The Problem with Perfection

by DracoMalfoy456

Perfection is not an option. It is a requirement. At least… that's what Kiyotaka Ishimaru has always been taught, from the time he was old enough to be taught anything. (Ishimondo)

14. A Perfect Day for a Festival

Hey all!

Here's the next chapter! I'm excited for this one, as it's a big one. A lot happens and it's another big turning point for Taka and Mondo. Like I said in the last chapter's end notes, the whole issue with Mondo's supposed homophobia gets resolved in this chapter and it's... a lot, but I hope I explain it well and it makes sense. I did recently write Mondo's perspective of this chapter, which adds more insight into it all, but I don't know if I can post it since it has a lot of spoilers in it that are important to the chapter, so... let me know what y'all think. If you'd want to see it even if I have to remove big chunks to avoid spoilers. I will go more into detail in the end notes about why I wrote him that way, though, so don't worry if you don't get my thinking.

Anyway, I posted my drawing of Greaser Taka on my Tumblr, which you can find there , if you'd like. Just remember that, all through this chapter, this is what Taka looks like, ha.

(Also, like I said last chapter, I don't know much about Japanese festivals, ha. I based this kind of off the Halloween carnivals my elementary and high school had, but more extravagant, as well as mixed with my city's county fair. I was originally going to make this a dance when mentally planning it, before remembering that Japan doesn't really do dances, ha.)

Enjoy!

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Taka frowns at the panicked girl in front of him, his mind running through possible solutions and other ways he can possibly help the musician calm down from the almost manic state she has managed to work herself up into, the girl pacing back and forth in the tent they had set up as a 'backstage' of sorts.

Needless to say, it has been a very, very long morning...

"Maizono-kun! I assure you, they shall be here soon! While punctuality is key, it is not your fault they are delayed! Working yourself into a panic is not going to help matters!"

Taka winces back a little at the fierce glare the— admittedly tiny— girl in front of him shoots him, quelling him instantly.

"That's easy for you to say! Our performance starts in fifteen minutes and the girls and I still need to go over our set line up, let alone have the tech crew prep the stage! And I have no idea what the sound will be like, are these speakers up to date?! And my makeup still needs to be done, and my outfit is starting to deflate, and... and... oh! This is just a disaster!" the Ultimate Pop Sensation cries, looking like she's about three seconds away from bursting into tears. A-ah! That would not be good! He has no idea how to comfort crying women!

Awkwardly, Taka takes a step forward and pats the girl gently on the shoulder, hoping that it's not as awkward as it feels to him. Judging by the odd look she gives him, he's not entirely sure he succeeds... hm...

This morning seems to have decided to drag on, and on, and on! From one little disaster to another, Taka has been running around for the past two and a half hours, trying to ensure that everything gets set up and prepared properly. From the food venders, to the game booths, even to the haunted house! Every little detail has to be in place and Taka is personally responsible for overseeing all of it. It's a very daunting task!

(Of course, technically speaking it hadn't originally been his job. He'd simply assumed the role, assuring everyone that he can absolutely handle it. The headmaster had agreed, smiling at him strangely, before handing him the details and information he would need to complete the task. He's fairly certain the headmaster is still overseeing everything alongside him, but he's put it upon himself to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, so the headmaster doesn't have to worry about fixing any possible mistakes. That would be mortifying!)

He hadn't quite realized just how extensive planning a festival for a school as prestigious as Hope's Peak would be, though! He's helped organize festivals for his schools before, but those were much smaller scale, with booths created by each class and maybe a few parent volunteers. Plus, he hadn't been the one ultimately in charge.

Here, though... aha.

And he's not complaining! He is actually enjoying himself, quite a lot! He just wishes that the disasters that seem to want to crop up would simply go away...

First, it had been a problem with one of their food venders. Apparently, the head chef had been arrested the night before on a drunk and disorderly charge, so he'd had to cancel their spot and rearrange some of the remaining booths, so the empty spot wasn't too obvious. It wasn't that bad a problem, though, so he'd handled it with ease.

But then the Ultimate Dancer— who had graduated a few years before and had been intending to come back to the festival to showcase her talent— had twisted her ankle that morning and had called to inform them that she, regretfully, wouldn't be able to make it. Taka had assured her it would be fine, telling her to rest up and focus on getting better, and had spent a few minutes rearranging the order of performances to make up for the loss of one, even calling a few of the performers to see if anyone would be able to do a longer show or an additional one to fill the slot. Luckily, one of them had, so he hadn't had to worry about that for too long, thankfully!

But then things just... seemed to keep going wrong. A problem with the equipment for one of the rides. One of the haunted house actors came down with the flu that morning and couldn't show. The wind blew away their tarp for a tent and they'd had to spend several minutes chasing it... on and on and on the problems went! And it's not like Taka hadn't expected it, disorder is sadly a very common problem with the world, but it is still very stressful! Especially now, faced with one of his classmates who looks seconds away from bursting into tears, the one thing Taka is least qualified to handle!

But! He refuses to give up! He took this responsibility onto himself and he will see it through! That's a Kiyotaka Ishimaru Guarantee!

"Ah, Maizono-kun! I promise, things will be fine! I am sure they will arrive any second and we will get started on preparations right away-" Taka starts passionately, before getting interrupted in his impassioned speech by the tinny ringing of a cellphone. Maizono's eyes widen as she grabs her pink cellphone off the counter that she'd left it on a moment before— after her last few attempts at reaching her band had fallen through— and puts it quickly to her ear.

"Yes?! What's wrong?" Maizono goes quiet for a minute, listening intently, before she goes ramrod straight, eyes wide and glistening. "What do you mean the bus has a flat tire?! How far away are you from the school? ... fifteen minutes?! But the show starts in fifteen minutes! How can we go on in fifteen minutes if you're fifteen minutes away, with a flat tire? ... what?! Delay the show?! But we can't! I... okay, but... ugh! Fine! Whatever! Just get here as soon as you can, goodbye!"

With that, Maizono angrily hangs up her phone… and promptly bursts into tears.

Oh no!

"A-ah! Maizono-kun!" Taka cries, hurrying forward to try and do... something to comfort the crying girl. She just shakes her head, taking a step back as she buries her face in her hands, looking all around miserable. Oh dear... oh no... he has to fix this! Quick! "Maizono-kun, please, do not fret! This is merely a set back! We will overcome this, I promise you! Tell me what the matter is, and I will find a way to adequately fix whatever is wrong! Let me help you!"

The girl keeps crying softly, muttering things that he doesn't have any hope of understanding into her hands. A-ah... oh dear...

Carefully, hesitantly, Taka puts his hand gingerly on Maizono's shoulder, not wanting to startle the girl and make everything worse. And then, to his intense surprise, Maizono... she...

She hugs him!

Well. Sort of. More like she slams into him, her arms wrapping tight around his waist, while she buries her face into his chest. A-ah! How awkward!

His arms stay stiff at his sides for a surprised moment, too shocked to do anything more than that. Taka gets spurned into motion when he hears the girl let out a muffled sob, however, his arms awkwardly coming up to pat the girl on her back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable but also not wanting to just... do nothing with his hands. Luckily, she doesn't seem to mind, just buries her face further into his chest, sobbing quietly as she goes. His heart goes out to her, honestly. After all, he knows all too well how frustrating it can be when your plans don't work out how you intend them to!

He places his hands firmer on her back and— when she doesn't object— he starts rubbing small, soothing circles, like Mondo will do for him when he cries like this. Forcing his voice to go soft, but no less passionate, he speaks to her gently, hoping that his social ineptitude won't just make things worse.

"Maizono-kun... I promise you, this is not the end of the world! This is merely a minor setback! This can be fixed, and I will do everything in my power to see that it is! Please, dry your eyes and tell me what the problem is, so that we can go about fixing it right away! I promise you that we will fix this. And that's a man's promise! A good friend of mine assures me that such a thing cannot be broken!"

He isn't sure what he said, exactly, that causes it, but he hears Maizono giggle softly against his chest, the girl's face popping up a second later, looking at him with big, watery eyes. He feels his heart go out to her and tries his best to smile soothingly. Something about it just makes Maizono giggle again, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"S-sorry, Ishimaru-san. I just am not used to you looking like this, that's all. It suits you!" she giggles again, before the sad look returns, the girl looking down at her feet. "Okay... the bus the girls are on got a flat tire on their way up here, and they don't have any extra tires, for some reason. They're still fifteen minutes out, and I know from experience that it's going to take them at least ten to twenty minutes to get a replacement bus, especially since it seems that traffic is particularly horrible today. They're not going to be here in time for our performance and I just don't know what to do! I- I... you probably think I'm being silly, but I wanted today to go perfectly, you know? I w-wanted to show all of our classmates my talent and show the girls my life here at Hope's Peak... but now... now it's all ruined..."

Her face goes all sad again, her eyes big and watery, but she thankfully doesn't start crying again. Taka's mind is already racing with thoughts, though, coming up with ways to fix this. It shouldn't be too hard, all he has to do is...

"Maizono-kun, do not worry at all! I believe this will be an easy fix! Why don't you take a seat in that chair over there and try to calm yourself, while I make some calls to fix this, alright?" Taka states, still soft but with more enthusiasm than before, his mind racing with thoughts and solutions. Maizono looks at him for a second, before nodding, taking a seat carefully (so as not to ruin her dress) and grabbing a few tissues to dry her eyes. Luckily, she'd only been wearing light makeup, just foundation and basic blush, the girl claiming her makeup crew was going to get her ready for the show, so it doesn't look too ruined. That's good.

(It also means the wet spot on his white shirt should, hopefully, dry clear, but that's honestly the least of his worries right now!)

Grabbing the cellphone that the school had provided him to help arrange all of the entertainment and venders, Taka starts making some calls, pacing as he talks to several different people. Maizono's eyes track him as she starts calming herself down, slowly drinking a calming cup of tea Taka had asked one of the crew at the festival to go and get in between one of his phone calls. Taka doesn't notice, though. He's too focused on fixing this predicament!

A few minutes later, Taka hangs up the phone and turns to Maizono with a bright smile.

"I have good news, Maizono-kun!" he cries, causing Maizono to sit up straight, eyes wide as she stares at him.

"What?" she blurts, interrupting him unintentionally, "what is it?!"

Grinning widely, he strides up to the girl and kneels before her, putting his hand on her shoulder enthusiastically.

"I was able to switch your performance with a later one! The 11:00 am performance— a show by the Ultimate Juggler— has stated that they should be able to get their gear and supplies ready in time for the 10:00 am show! I just will have to find a way to stall for a little bit as they get their show set up. But that is nothing you need to worry about! I will take care of it! Do you think your band will be ready to perform by 11:00? If not, I can make a few more calls and try and get a later time-"

Taka is cut off when the girl practically flings herself at him, her arms tight around his shoulders as she lets out a happy squeal.

"Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the best, Taka! I am so grateful right now! I owe you so much, you are the absolute best!" Maizono cries right by his ear, her shrill voice making his ears hurt, but he doesn't mind. He just puts his arms around her shoulders gently, quicker than the last time but still a little awkward. He's not entirely used to hugs, after all. Well... not with people smaller than him, he supposes!

"You needn't thank me at all! I was just doing my job!" he replies, his cheeks only a little flushed at the praise. It's the truth, though! It is, in fact, his job to make sure everything runs smoothly!

Maizono giggles at his words again, even though he'd been entirely serious, pulling back and looking at him with shining eyes, her smile wide and happy on her face.

It strikes him, then, that Maizono really is a pretty girl. And he realizes, his stomach churning, that any other boy in his place would probably be feeling... something, right now. Something very unwholesome and inappropriate.

But he doesn't. All he feels is happiness that he was able to help her out.

Hm...

"Still, I owe you, Taka. If you ever need anything, anything at all, feel free to ask me! Oh! And the 11:00 am show should be fine! My manager assured me that they'll be here as soon as possible," she smiles, twirling slightly as she stands. Taka stands as well, grinning brightly, pushing passed the unease that has started to fill him at his previous thoughts. It... it's not important, not right now.

"I shall keep that in mind, Maizono-kun! Now, I should probably get going, I need to ensure that the Ultimate Juggler's show is properly set up in time! Will you be alright on your own? Is there something I can do to ensure your happiness?"

Maizono giggles again, twirling her hair as she looks up at him through her eyelashes. Hm... it's a very peculiar look! N-not bad, no! Just... odd!

"I should be okay, thank you Taka. But you know you can call me Sayaka, right? We've been in the same class for months now! Plus, I think I can safely say that this had made us friends! Unless... you don't want to be?"

Her head is tilted as she looks at him, her eyes suddenly sharp as they look seemingly through him. Eep! It's almost like she... like she's reading his mind! How creepy! Maizono— or should he say Sayaka?— giggles again, for no reason he can ascertain. Pushing aside the unease (hadn't he once overheard her telling Naegi that she's psychic? He doesn't believe in such nonsense, but perhaps...) he smiles brightly, shaking his head firmly once.

"Not at all! It would be a great honor to be considered your friend, Maizo- ah! I mean, Sayaka! Now, if you are certain you will be alright, I really must be going! You should go and enjoy the festival since you have some free time! There is plenty of entertainment to be found! I shall see you later!"

Raising his hand to wave her goodbye, Taka leaves the tent, the sound of Sayaka's giggling following him as he goes. Taking out his phone again, he bites his lip gently as he opens the texting function, eyes darting around as he quickly writes a message.

To: Mondo Owada:

Kyoudai!

I am afraid something has come up with the festival and I will be unable to meet you at our scheduled time! I am so sorry! I should hopefully be finished with the delay soon, but in the meantime, I do not mind if you wander around the festival yourself! I will send you an electronic text message when I am done! I am looking forward to enjoying the festival with you!

Sincerely,

Taka

Looking over the message once, Taka sends it, feeling somewhat guilty for using the phone that the school provided him for a personal conversation. Yes, Headmaster Kirigiri had told him that the phone was his to keep, even after the festival ended, as an extra thanks for his hard work, but he knows he cannot accept such a fine gift! Though it has made things a lot easier for him... he's never been able to afford a cellular phone, after all, not even those cheap 'burner' phones that general stores sometimes offer, with the expensive plans and all that. Not having to find a landline phone every time he has to make a call certainly is convenient!

Taka is startled from his thoughts when he feels the phone buzz in his hands, his heart racing as he reads the— quite frankly appalling— reply.

From: Mondo Owada: yh, ok. c u sn, bro. np.

Taka wrinkles his nose at the horrid grammar and spelling, ignoring the rush of fondness that floods him as he quickly types a reply, the Ultimate Juggler appearing before him to ask some questions about the change of plans.

To: Mondo Owada:

Kyoudai,

I have no idea what that means! But I will assume it means you are okay with the change of plans! I must be going now, I will tell you more details later!

Sincerely,

Taka

With that settled, Taka turns to the juggler and goes about fixing yet another problem this festival has managed to cause.

He's starting to think this all may be more trouble than it is worth!

~XoxoxoxoxoxoX~

"Ishimaru-san, I assure you I can handle this on my own. I've been running these festivals for several years, after all. You have done a wonderful job with everything and I am very grateful for your assistance, but I can take over from here. Go enjoy the festival with your friends! You have earned it. And I already told you, the phone is yours to keep. I will not be accepting it back, understood?"

Taka stands before Headmaster Kirigiri, feeling awkward at the man's light reprimand, his fingernails digging small indents into the palm of his hands. Oh dear... he hadn't meant to imply that the headmaster couldn't handle everything! He'd just wanted to help! Oh no!

"I- I am sorry, Headmaster Kirigiri! I will, of course, do exactly as you say! I- I did not mean to imply that you could not handle it! I know full well that you can! I- I just... I wanted to-"

"Help," the headmaster interrupts, smirking gently. "Yes, I know. And I am not upset with you. Quite the opposite! Your work here for this festival has been most impressive, and I know you have made quite the good impression on several of our former and current students. It is this quality in you exactly that impressed me most when reviewing your file. Your work ethic is highly enviable, I assure you. I have full confidence that you, out of all our students, will go the furthest."

The headmaster pauses, and smiles at Taka gently, inclining his head slightly.

"But you are allowed to take time off and enjoy yourself from time to time, Ishimaru-san. I know that you... have not had the easiest childhood, but my daughter tells me that things have seemed easier for you, here. Recently, at least. I hope for you to be able to find balance between work and recreation. Anyone can work themselves so hard that they risk burning out, ignoring all social and personal matters for work. It takes someone quite exceptional to be able to adequately balance both work and leisure. It is something that I, regrettably, am still trying to learn how to balance myself. I know that— should you allow yourself— you will be able to figure such a thing out with no problem. Just know that leisure and rest is just as important to a working professional as hard work and effort, understood? There is no point in working hard if all it does is burn you out, in the end."

Headmaster Kirigiri looks down at his watch, then, and grimaces slightly before looking back up with a half-smile.

"Now, I believe I should be going, but I hope you think about what I've said, Ishimaru-san. Thank you again for all of your hard work and dedication. Enjoy the festival. I will see you later. Oh! But before I go, I wanted to tell you that I like your costume. It's very... different, but it suits you. It's good to see you trying out new things."

With that, the headmaster gives him a small incline of the head before striding away, taking out his phone to make some calls. Taka stares after him for a second, processing the words the headmaster had said. Well... of course he knows that downtime is, in fact, important! He has read many articles about business professionals who, quite literally, work themselves to death, after all! But... but he knows he would be able to handle it, knows he would never let himself get to such a harried state! He knows himself and— despite what people may think— he does know his own limits. Yes, he has sometimes pushed passed his limits to get a task done, but it's not nearly as often as people may think. He simply enjoys hard work and effort. Honestly!

But... but, Taka thinks, pulling out his phone (his phone, he thinks dazedly, a smile blooming on his face at the thought), perhaps the headmaster is right. Maybe he can allow himself to enjoy today, without worrying over the details and any possible problem that may crop up. He's put in more than enough work to ensure the festival can run smoothly without him, after all. Maybe he can let someone else take over without obsessing over everything that may go wrong...

Doing his best to not let the unease fill him, he sends off another electronic text message to Mondo, informing the biker that he is finished with his duties now.

To: Mondo Owada:

Kyoudai,

I have finished with my duties! I apologize greatly for my delay! If you still wish to meet, tell me your location and I will meet you there shortly! Use full words this time, please!

Sincerely,

Taka

Looking over his message once for errors, Taka sends it and bites his lip as he waits for the reply. He blinks in surprise when his phone buzzes a few moments later, Mondo's reply far faster than he had anticipated.

From: Mondo Owada: entrance hall. right by the door. ya asshole.

Taka smiles at the words, not minding the insult at all, knowing the biker means it affectionately more than anything. He begins to move towards the entrance hall, then, his mind picking up on the fact that Mondo is still at the location they had chosen to meet up at. Is he... he hasn't been waiting this entire time, has he? It's been almost half an hour! Oh dear...

Sending out a quick reply, Taka pushes the thought out of his mind. He can ask Mondo about it later.

To: Mondo Owada:

Kyoudai,

I will be right there!

Sincerely,

Taka

With that, Taka quickens his pace, darting around the milling students and staff.

Finally, only a handful of minutes later, the school's entrance comes into view, making his heart start to race. Smile growing on his face, Taka speeds up more, not quite running (he may not be inside, but he still is at a school event! The rules still apply!), but definitely taking speed walking to the max. It's worth it when— arriving at the open doors— he sees Mondo, the teen leaning casually against the wall, a look of mild restlessness on his face.

And when Taka's eyes take in the biker, his eyes trailing the other teen up and down...

Grk!

Okay... to be honest, the biker doesn't look that different from his normal look. The skinny jeans, however, are tighter on his legs than his usual loose, black pants, and the white t-shirt clings to his muscles in a way his usual wife beater doesn't. The jacket, too, is shorter, showing off more of his body than his long duster tends to allow. And his... his hair...

Taka's face flushes as he takes in Mondo's hair, the strands not up in their usual pompadour, like he would have expected. Instead, they are pulled up into an intricate hairstyle, similar to what Mondo usually wears when heading to bed, but also... different. More effortful.

The top part, which usually is in the pompadour, is put up in two intricate braids (he believes they may be called French braids?) that converge in the center and are tied together with a hair tie, bringing the hair away from his face. The rest of the hair, the darker part that he knows Mondo does not dye, does not lie limply like usual, but instead is teased (he believes such a thing is called) a little, giving it some volume, in addition to his natural curls. The look overall— with the braids mixed with the teased lower hair— looks very elegant and purposeful, looking less like a greaser and more like a person going on a fancy date or something. There is a slight shine to the entire look, hair gel or mousse or something clearly having been used to keep it all in place, but it doesn't look greasy, it just looks... purposeful, intentional. Elegant.

Beautiful...

Taka must let out an unintentional sound because Mondo looks up suddenly, his eyes sharp as he realizes he's not alone anymore. The teen instantly relaxes, though, when he sees that it's only Taka. A soft smile lights his face when he does, his eyes shining brightly, any hint of restlessness or tension gone as if they'd never been there at all. A-ah...

"Taka! There ya are! Shit man, I was startin' ta get impatient, heh. Leon went on ahead, but I wanted ta wait fer ya. Ya spent so long workin' on this shit that I wanted ta experience it with ya, ya know? Ya get everythin' all sorted?"

Mondo... Mondo had waited for him... because he wanted... to experience the festival together? Because of how hard Taka has worked on it?

Grk!

Pushing aside the rush of absolute affection he feels for the biker, Taka smiles brightly, nodding quick.

"Yes! There was unfortunately a delay with Sayaka's band, the bus containing her bandmates getting a flat tire while fifteen minutes out! Since she was the first of our scheduled entertainment, I had to quickly figure out a replacement show, while also calming the hysterical girl down, all within fifteen minutes! I then had to ensure that the replacement act ran smoothly, since I did, honestly, put them on the spot and it was only fair I do all I could to assist! And then I had another problem arise, which I had to go take care of! Eventually, Headmaster Kirigiri arrived and told me that, er... that he could handle the rest and that I should enjoy the festival with my friends. So, I will!"

Finished with his explanation, he looks at Mondo, waiting for his reply. He frowns when he sees Mondo looking at him strangely, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips tugged down in a sort of... well, grimace. How peculiar... what had he said that caused such a reaction in the other teen? He doesn't get a chance to ask, though, before Mondo speaks, his voice tight for reasons Taka absolutely cannot fathom.

"Sayaka? Since when are ya on a first name basis with that chick?"

Taka blinks, head tilted in confusion. That... that was what Mondo had focused on? Hm... strange...

"Oh! Er... well, since today! After I helped her sort out the problem with her band, she hugged me and told me that this makes us friends! She then requested that I call her by her first name! Is that... do you have a problem with this?"

Taka wouldn't have asked the last question, but something about the way Mondo is decidedly not looking at him, the biker almost glaring at the wall, makes him feel a bit nervous. Mondo... Mondo doesn't mind him making new friends, does he? The teen has been very supportive of his budding friendship with Hina (and Sakura, the martial artist often hanging around Hina, making him spend time with the both of them, not that he minds), so he doesn't see why Mondo would. But... but the way the biker is acting...

"Huh? The fuck would I have a problem fer? So, ya two gettin' close? Heh, lucky son ofa bitch. Most guys would kill ta be in yer shoes. Havin' the 'Ultimate Pop Sensation' hangin' off 'em... definitely a wet dream, fer sure."

Mondo's crude words make him flush horribly, for a number of reasons. Pushing aside the thought of his own, er... nocturnal emission (and the clear fact that the subject of said emission was certainly not the Ultimate Pop Sensation), Taka frowns, putting his hands on his hips indignantly.

"You should not speak of her in such a way! It is highly disrespectful! Sayaka-kun is our classmate, not to mention my friend! I would not be crude enough to think of her in such a deplorable way!"

Mondo finally looks at him at that, and the look on his face... Taka can't really describe it, he just knows that it makes him sweat. I-it's the truth! He's not... not lying...

"Yeah, but ya can still see that she's fuckin' hot, right? Ya can't tell me ya felt nothin' havin' her pressed up tight ta ya... right?"

Ah!

Oh no!

Taka does his best to not let the panic show on his face, though he can't stop the way his heart pounds, his mind racing with thoughts and fears. Mondo... Mondo can't... he can't possibly think... he thought they'd settled this after the whole thing with Hina! Why... why is Mondo...

"O-of course I do! I- I- er. Well, clearly, I can see that Sayaka-kun is a very lovely and, er... attractive young woman! But, like I told you with Hina, I will not think of her in such a way! To obtain physical gratification from the thought of another person is... is... deplorable! And immoral! Particularly from someone who is a friend!"

(Yes, Taka. And that is why you keep thinking of Mondo like you do...

Grk!)

Hopefully, he thinks almost hysterically, that settles that! The last time he'd said that Mondo had brushed it off and let the matter go.

This time, though... the way Mondo is still looking at him... head tilted and frown still in place...

"Yeah, but ya said that 'bout havin' 'sexual intercourse' last time. This is different. Ain't bad ta think 'bout someone. 'S natural. Ya can't tell me ya never... ya know. Rub one out? So, if ya don't think 'bout women... what do ya think 'bout?"

Gah!

Well! To be honest, Taka wouldn't have realized what the biker was talking about— the turn of phrase Mondo used not one he's familiar with— if he'd not made a quite frankly offensive hand motion with the words that even Taka could parse. Mondo... is Mondo seriously asking him about... about his... his masturbation techniques?! How-! How utterly mortifying!

Especially because... because this line of questioning is getting... getting uncomfortably close to... to... to the... t-to the...

(The truth).

Face red and his back painfully stiff, Taka turns to face the wall, his face expressionless and tight, the discomfort radiating off of him in waves. In a low, hissing tone, Taka offers his curt reply.

"I fail to see how that is any business of yours! S-such information is- is private a-and it is honestly rude to ask such a thing! E-especially in public! B-but..." Taka realizes he is shaking, so he forces himself to take a deep breath and clenches his fists tight to try and quell it. To, sadly, no avail... "But... to answer you, I... I do not... I-it is improper, and I... I cannot..."

While that is true, he must admit privately that it's… not the entire truth. The whole truth is that he's just... never felt the urge. Not towards any of the female individuals he has met or seen, at least.

And... and as for the male ones...

"Shit. Yer seriously tellin' me ya never... ya know. Not even once?"

Taka closes his eyes, mortification flooding him. And, after a minute... he nods. Just once, sharp, but he knows Mondo sees it when he hears a sharp inhale of breath, a low 'well, shit' being released.

And it is the truth. He's never... not about women. And... and with men...

(He refuses to allow himself to think about such things. He... he just can't. He can't.)

"Well, fuck, man. No wonder yer always so tightly wound. If I didn't, uh... ya know, every so often I'd prolly explode or somethin'. You, uh... you really take yer whole 'Moral Compass' thing seriously, don't you?"

Taka can feel frustrated tears well up behind his eyes, but he fights them back. He can't stop the way his lips wobble, though. He just... just feels so... so pathetic and stupid and wrong, wrong, wrong-

'There's something wrong with you, you disgusting freak!'

... yeah. Yeah, he knows...

"Fuck, shit... Taka, I didn't... goddamnit," he hears Mondo mutter, before he hears the sound of shuffling. And... and then...

Taka tries to jolt back when he feels arms wrap around him, but Mondo doesn't let him. The biker just tightens his arms, refusing to let him go.

"Listen, okay? I'm a fuckin' idiot. Shouldn't a' said that shit ta ya. Just took me by surprise, ya know? But I shoulda realized. Y'ain't like the other guys I know. You... you're different. Special. 'Swhat I admire 'bout you. I didn't mean ta make ya feel bad, though. If y'ain't one ta think a' people like that, ain't a problem. Yer just a fuckin' better person than the rest a' us jackasses. So, don't... don't feel bad 'bout it, or think that I think yer weird fer it, 'kay, Kiyo? 'Cuz y'ain't. Ain't a single goddamn thing wrong with ya. An' anyone who says there is? Can have a nice long chat with my fuckin' fists. Okay?"

Taka bites his lip as he nods his head, doing his best to be careful of the pompadour Mondo had spent so long styling for him this morning, letting himself enjoy the embrace (even if he knows he shouldn't). He pulls back carefully a few moments later to smile hesitantly at Mondo.

"T-thank you, kyoudai... it- it means a lot to me to hear you say that... however! I cannot condone the use of violence, even if it is to defend my honor!"

Hearing Mondo laugh at the 'joke' (well, kind of a joke) he'd made makes his heart swell, and just like that, the moment of tension is over as soon as it had begun. And as Taka pulls away from Mondo, still smiling softly, he feels a jolt of excitement rush through him. After all… now that they're done with that mortifying conversation, they can go and explore the festival!

Grinning now, Taka darts forward and grabs Mondo's wrist, his excitement too bright to worry about why, exactly, such a thing is a bad idea.

"Now, let's go, kyoudai! There are many things in the festival I wish to show you!"

Mondo gives him a startled look as Taka begins tugging at him, but he lets out a snort before a bead of laughter escapes his lips.

"Hell yeah, kyoudai! Lead the fuckin' way!"

As the pair exit the school and join the throng of students attending the festival, neither teen notices that Taka never did take his hand away, instead just leaving it there, loosely wrapped around Mondo's wrist.

(Or… if they do, neither says anything about it.)

~XoxoxoxoxoxoX~

"Oooh! Taka! I'm so glad I found you! How's the festival been going for you?"

Taka turns, a smile already forming on his face, just in time to catch the excitable girl who crashes into him. With a soft 'oof,' Taka steadies her, grinning down at the 5'3 swimmer (who he can see is dressed up as Tinkerbell), laughing softly at her enthusiasm.

"Hello Hina! It is good to see you! The festival is going very well, thank you very much! How is your date going?!"

He watches as Hina blushes, a bright smile blooming on her face as she bounces up and down.

"It's going amazing!" Hina squeals, her enthusiasm infectious. She buries her face in his chest, shaking with her excitement. "Sakura is absolutely amazing! She's so thoughtful and has been very sweet and she won me a teddy bear at the 'test your strength' booth! She's the greatest! I'm so happy, ahhh!"

The words are slightly muffled since they're spoken into his chest, but the swimmer is loud enough that he can make out what she is saying well enough. He laughs again, so happy for her his chest aches with it. But in a good way, for once!

"That is fantastic news! I'm so happy for you, Hina! You deserve all the happiness in the world!"

Hina giggles at his words, pulling back to look up at him with shining eyes, her smile so wide it has to hurt.

"Thank you! How about you, how has your day gone? Also, I love your costume! You look so cute!"

Taka blushes at her comment, feeling bashful at the compliment. A-ah... cute? That was definitely not the comment he's been getting from most of the people he has passed today! Most of them had said something along the lines of 'freakin' weird, but kinda cool, I guess,' like Kuwata had, when Mondo and he had finally met up with the former Ultimate Baseball Star, current Up-And-Coming Musician.

"A-ah! Thank you! You look very nice as well! You are... Tinkerbell, correct? Mondo has been teaching me about Disney!" Taka explains enthusiastically, remembering how offended the biker had been when Taka had explained he'd never seen anything by Disney before, though the biker denies being a fan. They've even managed to watch a couple of the movies, such as 'Up' and 'Oliver and Company.' Which were both very cute, he must confess! He particularly enjoyed the latter movie, to be perfectly honest...

"Yep! Sakura recommended it, she's going as Peter Pan! She was going to go as a martial arts movie character, but after she asked me out, I wanted us to match! And since I already had my costume, she said she didn't mind changing! She sooo thoughtful!" Hina squeals again, looking super 'pumped,' as the girl often calls it. Hina then pouts exaggeratedly, hitting him gently on the arm. "Now come on, silly! Tell me about your day! What have you and Mondo been getting up to?"

Taka blinks at her, realizing with a blush that he had forgotten to answer her question. Hm... well...

After he and Mondo had met up, they had spent several minutes wandering around the various booths, the mid-autumn day chilly, but not cold. They were lucky it wasn't raining or— worse— snowing, like Taka had feared! There had been a backup plan if such a thing had occurred, of course, but it was nice to not have to use it!

Enthusiasm still high, Taka had dragged Mondo around the festival, pointing out booths that he thought the biker would find particularly interesting. It was as they were passing a booth selling miniature replica motorcycles, cars, and other automobiles (which Taka certainly hadn't contacted simply because he had thought Mondo might enjoy the booth, not at all...), Mondo excitedly entering it and looking at their supply, that their hands finally parted and Taka had realized, with a jolt, that he'd been practically holding Mondo's hand that entire time!

He'd felt so embarrassed that he'd almost missed Mondo calling to him from inside the booth but had been able to snap himself out of it before he'd concerned the biker. He'd walked over to Mondo's side and taken a look at the figurine that had caught the teen's eye.

"Look at this, kyoudai! Ain't she a fuckin' beauty?" Mondo had muttered, gesturing to a shining replica of some kind of motorcycle, which Taka had supposed looked nice, but didn't look much different to him than the other motorcycle replicas around it. Knowing that saying such a thing would likely not be a good idea, he'd just smiled widely at Mondo, nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Yes, of course, kyoudai! She, er... is very beautiful! Very... er... motorcycle-y?"

He hadn't actually meant that as a joke, but thankfully Mondo took it as one, the biker snorting and grinning at him as he straightened and looked for the booth's vender. Locating the man, Mondo spent a few minutes talking enthusiastically to him about various motorcycle types, the words flying over Taka's head, though he did his best to follow along. At one point, it turned out the man actually knew Mondo, though he'd not recognized him in his costume at first, and it was revealed that the bike Mondo had been looking at was actually modeled after his own bike. Taka could tell the attention both embarrassed and greatly pleased the biker, though he'd done his best to hide it. He'd even been given a rally steep discount for the recognition, which Taka had thought was nice of the man to do!

Eventually, Mondo had finished his purchase, slapping the vender on the back and giving him a thumbs up. After that, he and Mondo left the booth, Mondo muttering a quiet apology for taking so long.

"You need not worry, kyoudai! I did not mind the wait at all! Besides! It is the least I could do after making you wait so long!"

Mondo had smiled at him, bumping his shoulder gently, before the pair lulled into a comfortable silence as they wandered the remaining booths. After a few minutes, Taka blinked when something was thrust before his face, his eyes going cross as he looked to see what it was. And when he finally did...

"Here. Uh... fer you," Mondo had muttered softly, his cheeks blushing a light pink. Taka's cheeks had flared red as well, the powder he had on doing nothing to disguise it, as he looked at the bag containing the replica motorcycle that Mondo was stiffly holding out.

"W-what?! But kyoudai, you bought that for yourself! D-do you mean you'd like me to hold it? B-because then I will gladly-!"

"No," Mondo interrupted, cheeks turning red, an angry scowl rising on his face. Uh oh, Taka had thought worriedly, he's starting to get upset... "I got it for you. Uh... 'snot like it's a big deal or nothin'... just some stupid trinket, shit..."

Taka's heart had practically beaten out of his chest at the muttered words, looking down at the bag with new eyes. Mondo... Mondo had bought the motorcycle replica for... for him? How... how kind!

But...

"A-are you sure, kyoudai? I- I know that it was not exactly inexpensive... a-and you've already spent enough on me for this festival... I- I would hate to inconvenience you more... kyoudai, I-"

"Would you shut the fuck up?" Mondo had growled then, glaring at him intensely. Taka did so immediately, his lip wobbling against his will, which Mondo (unfortunately) saw. Sighing, Mondo released the tension in his shoulders, smiling at Taka apologetically. "Shit, fuck man. Didn't mean ta yell. Just... it's a gift, alright? I wanted ta get it fer ya, so I did. Ain't like I got a lot ta spend the school's money on. 'S just a stupid little thing. Somethin'... somethin' fer ya ta remember me by. Or somethin', I dunno. I- I mean, if ya don't want it, fine, but-"

"N-no!" Taka interrupted, not wanting Mondo to think he was rejecting the kind gift. "I would love to have it! I just... I don't want to be a burden to you, kyoudai. That is all."

Mondo had looked at him, then, halting in the middle of the pathway, not caring that they were blocking part of the aisle. Taka stopped as well, a couple paces ahead, looking back at Mondo worriedly. And the look he found on the biker's face...

"Y'ain't ever gonna be a burden ta me, ya hear me, Taka? Not fuckin' ever. Yer prolly the best goddamn thing ta ever fuckin' happen ta me. So, when I get ya shit like this, little things that don't mean shit... it's not even close ta enough ta show ya how grateful I am ta have ya. Got it, ya nerd?"

Taka had stared at Mondo for several long moments, eyes wide and heart pounding, looking for any hint of a lie.

But he couldn't find one. Not at all.

"T-thank you... kyoudai, I... thank you. Then I happily accept the gift! I… I will find a way to repay you, one day. I promise, kyoudai."

Mondo had snorted at his words and continued walking, slinging his arm casually over Taka's shoulders, not noticing the bright flush that Taka got at the action.

"Whatever, nerd. Ain't gotta repay me shit, but if it makes ya feel better, then fine. Don't stress 'bout it, though. Now c'mon. Whatcha wanna do now?"

Tension successfully dissolved, the pair wandered for a bit, before Taka noticed that it was almost 11:00. Realizing he wanted to support Sayaka and her band, he suggested they go to the entertainment stage and go watch her performance. Mondo had wrinkled his nose at the idea— not exactly keen on watching a show meant for pre-teenage girls— but had eventually agreed.

However, as soon as they got there, they realized that the entire makeshift theater was completely full, even standing room overflowing. A lot of security guards (provided by Sayaka's band, not the ones Taka had contacted for the festival) were doing their best to get the people crowding the area outside the theater dispersed. Taka, feeling regretful he hadn't thought to plan for this, had been about to turn and leave, thinking he'd just apologize to Sayaka later, when one of the security guards walked up to them.

"Excuse me, are you Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mondo Owada?" the man had asked, looking at them critically. Blinking, Taka had nodded cautiously, making the security guard grunt. "Maizono-sama told us to keep on the lookout for people looking like you. Come with me, she's got some seats reserved for you two."

Sharing a confused look with Mondo, Taka had followed the security guard cautiously, and found out that Sayaka had apparently set aside some seats in the front row for their classmates to sit, if they decided to show. Not all of their classmates did, but quite a few had, such as Naegi, Fujisaki, Kuwata, Enoshima, Ikusaba, and, most surprisingly, Kirigiri. When he'd looked at the girl strangely, she'd merely shrugged and said that her father had recommended she go. Figuring it would be rude to question her, Taka had accepted it, smiling brightly at the girl.

(He didn't see the way she looked at Naegi, a small frown on her face, her cheeks slightly pink. Even if he had, he still wouldn't have questioned the girl. It's not his business, after all!)

Soon after that, the concert began, Sayaka flouncing on stage with her bandmates, looking extremely cheerful and bouncy. More so than usual, even. The songs were... not quite his taste, but he had enthusiastically clapped at the end of each one, smiling brightly at the girl whenever she looked their way.

After the concert ended, about forty-five minutes later, Taka had spent some time chatting with his classmates, Naegi and Fujisaki smiling at him as they complimented his costume. They were dressed as a skeleton and a famous female programmer he didn't recognize, respectively, and he'd returned the compliments gratefully, before entering into a pleasant conversation with them while Mondo spoke with Kuwata. Taka had wanted to meet up with Sayaka, to congratulate her on her energetic performance, but she had apparently had to do some business with her band and was busy. This had disappointed Taka a little, but he resolved to speak with her at a later time, then.

Following that, Kuwata began walking with them, the teen giving him strange looks for his outfit, but not saying anything cruel for fear of angering Mondo again (who had threatened to 'punch [his] fuckin' lights out!' if he made any more negative comments, after the first one).

It honestly wasn't as bad as Taka would have thought, but he had felt kind of left out as Kuwata and Mondo talked enthusiastically together about topics that he had no prior knowledge on and thus couldn't even hope to chime in on. Things like sports and movies and various automobiles...

It was right when he'd been starting to feel the sharp pain of being left out and forgotten that Mondo had put his arm around his shoulder, looking down at him casually as he brought up something about Disney, shifting the conversation to something Taka had actually been able to contribute to, if only a little. Kuwata had kept giving them strange looks from time to time, but he hadn't said anything, just shrugged and went along with the change.

After a while (and after a failed challenge for Mondo at one of the ball-throwing games, the biker scowling and cursing at Kuwata while the other teen cackled gleefully), Kuwata decided to split off from them, shoving Mondo as he said he'd see him later. Kuwata had then looked at him strangely for a long moment, before holding his fist out with a look of determination in his eyes.

Hesitantly, Taka had bumped his fist against the musician's lightly, knowing enough about his generation to know that such a thing was expected. Kuwata had laughed at him for it— which had made his stomach clench, thinking he'd done something wrong— before the teen punched him none too gently on the arm, smirking at Taka, but not unkindly.

"Y'ain't half bad, tightass. Can't say I particularly wanna be best buds with ya, but eh. S'pose I can kinda see what that idiot sees in you. See ya 'round, Taka."

With that, Kuwata had sauntered away, checking out some of the booths (and the women inside said booths) as he left. Taka wasn't sure how he felt about the other teen, but he supposed it hadn't been too awful of a time. Plus, it made Mondo grin at him, the biker happy that his two best friends at the school were getting along. Decently, at least.

After that, Mondo's stomach had started to growl, the biker snorting as he said it might be a good idea to grab some lunch, then. Taka had agreed, and the pair had begun walking to where the majority of the food booths were set up, chatting as they went.

And that had led them here, to this moment. Taka talking to Hina while Mondo is off getting the two of them some lunch (which he had insisted on paying for, glaring when Taka tried to weasel his way out of it, Taka trying to say that he could just get a late lunch from the cafeteria later. 'Ain't gonna fuckin' make ya wait ta eat, dumbass. Let me buy ya some fuckin' food, Jesus.' Taka had flushed bright red at the words, but hadn't continued to argue, knowing how futile it would be. Instead, he just said he'd find a way to repay Mondo... somehow. Someday. Mondo had rolled his eyes, bumped his shoulder, and said he didn't have to, but whatever. Taka was starting to realize that this might be a common occurrence between them...)

Taka smiles down at Hina as he finishes telling her a condensed version of the events, blushing when the girl squeals at the end.

"Aww! It sounds like you two are having a wonderful time! Yay!" Hina gasps, looking up at him with wide eyes. "You should come with me, though! Sakura is finding us a table while I was supposed to go and get some food... oops... but! We can all eat together! It'll be great! Yay!"

Taka looks at the girl, his heart speeding up as her words sink in. A-ah... join them... on their... date...

Unbidden, Hina's clearly wrong assumption from the previous week enters his head, remembering how she had asked if he wanted to go with her and Sakura on a... a double date...

Blushing and feeling distinctly uncomfortable, Taka looks at the girl cautiously, weighing his next words in his mind.

"Hina... I appreciate your offer! Truly! But... b-but you do know that Mondo and I- that is to say, we are not- um... we're not..."

"... on a date?" Hina guesses, head tilted to the side. Biting his lip, cheeks still bright, Taka nods curtly. Hina continues to look at him, a sad look entering her eyes, before she smiles brightly, shrugging carelessly. "Yeah, I know that silly! We can still eat lunch together! Sakura won't mind. You don't have to, but... well, I thought it would be nice! Sakura and I did miss the concert and all, so we couldn't hang with you then... and I still feel really bad about that..."

Taka bites his lip gently again, before sighing and nodding his head wearily.

"I... ah. Very well then, Hina! We shall sit with you! If Mondo doesn't mind, of course!"

Hina smiles brightly at him, nodding happily. Taka takes out his new phone and sends off a message to Mondo, asking the biker's opinion. Mondo messages back a moment later, saying 'k. wtvr.' Taka rolls his eyes at the reply, but he thinks he can kind of... maybe? Understand what the other teen means.

Following Hina— who is busy texting Sakura with the update— he tries to not let the unease that is creeping in overtake him. He still is holding the bag Mondo had given him, the replica motorcycle sitting innocently inside it— as well as a small stuffed cat that the biker had won during his contest with Kuwata that he gave to him casually— and has to tell himself firmly that this is not a date. Mondo is just a kind, caring person. That is all.

It takes them a minute, but they eventually find where Sakura is sitting, the martial artist waving a hand to get their attention, dressed in a tight green outfit with a green hat on top. The girl does not really look that much like Peter Pan, but it's close enough, he supposes, to be recognizable. Especially when next to Hina's Tinkerbell costume. The table she is sitting at is on the smaller side, a two-sided picnic table, but it seems like it might be big enough for the four of them... if they squeeze...

"Hey Hina. Taka. It's good to see you," Sakura states, a slight smile on her face. Taka smiles back, nodding as he takes a seat across from her. Hina bounds over and kisses Sakura sweetly on the cheek.

"Sorry for not getting the food! I ran into Taka and we just started talking, ya know? I'll go and get it now! An ahi tuna platter with extra protein, right?" Hina confirms, kissing Sakura's cheek again when the martial artist nods once. "Great! I'll see you guys in a mo'! Bye! Have fun!"

With that, the girl bounces away, leaving Taka and Sakura alone together.

The silence that surrounds the pair is not... awkward, per se, but it's not exactly comfortable, either. Taka gets along fairly well with the larger girl, for the most part, but he tends to feel a bit uncomfortable when it is just the two of them alone. Not even mentioning his highly embarrassing blunder at the beginning of the year, there's something about the girl's reserved nature that just... is kind of off putting to him, he supposes. Not that there anything wrong with it! Just... it's like, whenever she looks at him, she's looking inside him, judging him, seeing all of his flaws and weaknesses. It's not that he thinks she'll mock him for it, or even judge him negatively for it, no! It just... it makes him feel like he's on display. And he hates that feeling. He always has.

And when she turns to look at him after a few minutes pass, her pale blue eyes intense on him, he can't help the way he squirms around her calculating stare.

"Hina tells me you're here with Mondo today. How is that going for you?" she asks at last, breaking the silence. Taka blinks, frowning at her as he tries to keep from squirming again. What, exactly, had Hina told the girl...? He knows that Hina promised to not tell Sakura anything that had spoken about, but... how can he be sure...

"Er... yes! We are! We have been wandering the booths together, as friends," he replies after a moment, unintentionally putting unneeded emphasis on the last two words. Judging by the mysterious look Sakura gives him, it seems she'd noticed... "A-and it is going very well! He is... is getting us some food right now! He is very thoughtful!"

A-ah... perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say... now Sakura is frowning at him, her eyes piercing, and Taka... Taka feels...

"That sounds very nice of him. You are lucky to have such a close friend as he. Not many have such a treasure. You should feel grateful," Sakura says plainly after a moment, inclining her head to him. Taka flushes again.

"A-ah! Yes! I am, very grateful! H-he's my kyoudai, after all! And he... he was my first friend, so of course I am grateful to have him!"

Sakura is staring again, and Taka can feel himself starting to sweat... heh, and to think he'd thought it was cold a few minutes ago... aha...

"I am glad to hear that. But he is not your only friend, anymore. I consider us friends, Taka, and I know Hina does too. So does Makoto and Chihiro. You are not alone here. I hope you know that."

A-ah... her words...

Swallowing down the lump that rises in his throat, he gives the girl a shaky smile. He's about to reply, to thank her for her words, but gets distracted when he feels someone slide onto the bench next to him, the seat so small that they end up pressed tightly together, from hip to shoulder, and Taka...

"Shit, place is fuckin' crowded, bro. Didn't even realize we had this many fuckin' people who went ta this school, the fuck? Anyway, got ya some beef bento box that looked pretty good. 'S pretty hot, though, might wanna let it cool down a bit first. Hey, Sakura. How's it goin'?"

Mondo looks across the table at the martial artist, grinning widely. Sakura stares evenly back, inclining her head in greeting.

"Hello, Mondo. I am doing well. Taka was just telling me how you two have been wandering the festival together as friends. It sounds like you two have been having fun."

Taka can't help how he flushes, though he isn't entirely sure why. The girl hadn't said anything untruthful, after all, so why is he... he...

"Heh, hell yeah! Festival fuckin' rules! I usu'ly hate shit like this, the booths lame as fuck, but I gotta say, this shit is tight! Taka did a great job with it, huh?" Mondo exclaims, before wrapping his arm around Taka, grinning down at him, eyes sparkling. And Taka... Taka...

Grk!

"Hm. I agree with you there. This festival is highly entertaining, Taka. Hina and I have been having a wonderful time together. Thank you for the effort you put into it. It is greatly appreciated."

Taka flushes yet again at the praise, looking down at the bento box Mondo had placed before him, grabbing his chopsticks, and poking at it to give him something to do with his hands. Mondo's arm is still around him and his insides are squirming furiously.

"Ah, thank you, Sakura! A-and thank you, for what you said earlier! Your words... they mean quite a lot to me!"

He looks up at Sakura hesitantly, smiling when he sees the small smile that she is giving him. He can feel Mondo stiffen, the biker opening his mouth to say something, but he is interrupted when Hina comes bounding back, holding a tray with two boxes on it. As she places it carelessly on the table, she takes a seat, kissing Sakura's cheek gently.

"Hi guys! I'm back! Man, those lines sure are long, huh? Thanks for letting me cut with you, Mondo! I'd probably still be there if you didn't, jeez! So, what are you guys talking about?"

Sakura catches Hina up to speed as Taka frowns at the girl. Mondo had let her... cut?! How immoral! He'll have to talk to Mondo about the importance of honesty and respecting the rules later... again...

(Unbeknownst to him, Mondo has stiffened beside him, Taka too absorbed in his thoughts to notice. Nor does he notice the way Mondo is watching Sakura and Hina, eyes narrowing more and more with the minutes that pass).

Together, the quartet eat their lunch, Hina and Sakura talking about some sports thing they're interested in, Mondo chiming in every so often with his own opinion. It's in a lull in the conversation that Mondo speaks, his voice loud and clear, causing everyone at the table to look at him curiously.

"Yo, Hina. Got a question fer ya," Mondo states, eyes intent on the smaller girl. With a frown, Hina looks up at him, before smiling politely.

"Sure Mondo, what's up?"

"Last week. Ya said ya had a date today, yeah? So, uh... where's the lucky fella? Or did yer plans change?"

The entire table freezes at his words, even Taka stiff as he looks at the two women across from him in shock. He... he hadn't realized that Mondo... oh... oh dear...

Hina recovers first, shooting an anxious look at Sakura, before looking back at the biker.

"U-um... what exactly do you mean, Mondo? I am on my date..."

Taka can feel Mondo stiffening against him, the arm that is still, for some reason, around his shoulders tightening slightly. Oh dear...

"... what?"

Taka bites his lip at the flat tone, not needing to see Mondo's face to imagine the blank look he'll find there. Oh, this is not going to go well...

"U-um... Mondo, I... I mean..." Hina starts, sounding very awkward, before she gets interrupted.

"Hina and I are on a date together, Owada-san," Sakura's steady voice cuts in, slightly louder than usual as she stares intently at the biker, who has gone even more stiff against him. "I asked her out last week, and she thankfully said yes. Do you have a problem with that, Owada-san?"

It seems like the entire world holds its breath at Sakura's words, Hina glancing anxiously between the three of them while Sakura just stares at Mondo steadily, not breaking eye contact for a second. Taka is biting his lip nervously, hoping that things don't go south. He'd known that Mondo wasn't exactly... welcoming to the idea of other sexualities, but he had thought that... he hadn't realized that...

And Mondo... Mondo is just sitting, ramrod straight, staring blankly ahead of him, body so tense that Taka is almost concerned for the biker. He doesn't say a word for several long, long minutes. And when he finally does open his mouth...

"... Nah. Uh... good fer ya two, I guess," Mondo mumbles, before taking his chopsticks and stabbing it into his meal, some kind of seafood dish.

The tension at the table doesn't fade, the silence continuing for several seconds more. Eventually, Hina lets out a high-pitched giggle, too forceful to be natural, and strikes up a conversation with Sakura about their workout regimen, though the words they share sound somewhat awkward and stilted, even to Taka's ears. Taka stays where he is, frozen, his eyes glued to his half-eaten meal, his stomach churning far too much for him to have any hope of eating. And Mondo... Mondo...

Mondo removes his arm from Taka's shoulders quickly, his body still tense as he shovels his food into his mouth, not looking at anyone as he does so.

This continues for several more minutes, until...

"'M done. We should get goin'. If y'ain't gonna finish that, I got a lid. We'll see ya guys later."

The words are flat and cold, Mondo's posture stiff as he quickly stands, slamming a lid for his food container down in front of Taka before heading for the trash can. And Taka... Taka...

"I- I'm sorry... I... I hadn't realized that he..." Taka mutters, still looking down into his bowl, taking deep breaths to calm the roiling emotions inside of him. He can feel eyes on him, and he hates it. He... he hates it…

"... Taka... are you okay?" he hears Hina ask him hesitantly, causing him to stiffen. Is he okay? W-why wouldn't he- they were the ones who- h-he... he- why wouldn't he...

(Maybe if he deflects enough, it will stop the fierce aching that is radiating through his chest?)

"I'm fine." Taka says a moment later, his voice completely devoid of any and all emotion. He looks up, face blank, and nods jerkily at Hina and Sakura. "Thank you for inviting us to eat with you. I hope the rest of your day goes well."

Taka stares blankly between Hina and Sakura. He can still see the two girls glance at one another, concern clear in their eyes. Funny. Why would they be concerned for him? He's fine. He's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fi-

"Taka... are you sure you're okay? I- I mean... Mondo-"

"Taka! What the fuck is taking you so fucking long?!" he hears a voice cut through the din, causing every conversation around them to halt as they look over at the cause of the commotion. Taka stiffens further, before jolting into action, his hands shaking as he picks up the lid Mondo had slammed to the table, putting it quickly on his half-eaten meal, before stuffing the container into the bag with the motorcycle and the stuffed cat. It's a shame, it had tasted quite delicious too...

"T-thank you again. Do not w-worry about me. I am fine. Have a wonderful afternoon."

With that, he stands hastily, not waiting for the girls to say goodbye before he rushes over to where he can see Mondo standing, the biker's entire body a stiff line. People are still staring at him, whispers breaking out as Taka shakily steps beside Mondo, which just makes the biker even angrier, his eyes glaring at anyone who dares look at them. Mondo storms off without a single look at Taka, a metaphorical storm cloud following the biker. And Taka... Taka does what he always does.

He follows Mondo.

The pair walks in silence for several minutes, Mondo not even looking at the booths as he storms through the festival, his anger so obvious that everyone is giving them a solid three-foot breadth, no one foolish enough to try and interact with the clearly pissed off biker gang leader. Taka just follows, like a silent ghost, his skin pale, not caring about the tightness of his pants for the first time that day. In fact, he doesn't care much about anything at the moment, to be honest...

Finally, however, as the minutes stretch on, Taka starts to come out of his shock at Mondo's uncharacteristic (to him, at least) behavior. And a feeling of... of something begins to rise in his chest. Something hurt, and aching, and angry, and... and... and righteous.

"Mondo-" Taka finally manages to say, his heart racing, only to be cut off by the biker abruptly turning and snarling at him.

"Shut the fuck up!" Mondo growls, his eyes darker and angrier than Taka has ever seen them. And Taka... Taka, he...

He gets fudging pissed off!

Setting his jaw, Taka grabs Mondo by the arm and begins to drag him away from where they are currently standing, knowing that they are going to need privacy for the conversation they are about to have. Particularly with how angry Mondo looks, and how angry he is starting to realize that he, himself, is. To his surprise, Mondo follows easily, the biker not resisting at all, though he's still glowering and stomping like a furious child.

Finally, the pair is in a fairly isolated location, away from the festival enough that no one should hear them. As long as they don't start yelling, at least...

"What, in God's name, has gotten into you?! You don't actually have a problem with Sakura and Hina, do you?!" Taka bites out, his voice shaking only a little as he glares at Mondo, his heart clenching as he sees the biker scowl, eyes dark as he jerks his head.

"Fuck, I already said I didn't, didn't I?! What the fuck is your fucking problem?!" Mondo shoots back, his voice loud and angry. So much for them not yelling...

Taka bares his teeth, standing straight as he looks Mondo directly in the eye, pointing an angry finger in Mondo's chest— not caring how rude the gesture is— the biker snarling at the action but not hitting him away.

"Then what the heck is your problem?! This isn't like you! Mondo, y-you... tell me you aren't-"

"Aren't what?! What the fuck do ya think I fucking am, huh?!"

Taka stares at Mondo for a moment, everything in him aching and bleeding and raw. But he can't back down from this. He's kept quiet on far too many things for far too long. He can excuse things people say and do to him, he always has. He and his feelings are not important. They never have been.

But when people direct those things to other people... especially when those other people are his friends...

Lifting his chin high, Taka puts his hands on his hips, his face a cool mask of righteousness.

(At least... he hopes it is...)

"Mondo Owada... are you homophobic?!"

The word hangs in the air between them as Mondo stares at him, Taka's chest tight and angry and in pain, waiting, waiting, waiting, needing to hear, needing to find out, needing to know-

"And what if I fucking am?! What does it fucking matter?! You ain't fucking gay, are you?!"

Taka can't help the gasp he lets out at the angry words, feeling like his entire world has just shattered apart. He closes his eyes as his lips begin to wobble, but he firmly presses his mouth closed, refusing to show any sign of weakness. Not here. Not... not to the likes of Mondo Owada.

As the words reverberate through his head, his heart shattering so thoroughly he can't breathe through it, he tries to find the words he knows he needs to say. He... he...

(For one brief, solitary minute, he thinks about telling the truth. The whole truth. The truth he hides even from himself. He thinks about shouting it, consequences be damned, his heart already so broken that he can't see how it could get any worse, but... but he... he can't, he... he can't, he's not... not strong enough. He's too... he's too weak…)

When he opens his eyes, he wants to look angry. To look righteous, look powerful and in control. But when he looks at Mondo, the biker looking so angry it hurts him inside to see... he feels himself deflate. And all he feels is cold numbness, as he begins his speech.

"What I am and am not does not matter. A person does not have to be gay to see the inherent value in another human being. I do not care if someone is straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, or any other sexuality in between or outside. I believe they all deserve equal rights and should be treated fairly, regardless of who they love or are attracted to. B-but..." Taka pauses here, before looking at the ground, suddenly unable to look at Mondo, can't stand to see the anger and the rage. He... he just... "But the one thing I do mind? The one thing that I absolutely cannot abide? Is someone who does not view things the same way. Who… who is cruel to others for reasons they cannot help. As such, I- I... I cannot abide by someone who is homophobic. I- Mondo... O-Owada-kun... i-if you are... if you are homophobic, then... then I..."

"Taka... w-what the fuck are you saying? You... kyoudai, you can't..."

"Don't," Taka interrupts, eyes blazing as he looks up at Mon- Owada, his heart clenching at the look he finds there. Instead of the angry, closed off mask he expected, he sees... he sees... confusion. Panic. The cold sense of realization overcoming him. And Taka... Taka wants to stop, wants to take it back, take it all back, but... but he... h-he can't... "Don't call me that. I could never be kyoudai with someone who is homophobic."

It hurts him surprisingly a lot to say that, and he wants to take it back immediately. Especially when he sees the look of hurt and... and absolute heartbreak that rises on Mon- Owada's face, the confusion giving way to understanding. He wants to... wants to do anything to take that look away, to say 'I didn't mean it, we will always be kyoudai, Mondo... nothing will change that, nothing,' but he can't. He... he's the Ultimate Moral Compass. What... what kind of moral compass would he be if he... if he goes back on his morals for such a selfish, immoral reason? He supports gay and lesbian people. He always has, more so ever since he learned that such a thing was not accepted by the majority. How can he say that he does, but then turn a blind eye to his best friend, his kyoudai being... b-being... and he hopes it's wrong, hopes that M- O-Owada is just- just lying, but the more time that passes... the more time that- that passes...

"Y-you can't mean- kyo- T-Taka... Kiyo, you... t-this... this really means so much to you? You'd be willing... willing to..."

Taka blinks at the words, the tears that have been steadily wanting to come to his eyes rising harshly at the shaking, almost terrified words, but he doesn't let them fall. He doesn't let them fall, he refuses to show weakness, he-

He-

"Yes."

The word hangs in the air between them, as Owada stumbles back, looking at the ground, his eyebrows furrowed, his hands clenching and unclenching. And Taka... Taka, he... he has to...

Has to explain, he... he has to.

"Mo- O-Owada-kun... I... I want to become Prime Minister one day. I have plans— many plans— for what I will do should I- should I achieve my goals. And one of those plans include assuring that members of the- the LGBTQIA+ community... assuring that they are seen as equally as anyone else by the government. And by the people if I can. I- I... I saw... as a child, I saw many people get bullied and abused because of who they were. Who they... who they loved. And I never understood it. Understood what was wrong with people who- who happened to be attracted to people the same gender as themselves. And I can't say that I am the most knowledgeable about p-people like that... but I have done research. And I know that I want to help people like that. How... M-Mon... Mondo... tell me, how can I say that, but be friends with someone... someone who... who is..."

"I'm not."

Taka looks up so quickly at the quiet words that his neck actually hurts, but he doesn't care. He's staring at M- Owa- M-Mondo (?), and he can feel... feel hope rising in his chest and he... he's afraid, he's so afraid, because what if he's just saying that? What if he... he's just saying what he thinks Taka wants to hear? What if he... what if...

He... he does look awfully sincere, though, a voice whispers in his ear, his eyes taking in Mon- Mondo's face, the biker looking utterly miserable, but not... not deceitful. For a biker gang leader, Mondo is surprisingly bad at lying. About things that matter, at least. He'd learned that fairly early on in the year, honestly, even before they became friends.

Does... does that mean...

"Shit. Fuck. God fucking dammit!" Mondo cries suddenly, his hands going into his hair, his eyes slamming shut as he takes several deep, even breaths. Taka just watches and waits— heart in his throat— for Mondo to collect himself.

Almost a minute later, Mondo opens his eyes again, a look of... of sadness, and heartbreak, and resignation in them as he smiles sadly at Taka. And Taka... Taka...

"I don't know why I... why I said I was. I ain't. I... I ain't. I know I'm a fuckin' piece a' shit, but I ain't that big of an asshole. In fact, I've beaten the shit outta people who are, ya know? People who hate on others fer things they can't control. My... my second in command, Michi, he, uh... he's queer, an' I don't think any less a' him fer it. An'... an' I can't say I'm completely comfortable 'round people who are, ya know... gay... but that don't mean I'm gonna tell 'em they ain't got any right ta exist or shit. Or hurl abuse at 'em, shit. My fuckin' fucked up shit don't mean shit ta anyone else." Mondo pauses here, looking down at his hands, shaking his head slightly. "So, I don't... I don't know why I got so angry. Seein'... seein' Ogami a-and Asahina together... I don't know. I just... wasn't expectin' it. Ya know? An' I know that's a shit fuckin' excuse, but... I just..."

Mondo pauses again, before looking up at Taka, with a look of... of desperation in his eyes, and Taka... Taka, he...

"They reminded me of us, ya know? Two people, so close. Ain't related, ain't datin', but... still- still close. An' I- I just... seein' 'em, together... an' I didn't fuckin' see it comin', shit, prolly everyone saw it, but I didn't an' I just... Taka, shit, I can't... I can't-"

Mondo growls softly, tearing his eyes away and running his hand through his hair angrily. There's anger in his eyes again, but it... it's not directed at Taka, Taka knows that, he knows it. Instead, it… it's…

It's directed at himself...

"An' I fuckin' understand if ya can't forgive me for this. I understand... I know you can't go against your morals and I wouldn't ask you ta do that, I wouldn't ever... 'specially since I know this ain't the first fuckin' time I did shit like this, f-fuck... but... K-Kiy... I-Ishimaru-s-san... fuck. I- I can't promise I won't do shit like this again. I just... I just get so angry sometimes and I- I can't control it, it burns inside me, and I can't make it stop, and I say shit I don't fucking mean, and it... it fucking terrifies me sometimes, I don't wanna fucking be saying shit like that, but I can't... I can't... s-so I can't promise I won't be a fucking goddamn asshole like this again. I want to, but... shit. Just please... please fucking believe me when I say I ain't fucking homophobic. I'm not. I'm not. At least... I don't wanna be."

The last words are spoken softly, Mondo breathing heavily, his eyes on the ground as he shakes, his shoulders shuddering with his breaths. And Taka... Taka...

"I don't know. If I can forgive you."

The words hang in the air, and when he sees Mondo look at him, a look of such intense anguish on his face, he hurries to explain.

"B-because it is not me you hurt!" (liar...) "Your actions, to Hina and Sakura... i-if... if you want me to forgive you, to forgive what you said... you have to apologize to them. An honest apology. And... and if they accept... then I will forgive you, M-Mondo... but... but you have to..."

"I will," Mondo breathes, his eyes wide as he looks at Taka, taking a half step towards him before he realizes what he'd done and jolts back, uncertainty on his face. "I- I will, I fucking- I promise. Shit, was prolly gonna anyway, I was a fucking asshole, I know... actu'ly, shit, no, that's a lie, I fuckin' suck at apologizin' an' shit... b-but I will this time! T-Taka, I swear I will, I promise. A man's promise, I'm not- I'm not gonna break this, I promise, Taka, I- I promise, Kiyo-"

Mondo gasps, his eyes closing, and Taka watches as something akin to horror fills his heart, because Mondo... Mondo is...

Crying...

The ice that had filled his veins earlier melts entirely and Taka feels like himself again as he rushes forward, like a puppet on a string. He halts, motion jerking, as he stands in front of Mondo, suddenly uncertain of what he should do, but... but when Mondo looks up, water clinging to his eyelashes, misery drowning him...

"T-Taka..." Mondo mutters, before turning his face away, eyes closing again, fists clenching, body shaking.

The action spurring something within Taka, he lifts his hand and— before he can talk himself out of it— gently touches Mondo's cheek. The touch is feather light and tentative, but when he hears Mondo let out a shuddery sob, his eyes opening again and looking at him... he... he feels himself slide his hand up, along Mondo's sharp jawline until the biker's cheek is fully cupped in Taka's palm, the biker letting out a shuddery breath as he turns into it, desperate and needy, and Taka... Taka...

"Taka... I... fuck. I'm so fuckin' sorry, I- I... f-fuck..."

Taka feels his heart— somehow— break a little bit more. And so, he doesn't even try to stop himself as he pulls Mondo in, wrapping his arms tight around the biker, his heart aching as he feels the desperate way that Mondo clings to him, his face burying itself into his neck as warm liquid begins to gather in the hollow of his thin neck. He can feel every shudder Mondo gives, can feel every breath as it puffs against his neck and he... he can't...

"I'm so fucking sorry... I- I don't know why the fuck I'm crying, shit... I don't... I just… I can't lose you, T-Taka. I can't... y-you don't know what the fuck you mean to me, I can't bear the thought of losing you... T-Taka..." Mondo mutters against his pulse, his back shuddering as he breathes, his hands shaking as they clutch the leather jacket Taka is wearing. And when he hears Mondo's next words...

"Please... please don't hate me..."

Taka almost wants to laugh. Or cry. Or both, at the same time. To hear his own desperate plea on Mondo's tongue...

He closes his eyes as everything swirls within him and— when he opens them again— he feels as it all settles. And as he pulls Mondo back, just a little, a small smile on his face that grows wider the longer he looks at Mondo, his eyes roving over every inch of a face he's come to know so intimately that he could perfectly recall it with his eyes closed... he knows what he wants to say. Knows what he has to say, and it makes him laugh, and it makes him cry, and it's good. It... it's good.

"I could never hate you, Mondo. You... there is nothing you can do to ever make me hate you. I... I may be disappointed, or hurt, or... or something like that. But hate? ... I can't hate you. K-kyoudai... I could never hate you, my dearest kyoudai."

He lets out a gasp as— after several moments of stunned silence— he feels Mondo rush forward, both of the teen's hands rising to grip his face, but not tight. Not painful. It's tender, and gentle, and reverent, and then Mondo is pressing his forehead to his, firm and present and there, and Taka... Taka...

(Taka has never felt more in love before. He… h-he…)

"Taka... Kiyo, I... thank you. Fuck, thank you... I will make this up ta you, I promise. I can't promise I won't do shit like this again, that I won't get- get angry an' say shit I don't fuckin' mean an' shit like that, but... b-but I promise I will try my best not ta. Or ta... ta tell you, or leave the room, or somethin' if I- if I feel like this again, I can promise that. That I will try. I- I'm sorry I can't promise more than that, shit, Kiyo..."

"I-it's okay, Mondo... kyoudai, it's okay... all you can do is your best. I won't ask any more than that from you. Your best is enough. It's more than enough. I believe in you. I... I believe in you, kyoudai... you are not a bad person. I know that you are not. And I will help you. When you… should you feel like this again. I will always... always help you..."

He gasps again when he feels Mondo press tighter to him, his body pressed fully to Taka's, every last inch of one another touching. Mondo's hands are touching his cheeks, and his thumbs are rubbing careful circles under his eyes over and over, and his forehead is pressed to his, and all Taka can see are Mondo's lavender eyes, tears still making them shine like silver, and he… he can…. he can feel as Mondo leans forward. It's subtle, it's not obvious at all, but he can feel the way that Mondo's breath gets shakier, can feel the ghost of a touch on his lips, can feel rough warmth brush against his lips with every exhale, and Taka... Taka...

Taka smiles.

And he pulls back.

"We... we should go back to the festival, kyoudai. Unless... unless you want to head inside? I understand if you do... but we've not seen the haunted house yet, and I know you wanted to see that. S-so... do you... want to go?"

Mondo stares at him, a dazed and confused look on his face, before the biker blinks, shaking his head subtly. And then... then the biker smirks, and he looks like himself again, and Taka...

Taka is glad.

(Mondo was upset. He... he was upset, is upset. He isn't in his right mind. If he was... if he were... he'd have never wanted that. Taka knows that. He knows that.

It doesn't stop the bitter pang of regret that fills him as he thinks of what could have been. Had he just... not... pulled back...)

"Heh, I... shit, yeah. I... yeah. I should prolly head to the bathroom first, though. Uh... eyeliner prolly looks like shit, heh... fuck, I really just fuckin' cried like a fuckin' infant, didn't I? Shit, goddammit..."

Taka frowns and crosses his arms, a look of faux annoyance on his face. At least... he thinks it's faux...

"There is no shame in crying, kyoudai! It just proves that you are human! And your eyeliner looks fine, but we can head to the bathroom if you'd like! It might be a good idea for us both to freshen up!"

Mondo smiles at him, a little shaky but there. The biker nods and then turns to leave without another word. Taka does the same, walking over to pick up the bag he must have dropped at some point, and turns to follow Mondo.

He stops, though, when he sees the biker has turned back to face him, an intense look on his face as he looks at him. His lavender eyes are darting back and forth as they map out his face, his lips moving silently, the biker clearly trying to find the words to say something. Taka looks at him, eyebrows furrowed, but he doesn't get a chance to ask what is wrong before Mondo speaks. And the words he says...

"Look. 'Fore we go back. I, uh... I gotta say somethin'. An' ya can fuckin' deck me if I'm outta line, but I wanna clarify somethin' I said earlier. Or rather... fix it." Mondo pauses here and takes a deep breath. He looks Taka deep in his eyes and— while he can tell the biker is nervous— he looks deadly serious. "Taka. If you... now, I ain't sayin' ya are, or that I think ya are, but... but if you were... ya know... gay. I wouldn't mind. I... I ain't... but ya mean more ta me than any fuckin' bullshit goin' on in my fuckin' head. So... I ain't sayin' ya are. But... if... then yeah. Y'ain't gotta be afraid a' me. Never. Now... let's go ta see the haunted house. Okay?"

Taka can feel himself freeze at the words Mondo says. They... they had sounded so sincere... so... so true...

But...

'Get the hell away from me, you f*g!'

Taka smiles, the expression only slightly strained, and nods his head at Mondo.

And then the pair are walking, stopping at the bathroom briefly, having to head inside to find one with a mirror. Mondo glares at him with some annoyance when he sees that his eyeliner is, in fact, all smudged (he hadn't lied, though... he does think it looks fine...), but the look doesn't last, the biker just sighing as he turns back to the mirror and assesses the damage.

After a moment of staring at his reflection, Mondo bends down to wash his face carefully, washing away the remaining tears and smeared makeup. He then takes out some eyeliner from his jacket pocket and reapplies it carefully with skilled, dexterous fingers. Mondo can't fix the dark, almost smokey looking makeup around his eyes that he'd apparently put on that morning, but he still looks as amazing as usual with just the eyeliner. When he finishes that, he adjusts his hair, combing through the messy strands with a comb he also has in his pockets, taking out the braids and redoing them carefully, to make it look presentable, at least.

He then turns to Taka and gestures him to come closer and— when he does— the biker moves to adjust Taka's hair, which had deflated a little during their, er... argument. Without hairspray (the one thing the biker doesn't seem to have in his pockets...), Mondo can't do much, but he is able to take his comb and make the hairstyle look at least a little like it previously had, if a little flatter.

Once Mondo has determined they look presentable again, the pair leave the bathroom, Mondo snickering as Taka gives a mock glare at a crude joke the teen had tentatively made, their shoulder bumping together as they walk.

They head to the haunted house after that, the line long but not unbearably so. Once they get in, they find that it is so dark that Taka can't help how his hand instinctively reaches out to grab Mondo's, to his embarrassment. Mondo doesn't comment on it, though, just twines their fingers together before Taka can pull his hand back, the grip nice and tight, and takes his bag from him so he doesn't drop it when he, er... doesn't scream.

And then, when they exit the house— Mondo looking at him with a mildly concerned look, Taka definitely not still residually afraid— they just... don't let go. Not for a little while, at least, not until Mondo sees something in a booth and their hands disentangle naturally, Taka smiling shakily as Mondo picks up some anime thing from a show that he doesn't know the name of and starts rambling about it.

And then... later, when they pass Sakura and Hina, Mondo stiffening... he watches as Mondo straightens his back and marches over to the pair, who are eating some donuts together, a look of determination on his face, Taka following after hesitantly.

The look doesn't fade even when Sakura stands, glaring down at him (because, he realizes with a start, Sakura is taller than Mondo, something he'd not noticed before, strangely), the biker just looking up calmly. Taka listens as Mondo mutters softly to the girls, his heart swelling as Mondo... Mondo does what Taka had asked and apologizes.

"Look. 'Bout earlier. I... shit. I was a fuckin' jackass. I shouldn't a' reacted how I did an' I was fuckin' shitty ta ya an'... an' Asahina-san. I... an' it's no fuckin' excuse, but I hadn't been expectin' it, an' I just... I dunno. But I wanted ta let ya know I ain't got anythin' against it. An' I'm actually fuckin' happy fer ya two, if yer both happy. I know we ain't exactly friends, but... yeah. Just... I am sorry. Legitimately an' fully. Y'ain't gotta forgive me, and I don't expect ya ta, but I don't want either a' ya thinkin' ya got someone against ya or anythin'. In fact, I'll fuckin' make sure anyone who tries ta mess with ya two ain't able ta fuckin' breathe properly fer a month. So... I'll stop fuckin' ramblin' an' let ya get back ta yer date, but... yeah. I'm sorry."

Sakura looks at Mondo critically for a while, her mouth pulled down into a frown, the look frankly terrifying on the muscular girl, but Mondo doesn't look away. He just keeps his gaze steady on her, looking into her eyes, face open and honest for once. Hina— who had stood halfway through Mondo's speech and has been hovering around Sakura's shoulder— doesn't say anything either and just looks between the two anxiously, biting her lip gently.

Finally, after an undetermined amount of time passes, Sakura nods, a small half smile on her lips.

"It takes a lot of courage to apologize for a wrongdoing. I accept," she says simply, her smile growing when Mondo gives her a shocked look, before letting out a shaky, relieved laugh. She continues before he can say anything, though, shaking her head slightly. "But you are wrong about one thing. I do consider you a friend, Mondo. That is why your actions earlier had hurt as much as they did. I know that you have... a lot of repressed feelings, but that still does not excuse such behavior. And, while I do accept your apology, whether or not I actually forgive you depends on what Hina thinks. After all, it was not just me you hurt."

With that, the girl stops talking, looking down at Hina, who looks a bit surprised to be the center of attention, since Mondo is also, now, looking at her.

After a moment, the girl beams, and bounds over to Mondo, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight. Taka almost laughs at the flummoxed expression that rises on Mondo's face, the teen slowly lowering his hands (which had been hovering awkwardly in the air for a few seconds as he tried to figure out what to do with them) to tentatively pat the girl on her back. When she pulls back, she's still beaming, looking very happy.

"I'm glad you apologized, Mondo! I also consider you a friend, and yeah, it had hurt to see you react... like that. But I'm glad you apologized to us, and I forgive you!" Hina exclaims, before pausing. A frown appears on her face, and her eyes dart to Taka, concern filling them. She then looks back to Mondo, a look of determined strength in her eyes as she glares at the biker. "On one condition! You have to apologize to Taka too! Since you... you yelled at him!"

Taka doesn't quite know how to describe the feeling in his heart as Hina says those words, glaring up at a fearsome biker twice her size without any hint of fear in her stance, but it definitely... it definitely is fond. He sees Mondo's mouth open, a look of distress filling his eyes as he looks over at Taka, and Taka... Taka decides to take pity on the biker, stepping forward to fully enter the conversation.

"I appreciate the concern, Hina, but Mondo and I have already resolved our issues!" Taka turns to look at Mondo, then, staring him straight in the eye as he says his next words, smile bright and his eyes shining. "And I have forgiven him! Completely! And he... he and I... we are good."

He says the last words softer, meant for Mondo only. And when he sees the way Mondo's eyes light up, his smile bright and happy on his face, looking at Taka like he's the only person in the world... well...

He finds that he truly means it.

Hina squeals again, breaking their gaze, and Taka almost laughs as he sees the girl hug Mondo again, the biker still looking awkward at the embrace.

"Yay! Okay, then I forgive you too! Oh, I'm so happy! We should spend some time together sometime, just the four of us! Like a girl's night in, but with two boys! We can make popcorn and braid our hair and paint our nails and everything! It'll be so much fun!"

Taka actually does laugh then at the look on Mondo's face, which has contorted into an expression of mild horror. But when Hina pulls back, her smile bright, he forces a smile and shakily says, "uh... yeah! Sure... uh..." which just makes Taka laugh again, earning him a glare from the biker.

As Hina is turning away from Mondo, however, she catches his eye, winking subtly, giggling lightly. And that just makes Taka laugh some more, realizing her sneakiness. It... it's honestly the most he's laughed in a while. He can hear Mondo grumble, but then he feels a warm arm wrap around his shoulder. And after that... nothing else matters.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. See ya two later, I guess. Taka an' I'll let ya finish yer, uh... yer date in peace. Stay safe, ya crazy kids..."

With that, Mondo steers them away, the biker talking about everything and nothing as they wander through the festival, stopping at the booths their classmates have put out. As they walk, Taka feels proud of his fellow classmates for the work they have put into the festival. Even if Mondo scowls harshly at Hagakure's 'prediction' that he will finally get a date before the end of the year (offended at the finally part more than anything), and loses quite a bit of money to Ludenberg's card game (which is entirely his own fault, since Taka had told him multiple times he should just quit while he was ahead, but no. He had to go double or nothing against the Ultimate Gambler and was shocked when he lost. Idiot, Taka thinks fondly).

He does seem to like the portrait that Yamada does of them, though, the Ultimate Fan Artist capturing their likenesses very well, Mondo smiling softly at the painting as he tells the artist 'heh, thanks man!' Taka feels his stomach clench when he sees the hand painted image of Mondo looking down at the painted image of Taka, his lavender eyes somehow containing the emotions that Taka can't even begin to explain. Yamada had even painted them as they usually look, not in their costumes, which Taka oddly appreciates even more. Taka takes the time to privately thank the artist as well, who just puffs up and cries "but of course! I am the world's best fan artist, after all!"

Taka doesn't quite understand why him being the best fan artist matters, but he lets the rotund teen have his moment either way. He has more than earned it... even with the hefty fee he charges, though he waives part of it as a thanks for Taka organizing the entire festival. Taka tries to explain that he had just been doing his job, but Mondo loudly talks over him, thanking the artist before grabbing the painting and marching Taka away. Taka tries to glare at Mondo, but he can't quite manage to mean it. Not when Mondo grins brightly at him, that mysterious emotion swirling in his eyes, making him feel hot and cold and all kinds of wonderful inside.

The costume contest— which is one of the last scheduled events at the little makeshift theater area— is fun, too, seeing all of the wonderful costumes his fellow students at Hope's Peak had come up with. Taka even wins 'Most unusual,' voted by the panel of judges, which included Naegi and Kirigiri, who had surprisingly volunteered when he'd asked for judges the previous week. He finds it a bit strange, since he hadn't even entered, but gratefully accepts the ribbon (and coupon for a free meal at some eatery nearby, which he gives to Mondo as repayment for his lunch), smiling awkwardly. Mondo snickers at him, but still beams at him and gives him one of his patented 'hell yeah!'s.

Eventually, the festival ends, the night coming and the students heading off to various parties. Taka stays behind to help clean up, Mondo electing to stay with him even though Taka says he can go. Judging by the tightness that he can still see in Mondo's eyes, even hours later, he can privately tell that the teen is still a little shaken from the events from earlier, his eyes and hands just a bit too intentional for him to ignore. He wants to apologize for the things he'd said, for scaring Mondo like that, but...

But he had meant it. And he still does. It would have destroyed him to stop talking to Mondo, would have felt like tearing out his heart and stomping on it, before tossing it into a garbage fire and then dousing it with acid... but he'd have done it. He's spent so long building up his strong moral code and his sense of right and wrong that the idea of going against that is, quite frankly, unthinkable (especially considering that he- that Taka is... well). And if Mondo... if Mondo actually were homophobic...

But thankfully, he's not. He's not, and while Taka is still a little uneasy about it all, especially Mondo's surety that such a thing may happen again (though hopefully not on the same subject), he doesn't hold any ill will towards the biker. He made a mistake and while he had hurt people, he'd done the honorable thing and had owned up to his mistake and apologized to those he'd hurt. Apologies can't fix everything, and he is positive that the cracks from this argument will never fully be able to be healed to their former state, but... but maybe the cracks can be filled with titanium gold, and their friendship can be made all the stronger for the struggle they have faced.

As such, later, after they head to Mondo's room and watch some more Disney films (Lady and the Tramp, this time. Taka is definitely starting to see a pattern), Taka finds himself settling against Mondo, his head resting comfortably against the firm chest, both dressed comfortably in their night clothes after they'd taken their respective showers earlier. And— as Mondo talks quietly through the movie, telling tidbits of his life as he goes, talking about how he and his brother used to watch this movie over and over as children— part of him is glad they had their argument. It had hurt, terribly, at the time, and he can't quite say he ever wants to repeat it (for both of their sakes), but… well. It had allowed him to see a side of Mondo he's never really seen before. Not fully. Something insecure, and raw, and painful, and yet— like every other part of the biker— so utterly beautiful it makes him want to cry.

And while... while he still can't tell Mondo his secret, can't even admit it to himself (not fully, not consciously), it does help him to know that Mondo... Mondo values him and his friendship more than any possible bigotry and bias he may have. That, if he were... gay, that he wouldn't have to worry about losing Mondo. Because the thought of losing Mondo... it... it...

"Hey, Taka?" he hears a soft voice call to him, causing him to look up, the biker's face awash in the pale moonlight streaming in passed the curtain that Mondo always leaves part of the way open these days, the light from the movie dancing on his face. His heart— like it is wont to do— stutters at the soft, hesitant expression he finds there. Swallowing the thickness in his throat, Taka turns back to the movie, watching as the dogs parade around, though his focus is entirely on the teen beside him...

"Yes, kyoudai?" he mutters back, every nerve open and raw as Mondo trails gentle fingers up and down his side, causing gooseflesh to rise in their wake. He freezes minutely when he feels Mondo practically nuzzle the side of his face (his hair still a little damp from the shower he'd taken earlier, only a bit regretful to wash away Mondo's carefully constructed pompadour), soft and tender. He doesn't say anything about it though, just stays still and keeps his eyes firmly on the small screen, waiting for Mondo to complete his thought.

It takes a few minutes, but finally, he does.

"I know, uh... I know ya said this earlier but... are we really good? I mean, it's just that, I know I was a fuckin' asshole ta ya, and I don't blame ya if ya... if yer still mad at me, and I will respect yer wishes, whatever they may be, and-"

"Kyoudai," Taka interrupts, a frown rising on his face as he looks back to the rambling biker, hating the insecurity he finds there. I wonder if this is how Mondo feels when dealing with me and my issues, he thinks to himself softly.

He does make his lips turn upwards, though, not wanting Mondo to think he's upset at him.

"I told you already. We are good. I... I forgive you, Mondo. Kyoudai. What you did... it hurt, but you apologized and that is what matters. And if such a thing happens again, well... we will deal with it, together, should it occur." He pauses. And smiles. "But kyoudai... I will not leave you. Not unless you truly, truly want me gone. You are my best friend, my kyoudai, and that is what matters most. And you... for what it is worth, kyoudai... you matter to me, too. Very much. I would hate to lose you, not without trying everything I can to fix it. So... so don't worry, okay? I am here. We are here... together."

Taka is still looking at Mondo and, as such, sees the way his eyes turn suspiciously bright, the biker letting out a shaky laugh at the words as he turns away, trying to compose himself. Taka doesn't rush him.

"You... you're incredible, kyoudai. I'm glad ta have ya," Mondo states softly. And then... then he...

With a pounding heart, Taka watches with wide eyes as Mondo leans in, slowly and... and...

Kisses his cheek...

Taka can feel his entire body heat up at the sensation of warm, dry lips pressing against the sensitive skin of his cheek, a soft gasp escaping him at the wonderful sensation. Mondo pulls back far too quickly, cheeks flushed bright red and an embarrassed look on his face, but he doesn't have the mental capacity to think about it too much. He's still short-circuiting from the kiss...

(God… if only Mondo had aimed a bit to the left...)

When the movie finally ends, he and Mondo stand as one and stretch, Mondo groaning at the pop in his back. Taka smiles fondly at the soft curses the teen lets out, far less upset at the foul language that he would have been not even a month ago. How far they both have come...

"Y-you, uh... ya wanna, uh... sleepover, kyoudai?" Mondo questions hesitantly, his eyes darting between Taka and the bed, almost nervously. Taka pauses a minute, remembering what happened the previous time they'd slept in the same bed and desperately hoping there won't be a repeat... but, ultimately, he knows what his decision will be.

"Of course, kyoudai. After all, we need plenty of sleep tonight! We have a busy day tomorrow!"

Taka will never admit it, not to the biker, but Taka takes great pleasure from the baffled look Mondo gives him.

"Er... maybe I'm just an idiot, but what have ya got planned fer tomorrow?"

Taka smiles brightly, moving to turn off the lamp as he sees Mondo settling into the bed.

"What, you do not remember?! Kyoudai, I am hurt! We are going to be going out for a ride on your... hog, remember?"

The gobsmacked look on Mondo's face is the best thing he's seen all day, and it makes his heart swell impossibly to see.

"S-shit, really?! I figured... figured ya wouldn't wanna, anymore... but hell yeah, bro! If ya wanna... if yer okay with it... then hell fuckin' yeah!"

They get into bed together after that, the pair slotting together naturally, like they have done this all their lives, not just a few random times over the span of two weeks.

And finally, finally, as he drifts off to sleep, head pillowed on a firm yet highly comfortable chest... lazy fingers running through his hair carelessly... soft humming coming from above him...

He doesn't think he's ever felt more at peace.

---

So! Lots of things happened, ha.

First, I'd like to state that this is, indeed, the last of Mondo's homophobic comments (though it's not the last of his anger getting the best of him, sadly). After almost losing Taka over it, Mondo isn't going to be stupid enough to carelessly say something homophobic again, especially since he doesn't even mean it. He just... like I've said before, Mondo (in this story) is the type of person to say literally anything to get out of perceived persecution, and it leads him to saying things he doesn't mean, just as long as it makes him and his world view remain "safe." That was what I was trying to do here, more than anything. To show that, when panicked and feeling like he's being cornered, Mondo will say anything to regain control.

But please know that Mondo does not hate gay people, not at all. He just says the wrong things when panicking. And while that's not an excuse, it is something that Mondo is working on. Also, while Taka isn't sure if he believes it, please know that Mondo meant what he said 100%. He will always support Taka, no matter what.

I also hope that having Mondo cry wasn't out of character. Just... he realized then that he was literally about to lose Taka, who he already views as the best thing to happen to him, and it made him realize just what he risks losing when he lets his anger take control of him. I like to imagine that Mondo doesn't like his anger issues, so this was just... him feeling devastated at losing something huge because of something he can't control inside himself, despite his best efforts. I do not have anger issues, but my dad does, and it... well. It's not fun to deal with, for anyone. But I hope it was natural and not OOC at all.

(Also, Taka is a huge sweetheart and I love him. And he has a phone now! :-D )