Hey everyone! I just want to let you know that your reviews are much appreciated :) I'm also glad I'm not the only one who remembers that fic, and omg, I also practised my English with it :D

And I know about the 16th Chapter posted of the story, I just wish it was the whole :')

As for the link of the essay, FF doesn't allow any links but I have this story posted on AO3 and I managed to upload the link there, so you can try there if you'd like (same title, username's very_ver, the link is in the 6th chapter and also on my profile) Also, yes, what Kyoya said in the last chapter was a direct quote from canon Kyoya. Buut I haven't watched Swan Princess and had no idea this line originated from there, I just saw it on a meme on insta :D

I wanted to update sooner, but I went on a vacation, then got my 10th tattoo, and most recently had to convince not 1 but 2 people why they shouldn't go back to their ex. The last one especially made me saltier than the freaking Red Sea, so really I wasn't in the mood to write. And yeah, life's been pretty exciting :D

! TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains themes of sexual harassment, more specifically non-consensual grabbing and touching. It happens while they're at Osaka, so skip the scene if it makes you uncomfortable !

Sorry to disappoint anyone who had enjoyed the songs I recommended for each chapter, but for this one specifically, I just couldn't find a proper one for this chapter- which rlly shame on me considering I did a whole playlist for this story 😤

Nevertheless, hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 7 - Don't Ask Why

21st June

" Let's do some beyblade training. "

By now, Hikaru was sure that her Majesty the Universe had some unexplainable bad blood with her and planned to use Kyoya as the ultimate weapon of mass destruction to wipe out the little sanity she'd been left with in the past week.

Some people were dropped on their head as a baby, but Kyoya was apparently thrown down the stairs, smacked by a baseball bat, and tossed out the window. At one point she almost thought he was joking; she wished he was, she really, really did, but this was Kyoya, and the sky would've fallen if he was indeed playing around. Hikaru swallowed the nervous lump that had lodged in her throat. This lunatic was deadly serious, sitting next to her with his chin resting on his palm as if in profound thought.

" Wh-What? " Hikaru stammered, forcing out a stiff laugh at the end. " You know I quit a long time ago. "

" Well, you can start again. " the King of Beasts countered easily.

Hikaru shook her head profusely and retorted even quicker. " That's not possible. "

His nose scrunched up in irritation as he watched her from the corner of his eye, pressing even harsher. " Then make it possible. You've beybladed once, you can do it again. "

" No! " she belted, already fed up with defending her decision on the matter. " I can't! "

Not the best move, considering Kyoya's first instinct at being yelled at was to fire back even harder. " Why?! What's stopping you? "

" It's— " Hikaru bleated, voice cracking. She'd always avoided confiding in anyone about her trauma after Battle Bladers. She knew she had the right to feel awful after what had happened, but it still felt somehow…ridiculous. How can you tell someone 'Oh, an evil maniac blasted me through a stadium wall, and I've given up my career as a blader ever since' and not feel pathetic? Hikaru despised feeling vulnerable and pitied, so there was no reason for her to go into detail about this sensitive topic with someone who showed little to no understanding for those around him. " Beyblading just doesn't make me feel good anymore. It stresses me out, " she mumbled, eyes downcast. Then, promptly inspired to win this argument and unfazed by the shell exploding in her face, she pointed out crossly " And by the way, why is it so important that I beyblade? As far as I'm concerned, I can take on the guards if they see me."

" Because," Despite the fact that Kyoya sounded annoyed as he started the angry lecture, probably because of her defiance, he was providing the explanation all the same. " In case we carry it out like we plan to and split up, who's gonna save your ass if you run into the bladers? "

The idea that Kyoya was concerned for her well-being was like trying to fit a circular block into a triangle-shaped hole inside Hikaru's head, so she swiftly shook off the thought. He simply didn't want them to mess up the operation and succeed on the first go. It was logical, and if Hikaru could work with anything, it was logic. So she put on her best diplomatic and suave face, expression reserved only for the lengthiest and most delicate of negotiations. " You don't have to worry about this. I might not be as strong as you or Gingka, but I'm no amateur," she said, head tipped to the side with a confident smile that had always helped her get her way ever since she was little. " So I can assure you, even if I do stumble across them, I'll be able to fight them off. "

He tilted his chin slightly up and levelled a shrewd stare at her, like a detective who'd just gotten a case-cracking lead. " So you do have your beyblade on you. "

The hairs on the back of Hikaru's neck rose, and she nearly bit her tongue.

Shit! It was a trap!

She could've used the fact that she didn't have her beyblade as an excuse to avoid training. Of course, it would've been an outright lie as she had Aquario with her anywhere she went. Old habits die hard. Denying and backtracking on the other hand was only going to make her look fishy, and there was no use berating herself; she needed to focus on upholding her claim. She could still win this. Hikaru's smile didn't falter, but a hint of firmness tainted her tone. " Yes, so I'll have no problem confronting them. "

He narrowed his eyes at her, still suspicious and apparently immune to all the charm she'd been pouring into her speech. " Oh, really? When's the last time you battled or trained? "

The bluenette opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. " Well— " she stalled, thinking frantically. When was the last time she had beybladed? Two years? No, longer. She vaguely remembered asking Tsubasa to train once, simply out of curiosity to check if her trauma still had a grip on her, but they hadn't even gotten around to battle seriously, because Hikaru could sense he was holding back. Granted, it had irritated her and made her cut the match short, but she couldn't bring herself to be mad at him, since she knew he thought of her as a little sister and didn't want to hurt her. So…the last actual, full-out beybattle she'd fought in was back when they'd taken down Hades Inc. And that was…God, five fucking years ago.

Unfortunately for her, Kyoya chose to interpret her silence as the response he was looking for. " That long, huh? " he grunted out, jerkily standing up. " Beyblade training stars tomorrow. No arguments. " Kyoya declared because he didn't ask any pointless questions, such as whether Hikaru was available or whether she even wanted to spend her free time being bossed around by him. Those factors were irrelevant to him because the only thing that mattered was whether or not she would be present. Nothing else was important.

But Hikaru wasn't having it.

" No. "

Kyoya stopped dead in his tracks, craning his neck to look back and give her a glare that could make a general quake in his boots. " What do you mean, no? "

Indignant and unafraid, Hikaru strolled over to him lazily, attempting to look as condescending as possible. She'd never been one to teach people how to behave merely out of goodwill, but for Kyoya, she was willing to make an exception. The lad ought to be taught how to respect people's boundaries. " I'm not a lackey that you can just boss around, I'm your partner, and you can't just force me to do things against my will. "

" I know what you are. " When Kyoya looked Hikaru up and down, she was certain he knew precisely what she was, at least in terms he was thinking of. Even so, she had no idea what they may have been: the innermost part of his head remained one of life's greatest mysteries. " Can't you just suck it up for a week? Or you want the whole mission to get screwed up because of you? "

Hikaru was mere seconds away from throwing another valid alibi when second thoughts suddenly crept into her mind. What if Kyoya had a point? What if the whole mission really turned into a death spiral just because she was unprepared?

The girl paused, giving herself a moment to focus her thoughts as she was currently torn between anxiety and logic. Anxiety, because she knew those beyblading sessions would leave her mentally drained and gobble down the already little time she had left to work on her assignments. Logic, because in the event that she did come across one of those bladers…would she really be able to protect herself?

More than anything, Hikaru just wanted to hack the operation from the first try and return to her insect-free, heat-free, and Yoyo-free office job. Then she wouldn't have to feel like a cat on a hot tin roof whenever she was reminded that Ryo was managing the company on his own as he did currently. On top of that, she had an awful lot of studies to catch up on, which was a whole another nerve-racking strain on its own.

She had always evaluated her options carefully before proceeding accordingly. Beyblading would definitely wear her down emotionally, but it would indeed be for just a week, and if it really prepared her for an eventual conflict and guaranteed that they don't have to repeat the mission…maybe it was worth a try.

Hikaru sighed wearily and made the mistake of attempting to stare down an angry-stare professional like Kyoya Tategami in the all-out glaring contest. Finally, she made a strangled, exasperated little noise and threw her hands up. " Alright! " She exclaimed, " But only half an hour for a session. No objections. "

Her partner pulled such a stunned face, like he'd just been told that Gingka has given up on beyblading for good. That's probably because Kyoya didn't believe in anything except absolute and unwavering dedication to doing exactly what he intended on doing, precisely the way he planned on doing it, and he obviously expected Hikaru to do the same. " Half an hour? You can't do shit for— "

" I've got studies, okay?! " Hikaru's temper flared suddenly, like a sleeping tiger inside her body that was still cranky about the previous shouting matches. " I'm training all day to keep up with your demands and make you happy, but my future is on the line here, and if I fail my exam it'll be your fault! "

Kyoya stilled, at that, his expression one of surprise. He then raked his fingers through his hair distractedly, grumbling almost in a guilty way, " You didn't say anything about studies. "

" Well, I'm saying it now, " Hikaru said, her fists on her hips and she gave Kyoya a dry look. " Promise me we'll stick to only thirty minutes a day, no more than that. "

Kyoya shot her another of those 'weirdo' looks and crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his shoulders and arms bunched up and straining against the black cotton of his t-shirt, which Hikaru was baffled to find herself observing. " Promise? " he snorted mockingly. " What are you, twelve? "

Refusing to rise to the jab, Hikaru responded with a low-toned, " Do you promise or not, Sunshine? "

" Yes! I do! " Kyoya went off like a box of fireworks.

" Good, " she declared and folded her arms resolutely. " I'll hold you to it. " and she meant every word.

Hikaru's never been a big fan of Mother Nature, but she considered herself to be an adaptable person. But despite this and the fact that they had been doing these night shifts for over a week now, she couldn't get used to sitting in such an uncomfortable position on that stupid rigid branch. Her situation had improved significantly thanks to the blanket she'd brought with her as a cushion. Still, without a backrest like the one on her desk chair back at the WBBA, she feared she'd end up like the hunchback of Notre Dame by the time they were finished here.

Call her vain or whatever, Hikaru wouldn't care, because she firmly believed there was nothing wrong with taking care of your appearance, so much so that she was willing to take a chance on poking a lion with an infamously hair-triggered temper with a stick.

And in her humble defence, the said wild cat never gave her a chance to take the spot with the stem. So, she was only rightfully protecting her basic human rights.

Turning over her shoulder, so she could see him, Hikaru caught her lower lip in her teeth briefly, her expression imploring, " Hey, Sunshine. Do you wanna go sit on the next branch? " she asked and pointed at the one above them, that also looked in the direction of the premises.

Even in the darkness, she was able to see the disapproving crease of Kyoya's brows upon hearing her request, and very easily predicted the question that followed " Why the hell would I? "

" 'Cause I wanna lean against the stem, " she answered easily. " My back hurts from slouching. "

Underneath a scoff, Kyoya responded in a clipped-short tone. " Not my problem, you climb up. "

" But I don't wanna climb. " Hikaru pressed shamelessly. If she had learnt one thing in life, it was that persistence was the key to success, which was great because stubbornness seemed to come so naturally to her. " You have no problem with climbing. "

" Just because I don't have a problem with it doesn't mean I'm gonna do it for you, " he declined tenaciously with the arrogance of a snobbish pedigree cat spurning the expensive food it had previously eaten, and Hikaru was bitterly reminded once again that they seemed to have more in common than she'd originally thought. Of course, he wouldn't give in, and why would he? Everyone else always came a distant second to Kyoya himself.

Hikaru might not be able to persuade him to do something for her, but she was confident she could get him to do something for himself. She'd noticed him shifting uncomfortably every once in a while, so resorting to bribery seemed like her safest bet right now. " If you let me take your place, I'm gonna let you have the blanket. "

Kyoya seemed to be taken aback by her offer, going by the way one of his eyebrows arched, but after a second or two passed without an immediate dismissal, she took it as an invitation to continue her persuasion.

" It's really soft. " Hikaru prompted amiably, lifting the corner of the blanket and rubbing it between her fingers for emphasis.

His gaze was fixed on her for a while, his brows furrowing in the manner Hikaru had unintentionally begun to recognize they did when he was pondering something. Then, with an overly dramatic sigh, like he was only agreeing so she'd shut up, grumbled " Fine. "

Hikaru did a little happy dance in her head. It was hard not to when Kyoya proved he could give pleasant surprises, not just bad ones. And just like that, the two switched places and Hikaru let out a sigh of relief as she finally let her back rest against the stem of the tree.

But, because the circumstances always seemed to conspire against Hikaru in her current state, she wasn't entirely comfortable yet.

God, he's really gonna bite my head off for this one.

Whether Hikaru had actually grown to be comfortable enough around Kyoya to actually ask him for favours like that, or it was simply the sleep-deprivation that had given her the guts to play with fire, she had no idea, but she had a feeling the less she pondered on the question the better. She overheard herself mutter, " Move a little further please, I can't stretch out my legs. "

This time, Hikaru had predicted right because Kyoya whirled around a green twister of rage and hissed, " For fuck's sake! Can you get more demanding, Miss Caprice? " he erupted like an explosive volcano, easily adding brand-new nicknames to the catalogue in the process. " Want me to bring you the freaking stars next? "

Hikaru gasped in mock offence and placed a hand on her chest with her chin lifted like an insulted duchess, which considering the situation didn't help her case at all. " You're the one to complain about being demanding! " He could write a guide on it. " And no, I wouldn't want that 'cause even if you could reach the stars, you'd fight them! "

Kyoya was only able to deliver his trademark 'tch' before the sound of incoming vehicles made both of them sit up and take notice.

Usually, only the floodlights mounted on the bottom lighted the gravel lot up to the dense, shadowy woodline that laid just beyond the chain-link fence. But now the inky darkness that normally separated the looming fir and pine trees of the forest was illuminated even more by the headlights of an approaching BMW security sedan with tinted windows and three box trucks in tow, stopping right in front of the gates of the grounds. After an identity-check of the drivers, the sentries there quickly granted them access.

Yes, some progress at last!

Both with binoculars in hand, the pair silently paid close attention as the guards trailed to the trucks. They watched as the Viking and Commando, the nicknames they'd given to the most ripped guys on last night's shift so they could better tell them apart, barked orders at their coworkers - Santa Claus and the Caveman. Santa Claus, just like the nickname suggested, looked as if the kids' favourite old man had a midlife crisis and joined the gym, while the Caveman was a guy with an outrageously long, and in Hikaru's modest opinion, repulsive beard. Never the ones to miss out on anything new that happened, Hippie, Noodle hair and Banana man soon slipped out of the laboratory to join in. Hippie was a middle-aged janitor with black dishevelled hair, a bent back and an unsteady gait. His eyes were hidden behind large reflective glasses, but clearly not big enough to stop him from being nosy. He usually tagged along with the scientists on their cigarette break. Banana man was a sleazy looking guy with a long face and cleft chin and Noodle hair was probably the youngest employee they've seen so far, who resembled a frat boy version of 90s Justin Timberlake, and who Hikaru thought desperately needed to get his roots dyed. Kyoya, as it turned out, had a natural talent for insulting people based on their physical appearance, and Hikaru hadn't been surprised in the slightest.

Having just parked the vehicles inside, the security started to unlock and open the doors of the box trucks. Hikaru fumbled for her phone with the intention to take pictures of the heavy equipment they were probably delivering right now. Just as she positioned her device and looked through the camera, the guards strangely backed away from the vehicles and instead of whatever machine or supplies she expected to see them unload, people began to disembark one by one.

" Eh? " Hikaru scowled in confusion and wonder, even switched to look through the binoculars for a better view. There was no mistake, those were very real and actual people. Most of them were in their mid-thirties to late forties, with generally unkempt looks, shabby clothes and shoes.

Okay, that's odd.

" What could they possibly need so many people for? " Hikaru contemplated aloud to bring her partner out of his thoughts. Hopefully, he was able to come up with possible answers, unlike her sleepy self. " And why didn't they transport them in a bus and at a more reasonable hour? "

" Beats me, " he answered brusquely and continued scanning the grounds like a hawk " For manual labour, I guess. "

Hikaru nodded mutely but found it hard to look away from Kyoya. He was scowling, to be sure, but Hikaru believed that this pouty grimace, topped by the sharp angles of his forehead, was just Kyoya's thinking expression as he pondered whatever was whirling around in that wild mind of his. No matter what it was though, he ought to share it because a meaningful discussion could really help them advance on the task at hand, so Hikaru probed casually " What's up? "

Clicking his tongue in aggravation, like he was trying to figure out a particularly hard puzzle, Kyoya told " I've seen these two somewhere. "

Hikaru's gaze snapped back to two distinct guys, who stood out of the crowd, " Those from the car? "

" Yeah. "

The bluenette was quick to check out the pair, who were currently chit-chatting Comedy Central. He was the most ordinary guy from the laboratory, and Hikaru and Kyoya had a very hard time trying to think of a code name which would hint at his appearance for someone who was so plain looking. In the end, they'd chosen one based on the guy's ability to make people laugh, which he did almost every break. But Hikaru's focus was on his current victims, who were already in convulsions. They were young, possibly her age, and apparently, twins. Both spotted orange buzz-cuts and were almost identical, except one of the two had a beard.

Hikaru pouted and decided to help her partner remember who these people were by guessing. " Maybe ex-classmates? Or friends of a friend? " Nope, bad format, Hikaru, she scolded herself. The King of Beasts didn't need flunkies, he'd made it clear. Then suddenly, she came up with another idea " Or maybe from some previous mission? "

Apparently, the 'tch' could also be used as a negative answer. How practical of him.

Hikaru sighed and was about to give up on guessing when Kyoya seemingly had an aha moment and blurted out. " Battle Bladers. "

" Oh… " Hikaru uttered, her face turning blue and shoulders slumping. They were bladers, that wasn't surprising at all. But if they'd competed at Battle Bladers, surely they were not to be messed with. She couldn't remember battling them and since Kyoya seemed to be the one with a better memory here, Hikaru decided to pump him for more information, not so much because she actually wanted to know, but because she wanted a distraction from the growing anxiety inside her. " So they're strong? "

" Not as strong as me, " Kyoya said, with an arrogant reassurance that really shouldn't have been as attractive as it was.

The secretary rolled her eyes, not because the response had actually peeved her off, but because she felt like it was supposed to. She hadn't run out of things to talk to, they had plenty of things to discuss, but Kyoya was as per usual closed off behind a wall of body language that made it clear he didn't want to converse anymore. With nothing to distract her from the topic, Hikaru's train of thought rapidly changed lanes and headed where it wasn't supposed to go.

They were going to train tomorrow. She was going to use Aquario for the first time in a long while. She was going to relive the most painful moment of her life for a solid thirty minutes. Great, just great.

Hikaru hugged her knees protectively, nails digging into the skin of her arms as she tried to calm down her racing mind. There was no use hyperventilating right now. Might as well save it for tomorrow when the actual training would begin. Maybe she'd be able to get through it…had she brought some Xanax with her.

" Ya know, " Kyoya murmured nonchalantly as he placed the binoculars aside to look at her. " It's really not that big of a deal. "

At first, Hikaru thought he was talking about what was going on now and was ready to argue in opposition when she considered he might be referring to something else, so she tilted her head in confusion. " What isn't? "

" The beyblade training, " was Kyoya's incredibly ambiguous response, accompanied by a curt " So don't disappoint me. "

That was something Hikaru hadn't been worried about until Kyoya had said it, and only after he'd returned to observing the facilities did she realize why, and had no idea how to handle it. Because, for one thing, Kyoya detecting such a minor shift in her behaviour was completely unforeseen, and for another, being able to let Kyoya down implied he was expecting something from her.

Hikaru gulped and felt her stomach muscles bunch together at the notion, but the reasonable part of her brain swiftly cut in and warned that only trouble lay down that path.

22nd June

The early afternoon sun shone high over the city of Osaka, the summer heat returning in full swing after having been kept at bay for the previous days. Pedestrians avoided streets that crossed into the sun at all costs, preferring the shadier, more cool routes. The shops bustled with locals and tourists, while kids raced through the busy sidewalks towards the parks and stadiums. Overall, it was a beautiful day with not a single cloud in the sky.

Walking down the steep pavement along with her partner, Hikaru's curious eyes wandered around and took in the familiar streets and sights, feeling a bit nostalgic. Some places had stayed the same, others had changed. A light breeze blew by, ruffling the delicate leaves from their branches and carrying the delicious scent of the nearby street food stalls. It only took one inhale and to close her eyes for Hikaru to look back on her 10-year-old self begging her mom to buy some takoyaki before heading to the harbour to send off her father. Oh, good times. Happy times.

She would've loved to spend the whole day roaming the streets and strolling along the beach line. Alas, they had already collected the equipment and thus had no reason to stay here longer.

Hikaru frowned in annoyance when she saw the crowd of commuters heading to the train station, the same place where they were going. To say that she loathed travelling by subway during rush hour would be an understatement. Being cramped into a tight space, a smell of sweat due to the high temperature, and having perverts try to grope you because of your vulnerable state...

It was exactly at times like these when she wanted to chastise Ryo for giving the agents only one company car for use, which currently was in Tsubasa's possession. If the WBBA wasn't so stingy when it came to these types of operations and had purchased more cars, then she wouldn't have to ride the stupid metro, they wouldn't have to use the train and moving around would be much easier.

Just like a clockwork, the clump of people got too dense to walk in a straight line as they approached the train.

Kyoya ploughed his way through the throng, shoving passers-by with his shoulders to the left and right as he bulldozed a path through the chaos for them both. Hikaru wasn't bothered by it – far from it – she was glad because by following closely behind him, Hikaru had successfully saved herself a seat when they finally boarded the train, which got packed so tightly that passengers who were left standing lay on top of each other like sardines.

Sighing in relief, Hikaru let herself lean further into the backrest and happily drummed her fingers against the bag with equipment which was currently on her lap. Well, it wasn't as bad as she'd expected. Hopefully, there would be no delays, and they would arrive on time for their bus to Tenkawa.

It was probably five minutes into their ride when Hikaru caught a disgruntled mutter coming opposite of her. She spotted a short granny, barely at Hikaru's height when she was seated, what's left for holding onto the handles of the train for balance. The snarly remarks weren't coming from the old lady though, despite her obvious discomfort. They were coming from those white collars around her, which she inevitably bumped into when there was nothing she could hold onto for support. Poor woman looked like she was on the brink of crying.

Hikaru couldn't help but feel sorry for her. There she was, a woman who was well over eighty, bones and muscles aching from the smallest tasks and movements, a person who has lived so long, yet nobody around was willing to help out or give up their seat. Worse yet, those same office workers who preached the principle "respect your elders" seemed to only apply it when their superiors were older than them. Bet they'd never scold these same bosses whose asses they were kissing non-stop like that older woman here. Talk about hypocrisy.

Hikaru was beyond disgusted at this point with the situation at hand. Before she could even think twice about it, she stood up and with a polite smile asked " Ma'am, would you like to have my seat? "

The granny was shocked by Hikaru's unexpected offer at first, but then smiled sweetly, the way only grannies could and said " Oh, yes! Thank you, dear! "

The bluenette carefully nudged those around her, so the woman could pass and take her seat. And just like that, Hikaru took her new standing spot. The strange thing now was that she had the feeling some of her fellow passengers were looking at her. She reckoned they were judging her, thinking she was some attention-seeking girl, or she was trying to play the role of a person with a kindly soul. Hikaru was neither of those things, and she wasn't trying to be. What others thought about her was even less of a concern for her. She simply did it because one day, when she was old herself, she'd want someone to do the same thing for her. There were two things Hikaru would believe in and to which she would pledge allegiance until the very day she bites the dust: One - work ethic and discipline, and two - karma. You reap what you sow, as simple as it is.

The stack of bodies was shuffled at the next station, and Hikaru inevitably had to inch closer to Kyoya's direction to let some people walk by her, but the space she gave up wasn't fully repaid. She was one of the sardines now, cramped into the densely packed vehicle.

When the train rocked, Hikaru reflexively reached with one hand for the handles for balance while she held the bag with the other, and for once was glad she was taller than most girls.

Everything was fine until…

A wave of cold alarm wove through Hikaru's body and her breath caught in her throat when she felt a hand run up her thigh. She could feel her knees trembling, her flight instinct begging her to take flight.

No, please no.

A mix of panic and anger began to bubble inside her. That's why she hated riding the metro, because sick perverts like this one had the audacity to use the compound space, the fact that you're so tightly crammed to your surroundings that you can't move away or recognize who's exactly grouping you, just to fulfil their freakish needs.

Hikaru shook off her leg in an attempt to stop the stranger, and it seemingly worked. For a few minutes until he began again.

Is this asshole for real?

Apparently, yes. There were ten more minutes until they reached the bus station, and Hikaru knew she wasn't going to be able to put up with this. Risking a fall if the train swayed again, Hikaru let go of the handle and slapped away the hand with all her might. The sound was audible even with the chatter in the train, but Hikaru didn't care the slightest at this point.

During the next two reloads and unloads, there was no more grabbing and Hikaru was actually starting to relax. Then, the same hand started to stroke her leg yet again.

Hikaru grit her teeth in irritation and barely held back a yell. Give it up already, you fucking bastard!

This is what I get for trying to help others out. This is my reward for doing the right thing.

Hikaru was seriously starting to doubt karma. Why did she have to endure this when her intentions had been good? She could've just looked away and pretended not to notice. She could've been selfish, like the other seated people, like Kyoya. Sure enough, the guy had it way better than her now, an insensitive egoist, but a comfortable one. Hikaru could totally learn a thing or two from him.

The hand was starting to get dangerously close to her ass, and Hikaru's patience had long evaporated. She didn't care if she was going to make the other passengers uncomfortable, she was uncomfortable right now and no one was going to do anything about this. Only she could stand up for herself.

Hikaru had just mustered the deathliest glare she could summon and thought of the most insulting lines applicable for the situation, when a sudden motion in front of her almost send her falling backwards.

It was none other than Kyoya Tategami himself, standing tall and scowling dangerously, as always. The typical sight. Except that the gruff lines that followed weren't typical at all. " Sit down. "

A bamboozled Hikaru's brain promptly short-circuited. After blinking a few times for good measure, just to be sure she wasn't seeing things, and realizing that in fact, her vision was in top condition, she still couldn't register what was happening, so she only managed to give a dumbstruck " Huh? "

Kyoya's scowl deepened even more as he ordered through gritted teeth " Sit. Down. " but it sounded more like 'Don't make me repeat myself' so Hikaru obeyed more out of shock than anything else.

Hikaru fidgeted in her seat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in his presence. Her cheeks began to tingle as they turned a shade pinker. Something fluttered in her gut, and then a split second later she was unloading an excavator of 'don't even go there' on top till it was buried flat out of sight.

What the hell just happened?

Hikaru secretly pinched her cheek to check if she was dreaming. She wasn't. Then she looked up to see that yes, the King of Beasts had indeed taken her place and was holding onto one of the handles while holding a bag with equipment in the other. Whether aware and terrified by Kyoya's narrowly-averted rage, or the fact he was a man, the stranger seemed to give up on trying to grope anyone else. Or maybe he simply surrendered because he possessed some self-preservation instincts - no one in their right mind would dare grope Kyoya unless they wanted to become chalk outlines and be put on the news.

Still, the whole event left Hikaru so tongue-tied and her circuits so burned, that only after Kyoya met her searching stare did she manage to give him a proper " Thank you. "

Kyoya made an irked huffy sound and looked away. " Don't mention it, " he responded curtly, unconcerned about the reality as much as the narrative he'd chosen to believe, that this was nothing special. Kyoya's attitude toward his action like it was a common occurrence rather than a weird, jaw-dropping stunt didn't help matters. The guy was literally the blueprint for selfishness and insensitivity. Why did he just help her when he wasn't getting anything in return? Worse yet, how could he expect her to not mention it, even more so forget it? It only added to the juiciness of the situation.

For the remainder of the journey, Hikaru strained her brains for potential reasons, circumstances, just anything, but couldn't think of such and felt an incoming migraine. Yet something like curiosity kept itching at her. She rehearsed questions in her head but ultimately decided not to ask him. She'd much rather not know why, and she doubted that Kyoya would let her know anyway.

Hikaru was eventually asked about the pair's activities later the same afternoon by the person she'd been dreading the inquiry from the most. For a blissful moment, Hikaru had actually believed she could get away with Madoka's preoccupation with her recently returned boyfriend since she was in higher spirits than usual.

Yet as Hikaru was sitting on her desk, she stretched out her back in a long arch, some muscles popping and others loosening. Exhaling in relief, she unintentionally dug her own grave by letting a careless complaint slip. " God, I'm so sore. "

Madoka, who'd ordered Dominos as per Gingka's request, nearly choked on one of the garlic bread twists. " Why? What were you doing? "

" Oh…nothing particular, really. " The bluenette downplayed, staring at the suddenly interesting white carpet in her hotel room.

" Uh-huh, " Madoka affirmed with a beady eye through the screen. " But from what you've told me so far, I'm having the impression that…something's going on. "

It's amazing how once you become joined at the hip with someone, you manage to communicate with each other in a non-verbal way. Hikaru shot her best friend an utterly perplexed and clueless look. In return, Madoka tilted her head and gave the secretary a very knowing and teasing look that said 'You know very well what I mean.'

Hikaru burst out laughing at the absurdity of the suggestion. " Yeah, right! As if, me and Kyoya… " She stared at Madoka to see if she was joking, and was shocked when she realized the mechanic wasn't. " But… it's Kyoya! Obviously, he wouldn't… we wouldn't, you know… it's Kyoya! "

" Why not? " Madoka teased, then clarified, " I mean, he's not hard to look at. "

Hikaru gaped at her like she ought to get her head checked. " You've gotta be kidding! "

The younger girl merely grinned and shrugged. " A million fangirls worldwide would agree with me on that, " she remarked while dipping another garlic twist into the sauce. " Don't look at him as a whole, though! Personality and temper aside, he's a pretty attractive guy. Not exactly my type, but a girl's still got eyes. "

Hikaru scoffed, unable to resist a bit of teasing herself. " I'm so telling Gingka you said that. "

" Pff. No, you won't. " Madoka had a strange glint in her eye, her lips lifted, remaining focused on the very thing Hikaru hoped she could stir the conversation away from. " Now, what type of stuff were the two of you up to? "

" Um... you know, general... stuff, " Hikaru reckoned as she spoke, that nothing she'd said up until now couldn't be twisted into some troubling conclusion, and a bright blush highlighted her face for the second time today. " I'm making it sound worse, right? "

" A little, " the brunette kept her gaze of concern steady, then sighed. " But, if you insist there's nothing funny going on, I believe you. "

Hikaru bit her lower lip in frustration and guilt. Madoka trusted her so completely and unwaveringly that she felt terrible for lying. There she was, a loyal friend who didn't even bother interrogating her because she so firmly believed Hikaru was telling the truth. She didn't deserve to be kept in the dark, she'd never do the same to her. To Hikaru, it felt like she was betraying her because they had agreed to always be honest to one other. No secrets, no nothing. Some friend she turned out to be.

And it wasn't like Hikaru was lying about a one-time thing. At this point, it was a pretty much daily occurrence, ever since last week.

Hikaru instantly made a grimace at the thought. Without realizing it up until now, she had let this thing with Kyoya become a normal part of her life. Routine, even. It made the whole secrecy part even worse than before.

God, how did I manage to get myself in such a tight spot?

The sheer amount of fangirls that Lionboy has proves that pretty privilege is real, cause if he only had to rely on his temper and antisocial mindset, none of them would stan him lmao.

Now, for the scene on the train…From what I've gathered, in Japan, women in packed trains (and other public areas) frequently suffer sexual harassment in the form of groping. According to studies, more than 75% of all Japanese women had been groped. Men fall victims to these awful acts too. Now, you might've thought - Why didn't Hikaru beat the guy up or scream or something? Japan is a country whose social structure is heavily reliant on conformity. In oversimplified terms - not causing trouble for anyone or drawing negative attention to yourself, a social structure that encourages not sticking out for the quote-unquote "wrong reasons". By screaming that someone's groping you or anything similar, you're causing panic and discomfort for those around you, and many women who even have the guts to report the accident to the police have been told that this is just normal thing, so…if you're interested you can research online.

Tbh, yes, I find it very infuriating and I'd never stand down like this, but as I've learnt from my courses, culture and mentality are different all around the world and most misunderstandings happen from this exactly.

In my culture, if this happened to me, the person will be on a stretcher, no doubt about that. But because this is normalized, I feel like Hikaru wouldn't strike back immediately, when she's brought up in a way that encourages her not to bother others. And Kyoya's like this too, he might not comply to most Japanese social norms, but he's aware of them. That's why, especially at this point, he wouldn't knock the guy down because he groped Hikaru. His feelings aren't as deep as they're about to get. You don't fall in love instantly. If you fall instantly, it's not deep. I think that genuine, real love is gradual, but that's just me soo yeah.

I feel like my brain has been deep-fried after writing this chapter and editing it. If you find any typos or something that just doesn't make sense, it's cuz I'm kinda tipsy, but I'll fix it tomorrow, I promise.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!