The dog days are over, oh

The dog days are done.

"Dog Days Are Over" ~ Florence the Machine

It was a bright, clear Saturday afternoon in early June, and Shibuya was buzzing with the usual hum of summer. Heat radiated off the pavement, driving everyone toward whatever patches of shade they could find along the tree-lined sidewalks. Baji and Hikari strolled side by side with Pochi, Pah's Afghan hound, leading the way. The dog's long, luxurious fur glinted in the sunlight as he bounded ahead, nose twitching at every new smell. Baji's arm, finally cast-free after weeks of healing, flexed as he held the leash.

"Look at him," Baji grumbled, though there was an unmistakable fondness in his voice. "He's like a damn tornado on four legs."

Hikari laughed, watching Pochi dart back and forth, his long, silky ears flapping like little wings as he ran. "You're the one who agreed to dog-sit, Keisuke. I seem to recall you telling Pah that it'd be 'easy.'"

"Yeah, well," Baji muttered. "Easy, my ass. He's dragging me halfway across the city." He couldn't help but chuckle.

Hikari just laughed, her hands slipping into her pockets as she watched him struggle to keep up with the overenthusiastic dog. "Come on, future Dr. Baji, veterinarian extraordinaire. Isn't this great practice for you?"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, grinning. It felt good to be back to normal—or as normal as life ever got in Toman.

As they turned a corner, two familiar figures came into view: Chifuyu and Ryusei, who was halfway through teasing him about something, though his expression shifted as soon as he noticed Pochi.

"Ah, shit," Ryusei muttered, his eyes widening. "Is– is that… a dog?" His voice went up an octave as his gaze locked onto the dog, who had noticed him as well and was now bounding toward him with uncontained excitement.

"Oh, come on, Ryusei," Hikari called out, barely holding back a grin. "He's sweet! He just wants to say hi!"

But Ryusei was already backing away, his face pale. "Sweet? That thing's a wooly goddamn mammoth! I'm not getting anywhere near it." He cast a panicked look at Chifuyu. "Catch you later, Chifuyu! I just remembered, I like living!"

Before anyone could stop him, Ryusei was gone, disappearing around the corner faster than Baji could blink.

"He's really afraid of dogs?" Baji asked, raising an eyebrow at the retreating Ryusei.

"Apparently," Chifuyu replied with a smirk, slipping his phone into his pocket as he stepped forward to greet them. "I guess it's like his kryptonite."

Hikari stifled a laugh, shaking her head. "Poor Ryusei."

"Poor Ryusei, my ass," Chifuyu chuckled. He turned to Baji. "Good to see you out of that cast. Arm all good now?"

"Yup." Baji flexed his arm for emphasis. "Healed up and ready to go. In fact, I was just thinking it's time to put it to good use."

Just as the words left his mouth, a familiar yet unfamiliar duo wandered into view. Hikari snorted, elbowing Keisuke as she nodded toward the two guys approaching. "Get a load of those two. Are they for real?"

Baji squinted at them, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "The hell?"

Chifuyu glanced over his shoulder at 'Mikey and Draken' propping each other up, gasping for breath after Ryusei insisted that Mikey and Draken always go for a long run after eating an impossibly huge meal. He couldn't understand why even an irreverent little shit like Ryusei would act so nonchalantly with his commander and vice commander. Seeing Hikari and Baji struggling to keep it together baffled him even further.

Hikari clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from bursting into laughter. "Oh my god," she whispered, barely containing her amusement. "They're like… counterfeit knockoff versions. Like when you order something online and it shows up looking all wonky."

They walked like they were trying to look tough, but it was all wrong—Not-Draken's "braid" looked like someone glued a rope to his head, and Not-Mikey's attempt at swagger came off as more of a waddle. Hikari bit back a laugh as they finally looked up and froze, their faces going pale.

These weren't just some random bystanders. It was Baji Keisuke, captain of Toman's First Division, and Todawa Hikari– 'Toman's Princess,' as she was known to the rival gangs. And they're both founding members, and well-known to be close friends with the real Mikey and Draken.

Not-Draken's hand flew to his head, nervously pulling on his fake braid as if it would somehow save him. "S-shit, man, we're screwed," he muttered under his breath, his voice shaky.

Not-Mikey, looking less like a fearless gang leader and more like a bucktoothed deer caught in headlights, barely managed to stammer out a greeting. "Uh… H-hey there… uh…"

"Hey, guys," Hikari greeted them, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How's it goin'?"

Baji's eyes gleamed with mischief as he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "So, you're the wannabe Mikey and Draken, huh? Going around, mugging people, causing trouble?"

"N-no! That's not—uh, we didn't mean—" Not-Mikey waved his hands frantically.

"You've got some nerve," Baji continued, his voice taking on a dangerous edge, though the playful gleam in his eye never wavered. "I think I need to teach you a little lesson about what happens when you impersonate my friends."

Hikari lost it. She couldn't hold back anymore. She was cracking up, almost doubled over with laughter. "I'm sorry, I just can't… It's too goddamn funny!"

Chifuyu now understood why Ryusei seemed to be having such fun earlier. These idiots aren't really the commander and vice commander. Becoming amused by the whole thing, he chuckled and shook his head.

The two fakes took a hesitant step back, their eyes darting between Baji, Hikari, and Chifuyu clearly weighing their options of how to get out of this as unscathed as possible.

Baji rolled his shoulders, loosening up as a devilish grin stretched across his face. "You know what? Kicking your asses is the perfect way to celebrate my arm being healed."

Not-Draken gulped audibly, his eyes darting toward his equally terrified partner. "Uh… maybe we should—"

But before he could finish his sentence, Baji took a step forward, and both imposters turned and bolted down the street, their panicked yells echoing in the air.

Baji chuckled, smirking as he watched them flee. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Aw, I wanted to make them sweat it out a little more," Hikari bemoaned playfully, still laughing. "You spoiled the fun."

Chifuyu scoffed, still chuckling. "No wonder you and Ryusei seem to get along so well. You're both the same."

"When it comes to the sheer enjoyment of busting people's chops, yeah." She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. She hadn't laughed that hard in quite a while.

"If chop-busting was an Olympic sport, they'd both take the gold," Baji chuckled. His gaze lingered on her a moment longer than he meant it to, the warmth of her laugh sticking with him.

Chifuyu crossed his arms, clearly enjoying the show. "Think they'll stick to impersonating random nobodies from now on?"

"If they know what's good for them," Baji replied, still grinning. "But if they don't, I'll be happy to give 'em a round two."

Hikari laughed, giving Keisuke a playful nudge. Her hand rested on his shoulder just a bit longer than usual, a warmth that spread through him. "Good to see you back in action. That arm looks great."

Baji's grin softened as he looked at her. "Better than great."

As they turned to continue their walk, Pochi barked excitedly, wagging his tail as if he'd enjoyed the whole spectacle. Baji chuckled, glancing over at Hikari. Her laughter still hung in the air, light and warm, and the feel of her hand on his shoulder lingered. Happy to see you're back in action.

Yeah, he thought, glancing at her with a quiet smile. Back in action.