"Hurry up Hachiman!"

"Oh shut it! It's hard enough to run while carrying all of this!"

Hachiman and Kiana are squishing Mei, who is looking pale with unfocused eyes, in between them as they run. They block out the judgmental stares thrown their way while also pushing the people who try to block them.

"The Devil's daughter!"

"I knew you and your father were no good for Japan!"

"It's only a matter of time before you're next!"

Various insults get thrown at them, making them run faster while Mei puts her hands to her ears to block the noise.

"Come on, we need to lose them before going back to our apartment!"

Hachiman grunts in approval at Kiana words before the trio duck into an alleyway, another, another, then more in hopes of losing the crowd chasing them.

Later, they stop in an alleyway to rest after getting rid of the crowd. Hachiman leans against the wall while deeply breathing and Kiana is trying to calm Mei down.

"Come on Mei. We are nearby to our place."

"No, no, no no, I-I don't believe that my father would commit fraud of all things! He never, didn't, I mean, ahhhhhhhhhh!" Mei looks down to her feet, though her eyes show a slight ruby tinged.

Hachiman pushes himself off from the wall when he sees Mei starting to break down with Kiana effort amounting to nothing. He notices the different color but pays it no heed for now.

"Mei. Mei, listen to me!" He grabs hold of Mei's shoulder to spin her around and make her face him, "We believe you alright. Your father seems like the kind of guy who would rather die than to commit a crime."

"That's right! I saw the news about him and he looked like a good guy!"

Under Hachiman and Kiana encouraging words, Mei slowly calms down and the ruby color fades away, "Yeah, yeah, my father must have been framed! That's it… That's it…" She turns to look at both of them, "Thank you two."

"Anything for my girlfriend!"

"No problem."

"I am not your girlfriend!" Though Mei laughs as she says it.

Hachiman tilts his head at the end of the path, "Come on, you can stay in our apartment for the time being."

Kiana nods and grabs hold of Mei's hand then starts to drag her. The latter hesitates before moving along with them as they try to avoid meeting with people.

After a few more turns, dodging, and hiding, they arrive in front of Hachiman's door.

The owner fishes out his key and unlocks it, "Seat down at the couch there while I go place down the bags." He points to his 3-seater couch near the television while taking off his shoes before going to the counter to place the bags.

"Wow~ this place is barren, Hachiman." Kiana, with her shoes off, comments on the lack of decorations of his place.

"I don't want to hear that you gorilla."

"Language Hachiman!" Mei, also with her shoes off, playfully scolds him while going to the couch.

The trio looks at each other before laughing, "Thanks for helping me you two. Really."

Kiana hugs Mei on top of the couch, "Awww~ I would always be there for you!" She rubs their cheeks together.

"Kiaaanaaa, stooopp, that tickles!" Mei laughs as the hair from Kiana tickles her neck.

Hachiman looks at the scene before declaring, "Yep. Both of you look good together." He gives a thumbs up to them.

"Come here Hachiman! Join the hug!"

"No thank you."

"Do you want me to pick you up or will you come here by yourself?"

He zooms over to them with fear in his eyes, "Nope. Nope. I'm here so keep your gorilla strength away from me."

Kiana laughs until she starts to wheeze while Mei giggles a bit. They settle down before the former drags him into the hug, though he respectfully keeps his hands away from touching them in the hug.

After a while, they break the hug with Hachiman silently muttering, "They felt nice on me…" He takes a quick glance at the breast of them.

"Oh~? I didn't know Hachiman was perverted enough to take advantage of two defenseless girls~" Kiana overhears the comment and sees his glance, making her tease him with a grin.

"Hachiman! Stop being a perv!" Mei slaps him at the head.

"Ow. I should have expected that you have super hearing to go along with your gorilla strength." He rubs his head as he glares at Kiana, who sticks her tongue at him, "That defenseless comment is false since you two are anything but defenseless. Especially you, Kiana."

"Oh? Want me to show you just how defenseless I am?" Kiana cracks her knuckle as she menacingly stares at him.

"No thank you. I want to live."

Mei laughs as she sees them bantering, though she doesn't notice the two of them nodding at each other while giving a thumbs up.

Once Mei calms down, Hachiman claps his hand, "I'll go heat up some frozens then the ramen cups for us."

While walking to the kitchen, he feels a hand holding his own, making him look back to see Mei looking at him with a fire in her eyes, "That is unhealthy for you! Sit down while I go cook for us." She drags him to a single sofa in front of the coffee table.

He blinks before cringing, "Oh god. Both of them have gorilla strength."

A tissue box zooms across the air and hits him on the back of the head, "That is no way to treat a lady!"

"Ow."

"Hahahahaha, that what you get Hachiman!"


"Thank you for the meal," The trio says before digging into the food at the dining table.

"Oh my god! This is the best food I have ever eaten!" Kiana instantly gushes out after taking a bite then quickens her eating.

Hachiman freezes before swallowing, "Almost… Like Komachi's cooking…" He mutters with pain in his tone.

Kiana stops and looks at him, "Komachi?" She asks while Mei also stops eating to look at him with concern.

He blinks then sees them looking at him, making him look away, "My greatest little sister in the whole wide world… She used to make delicious food for me and her back in Chiba…" He bitterly says.

"Oh…. Um, how is she?" Mei awkwardly asks when she notices the bitter tone.

"She's… Doing well… Last I heard… We had a fight before I moved here… I tried to bring her with me but my parents wouldn't allow it, only allowing her to visit me, not stay… Even though I had gotten a two bedroom apartment from my uncle." He motions to the other room opposite of his own.

He continues in a mocking tone now, "They said they wouldn't allow me to come here even though my uncle told us it was fine. That they would cut back their working hours to care for Komachi… I really hope that they did even though I can see them disregarding their plan."

Silence descends on them, with Hachiman drinking a max coffee while the other two just look at him with sympathy. Then Kiana cautiously asks, "Why did you come to Honshu?"

He stops, then carefully places the can down onto the table, "…I'll only say that I was bullied by people back in Chiba," He curtly says with his eyes telling them to not press him.

Luckily, they get the message and nod before going back to eating the now warm foods.

"I hope you can trust us with your past, Hachiman."

"…We'll see, Mei. We'll see."


*A...N*

Just some foreboding and light hearted scenes here. Nothing suspicious. A glimpse to the reasons and a tissue box soaring the air. Anyway, on to the comments!

calderoneric758 - it's probably going to be the other way around honestly

Renashi-RE012 - we'll see how it unfolds in the future of this trio's misadventures!