You're steadily lulled by the sound of Junpei's light breathing and his repetitive caresses down your back. Once he sees you're asleep, he also notices you're fitfully clenching your hands beneath your chin again and again with anxiety, he gets up slowly. Opening the bottom drawer of his dresser, he takes out a small stuffed animal from his collection. Without waking you, he slips it into your hands, giving your restless fingers something to clutch onto. It seems to help. He carefully unties your shoes, which you had forgotten to remove again before climbing onto his bed.
Glancing back to his abandoned homework, he chews his bottom lip in contemplation. Schoolwork is important, and this assignment is due tomorrow too, but you need him right now. You make a small, distressed sound in your slumber, already missing the warmth of his body. He sighs, and rejoins you. Putting his arm safely around your middle, he pulls you in close, resting his head against yours.
He tells himself he'll work on his assignment tomorrow during second period.
A knock at the door startles you both awake. What the-? Where are you? You glance down at something plush gripped in your hands. What's this? A jellyfish? Where did this come from?
Recollection comes back just as Junpei startles behind you. "Shit!"
After the initial fog of confusion lifts, you both exchange a mutual look of panic before rolling out of bed. Thank God he locked his door earlier because the handle rattled as his mother attempts to open it.
"Junpei? Sweetie? Are you hungry? I made chicken–"
"BE RIGHT OUT!" He responds a little more enthusiastically than necessary. Flooded with adrenaline from waking up with you in his bed combined with nearly being caught by his mother, he points vehemently to his closet as you make a move to jump out the window again, but can't find your shoes anywhere. He waves his arms to get your attention, mouthing silently to you. Just wait for me. I'll be right back!
You spring off the mattress as lightly as possible and slip through the partially open door of the closet where he directs you. Once you're safely out of sight, he combs his fingers through his bangs before opening the door. You hear them walk down the hallway and heave a relieved sigh. That was too close! You haven't had a chance to change clothes yet. What would you have told her if she saw you dressed in a girl's uniform? There was no simple answer you could give.
Whatever Yoshino-san made smells ridiculously good. Your stomach growls so loudly that you worry for a moment they may have heard it from the next room. Hopefully Junpei will sneak something back for you. He has a very neat closet. Only two pairs of shoes so there's plenty of room for you to sit comfortably on the floor as you wait. You flick quietly through his shirts hanging above, grinning when you recognize the title of a scary movie you haven't seen in years. Most of his designs are simple and non-flashy. You suddenly remember he loaned you one of his shirts the night you had to leave yours behind. Shit. You should find that and give it back.
After growing accustomed to the initial muffled sound, you start to make out a bit of what's being said in the next room. You eavesdrop without meaning to, trying to fill in between the gaps.
"How was school..?"
"Good, I think …this year…In time for graduation."
"...more sauce, honey?"
"No, thanks…Gonna finish…my room."
There's muted footsteps approaching, then you hear the bedroom door open and close. There's a tiny click as the lock twists into place again. Junpei keeps his voice down, barely whispering. "Fushiguro? I brought some food. Are you hungry?"
Peeking your head out, you sheepishly grin. "I could eat."
To cover for sound he switches on the television in his room, turning up the volume on a ghost hunting show. He sets his plate on the edge of the bed beside him, smiling as he waits for you to join.
"Did you…change?" he notes that you're sporting another one of his shirts as well as a pair of sweats he'd had hanging up.
Holding up the school uniform you'd had on all day, you give it a flippant toss. "Yeah. I had enough skirt time. Hope you don't mind?"
"No, that's fine. What are you going to do with that?" He points to the discarded skirt.
You shrug. "I dunno. Throw it out? You can keep it if you want. Who knows? It might look good on you."
He shakes his head, chuckling at your little joke. Even if girl clothes may flatter you, he agrees that boy clothes definitely suit you better. There's a secret pleasure that also comes from knowing you're comfortable in his clothes. He's honored.
"What did your mom make?" You eyeball the plate, already drooling from the aroma.
"Tonkatsu. I didn't know if you liked mayo and sauce, so I only put it on half. And, uh…I could only grab one set of chopsticks without looking suspicious." He blushes as he realizes this would mean indirectly kissing one another again.
"Fine by me." You're more focussed on eating than anything else, but the same thought crosses your mind as well passively.
You sit comfortably, giggling at the ghost hunters on the television screen as they jump at the slightest provocation. Quietly you trade the chopsticks back and forth to devour what was a delicious and savory cutlet. Nagi is a great cook. After a few minutes, Junpei clears his throat.
"Umm, your–I mean Toji…He's still asking about you. I saw my mom's phone light up while I was out there."
You stare straight at the screen as you chew, helping yourself to more rice and trying to look unbothered. "Yeah? What'd he say?"
Trying to gauge your response, he nervously shifts on the bed. "I only got to see it for a second. Just the first few words of the message, but… it was in all caps."
Biting back your impatience, your eyes roll over to his. go on.
"He said that he was 'GOING OUT.' Uh, I guess to look for you. That was sorta implied. I-I think?" He's running out of things to say.
Pointedly, you take another piece of katsu and crunch it between your teeth, looking completely unphased. Junpei fidgets some more. "Look, y-you're welcome to stay here tonight…but what are you going to do tomorrow?"
Hm…Well, that hasn't crossed your mind yet. You sigh through your nose abjectly, pulling your eyes off the screen. With a shrug, you hand the chopsticks back to Junpei.
"Maybe…Maybe You can at least call Toji and let him know you're okay? He's probably losing his mind without you. What did you two even fight about earlier that started this?"
Oh, right. He didn't know yet.
You fill him in on what Toji said to you, and how he wanted you to stop seeing each other. Junpei looks hurt by the time you're done. Maybe you should have kept it to yourself, but you wanted someone else to be angry together with you.
"Still…" he says softly, "he should at least know you're alright."
"Seriously? You're taking his side even after hearing that?"
He holds up his hands defensively, "I'm not taking sides, I promise. I just…I see what he means. He wants you to finish school mainly, huh?"
"Yeah, and that shit just isn't important to me." You fall back flat on the bed again.
"Well…What if it matters to me?" Junpei asks.
"What?"
"Yeah. My future is important to me. Even though I cut classes a lot when I'm overwhelmed…I still want to finish. I still want to make my mom proud and go to college. And…"
He pauses, looking meaningfully at you. "And I want to see you graduate. I don't want to finish the school year without you."
Goddammit. How dare he pull out that puppy dog face right now! How are you supposed to argue with him? You don't want him to finish alone either, you realize. Even if he could handle his own one on one against someone giving him trouble, what's he supposed to do when Nishimura and his pals gang up on him again? Or Rikuo? Especially if you get expelled.
Fuck.
With one sentence, Junpei changed your mind. Now what are you supposed to do?
Seeing your expression fall, your friend places his hand over yours. "Hey, you alright?"
You nod, turning your head away so he can't see the worry in your eyes. You're going to have to go home at some point. Everything is going to be so awkward when you do.
"Fushiguro," Junpei squeezes your hand again, using your family name to remind you that you do indeed have a family. "When I lost my dad, my mom was a mess. She couldn't keep up the housework, or even remember to feed herself. I had to help as best as I could because she needed me. She couldn't even sleep in her bed alone for the first two years. I found her passed out in the living room each night."
A lump forms in your throat. Toji does that too. Even before you showed up to take the master bedroom, he hadn't slept there ever. "What did you do when you found her alone?"
He leans back, reclining on his mattress with you. "I'd lay next to her…And she'd cry and tell me how sorry she was that she was a bad mother."
"But she's not!" you insist. You know all about bad mothers, and Nagi, oblivious as she may be, is far from being neglectful or irresponsible.
Junpei smiles sadly. "That's what I'd tell her. I think parents are afraid they're doing the wrong thing with their kids. They're probably always thinking they're screwing up. I'm not trying to pry. I'm sorry, I know it's none of my business." Junpei takes your hand in both of his. "You just shouldn't run away from the one good thing you have," he says matter of factly.
Your hand grips his back. "Yeah, you're right…But you should know he's not the only good thing I have."
.
.
.
The door to your apartment is unlocked and creaks open slowly. Is Toji still out looking for you? No. You can barely see in the streetlights from the window that he's on the couch, rolled over on his side facing away. He looks so alone in his dark empty apartment. This is how he lived before you moved in too. Shoulders slightly heaving with his slumbering breaths beneath a blanket much too small for a man of his size.
Closing the door as quietly as you'd come in, you tiptoe across the floorboards. Pausing in your doorway, you hear the soft murmur from Toji, shuddering in his sleep. You set down your backpack with a thud on the floor. He's still out cold. He must be drunk or he'd hear even the smallest sound. You knew he only drank when he was upset. As you approach him, you can't help but think of what Junpei said about his mom, and how parents must worry they're always messing up their kids.
Your own parents never showed they felt those concerns.
Your hand touches Toji's shoulder, squeezing and shaking him back and forth gently. He groans, but allows you to roll him over. He's barely cognitive enough to crack open a single eye and squint up at you.
"Izzat my boy?" he slurs, his voice thick with sleep and whiskey.
The lump in your throat comes bend down and hug his neck. "Yeah. It's me, Dad."
His massive arms nearly squeeze all the air out of your lungs. "Hey, son. Welcome home."
.
.
.
Despite his forgiving nature last night, Toji isn't about to let you off the hook so easily. Even if you came home after only a few hours being missing, you still worried him enough to go out looking for you, panic struck and frantic. Of course when you confessed that you were at Junpei's, and his mother was completely unaware of her secret houseguest, he's less than impressed by your sneakiness.
"You had him lie to Nagi?!"
"I didn't do anything. He voluntarily fibbed." You're seated at the table the following morning, finishing breakfast and awaiting your official dismissal before you're allowed to leave. "Besides, I was careful. I snuck in like last time."
"Last time?" He echoes.
Ah, shit.
"You've done this before?! Why?" he demands.
"Just to get my binder! I left it there when you made me dump water down my shirt and was getting it back."
Toji folds his arms across the table, resting his forehead wearily. He hasn't had a decent night's rest all week. This is taking years off of his life. "Christ, kid…Do you want to get arrested? Quit breaking into people's homes!"
You roll your eyes, throwing your head back in exasperation. "I didn't break in! I climbed the fire escape into Junpei's room."
He breathes heavily through his nose and sits up with a peculiar look on his face. "Look, son, you're not making this easy for me. But I have to ask…Are you doing anything that would …..get you pregnant?"
"WHAT!? NO!" You blurt.
His hands catch his face as it plunks down with relief. "Oh, thank fucking God!"
You're beyond mortified that he's talking about this with you. Why did he think you and Junpei were doing that?
Toji sweeps his hair back out of his face, but he still doesn't look convinced. "So…Is that…Is that something you think you might want to do in the future with–"
"TOJI! SHUT UP!" You clap your hands over your ears and squeeze your eyes shut. This is the most fucked up punishment he's ever concocted, and the worst part is he's only asking because he cares. The bastard.
"I'm trying to be responsible!" He insists "I don't know if anyone's ever given you the sex talk, and if you need condoms–"
"If you personally say either of those words to me ever again, I will fling myself from the balcony into the street," you solemnly vow.
But he won't be deterred so easily. "Answer me! Do you know about that stuff? Yes? Or no?"
"YES! YES I KNOW WHAT SEX IS AND WHERE BABIES COME FROM!" Your fists pound the tabletop. If this is what he wants to talk about, you'll let him have it. "I know how to use condoms too! You flash the wrapper to a rich looking guy. Then when you pull his pants down in the back seat of his car, you tie his shoelaces together and snatch his wallet! And if you keep your eyes closed the whole time, you don't have to see his COCK!"
Toji's face loses all color, and he puts both palms up in an attempt to shield himself from your vile words. None of that was what he was expecting from you. You've been "domesticated" for so long while staying with him that he's nearly forgotten you once were a street urchin with no laws for living. His stomach sours thinking of you having to do things like that for money, even if you were smart enough not to go "all the way" with a stranger.
"Ah, okay. Great," he lies, fighting down the rising bile. "So we're…all good." Fuck, he feels like he may cry again. Hold it back. Don't let the mutt smell your weakness.
Satisfied with your work, you dump your dishes in the sink. "Fabulous! May I please be excused to broaden my horizons and shape my young mind at school now, father?"
He nods again, not meeting your gaze.
"Thank you…For waiting for me to finish eating. God!" You snatch your school bag from the floor and head toward the door.
"One more thing," Toji calls after you hastily.
What now?
"We're getting you a cell phone. I don't want any excuses for not knowing where you are from now on. Got it?"
Oh! Sweet! You'd been hounding him for months for one, but he always insisted that you didn't need it. You never had anywhere else to be besides home. Even when you were about to start school, he said it wasn't enough of a reason for you to require one yet. This is a reason to celebrate!
"Really?! That's awesome! Why were you wasting time talking about gross shit when you had some good news for me?" you demand immediately.
He furrows his brows with annoyance, but he ignores your rudeness. "Because with your enrollment fees money is tight right now. You're going to have to pay for this yourself."
A knowing grin spreads across your face. You only make money one way. "Railyards? When are you thinking?"
He sips from his coffee cup that says World's #1 Asshole. You got it for him for his last birthday. "If you behave yourself at school today….We'll go tonight. I mean it. Zero bullshit. Got me?"
"You've got it! Oh! And, uh…Can Junpei come too?" you ask immediately.
.
.
.
"So…what are we doing?" Junpei gawks at you in horror. You'd been excitedly telling him what's in store tonight, but the poor guy is a bit apprehensive of your idea of a good time. You were purposefully vague while dropping hints at school, urging him to text his mother to ask for permission to come over after classes were over. You told him it would be a training exercise. Not exactly a lie either, as he's sure to learn a ton from the experience.
"You're going to see me fight!" You're practically vibrating with anticipation. "And after I win, Toji's finally getting a phone for me!"
"But are you going to get hurt?" he presses again.
"Huh? Who cares! I'm going to win and take some unlucky jerk's money. It's the funniest thing in the world really. Especially seeing the look on their face when they lose. Heehee!" You twirl in a happy circle to face your friend who's trailing behind. "Plus afterwards, Toji always cooks something good."
Junpei chews the inside of his lip. Even if you're not concerned, he isn't exactly looking forward to seeing anyone put their hands on you. He still remembers how upset he got when Honda grabbed you during your last fight. The jerk had nearly found out about your secret by doing that. Junpei hasn't forgotten his promise to help you keep anyone from finding out either. It's important to him to protect you too from the bullying he knows students are capable of.
"What did you end up telling your mom?" you ask.
He sighs. Lying to her is starting to become more and more frequent lately. "That I needed to tutor you in math, which we still need to do. You aren't getting out of that." His expression turns strict, catching you off guard.
"You're going to fail if you don't get serious," he warns you. "Do you really think I'm going to let you fall behind?" The way his green eyes harden you along with the stern set of his jaw makes you gulp. Where did this side of him come from?
"Jeez, fine! Just stop looking at me like that, it's creeping me out! We'll have a few hours to kill before we leave. You can torture me with numbers all you want until Toji gets home. Okay?" You hold your pinky out to him in a promise. He loops his own around it, but maintains his same no-nonsense energy.
You surprisingly find it doesn't bother you.
.
.
.
Your TV is playing cartoons in the background while your study session drags on. Junpei, as it turns out, takes his schoolwork seriously when he can actually focus on his classes without harassment. So in a way, this arduous chore is all thanks to you. Aren't you proud?
"Try this one, these are two prime numbers. They're simpler to work with," he suggests.
"Ah, yes. Of course…The prime numbers," You are beyond lost. There are symbols here you haven't seen before. What does that squiggle even mean?
Poking your cheek with the end of his pencil, Junpei prods you playfully. "You…do understand prime numbers right?"
"Yup! Sure do. Those are the…uh, even ones."
"Mm." His eyes crinkle. "Try again?"
Fuck! Okay, that only leaves one option, right?
"I meant odd. Yeah, prime numbers…are the odd ones." You swallow, feeling the burn of embarrassment already settling in. Your recovery was sloppy.
"Okay, not exactly, but we can come back to that. Can you tell me what the opposite of a prime number is?" He isn't actively talking down to you, but it doesn't make a difference.
The room is already growing hot and you scratch the back of your neck anxiously. The collar of your uniform is stifling all at once, and your fingers fumble to unbutton it. Without consciously meaning to, your body begins to slightly rock back and forth in an attempt to feel any miniscule breeze of air on your clammy face. Your eyes are trained down at the numbers fuzzing in and out of focus in the textbook. The tip of your pencil lead disappears into pages.
"Are you alright?" Junpei's fingertips barely graze the back of your hand, "Hey… Are you having a panic attack, Fushiguro?"
"No fucking shit," your voice is harder than you mean for it to sound. You feel like an asshole right away. He isn't trying to belittle you at all. Stop it! You scold yourself and bring a hand up to rub your eyes. You don't want Junpei to see you crying over something as stupid as a math problem.
But he does see it. He sits quietly, waiting for you to catch your breath. When he touched your hand, you hadn't pulled away. Trusting his gut, he covers it with his. The warmth from his palm is hard to ignore. "Whatever's making you feel this way, it's not permanent, okay? It's only here for a few minutes, then it's going to leave on its own. You'll feel like yourself again soon. I'm sorry if…Sorry, I said something wrong."
After a few more seconds pass in near silence aside from your labored breathing, your hand finally turns over, accepting the comfort he offers and locking your fingers together. You sigh and pull the graphite nib out of your book, sniffling shamefully. "Sorry…It isn't you. I just hate feeling stupid. I don't like thinking I'm behind everyone else in class, even though I know I am," you confess.
He picks up your book, brushing the page clean. "I definitely don't think you're stupid. Lots of people struggle with math." Then after a moment, he wonders out loud, "Did somebody else ever tell you that you were stupid, Fushiguro?"
"Yeah…My mom. She hated it when I asked for help. For some reason she expected me to just learn everything while at school after only hearing it once. Who can do that? And homework was a nightmare! Whenever I got an answer wrong, she'd crumple the entire page and throw it away so I had to start over. Not just math either."
"What? That's a shitty thing for a parent to do! What kind of mother makes their kid's school work harder?" He strokes your hand again.
"Exactly! She would scream at me until I cried, hit me whenever I failed tests, and- and…" your voice trails off.
"And called you stupid?" he fills in.
All you can do is nod, shocked at how quickly you'd been thrown back to that dimly lit dinner table back home. Junpei huffs, irritated that someone would make you feel this way about yourself. "She was wrong. You know that, right?"
Swallowing back your tears, you nod your head. You've worked hard on your self esteem to undo the damage your family inflicted upon you, but there's still a lot left to untangle in that department. It's embarrassing to have someone witness your meltdown like this.
"You know…That's the first time you've ever mentioned your mother," he comments. He had a feeling that your family was unsupportive. You painted him a decent enough picture for him to know that was sadly true.
"Sorry," you mutter lamely, feeling guilty for bringing the mood down.
"Don't be," he insists. "I told you I would help you with math, just like how you helped me. We can study after school until you get it. And if we have to try different ways to make you more comfortable, we'll do that. I can skip asking you questions if that's easier? You can watch me solve the problems until you catch on."
You meet his gaze with a shaky smile. "I'd like that alot. Thank you, Junpei. Thanks for looking out for me."
"What else are friends for?" he smirks, filled with happiness at being able to cheer you up. You mean so much to him.
His fingers glide over your skin, his thumb circling over the smoothness of your wrist. The background sounds of the city and television fade away. You watch his eyes falter to stare at your lips. The soft grip around your wrist tightens ever so slightly. "Fushiguro…"
Your pulse races in your ears as he begins to lean in toward you. It crosses your mind that he has the softest looking eyelashes you've ever seen…That's a silly thought to have. You blush, unable to hold back the smile blossoming from your core. The instant his nose brushes yours, tickling your cheek with the caress of his dark hair spilling over, a sound yanks your feet back to earth: keys in the front door.
Jerking back, you both let go of one another regretfully. There's a brief exchange of shy glances between the two of you as Toji walks in carrying a paper bag. "Hey, kiddos,"
"Hi, sensei!" You and Junpei respond in unison, your eyes still darting back and forth to one another.
Toji pauses, squinting suspiciously. "What are you doing?"
You innocently hold up your textbook. "Algebra. Care to–"
"Nope." As you suspected. Toji must've failed math too. That helps you feel better for some reason. He turned out fine. Mostly fine. No one could say his problems were related to math, anyway. Toji frowns at you, cocking an eyebrow. "You cryin?"
Shit. He must've noticed your red eyes.
"No!" You snap right away, wiping your face with a sleeve. Then, spying the paper bag in his hand, you spring up excitedly from your seat on the floor. "What's that? Is that for me?"
He smirks, but teasingly holds it behind his back. "Is what for you? You want something?"
Reaching around him, you try to grab it from his hand. He twists away, mirroring your movements and keeping you repelled expertly. "Here, I've got something for you, mutt!" His enormous arm wraps around your neck like a python as you crane to see behind him, pinning you in place. The smell of his workday hits you like a truck.
"AHH! That is foul! Lemme go, you big ape!" Your open palms slap his side uselessly as he tightens his hold. He pulls you in a wide circle, toying with you and laughing loudly.
"Junpei! HELP!" You scream in true distress, trying not to breathe through your nose.
Your friend however is wheezing for air amidst hysterical laughter. He's not going to be of any use. "S-sorry! Hahaha! I can't, I-I can't!"
Toji taunts you further, stringing you along through the kitchen and knocking you into the table and chairs loudly. "Let's go! What's your next move? How do you escape the guillotine?"
By eating the rich!
Opening your mouth, you sink your teeth into his ribcage, making sure to keep your tongue as far back as possible to avoid tasting sweat.
"GAHH! Son of a bitch!" Toji flings you off and rubs his side sorely.
"Was that not the right answer?" You wipe your mouth, making a show of air spitting out the taste of his shirt.
He's still grimacing, but chuckles at your insanity. "It's the floating rib. You're supposed to punch the floating rib. Do it hard enough, and it pierces the lung. I hope you've had all of your shots. Speaking of which, here. Catch."
He tosses the paper bag to you as last, then checks the freezer for a frozen bag of peas for his bite. When you tear open the stapled folded edge, your eyes light up.
Junpei joins you, peaking over your shoulder. "What did you get?"
Biting your lower lip, you're practically bursting at the seems to contain yourself as you pull out two tiny vials.
"Is that…medicine?" he asks in puzzlement.
"Even better, Junpei. A million times better."
.
.
.
Toji switches the car engine off after parking on the side of a long dirt road.
"Here we are, boys. Now a few rules for you, Junpei, since it's your first time here," He unbuckles his seatbelt and turns to face the two of you sitting in the back. "Don't leave my side. Don't speak to anyone or tell them your name. You let me do the talking, got it?"
"Yes sir," Junpei dutifully responds. He's feeling more and more uncertain about this adventure which had sounded exciting at first. However with the sun having set already, his courage is vanishing rapidly. He's never had any reason to travel to this side of town before.
"Quit scaring him! You're gonna ruin all the fun," you scold while opening your door.
There's a decent crowd gathering already behind the oldest abandoned boxcars of the railyard. Its primary use is livestock transport to where Toji worked. The stock animals were brought in by train, then loaded and taken to the stockyards and slaughterhouse. A fitting environment for the cause. Many of the attendees for the fights are Toji's coworkers, or people associated with the meat packing trade. Violence in fair trade for money is their lifeblood, on and off the clock. This is their overtime.
Junpei cautiously shuts his door, and falls behind you and Toji as you approach the scene. His hands are shaking, but he feels it isn't the right environment to try reaching for yours for support. You give him an encouraging smile over your shoulder, sensing his unease. "Just stick with me and Toji, you'll be fine. Alright?"
"Okay," he agrees. He takes a moment to check his phone. It's almost 8 and signal reception is weak here. He types out a quick message for his mom, "Having dinner at Fushiguro's. I'll be a little late getting home." Sighing, he hits send. Hopefully this won't come back to bite him in the ass. She shouldn't be too upset, since he's never stayed out late before.
"Did you hear what I just said, Junpei?" Toji's voice cuts through the boy's thoughts.
"Hm? What? Sorry, I was-"
"I said, 'we'll find someone small for you to fight first.'" He grins menacingly.
"What?!" Junpei pales, and his heart drops. "I- I can't fight someone–!"
"Doesn't matter. If it's your first time here, you have to fight," Toji interjects. "What else do you think we've been training you for? You're going to make me some money tonight."
Your friend stops cold in his tracks, sounding beyond distressed. "No way! I can't win a fight by myself!"
Rubbing his chin with consideration, Toji merely shrugs. "Then I can bet on you to lose and still make something. It's all the same to me."
"But what will I tell my mom if she sees me all beat up?!" His voice cracks with panic.
His sensei shrugs. "Tell her you walked into a door or fell down some stairs. Happens all the time, right?"
You roll your eyes, already tired of Toji's sick sense of humor. "He's just fucking with you, Junpei. There's no way he'd actually let you get in the ring. No offense, you're just not ready for it."
"I…what? Really?!" Relief washes over him and he chuckles nervously. "Ha ha-ha! You-you sure got me, I guess…" What a terrible prank! His hands are shaking even harder now.
That gets a good laugh from Toji, who would never in a million years willingly put Junpei in peril. He's still trying to keep on Nagi's good side, afterall. "You really thought I'd let someone kick your ass with us just watching, didn't you? Give me more credit than that."
As the three of you approach the "entrance," which is nothing more than two boxcars forming a barrier wall to the fighting ring with a gap in between to allow passage, you're greeted by an enormously fat man with a shining bald head sitting on the car's ledge. He cracks a wide smile when he recognizes who's walking up in the dark. "If it isn't my favorite asshole. Where the hell have you been for the last few months, Toji? We thought you were dead. I baked a cake and everything."
"Ha! I'm sure you did. And I bet you fucked it before you ate it, so congrats on losing your virginity, you pudgy bastard. Here, I got you this," Toji pulls his hand from his pocket, displaying a rude finger.
The man laughs even harder, rocking back and slapping his knee. "Goddamn, who raised you?! Haha! You got your boy with you too I see. And, uh, who else?" He leans to the side to get a better look.
You gently take Junpei's arm in yours, leading him up to the boxcar. "This is my trainee! I'm teaching him all I know." Then turning to Junpei, you give him a big grin, "Junpei, meet Ly Phan. He and Toji used to work together. They go way back."
"Like his mama's titties!" Phan howls again, nearly falling back at his joke.
"It's great to see you exercising, Phan," Toji comments, not at all miffed by his friend's ribbing. "Now do your damn job and take my money so I can make more."
He pays the entrance fees for all of you, it's double for Junpei since he's a spectator and a newcomer, but Toji knows the investment will be worth it. Winning a single fight can mean leaving with ten times his wager. He always insisted upon waiting several weeks between wins until agreeing to bring you back. It gave time for more newcomers to show up and get a little cocky. If Toji brought you every week, you'd develop a reputation and your odds would be thrown off, costing him money. You were smaller than all of your past opponents, and new fighters love to single in on someone they mistake for being vulnerable. Sure they may get in a good hit here or there, having had a few weeknights in the yard to gain experience, but you know how to take a hit. Your sensei has made sure of that.
As you file through the opening between the makeshift gates with Toji leading, the sound of a fight already in progress reaches your ears. The smell of dust being stirred up by onlookers combined with their cheers and boos is already getting to you, making your pulse jump and your hands start to flex as they ready themselves for use. This world that Toji brought you into seemed to have been made just for people like you and him. The ones who craved to force themselves to their limits, testing each other to the edge a little more each time they enter the ring, they find they've won something no matter the outcome of the match. But you haven't found the man yet who could put you down. Everytime you return, you recognize someone who's felt your fist, and smile at them.
There's a light jostle against your arm that snaps you from your pre-game headspace. Junpei, with his attention on a few guys who appeared to be sizing your group up, was still getting his bearings. "Sorry," he apologizes quietly.
"No worries," you chide. Then, jerking your head toward the main commotion, you ask, "Wanna get a closer look? Maybe help me find someone who wants some action?"
He swallows hard. Truthfully, Junpei doubts he has the stomach to watch, but he can tell you're excited. More than that, in fact. He watches you bite your lip with anticipation, recognizing how eager you are to find an opponent, and nods despite his reservations. "Okay…"
There's a good number of spectators to wade through, all mindlessly bumping and pushing past one another for a better view at how their bets were turning out. You and your timid friend flank Toji, keeping close as you approach the action. Junpei has to be mindful not to cling to you, but this racket is making his ears ring.
"These guys are almost done," Toji comments, indicating the fighters in the center. "Which one are you thinking, mutt? Who's pulling this victory?"
"Hmm, I want Junpei to pick." You nudge him with a friendly elbow.
"Hm? Oh! Okay…" He appraises both men carefully. One of the contenders, is much larger than the other, and has his back to the three of you blocking the view of the other man. He's nearly Toji's size and wearing a red track suit and some tragically expensive looking sneakers that are now filthy. There's mud caked in his hair, indicating he'd been floored at some point. Suddenly he's knocked off balance once again, sending him pitching to the side and allowing Junpei to see his opponent finally. A sandy blonde with an open gash across his cheek. His bright green shirt had been ripped down the center, no doubt from breaking away from a close encounter. Junpei can practically count his abs from where he stands. Realizing you're staring and awaiting his response, your flustered friend sputters and clears his throat. You don't miss the color creeping up his neck.
"Erm…The, uh, the blonde looks…ummm," You smile as he blushes up to his ears. He's so cute when he's caught off guard.
"Capable?" you supplement with a raised eyebrow. Now Junpei simmers in embarrassment, having been caught admiring another man. Looking back to Toji, you point to the fighter in green. "Him. He's got this round."
"What's your reasoning?" Toji asks with genuine interest.
You grin knowingly. "Just look how much fun he's having out there. He doesn't want it to stop."
You're right. They're both looking worn out, but Green has an enormous smile on his bloody face as he continues. Tracksuit had to be fresh meat judging by his nice clothes. No one who'd been here before would wear white shoes purposefully. He must have pissed someone off and been lured with the promise of a guys' night out so his 'pals' could watch as he got his ass served to him. A common practice for attendees to make easy money when they know their buddy to be all talk and no action. They bet against the man with less experience, and he finally becomes worth their time in his own special way.
There's an uproar from the crowd when Tracksuit finally hollers for Green to stop. In a show of sportsmanship, Green extends his hand to help him up, laughing goodnaturedly as he slams his foe on his back roughly with open palms in what could almost be seen as a type of odd embrace. He was cheering him for an excellent match and for knowing his limit also, another tradition to keep the loser coming back with encouragement. And to keep the money circulating.
"Good work," Toji smirks. "Wish we would have gotten here early enough to put a bet on this one."
There's a lull over the crowd as the ring is cleared for the next two lucky competitors to make their way in. Toji is already opening his wallet and counting to see if he has enough to make any extra bets besides the one for your match. He'll have to lie and say you're eighteen of course, no one would agree to fighting you if they knew you were still in high school. If they knew they lost to a kid, they'd probably be more than a little pissed off too. Fighters can have sensitive egos.
"We need to look for a bookie. See a white cap anywhere?" He asks, glancing around the sea of heads around you.
"You'd see him before us," you roll your eyes. You're stuck at shoulder level with most of these spectators.
Craning his neck some more, he suddenly snaps his fingers. "I think I see one. Come, boys. Stay with me."
You abjectly follow, highly annoyed at being called to attention like a dog. Junpei doesn't seem to mind. He feels overwhelmingly safe with the way people naturally shy away from someone as frightening as his sensei. And with his insight on your strength as well, it's as if he has his own personal bodyguards. He smiles secretly, keeping between you and Toji. When his sensei stops to talk to a man in a white baseball cap, Junpei surveys the locale with growing courage. Mostly men sat about in open boxcars or stacked crosstie pillars, passing cigarettes or bottles among one another, laughing and joking and yelling but all in good spirits. There's a surprising sense of camaraderie in the air that he wasn't expecting.
"This place is…really something else," he exalts.
It's hard not to re-experience your own wonder of the first time you came here. In all honesty, you'd cried from happiness in the ring after winning your first fight, but you'd never tell Junpei that. "Heh, yeah it is. I love when Toji brings me here. But he says it's better if we come less than once a month. Otherwise people start learning your fighting style and memorizing your patterns. Staying unexpected is a valuable trick."
"Got it," he notates, wondering what he could possibly do that would be unexpected next time you want to spar with him. He'd have to think up something good to show you he's paying attention and learning. He frowns suddenly, looking over to his left. "Hey, who's that walking over here?"
You casually glance in the same direction, right away seeing who he must mean. A man in a pressed suit and tie seems to be directly approaching you. He has a long train of jet black hair tied back from his face and left flowing freely behind him like a feudal lord. There's a jagged scar splitting from his forehead down the left side of his face to his cheek. His eyes are a cold piercing blue, but there's a calmness to his expression. You don't care for it one bit. Snakes have the same countenance. A quiet exterior in this setting usually means something is deadly lurking underneath.
"Shit," you swear. "He stands out, huh?" Junpei sidles closer to you, forgetting himself. His fingertips dig into your bicep and you take a step in front of him.
Snake Eyes offers a disarming smile. You don't return it.
"Pardon me, boys…but I need to speak to the gentleman behind you," he says in a silken voice.
Toji? A gentleman? Pft! This guy must be mistaken. You jab an elbow hard into his back to get his attention anyway.
"Ow! What the fuck was that for, you little–" Toji's swearing cuts short when he turns around from the bookie.
"Well hello, Toji Fushiguro. How good to see you. It's been far too long," the man with the scar greets, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Toji does not return the sentiment. His expression isn't that of someone who's just seen an old friend. For the first time ever, you can tell he's scared.
"Sakyo!" He breathes in disbelief.
.
.
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To Be Continued…