Hajime expected to feel completely beat and worn out, after his exercises with Peko, but after showering and getting dressed for school, he felt surprisingly refreshed. He ate a big breakfast before setting out. He felt more alert and his mind was more clear than usual. It had been awhile since he had been in such a good mood during his morning routine. He checked his phone as he walked. Natsumi had texted him already. He read it as he walked.

"Hey. Summer break starts next week. Im going to my familys summer home. My brother and Peko will be going too. My dad said it would be fine if you came along too" - 7:48AM

Hajime stopped in his tracks to read it over again. He recalled something like this being mentioned in his letter from the Oyabun. The man seemed to really like the idea of Hajime spending time with his kids. He had no idea why he was so intent on this, but honestly the idea didn't sound too bad. He would get to spend some time at the beach over summer break, if nothing else. It wasn't like he had any other plans.

Hajime met up with Natsumi when he reached the classroom. She was sitting her butt on top of her desk, as she usually did. It was against school rules but at this point, the teacher had grown tired of reprimanding her for her delinquent manners. Hajime sat at his desk, with his legs to the side. He leaned back against the window, leisurely and rested his left arm on top of the desk. "I got your text," Hajime casually said to Natsumi, as everyone else chatted away, waiting for class to start.

"So, what's your answer?" she asked, with a minuscule hint of nervousness in her voice. She would never tell Hajime, but the reason she asked him in text was because she felt too awkward asking him in real life, especially in earshot of the other students.

"Well, I don't have anything better to do. I think it sounds pretty cool. But I don't know what to expect. What's this place like?" He inquired. Natsumi smirked arrogantly in response.

"Oh, trust me. It's pretty friggin' sweet. It's outside of Osaka, right on the coastline of the bay. It's a seven bedroom house, with the latest TVs and game systems. We even have jet skis. And the best part is we have it all to ourselves," she gloated proudly but then she blushed crimson and realized what she just said.

"Oh! I didn't mean just me and you, obviously. My brother and Peko will be there. So it's not like it's just the two of us. You know what I mean," she blathered in a frustrated manner.

Hajime was a little overwhelmed by how luxurious this place sounded. He never forgot the fact that Natsumi was the child of the Oyabun, but he sometimes forgot how filthy rich that must make her. The Kuzuryu family's businesses, both legal and underground, netted billions every year. Hajime had no idea how much of that equated to the personal wealth of the Oyabun, but it had to be in the tens of millions at least. Natsumi was like a princess or something.

"I don't see how I could pass that up. That sounds pretty incredible. I'll definitely go" He assured her, enthusiastically. Natsumi looked away and a smile crossed her cheeks. It was an honest, relieved smile. Unlike her usual forced, smug, obnoxious grins, this was a real smile. Natsumi was genuinely happy. Seeing her smile like that sent shivers down Hajime's spine. Underneath all of Natsumi's bluster and arrogance, there was a real person in there.

The week slowly dragged by. Hajime found himself genuinely looking forward to something, for the first time in ages. He felt like a little kid, anticipating christmas. He imagined what the house might look like, how the water would feel. He even imagined what Peko and Natsumi might look like in their swimsuits. Would Peko wear a thong similar to the ones she wore every day? He snickered to himself pervertedly just thinking about it. Hajime wasn't one to give himself over to lusty obsessions, but he was still a boy after all.

Despite his newfound optimism, the week wasn't a cakewalk. His training with Peko had just started to get underway. Hajime soon realized that "test days" were actually much easier than the normal training days. In order to improve his physical abilities, he would have to be pushed far beyond his limits, every single day. Peko pounded him with endless pushups in various positions, from knuckle pushups to diamond push ups. On "ab days," she put him through a gauntlet of varying ab exercises that left him wanting to puke. On running days, she had him alternate between bursts of sprinting and short walking breaks. Every day, the exercises beat him down. However, Peko assured him that training was always hardest in the beginning. Hajime would need to overcome his own weaknesses and limitations. This was easier said than done. Saturday couldn't come soon enough.

Finally, the day arrived. Hajime was ready to set out. Hajime had already packed his clothes and necessary items, like a toothbrush and comb. He grabbed his phone off the charger and headed outside. Natsumi was already waiting by the parking lot when Hajime caught up with her. She had several large bags beside her.

"Well, today's the day. Are you ready for this, Natsumi?" he asked.

"Obviously," she replied, curtly. "If I have to stay in this place for another minute, I feel like I'm gonna suffocate. I seriously need a break from all this."

Hajime agreed with her. The atmosphere of this place felt much more oppressive, the past few weeks, with the entire gossipy student body hovering over their shoulders. Both of them also still had their own personal issues to grapple with. Some time away from Hope's Peak would give them time to think.

Just as Hajime was checking his watch, a large black car pulled up. It wasn't a limo, but it was still very classy. Hajime couldn't tell the make and model but It was a fancy land rover. The chauffeur stepped out of the vehicle.

"May I help you with your bags, Madam Natsumi?" He offered, with a bow.

Natsumi nodded and pointed at Hajime "You can grab his stuff too. He's coming with us." The chauffeur approached Hajime and reached out to shake his hand, bowing as he did so.

"I am sworn to serve any friend of the Kuzuryu family. And you are, good sir?"

"Uh, Hajime Hinata. It's a pleasure. And, you don't have to carry my stuff. Don't worry about it" He responded, politely protesting the pampering treatment. The man raised his hand and smiled warmly.

"Please. It would be my pleasure, Master Hajime. Welcome to the Kuzuryu family," Natsumi blushed at this.

"Woah! What do you mean "welcome to the family?" Me and him aren't married , for fuck's sake!" she spouted, angrily. But she was interrupted by a voice in the car.

"Natsumi! What's the hold up? Let's get going!"

It was her brother, Fuyuhiko. Natsumi's expression immediately changed from anger, to a wide smile.

"Sure thing, big bro," she responded, cheerfully. Hajime followed her and when he approached the car, he could see that the back seat of the car was divided into two rows of three seats. The two rows faced each other and had a surprising amount of legroom. It was basically like a limo, but more robust and not as long. Hajime climbed in as well. He sat next to Natsumi and across from them sat Peko and Fuyuhiko, respectively. Hajime couldn't help but feel this looked like some kind of weird double date.

As Hajime sat there and looked at his traveling companions, he couldn't help but feel a little out of place in this group. Fuyuhiko and Peko were both ultimates, each of them a bit larger than life. Even though he was acquainted with both of them, it still was unsettling. Then there was Natsumi. She wasn't an ultimate, but she still grew up with Fuyuhiko and seemed to know Peko pretty well too. So, she was right at home. She was practically royalty. Hajime was the only one who was out of his element. He decided he needed to get a conversation going.

"So… uh, this is pretty exciting. Thanks for inviting me on this trip with you guys," he said politely. Fuyuhiko just looked at him with mild annoyance and contempt.

"Hey, don't thank me. I had nothing to do with it. You can thank my father for that. And Natsumi. She's the one who-" He stopped mid sentence as he saw Natsumi giving him her famous "death glare" that she had perfected since childhood.

Fuyuhiko cleared his throat. "Anyway, we're gonna head to the airport and fly down to Osaka. We should reach the house by lunch time" Hajime perked up as a thought crossed his mind.

"Wait, are we going on one of your family's private jets?" he asked, excitedly. Fuyuhiko just scoffed.

"No, man. You shouldn't assume shit like that. We aren't that frivolous. I'll have you know that our father doesn't spoil us like douchebag rich kids. He says that private jets are a symbol of accomplishment and authority. They aren't toys for kids to play around with. They should be used for official business and once you've earned the right to use them,"

Hajime was surprised to hear that sort of thing from the leader of a crime organization. Their father sounded like a disciplined man.

"Here. This is your ticket. Don't lose it. If you do, you're shit out of luck" Fuyuhiko grumbled, handing it to Hajime. Hajime noticed that the ticket said "first class." Apparently, by their standards, a first class commercial flight was considered "not spoiling" them.

The flight was a rather uneventful one. Once they took their seats, Natsumi almost immediately began napping through the flight. Her head shifted to the side and she ended up resting it on Hajime's shoulder. Hajime was relatively ok with it, until he realized she was drooling on him. He was wearing one of his better shirts, which was now stained with saliva. Meanwhile, Fuyuhiko watched a movie and tried to order alcohol from the stewardess.

"Come on, don't you know who I am? Just one drink! That is all I'm asking for, goddamnit!" Fortunately, no matter how much he tried to strong arm the stewardess, she never gave him any alcohol and made him settle for a soda instead. Peko had the most difficult time during the flight. She clutched the arm rest and closed her eyes. Her face was more pale than usual. She looked visibly ill. Over the course of the flight, she seemed to turn a sickly shade of green. She covered her mouth and struggled nonstop, to keep from vomiting. She eventually unbuckled from her seat and ran to the bathroom, where she remained for the rest of the flight. When she returned, her eyes were still watery and she took her seat.

"I deeply apologize for my unprofessional conduct," she sniffled, sullenly.

"Geez, it's not your fault, Peko. Next time we can get you some motion sickness medicine before the flight" Hajime consoled. As he said that, Natsumi began to stir. Her head was still resting on Hajime's shoulder. She awok drowsily, with drool still seeping from the corner of her mouth.

"Nnghhhh~… Are we there already?" She asked with a yawn as her hand grabbed onto Hajime's shirt. She pulled her head up only to realize that her face was inches from his. Her eyes went wide and she backed away in a lightning flash.

"W-what the shit?! Did… I?" Her cheeks flushed furiously and she punched Hajime's arm. "Why did you let me do that, you… ass!" she barked angrily

"Ow, don't punch me!… If I'm gonna be perfectly honest, you're a lot easier to deal with when you're sleeping, so I didn't feel like waking you," he retorted, smugly.

"Hey, will you two lovebirds knock it off already! I don't wanna watch this shit. Hurry up and help us with the luggage. Peko looks like she is about to paint the floor a new color," Fuyuhiko snapped at them. Meanwhile Peko was once again holding her hand over her mouth.

( What the hell?! She's still sick?! ) Hajime marveled.

"I...I'm.. *ughlk*… I'm so sorry, everyone..." Peko mumbled through her hand.

After getting off the plane and retrieving their luggage, it was a 30 minute drive to the beach house. Along the way they passed through a heavy gate, in order to enter the estate owned by the Kuzuryu family. They were far from any of the tourist beaches. This place felt isolated, untouched and harmonious with nature.

They had finally reached their destination. Like Hajime expected, it was breathtaking, even knee weakening. The house was absolutely gorgeous. As he approached it, he could see it had a subtle mix of both modern and old fashioned architecture. The roof had a rustic pagoda style and the house towered over the majestic ocean scenery. When they entered the house, Hajime's jaw practically hit the floor. He was greeted with a large living room with massive 15ft bay windows which offered a perfect view of the sea.

Natsumi entered after Hajime and saw him just standing there, looking around in amazement.

"Uh, earth to Hajime. Are you just going to stand there gawking or are you gonna help get the luggage inside?" Natsumi jeered, giving Hajime a light smack on the back of the head to snap him out of his trance. He immediately grabbed his things and carried them up to one of the guest bedrooms upstairs.

( Jesus. Just one of these bedrooms is bigger than my entire dorm)

He marveled, setting his bags on the bed. He took a few moments to unpack the essentials and get fully acclimated to the room he would be staying in. Hajime strolled back down the carpeted stairs and wandered into the kitchen. When he arrived, he nearly walked right into a tall, muscular bear-ish man in his 50s. His arms were covered in tattoos and he had a grizzled face. The man held a meat cleaver in his hand, which made Hajime nearly jump out of his skin.

"Woah!" he exclaimed, tripping over his own feet falling onto his rear end. The man looked down at him and then burst out into boisterous laughter.

"Sorry about that! Didn't mean to startle ya, kid. The name's Satsuo," he chuckled as he reached down to help him up. As he did so, Hajime could see that his left hand was missing most of his pinky. Regardless, Hajime took his hand, and the man easily pulled him back onto his feet.

"So, you must be Hajime Hinata. Matsushige told me you would be coming," a t first Hajime was confused. Then he remembered.

"What? You mean the Oyabun!?" he exclaimed. Hajime wondered what kind of man would refer to the Oyabun on a first name basis.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, my little brother won't be able to make it out here. He has urgent business to attend to. But make yourself at home, my friend. I'm sure that's what he'd want," he said with a smile, giving Hajime a hard pat on the back. Just at that moment, Fuyuhiko and Natsumi walked into the kitchen. Natsumi's face lit up and she darted over to the man.

"Uncle!" she exclaimed embracing him tightly as he lifted her off the ground. Satsuo laughed heartily

"There's the little princess. You've been staying out of trouble, I hope," he said, setting her down.

"You know it!" she said with a childish grin and a wink, lying through her teeth.

"So, whatcha making for us, old timer?" Fuyuhiko snickered, scoping out the counter, where Satsuo was preparing lobster. Satsuo walked over and put his arm around Fuyuhiko.

"Something that'll hopefully put some meat on those bones and make you grow a few inches. You've haven't been eating right, boy" he ribbed, as Fuyuhiko grew flushed and angry.

"Piss off, ya old geezer! I'm gonna hit a growth spurt any day now! Just you watch! You won't be laughing when I can kick your ass!" he fumed. In response to this, the old man just roared with laughter. Even Hajime had to cover his mouth and suppress a chuckle.

Fuyuhiko noticed this and pointed a finger at him. " Shut it!"

The four of them took their seats at the table in the dining room while Satsuo finished preparing the food. The smell was heavenly. Hajime's mouth began to water, in anticipation. Satsuo soon brought out four plates of lobster legs and tails. The legs had been boiled to perfection and they came with his homemade dipping sauce. The tails had a sweet miso glaze. He also poured them all some of the finest tea, to go with the meal. Hajime took one bite of lobster tail and was overcome by sheer deliciousness. He was almost moved to tears.

"This is… unbelievable… I don't think I've ever tasted anything like this in my life!" he gushed with euphoria. Natsumi and the others were munching down the food and savoring it, but not as tenaciously as Hajime. They were used to this kind of cuisine.

"Uncle owns a string of restaurants in Osaka. People come from all around the world to try his dishes. He is actually kinda famous," Natsumi bragged.

Meanwhile, Satsuo called from the other room," If you guys want seconds, I'm making another batch"

Hajime thought he had died and gone to heaven. Finally his friendship with Natsumi was paying off. He continued to savor every bite of the food, dizzy with pleasure. He turned to Natsumi, with a stupid grin.

"I think I'm in love..." he sighed. Natsumi blushed red and was taken off guard.

"W-what the hell? Wh-why would you say something like that right now!?" She stammered, nervously. Then there was a laugh, coming from the kitchen, as Satsuo walked in. He patted Hajime on the shoulder.

"Don't flatter yourself, princess. He isn't talking about you. Hajime here is a man of culture. He knows how to appreciate fine cuisine, isn't that right, son?" he chuckled slapping Hajime on the back, almost making him choke. Hajime nodded and gave a thumbs up. Natsumi scowled and rolled her eyes. Satsuo put his arm around Hajime's shoulder.

"I'll tell ya what, kid. I'm gonna be here all week, on a little vacation of my own. While I'm here, how about I teach you a few recipes you can make back home? Don't worry, they're easy as hell and they're on the cheap. It's what me and Matsu lived on when we were in college."

Hajime pressed both of his palms together and bowed his head slightly.

"Please teach me your ways, oh culinary master!" he spouted in a dramatic voice.

Natsumi just scoffed," Oh brother..."

After the meal, they still had the rest of the day to spend. The beach was tempting, but Peko was still feeling under the weather, so they decided against it. They ended up spending a large portion of the day lounging around the house, watching TV. Hajime got to test out the game console. It was the PZ4.5. This thing hadn't even hit the market yet. Apparently, the Kuzuryu family was a major shareholder in the company's stock, so they got complimentary consoles months before release. It was Just another perk of being one of the most powerful families in Japan.

As the sun began to set, Hajime lounged on the couch, looking out at the glistening sea, through the enormous, glass windows. Fuyuhiko walked in carrying two bottles in his hands. They were a golden yellow color, with a green label on them.

"Hinata. Get the lead of your ass and follow me!" He ordered, holding up the drinks.

"Uh, I dunno... I'm not sure if-" Hajime began to protest, before Fuyuhiko interrupted him.

"It wasn't a request, dumbass. Come on" he ordered, harshly. Hajime sighed and decided to go along with him. They stepped out onto the deck, overlooking the beach. There were benches surrounding the edges of the deck, and a table in the center of it. The deck itself spanned nearly the entire length of the house. You could host a whole party out here.

"Take it..." Fuyuhiko muttered, as he offered Hajime one of the beverages. Hajime took it and realized it was beer.

"Woah… Uh… you know… This is kinda illegal," Hajime said, nervously

Fuyuhiko gave him a stony look of disapproval and rolled his eyes.

"Jesus Christ, Hinata. Do you realize who you're talking to? Do you realize where the fuck you are? If you're gonna be tagging along with our family then you're seriously gonna need to grow some balls. This is no big deal" He said as he began struggling to twist the cap off of his bottle. Finally it screwed off, letting out a hissing noise of escaping carbonation gasses. Hajime looked at his bottle and sighed before doing the same. Both of them lifted it to their noses and had a similar reaction. It smelled…strange.

"So, why did you want me to come out here?" Hajime asked, partly out of curiosity and partly trying to put off trying the beer. Fuyuhiko let out a "tch" sound and looked at the floor.

"Well, Peko's still resting and she probably wouldn't want beer anyway. Then there's Natsumi. I don't really know how she would react to booze, so I'm definitely not gonna ask her. Satsuo would… just piss me off the whole time. And I'm sure as hell not gonna drink by myself. So you were pretty much the only option," he responded, bluntly.

"Gee, thanks. I'm honored," Hajime muttered, sarcastically. "So are we gonna drink this stuff or should we do some kind of toast first? Isn't that what adults do when they drink?" Hajime asked.

"Fuck if I know. Who cares? I thought we were just supposed to drink them. It's not rocket science" Fuyuhiko responded, annoyed.

Hajime came to a realization. "Wait a minute, is this your first time drinking?" he asked. Fuyuhiko's face grew a bit red and he fumed angrily.

"Of course it isn't, idiot! I'm a goddamn coinessuir, got it!? Just hurry up and do the toast already," he grumbled, holding up his bottle.

"Uh, ok," Hajime said as he awkwardly lifted his beer bottle close to Fuyuhiko's. "To a… long and fruitful friendship" he said, in a stilted tone of voice.

"That sounds kinda gay," Fuyuhiko complained. Hajime felt a pang of annoyance.

"I don't care. That's the toast and I'm sticking to it" Hajime snapped as he clinked his bottle against Fuyuhiko's. Then both the guys brought their beer to their lips and took a swig of it. Both of them were not prepared for the dry, bitter flavor. It was a taste they certainly hadn't acquired yet. They both tried to keep a straight face. Fuyuhiko forced another chug down, cringing a little at the taste.

"It's pretty good stuff" He jeered, proudly. Hajime knew he was lying through his teeth, but he gave a thumbs up.

"H-hell yeah. Beer's pretty awesome. I could probably drink… three or… six more of these things," Fuyuhiko chuckled unconvincingly before taking another swig of the golden yellow liquid.

(This tastes like piss) they both thought, simultaneously.

Hajime and Fuyuhiko had finished half their respective bottles and Hajime waited to feel the effects of alcohol for the first time.

"So… uh… are you feeling anything yet?" He asked.

"What? Of course not, genius! It takes a little while for it to get through your system. Geez, you're such a scrub," Fuyuhiko jabbed, as he took another swig. "So, while we're out here, I guess we should talk about stuff," he said, as night was beginning to fall and there was a cool breeze. Fuyuhiko leaned against the railing of the deck. "So, be honest with me Hajime. Why did you come out here? Was it cuz my dad asked you to? Was it cuz you just wanted a taste of the high life. Or… are you just gunning for my sister?" he asked, pointedly.

Hajime froze up a bit as Fuyuhiko was eyeing him suspiciously. Hajime turned away for a moment and gulped down some more beer, shivering a bit at the taste, as he was still not used to it. He exhaled calmly and turned to Fuyuhiko.

"It's nothing like that. I'm not trying to get with Natsumi or anything. Trust me."

Fuyuhiko raised a concerned eyebrow. "Im not fuckin blind. I see the way you two talk to each other. You bicker like an old married couple and you're always together. Seriously, you may not realize it, but you are way closer to her than anyone else has ever gotten."

"Why do you say that?" Hajime asked as he also leaned on the railing, holding his beer with the other hand. Fuyuhiko sighed and looked up at the sky, where stars were starting to become visible.

"Come on, man. Do I really gotta spell it out for you? You know Natsumi. You know that her people skills are… pretty much garbage. I mean, don't get me wrong. She is a great sister and I would kill for her, but she can be a pain in the ass. So, you can probably guess she didn't have many friends in elementary school or middle school. The ones she did get, didn't last long."

Hajime couldn't say this surprised or shocked him. Natsumi was beyond abrasive. In fact she seemed to actively work to make people dislike her. If it weren't for Hajime, she would have zero friends at Hope's Peak.

"So where do I come into all of this?" Hajime asked.

"You tell me, dumbass. You just showed up in my sister's life, and now here you are going on vacation with her. I don't know why, but... you're important to her. And just so you know, I'm not telling you this to help youout. So don't get it twisted" Fuyuhiko grumbled, taking another swig of his beer and letting out a burp. "Im telling you this, so I can give you a fair warning. If you hurt Natsumi, there will be hell to pay," he said with a serious glare.

Hajime felt a chill of intimidation, but for some reason he was feeling a little empowered. Maybe it was the first hints of an alcohol buzz kicking in. Or maybe he was feeling extra daring because he was breaking the rules.

" So what do you mean by that, exactly? Are you going to beat me up?" He asked flippantly, almost mockingly. Then Fuyuhiko just grinned in response.

"Oh no. I won't be the one who comes after you. That'll be Peko's job."

Hajime gulped. He could only imagine where Peko might decide to ram that kendo sword of hers. Hajime respected Peko, but that girl would be dangerous to have as an enemy. Hajime nodded. "Ok. Understood," he said, fearfully.

"Good. Don't forget it," Fuyuhiko smirked before taking another couple swigs of the beer. "Anyway, let's talk about something else. But first, go grab us more beer. This isn't kicking in at all yet," he complained, as he had almost finished his first one. Hajime had his reservations, but he went along with it. When he returned, he saw Fuyuhiko staring up at the stars.

"So, Hinata. What's your deal, man? I'll be honest. I know pretty much jack shit about you. And I'm definitely not gonna start trusting you until I do. So get talking" It wasn't the most friendly invitation, but Fuyuhiko was inquiring to know more about him, which was obviously a good sign.

"There isn't much to say, really. I wanted to get into Hope's Peak, but the Reserve Course was as close as I could get. I don't have any special talents or abilities like you or Peko," Hajime responded, a little glumly. He didn't particularly enjoy talking about himself. Fuyuhiko cracked open his second beer and chuckled.

"I should have figured as much. You come off like just a boring, average joe. And you're kind of a pussy too, if I'm gonna be honest." Hajime felt a sting at his words.

"Hey, take it easy, will you? I may not have grown up in the same world as you, Natsumi and Peko, but I'm not a coward," he said as he glared at Fuyuhiko.

"See? This is what I'm talking about. Someone talks shit to you and you just sit there and complain about it. What you really gotta do is just deck them in the face" Fuyuhiko said with a grin, making a gesture by punching his palm with his fist. Something was off about his speech and movements though. He seemed a little tipsy. Was he already buzzed?

"Um… wait… you want me to punch you in the face?" Hajime asked, perplexed. Fuyuhiko shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh. It doesn't really matter because we both know you're not gonna do it. The point is, you gotta change your fuckin mindset, man. That's the key."

"W-what are you talking about? You sound like some kind of deranged self help guru," Hajime grumbled, as he watched Fuyuhiko take a bunch of huge gulps of his drink. The taste of beer was a lot more tolerable if you chugged it. It was around that time that Hajime could also feel his head getting lighter. He felt a bit warm and dizzy.

"Look man, *hic* I gotta be straight with you," Fuyuhiko chuckled deliriously as he walked over and put his hand on Hajime's shoulder. "I'll tell you a little secret. There's not much special about me. I'm the Ultimate Gangster because of my damn birthright. I've never killed or extorted anyone. I've never fought against enemy clans. I don't have much experience leading other people. I don't even have fuckin tattoos yet. But ya know what? I'm still gonna carry myself with pride. And if anyone talks shit, they're gonna feel the pain, ya feel me?" Fuyuhiko ranted, as he leaned on Hajime

Alcohol is known for loosening people's lips and causing them to admit things they normally wouldn't. Rarely, however, did it kick in this fast. Somehow, his rant made a little bit of sense to Hajime. He could actually tell what he was getting at. It was akin to the old phrase "Fake it till you make it," Hajime remembered Natsumi's words from the very first day they met, when they were in the cafeteria together.

"You really should stand up for yourself more often" she had said. Both her and Fuyuhiko had problems with their personalities. Fuyuhiko was rude and hot tempered and Natsumi took it to an even higher level. Despite all that, they had confidence. Hajime couldn't deny that. They refused to be pushed around by others. There was something admirable in that. Throughout his whole life, Hajime had been prodded by others, telling him how to act and who he should strive to be. He bent to the will of those around him because he never wanted to rock the boat. It was no wonder he felt so powerless in life.

"Maybe you're right… No, you're definitely right. I gotta change. I need to get stronger" Hajime said, with determination and a clenched fist. Fuyuhiko smiled and raised his fist as well.

"Of course I'm right!… You know what, Hajime? You're actually not so bad. With a little work, you could be a certified badass, just like me," he gloated, while he chugged down more beer. "So, I've decided I'm gonna help ya. By the time I'm done, you're gonna be the most alpha son of a bitch that has ever lived," he ranted, waving the beer bottle around. Hajime almost had tears in his eyes. The alcohol was taking full effect. He was feeling a flood of emotions. He put his arm around Fuyuhiko's shoulder.

"Fuyuhiko, when I first met you, I thought you would be an insufferable douchebag with a napoleon complex. But now I see I was wrong about that. You're a goodman," Fuyuhiko was so buzzed he didn't even notice the insult.

"And when I first met you, I thought you were just some beta orbiter piece of shit who just wanted to mack on my sister. But maybe… just maybe, you could actually be the bro I never had!"

They both sat down and continued to take more swigs of their beer. They began talking about random and innocuous "manly" topics, laughing at the most nonsensical jokes. an hour passed, and they became even more inebriated, despite only having 2 beers a piece. Fuyuhiko really took it the hardest. He was a lightweight for sure.

Natsumi was in her room, watching TV, lounging on the bed in her pajamas. She had texted Hajime a few times, but he hadn't responded. It was obviously a little asinine to text someone who is literally two rooms down, but she didn't want to go and knock on his door. The optics of doing that made her uncharacteristically uneasy. It would be really embarrassing if someone got the wrong idea. She sighed to herself and got out of bed. She headed down to the kitchen for a glass of water. She was rummaging through the fridge when she heard laughter outside. "What the hell?" She muttered to herself. She listened at the door and she could hear them talking. First she could make out Hajime's voice.

"So, just when everything was finally calming down, you'll never guess what happens next. Mahiru, of all people, walks in… holding a bento box! Can you believe that?"

Fuyuhiko wheezed with laughter. "You sly bastard! You didn't tell me you were such a lady's man! I never would have guessed that! You should have tried to get a foursome going right there," he smirked, nudging Hajime with his elbow

"Uh, wait… You realize one of those girls was your sister, right?" Just then, Natsumi burst through the door, with an annoyed look on her face. She assessed the situation.

"What the hell is going on out here? Since when did you two get all buddy buddy? And… what the...!? You guys were out here drinking and partying this whole time, and you didn't even bother to tell me? You… assholes!" She scolded, but Fuyuhiko just chuckled in response.

"Sorry Natsumi. But we follow a rule in this house. Bros before hoe-" He didn't get to finish, because Natsumi slammed her fist into his cheek in mid sentence. Fuyuhiko tumbled out of his seat and sprawled on the floor. Hajime rushed over to him to make sure he was alright and then looked up at Natsumi, who was still clenching her fist and fuming with anger. He smiled awkwardly.

"Heh heh… That was quite a punch. Remind me not to get on your bad side," he nervously joked. Natsumi did not look thrilled. She crossed her arms and scowled down at him.

"It's too late for that. I'm pretty fucking mad already," she growled. Hajime could sense something different in her tone. It lacked her typical snark and arrogance. She seemed genuinely hurt, that she had been left out.

"Ok, I get it. It was kinda uncool for us to do this without you. Next time we can all hang out together. Tonight got kinda outta hand. So, let's just try to forget about it and have a fresh start tomorrow, ok?" He said, reassuringly placing his hand on Natsumi's shoulder.

Natsumi blushed slightly. (What the hell?) She thought to herself. (When did Hajime get so mature… And confident?)

She was taken off guard by his calm and empathetic approach, rather than him just shrugging her off. Natsumi looked down and mumbled "fine" a nd walked back inside. Hajime was glad he had defused that situation. But he came to the realization that he still had Fuyuhiko to deal with.

Hajime bent down and lifted Fuyuhiko onto his feet. The boy was only semi conscious. Hajime helped him inside and up the stairs. He flopped Fuyuhiko down on his bed. After that, Hajime returned to his own room and fell onto his own bed. It was so much larger, softer, cooler, and more comfortable than the one back home. It wasn't long before he was out like a light.

.