" let's go, princess!" Gyutaro didnt waste any time throwing his helmet at her. "My sister says you're a little speedster wanna put that to the test?" He smirked, his excitement on full display. "Ohh? Does that mean you've finally stopped turning to mush everytime I touch you?" She teased slyly buckling the helmet on as he led her to his bike. "Dunno, you gonna stop clinging to me everytime you're scared like a lil kitten, 'fraidy cat?"
He steadied the bike for her as she threw a leg over and hugs him from behind "hold on tight!" he says, voice wild, and peels out of the driveway. The turn is so sharp his knee almost grazes the pavement, and she yelps– mostly out of surprise, clinging to him tighter. He blew passed the Ubuyashikis going on their morning stroll, and several other neighbors as He drives from city to suburb to outskirts. She's pretty sure they passed a massive grazing field for cattle too, and a massive junkyard, close to where Daia's ex worked. She was definitely shouting her way down the road loving every second of it as the wind whipped her hair around. "THIS IS AWESOME!" Gyutaro, for his part, is absolutely loving it. He doesn't make nearly as much noise, of course, but what she hears above all other sounds is laughter. He sounded like a littl kid in fact.
Before long, he slows down in what she could only describe as a hidden grove. She looks around to see a clearing surrounded by trees with a beautiful view of the forest and the road below. He breaks, puts down the kickstand, and turns off the engine. "It's so beautiful." she says hopping off the bike, skipping around taking it all in.
"Glad you like it. This is where I come for alone time." At first, she thought he meant thinking, but then he raises an eyebrow smirking. "well your jokes are improving, you're beginning to sound like me." looking at him he really did appear in a much better mood than he was at her party, "guess, you're a bad influence on me. All that porn you watch" He gets off the bike his hands shoved into his pockets. "Eroge" she corrected.
"Sure, anyway this is my thinking spot. I usually come here when my sister's work makes our house unbearable to be in."
"must be so awkward But you picked a lovely spot to think," she walks farther into the clearing, stopping near the edge. When a thought comes to mind, "Gyutaro do you like racing?"
"What kind of question is that?" came the sardonic reply as if it were obvious, but She smiles a toothy grin, "We passed by Sunny's on the way here, let's head over after this. I love racing, I could use the adrenaline rush."
"You like throwing the word love around easily dont you? Seems you love a lot of things''
"Hellzyeah! Though, I dont love all things the same." She spins around in her wedged sandals as if she were waltzing. "Is that so? What else do you love then?"
"What kind of question is that?" She lowers her voice to mimic his tone from earlier though she sounded more like a tomboy but he took no offense regardless. "J.K., I love Cosplay–duh. anime, Manga, eroge, dance, video games, my friends and of course… eating delicious food!"She listed them on her fingers one by one.
"Uh huh. I'll say, porky pig" he rolls his eyes but was still smiling. "so tellme What do you think about when you're up here?"
She thought that he'd respond by throwing together a witty comment, but instead there's a longer moment of silence, making her turn.
"You know, the usual. If leaving Muzan's service was a smart idea. If we're in danger, how were gonna get out this time." He bobs his head from side to side with each problem needing a solution. "What the next job is. Whether what I'm doing is right for my sister."she's changed her view of him alot since last night. In fact, It was rare for him to express this much.
Here I thought he had everything figured out but it seems he worries a lot about the decisions he makes.
She learned more about him during that one sleepover than in months of asking and fighting with him. Like what music liked and that he plays guitar (she found it in his closet), she learned how small his room was compared to dakis(she basically had thr entire 2nd floor to herself) and how he didn't even sleep on a bed. She wonders if this has been his entire life, giving daki everything while he took whatever was left over. "I have a question for you actually." he says suddenly breaking her form her musings.
"What is it" her spirits were a bit down but maybe the question would lift it a little, "You do bookkeeping for all your friends right? That include Jim and Sunny?"
"Actually no. I offered but they both declined"
"Do you know why?" She looked at him suspiciously, "Why do I feel like i'm being interrogated?"
"Because you are." he replied cool as the breeze, she wasnt sure how to take that answer, couldnt even tell if he was being serious or not, "Daia's family, to my knowledge, takes care of Sunny. He's an ex-con from a broken family, he didnt have a lot of support. He's rough but a big softy at heart once you get to know him. And Jim is… Jim." she said with a sour look and a shake, "Why?"
"You said he was like me, was curious what you meant."He shrugged –a bit too casually, something tells her he suspected Daia's ex for some reason, maybe during their talk on the patio she said something that triggered his bullshit radar.
"Well how about we just go see him after this?" to her surprise (or non-surprise) he agrees to that, making her all excited again, "All right!" she picks up a stone, "feeling competitive? Loser has to pay"
"Psh How much, Queen Bee?"
"How's a 100 bucks sound?"
"Ha! This about to be the easiest 100 bucks I've ever earned! You first, princess"She grunts "Lame! you downgraded me back to princess?" She scoffs scanning the cliff, "see that big white birch tree? its the only white tree in the area, let's hit that, best 2 out of 3, what do you say Prince Charming?
He's quiet for a few moments she actually had to turn around to see if he was all right,"Let's go, Prince Charming– eh? What's up with you? Why are you flustered for?"
"Shut up! I'm not!" he says angrily grabbing rocks in his hand as they both take turns throwing at the birch. She loses, and ends up paying him. She figured he'd laugh at her like always but instead he stares down at his hands; at dirt he can't seem to get out completely, a deep grimace on his face, "What's up with you? Are you seriously mad I called you a Prince?"
"You're just… such a slut, marin."
"You know how i feel about being called that'. She said trying not to sound offended but it did bring her mood down a bit.
"You're just so fucking weird" he says instead. "Why? You call me Princess all the time!" she whines throwing her hands up,"you know when someone gives you a compliment, its ok to accept it. They're not always lying. Besides You're the one whose weird, pal!" She said about to poke him in the chest but he grabs her index finger and begins to twist slowly until she was in a submission pose,
"Owowow! OK I give, I give!" She says and he lets go,she half-expected him to cackle at her pain again but he doesnt. Instead he faced away, squatted down sitting on his haunches and picking up more rocks with a grumble, "Wanna try again or Are you giving up?" she teases softly, picking up another rock hoping to ease the mood.
"Hell no! I'm rinsing you out for all the money you're worth" He's still distant though, she figured he wasn't used to these kinds of moments unless there was a string attached. Poor guy….Nope!Dont do it Marin, he'll hate you for it! She yells in her head shaking the pity trap she was quickly falling into… she tried to think of happier things like the motorcycle ride to clear head–she must've been doing it for a while because when she opened her eyes again he was looking at her like she was some sort of freak. "You know what… I'm not gonna even ask"
"Whatever," she said focusing back on the rock throwing, "You have any idea how many times I beat wakana in bottle throwing?" She says throwing the stone and hitting the birch again.
"Wakana, huh? you mean your boyfriend."She exhales slowly, "Ex…boyfriend" she corrected, unable to hide the sadness, it was like bile in her throat before the vomit, the sadness was always ever present rearing its ugly head, she looked up at the clear sky half covered by the canopy of the trees, before she closed them smiling softly.
"It's been years and it still feels surreal sometimes. It was a hit and run, you know, they caught a suspect but his statement just didn't make sense, it changed so many times at one point he even implied there was another person in the car with him … he's in jail now but somehow it never felt complete. It's why daia went into forensics, it's also why she dabbles the way she does. She sees alot of… death you know," She couldn't say her best friend was an addict but she definitely wished she'd develop better coping mechanisms. "But Daia claims it's fulfilling work. I'm surprised actually… Normally when she's interested in a guy she dumps him soon after. But she really likes you though"
"These guys, she's interested in– what are they like?" She turned to look at him, a devilish grin on her face, "ohhh? You want tips on how to woo her?" He rolls his eyes but plays along with the tease. "Guilty as charged" he says clearly being sarcastic… She really is rubbing off on him.
"In a word: "troubled" in fact, Jim was one. I remember when she introduced us... it was weird. She obviously was interested in him, but he asked me out despite knowing daia liked him."
That got his attention, his face turned sour at the mention of the date"that scumbag asked you? what'd you say?"
"I agreed!" Gyutaro almost fell to his knees, "you stupid, stupid girl!"
"Hey, hey relax, I'm turned him down at first but daia convinced me to change my mind." Gyutaro stared at her puzzled, so she explained further,"I think she was butthurt and wanted me to find out the reason. So she convinced me to go on a few dates with him to see what he said."
" thats surprisingly manipulative of you."
"hey! We're besties she trusts id never actually date him. Gojo died that year i wasnt ready for it. Either way, I realized he was horrible, a worse liar than you." she pointed an accusing finger to his face, "Like Kensei said, i think he chameleonized himself into what he thought I'd like or something, because he became a whiny resentful asshole when I dumped him. his true self certainly came out and He's been a bitter bitch ever since, even dated nowa just to spite." She could tell the gears in gyutaro's head were turning trying to put pieces together, though why now of all times she had no clue, but she did enjoy how he took a sudden interest in her life and her friends.
"What does she see in him then? If he's so hated by everyone and its such a damn hassle why does she stay?" Marin gave hima strange look as if he should know, "huh? well that's obvious, she sees in him what I see in you. It's potential."
That bothered him, he dawned another expression she couldn't quite place, "really? I thought you could read hearts?" she laughed, hes not an open person, none of us really know anything about his life prior. Even daia tried to find out who he was but came up with nothing… Jim isn't his real name you see," she turns to gyutaro "but i also know you and dakis names arent your real ones either so who am i to judge? nowa says he comes from a similar background as you and sunny. And I think Daia mentioned something about foster care which might explain why he has no loyalty to anyone. But either way nobody can stand him."
He had no more questions after that as they continued throwing stones until Marin dropped the rest to the ground signaling she was done after he beat her a second time and she ran out of cash to pay him with.
"Well i hope I successfully impressed you with my throwing capability." The discomfort from earlier faded including the twinge of guilt she felt for ruining the mood with her macabre story telling, but his laughter came back in full force as he chastised her for stepping up to him. With his spirits lifted she grabs his hand, "all right, ready for a totally cool adventure at sunnys?"
"That depends is everything still on you?"
"Sure is," she says running back to the bike.
"Sunny!" Marin calls bursting through the door of his shop, arms open wide.
"Marin?" he spoke her name like she were a ghost, as he stood at the front desk of his shop, but smiles nonetheless, "Mar!" He goes around his desk and does his best imitation of her energy taking her in a embrace. "This I wasnt expecting"
"We were in the area and decided to drop by, daia said you were in today." she clasped her hands around his "is it ok if we drive the hellcat, handsome?"
"sure, but," His eyes rose up to meet gyutaro standing behind her, "you gonna introduce me to your new friend?"
"Yeah, this is Gyutaro! Gyu say hi-" oh shit. marin knew that worried gyutaro might act this way; the intensity of his expression and flexing of his fists. she couldnt blame him though, sunny was... intimidating. A bit wild to the untrained eye, No matter how he tried, his eyes always had a harshness to them exposing his hard life. his face and body were covered in more scars than gyutaro's and he was incredibly muscular. Not that he cared if people stared, he seemed to enjoy showing them off, even today he wore his blue auto coveralls at his waist with a ripped white tank..Yes, he was gruff looking but he wasnt a brute, so she really needed to calm gyu down before he did something he emphatically shouldn't..
"Stop! hes a friend."she elbowed him in the ribs but even his abdomen was tense; hard as rock. He reacted to sunny as if he were an allergen his body needed to avoid.
"It's ok, mar," sunny said turning his back and walking back around his counter, "i get it alot, nice to meet you gyutaro. I'm sanemi, er.." he looked nervously at marin, "Or sunny as she likes to call me." she was thankful he didnt perceive gyutaro as a threat for all the embarrassment it caused her. When he and Jim met the encounter was NOT as cordial but sunny didnt seem perturbed in the slightest.
Gyutaro relaxed slightly, but didn't shake his hand until marin impatiently grabbed his arm and forced him, "I am so sorry about him, he's not housebroken and he's really awkward socially you know like-"
"-Like giyu, I get it." Sanemi grimaced ever so slightly at the name, him and giyu had history, shes never met giyu before but she's heard enough from Daia,
"how is daia?" he asked flipping through a magazine on his table,
"gyu well just be a sec ok?" she says abruptly linking arms with Sanemi into his office closing the door.
"I see," says after she explained, " thats why youre here? for advice? Do you like him?" She could feel her face turning hot. "Ngh, w-well, I suppose–"
"More than a friend" he clarified his voice even, "I know you, you're a giving person, marin but if you're only with him out of pity or loneliness you're not doing him or yourself any favors. i would know," he looked at his scarred knuckles, saying the last part quietly, reflective.
"why did you say that? Just now?" he looked at her confused at first before he sighed, jabbing a thumb at the door to the lobby gyutaro was waiting in, "because THAT guy is a SURVIVOR, Mar-mar. I'm telling you, if you're playing him he *will* know. Just by his reaction I can tell his guard is always up. It's like a super power, Evil being able to sense other evil."
"yeah but how is... " she looked back at the door, as if afraid gyyutaro had super-hearing and would know he was being talked about. "...pity evil?" she whispered with her hand cupping her mouth.
Sanemis shoulders slumped, truly perplexed at how to answer, "well if he's like me... it isnt that we hate people feeling sorry for us... its more like, 'too little too late'?" he crossed his arms deep in thought making grumbling sounds as if he didnt like his own explanation, "... all that pain in our lives defines us, we wouldn't be who we are without it, " he settled with a shrug, "to show pity after the fact is like, showing mercy post-execution... it's worthless; better served before the poor bastard lost his head, not after... does that make sense? It's like what I'm always saying about butterflies, they aren't ashamed of what they were''
She knew what that meant, it was his go-to metaphor for hardship, though she thinks he learned it from somebody many years ago.
"Then WHY did he accept?" she stood up straight wringing her dress, "he turned me down when i asked but then came around a few hours later."
"Oh easy. Because he likes you" he said it like it was the most obvious thing, the heat never left her face, sanemi patted her on the head, "relax mar, just enjoy yourself. If you're genuine about your intentions he'll know. Don't put more thought into it than you have to,"
"But he's so mean…" Sanemis face was understanding before he laughed. "Mar im telling you he's a fucking man-child, if he's a jerk it's because he likes you."
She grumbled side eyeing him, "that's toxic as hell and you know it." he stretches his arms up over his head his muscles rippling through his white tank, "yeah it is, but if his life's anything like mine, he doesn't know what to do and is lashing out to see if you'll drop the act... or even better, if you prove him right by abandoning him altogether... safer that way then getting the rug pulled from under you."
He waved dismissively, " he'll come around, just keep being yourself, dont adjust to him, he'll adjust for you, that's what survivors do. But if you want, I have some friends who work at the beach. They may be able to help you out. In fact I dont know why i didn't think of introducing you sooner, You and his wife should immediately hit things off, you're both airheads so ill give him a call." He finished, "thank you sunny."she hugged him tightly, he was taken aback, a bit flustered in fact.
"It's been hard on her but I can see it's been harder on you hasnt it?" His eyes glistened as he returned the hug. "I'm sorry I didn't make it to your party," she released from the embrace waving him off, "it was a get together not a party at all,"
"yeah well I didn't mean to disappoint you after saying id go."
"Hm? I didn't know you were going. No one told me" He looked at her before it dawned on him and he chuckled lightly shaking his head "oh, daia, she really is crafty. Look Marin, I wanted to go but I had work, so I told her to tell everyone I'd be there anyways."
"Why?"
"So Jim wouldn't ruin it. Figured he wouldn't show up if he thought I'd be there and I was right. Sorry. Did you atleast receive my gift?" She thought for a moment, " yeah the azula hairpiece. That was very kind of you and It seemed expensive."
"It wasn't, daia helped me. She said azula was your favorite now?"
"Yeah because she's exactly like the shabanas!" she laughs, "which is why im worried about him if he gets too alone." she rubbed her temples, before Her face turned pale, "n-not that im hanging out with him because i pity him or whatever…" and she gulped rather loudly.
He looked like he wanted to ask more but she quickly changed topics, "how's your baby brother doing?!"
"Uhm…He's doing well, we… are talking. Genya– He's the only one whose reached out actually." She put a hand on his bare shoulder. "He loves you." She balled her hand into a fist and tapped him lightly on the chest where his heart is, "when life gives you opportunities sunny, it's OK to embrace them. Don't think too hard about it, life is too fleeting, you know that better than anyone" she laughs repeating what he said. She cups his calloused hands gently over her own, but he looked sad, depressed, she could tell.
They reminisced a bit more catching up on old times before she came out the office twirling the keys in hand around her fingers with sanemi right behind. Seems Gyutaro mellowed out in the meantime.
"remember the rules and Have fun." He says flipping through his magazine as the couple went into the parking lot.
Once inside the car she asks him if he's ready with a big grin on her face. But he doesnt respond, in a pissy state again. "Hello~o, earth to gyutaro!" She waves her hand in his face. "What!?" he shouts as if she just spit in his food. "What the hell is your deal?!" She shouts back. she got the feeling another argument was coming but he just pouts. "dickhead, I have eyes, instead of pouting like a baby why dont you just say it? She crosses her arms not going anywhere.
"What's your relationship to that guy?"
"you fuckin serious? What Are you my boyfriend now?" She shakes her head, "sheesh he's daias ex
he lets me drive in his lot for free. Its part of my healing' is what i told him. She made quotation marks with her fingers. "Satisfied?"
he rubs his face with both hands, "i dont even know with you anymore. Why do you do that? Why are you friends with everybody? i thought i was bad, but that fucking guy...? he's basically another akaza." His eyebrows were deeply furrowed in frustration, so she gave her thumb a nice lick and rubs it in between his eyebrows, grossing him out.
"i dont know who that is, goof. all my attention is exclusively on you relax and enjoy yourself." He smacked her hands away rubbing his forehead furiously but she only laughed and punches him hard in his shoulder, "Final warning!" She tried to mimic his tone again. "Lighten up!" He grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder too. "Just go" he says,His eyes were still downcast but he lightened up a little.
She shifts gears "and here we GOOOO!" She punches it pedal to the medal. She could tell he wasnt expecting it as he instinctively reached for dress butler. She snickers wickedly, "this is revenge for rinsing me out earlier!" she shouts as she sees the orange cone up ahead and slows the car down just enough so when she makes that first drift the car skids perfectly in a donut around the cone before she serves back out and heads for the next one.
As she skidding around she could hear his voice shouting in the background "WOAH! NOT BAD PRINCESS!" she laughs as wildly as he did when they rode the on the hairpins this morning.
They were hollering up a storm as she sped then drifted in donuts.
Eventually, She stops "wanna give it a try? I can teach you." And for the first time ever his eyes lit up like daki's that day she laid out the givenchy dress. He hopped out the passenger and practically ran to the driver's side. Once they both were seated she explained the seating position, adjusted his settings and gave him the overall features of the car including the tires too "i've always ran my tires at 40 psi 275 40 20s ive never changed it, gives the car a softer roll instead of a bumpy skid. The front i keep at 36 psi, youll want traction in the front./;
the look he gave her was a weird one like he was impressed by her knowledge, "What about suspension?" he asks, pulling up the SRT pages and pressing the track tab "uhh we have coilovers on this so... car should be planted," she pushes a button in track tab to show him, "you can go ham with this car if you like, sunny'll will fix whatever needs fixing as long as you don't total it."
He was silent for a second, "so that night, were you only pretending you didnt know shit about cars?"
"what?" He gives her the most aggressive bitch-face ever, "really, bonehead? the night your car died! how do you know all this shit but couldnt figure out something so basic?!"
"Ohhh, no i really don't know shit about cars this is all stuff sunny taught me." She rubs the back of her head laughing nervously.
His eyes lingered for another moment, "so… whatre you fucking him or something?"
the sound that came out of her mouth was... unsexy to say the least. "Ugh hes not… we're not…Oh my god NOO!" She reached over to try and strangle him, "don't say shit like that! He's daias type, not mine!"
"Hell ova favor he's doing" his tone was sharp and disbelieving, "It's like the cardinal sin of feminism to… do that with someone's ex especially if they still have feelings!" She shivered visibly at the thought. Marin was ride or die for the motto "chicks before dicks" she'd never betray her friend like that.
"But last night you thought I was dating your friend, so why did you come with me today?" She opened her mouth several times but nothing came out. Like some guppy fish on discovery Channel.
"i thought you said this wasn't a date…" she said cautiously but then added " you also said you weren't dating her, so were you lying? are you really dating her?!" She leaned forward, her eyes a bit wide poking his chest with her index.
He reached for his shirt grabbing it where she poked him his eyes widening as her face got within inches other own, "marin were NOT dating!" Her face soften as he stammered on, "i-I mean it's N-not like this is a date either or anything, but fucking hell, will you stop asking me already," her face fell again, "you pitying me then, gyu? Is that why you asked me out today after you rejected me before" realizing there was only one way out of this. He collects himself quickly, shifts gears and punches it pedal to the metal, "Whatever you say princess!"he laughs as she screams in the passenger not even buckled in.
End chapter