while Kiyotaka still has a small amount left, leaving him the victor.

It's a bit of a hollow victory, considering that it makes him— according to an annoyed Kuwata-kun— a 'borin' ol' stick 'n th' mud,' but still. He takes it.

Now that the game is finally over, Kiyotaka naively hopes that this means the party is over, too. No, it's not been as bad as he'd feared (though it's still been pretty bad...), but he's decidedly getting tired, not usually staying out this late. Nor is he usually around other people other than Mondo for so long; not casually, at least. Plus, it really is starting to make his inner moral compass squirm harshly, seeing all of his classmates getting steadily more and more inebriated...

However, luck— like always— isn't on his side, as Kuwata-kun just stands on wobbly legs, a crooked smirk on his lips.

"So," the baseball star slurs pretty badly, "what game should we play nex'? An' no, Ishim- wh'ever, ya can't make a sug- suges- su... shit, ya know wha' I mean."

Kiyotaka's cheeks heat up again, but Asahina-kun is speaking up before he can get too embarrassed, or Mondo can try to rise to his defense.

"Ooooh! Let's play Truth 'r Dare!" the swimmer exclaims happily, giggling at nothing as she collapses against her girlfriend, who seems to be holding her drink far better than the others as she smiles indulgently at the swimmer. Kiyotaka doesn't focus on that thought, though, not wishing to despair more for his classmates and their life choices, and instead frowns thoughtfully at the suggestion, distantly noticing the rest of the group nodding enthusiastically in agreement. Ah... Truth or Dare... he's actually heard of the game, and thinks he knows the basic premise of it, but... hm...

"'S exactly like it sounds, kyoudai. Ya just ask another player truth or dare, an' they pick one a' the two. Then ya either ask 'em a question if they pick truth or give 'em a dare if they pick dare. Ain't no winners in this game, though dependin' on how ya see it, there's a whole buncha losers, heh... still. When it's yer turn, once ya get a truth or a dare, ya usu'lly gotta complete it or else ya admit defeat an' have everyone know yer a freakin' chicken, heh. Some games have a penalty fer chickenin' out, but we don't usu'lly got one when we play. But it ain't that hard ta figure out, kyoudai. Can help ya with dares an' questions an' shit if ya can't think a' any, okay?" Mondo mutters softly in his ear again, causing him to shiver. Again. It- it sure is cold in the room, isn't it...? Kuwata-kun should get his heater looked at, truly...

He doesn't have time to bring it up to Kuwata-kun (not that he would, considering how antagonistic the redhead has been towards him that night) before everyone is standing, heading over to the counter to get refills on their drinks and snacks, laughing at seemingly nothing. Mondo stands as well, stretching as he looks down indulgently at Kiyotaka, who once again ignores the way his heart races...

"Need anythin', kyoudai?" Mondo asks in his usual rumbling way, shooting electricity down Kiyotaka's spine. He ignores it, like he's ignores most things relating to his emotions regarding the biker tonight and considers the question. After a moment, he replies.

"Ah, if you wouldn't mind getting me some water, I'd appreciate it, kyoudai... my mouth feels awfully sugary from all that juice... I'd hate to get a cavity!"

He watches as Mondo nods at the request, ambling off without another word. Kiyotaka takes the time to try and take several deep breaths to try and calm his racing heart. It's ridiculous, really... his heart has no business racing so fiercely when absolutely nothing is happening... honestly...

Before he's ready, everyone is returning to the carpet, the order being changed up quite a lot as people sit in new areas. Asahina-kun and Ogami-kun take a seat beside him on the ground this time, the martial artist directly to his right while Mondo takes his usual seat at his left, his arm going back into its prior position behind his back, lightly brushing his posterior. A-ah... this is fine... absolutely... f-fine...

He doesn't get long to dwell on the sensation, thankfully, as the game gets started fairly quickly after everyone is seated, everyone seeming very enthusiastic about playing.

Some additional ground rules are determined before the game officially starts, though, such as each player needing to vary their choices, not able to pick the same thing twice in a row. Basically— Mondo mutters to him— it means that they have to alternate between truth and dare each time they're called, not able to pick only truths or only dares, which makes logical sense. Additionally, each person can't choose the same 'victim' twice in a row either, needing to vary their picks when it's their turn again, to ensure variety. And then, finally, Ludenberg-kun suggests a clause that they can't back out or change truths or dares once they are issued, in the spirit of fairness. Mondo explains to him privately that apparently that happened a lot in a previous game that they all played together, and it had made the entire game a drag. It all seems fair to Kiyotaka, so he agrees readily when everyone else does.

With the ground rules out of the way, the game officially starts. There's no need to wonder who will go first this time, however, as Asahina-kun volunteers very enthusiastically to go, stating that she is very 'pumped' to start. No one has any objections to it, and so the swimmer immediately turns to her girlfriend and asks, 'truth or dare!' giving the martial artist a bright look. When Ogami-kun plainly states 'dare,' Asahina-kun practically beams, saying happily 'ha! I dare you to kiss me!'

Smiling indulgently at the slighter girl, Ogami-kun leans in and does as was dared. Or... Kiyotaka assumes she does. He doesn't actually know, to tell the truth, since he averts his eyes hastily to give them privacy. Something that no one else seems inclined to do… how rude...

Anyway, after a few drunken wolf whistles (mainly from the guys), they have to decide which way to go in the circle for order. Before anyone can say anything, though, Mondo speaks up, saying that it should go to Ludenberg-kun next, not bothering to offer any explanations as to why he decided that. But... but Kiyotaka knows. After all, he's sitting right beside Ogami-kun. If they went the other way, it would be his turn soon after. Which... which likely wouldn't have been good, seeing as he's still learning how to play. There goes his kyoudai once again, looking out for his well-being...

No one has a problem with that, though, so Ludenberg-kun goes, seeming happy with the choice of game.

As the game progresses, Kiyotaka surprisingly finds himself relaxing a little, not feeling quite as much pressure during this game as the last, since no one is currently asking him anything and he's allowed to just sit back and listen. Plus, without the pressure of wishing foolishly to win, he can let his mind relax for once. He even finds some measure of amusement at some of his classmate's answers and dares, too. He's just about to think that things might go better with this game than the last, when...

When it's Kuwata-kun's turn. And... and the former baseball star stares straight at him, a cruel looking smirk rising upon his lips. A-ah... oh dear...

"Hey, Hall Monitor. Truth 'r dare?" Kuwata-kun smirks, looking strangely smug. Kiyotaka can't help how he freezes at the question, not sure which to pick. He... he hadn't actually considered which he would choose when it was his turn, to tell the truth... how foolish of him... hm. Which would be better to choose...?

Before he can come to a decision, however, he hears yet another derisive snort, his eyes darting back to Kuwata-kun, who is still smirking at him...

"S'not a hard question, shit. Bet yer gonna pick truth, though... like a coward, ha," Kuwata-kun claims, voice mocking like it's been all night. Kiyotaka can't help how he stiffens at the words, though. Is that... a challenge? Well! Kiyotaka never backs down from a challenge! After all, he is no coward!

"Ah! That is- that is untrue, Kuwata-kun! I will have you know that I was planning on choosing dare!" he exclaims immediately, not minding the half fib, and not putting much thought into it, either. He feels intense apprehension fill him, however, when he sees the wide grin Kuwata-kun gives him, the teen snickering meanly. Why... why is he laughing...? Kiyotaka had proven him wrong, yes? So... so why...

"Ha! Knew ya'd do that, damn. Yer so easy, tightass," Kuwata-kun snickers, causing Kiyotaka's heart to fall. A-ah... it seems he'd fallen into one of those 'reverse psychology' traps. He... he always does that, doesn't he...? "Anyway. Dare ya ta take a huge mouthful a' beer. N' swallow it, so don't ya try n' pull that BS."

Kiyotaka blinks in surprise at the dare, his heart clenching as the meaning washes over him, a modicum of fear and upset entering his heart. Because... n-no! No! Absolutely not! That... that is... is...!

"Ah! I cannot do that! That is illegal, and I cannot... I... how dare you, why would you-" Kiyotaka splutters, his cheeks bright red with both embarrassment and a rising anger. After all... that is not fair at all! Kuwata-kun knows full well that Kiyotaka cannot do such a thing, not without compromising his morals entirely!

However, before he can finish his indignant spluttering, he gets interrupted by Kuwata-kun again, the former baseball star looking way too smug as he leers harshly at him. A-ah... that look does not bode well at all... oh no...

"Oh, what, so yer a chicken, then? A freakin'... freakin' coward? Ha! Knew it. Little Mister Perfect can't even get offa his throne fer one stinkin' night. Knew ya wouldn' do it. Freak," Kuwata-kun practically spits, eyes narrow. L-little mister perfect...? Yes... that- that's him, he supposes...

But... but he isn't a coward... he... he doesn't back down from anything, not ever! S-s-so then he- he must... nnnn... b-but... if he- he does what Kuwata-kun dares, then... he... he...

"N-no... I am not... b-but is there... is there nothing else I could do...?" Kiyotaka asks, eyes beseeching as he looks around the group desperately. He can feel that Mondo is stiff beside him, but it's not him who speaks first. No, instead...

"Hm... I'm afraid not, Kiyotaka-san! The rules are quite clear, after all," Ludenberg-kun chimes in helpfully, her smile seemingly pleasant, though Kiyotaka can see the sharpness behind the supposedly pleasant look. He's played against the girl often enough to notice that... "The rules state that once you get a dare, you must complete it, or else you concede and, in essence, lose. Of course, this is only for fun, so I'm sure that won't be too big of a problem... right, Kiyotaka-san?"

The girl giggles then, lifting her hand to cover her mouth, like she always does. A-ah... he has never liked it when she does that... it reminds him bitterly of the girls who would laugh at him in middle school, their cruel and sharp words often worse than anything the boys could come up with.

Things only get worse when Kuwata-kun speaks up again, once again cutting off Mondo, his words derisive and mocking.

"Yeah... if ya wanna be a bitch-ass loser, then go right ahead, tightass... be my freakin' guest..."

Kiyotaka flinches at the words, distress filling him. N-no... no! He... he's not a loser, and he- he never gives up a challenge... to give up is akin to the highest sin! So, he... he can't give up... but... but he can't- he couldn't possibly- it's illegal, and- and against the rules, and if anyone found out... if his father found out...

"Alright, this has gone far fuckin' enough! Kuwata, ya better fuckin' take back that fuckin' dare, right the fuck now!" Mondo finally exclaims, his face fully red and angry, fists clenched tight as he sits up as straight as possible. He's not standing, not yet, but his tense posture and his deadly glare shows that he's about two seconds away from striding over to Kuwata-kun and punching him then and there. A-ah... that- that would be very, very bad...

Before Kuwata-kun can shoot something back, his inebriated state loosening his tongue, Ludenberg-kun chimes in again, her tone far too conversational for the tense air.

"Ah, but as I just said, Mondo-san, that would be against the rules. Rules that Kiyotaka-san knew before playing, I'm afraid. If he wishes to skip his turn, he sadly must face the consequences. As all must when playing any kind of game," the Ultimate Gambler explains, the smile on her face looking far more innocent than Kiyotaka knows it to actually be.

But... a-ah... s-she's right... nnnn. Darn it. Kiyotaka did know the rules prior to the start of the game... and it is no one's fault but his own that he did not consider this possibility. While he knows Kuwata-kun did this solely to 'mess with him,' as it were, the teen has not technically done anything wrong... and if Kiyotaka were to back down, he would be admitting defeat. Which he... he never does... which means that he... he has to...

But before he has any hope of saying anything, Mondo is standing, glowering at everyone again, looking absolutely furious on Kiyotaka's behalf. And... and Kiyotaka, he... he doesn't know what he should say, what he should do, what he... h-he...

"What?! Bull fuckin' shit! Ya can't fuckin' make someone do somethin' that's fuckin' illegal! Pretty sure that's fuckin' against the rules too, shit! Even if it ain't, I'm gonna fuckin' make it-!"

"Oh, would ya shut the frick up, Owada?!" Kuwata-kun cuts in, also standing, glaring at Mondo like his life depends on it, drawing the irate biker's attention to him. "God! All ya freakin' talk 'bout is 'Taka' this, n' 'Taka' that! Can't hang 'round ya anymore without ya goin' on n' on 'bout that tightass! Always defendin' 'im n' gettin' on m' case 'bout 'im! Ain't like takin' a sip a' beer's illegal, 'nyway! N' even 'f it is, ain't like it freakin' matters, god! Only person'd report 'im is 'imself! Only got 'imself ta blame then, s-shit! Ain't my freakin' fault he can't handle doin' anythin' even slightly 'gainst the rules! I-"

"Oh, ya goddamn asshole, makin' yerself outta be the fuckin' martyr! 'Course I fuckin' defend him, he's my best fuckin' friend, who ya never fuckin' leave alone! What am I s'pposed ta do, let ya hurl fuckin' abuse at him?! Shit, man! The fuck has gotten inta ya today, god fuckin' damn-"

"Oh, well excuse me fer gettin' freakin' tired a' ya talkin' only 'bout that damn brown noser! Thought we'd 'greed that he ain't gonna come ta these freakin' parties, but no! Ain't like ya ta not have 'im 'ttached ta yer hip, right?! N' I freakin' thought we were best freakin' friends but I guess I was wrong-"

"Oh, come the fuck on! Goddamn you, stop doin' this shit, goddamnit, you motherfuckin'-"

"I'll do it," Kiyotaka says, loud and clear and confident, cutting through the angry argument, his body slipping smoothly between the arguing pair, who had been drifting closer and closer as their angry words got louder and louder. His lifts his hand and absently places it against Mondo's chest, not really holding him back, but just... well. Grounding him. He hopes.

It somewhat works. Instead of looking at Kuwata-kun with angry and impassioned eyes, he's looking down at Kiyotaka with wide, shocked ones. Which he supposes is fair. Especially given what he's just agreed to do...

"W-wait... what? S-shit, man... y'ain't gotta fuckin' do that... I mean... s-shit... know ya don't do shit like this, man... an' I'm the reason yer even here... not gonna make ya do somethin' like that. K-Ki..."

Kiyotaka smiles softly at the concerned biker, his heart clenching at the gentle and caring way Mondo is looking at him. H-he... he cares so much about him... god only knows why he does, but... for whatever reason... he does...

"It... it is okay, kyoudai. I knew the rules going into this game. To back out simply because it is inconvenient is- is immoral! And while one immorality does not cancel out another, I... I do not back down from challenges! Not- not when I knew the rules beforehand. So... while I appreciate your defense... it is not needed. I... I will complete the dare! That is a Kiyotaka Ishimaru guarantee!"

The words come out a lot more confident than he presently feels, but he's grateful for that fact. Especially because it makes some of the tension leave Mondo's eyes. Some... but not all.

"S-shit... I mean, if ya wanna, Ki, go ahead. Just... y'ain't gotta, man. Promise..."

The words make him smile despite himself, and he nods sharply once. But staring into Mondo's eyes for too long is never a good idea, so Kiyotaka quickly looks away and strides over to the counter where he sadly knows the alcohol to be. He hopes that if he just looks confident enough, no one will notice the way his heart is clenching with terror at the thought of even slightly breaking the law.

There are quite a lot of different bottles on the counter, different brands and qualities, making his head spin. Kiyotaka has no idea what any of them mean, so he grabs one at random and frowns at it suspiciously, reading the label. He blinks in surprise when the bottle gets lifted carefully from his hand, another replacing it.

"Yer gonna wanna try this one, Ki. Less alcohol content," he hears Mondo mutter softly in his ear. Kiyotaka shudders lightly with the cold and only the cold, and smiles shakily at the biker.

"T-thank you, kyoudai... I appreciate it."

With that... Kiyotaka quickly twists off the cap of the bottle, feeling his hands shaking so hard, god… it's all he can do to keep from spilling the foul-smelling liquid all over himself. He lifts the bottle quickly to his lips, hoping that if he just goes quick enough, he can trick his brain into thinking that this is normal. That this is something he always does.

But... but it's not. Kiyotaka never does this. He rarely even drinks sugary soda, considering how bad it is for the human body. Heck, he rarely even drinks juice! He drinks water primarily, and maybe sometimes sports drinks, but even then, only when he truly needs it (and can afford it...). He treats his body like a temple, partially because it's the proper thing to do, but also partially because it had been the only way for him to get passed the hungry days growing up.

And here, now... he can't quite force his body to find this normal, no matter how quickly and faux casually he goes. His arm hesitates once the bottle is pressed lightly to his lips, his shuddering breath inhaling the faint scent of beer, the taste foul on his tongue. He tries to force his hand to go the last inch it needs to tilt the bottle up enough to get the liquid from the bottle and into his mouth (regretfully), but... but he can't. He... h-he can't...

As Kiyotaka hesitates with the bottle pressed lightly to his lips, he hears a voice pipe up, causing him to flinch slightly. O-oh... are they going to mock him now...?

"U-um... Taka-san... Mondo-san is right, you know... if you don't want to drink, you don't have to," he hears Naegi-kun say quietly to him, making him blink. Huh. "We won't think less of you. And you can pick a truth instead if you'd like... it's okay."

To his great surprise, many of their other classmates nod along, even Hagakure-kun, though he looks more like he's nodding to follow the group, too out of it to know what's going on. But... but it... well. It surprises him. That they actually care about it. That they'd let him cheat or show weakness without judgement. It makes him feel strangely touched to know.

However...

Well.

He's agreed to do this. He can't back down now. How will anyone ever trust his word again if he doesn't do what he says he will? That's exactly the sort of thing his grandfather would do and he... he...

He is not his grandfather.

With that thought in mind, Kiyotaka is finally able to move that last, remaining inch, tipping the foul scented liquid into his mouth as quick as can be. And then he... he...

He promptly gags, the taste somehow worse than the scent. He removes the bottle from his lips and places his other hand over his mouth to prevent his body from automatically spitting the liquid out and making an even bigger fool of himself. Part of the dare was to swallow the beer, after all. He can't only go halfway, now can he...?

Still. It's ridiculously hard for him to make his throat swallow, the muscle rejecting his brain's command. Hm. Seems even his body knows how horrible an idea this is... how quaint.

It takes him several tries, but he finally manages to swallow the liquid, gasping at the taste that is assaulting his senses. His head is hurting with the strain, and his stomach churns at the conflict within him, but he... h-he... he did it... h-ha...

He jolts slightly a moment later when he feels a gentle hand take the bottle from him, a cup replacing it quickly. He looks up into soft, concerned lavender, and he smiles gratefully as he gladly lifts his cup and drinks the water greedily, hoping it will take the foul taste from his tongue. It doesn't, not entirely, but it helps, at least.

With that done, a slightly awkward silence fills the room, everyone wondering what to do next. Kiyotaka squirms at the way people are looking at him, his head going a little fuzzy. He's never liked people staring at him... which is highly ironic, considering how often he puts himself both willingly and unwillingly into the center of attention...

After the tension gets a bit too thick, however, he decides he must do something, and so he strides as confidently as he can back to the spot he'd claimed as his own on the carpet, taking a clumsier seat than usual as he sits. He doesn't know if it's placebo or not, but he swears he feels fuzzier than he had before. That's... probably not good...

The fuzzy feeling gets so much worse when Mondo follows him, taking his typical seat to the left of him, arm going behind his back again. But... but this time, instead of barely brushing his backside, this time it... it...

It curls gently around his hip, pulling him closer to the biker's warm side.

Gah!

He feels lucky that everyone is too busy trying to get everything back to normal again to notice how bright red he's sure he's turned, his breath ragged and weak as he unconsciously leans heavily on his kyoudai. He knows he shouldn't, knows how dangerous it is, but he can't help it. It just makes him feel so, so nice. And he… he swears his vision blacks out when he feels Mondo lightly nuzzle against the side of his face, lips warm against his ear as he whispers so softly to him it's a miracle that he even hears him at all, really.

"Ya doin' okay, Ki?" Mondo asks, so much care in the words it makes Kiyotaka want to cry. He doesn't. He just nods instead, turning subtly towards the biker, hoping the way his heart races isn't too noticeable.

"Y-yes, kyoudai... I'm okay... thank you for your concern."

Mondo nods slightly at the words, before turning his attention to Hagakure-kun and the utterly bizarre truth question he gives to Yamada-kun, of all people. They lapse into silence then as the game continues, though it doesn't feel strained. Not really. Kiyotaka continues to lean against Mondo, though, the warmth that radiates from the biker so utterly intoxicating. It makes him feel... very dizzy... though maybe that's the alcohol. Yes... the alcohol. That- that's probably it...

Mondo pulls back only a little when he gets called by Fujisaki-kun a couple turns later, though he still remains closer than either boy likely should be to one another. After a moment of deliberation, the biker chooses truth, causing the programmer to smile slightly.

"Oh... um... if you could live in any video game world, which would you choose and why?"

Mondo gives the girl a strange look at the question, but considers it, shrugging after a moment.

"Uh... not sure, heh. Prolly GTA or somethin', since I'd be able ta ride a hog 'least," Mondo replies simply, though he continues when he sees Kiyotaka's furrowed brow. "That stands fer Grand Theft Auto, heh. Series a' games 'bout stealin' cars an' doin' crime an' shit. Fun ta play sometimes."

Kiyotaka cannot help the way he frowns at the premise of the game, silently disapproving. However, he doesn't say anything about it, knowing it would be ill advised. Especially considering how kind Mondo has been to him today... if he enjoys playing games about illegal acts, well. At least he's not doing it in real life...?

R... right...?

He doesn't get a chance to contemplate it for too long, luckily, before it's Mondo's turn to go. Part of him expects the biker to ask him the question but... but he doesn't. He tries not to let his disappointment show as Mondo asks Ogami-kun truth or dare, the martial artist replying 'truth' after a moment's pause. Mondo asks her what the fiercest battle she won was, and the martial artist replies with a story about the time she beat her father in a competition, surpassing him finally in strength. It's kind of a strange story, to tell the truth, but Kiyotaka supposes he is happy for the girl, for being able to achieve her goal.

And then, before he's really ready, it's Kiyotaka's turn, his heart starting to pound once more as all eyes land on him. Again. What fun...

Biting his lip gently, he looks up at Mondo, a question in his eyes. Seeing Mondo's kind smile, the biker nodding easily, he figures he has his agreement. And so, with a shaky smile, he begins.

"Ah! It's my turn! Kyoudai, truth or dare?!" Kiyotaka exclaims, voice just a touch too loud in the crowded room. Mondo doesn't mention it, though, and shrugs, looking casual. Hm...

"Eh. Gotta pick dare, bro. So... dare."

Ah. Dare. He... he hasn't really been able to come up with a good dare, to tell the truth! He's come up with a couple of questions for truths, but dares... all of the dares he can think of sound too childish or simple for the game, the others coming up with far more elaborate and intricate dares. It makes him feel oddly nervous as he looks at his kyoudai, biting his lip.

"It ain't gotta be complicated, Taka," Mondo mutters softly to him a moment later, after Kiyotaka pauses for a bit too long, he supposes. It makes him flush lightly for many reasons, but Mondo doesn't seem to notice, as he just keeps going. "Can just be somethin' simple. Like... darin' me ta jump up an' down like an' idiot, or ta take off my shirt, or somethin' like that. Don't gotta be hard, bro."

Kiyotaka feels his eyes widen at the second suggestion Mondo gives, his face heating quite unpleasantly. Ah! Daring Mondo to... to take off his shirt! Or, well... wife beater! How very improper!

But... now that the thought is in his mind... he can't quite make it leave... gah!

Well! He decidedly won't be doing that! Not when they are in public! But... hm. Maybe there is something he could ask the biker to do... something he's always been very curious about, but rarely gets a chance to see...

Before he can talk himself out of it, Kiyotaka voices the dare, cheeks still flushed embarrassingly red.

"Ah! W-well, then... hm. I suppose that I dare you to... to take down your pompadour! If- if you would like!"

He watches with mild trepidation as the biker blinks at him in surprise, eyes widening at the request. He supposes it would sound fairly odd... but he finds that he just hadn't been able to help it. Mondo doesn't like to leave his hair down when around other people, not even Kiyotaka usually, so the only times he's seen the sight are the few times they've had sleepovers together. And while Mondo seems to think he looks stupid with his hair down, Kiyotaka... well. He strongly would beg to differ. Very, very strongly. In fact... stupid would be the last thing he'd call the ethereal sight that is Mondo Owada with his hair down in curly ringlets around his neck...

He gets snapped out of his reverie when he hears Mondo laugh, a sharp but amused sounding bark, the biker smirking at him as his hands reach up to his pompadour. His deft fingers quickly find the weak spots he needs to make the stiff and crunchy looking locks cascade down his face, briefly covering his lavender eyes before he can push them back. A-ah... perhaps this wasn't such a good idea...

"Ya know... anyone else dared me ta do that, I'd've punched 'em," Mondo mutters lowly as he stares into Kiyotaka's eyes, a strange significance there that makes Kiyotaka want to spontaneously combust. A-ah... no, this was definitely not... not a good idea... not at all...

The game continues on after that, but Kiyotaka can't find it in him to focus too much on it, squirming as he feels Mondo take out a comb from a pocket in his jacket and run it through his hair to get the crusty hairspray out. Unfortunately (for Kiyotaka), it just makes the hair look a lot softer, the strands falling in soft curls around the biker's face, making him look so, so much softer and more touchable than before. N-not that he looks bad with his hair up! Not at all! But… but… well. Kiyotaka knows that it's a way for the biker to maintain his distance from others. A piece of armor that warns people that he is dangerous and not to be messed with. Like a scorpion's tail, or a rattlesnake's rattle. Something to ward off foes and other antagonistic creatures. So, seeing him like this... hair down, face soft, arm still curled around his waist... it... its...

Kiyotaka eventually gets called by Naegi-kun, making him blink as he gets pulled away from his increasingly dangerous thoughts and back into the game. When he hesitantly answers 'truth' to the lucky boy's question (not like he had much of a choice), he watches as Naegi-kun smiles and asks his question.

"'Kay, Taka. I guess… what's your fav'rite memory from when you were a kid?"

And that... hm. That honestly pulls Kiyotaka up short, making him blink awkwardly at the boy. Because... because he honestly does not know. His childhood wasn't exactly... ideal... and trying to figure out what memory is his favorite is tricky to do. After all... even the few good ones he remembers from Before his grandfather's fall are tainted by the pain of what occurred After. And... and all of his memories of his mother are... are equally tainted...

Still. It is required of him to answer, so he does his best to find the least painful memory, hesitantly telling the group about the first and only time his parents took him to the beach when he'd been five, saying how he'd been so extremely excited to go. He mentions how he'd spent hours running up and down the seashore, not a care in the world, collecting shells and studying the way the birds flew and the crabs scurried. He even finds himself smiling softly as he remembers sitting before the ocean for over an hour with his mother, just watching the water as it ebbed and flowed, observing curiously as it slowly destroyed the sandcastles he and his father had made. He... he loves the memory, truly. He just wishes it didn't make him feel so sad when he thinks of it, the memory burning him as he touches it, bitter longing and yearning making it almost hard to breathe. Ah... there's a reason why he often thinks the past is better left alone...

He also doesn't quite like the way everyone is looking at him, strange emotions in their eyes that he has no hope of deciphering. Did he... had he said something wrong...?

"Huh. Never thought y'd h've a good mem'ry not 'volvin' school, tightass..." Kuwata-kun slurs, though he sounds less... well. Angry than before. Hm. How peculiar...

Kiyotaka just shrugs, however, unconsciously leaning back against Mondo as he contemplates the question, deciding to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Hm. Well, it was back before I focused solely on school and morality, of course. That only started when I was six," he says simply, not thinking anything of it. He blinks in surprise when most of his classmates tilt their heads at him, each letting out soft sounds of confusion. A-ah... how peculiar... surely, they know what occurred to his family...? It was a fairly public event, after all! Though... they all would have been fairly young...

"What d'you mean?" Naegi-kun voices, with nods of agreement circling the group. Hm. Seems they don't know... interesting! He supposes that answers why they don't all hate him as much as his former classmates did, though... part of him would be afraid to tell them now, in case it does anger them, but, well... Mondo already knows, Kiyotaka having accidentally told him during the sauna where they first became kyoudai, and he has no doubt that the biker would defend him if needed. And it's not like the others actually like him or anything...

"Ah... I had thought you all already knew! Well. My grandfather was Toranosuke Ishimaru," he explains, thinking that would explain everything, really. However, he only gets several blank stares in return. Hmm... well, that does not bode well for their modern Japanese history grades... "Er... he used to be Prime Minister when I was a child, around age six. But he wasn't very honest or trustworthy... he got entangled in several scandals, you see, which were revealed a few months into his term. It got so bad that he was removed from office and was forced into severe debt. Debt my family is still paying off to this day. He managed to escape jail, barely, but he spent the last several years of his life in disgrace, not saying a word to anyone."

Kiyotaka pauses here, frowning as he collects his thoughts. He's never liked sharing his family's history, feeling ashamed of it, but... well. Mondo did mention how he hoped that by attending this party, his classmates would get to know him better... and the name of the game is to be truthful, after all...

"But after that... well. Things changed for my family. We were forced to move to a less, er... desirable neighborhood, and the people around us did not like us much for what my grandfather had done. Neither did my classmates, to tell the truth... but I never let it get to me! My father often told me of the importance of being upright and moral while growing up, and after seeing what happened to my grandfather when he decidedly wasn't, I knew his words to be the absolute truth! I pushed myself as hard as I could to never do wrong, to always be stalwart and true! And I learned the vital importance of working hard and doing your best, no matter how challenging the feat may be! After all! Through hard work and effort, anything is possible! I guarantee it!"

Kiyotaka pauses again as his enthusiastic words peter out, looking off to the side, but not down. The eyes upon him are making him nervous, but he does his best to not let his nerves show. He always does...

"Ah... and I do know that others find my insistence to follow the rules and my enthusiasm for hard work to be a bit, er... bothersome, but I do not let it get to me. After all, I know full well what happens to those who lie, and cheat, and coast through life to get where they wish to be, and it is never good! It's why I not only follow the rules myself, but ensure others follow them as well! After all, while I know I am not well liked here, I care about you all very deeply. And I would hate for any of you to face the same fate my family has. It... is not very pleasant, I assure you."

Kiyotaka stops talking then, though he knows there is much, much more he could say. Like how he'd faced horrible bullying and abuse while in school, the children not really knowing who his grandfather was, but knowing that their parents were overly critical of the Ishimaru name, and not really caring who they took their prepubescent rage out on. Or like how his mother had gotten killed by a drunkard who took offense at her for being related to their family when he'd been nine, leaving a gaping hole in his world that he has never been able to repair. Or how, despite everything, he still loves his grandfather as much as he hates him, causing a great deal of conflict within him that only mounted when the man died when he'd been twelve, his mind and heart still conflicted between the two emotions to this very day. Or... well. A lot, really.

But doing such a thing would be extremely ill advised. He's already revealed far too much, he knows, and as a somewhat tense silence follows his words— everyone staring at him with varying degrees of shock and horror on their faces— he can't help the mild discomfort that rises within him, disliking the scrutiny. It really is strange, though... he truly would have thought all of this would have been obvious, truthfully. He's never been a subtle person, he knows. And it's not like he's ever tried to hide it, really...

He guesses they all just never cared enough to look.

He tries not to let the thought depress him.

"Oh... that's so sad... I never knew that," he hears Asahina-kun sniff, the drunken girl looking positively heartbroken as she leans against her girlfriend, eyes watery as she looks at him. It makes him feel highly uncomfortable, and he unconsciously burrows further into Mondo's side as he shrugs carelessly, something bitter and cold entering his heart at the words. After all...

"It's not like I've ever tried to hide it, you know. I would have told anyone who asked. But none of you ever did. So... hm."

Ah. He... he hadn't meant to say that. Not really. Yes, he means it, the bitterness inside him at the fact that none of them ever made an effort to get to know him always within him, at least a little, but... but it's not like he truly blames them. Despite what everyone seems to think, he does know that most people find his presence off-putting and unsettling, even without prior knowledge of who his grandfather is or his somewhat tragic history. He's found that, in general, a lot of individuals often feel wary around those who insist on doing the right thing, either finding them painfully false or too overbearing for comfort. Which he understands, honestly, since he knows better than most how so many people who portray themselves as upright and moral are truly anything but.

And so, he... he's tried his best to adjust his approach to be friendlier and less domineering, really, he has. He does things like telling people to call him by his mother's nickname (despite his discomfort at the unearned familiarity), doing his best to listen when people are troubled, even going so far as to personally vouch for students who likely do not deserve it in order to help get them out of trouble, all in the vain hope of appearing friendly and approachable to his peers. And yet, it just... it just never works, and in the end, it only leaves him feeling frustrated, and flustered, and very, very sad. But... but darn him if he doesn't keep trying, since it's all he has to give.

S-so, the point is, he... he doesn't blame his classmates for their disinclination to learn more about him and why he is the way he is. Or their instant dislike of him and his somewhat overbearing nature. Truly, he does understand, even if he doesn't quite fully get it. Doesn't quite know what, exactly, he is doing wrong.

And yet...

And yet, despite his partial understanding, it doesn't make it hurt any less. He's spent most of his life alone because of this, after all, and even knowing why they never bothered to get to know him doesn't make the remembered loneliness stop. And if it- if it weren't for Mondo... sweet, wonderful, incredible Mondo... the only person in the world who bothered to look passed his rigid and uptight exterior and see the hurting and desperate child within... see just how dearly he yearned for a friend, for someone to lean against, even just a little, a momentary shelter from the unfair life he's been forced to lead... if he didn't have Mondo, then... well. He knows for an absolute fact that he'd be a lot sadder and lonelier than he currently is today.

And as he sits here, leaning so heavily against his kyoudai that they might as well be one... the biker's arm now fully wrapped around him, his hand a hot brand on his waist as Mondo holds him nice and secure to his wondrous warmth, shielding him from the world... keeping him safe from its numerous harms... he cannot help the rush of absolute affection for the biker that fills him. Mondo... god. Mondo truly is everything, isn't he…? Absolutely everything. How on earth did he get so lucky as to meet such an incredible teen, let alone befriend him? He... he doesn't deserve it, truly... not any of it... not the glances or the touches or the worried looks... not a single thing...

It's too bad he's far too selfish to willingly give this up...

He can hear the rest of the class shuffling very awkwardly as his words resonate within them, guilt and chagrin so plain on their faces that even Kiyotaka has no trouble deciphering the meaning.

He does his best to not notice, though, as he turns his face subtly towards Mondo, the oddly soothing scent of motor oil and the cinnamon breath mints Mondo likes to chew on helping calm his racing heart. And as Fujisaki-kun shakily moves on, asking Naegi-kun the traditional question, Kiyotaka allows himself to momentarily lose himself in the sensation of Mondo all around him, engulfing his every sense as he closes his eyes, finally letting his face bury itself into the larger teen's neck like he's secretly been longing to do all night, hiding pathetically from the world, but not really caring. Not when it feels so- so... so good. And nice. And... and freeing...

"Hey, Ki," he hears Mondo whisper softly in his ear, so quietly he has to strain to hear the biker's voice, even with how close they currently are to one another. When he nods his head subtly, indicating without words that he's listening, he feels Mondo pull him somehow closer, making him feel so... so... loved...

"Ya don't gotta worry 'bout anythin', bro. I... I ain't ever gonna leave ya. Ya know that, right? Know it- it hurts that they ain't... but no matter what, ya'll always have me. I don't give a single goddamn what anyone thinks. You... you're important ta me, Ki. Always have been, always fuckin' will be. And that's a man's promise, kyoudai... a man's fuckin' promise..."

The seemingly uncharacteristically soft and tender words make Kiyotaka's heart stutter in his chest, his breath escaping in a half gasp, half sob, forcing him to bury his face further into Mondo's neck to try and stabilize himself. He knows that it's going to be Mondo's turn again soon, knows that he will have to extract himself from the shelter he has found for himself so neatly in Mondo's arms, but he... he just needs a moment. Just one. Just one to collect himself, one to ground himself. That's it.

And Mondo... Mondo lets him. He lets him. Lets him take shelter, lets him collect his feelings, lets him find the comfort he's been sorely lacking for so much of his life. Lets him shakily breathe in his incongruous yet intoxicating scent, lips mere millimeters from warm skin, brushing against the tantalizing flesh with each shaky breath he takes. He's not crying, not quite, but he can feel the lump in his throat, the pressure behind his eyes, and he knows he's about three seconds away from bursting into tears if he doesn't find a way to calm himself. And then, he... he feels...

Mondo. Slowly rubbing small circles on his back, soft and soothing. Mondo, hands warm and large and gentle as he touches him, nuzzling the side of his face, not caring who is watching, only caring that he takes care of Kiyotaka. Mondo, who is always so kind and compassionate to him, despite how thoughtless and tactless Kiyotaka knows himself to sometimes be, despite his best efforts. Mondo, who just... who's just everything, everything, everything.

Absolutely... everything...

(He'd take a sip now, he thinks madly, breath shuddering and desperate and trembling as he leans so fully on Mondo. At Kuwata-kun's never. While he hates that word, finding it absolutely incomparable to how he feels, since his feelings right now are not as simple as something silly like a crush, he knows he'd take a sip now. Knows that— no matter what he may have once tried to fool himself into believing— these feelings are absolutely not new in the slightest, even if this is the first time that he's allowed himself to actually feel them. If he- if he could do it again, he would do it, would put himself on the line, let everyone know... let them know. That he... h-he...)

As silence descends on the group again, Naegi-kun's dare petering out and everyone turning their eyes onto Mondo, Kiyotaka knows that time is up. That he has to extract himself from the cozy home he's carved for himself in Mondo's arms and face reality once again. And though it kills him to do it, he removes his face from Mondo's neck, his breathing still a little too fast, but- but manageable. Somewhat, at least. Even with the swirling emotions within him, overwhelming and complicated and so utterly bright.

He doesn't fully pull away, though. And neither does Mondo. In fact... he thinks the biker manages to pull him even closer, somehow. Truly a miracle...

"Hey, kyoudai," Mondo rumbles again, voice like velvet thunder as it rolls through Kiyotaka's body, straight through to the heart of him. As he looks Mondo dead in the eye, contact not wavering a second, he sees swirling emotions he can never, ever hope to decipher. Not... not ever... "Truth or dare?"

Kiyotaka inhales shakily at the question, knowing what his answer must be, considering... considering. But... even if it weren't...

"A-ah... dare, my kyoudai. I... I choose dare."

He can see Mondo's smile in his lower periphery, the thing small, yes, but so much sweeter and full of so much more emotion than he's ever seen before, in anyone or anything, and he almost can't handle the entirety of it all, can't... c-can't...

"Heh. I, uh... I dare ya ta- t-ta stop worryin' so much. 'Bout what other people think a' ya. 'Bout what other people expect a' ya. I dare ya ta do things that you wanna do, not things that ya think others require a' ya ta do. An' I... I dare ya ta let yerself relax, ev'ry once in a while. Ta take a break when ya need one, an' know that... t-that yer freakin' incredible, man. That y'ain't gotta change a single, goddamn thing 'bout yerself, since yer just... just that freakin' incredible. Do ya... do ya think that ya can do that, Taka? Know it's a lot, more than I was allowed, but... h-heh..."

Kiyotaka can feel tears fill his eyes again at the soft and sweet words, the biker not caring one bit that their classmates are all around them, watching them with wide eyes, likely as stunned at the display before them as Kiyotaka himself is. After all, Mondo has always been so very self-conscious about his image, hating it when others perceive him as pathetic or weak. He's always done all that he can to portray an image of a tough, strong, and self-confident biker gang leader that is just that, an image. He never, ever does anything that might go against the carefully constructed version of himself that he feels he always must be.

And yet... a-and yet, here he is, his hair and armor down, acting soft and sweet and gentle, exposing the soft underbelly he always has had but tries so hard to protect, touching and looking at Kiyotaka like he's the most precious and delicate thing he's ever seen and held, but not- not in a bad way, not at all. Not caring about their audience, not caring what they think, not caring about anything, anything at all, anything but... b-but Kiyotaka and his... h-his well-being...

It's with this thought that the tears building in his eyes finally spill over, falling hot and fast down his face in silent, streaky tracks. He can feel Mondo's hands raise to cradle his face within their strong and steady grasp, then, wiping the tears away with the gentlest and most loving touch he's ever felt, at least since his mother died, leaving him alone with a horribly grieving father and a ghost of a grandfather. And though his face is being supported so fully, he doesn't let that stop him from nodding carefully, his breath shuddering and tremulous, but his words clear as day.

"Yes, my kyoudai... I believe that I can. For you... with you... yes. I... I can."

And the smile that Mondo gives him... bright and happy and adoring... it... it's like a religious experience. Like an epiphany and a divine intervention all at once. He wonders blithely if Mondo would be offended if he asks him if he can worship him, for forever and ever and ever, following this moment. Kiyotaka has never been a particularly religious or devout person, finding most organized religions a waste of time and energy, but he fully believes that he'd gladly spend the rest of his life worshiping at the altar of this wondrous and incredible boy if given the opportunity. Lauding him with the praise and glory that he so truly and richly deserves...

Though, he might be a little drunk right now, on more than just the one sip of beer he drank, so perhaps he's not making any sense...

"Heh... good, Ki. Good... ya don't know how freakin' happy it makes me ta hear that... an' I really mean that. Promise, Ki. I freakin'... freakin' promise..."

The game continues without them after that, Kiyotaka's turn getting skipped as Ogami-kun asks Ludenberg-kun the titular question calmly, but Kiyotaka doesn't mind. In fact, Kiyotaka doesn't even notice, his eyes solely on Mondo, his heart racing in his chest as he stares into his kyoudai's eyes like they're his only lifeline. And maybe... maybe they are. Maybe they truly, truly are...

And Mondo looks back. He looks back, touching him softly, his forehead leaning forward to press tenderly against Kiyotaka's, neither teen even noticing the world around them, let alone their classmates who keep sneaking not-at-all-subtle looks in their direction. It's like a moment from a story book, or from one of those ridiculous romantic comedies Mondo sometimes has them watch, the ones the biker protests enjoying but Kiyotaka knows he secretly does. But he doesn't care. The whole world could think he's ridiculous right now, he could be completely ruining his entire future with his present actions, but for once in his life, he just doesn't care. Not when Mondo is looking at him like that. Not when Mondo is touching him like that. Like he's precious. Like he's delicate. Like he's everything, goddamn everything.

He doesn't deserve this. He knows he doesn't, deep in his heart of hearts. He knows that this is not something he's allowed to have, not something that is meant for him, but god, does he not care. Not one bit. Not one singular, solitary bit. He's spent his whole life trying to be selfless and stalwart and true, but in this moment, holding something so important and precious and his? It doesn't matter. He's going to be selfish and he's going to take, and he... h-he's terrified, so utterly terrified, and yet he's also not, not at all, not when he has Mondo here to hold him, guide him...

L-love him...

And, when you think about it… isn't that what matters most?

---

So... I hope that y'all liked it!

And as for why Leon was being such a jerk... well, for one, he's kind of drunk, which makes most people a bit more of a jerk. But also... he's kinda jealous, ha. He views Mondo as his best friend, so it kind of grates him that Mondo is always so focused on Taka. And I'm not saying that Leon has a crush on Mondo (though you can head canon that, if you'd like), but just... ya know. He feels a bit left out. And when Mondo invites Taka to one of his parties, something that they've talked about in the past that Mondo wasn't going to do... well. It grates heavily on his nerves, and that added to alcohol... well. He also didn't intend on Taka accepting his dare, by the by. He hadn't planned on making Taka do that, since he knows Taka wouldn't want that and he does, in some way, care about Taka. He just... wanted to prove that Taka wasn't all that he makes himself out to be, you know? But it backfired on him, since Taka most definitely is all he makes himself out to be.

And as for everyone else... they also didn't mean to make fun of Taka. They like Taka well enough, they just don't understand him all that much, and never really put the effort into getting to know him better. I personally head canon the class to all be super close to one another, like one big happy family (except for Junko. Junko gets put into the Naughty Corner until she can play nicely with the others), so writing them being even slightly mean to Taka was hard. :-( But I needed it for this AU, so... c'est la vie.

Anyway! Next chapter is the resolution, with Taka and Mondo talking. ;-)

See y'all tomorrow! :-D