Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters nor plot of Blue Lock.

Warnings: cursing, misogynistic AH, verbally abusive/manipulative parents, teenage boy thoughts

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UPDATED TIMELINE

See chapter 10A but replace Day 8 with:

Day 8 (Saturday) – Isagi walks her home, chats with his mom re: her suspicions on Reina's homelife. Ego and a white specter in Isagi's uniform appears in his dream. Has argument with his dad over Reina being temporary. Reina tells Sae she's going to Shibuya to meet Megumi (after implying Sae has a way to track where she is) but meets Isagi instead. Incident where her classmates are mean to her so Megumi and Isagi give them sour drinks. Reina gets angry at Isagi, but they make up and he asks her out. Isagi's dad's accuses Isagi of "stringing along" Reina. Isagi agrees to help out at a dinner party in Kiniro that his dad's restaurant is catering for, which ends up being at the Itoshi household.

O n i k k o

{鬼っ子}

chapter 11 – the dishwasher

("You both definitely don't run in the same circles.")

Stepping into the sprawling Itoshi Mansion, Yoichi finally understands Reo's previous words.

'Holy shit. Reina and Rin grew up here?'

The place is massive and reeks of wealth, from the shining marble floors to the grand imperial staircase. Standing there, the striker feels infinitesimally small, like an ant before a mountain. The entryway looks like one of those pictures from history class, where textbooks showed royal castles back in regency England. The resemblance matches right down to the enormous chandelier dominating the front entrance. Light bounces off the massive crystal structure, making him blink when the bright reflection hits his eyes. Yoichi awkwardly adjusts his grip on the sakizuke*-filled box in his hand. He redirects his gaze away from the extravagant interior towards Emi-san and the other restaurant workers.

'Which direction are we supposed to head in?'

"You must be the catering team, then?" A man in a fancy suit suddenly appears and greets their group. "I'm the event coordinator for Itoshi Law & Associates," he says with a smile that looks too large for his face, and with eyes that blink too much as they glance over the group. "So I see your staff holding boxes of what I'm assuming is part of the kaiseki*, but where is Isagi-san?"

"Some of the staff caught a cold," Emi-san supplies. "My name is Emi Fukukado, I'm his lead apprentice. Isagi-sensei is at the restaurant ensuring that the rest of the kaiseki and desserts are cooked to our best standards prior to delivery. I'll be the one in charge of the presentation and logistics on site."

The man's smile doesn't change, but Yoichi his eyes seem dismayed as they look Emi-san up and down. "I wasn't aware women could pursue such a profession. Surely there's at least one male apprentice in good health? I do expect a certain level of… competence, on site for this event."

Yoichi balks. 'No way… did this guy actually just say that?'

Back when the striker was in elementary school, Emi-san worked at his dad's restaurant for a few years. She was a frequent flyer at their house for dinners, since the older girl got along so well with his mom. (I.e they both took great pleasure in poking fun at him, laughing excessively over jokes that weren't funny, and both women shared a love of unprompted meddling.) When he was in middle school, she went to a culinary school down south before returning to apprentice under the older Isagi about a year ago. Long story short, Yoichi knows Emi-san's personality well enough. The striker doubts she's going to silently put up with bullshit like this.

He expects her to blow up at the sexist asshole, and he's ready to back her up once she does. 'What a pretentious dickhead. Have at him, Emi-san.'

But instead, the apprentice only gives a sharp smile. "I graduated with honors from Osaka Tsumi, the top ranked culinary program in the country as well as the fourth-highest ranked institute internationally. I am more than competent enough and qualified to ensure this evening's meal runs smoothly. Now, if you would please direct us to the kitchen so we can start plating the hors d'oeuvres? I'm sure our esteemed host would be disappointed if the guests arrived before the food was ready."

The misogynistic man's eyes twitch at Emi-san's cool professionalism. "I see… Well, then follow me." He clears his throat like a total tool. "I, of course, will now be keeping an especially... close eye on tonight's affairs to ensure everything is… kept up to our high standards."

'Pompous shithead.'

Yoichi sneers at the guy's back.

Since the catering team (obviously) arrived before the party began, no guests have arrived yet. The striker looks around as the group makes their way to the kitchen, but he doesn't spot any Itoshi he recognizes. The only people he sees are an occasional worker in a crisp black uniform, making some final touches to some decorations. Yoichi wonders if those workers were just hired for this event, or if the family always has some on hand. (With a place this big, he wouldn't be surprised if they needed to hire people for maintaining it). If those workers do stay in house, then for Reina's sake, Yoichi hopes the other employees are more tolerable than the jerk who greeted them.

"Hey, Emi-san?" The striker slides his box onto the long granite island in the (expectedly) huge and expensive-looking kitchen. (No laminate countertops nor limescale-speckled faucets in sight). "Why didn't you say anything to that guy?"

The older girl starts unpacking one of the boxes. "Your dad is awesome. You know that, right Chibi? He does a lot for us, goes out of his way for us when he doesn't have to. This contract is a really big deal for the restaurant and for your dad. If it goes well, then all these other ritzy clients will want our business too. So we can't mess this up for your dad. No matter what these entitled assholes do or say." She sighs, then grumbles under her breath. "But if that wasn't the case, oh boy, would I give that shitty geezer a kick up his sexist, sleezy-"

One hour later, and still no sight of Reina or Rin. (And entirely too many sightings of the sexist asshole, who keeps popping in to question Emi-san's every other action). Another hour passes, and still no Itoshi sibling in sight. Though, not running into them is more than likely because Yoichi's spent the entirety of his time here in the kitchen, quickly washing delicate dishes so that the plating team can keep up with each subsequent course. Yoichi finishes drying up the last gilded bowl in the sink from the most recent pile-up. The striker glances to his side, relieved to see the staff plating the mizumono *, which signals that they're almost near the end of this multi-course meal.

'Maybe after, I can text Reina and-'

"Cheebs!"

Yoichi's brow twitches at the childish nickname. If he didn't already know that Emi-san is insanely stressed right now, he would ignore the irritating woman until she addressed him properly.

"Yes?" The striker grits out.

"You're finished with that round of dishes already? Great. Use your soccer athlete balance and sporty strength or whatever to help Fujimi bring out the children's mizumono. Just follow him. And for the love of all that is holy, do not drop the cake. "

Yoichi sighs. "Sure." He swaps out his damp bib apron for a dry(er) spare bistro apron, and unrolls the sleeves of his dress shirt. (It's a bit tight on his shoulders and arms, but given his mom's short notice, it's not like he had time to buy a new formal shirt for this.) The striker hopes he looks somewhat presentable, despite the small stain on his collar from when one of the dishes splattered on him.

'Whatever, I'll just be out for a few minutes anyways before coming back.'

Yoichi helps the other employee carry the massive cake out into the main room. The first thing Yoichi notices when he exits the kitchen is that the guests all look like they're attending some fancy gala, not a house party. (Then again, the 'house' in question is the largest mansion he's ever seen, so maybe this is the expected level of formality for an event in this sort of place.) All the men are in full tuxedos or fancy suits, and all the women are either in elaborate Western style dresses or five-crested tomesode kimonos.* Some guests are eating at tables, but most people are conversing in groups along the edges of the room. There's also a good number of guests in the middle of the room, dancing to the music.

Because yes, the space is just that massive that it can even accommodate a dance floor.

'I can't believe this is all in one house. Insane.'

Even if Fujimi wasn't guiding him, it would have been pretty easy to spot the colourful children's section in the corner. A bunch of little gremlins with eager eyes look at the two workers hungrily as the duo carefully place the huge cake on one of the tables. Fujimi starts to cut the cake, and signals to Yoichi that the striker's free to head back to the kitchen. The younger man nods, just about to turn when he's stopped by someone calling his name.

"Isagi Yoichi?"

The striker turns to see Sae Itoshi, who seems genuinely surprised at the younger player's presence.

"Sae…san?" Yoichi belatedly tags on the honorific. (He's familiar with Sae through the news and through Rin, but this is the first time they've actually spoken to each other outside a game.) Yoichi also figures he should remain somewhat professional since he's technically working right now. Courtesy aside, of all Itoshi siblings, the eldest was the last one Yoichi expected to run into tonight. "I didn't realize you were still in Japan."

The midfielder quirks a brow. "Don't bother with useless formalities. And I'm flying back to Spain at the end of the week."

"Oh, well, have a safe flight, then." Yoichi nods. "By the way, is Re-Rin here, too?" He almost asks for Reina, before spontaneously deciding that maybe he shouldn't.

"Rin's team had a training retreat, he's in Kansai for the weekend." Sae shrugs (rather casually, considering this is the first non-match conversation they've ever had.) "Even if Rin stayed in Tokyo, you probably wouldn't have seen him tonight. He's been training from dawn till dusk every day. I imagine you've probably been doing the same?"

("You'd think, but he's actually been busy running his hands all over your little sister, and plotting all the ways he can keep her forever.")

'Shut it,' Yoichi abruptly shoves the voice far, far into his mind, despite its loud protests. (Busy chastising the voice, Yoichi misses Sae mumbling under his breath about reckless idiots not knowing the importance of rest days.) 'Go away,' Yoichi commands the unwanted mental visitor.

("Careful striker. You can push me away for now, but it won't work forever. And you won't like what I do when I come back." The voice chuckles darkly. "A volcano's never the one hurt by the eruption...")

Yoichi drowns out the meddlesome voice by continuing his conversation with the famous midfielder. "I'm surprised Rin's team didn't ask you to join their training."

Sae raises an unimpressed brow. "They did; I declined. I'm not wasting time with half-assed practice against a bunch of shitty-tier players. Then again," The older Itoshi rolls his eyes. "If I'd known that I'd get blackmailed into coming to this shitty pageant, maybe I'd have reconsidered."

Before Yoichi can respond, he feels a sharp tug on his apron. "Hey! Hey!" The striker follows the squeaky voice down to see a kid with pitch-black hair. "Wow, it really is you! Hey Takuto, Tamashiro, come here! I told you it was him! It's Isagi Yoichi!"

Two other (equally short) kids scramble over. A second child with an especially long nose grins. "I didn't know you'd be here too! I saw your goal on Wye-tube. It was so cool! I want to shake your hand!"

"No way, Takuto. Buzz off." The first kid interrupts his friend. "I found him, so Isagi Yoichi's going to sign my soccer ball first." Yoichi's surprised to see a butler of all things bring over a soccer ball and a marker. "Well?" The dark-haired boy raises an expectant eyebrow at Yoichi's inaction. "Sign it."

The striker's stunned to be asked in such a demanding way by a kid whose head is barely past his hips. "Ahh, sure?" Yoichi grabs the ball from the butler, and notices Itoshi Sae already scribbled onto one of the patches. Other than the messy autograph, the ball looks brand new. There's not a single scuff mark to indicate that it's been used, despite the expensive logo on it.

'I think I get what Sae meant by pageant now.'

Suddenly, more young kids leave the cake to swarm around him and Sae. Even a few middle school-aged guests are drawn in by the commotion.

Yoichi finds himself going through the unexpected line-up, and just finishes adding his signature onto another already autographed photograph of Sae, when he once more meets the midfielder's eyes.

"I was fucking blackmailed into attending," the redhead admits. "But how'd you get dragged into this, Isagi?"

The striker's eyes widen at Sae's blunt use of such vulgar language near so many young kids (Kaasan would have eviscerated him). "Ahh, just helping fill in." The younger player responds, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "A flu short-staffed the catering team. So, I got asked to help cover," before Yoichi can continue to add by my parents, he's interrupted.

"What a coincidence." An older man with Sae's hair and Rin's height cuts in. The man's not especially broad, but he's distinctly imposing. And although his words are said lightly, there's a noticeably unhappy edge to the harsh lines that make up the guy's face. "So this is the player you mentioned the other day at dinner?"

"Yes," Sae responds curtly, tone frigid. Yoichi's surprised by how the midfielder eyes the older man with even more venomous disdain than he had towards the whining kids.

"How… interesting. My son's praises come so rarely." The suited man looks Yoichi up and down, and the striker can actually feel the man's eyes zero in on the small stain on his collar. "Well, you certainly aren't what I was expecting." Before Yoichi even has a chance to process that backhanded comment, the Itoshi patriarch turns away from the striker, seeming entirely uninterested in Yoichi's response. "I hope you appreciate this…. humbling moment, Sae. Let it remind you of the privilege that comes with being born into this family." The midfielder grits his teeth as the man continues to speak. "Be thankful for it. In another life, you could have been stuck with destitute parents who couldn't properly support your career, leaving you to work for scraps too." The man puts a heavy hand on Sae's stiff shoulder, and although his voice quiets, Yoichi can still easily hear the next words. "Of course, no privilege comes without duty. So, stop avoiding your responsibilities…" His voice hardens. "And stop helping others avoid theirs."

Sae tenses immediately, and his suddenly alert eyes hurriedly scour the room, before pausing when they see something in the distance.

Yoichi can tell there's another conversation happening between the two Itoshis by the murderous glint that takes over Sae's eyes at whatever he sees on the other end of the room. There's probably some underlying message in the older man's words that explains why the midfielder just scowls instead of verbally answering his father. However, rather than trying to decipher the deeper meaning of the duo's conversation, the striker's instead rather busy holding back his explosive reaction to this fucker who just made such a blatant dig at his parents. 'Fuck you asshole; my parents support me more than enough.' Yoichi's fists clench.

(" This contract is a really big deal for the restaurant... So we can't mess this up for your dad. No matter what these entitled assholes do or say.")

'Calm down,' The striker tells himself, forcing himself to remember Emi-san's earlier warning. 'I can't mess this up for Tousan.' But there's something else too, needling at the back of his neck. This man may be a roaring asshole, but he's also Reina's father. Reina, who is going out on a date with him tomorrow and Reina who will be with him forever (that is, once he comes back for her after going pro and winning the World Cup.) With the role he's cast her for later, Yoichi knows that he should ease the way and be respectful towards her father now. Or he should, at bare minimum, at least try to avoid earning the man's outright disdain (however begrudging the striker's attempt might be).

'But do I really have to be polite to this entitled jerk. Even his own son seems to hate-'

A sharp tug on his apron pulls Yoichi's attention back downwards. "Hey, hey, Isagi-san! Sign my picture, too!" The child holds up a photo of Sae in his Royal Madrid uniform. This shiny picture is also already signed by the midfielder. 'Now that I think about it, a bunch of kids have had me sign this exact same printout...'

The kid's question catches the attention of Reina's father, who finally turns back around when the kid speaks. The striker easily picks up the annoyed glint in the older man's eyes.

'Oh, I get it.'

Itoshi Sae is the star at this fancy event. And having Isagi Yoichi, a Blue Lock Eleven player (the team that beat Sae's team with his goal), at this party is diverting attention away from the midfielder. Even though Sae seems appreciative of this fact, his father does not.

So the striker quickly signs the glossy photo, and then gives a strained smile to the remaining kids. "Ahh, sorry kids. I have to get back to the kitchen. But, since you're here, maybe Sae can tell you more about his time playing with Royal Madrid?"

The kids nod and cheer excitedly, turning towards the midfielder with expectant gazes. Even though there's a satisfied look the older Itoshi's eyes, Sae's chilling aura tells Isagi exactly how much he appreciates Yoichi's 'generous' actions.

"See you later, Sae-san. Have a safe flight back to Spain. Oh, and it was…" Polite Yoichi wins out over honest Yoichi. "...Nice to meet you, Itoshi-san."

The man's eyes twitch.

'This asshole wasn't really expecting me to address him as Itoshi -sama or something, was he? As if.'

It's true Yoichi would prefer to not be on the guy's bad side, but he's also not a fucking servant.

(And you know what? Screw this guy for expecting any form of respect from him after insulting his parents.)

'Here's wishing you all the worst karma in the world, jackass.'

An irritated Yoichi enters the kitchen just in time to see Emi-san talking with an older woman who's dressed in the same crisp, black uniform as the other Itoshi staff. Only, unlike the others, this lady looks old enough to have retired at least a decade ago.

"Oh, perfect." Emi-san spots the striker at the doors. "My favourite dishwasher can take it." The apprentice waves him over. "Isagi-kun, this is Mako-san," Emi points to the grey-haired woman. "She's one of the caretakers of the Itoshi estate. It sounds like one of the host's kids wasn't feeling well, so they went upstairs early and missed dinner. Fujimi is just finishing making up a plate for them now. Can you take it up when it's ready, while the rest of us finish up the dessert for the adults?"

The old caretaker looks at him and immediately starts shaking her head. "Oh, no, no, no. I wouldn't want to trouble the young man. I'm happy to wait until it's done to take it upstairs to-"

"Nonsense, obaasan." Emi-san cuts her off gently. "You look like you've just come off a long shift. Isagi-kun is more than happy to take of the delivery so you can get home."

One Itoshi child is in the main hall, and another is in Kansai. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which Itoshi isn't feeling well upstairs.

'She's sick?'

"I'm happy to help out." Yoichi smiles politely. "Just let me know where to bring the plate once it's done."

'Then I'll get to check in on her too.'

The caretaker seems oddly nervous about the whole affair, but concedes in the face of Emi-san's persistence. "The young miss, she…" The woman pauses. "She might be contagious. Stomach flu and all, so please just leave it outside her door. Just knock and she'll grab it when she's ready."

"Sure," Yoichi agrees easily, even though he has absolutely no plans to abide by the request. 'Stomach flu? How? She seemed fine yesterday.'

The older woman thanks him before finally providing instructions. "Go to the main foyer and take a right. Then, use the second set of stairs to the left. Stop on the fourth floor. Then three doors to your left should be her room. If you pass the library, you've gone too far."

"Got it," Yoichi says, not entirely certain he does. 'Worse comes to worse, I can always just text Reina for directions. Or even call her, maybe, if I get lost.'

Even though he just saw her last night, and even though he already has a date with her tomorrow, he's still eager to see her now. 'Is that weird?'

Twenty minutes later, Yoichi stands before what he hopes is the correct door. He's got a drink in one hand and a plate in the other, so uses his elbow to knock. The bent joint bangs against the wood more loudly then he anticipated, and before he can speak he hears her from the other side.

"W-who is it?"

Yoichi's surprised by two things: her subdued voice, and the palpable fear in her words. She continues speaking before he can respond.

"Y-you better l-leave, Chisaki-san. O-or else I'll… I'll…" Her voice hardens. "Or else I'll call my brother upstairs. You saw; he isn't afraid of my father or yours. So you better get lost, because Sae-nissan's back, and he will kill you for coming near me again."

'Again?'

"I'm not b-bluffing." Her voice falters again and quickens, almost panicked. "If you don't leave, I'll, I'm, I'll call him upstairs right now and-"

"Reina," Yoichi rushes to reassure her. "It's just me."

He immediately hears rustling and a thud on the other side. The door opens abruptly and his brain fries, too stunned by her appearance to remember to greet her (or to ask about the person she mistook him for.)

'Oh… wow…'

"Yo-kun?" Her eyes widen and her red lips part in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

She does not look like someone too unwell to attend dinner. 'Not at all.'

She had been so pretty in her Momoji kimono the other night, but this is different. This time she's in a western-style dress, the ones he sees Hollywood actresses wear on those magazine covers lining convenience store stalls. Reina's in a deep blue dress that hugs her from her knees to her chest, sleeveless except for a band of teal lace that wraps from the bottom of the dress, around her hips, and then down one arm. It clings to her like a second skin. Speaking of skin, he can see hers. Arms and legs and neck and skin, skin, skin.

His mouth is dry when he tries to speak. "Reina, you…" Look good enough to eat. Let me taste you.

The striker's cheeks immediately heat at the lecherous direction of his thoughts. In a poor effort to erase them, he suddenly blurts out the first not-lewd thing that comes to mind. "What's the curly thing on a stair called?" At her baffled look, he awkwardly elaborates. "Umm… the swirly thing… at the end of a stair railing…on a staircase..."

Oh god, of all the stupid things to bring back up?* He's mortified.

Her confusion curves into amusement. "Why on earth would I know some random, esoteric fact like that?" ('Says the girl who uses words like esoteric in regular conversation.') She giggles. "If you're really that curious, I can coogle the answer on my phone for you?"

Steam blows out of his ears. Why does he always spout such embarrassing things around her? 'She probably thinks I'm an idiot. I can't believe I said something so stupidly lame. Or maybe she even thinks I'm-'

An obnoxiously loud gurgle interrupts his internal breakdown.

"Oh my god!" Reina squeaks, and immediately grips her stomach. (Yoichi's honestly relieved that she finally looks just as embarrassed as him now.) "Please, please tell me you didn't hear that?"

He pauses before answering.

'…I should lie, right?'

The striker doesn't decide quickly enough.

"Oh god." She groans again, while bringing her palms to her face, and letting her fingers cover her eyes. Which is all fine with Yoichi, who readily seizes the opportunity to greedily take in the view of her once more, hungry gaze eating up every inch and curve on display.

'So pretty… so close…'

Yoichi's suddenly thankful for his hands being occupied. (He doesn't trust them right now. Not with him and her being all alone in this empty hall, and her looking… well, like that.)

"You…" look really nice, he wants to say. But, he chickens out and instead finishes his sentence with flushed cheeks and a tentative, "sound hungry?"

Her fingers spread open, and her eyes peek between them. "You will never speak of this incident again," she commands petulantly.

He smiles at her childish actions. 'Cute.'

She takes his silence as tacit agreement, and removes her hands from her face. "But really, what are you doing here?" She echoes her earlier question.

"My dad's restaurant is the one catering tonight. They needed some more hands on deck after some employees called in sick." He responds. "Oh, and one of the older workers here… umm, Mano-san, I think her name was? She mentioned you hadn't had dinner yet so, well…"

He nods to the food and drink in his hand.

"Mako-san," she corrects, smiling fondly. "Thanks." It's a soft expression, one that warms up his stomach in a weird way. And maybe the feelings could have stayed wholesome, but she turns after accepting the food and drink from him, and he sees her back.

He really likes how she looks in this dress.

The striker roughly shakes his head. 'God, what am I even thinking about?' It's not like he can toss her on the bed and have his way with her (even if that idea sounds really tempting.) He glances towards the large bed stationed in the even grander room. The messy bedding has multiple open notebooks and textbooks sprawled atop it. He recognizes the book with the red cover, the one that had been overly filled with pink and green highlighting back in the cafe; the book she always seems to have with her. Then he spots an especially thick textbook face down on the ground, explaining the loud thud he heard before she opened the door.

After placing her dinner on her desk, she walks towards the fallen book and bends down to pick it up .

His eyes shoot up to the ceiling, cheeks flaring.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you wait by the door." She turns over her shoulder as she rises, casually bringing the fallen textbook back to the same desk as her dinner. "You can come in."

'I really shouldn't.' He thinks, not trusting himself at all.

"I don't bite." She jokes.

'I might.' He stares again at her soft-looking skin, half-dazed. Or, more accurately, like a warped mix that's half entranced fool, half nervous ball of twisted up eager anxiety, and half poorly (not even remotely) repressed lustful teenage boy.

Yes, he's aware that's not mathematically possible. (But she's the academic prodigy, not him, so whatever.)

His oblivious genius stands in front of her desk effortlessly, smiling so innocently. Gosh, does she really not understand why he's so hesitant over them being alone in a room with a large, messy, tempting bed. Does she really not understand the thoughts she welcomed into his head when she invited him into her bedroom?

But speaking of room…

'There is plenty of space, right?'

Her bedroom is easily the size of his family's kitchen, foyer, and living room. So, well, with this much room, he can easily keep a reasonable distance from her and not succumb to his earlier thoughts… right?

Yoichi finally, cautiously steps inside. He's so focused on measuring out the distance between him and her, that the striker unintentionally leaves the door open behind him. (He won't recognize the severity of that mistake until it's already too late.)

Reina pops a prosciutto-wrapped fig into her mouth, happily chewing and swallowing. "Yum! Thanks again for bringing this up. Gosh, I was starving." She goes for a beet tartare-covered crostini next, and he forces his eyes to scan the room instead of focusing on her shiny lips. Instead, his eyes land on her feet, both bare except for a couple of band-aids. 'Guess the blisters from Momoji are still there.' He frowns slightly at the sight, annoyed when he remembers how he maybe caused her to get the wounds. To stem the burgeoning guilt, he shoots his gaze back up. He's just in time to see her swallow a truffle-topped croquette.

She grins, utterly content. "Your dad's food is amazing."

Looking at her bright face and upbeat appearance, he thinks again that she looks suspiciously well for someone supposedly sick enough to miss a party that's happening in their own home, especially an event she was already dressed up for. "So," Yoichi drawls. "How's your throat?"

She finishes gulping down another crudité before responding. "My throat?"

"Mawo-san said you had a sore throat," he lies intentionally. "And that's why you were upstairs."

"Mako-san," She correctly instantly, before clearing her throat belatedly. "And, oh, y-yes." She brings a hand to her neck. "Looks like I just needed some vocal rest. But, I'm all better now!"

'So this is what you look like when you're lying.'

A shaky smile and eyes that can't meet his own. A slight stutter followed by her lightly biting her lip as she nervously waits for his response, obviously anxious over whether he's bought into her story.

'You aren't a very good liar, Reina.'

This is a strangely comforting observation. (Because now he'll be able to tell immediately if she ever tries to lie to him again.)

"She actually said you had the stomach flu," the striker admits.

Her eyes widen and her shoulders tense up. "I don't appreciate the deception, Yocchan. Actually, I really hate tricks like that." She frowns before mumbling. "I… I didn't think I had to watch out for those sorts of things against you though..."

'Why?' His gut twists. 'Because I'm not clever enough to come up with them?'

"What's actually wrong?" He persists instead, side-stepping his insecurities and instead stepping closer to her. "Why weren't you downstairs?" Barely a meter remains between two of them now.

Reina sighs, before offering a tired smile. "Sae-niisan saved me from it."

He raises a brow at the dramatic phrasing. 'She is a pretty dramatic person though, so…' He supposes it makes sense? But then Yoichi remembers how Sae viciously looked at his father, and how the midfielder had offhandedly commented on being "blackmailed" into coming… 'But hadn't that just been sarcasm?'

"Hmm," Reina's voice interrupts his thoughts. "I could have done without the grapes, though." Her nose scrunches at the plate with playful ungratefulness.

"Not a fan?" He asks, amused.

"Urgh, not at all." She shakes her head. "They're an utterly incongruous combination: a squishy, soggy middle with a sour, dry skin. Why ruin the sweetness with the tart over top? Bleh. Oh, and don't even get me started on raisins. They're infinitely worse. It's like… eating crumpled up old people."

Like he said, dramatic.

Yoichi sighs. 'Looks like I'm not eating raisins again.'

She plucks a grape from the small bushel, and rolls the round fruit between two fingers. She eyes it suspiciously before dropping it in the small trash bin next to her desk with a satisfied expression.

He tilts his head. "You shouldn't waste food."

'Rich people, honestly.'

"I'm just letting it rest in peace." She grins, sliding a hand over her chest. "Here lies Mrs. Grape; devoted sibling, now protecting us from above. Requiescat in pace. May we never meet again. And don't worry, you won't be too lonely, because your little sister grape will be joining you soon."

"You're actually so weird." He chuckles.

She plucks another grape, flicks it, and (in true Reina fashion) misses the trash can that was right next to her.

He snorts. "And your aim still sucks."

'Guess Mrs. Grape won't be meeting her sister anytime soon.'

Reina responds very maturely by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Well," He smirks conspiratorially. "If you're that unhappy with my selection for you, I suppose I can just…" He swiftly moves around her and steals the plate.

"Hey!" She yelps, immediately reaching towards him to reclaim her unfinished dinner.

He easily avoids her outstretched hands by lifting the plate away from her. Then, he has entirely too much fun watching her try to take the plate from him. The striker's quite happy about his increased core training this past week, as he uses the stronger central muscles to easily keep his balance despite her amusing attempts to seize back her dinner. He's also quite pleased about how her efforts result in her brushing against him every time she reaches for the plate.

Yoichi uses his other hand to slide a few grapes in his own mouth, putting on a smug smile just to incite her more.

Round and round they go, until eventually they've positioned themselves so he's between her and the door.

Reina takes a small step away, probably to take a breath and re-strategize. She lets out an exasperated huff of air. "So you've chosen war." Her arms are adorably akimbo at her sides. "Get ready for an all-out, guns blazing assault! You're going down, mister soc-"

Suddenly, her smile wilts and her eyes widen with terror.

"And just why," a furious voice hisses from behind his shoulder. "Is there a boy in your room?"

Asterisk Notes

* sakizuke = appetizer

*kaiseki = traditional multi-course Japanese dinner

* mizumono = dessert

* Tomesode = most formal kimono type worn by married women. 5 crests are the most formal. Source: /know-different-kimono-types/

* Obaasan = respectful term for older lady/grandmother-aged lady.

*the curly thing at the end of the stair is called a volute, and the reason Yoichi's bringing it up here is because the night prior as a random thought when he was with his dad, he thought that Reina was smart enough to know what that curly part was called.

End of Chapter 11 part one

If you're enjoying, I would love you more than Reina hates grapes if you left a review :)

A/N: I will try by absolute hardest to get part two out by the end of the month! Also, I'll be posting an image of the dress (hopefully sometime this/next week) on AO3. Also, anyone else not a grape or raisin fan? I love grapes, but I'm definitely with Reina re: raisins. (Bleh)

Preview for future chapters of Onikko

"Did you just interrupt me?" The icy tone silences Reina. ... eyes are filled with something cold, something warped, something horrible.

-/-

It's moments like this that your low breeding really shows.

-/-

Yoichi remembers his mother's question. Now, each word resounds with a heavy echo. "Is she… safe at home?"

-/-

"Did you really think I'd let you run away, princess?"... A malicious smile and an unforgiving pressure wrapping around her neck... "You're not that lucky."

-/-

Rin's not coming to save you this time, no one is.

Responses to FFN Reviews

Stewie242 - I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and I will try my best to get the second part of this chapter out by the end of the month!

uzu i-sa - you and me both, I am both in love with and terrified of Isagi in this fic. I blame all the manhwas with possessive MLs for his character in this fic, lol. (But actually, the cannon reason for the purposes of this story is that BL made this poor teletubby think he had to be in control of everything, and that losing focus would end in death. Thank you Ego for traumatizing my cuties). And, oh, yes, these two will def be hurting each other (but HEA at the end, I promise!) Fun fact, I ALSO thought that sirens were half-human/half-fish for like, forever. But my beta caught it and when I went to actually google it, sirens are actually half-bird half-human (according to the OG greek versions, they were handmaidens that got punished by Demeter after they "let" her daughter get kidnapped by Hades. Don't know HOW she expected handmaidens to do anything against one of the triumverate, but, then again, it's not like Greek gods were known for their reasonable punishments). I don't know where the half-human half-fish thing eventually started to come in, but I definitely thought the same! I'm so glad you liked his past/thought felt it matched him. Tysm for reading and reviewing, hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

FlameClasher180 - Sorry for taking so long again! (I started this fic during a calmer time at work, and work currently refuses to give me any personal time. Sigh, capitalism. I will try my absolute best to get at least something out every 4 weeks, even if it's partial chapters instead of the full ones, so you guys get something and don't forget what's happened! So happy you are enjoying, tysm for taking the time to read and review!

ErlanggSIOC - IRL stuff is slowly slowly slowly getting smoother. Only 4 weeks instead of 8 this time (*chuckles nervously*) From next chapter onwards, you'll slowly learn more about Reina's past/Life as an Itoshi kid, and yes, you will hate their parents wholeheartedly. Tysm fo reading & reviewing!

Golden Wind God - I'm so flattered omg tysm! Each person in the Itoshi household will be finding out at separate times, with progressively worse and worse reactions (my poor couple, what did I do to them?) Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

ElvenMatter - not abandoned yet! I've got a template, so I will get through this fic if it kills me because I need these plot bunnies out of my head so I can live in peace lol. Tysm for reading and reviewing, I will try to get part 2 up by the end of the month! (also Omg I TOTALLY agree with the Rin's goal vs Isagi's goal point. )

Guest - tysm! I am so glad you feel OC has translated well into the BL-verse. I'm honestly trying really hard to make her a believable OC so I'm glad people are accepting her and becoming invested in her! Tysm for reading and reviewing 3

QuerQ - I got this one out in 4 weeks instead of 8 weeks, so it's a little bit sooner for you all (*author laughs nervously while ducking out of the way of tomatoes being thrown by readers*) I will def try to get the second part of this up by the end of the month though so you guys won't have to wait as long as you did for 10p2! Tysm for reading and reviewing!

AnonymousTJ - Omg work has been crazy so ty for your patience and understanding 3 I'm so happy you're getting invested in Reina! Omg her being close to your favs is so flattering I'm grinning like a fool :'D Oh boy, you will want to wring this teletubby's neck more than once istg. Idk, I just can't write non-toxic MLs anymore - I blame all the rofan manhwa I've been reading tbh :P Each Itoshi learns of IsagixReina at different times, and each time, it'll be more and more explosive hehehe. I''ll try to get the next chapter out by the end of the month so you aren't waiting in suspense too long! Ty so much for reading & reviewing!