They walk Mikey back to the locker room and briskly get dressed back into their clothes.

"Hate that guy," Draken mutters, eyeing Hanma from across the room. Hanma notices him staring and winks over at him before he shoves his lighter back in his pocket and walks out.

"Yeah, he's fucking weird." Chifuyu says, tightening his shoelaces. "We ready?"

Kazutora sprays them all with ax. Pah starts wheezing as Baji shoves him against the nearest locker.

They wait up for Yuzuha and Emma. Shinichiro makes him walk Emma to and from school every day. Draken's usually the one who looks forward to it more than anything.

They all watch Yuzuha come out of the twin doors alone. Mikey will probably never be able to look at her the same way again. He tries to think nothing of her walking up to peck Mitsuya's lips. "Hey," she says after they part.

"Hey," he repeats, smiling stiffly in front of his friends.

She glances over at them, wondering why they're all looking at her weirdly. "What are you guys up to?"

"We're going to McDonald's." Mitsuya explains, "Wanna come?"

Mikey doesn't really want to go out to eat. That encounter with Senju still has his stomach doing flips.

"Oh. No. I was asking 'cause Hakkai's staying after school to study for his retake and my older brother's working 'til ten, so..." she bites her lip around a knowing smile.

Mitsuya promptly throws an arm around her shoulders and offers his friends a parting nod. "Alright. I'll catch you guys some other time, then."

Kazutora pumps his fist in the air. "Get it, Mitsuya!"

Baji cups his hands around his mouth, "Biiiiiiiiiiitch," he calls after him.

"Did he really just bail?" Chifuyu asks, watching them both walk away.

"Looks like," Draken mutters absently, pretending not to notice Emma walk towards them. Mikey rolls his eyes as they both dance around their feelings in another awkward greeting. "Nice mug." he says, nodding at the pot in her hands.

"I thought it was a bong," Kazutora quips.

"Can we go already?" Pah asks, crushing his referral slip in his fist. "I'm fucking starving."

"Yeah," Baji says, "I just have to stop by my place to get money."

"I got you," Chifuyu offers.

"Nah," he shakes his head, walking down the block. Baji used to live a lot closer to school, but he moved before starting tenth grade. Chifuyu and Kazutora start walking behind Baji, and Mikey finds himself following them too. Emma and Draken tag along behind them.

"Alright, we'll meet you guys there." Peh says, noticing Pah's growing irritation.

Draken nods. "Bet."

Now it's just the six of them walking down the newly developed apartment complex. It's a nice area, but Baji fucking hates it. Even the sidewalk is nicer on this side of town.

"Remember when we used to be neighbors?" Chifuyu asks.

Baji smiles fondly before spitting on the ground. "Yeah. That was before my mom married that piece of shit."

Then he spends the rest of the walk home talking about how much he hates his stepdad.

Baji's stepdad makes a lot of money, but his mom still works two jobs for some reason. Mikey wonders why as they finally reach the porch of Baji's new apartment.

"I swear to god if this motherfucker's home..." he sighs, twisting his key in the front door.

"Keisuke, how many times do I have to tell you to be gentle?" his stepdad hisses from his seat on the couch.

"Why are you here?" Baji groans, kicking the front door closed. "Go back to work, Yamato."

"I can't. They capped my hours at forty."

Baji drops his backpack on the floor as he slips his shoes off. "Sounds like an excuse to stay at home doing nothing all day."

"It's the truth. They can't afford to keep paying me." he explains, then scowls at the mess on the floor. "And pick that up. I just vacuumed."

"Then get another fucking job like mom." Baji snaps, pointedly keeping his shit on the floor as he walks into his bedroom. The rest of them follow silently behind him.

Mikey tries to be respectful, because he doesn't really understand what Baji's stepdad did to make Baji hate him so much. It's possible Baji just hates any man that speaks to his mother. Kazutora glances at the trophies and awards lining Baji's bedroom shelves. "Where's that calendar I got you?"

Kazutora thinks it's a right of passage to gift them all a swimsuit calendar for their sixteenth birthdays. Draken stared down at his birthday present before reminding Kazutora that half of those girls lived in his hotel and then regifting it to Peh. Mikey gave his own to Shinichiro for Christmas.

Baji snorts as he opens up his sock drawer with a bang. "You really think stepdouche is gonna allow that shit in his house?"

They watch him rummage through his things for a couple minutes. Kazutora and Chifuyu make themselves comfortable on Baji's bed while Emma and Draken stand idly, sneaking glances at each other.

"Where the fuck is it?" Baji mutters under his breath, pulling up another pair of socks.

"Trust me, bro, I got you," Chifuyu insists.

Baji pulls away from his drawer to glare at Chifuyu. "I said no—"

Suddenly, Baji's stepdad opens his bedroom door. "Can you boys keep it down?"

Baji shakes his head dismissively as he continues looking through his things. "Can you suck my dick?"

Mikey fights the urge to snicker and makes sure not to look at any of his friends because he'll burst into hysterical laughter. His stepdad folds his arms over his chest.

"I received a call from your algebra teacher today." he mentions, leaning against the doorframe. "You know what she told me?"

"That you're a bitch?"

The lines on Yamato's face settle sternly. "She said you'd failed another quiz."

"I don't give a damn." Baji rolls his eyes, "Leave me alone."

"Son," he sighs, rubbing his temples, "At this rate, you'll be in high school until you're thirty—"

"Don't," Baji hisses, slamming the drawer shut. "Fucking 'son' me. Holy shit. You are not my dad."

Oh god. Now he's done it. Mikey watches Baji swipe his arm through his dresser and drop everything on the floor. Deodorant, leave-in conditioner, and cologne bottles crack to punctuate his anger. "Get the fuck out of here before I kill you." he snaps.

Yamato frowns at the fallen items. "Keisuke, I only say it because I care." he explains, "Now pick that stuff up and get to studying."

Baji kicks the deodorant dangerously close to his stepdad. "I'm not fucking studying. I'm going to McDonald's with my friends."

Yamato glances at the rest of them. "If these were really your friends, they'd be helping you with your schoolwork."

There's a short pause where they all stare silently at one another, unsure of what to do.

Kazutora's the first to rise. "Alright, Baji, uh, we'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"Where are you going?" Baji snaps, "Wait a sec, just let me find my money."

"I'm not letting you out of the house, young man." Yamato states before walking off. "Now go get your bag and start studying."

"You are not my dad!" Baji repeats, slamming his palm on the wall. "Fuck outta here!"

"Later, Baji," Draken mumbles, walking after Kazutora.

"See ya," Emma squeaks, right behind him.

Baji gawks, watching them all file out one by one.

"Let me know if you need help with your homework," Chifuyu offers before walking out.

"Don't worry, Baji," Mikey gives him a helpless smile and picks the stick of deodorant up to set it on his dresser gently. "We can just go some other time."

He closes the door behind him as Baji starts throwing another fit in his bedroom. He wonders what he's going to do when his mother gets home.

Yamato sees them all out, leaving the five of them to stare at each other. Emma turns to Mikey.

"I wanna go home," she tells him.

"Alright," he says, leaning over to bump fists with Kazutora and Chifuyu. "I'll see you guys later."

"Later," Chifuyu agrees, turning his heel. Kazutora shrugs and walks off after him.

Mikey leads the way for Emma and Draken, listening absentmindedly to their conversation.

"Can you believe I got a seventy-eight on this?" she pouts, hugging the pot closer to her chest.

"Bullshit," Draken scoffs, staring only at the street ahead of him. "It's worth at least an eighty-three."

He sighs internally. This is such an empty conversation, but Draken's heart is probably beating out of his chest from how thrilled he is. And he's pretty sure Mitsuya's having the time of his life walking Yuzuha home right now. Even if they don't end up doing anything, even if they're simply standing side by side, he's almost positive they're the happiest they've been all day.

Mikey wonders what it'd be like to walk Senju home. They could talk about her algebra quiz, and if she was graded unfairly like Emma. She seems like the type of girl who insists the teacher change her grade because she refuses accept anything other than the highest score.

As they turn a corner, a sudden thought makes the corners of Mikey's mouth twist down.

Who walks Senju home?

Actions