*5/27/2021

Happy 11th anniversary, I guess. Haha.

I'll finish it this year, I swear! You can yell at me if I don't. 5 chapters left.

Karaoke Neighbor

Chapter 25

True Crime

Everyone in the room just looked at each other as the banging continued clearly in the background.

"I would like to say that I warned you all…"

"Shut up, Taka."

The young man just shrugged and looked towards the door.

"Who the hell is that, Kiseki?"

"Yeah, Esteru. You need me to answer it and beat up whoever's out there?"

"That's a bad idea, Q," Miles said, shaking his head.

"Here, I got it," Q insisted and went to confront whoever was at the door.

"Wait, Q! That's not-" the party's organizer started, but the orange haired boy paid her no mind and opened it anyway.

"Hey, wuddya want? We're having a party here. It's the weekend. So deal with it."

The black-haired man on the other side of the door just stared at the other male. One, he had expected a certain red-haired resident to open the door and two, he didn't think he'd be seeing this guy again, or at least so soon. Hibari still didn't like him, especially since he had given him a look that he had interpreted as 'back off' when they first crossed paths, on top of him being a delinquent. So it really angered him that this guy was answering his neighbor's door like it was natural.

"I didn't authorize a party. So I'm breaking it up."

"Whoa, it's Hibari! Hey, what's up!" Tsubaki said, as if they were close. The only relationship they had was a delinquent/disciplinary one. She was used to being bitten to death.

"And who are you? Just some classmate or something?"

"Uh, Q…" Estell said, finally moving from her spot and going to her door, "Maybe don't anger Hibari Kyoya. Uh, I guess we already have, though…" She turned to the glaring man. "Uh, hi…neighbor…"

"Oh, I heard of you. I'm not scared, though."

Tsubaki laughed from the couch, and the 2 boys sitting with her just glanced at her before turning their attentions back to what was transpiring at the door.

Estell attempted to pull Q away from the door, but he refused to budge.

"It's okay, Esteru. I'll protect you. I won't let this guy bully us."

"Eh? 'This guy' kind of owns this floor of this building. That," he pointed to Estell, which made her pout about being called 'that', "decided to move in and stay here against my will. I have all rights to stop this intolerable crowding."

"Still, you look ready for a fight." Q's eyes travelled down to the tonfa in Hibari's hands.

"I very well may be. I warned this one last time she threw a karaoke party. She knows the consequences. But I'm willing to spare all of you guests here if you all vacate the premises. But make sure you don't anger me any further, or I will bite you to death; no hesitation."

"Wait, so you're gonna hurt Esteru after we leave? No way!" Q got in a fighting stance.

Hibari sighed. "Kiseki, tell your boyfriend to back down…" he said in English.

She sighed. "He's not- uh, whatever. I'll make sure they leave, so just leave them alone."

"Aw, man!" Tsubaki called out.

"This is for the best. But I would once again like to say that I warned you all."

"Yeah, yeah Takahiro."

Q turned around. "Everyone started speaking English all of a sudden. I don't understand.."

Estell patted Q's back. "It's okay. We had a good party. It was fun. It's time for you all to go home now."

"No, Esteru! I won't let this guy have his way."

"It's fine, it's fine," she said and gave him a bright smile. The boy couldn't help but blush. "Pack up, everyone."

"Yeah, Kiseki. We could hear the conversation just fine," the couch trio had already stood up and started collecting any belongings.

"How about the next time we do something like this, we just go to my house, Estell-san? We obviously know this can't work out."

"But it was going so well! He wasn't even home until just now," she said and turned back to Hibari, "yeah?"

"Whether I was home or not doesn't matter, Kiseki."

"Yeah, yeah…"

The 3 boys and 1 girl marched out the apartment unwillingly. "Wait! I'll walk you guys out. Just gimme a sec." The young lady closed her door quickly and ran to her bedroom, grabbing her new weapon and concealing it in her clothes. She checked to make sure it wasn't noticeable before heading back. "Okay!"

"Be quick about it. I'm not done with you." Hibari was leaning against the wall across from the door.

"Of course you aren't.."

Estell led her friends to the elevator.

"So this is what Kim was warning us about. I don't think you mentioned Hibari Kyoya being your neighbor, Kiseki," Tsubaki said when they entered the elevator.

"Eheh. Yeah, well um…surprise?"

"Idiot."

"He's kind of famous. I remember when we ran into him that one time, but I didn't know that was him. Must be rough being his neighbor, Esteru.."

"It's… not so bad."

"Right. Estell-san is rather attracted to Hibari-san."

"Taka!"

"It's super obvious, Estell," one of the boys stated and looked at the elevator wall.

"Oh. It was him…" Q recalled a conversation they had at the convenience store. "I don't approve."

"Neither do I."

"I think it's fine. Let Kiseki do whatever the hell she wants. It's her funeral."

"I don't care what Estell-san does either way."

"Wow. Thanks guys. Good to know I have such supportive friends."

The elevator made it to ground floor from the 7th and opened. The teens made their way to the front doors.

"Good luck. Don't die."

"Thanks, Tsubaki. I guess."

Said girl threw her arm around Miles, who halted in shock. Estell looked on at the two, eyebrow raised.

"Let's go, kid. I'll take you home."

"Uh…I don't live that far away. You don't have to inconv-"

"Nope. I decided. I'll take you home. Bye, losers."

"Oh, ok. Bye guys," Estell continued to look on confused.

"Bye, Estell. See you… eventually."

"Take care, Estell-san."

"Let me know if I have to kill that punk, Esteru."

"Yup. No problem…"

The 4 of them headed out, Tsubaki and Miles going to his host house and the other 2 boys going their separate ways. Estell took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Time for some fun…"

"Took you long enough."

"It really didn't take that long but go off I guess…" The girl slowly approached her neighbor. She was ready for any altercation they would have.

He rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and come here. It's time for your punishment."

"Do you know how kinky that sounds, sir? Makes me kind of want it now…"

"Do you ever process your thoughts before you say them, Kiseki?" Hibari clenched his teeth. His face almost started feeling a bit warm.

Almost.

"Hey, it's not my fault the things that you say can be taken completely different from what you intended…"

"Ugh. Enough of this."

The young male readied his tonfa and charged, to which the red head responded to his attack by dodging and rolling out of the way. She jumped a few paces back towards the window at the opposite end of the hall.

"Eh… Surprised you were able to dodge that."

"Heh. Want another surprise?" She young woman pulled out her gun from her clothes, clicked off the safety and aimed.

Hibari halted for a second, then narrowed his eyes. After another second, he smirked. "Wao. Where'd you get that toy from? Lemme guess. Does it have anything to do with that Yugure High kid?"

Estell was frustrated that Hibari was able to tell that it was a fake so quickly but shrugged it off. "Maybe. Can your tonfa beat my gun?"

"Without fail," Hibari's face became sinister, but also pleased.

'The hell kinda face is that? It's so hot!'

She didn't have time to think much else as her neighbor charged at her once again. She was so frantic that she was shooting her BBs everywhere but at him. She retreated back more towards the window to calm down and aim properly. They finally managed to go within his radius, but his tonfa beat them aside.

She was now backed into a corner, one she put herself in. As Hibari swung his right tonfa at her stomach, she too dodged to her right, rolled against the wall and fired again.

"Tsk."

The girl had shot him in his right arm. Her eyes widened; she didn't think she would manage to connect. "Shit, are you okay?"

He looked down at his arm. Part of his sleeve had been torn. The BB had only grazed him. He hadn't been injured. "Do you have time to worry about your opponent, Kiseki?"

"I mean, those things can hurt rea-" she didn't have time to finish as Hibari lunged at her and slammed both tonfa by either side of her head against the wall.

"Eh… If you can't handle the outcome, don't fight in the first place."

He leaned in closer and Estell's face flushed deeply, her eyes widening. He was mere inches from her face, smirking, and she was stunned. Without thinking, she slowly lifted her gun until it was pressed against his chest. The black-haired man's smirk widened.

"You won't do it."

"Do what? There's 2 things that I can do in this situation," she said calmly, but she was not calm in the slightest. She looked down at her gun, then into his eyes, and finally she trailed down to his lips. "Those are kind of in my personal bubble. Would be a shame if I took them…" She smirked.

'Yes, girl! Talk your shit! I am bold… Where did this come from?'

She looked back up and found him expressing his annoyance. "What? Don't get all close to me and expect me not to kiss you! I'll do it! I swear I will."

He rolled his eyes and pulled away from her, but not before bonking her on the head with a tonfa.

"Yeah, I expected that…" she held her head.

"I applaud you for being able to defend yourself, but because you caused such a disturbance, property damage and have impeded me from having a full nights rest, you're getting detention tomorrow afternoon."

"What?! That's not fair! We're not even at school. You can't do that."

"You forget; I can do anything that I want."

"Even me?" She smirked.

He stared at her with wide eyes for a beat, then promptly turned around and sped off to his apartment, slamming the door.

The girl laughed by herself in the hallway.

The next morning, Miles and Q texted to check up on Estell and make sure she was still alive. Takahiro nodded at her while she was walking to her seat, and even Tsubaki stuck her head in to make sure she was in class. Even if the girl seemed to not care about her, they had become close enough to no longer be frenemies. Estell was grateful.

Later that day, Estell sat in the classroom with Misa, her textbook open and ready to learn some new kanji. She didn't get to do that for too long, as their weekly study session had been interrupted.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Hibari-kun?" Hayate Misa asked the young man as he strolled in and stood by Estell.

"This criminal will be coming with me today, Hayate. She won't be attending study this time, as she has a prior engagement serving detention." He grabbed Estell's arm and pulled her up.

"Oh, okay then. I guess I'll be heading out early today." Misa wasn't perturbed; she could go to that café that always closed early. She was quite happy about this turn of events.

"Bye bye, sensei…" Estell said sorrowfully as she grabbed her books and bag before she got dragged away by the discipline council member.

In his office, he pushed her into the chair in front of his desk, and not her normal spot on the couches. He sat down and crossed his arms, staring at her.

Estell got a proper look at him for the first time that day. He looked grumpy. His eyes told her that he hadn't slept well. She thought back to last night and his words. 'impeded me from having a full nights rest.' Was that what it was? Hibari needed 8 hours or more to function properly? She thought back even further. No, that couldn't be it. She's caused him to stay up later before, and the next morning he was just fine. So what was his problem?

The 2 stared at each other for a few more minutes; one wearing an annoyed expression, the other confused.

"You need a nap?" She finally broke the growingly awkward silence.

He chuckled menacingly. Estell secretly clenched her thighs together.

'He had NO business sounding so sexy just now.'

"So you've noticed. Yes, I'm very tired. And it's very much your fault. And the funny part is, it's not even about the time I went to bed- or rather- tried to go to bed. No, something else entirely."

"Um…"

"Ah ah," he tapped his mouth. "It's a weekday." He reminded her to switch languages.

"Yes, yes. Of course. But uh…what is the issue here? If you got into your bed yet couldn't sleep, that's not my fault…"

"Oh, but it is. Because you planted that thought into my head. It was very difficult to get it out."

Estell looked blankly at him. What was he even talking about?

"I don't follow, mister."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole night!" He exclaimed, immediately looking away embarrassed that he would confess such a thing.

Oh. Oh. She finally understood. Her very…sensual words had stayed with him. He most likely started having thoughts that were in no way professional. The girl tilted her head and smiled.

"Oops?"

Wow, that's crazy.

Anyway, play the Karaoke Neighbor dating sim, available for PC. Link in my profile.

Shout out to Indonesia! Thanks for reading.

Song:

True Crime - Epik High (ft. Miso)