Yashiro, Kanashi and Minato all liked listening to music.

They all had earpieces of some sort, and none of them listened to their music with headphones. And it was still hard for them to ever hear someone asking a question to any of them unless they knew someone was talking to them beforehand.

"Hey Kanashi what about the guy that you told me about that was about 6 foot 3? You know the guy who's got a cap and good at boxing?" Junpei asked.

Kanashi thankfully this time… he wasn't listening to music. "Oh please, we already have an asshole like that over here," he said, pointing his thumb over to Yashiro.

Yashiro managed to notice when he wasn't looking absentmindedly around his mp3 player, and deadpanned at Kanashi. "Very funny," he sighed. "You know what we need? An assassin who's got speed and stealth, doesn't make noise?"

"Oh my pen pal's good at that. But she's a violence loving brat," Kanashi sighed.

"You have a pen pal?" Minato asked. "You know, besides the other one that suggested it a few days ago?"

"Yeah… why? Dude, don't even think about it. She lives in the southern hemisphere and has no money to boot," Kanashi said.

"Why does that sound eerily familiar?" Yashiro asked. Other question. Why did it make him feel like she would make him very aware of how selfish he could be? Another question. Why for everything that Kanashi had told him about her, get his heart racing? Weeeeird. It must be another one of those paradoxes again.

"I dunno," Kanashi shrugged. "Come off it, she kinda reminds me of you. Except less of a deadpanning jerk and more of a girl that's obsessed with violence and cyber hugs all at the same time."

"Why?" Yashiro sighed. Alternate paradox alert! Beep! Alternate paradox alert! Beep!

"Well, she's obsessed with rock and even that BFMV shit that you listen to," Kanashi said, beginning to count things off his fingers. "She likes a lot of anime and video game series, like SMT… and some other stuff, but that's private."

"What? Next thing you tell me she's also the exact opposite of me at the same time," Yashiro shook his head.

"But she is! She's unlike you in that she's really optimistic most of the time!" Kanashi exclaimed. "And she also never seems to want to try and be annoying or a jerk. Most of the time anyways."

"Are you saying that I'm an annoying jerk?" Yashiro raised an eyebrow.

"No, you're an emo, high on sugar brat," Kanashi grinned.

"Why do I feel an extreme need to punch you in the face?" Yashiro's eyebrow started twitching.

"Then punch me you goddamned sissy!" Kanashi raised his hands, obviously trying to taunt Yashiro.

"Gladly!" Yashiro growled, for once losing his temper and charging to punch Kanashi.

"Hah, missed!" Kanashi laughed.

"I wonder why he likes messing with Yashiro so much?" Minato asked Junpei.

"I dunno man. But it's kinda funny seeing Mr. Cool and Breezy over there getting hot and bothered sometimes," Junpei chuckled.

"You're right, that is kinda funny how he reacts to Kanashi. Because he never seems to get fazed by anything else," Minato nodded in agreement. "Hey, you said something smart."

"I did?" Junpei's eyes widened. "AHHHHH-"

Junpei smacked into the lockers.

As he recovered, he noticed that there was some writing seemingly made with black marker on it. There were stickers all over it as well, and the lock seemed a bit rusted. "Uh… 'Don't touch or you die… faggots…'" Junpei said uncertainly. "Did I touch it?" he asked Minato.

"You crashed dick first into it dude," Minato said as he facepalmed.

"Was someone bold enough to touch the sacred locker?" someone growled.

"Fuck off!" Yashiro yelled.

"Or what!? You gonna caps lock me to death!?" Kanashi growled as he tried to kick Yashiro.

"What does the internet have anything to do with this!?" Yashiro shouted as he caught Kanashi's foot with a block and tried to throw a punch at him.

"Oh Kurow," Minato noted.

"Oh crap, it's Kurow!" Junpei said as he scrambled up to his feet.

"I don't care about Kurow right now!" Yashiro snarled.

"Yeah Kurow, we're kinda in the middle of something!" Kanashi hissed.

"I was just asking if someone touched the goddamned locker! Now fess up you shits! Who touched it!?" Kurow yelled.

"What's all this fuss here!?" Ekoda shouted.

"FUCK OFF EKODA!" Everyone cursed as they turned their glares to the now quivering teacher.

"Get out of my sight di—I mean, Ekoda!" Kurow corrected himself, smirking at the literature teacher. Aaaaand he was gone like right out of a Road Runner scene.

"Fuck, you hit hard!" Kanashi said, his eye twitching as he looked at the downed Yashiro.

"So do you," Yashiro spat. "Notes, you have to practice your counters," he muttered as he looked over at the also down Kanashi.

"Are you guys done?" Minato asked.

"NOPE! TOM AND JERRY TIME!" Kanashi and Yashiro exclaimed before they disappeared in a scuffle of dust and smoke. And lots of cursing.

"Hm, I wonder whether I should be concerned about them sometimes," Minato sighed.

"Uh, it wasn't me that touched your locker, I swear!" Junpei chuckled nervously, sweating bullets.

"No, he just accidentally crashed into it," Minato mumbled.

"Riiiiight," Kurow rolled his eyes before bending down to the lock with his key. He opened the door, and casually waited for the guillotine to come down before reaching up to the top and grabbing a paper bag.

"Why do you have a guillotine in your locker?" Minato asked.

"To keep sorry dumbfucks like you out of my locker, duh," Kurow grinned as he lifted several layers of paper bags and plastic off the bundle he was holding.

Minato blinked. Since when was Kurow that mean? Even Kanashi was like a just freed bunny compared to that crow. "Never mind," Minato sighed before he turned back to Yashiro and Kanashi. "You guys done NOW?"

"Uh… yeah…" the two said before standing up and brushing the dust and dirt off their uniforms.

"Anyways, holy Kurow, is that weed?" Minato blinked in surprise.

"Yeah," Kurow said curtly before opening up the window and jumping out into a tree.

Kanashi equals puppy. "Wow," Minato said quietly.

"Did he just jump out of the window with a packet of weed?" Junpei asked incredulously.

"Who jumped out of the window with a packet of weed?" Yashiro and Kanashi said in unison.

"Kurow," Minato said.

"HEY! YOU COULD KEEP QUIET ABOUT THAT DUMBFUCKS!" Kurow yelled before running off.

"He has anger issues," Yashiro said calmly, although he was still shooting glares at Kanashi.

"Yeah, like you!" Kanashi smirked at the boxer.

"Oh so you do want to go at this again, don't you?" Yashiro glared.

"Guys, just shut up for a few moments. Kanashi just stop antagonising Yashiro. Yashiro, stop using threats of violence," Minato sighed. "And don't you both yell at me before I steal your cap and your hoodie."

"You wouldn't dare," they growled.

"Oh I would," Minato said. "Anyways, does anybody here mind going with me after school to try and find Kurow? I sensed some SP come off him when he jumped out of the window."

"Wait, that jerk has the potential?" Junpei exclaimed.

"Yes," Minato nodded. "It might've been part of the reason why he was a member of Strega before."

"Well dayum," Kanashi nodded. "Anyways, I'm sure Yashiro would LOVE to come with you after school to help you find the jerk!"

"I didn't agree to anything," Yashiro said stubbornly.

"Are you sure? You could get away from Kanashi for a few hours," Minato urged.

Yashiro stayed quiet for a few moments before he sighed. "Oh fine, it's better than hanging out with this guy…"

"Cool," Minato nodded.

…

"If I were Kurow, where would I be…?" Minato mumbled.

"Considering how he was dressed and how 'customised' his locker is I'd wager that he actually does live at the school," Yashiro said. "I guess we could check around the school first before we go anywhere else."

"Good idea," Minato nodded before he closed his eyes and tried to search for Kurow's SP signature. His scanning powers might not have been as strong as Fuuka's but they were decent enough to be able to know where Shadows in a smaller radius were. "Let's check around the persimmon tree," he said after a few moments.

"Persimmon tree?" Yashiro said sceptically.

"Oh. Well, I kinda remember that tree because it was related to this old couple that I used to hang out with. They're the guys that run Bookworms," Minato explained. "I'll just show you."

"Right…" Yashiro said slowly.

A few minutes later, Minato showed Yashiro over to the area where the persimmon tree was.

"This is it," he said. "Anyways, I felt Kurow's SP signature a lot over here."

"I wonder why?" Yashiro sighed.

"I do as well," Minato nodded as he stepped into the garden. "Hello? Kurow-san, are you here?" he called.

"'Sup bitches?" Kurow said as he dropped down from the roof of the hallway they were walking under. "Why're you looking for me?"

Yashiro backed off. First, Minato got his hiding place just right. Second, he dropped down from the roof of all places. Third… he was smoking on school grounds. Fourth, whoa! We've got a badass over here!

Minato didn't even flinch, and answered Kurow, "Let me say this straight. We want you to join our group, SEES."

"Why do you want me to join? You already know how much of an asshole I am," Kurow asked.

"It's called lack of arms… People with the potential aren't exactly like feathers on a bird, more like pins in haystacks. So, we need all the manpower that we can get," Minato explained.

"No, no, I mean like it would be super easy for me to lie about my allegiance right now. How do you know that I'm not in on Strega?" Kurow grinned.

"I didn't say that I trusted you. We just mean that more manpower is good and we'd like more of it, regardless of circumstances," Yashiro sighed.

"Alright, alright I was just joking man. Anyways, the other thing I should be asking is… why should I join at all?" Kurow asked as he dropped his cigarette and snuffed out the embers.

"Why not?" Minato asked.

"…good point," Kurow grinned. "Welp, Miharu at your service captain."

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up," Minato sighed. "I'm still just going to call you Kurow, you know?"

"Nah, I kinda figured. I find it fucked up if people call me by my last name somehow… kinda explains why I get pissed at the teachers real easily," Kurow chuckled.

"You must snap at them a lot then," Yashiro muttered.

"You know it boxer boy!" Kurow laughed.

Yashiro was trying very hard not to let his irritation show. But goddammit, why were there so many people that were trying to antagonise him!?

AN: btw, from now on, ANs are also pre-written up until the forty ninth, somethingth chapter or so, but the review replies and the Q/A section are still stuck in the present.

Plz box meh yo reviews and imma see ya guys later.

Yoshikunitsu: Well, depends on how mean I'm feeling. But I kinda doubt it, unless I can think of an important situation that Maiko could possibly get involved with.
Also, when you ask of me to bring Minato to converse with other Minatos, you're bringing me to my NTL headcanon. Hahahaha… *gets bonked on the head with a frying pan*
(btw, you're welcome and I will. I have had a lot of fun making the next chapters.)

Raidou: It couldn't have possibly been THAT sweet, could it? Hahahaha, like a certain someone else being nice to you?

Technodude458: No. Teasing is one of my hobbies. I think I need another one.

Nights (38, den 39): Haha, well, whatevs.
Indeed. I think. *IthinkImight'vedownplayedthatinthelaterchaptersbecauseI'mnotfocusingonhimasmuch*
Well, as wonderful as wonderful with Kurow can get.
Welp, you won't be seeing the name 'Tsume' being used for a loooong while.
A tiny bit? Maybe?

Yeah, it was fun writing him like that.
Heh, well you won't have to wait that long as long as others review as well.
Sure will.

Q/A SECTION

(Nyx) Convo 1: To Yoshikunitsu.

Nyx: Yes, perhaps.
And I suppose I could ask him if I really wanted to. I ask him about things for everything else, don't I? *turns to Hoshiro* Why are you smirking like that? Is there something happening later that I don't know about?

Hoshiro: That's for me to know and you to find out.

Nyx: You might be more fickle than Fortuna…