2/29, Tues
After School - Madarame's Artlier
The pantry was empty…
Akatsuki had taken in this fact with a scowl, and as he left the aforementioned room, he couldn't help but maintain his frown as he walked to meet Haru in the Artlier's equivalent of the living room.
Haru was no different, however, as her face was uncharacteristically flat, with her fingers flexing as she seemed to be looking for something to strike. One could not blame her, however, especially after what they had seen in the past few hours.
After Yusuke's continued ignorance of their messages, the two had gotten worried for him, almost overly so. The painter ignoring messages wasn't unexpected, but him not being online for upwards of five days had them on edge. They had returned to the Artlier as a result of their growing concerns, with them hoping to find an answer to their questions all the while.
"Are we sure that Kitagawa-San is even here…?" asked Akatsuki uncertainty as he got out of the vehicle, to which Haru nodded.
"I was able to contact Kosei Academy, and they told me that he has been… absent from the dormitories for quite some time," assured Haru, and to this, they exited Sasha's car and marched towards the Artlier.
Knocking on the door did nothing to goad the boy or his mentor into letting them in, which wasn't too surprising, though banging on it, hard, did nothing either, something that worried the two as they contemplated their next course of action, and ultimately, they settled on breaking it down. Well… Sasha had done it for them to take responsibility if anyone were to see, and with a powerful shoulder check, the door swung open, the flimsy lock doing little to change that all the while.
Sasha himself remained outside to face whatever consequence he was about to face for what he had just done. Meanwhile, his charges rushed in to find Yusuke… and find him they did; the boy was passed out by the stairs of the Artlier, though he was still breathing, much to their relief, though that didn't stop them from calling an ambulance for him.
Whilst waiting for help to arrive, the kids took note of how there was no blood found near where he laid, nor was there any sign of forced entry into the Artlier. Something else was behind his current state, but what that could be eluded them for now.
Either way, the ambulance Akatsuki had called came within minutes, with them carting Kitagawa off to the closest ward without pause. Whilst they got him ready for transport there, however, Akatsuki and Haru had cornered one of the on-site medics and demanded to know what was up with their mutual… acquaintance, and to this, the medic frowned.
"Considering the lack of blood splatters and how nothing apart from the door seems to have been broken," a mild pause as the medic glanced at Sasha, who appeared sheepish, "all we can say is that he passed out rather than assaulted. Considering his malnourished appearance, we can harken this to a severe hunger pang… we can't say how severe the situation is until we get him into a room, but considering how he seemingly passed out without warning, I'd hazard to say it was pretty bad…"
And upon hearing this, both Akatsuki and Haru went a little pale as they watched the medics lift Yusuke off into the ambulance. They watched as they drove off with their mutual acquaintance, and all the while, Sasha stood by the sidelines, frowning deeply all the while.
"Want me to tail them?" asked the chauffeur, eliciting a shake of the twos head.
"No. We know where they're headed. Just stay put for now, I want to check something," said Akatsuki. Sasha simply nodded and watched the boy march into the Artlier. Haru bowed as thanks to him before she followed suit.
And all of that… led to now, with Akatsuki having located the place's pantry and having found it empty. There was a decent layer of dust coating most of the room's surface, something that told him that it had been this way for quite some time. He relayed all this information to Haru, who audibly gasped as she processed this, but moments later, they got out of the place and marched to their chauffeur, who seemed a little taken aback by the scowl on the boy's face and the worried look on the girl's.
"... did you two find a dead body in there or something?" asked Sasha on reflex, and to this, the duo shook their heads.
"No… we need you to bring us to the hospital currently holding Kitagawa-San. I do not wish to waste any more time here, Javor-San," said, surprisingly enough, Haru, with her voice sounding more authoritative than Sasha had ever heard it prior. He didn't object to this, however, as he nodded and put pedal to the metal and drove the two to the hospital Akatsuki had referred Yusuke to.
Whilst they drove, Akatsuki took note of how Haru shook with barely disguised worry; she had come to take a liking towards Yusuke after their admittedly fun romp with modelling for him, and in all honesty, the pink haired boy has as well, and as a way to mitigate her worries, Augus reached down and lightly grasped Okumura's hand, causing her to tense up lightly before she glanced up at her friend awkwardly.
"He'll be fine," was all Akatsuki could muster as he offered his friend a reassuring smile, one that made Haru mirror the expression as she nodded, an uncertain act, but one that wasn't devoid of hope either.
"I… yes, he will be. He will be," said Haru, sounding almost as though she were trying to convince herself that as she spoke. "But… why? Why would the pantry be empty…? Madarame was here, wasn't he? We saw him less than a week ago! Why wouldn't he restock the pantry for Kitagawa-Kun…?"
"Sometimes, people forget. And other times… people are just petty. Other times, it could be a combination of both, or perhaps some other reason, like stinginess, perhaps? Doubtful, considering who Madarame is, but it certainly isn't off the table," came a response from Sasha up front, with him scowling as he glanced at the rearview mirror with a critical gaze. Akatsuki and Haru stared back with matching expressions of worry. "I can't claim to know much about Madarame, not much more than anyone else does, but I can say this, some people are just nasty for the sake of it. I just… I never thought that someone as reputable as Madarame would be as seemingly nasty as this."
And upon hearing this, both Akatsuki and Haru frowned as they looked to one another uncertainly… before nodding. This was the last straw… today, they were going to get Yusuke out of Madarame's grasp, one way or another.
Yusuke woke with a start, laying atop a bed that was softer than what he was used to. Groaning lightly as he did so, he sat up and brought a hand up to his head, rubbing it lightly all the while.
As he did so, however, he noticed how he had an IV tube stuck to him, feeding him fluids whilst he was out cold. Strange… IV tubes were usually only present in hospitals, so how…
"You're awake!"
Flinching when he heard someone speak to him, Yusuke turned and saw a nurse standing by the corner of the room, and without pause, she moved in close to check on him. He checked his pulse, checked him for a fever and did a few other things that Kitagawa was too hungry to think about, and once she was done, the young nurse frowned and offered him a bread bun, something that the painter accepted and scarfed down without a second thought.
"You're lucky, kid. Your friends found you in that shack by Shibuya, unconscious, and called for an emergency vehicle, posthaste. You were on the verge of having your digestive liquids burn through your stomach, and had you gone on for any longer, your body would've likely begun to absorb nutrients from itself to keep you alive, which wouldn't have ended well," mused the nurse as she adjusted the IV tube a little, unaware of how her words had caused Yusuke to flinch as he attempted to sit up a little straighter.
"Friends…? I… I believe you are mistaken. I don't believe that I have any friends…" muttered Yusuke, with him frowning earnestly at the nurse's words, only for her to flinch.
"Jeez, kid. You've got an Augus and an Okumura worrying over you. If you don't consider them friends just because of that alone, then I'd say you're cracked in the head!" cackled the nurse, and to this, the awakened painter raised a brow. Okumura and… Augus? He did not know anyone known as Augus… unless…
"You mean… Okumura Haru and Mixta Akatsuki, yes? If so… I do not know if I can call them friends, not after how our previous conversation went…" lamented Yusuke, with him recalling his previous conversation with who he assumed had brought him here There was a lot of shouting and even some physical violence on his part, but the two individuals had taken it on the chin and not fired back at him, something that took a lot of willpower to accomplish.
If they were the ones that had brought him here, then it showed that they had the all encompassing power of forgiveness on their side… something that Yusuke clearly lacked, as evident by how he had not spoken to them for two days at minimum.
Regardless, opening her mouth, the nurse was about to confirm the names of the two individuals, though before she could do so, the door to the room swung open, allowing two kids to peer in. They appeared winded, having apparently rushed up the moment they got Yusuke's room number, and upon seeing them…
"Mixta-San… Okumura-San…?"
… Yusuke spoke their names, and likewise…
"Yusuke…/Yusuke-Kun!"
The duo, perhaps on instinct, spoke/yelled his out. Yusuke himself was surprised by this as he watched them run to him, rushing to either side of his bed, much to the surprise and dismay of the nurse, though she said nothing of this as she watched Haru lightly grasp onto his hand whilst Akatsuki considered grabbing his shoulder lightly… only to lower it after some consideration, with him understanding that he had crossed some boundaries the previous time they spoke, regardless of his intentions.
Yusuke… didn't know how to feel about that, but regardless, he remained silent as he glanced over at Haru uncertainly.
"Okumura-San… how did…?"
"We messaged you so many times, Yusuke-Kun! You never responded, so we got worried and rushed over to the Artlier to check on you, and then we found you knocked out! A doctor told us you were likely suffering from an extreme hunger pang before they took you away and… oh god…" muttered Haru, with her pausing as she thought of the worst possible outcome to the situation. Her voice was caught in her throat as she tried to continue, though she was unable to, prompting Akatsuki to pick up where she left off, though not before he motioned for the nurse to leave them.
She complied, knowing that these kids could buy the entire plot of land this hospital sat on with just their monthly allowance, so to defy them was not a smart move.
"The pantry. Haru-Chan and I saw it. There was no food… you weren't being fed by Madarame," pointed out Akatsuki. His voice was cold, and though that ice was not directed towards Yusuke in particular, the young painter could feel its intensity by proxy. Still though…
"Sensei had only just-"
"Four days, today makes five. He's been back in Tokyo for five days at minimum and he hasn't even given you something to chew on," cut off Akatsuki, with him speaking firmly this time. He wasn't in the mood for dramatics, not now, and everyone could sense that, especially as he exhaled sharply and shook his head. "Yusuke, tell it to me straight, when was the last time you've eaten?"
"I… it… i-it was when we last met. You brought takeout… the Big Bang Burger. That… was the last time I ate," admitted Yusuke sadly. He was ashamed to admit that it did not satiate his hunger for as long as he hoped…
"..." a look of pity was all Akatsuki could muster at the moment as Haru frowned and looked away briefly, though not long after…
"You were… not on the messaging app for quite some time, Yusuke-Kun. Why…?"
"I had to refocus my efforts on something. I had shelved the artpiece you two were modelling for after our argument and had started on a new one, following my Sensei's return. There have been some… complications, in regards to the fallout of our partnership as artist and model, but it is nothing too severe," stated Yusuke, sounding unsure of his own words as he spoke. Still though…
"Complications…? Wha-"
"I'm sorry to butt in, but could the two of you leave for a moment? We're going to give Kitagawa-San a quick examination before we settle on when to release him."
Tensing up when they heard this, the two Shujn students turned and spotted a single doctor standing behind them. They both recognised him as Doctor Oyamada, a relatively high ranking physician that was trusted by many, and seeing no reason to get in the way of his work, the duo nodded and stood up, with the taller of the two sighing whilst the shorter bowed apologetically.
"We apologise, Doctor. Please, make sure that Yusuke is properly treated," urged Haru, to which the doctor chuckled.
"Don't worry, Okumura-San. We'll make sure he's right as rain by the time he's ready to leave."
And with that, the Shujin duo exited the room, with them waiting anxiously outside all the while, and after a few moments of sitting, the two came to realize that Kitagawa, at some point, had become Yusuke to them…
An hour later
The door to Yusuke's room had opened just an hour after they had left it, and upon hearing it open, the Shujin students darted up, hoping to interrogate the doctor on Yusuke's health, though much to their surprise, rather than Oyamada, it was Kitagawa himself that stepped out, with him dressed in his Kosei Academy uniform once more.
"Yusuke!/Yusuke-Kun!"
"M-Mixta-San, Okumura-San! Please, not so close! I am… well, please believe me!" protested Yusuke as he held his hands up defensively, eliciting looks of relief from his acquaintances as they stepped back. At the same time, however, Oyamada stepped out and wiped his hands off on his shirt nonchalantly.
"The good news is that there's no permanent injury to him, but you oughta get the kid some food, you got that?" mused the doctor with a smile. It wasn't kind, nor was it malicious. It was just that… neutral, and it made the Shujin kids feel queasy as they nodded, though before they could respond verbally… "Good, now go. We have other patients to attend to."
… Oyamada dismissed them and gestured for the kids to leave. Akatsuki himself scowled at this, though he said nothing of it as he turned to Yusuke and motioned for him to come with. Likewise, Haru gently set a hand onto his back, causing him to flinch lightly at the sensation, though he didn't shy away from it as he saw her smile up at him.
"Come on, we'll get you something to eat, Yusuke-Kun," smiled Haru, and now, as the situation wasn't as bad as it was prior, Yusuke acknowledged the sudden change in naming convention, but still… he was just a bit too excited about the prospect of food to care, and as such, he nodded, albeit a little shakily, before he walked out of the hospital alongside the two Shujin students.
Evening - Shibuya, Ore No Beko
As with the first day of their modelling, Yusuke, upon having the prospect of an unlimited supply of Beef Bowls dangled before him, went apeshit.
The blue haired boy ordered so much that his belt felt several sizes too small after he was done there, with his stupendous rate of consumption shocking his acquaintances quite a bit as the sole operator of the joint watched on in awe as he obliterated five bowls that could've fed a small family all under ten minutes!
"My word…" muttered a certain politician off to the side, widening his eyes at the sight laid out before him, though not long after, Yusuke reached his limit and stopped after the sixth bowl, with him burping in a truly uncouth manner moments after. To his credit, however, Kitagawa did at least have the decency to look sheepish.
"I… apologise for all that. I was tremendously hungry," apologised Yusuke sheepishly, to which Haru giggled lightly whilst Akatsuki shrugged. He's seen worse, namely from Akihiro, who could probably eat his own body mass daily thanks to his strict training schedule. That wasn't important though. What was important, however…
"That's fine. S'long as you're not gonna pass out again, it's cool," mused Akatsuki as he pointed the tip of his chopsticks at Yusuke, earning him a light reprimand from Haru as she reached over to slap his hand. Ah… that was something that had changed to; the sitting positions. Their initial visit had Yusuke and Haru sandwiching Akatsuki between themselves thanks a sort of instinctive distrust on Augus' part, but now, Yusuke was the one sitting between the two.
It felt odd, but not in a bad way. It was almost as though they were guarding him from both sides; a ridiculous statement to make, sure… but it was one that made Kitagawa smile regardless.
"I do not think that will happen for a while, Mixta-San," smiled Yusuke as he nodded lightly, eliciting a hum from the boy before he went silent. Haru went quiet briefly as well, and the silence stretched on for a bit, only for Kitagawa to break it yet again. "You had a question, back in my hospital room, did you not?"
"Well… yes, we did. You spoke of complications you faced after we had… stopped being your models," confirmed Haru, with her sounding somewhat saddened as she recalled that day, but still, she didn't dwell too much on that as she continued. "We would like to know what these complications are… so that we can help you overcome them."
"... these complications are mine and mine alone to tackle… but… I feel as though I owe the two of you after making you both worry as much as I have. But first, if you may… could you… come closer, please? This is all rather… secretive, if you'd call it that," hummed Yusuke, with him sounding rather nervous as he motioned for his acquaintances to come closer. They did as they were told, and before long, he exhaled sharply. "Have I told you what the painting was for?"
"The one we were modelling for? No, you didn't," stated Akatsuki, speaking almost rhetorically as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yusuke either didn't hear or ignored his sarcasm as he continued.
"Well, in truth, it was for an upcoming Art Exhibition that my Sensei is preparing for on the 15th of May. Had the artpiece been complete, it would've been featured during the show," stated Yusuke, with him frowning as he said this. There was more behind the whole debacle with the art exhibition, but even so, neither Akatsuki or Haru pressed the matter, sensing that it was a delicate issue in an already delicate matter.
"But after we were inadvertently taken off the spot as your models…" said Haru, seemingly predicting where this was going, and to that, Yusuke chuckled, a humorless sound that told the other kids that the situation was a lot worse than they could expect.
"When you were taken off, I had shelved the project, as I said previously. I… could not continue it without anyone to base it off, and likewise, I could not bring myself to bring the painting down. It was… I had invested too much time and energy into it, both physically and mentally. To destroy it would be no different to Da Vinci destroying the Mona Lisa halfway into painting his piece de resistance," continued Yusuke, with his words sounding rather fond as he spoke. Akatsuki and Haru shared a quick look; their acquaintance was really into art, wasn't he? "However, that was the piece meant to be shown during the Art Exhibition…
"...under my Sensei's name."
"Under Madarame's name… wait, so by that, you mean-"
"Yes, Okumura-San. In a sense, I suppose that the plagiarism and the rumors of abuse were indeed correct…"
And upon hearing this, the Shujin duo went silent, with them taking some time to process this as they stared at Yusuke in shock. Kitagawa, on the other hand, simply continued as he leaned forwards and propped his elbows onto the countertop, with him smiling bitterly all the while.
"I myself would not have called it plagiarism before now, but even so… I… I had turned a blind eye to it for the longest time. The other students had spoken of it for so long, but I… for the life of me, I could not see Madarame doing such a thing," continued Yusuke, with him sounding… broken as he spoke. His dropping of the term Sensei was not missed by his acquaintances. "Madarame had told me this… that he was stuck in an atrocious art block, and that he required the help of his students to overcome it. From time to time, he would select the best of our paintings and have them displayed under his name… and… for the longest of time, I, alongside the other pupils, when they were still around, complied. He seemed so genuine back then…
"But as the days drew on, Madarame asked us for more and more of our work. More of his students left him because of this… with only myself remaining in the end, and I… I continued to support him, even though I knew that to do so would be to desecrate the very meaning of art… even though I knew of how… horrible my actions were, I continued to support him regardless…"
"... Yusuke-Kun…"
Shifting a hand up to set it upon the boy's back, Haru lightly patted him as a means of comfort, and regardless of its effectiveness, Yusuke appreciated the gesture as he sighed and continued, albeit in a shakier tone of voice.
"He had always justified it by saying that like paintings, we were his works of art. I once though that he meant that as a compliment, but now… I find myself wondering if it meant that we were disposable to him. Madarame still paints, but he has taken to rehashing the art pieces of his former students during his art shows more so than he does new paintings, and when the general public finally loses interest in it, he disposes of it. I now find myself wondering… does my Sensei truly see the value of art as a whole?" murmured Yusuke sadly.
"That… is a complicated question. One we probably can't find an answer to without delving into his heart," lamented Akatsuki, with him shaking his head whilst speaking. Yusuke let out a mirthless chuckle of agreement to that.
"Agreed… but regardless of the answer, I had fed into his depravity for the longest of time. As one of his students… as his only remaining student, the only one left that was willing to allow him to continue plagiarizing his work… I find myself ashamed of where I am now," bemoaned Yusuke, with him staring down at his hands as he spoke. "My hands, which were once used to paint portraits that I could initially be proud of, have now been reduced to painting images made solely for a man I see as my father to gain notoriety from… do I even have the right to call myself an artist…?"
"... that is for you to decide, Yusuke," mused Akatsuki as he called for a glass of water, which was served in a matter of moments. Taking a sip from it, the boy sighed before continuing. "You might have fed into Madarame's plagiarism, knowingly, no less… but now that you're actually aware of how fucked up it is, you can make a choice; will you continue to support your Sensei's shitty work… or will you go against it and take a stand?"
"That is a valid question, but at the same time… I… cannot," lamented Yusuke, with him frowning as both Haru and Akatsuki perked up at his words, worried for his sake more so than anything. Sensing their gaze, the painter continued. "... if you recall, I study in Kosei, and although my grades are acceptable, part of the reason as to why I can even attend it is because of Madarame having paid for a scholarship. At any time, he is able to recede my scholarship, which would leave me in ruin."
"... I see…" muttered Haru, with her acknowledging how the loss of his scholarship would likely be obscenely detrimental to the boy. He was already struggling with money in more ways than one, and if he lost that scholarship that Madarame was paying for, he would likely be booted from Kosei by the end of the month. He hadn't told them about any other living arrangements under his name, and as such, they had to assume that such a thing happened… he would effectively be homeless.
The situation was delicate… Yusuke did not wish to support Madarame, but at the same time, he had to for the sake of his livelihood. There had to be a workaround for this… but what…
"Yusuke-Kun, may I suggest an alternative? What if I paid for your scholarship?" offered Haru, with her punching the base of her fist against her palm as she spoke. Upon hearing this, the young painter blanched, knowing that the amount needed to sustain his scholarship per month was nothing to scoff at, but at the same time, Okumura was not backing down. "I can use my own pocket money to pay for your monthly scholarships without making a substantial dent in it, and if not, I can easily pay to have you enrolled normally without fear of being kicked out of the Kosei dormitories."
"... I… that would be appreciated, but it would be asking too much of you and Mixta-San…" deflected Yusuke, only for Akatsuki to lightly bonk him on the head.
"Can it. It's the least we can do for you," mumbled Akatsuki, with him sighing all the while. After taking a sip from his cup, he continued. "Still though, it'll take some time before we can make the proper arrangements to do so… and there's no way we'll be able to hide this from your dad if we do," stated Akatsuki, and to this, Haru flinched. "I think I can make some arrangements with Shino-Ojisan to do it. He's got connections and, as an artist, he should be able to do it without drawing as much attention as if you were to do it."
"That's a good idea, Akatsuki-Kun," smiled Haru as she fistpumped happily, and to this, Akatsuki flushed slightly as he scratched his cheek meekly and nodded in appreciation. Yusuke, on the other hand, was dumbfounded by what he was fearing, with him shifting uncomfortably as he processed their words. It took him a while to do so, and by then, he only had one question in mind…
"... why?"
"Hm?"
"Why are you doing this? Mixta-San, Okumura-San, the last time we spoke, I was very much your enemy. I called the two of you slanderous, I likened you to what I, in my mind, considered to be scum… and I had physically assaulted Mixta-San. For good reason, the two of you should wish death upon me, among other things, so why do you help me when you have no reason to?"
Yusuke had posed a good question; in this day and age, people typically did things expecting a reward. For one to go out of their way to do something like this whilst expecting nothing in return felt… absurd to him, but at the same time, it was enough to make Akatsuki chuckle as he emptied his cup whilst Haru lightly set her hand atop his own, a gesture that made him turn towards her curiously.
"Because sometimes, you just wish to do what is right, and even if you've wronged us in the past, we still wish to help you," stated Haru sweetly. "Your words were spoken in the moment; you were not thinking straight. You were being… emotional, and you lashed out. We cannot blame you for doing any of that, especially seeing as how we had dug so deeply into your personal life."
"Yeah, what she said. Last time we spoke, we were poking into your personal life a lot more than we should've. Or I was, anyways. If anything, we… I, at least, deserved everything you were throwing at us/me. I don't hold anything against you for that; in your position, I would've done the same, possibly worse even," admitted Akatsuki bluntly, surprising Yusuke whilst making Haru snicker a tad as she processed his words. "I'm already over it, and clearly Haru-Chan is as well."
"I… I see. Your hearts are truly wider than the ocean itself, Mixta-San, Okumura-San. I am fortunate to have met individuals like yourselves," smiled Yusuke earnestly, and to this, the duo couldn't hold back a blush as they let his words sink in. His words were spoken with such genuinity that they couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy because of them, but even so, they squashed that feeling as they responded.
"Uh… yeah, thanks I guess."
"T-Thank you, Yusuke-Kun."
Yusuke nodded at this, with him turning back ahead of himself all the while, though at the same time…
"I do wish to ask something, though. It seems rather odd, how the two of you are now calling me by my first name…"
"Oh, uh… does it make you uncomfortable? If so, we apologise! We were just… w-when we saw you unconscious, we just… we began calling you that on reflex!" apologised Haru as she leaned back and bowed awkwardly atop her seat. Yusuke, however, found this to be rather nice as he chuckled fondly.
"On the contrary, Okumura-San… it is strangely refreshing to have an acquaintance refer to me so casually. I have few friends in Kosei, none of whom have accepted my various eccentricities to the point of calling me Yusuke rather than Kitagawa. You and Mixta-San, however, have shown yourselves to be… tolerant of my behaviour, and I, for one, would be honoured to go by Yusuke to the two of you; if you'd like to continue calling me as such I mean," hummed Yusuke, with smiling lightly as he spoke. Akatsuki and Haru shared a quick look at this as they smiled lightly, and thereafter…
"Well, in that case, I guess we can extend that same courtesy to you, Yusuke. You can call me Akatsuki," smiled Akatsuki.
"And you can call me Haru!" added Haru with a smile, eliciting some surprised blinks from Yusuke, who took a moment to process this, though not long after, he smiled and let out a genuine chuckle as he bowed his head in delight.
"I see… so… would this make us friends, then?" mused Yusuke, prompting Akatsuki to grin.
"Do you want us to be friends or just remain as your models? You seem to treat your models as friends anyways," pointed out the pink haired boy as he held an index finger up to emphasize his words, and to this, Yusuke chuckled.
"A painter must show respect to all forms of beauty, Akatsuki-San, and I must say that, whilst alone, both you and Haru-Chan are not exactly the most beautiful of subjects, per say, when together, you seem to emanate this natural glow that I myself cannot fully comprehend," observed Yusuke, with his tone sounding completely genuine as he looked between his new friends. "There seems to be a natural spark that is shared between the two of you, but the source of this spark is unknown to me…"
"Well… A-Akatsuki-Kun and I are childhood friends…" reminded Haru, with her cheeks flushing lightly as she informed Yusuke of their relationship, and though he didn't seem too convinced, the young artist went with it regardless as he smiled and nodded in understanding.
"I see… friends whose relationships extend far into the past. Such relationships encapture a level of beauty that is hard to come by… I myself hope that our friendship will one day reach such heights," chuckled Yusuke, with Akatsuki rolling his eyes at his words… though in all fairness, there wasn't any real annoyance behind the gesture.
More so a sense of amusement more than anything.
"Can you be any more dramatic, Yusuke?"
"I apologise, Akatsuki-San, but are my mannerisms finally getting to you?"
If that were anyone else, Akatsuki would've thought he was mocking him, but with Yusuke… the guy was so flamboyant that it was hard to tell for sure…
"Uh… no. Not at all… and by the way, what's with you calling me San and Haru Chan? I'm not much older than her, you know?" grumbled Akatsuki, with him pouting lightly as he spoke. "Call me Akatsuki or Akatsuki-Kun, for the love of God. Makes me feel less old."
"Very well then, Akatsuki-Kun."
And with that, the rest of their time spent in the Beef Bowl joint went by rather quickly, with the newly formed friend group conversing over nothing in particular before they departed. Sasha had been waiting for them outside, thumbing away at his phone before he lowered it to address his little boss and her friends, with him stating that Madarame's Artlier was undergoing some emergency repairs after some burglar had broken into it.
"I see… it is not as though I wish to return there, though. I find it hard to view that place as anything but a prison, now that my eyes have been opened to Madarame's wrongdoings as an artist," mused Yusuke, eliciting twin proud looks from his newly made friends and a curious gaze from Sasha, though he said nothing of this as he shrugged and nodded.
"Uh… sure. Either way, the kids told me that you live in the Kosei Dormitories on occasion, yeah? I'll drive you there before getting little-miss Okumura home. Is that alright with you, lil' boss?" asked Sasha casually, and at that, Haru nodded, with her turning to give Akatsuki a quick farewell bow before jumping into the car. Yusuke followed suit, with him bowing his head lightly to his new friend before following her in, and moments later, they were gone, with Okumura waving at Augus through the rear window until he disappeared into the night
"Haru-Chan, if I may… I would like to know a bit more in regards to the details behind yours and Akatsuki-Kun's relationship. I know this may seem as though I am prying, but even so…" began Yusuke after a few moments of silence, only to trail off near the end as he realized that his words could've come off as disrespectful, only for Haru to smile.
"I'd love to, Yusuke-Kun! Akatsuki-Kun and I shared many memories prior to now, but even so… we've been apart for a long time. Being reunited with him is truly a blessing that I do not wish to forget about…" stated Haru, to which Yusuke smiled.
"I can imagine; there is a particular… aura to the both of you that I've noticed. Whenever you are away from him, something in Akatsuki-Kun diminishes, and the same applies to when he is away from you," stated Yusuke, with him rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he spoke. "Pardon me if I am making a baseless assumption, but it almost feels as though the two of you are… soulmates."
Haru promptly choked on her spit as her cheeks took on a shade of red that was akin to Sasha's casual attire, and the chauffeur himself had to redouble his efforts on focusing on the road as he drove on, something that was easier said than done.
"It could be me seeing things that are not there, but there is a certain way in which both you and Akatsuki-Kun stare at one another that makes me wonder if your relationship extends beyond mere friends, childhood or no," hummed Yusuke, oblivious to the thoughts that he had inadvertently caused Haru to conjure up, though on a dime- "But I could simply be seeing substance where there is none. Pay my words no heed, please."
And to that, Haru could only bury her face in her hands as she mumbled an okay to Yusuke, who was confused about her reaction to his words, which were spoken from the heart. Sasha, for his part, bit his lip to the point of drawing blood as he tried to focus extra hard on the road ahead of himself.
And all the while, Akatsuki wondered why he was feeling so weird as he unlocked the door to his apartment.