babachira

it's like an act of service you never see coming nor do you expect it.

"(name)," uzuki calls. he hands you a document. "read this, take it in. we'll need your eyes on it."

you turn it over, but it only has splatters of the all-too-familiar red on them. you scowl at uzuki, who has his back turned already. "did you kill to get this again?"

he doesn't stop. "how else do you expect me to get it?"

"preferably without the smell of blood on it," you mumble, but you tuck it under your arms and walk over to a table in the far corner.

you're an information broker, a data analyst─and a damn good one too. normally, you work alone and at your own pace, but after forging a deal with uzuki, you now work under him.

according to his team, your skills are something that many find impossible to follow. he says that in an office of the jcc, you'd work for possibly fifty or more people. the information you can gather in the time an ordinary person takes a step forward is more than phenomenal and accurate than the computer. you don't consider yourself much of a fighter like the assassins, but you think you're well-versed in gathering intel to support them in whatever they do.

you're familiar with the regular faces. as long as they don't tarnish your work and you're not a burden to theirs, there's no bad-blood between any of you. you finish your job flawlessly with little to no errors and wipe away any traces of your shadow as if you were never there to begin with. in turn, uzuki and everyone else deem you to be more reliable than they originally thought.

and this continued for a long time, until you caught a certain someone's eye.

you sit, slapping the documents onto the table before you pull a sleek black pen from your pocket. it's perhaps the most beautiful pen you've ever used let alone seen in your life. not only does it look good but it has a two-way function. with one click, you're free to use it for your ordinary activities such as note-taking or doodling whenever you have nothing to do, but two flicks of the cap makes a sharp blade shoot out, replacing the tip with tiny drops of poison.

it's definitely innovative, you think, fiddling with it to see if it still works as good as new. it's something small yet so perfect and personal for someone like you.

and, of course, it was gifted by no other than the guy who wants to be by your side all the time.

your hand flies across the paper, taking neat annotations in different colours to highlight the explicit points. it's been five minutes, but you've already summarised around four out of maybe a hundred files.

you push your entire focus onto these documents, but you don't miss the scrape of a chair and a huge silhouette of a man plopping himself down across from you. he swings one leg over the other and rests an elbow on the corner of the table next to where your mountain of papers are stacked. it's quite small, so one move and it could go scattering over the floor.

from his scent to his voice and all the way to what kind of burger he's eating, you don't bother to check who it is. you already know.

"hi, gaku," you speak, not looking up from your work. "you ok?"

"what are you doing?"

your fingers dig into the paper, holding it still as you draw graph lines that are inhumanely straight. "document analysis. i'm summarising them so your next missions are easier."

"ah, that so."

he falls silent, and so do you do, but you still get the prickling feeling of his eyes following your hands.

you do your best to suppress a small chuckle as you ease into this rhythm. the thing with gaku is that he just loves to watch. he always has. he asks one question, then when you answer, it's like he completely understands─even though he doesn't─before he enters a state of . . . observation, as you like to call it. he doesn't simply just watch either, he scans everything that you do to the point where you think he knows you better than you know yourself. it's no wonder why he was the first to ever gift you something that you can actually utilise.

gaku leans forward, peering over your arm. his pupils deftly follow the quick movements of your hand. "why are you circling that?"

you finally raise your head and subtly flinch when you realise just how close he is. "oh, wow. hello, there."

he slumps back. "hi."

"the circle?" you look back down at the paper. "which one? i did loads of them."

gaku reaches out to tap on a thick pink circle you drew around the word 'dangerous'. he drops his wrist over your knuckles like an arm rest. "that one."

"oh, that's for you," you say. you point to the same circle. "i did it in pink so you can remember it."

"me?"

"yeah!"

he straightens up a little. "what for?"

you beckon him over and to your small surprise, he slides his chair over next to you. suddenly, you feel as though your side of the table shrinks in size as gaku's massive form looms over the tiny workspace. one jerk of his knee and the table would go flying.

"so, this document's about the next guy you need to get," you explain, wriggling your arm out of the caged gap between the two of you. he doesn't bother moving. "it says he's 'dangerous', but i really doubt you'll struggle."

gaku pauses. "why's it in pink?"

"uh, i couldn't think of a colour, so i thought of your... eyes."

his eyebrows do the tiny twitching thing you really want to take a picture of. "that's not my pink."

you laugh nervously, picking up the paper and tossing it onto the finished pile. "sorry about that, the pen you gave me doesn't have your pink, so this is all i can do."

and without a word, gaku takes a gentle hold of your wrist before plucking the pen out of your grip.

"huh," he mutters, giving it a little fidget. he flicks the cap twice and it shifts into the poison. he clicks it once more, letting it slide back into a normal pen. "i thought i did."

you watch him blink like he's trying to manifest his eye-colour into it, but you take it back. he follows your hands to the table before lifting his stare to your face. "it's ok!" you smile. "i'm using it really well, though. thank you, gaku."

he leans back into his chair. "that's good, if you're using it a lot."

"of course i would." you wiggle the pen in front of his face. "i love it so much."

you don't think much of what you said, even when he doesn't answer. you're sure it doesn't mean that he's ignored it, though. with the way you've worked with him until now, it's more than obvious that he takes your words very seriously.

the sound of your pen scratching the paper is the only thing you can hear, until gaku shifts in his chair. he puts his hands in his pockets and his warmth inches closer. you can feel his breath hot on your ear and you do your best to focus, but honestly, the fireworks in your brain only prove that your concentration is gone.

you want to believe that you're trying so hard to keep your composure under gaku's intense gaze, but when you realise you're only on document seven out of a hundred─a sin to your work, you stop and look to your right.

his eyes never left yours.

"gaku..." you start. "are you just gonna keep staring... or"

"yeah," he replies casually. "i have nothing else to do."

"i mean, you don't have to. i'm sure looking at me is quite boring. i'm only writing on paper."

gaku takes a deep breath and when he exhales, he closes his eyes and turns his head to lean on his palm. "not really. you're not boring to watch."

your lips curve just slightly. "yet you're saying that while you're moving away from me."

he instantly pops one eye open, and you laugh, playfully pushing his shoulder.

"you're not even playing any games!"

"i don't need to play right now."

"well, i'm glad i can entertain you in some way," you joke. "i think you're pretty fun too."

you move back into your steady flow of read, write, scribble then flip the paper, but gaku never moves. he sits patiently and you wonder if he's fallen asleep with how still he is, but every time you look up, you catch his stare, a mix of curiosity and pride, which makes you snap back to your work with flushed cheeks.

it's obvious, but you don't complain at all.

+ but he's loyal. so loyal. he's so confident in the trust you've built throughout the years of being together. he knows you won't run and you know he won't run. oh, he definitely won't run.

+ he's clearly well-recognised in the assassin world, so he's used to threats and other assassins coming for him, and to be honest, he doesn't have much to lose. if his enemies even threaten him with his own life, i'm sure nagumo would tease them to try.

+ "you should try!" he'd laugh, casually swinging his weapon around his shoulders. "well, if you can."

+ but if they dare to bring up your name, use you against him? he'd switch and there's nothing else they can say to change him back. his eyes would grow dark, cold and whatever he does is with no shame. empathy, hesitation and everything simply escapes because as long as he's protecting you, he won't regret anything.

+ "ah." he'd lower his head a little and when he raises it again, all the colours in his eyes that usually light up every time you're around, are gone. "think you talked about something too personal there."

+ he can handle anything else, but no one is allowed to taint you. you're the one thing in his life he can't afford to lose. no one will take that from him.

+ but he's completely different when he's physically next to you, though.

+ "(name)," he calls, his voice coated with complete love and adoration. "where are you going today? you're looking as beautiful as ever."

+ he's very proud of what you do. no matter what it is, he'll always find a way to praise you for your big or small tasks.

+ likewise, he'll expect the same.

+ "you did absolutely flawlessly, my dear," he says, his fingers ghosting the outline of your waist. "they'll be nothing without you."

+ "thank you, yoichi," you smile, leaning into his touch.

+ and after the two of you fall into a steady rhythm, hand in hand, he starts humming a catchy tune, until suddenly, he stops. he turns to you with his head tilted, a sly smile on his handsome face.

+ "(name), where's my praise?"

+ he loves talking sakamoto's ear off about you. whenever he's at the shop, he doesn't miss the chance to talk about the most recent date you both went on. whether it's a late night stroll as you fight off mosquitos or a dinner date, nagumo's lips are always spread across his face, proclaiming his happiness to the world.

+ "ne, sakamoto-kun," he beams, leaning on the shop counter. "i really recommend that restaurant i was talking to you about. maybe you and aoi-san should go. (name) and i had a wonderful time there. we got the three-course meal, she loved them so much that we got some for takeaway."

+ he talks and talks . . . and talks so much that when you pop into the store to say hello, sakamoto's face looks shrivelled, a cry for help. if shin's holding a broom, his jaw as well as the broom goes crashing to the floor and he cries, "(name)-san! please! tell that guy to stop coming here!"

+ he speaks like he's planned what he said, but at the same time, it all sounds really made up on the spot. it's hard to explain, but when nagumo cups your face and recites the most poetic compliment you've ever heard, he leaves you in a daze. it's a rather confused daze, one where you're trying to figure out what he said and also why.

+ if you're a civilian, maybe he met you on very simple terms? either you accidentally put your shopping in his cart thinking it was yours (if he even shops like that) or grabbed onto his coat when the train jostled so you didn't hurt yourself.

+ on the other hand, if you're an assassin, he might spawn out of nowhere, pressing the blunt side of a knife against your back with one hand and the other covering your eyes. he'd press his face close to yours and whisper, "guess who?" and you'd spin around so fast, tapping his chin with the knife you deftly snatched off of him. he loves the small things like this. yes, this is small.

+ would go around calling you his wife. if he's engaged in a conversation he really doesn't want to be in, he might yawn and say, "my apologies for the interruption, but i'm afraid my wife is waiting for me back home. i will take my leave now!"

+ to be honest, you do the same, but he's more serious with it. if someone (for some reason) questions him if he's telling the truth, he'd stare at them blankly. "yes, my wife. why, are you incapable of finding one as generous as mine?"

+ you don't question his occupation. well, obviously, if you're an assassin, but if you're an ordinary civilian, you've given up wracking through your brain for answers about his job.

+ in the civilian life, if one of your friends asks where nagumo is, you'd shrug and say, "killing someone, i don't know, something like that." it's the fact that they think you're joking, but you're not. genuinely.

+ lowk, you try to be so humble because it's... nagumo yoichi as your boyfriend. if you're familiar with the assassin world and people ask you if you're seeing anyone, you're like, "yeah i am, he's good at what he does..."

+ and again, they laugh and say he can't possibly be better than you, a highly-skilled assassin yourself, and you just laugh along. that is, until they see the nagumo yoichi glued to your side like it's nothing.

+ "(name)," your friends hiss after they find out. "nagumo yoichi is simply not just 'good at what he does'. why didn't you say it was him?!"

and so you find yourself outside on a bench with your arm gently wrapped around reno's shoulders as he stares at nothing in particular. just yesterday, he received the news from captain ogata of the fourth division that he's the only one suitable for kaiju no. 6, the 'king of kaiju'.

after leaving the captain's office, he messaged you immediately, asking for help, asking for you. iharu was with him when they were both transferred and as much as he appreciates his friend, he's not you. reno knew what he had to decide in that moment, but the first thing he thought of wasn't the new weight on his shoulders but you.

so, you rushed to the fourth division as quickly as possible. reno's never been desperate nor the type to ask for favours. for him to send a small message, 'can you come?' was enough for you to realise that whatever was going on in his transfer was something he couldn't do alone.

watching him sigh for the fifth time in a row, you lean your head on his shoulder, lifting your hand to smooth the side of his hair.

"reno," you call softly. "tell me what's going on in your mind."

there's a pause, but you wait. you can't possibly understand what kind of worries are swirling around in his head, but what you can understand is your position in this moment. reno needs this.

"i'm going to be given . . . no. 6?" reno says with a slight tremble in his voice. "captain ogata told me that i should refuse the role, but i don't . . . know."

he hesitates, staying quiet along with the hum of the warm night. it's way past curfew and most officers are in bed. you, of all people, should be back at the third division, but seeing reno's state and witnessing his first ever 'selfish' request made you stay for a bit longer.

"i thought that i'd be the one to support others from the back," reno manages to say, doing his best to keep himself from sounding nervous, but you know him all too well. it makes sense, he's allowed to and you're more than glad that you can be of some help. "i want to help, i want to do more, but i don't know if this is how i want to do more."

"honestly?" you begin, retracting your hand and putting it on your lap. you turn to look at reno, who tilts his head to catch your eye. his gaze is searching, yearning for something to ease this heavy feeling that's eating away at his body. you can tell with the way his body is slowly inching closer towards yours. "i'm scared of what the hell's going to happen. to all of us, to you.”

you don't miss the tiny tiny frown that flashes across his face. the twitch of his lips and brows that you've come to find adorable, a feature that definitely made you fall for him ever since you met. reno's never been the most expressive, not verbally, that is, but he always gives it away with how he acts. whether it's diving into harm's way to save someone or buying the extra drink just in case you get thirsty later, he's constantly shown everything through his kindness, his will and might.

and it breaks your heart to see all of that shattering right in front of you.

reno opens his mouth, but for the first time this night, you beat him to it.

"but i'm also scared of how much you'll hate yourself for rejecting something that you know can make you stronger."

you would never put reno in danger. you’d do anything to keep himself safe in this world, but at the same time, you can't help but think about how reno himself knows that he should take this. he doesn't show it, but you're well aware that he's been itching to find an opportunity to prove himself.

turning your body so that you're fully facing him, you open your arms and within seconds, reno's curling into you. the sprouts of his hair tickles your chin as he buries his face into your chest. he inhales your scent, something he's grown to find huge comfort in, his home in an unfamiliar place.

"if i were you, i think i'd do it," you say softly. you can practically feel reno's heartbeat against yours. "i know there's risks, i really do, but if if it can save others, i'd do it."

you take his face in your hands as you lift it ever so slowly. your eyes meet and bit by bit, you see the blur of confusion and doubt fade from reno's beautiful eyes. "for you, i'd do it."

it's not a definite answer. to be completely transparent, you're not sure either. no one's ever been able to equip no. 6. reno's the first, so it's no surprise that you're worried out of your mind that something could happen to him.

but on top of that, you also have the faith that there's a reason he's the only one available to do it.

you press a light kiss to his head and lean down, your cheek flat on his hair. "if it was the old you, the you that joined the defence force, maybe you would've said no."

"maybe," he mumbles into your clothes. "i've learnt a lot since then, i've come a long way." he doesn't move, but you still feel his chest flow in and out, a small almost therapeutic rhythm that keeps you calm.

"exactly, but i guess it's different with the you now."

reno finally shifts and he sits up, but he pulls you close until you're glued to him, your faces only a touch apart. he shuts his eyes and lets out a long sigh as he tenderly bumps his forehead against yours. he raises his head a little so that his nose grazes yours and his lips are only a breath away. his right hand squeezes your hip while his left is on your knee almost securing you in front of him.

"thanks for coming all the way here just for me," he says quietly. he moves closer and so you wrap your arms around his neck with a small smile. "it means a lot to me. you do."

"hey, hey," you laugh. "it's awesome equipping a numbers weapon, but it's just as awesome to go around telling people that it's the most handsome boyfriend ever that's wearing it."

reno snorts, shaking his head. "the boyfriend? what?" his bangs brush against your eyes. you lean back to rake through them with your fingers while tracing circles on the side of his neck.

"i'm really proud of you, reno. i hope you know that."

"i know and that's exactly why," he takes a sharp breath, "that's exactly why i want to do this right."

"and you will!" you exclaim. you swipe his cheek with your thumb and he emits a low chuckle. "plus, if you do bad, there's always the next generation of officers that will do better!"

he rolls his eyes and attempts to hide his grin by squishing his face into your neck with his hands still lazily draped around your waist, but you jerk away with a cackle.

"not to keen on giving them a chance?"

"it's not that," he replies despite trying to dig into the crook of your neck again. "you know it's not."

his lips are warm against your skin, and you sink into that feeling, glad that reno's returned to his usual self. there's nothing worse than seeing someone you care deeply for pick themselves apart. it's happened to you before and reno was there through all of it.

"i'll tell the captain tomorrow," reno says. "i'm going to do it. i'll wear kaiju no. 6."

a huge beam adorns your face. "that's the ichikawa loser i know."

"loser?!"

he pinches your sides and you yelp, but you're quickly silenced when he closes the gap between you with a sweet kiss.

+ "gen," you speak, but of course, it gets lost in the angry outbursts your captain shouts every second. it's been twenty minutes and you're starting to get a migraine. "gen, it's a game, please."

+ "tell me," he seethes, finally sitting up on his knees. he pushes your phone into your face. your character's relationships data is on the screen. in first place, there's narumi at the maximum level the game allows you to have and those who you don't know right at the bottom. to you, you can't . . . really make out the issue.

+ he starts prodding your face with the corner of your phone. "why do you have a level 1 relationship with hoshina?!"

+ you scowl and swat his hand away before crouching down to pinch narumi's nose as hard as possible. he screams and doubles down, cradling his face with a series of swear words streaming out his mouth.

+ "agh! you! woman! what the hell was that for?!"

+ "it's a level 1 relationship, gen," you sigh. "i'm literally level 30 with you."

+ "but you still talked to him!" narumi yells, rubbing his nose furiously until it grew pink. "you don't need to talk to anyone let alone him!"

+ "do you know how long it took me to get to that level with you?! your character is such an ass!"

+ "take that back, TAKE─"

+ "gen, i needed to speak to him to complete one mission. you know what that mission was?"

+ "no mission requires you to talk to that bowl-cut of a─"

+ you snatch your phone out of narumi's hand and shove him back with a huge grin on your face. he goes hurtling onto the floor and immediately, you sit on him, doing your best to balance your weight on top of a man who possibly has the same energy level of a 9.0 fortitude daikaiju. you throw one leg over the other and rest your chin on your palm, idly scrolling through your character's profile as narumi thrashes from underneath.

+ "get off of me, woman!" he yells. "ugh, get off! you'll break my back!"

+ half of you wants to believe that you're genuinely winning by beating him down, but the other realistic half of you knows that narumi must also be playing along because there's no way he's unable to make you go flying. i guess . . . you're grateful about his thoughtfulness?

+ "gen, let's go through this together," you say calmly as though you're talking to a child. "you and i are level 30 in this game."

+ "i'll contact the developers to make more levels because 30 isn't enough."

+ "ok, what level are you with me?"

+ narumi gawks at you.

+ you shift your position, your eyes turning dark. "narumi gen, give me your phone."

+ "I'M NOT─"

+ with hard work, blood, sweat and tears . . . you manage to wrestle narumi's phone out of his pocket and with a few quick swipes, the game screen loads, revealing narumi's awful character design. you tap on the profile and hastily mash the relationship button. the sight makes you want to hurl.

+ "you're mad that i'm on level 1 with hoshina," you grit your teeth, "but you're only on level 27 with me?!"

+ at this, narumi shoots up, his hair a mess from rolling around. he has one palm resting on the floor and the other hand pointing with extreme accusation at your flabbergasted state. "YOU'RE THE ONE AT FAULT FOR THAT!"

+ you cannot believe your eyes and ears.

+ narumi continues, his mouth opening and closing so wide his entire face is just mouth. "I WAS ON LEVEL 30, BUT YOUR STUPID ASS KEPT BEATING ME AND GROWING BORED, SO THE LEVEL DROPPED! YOU DROPPED IT, NOT ME!"

+ it's . . . hard to keep a straight face whenever narumi talks. especially right now. all you know about this man is that his pride in his abilities soars above all, but still, it really is hilarious.

+ "aww . . . my poor little snookie wookie pookie dookie," you sing, putting your phone down and sliding down so that your body aligns with his. "did the level drop make you that sad?"

+ narumi huffs. "get away from me. whatever you're doing right now, it's absolutely disgusting."

+ ignoring him, you thread your hands through his hair, the tips of your fingers giving him a massage so good that practically has him buzzing. in the moments where he's calm, it's almost like he purrs under your spell, but at the same time, you use this manipulation to make him shut up. it works. always.

+ "i'm right here, though," you grin, resting your forehead against his. "you don't need a silly game to know that."

+ "game you is better than real you," he says and as though all that previous anger just dissipated into the air, he leans closer, his nose tickling yours, his lips a breath away.

+ you snort. "well, i don't think you get to do this with game me."

+ "shut up," narumi retorts, but before you can say anything back, he seals the gap between you in seconds, the both of you silent as you kiss the frustration away.

+ and the students, shiki especially, are sure that he's never going to get married. he has the looks─don't know about the attitude, but they're absolutely convinced that mudano naito is going to remain single for the rest of his life. or at least, until the war between the oni and momo is over.

+ so, it was absolute chaos when the students found out that mudano naito was, in fact, not single.

+ "sit down. i have no obligation to tell you anything," mudano says sternly. he has his arms crossed and he's stood behind his desk. everyone is practically buzzing in their seats after catching him with their training teacher, (name), in the corridor. they were standing very close to each other─enough to suspect that they were definitely more than friends. and it's funny that the mudano naito got caught by no other than yusurube jyuji, who'd sprinted back to the classroom and announced that he saw two adults making love in the hallway─that was not what you were doing, but he obviously had a tendency to exaggerate his observations.

+ to be honest, it's mainly yusurube and shiki who are most interested. byobugaura is happy for you, kuina couldn't care less, rokuro's trembling, yaoroshi has the most bored expression and kougasaki is, and very rightly-so, minding his own business.

+ "muda-sen!" shiki exclaims, his hand shooting up. he has a wide grin on his face along with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "come on! you're really not going to tell us what you've got going on with (name)-sensei?!"

+ "no, i'm not," mudano snaps. "stop talking before i make her give you a hundred more laps around the field."

+ but before shiki can open his mouth to protest, the classroom door slides open and you walk in, a folder in one hand and a drink in the other.

+ "extra laps?" you question. you hand the folders over to mudano, who puts it on the desk. "shiki?"

+ "yes," he replies. "add a hundred to his next training lesson."

+ shiki squawks. "i didn't even do anything!"

+ "that's no fun," you laugh, resting your arm on mudano's shoulder. he makes no effort to move, but he feels the eyes of every student on him, or more precisely, your hand. "shiki, i'll cut the hundred if you buy me my favourite drink."

+ "what?! how can you ask a student that?! i don't have money!"

+ your lips curve. "naito, i think a hundred is too little for him."

+ you're a full-time instructor at rasetsu academy along with mudano and kyouya. while the former is the homeroom teacher and the latter is the infirmary doctor, you take charge over the students' training.

+ having graduated the same year as them, you've grown to become a well-respected oni with a huge capacity of blood in your body. after years and years of gruelling training, you found your specialty in defence, forming blood walls that serve as shields against the momotarou's attacks. many oni have survived thanks to your ability.

+ everyday, you're tasked with overlooking everyone's blood control, making sure none of them go berserk. the whole mikado disaster was only two weeks ago, so you had to supervise shiki for a short while after kyouya had healed him, but luckily, he appeared to be ok.

+ and just as you're about to tell mudano something, shiki, always the energetic one, bursts out cackling. "(name)-sensei! muda-sen won't tell us what you've got going on!"

+ it's like he's singing, you think, as shiki's face morphs into a snarky smile. you truly wonder what goes on in his head, but from experience and also common sense, it's kind of . . . wise to avoid that question at all costs. whenever you bring up the topic of the young ichinose to mudano, he only sighs and tells you to forget about it.

+ you sneak a look at mudano and he has his same neutral expression, but you know better. that tiny tiny crease between his brows, the second-long jaw clench and the hands in the pockets. the students definitely miss it, but you don't.

+ mudano never says that he doesn't want the students to know about your relationship. not specifically. he doesn't really show it in the first place. whatever you do is always behind closed doors, completely locked away from the eyes of nosy people. it's mostly in the comfort of his home, but even these situations are fairly rare because of your merciless schedules.

+ there was one time where byobugaura had shyly asked if you were seeing anyone because she could not believe that someone as lovely as you was a single pringle. all you did was confirm her question, but you didn't go further than that.

+ you squeeze mudano's shoulder and muster the most emotional, saddest tone you can make. you shake your head to add a touch of dramatic flair. "our dorms were separated, so he always snuck into my room at the dead of night just to give me some flowers."

+ mudano's silent, so you take this as your sign to continue.

+ "he'd cook for me everyday, feed me, read me a book, sing me a lullaby and even smile for me." you raise your head. "i got the mudano naito smiling privilege, you guys."

+ mudano's still silent.

+ "and lastly," you say, trying to push down the huge guffaw about to erupt from your throat, "he asked about being parents─"

+ "i did no such thing," mudano finally interrupts, his eyes flickering towards you. "why are you lying?"

+ "they're not all a lie," you beam, looking back at everybody, who now all seem quite engrossed in your doo-doo story. "i'll tell you which song he sang for me─"

+ "i don't sing," mudano says, his voice growing more dull by the second. "stop feeding them false images of me."

+ "hey, muda-sen," shiki sings. "i didn't think you were the romantic type."

+ and before you can embarrass him any further, he kicks you out of the classroom, insisting that he has something to talk to them about. with a laugh, you leave and make your way towards the staff room to get yourself a drink. your lessons are in a few hours anyway.

─

+ you're sitting on a stool with your back against the wall, going through new training regimes for the next few weeks, until you hear the door swing open and the smooth sound of roller skates gliding across the floor.

+ "finished with class?" you ask, not looking up from your sheets. "did they manage to calm down after my awesome stories?"

+ "to be frank, no, they didn't," mudano answers.

+ "same time tomorrow?"

+ he lightly huffs. "absolutely not."

+ he peers down to see what you're reading before he moves to stand behind you to get a clearer look. "what's this? training?"

+ you flip it over so that all the students' data are shown. "yeah, gotta make sure it's all correct before i actually teach it." you set them down and sit up straight, stretching your arms out wide. "they should all be good, though."

+ you're still stretching as you slowly rise to your feet, and with a huge sigh of relief, you turn around. "hello, there."

+ "you made me look like an idiot," he says, but none of those words are mixed with anger, it only makes a small laugh flow out of your mouth as your raise your hands to trace the two lines on his cheek.

+ "yeah, well, like i said, they're not all a lie," you reply, your thumb gently swiping right under his eyes, making him squint just a little. "you did smile for me."

+ "i don't remember."

+ "rude," you sigh. "you did. a very dashing one too."

+ you can't see it, but you're sure mudano's hands are hovering around your waist as you can feel the lightest touches from the tips of his fingers. he's hardly direct, hardly rough, but he has his subtle ways of love that no one else will ever get to pry out of him. he stays still as you gradually lean into him and it's when your chest touches his that his grip on your waist is now there.

+ "should i tell them about this tomorrow?" you ask. "i can say that i have mudano naito hugging privileges too."

+ "enough of that," he says, but his actions say otherwise. he holds you a little tighter and there are things, scenarios, questions and hope spinning through his brain that he wishes can turn into a reality one day.

+ he's never shown you anything except his perfect side. of course, since he's so insistent on marriage, he's determined to keep you until you both grow old, but it never clicked how actually in love he was until that incident.

+ the incident that really made you realise that you're dealing with a man who takes the word 'forever' to the grave.

+ it was a week ago and honestly, you're still not recovered from it completely, so nagumo continues his regular checks at your bookstore. it seems as if he's grown more protective of you, he even advised that you leave and find a new job, but you're not sure if you can do that just yet.

+ nagumo hadn't arrived for his usual daily chat, so you were cleaning out old books by the counter, sorting them into alphabetical order just like how the boss likes it. they were all caked with dust, so you had to have a small paper fan to brush them all off before putting them in a large cardboard box to be donated.

+ the morning was quite quiet too. maybe because it was midday and children were at school, adults were at work, but you didn't complain. if anything, it allowed you to get your tasks done as quick as you could.

+ all sorts of people entered the bookstore. japanese, foreign people, children, elderly and even teens who wanted to joke around the 18+ section, but it was the first time you saw a man this tall before.

+ you always thought nagumo was tall, but whoever this was had him beaten so easily.

+ a foreigner. he had black dreadlocks, two barcode tattoos and a nose ring. he wore a plain black shirt and olive green trousers, so you were sure that it wasn't his clothes that made him stand out. to be honest, if he wasn't as tall as he was, you might have been surprised by the barcode tattoos, but because of his monstrous height, nothing seemed normal about him anymore.

+ ducking under the door, he straightened up a little. any more and he would've been stuck in between the floor and the ceiling. to you, it's a pretty big gap, it's a pretty average sized store that has most people saying, 'wow! what a beautiful place!' not, 'my head will pierce through this place if i stand up any straighter.'

+ you were the only one in the store that day, and for some reason, you had a feeling that this man knew that with the way he wasted no time walking over. he had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his blue eyes bore into your head. you couldn't exactly read his expression, it looked as if he had a reason to be here but at the same time he didn't.

+ but you shook off the strange feeling. odd customer or not, you had to treat them fairly. "welcome to our bookstore, is there anything you'd like? i'm just tidying up some old books here, but feel free to ask for help!"

+ you didn't know if it was because of what you said, but he didn't even bother looking down at the piles of books you had in front of you. he tilted his head just slightly, his eyes drilled into you. "where is nagumo yoichi?"

+ out of instinct, your brows furrowed. nagumo? why was he looking for him?

+ "nagumo?" you repeated. "do you know him?"

+ "says he comes here," the man answered. "don't waste my time, bring him out."

+ it was from here that something felt off, a life or death situation type of 'off'. this wasn't a gentle giant like you'd see in the movies, you were sure that one wrong move could result in something irreversible. "nagumo? he's not here right now."

+ "don't," the man began, basically ignoring your words, "waste my time. i hate small talk."

+ "sir, i really don't think you'll find him here─"

+ in seconds, he grabbed around four of the thickest books from your pile and crushed them. his arms almost made no movement, no effort, no emotion. all that was left was a tiny ball of what you were meant to donate by the end of today. it rolled around next to your hand and a strong scent of faded books suddenly flooded into your nose.

+ "that's what will happen," he said. "don't waste my time. tell me, where is nagumo?"

+ nagumo had warned you that because you were willing to stay with him too, you had to be ready for some things, but this wasn't something you were expecting at all. you always thought that whatever he carried in that big silver case of his was strange, but no matter how often you had asked, he always brushed it off with a laugh, poking your cheek and saying that he'd tell you another day.

+ and you'd lived in japan for a good few years now, you were able to fend for yourself just like any normal person, but in this moment, you were absolutely helpless. sweat formed on your hands, back, arms and feet. the bookstore felt colder than ever and the man was seemingly growing taller with each ticking second. you wanted to ask yourself the same question. where was nagumo?

+ the man reached forward and grabbed your wrist, his veins pulsing and the snarl in his voice growing more impatient at your silence. "you were on his dossier, which means i know you're connected to him."

+ his vice-like grip grew tighter and you did your best to not shriek out in pain, to not give him the satisfaction. whatever was going on, you knew you had to ask nagumo, but for now, no matter how badly you felt like running, something in you was ordering you to stay, fight for yourself, to survive.

+ "enough of this," the man snapped. "you've wasted my time."

+ then, suddenly, the doors to the bookstore burst. wooden splinters shot across the room and about a quarter of the ceiling came crashing down, ripping the books apart as they splat onto the floor. some of the sharp edges stuck to your skin as you tried your best to shield away from the hurricane of dust and mini-debris, but the man hadn't let go.

+ there was silence, until a voice you'd never been so glad to hear came from the entrance.

+ "here you are."

+ your head snapped up and amidst the thick cloud of smoke clouding the store, you made out the silhouette of nagumo yoichi dangerously stalking over to where you stood. his eyes flickered down to your wrist, which was on the brink of being snapped. it darted between you and the man and you swore there was a glint in his eye that only a beast could make.

+ and despite this, despite all of this, he flashed a small reassuring smile. "my darling, give me one second."

+ and . . . in that second, nagumo's hand was embedded into the man's face as he smashed his head into the ground with a thundering crash. you watched with wide eyes, with your heels drilled into the ground, your good wrist cradling your injured one as nagumo dug his fingers into the man's forehead, making sure that it was deeply wedged into the floor before he stood up and rushed over to you.

+ quickly, he whisked you up in his arms and jumped to the farthest corner of the bookstore as quietly as he could. he set you down on your feet, his hands on your back and shoulder as if you'd break with a single touch, and gently took a hold of your bad wrist. you looked up as he did so, but his eyes throbbed with hurt, anger and a dark colour of grief that you'd never seen before. his thumb swiped over your knuckles and he folded your fingers in with both his hands.

+ "i'm sorry you had to see that," he said. he brushed your hair away from your face. "i'm sorry i wasn't here any sooner."

+ "yoichi," you managed to say, your voice barely audible. he took your shoulders and eased you into a chair behind you. "what's going on?!"

+ "i'll explain after this," he smiled. you didn't know how he could smile in a situation like this. "trust me, just stay back here, i'll be right back, my love."

+ he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, almost lingering, before he sprung off to the front of the store. you had to trust him, you always did.

+ a series of slashes, the sound of steel, snapping and grunts vibrated through your skull. you did your best not to look, assuming the worst, but he had promised.

+ after what felt like forever, you heard the soft footsteps of nagumo approaching you. you looked up from your chair and saw that he was in the same condition as he was when he left you to wait. you shot up, reaching up to touch his cheek, letting your hands slide down his arms to his hands. "are you ok? what happened? who was that?" unknowingly, you felt yourself shaking, but nagumo rested his over yours before bringing the tips of your fingers to his lips.

+ "i told you i'd be back," he teased, but it didn't last long when he saw the way your lips were trembling. you weren't worried for yourself but for him. "hey, this isn't something to cry over."

+ "how can i not?!" you exclaimed. "some weird guy comes in asking where you are, talking about some dossier and that i'm also in it, then you come in and almost kill him! did you kill him?"

+ he stayed quiet for a moment. when he spoke, it was soft and low. "if i said yes, would you run?"

+ you knew what he meant, but that's not what you wanted. you knew what he wanted you to say and you wanted that too.

+ you felt his hands curl around your injured wrist as he waited for your response. the warmth of his palm pouring into the raw red mark like he was curing you. he was leaning into you too, his lips practically ghosting over the crown of your head. "even if you'd run, you won't be dying on me."

+ "i won't run," you answered. you felt the corners of his lips rise as it tickled your head. "you have to tell me everything."

+ he grinned and for the first time that day, it saved you. "good. not that i'd let you go even if you said you would."

+ "if this is something i have to get used to," you began, looking up at him, "i swear─"

+ but you stopped once you felt his lips on yours, one hand resting on your waist and one on your jaw. you could only describe it as delicate as if nothing could make him happier than you, as if you're all he needs, all he wants, and that your answer is more than perfect.

+ he pulls you closer and when he speaks, you can feel his lips move against yours like he's making your entire body remember this moment. "i swear you won't regret it."

─

+ so now, you know. it was a risk and apparently one nagumo was willing to take if he really wanted you to be his forever. now that you know about his world, you're more prone to be a target, or dare you say, a liability. when he told you, you actually brought up splitting up once and for all for his good, but the look of shock on his face gave you your answer.

+ when you said that, he looked absolutely astonished as though someone was holding his heart and dangling it in front of him. to be honest, you're not sure if he'd be as surprised about that anyway. "i live for two lives now. yours and mine."

+ no one else knows that you know and the two of you plan to keep it that way. it's your turn, if you think about it. nagumo's entrusted his entire life and safety to you. even though it's not to the same degree, even if you can't protect him the same way he can protect you, you promised him that you'd do what you can, you'd stay by his side when others don't, you'd love him when he can't love himself. with you, he won't be alone.

+ narumi gen. and this time, it might be your fault

+ as of recently, narumi's been really invested in this newly released online game where you're able to design your own character and play as if you're living the life of an officer in the defence force.

+ he, of course, was livid that he couldn't play as himself.

+ notable members of the force like captain ashiro, vice-captain hoshina and the suffocating narumi himself are in the game as characters with dialogue and missions. going about as your avatar, you're able to construct relationships with others and build up your 'kaiju-killing' score. you're also able to join a division based on your final evaluation.

+ oh, did i mention that this is also ranked?

+ "AAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHH!!"

+ you don't flinch as an entertaining series of clashes, screams and a whole bunch of smashing happens in the background.

+ "WHO THE HELL IS 'NARUMIS_EYEBALL' I WILL BREAK YOU!"

+ looking at the man who's meant to be your responsible and professional captain as well as your . . . romantic other─he won't admit that he confessed first─you only see a man-child in a white shirt and grey joggers, thrashing about on the floor with his phone gripped in his hands. on his screen flashes a huge 'GAME OVER' in red and you know that it's a huge hit to that unwavering ego of his.

+ "narumi," hasegawa says monotonously. the veins are about to burst out of his head. poor man, he's gone through so much since narumi was a teen. "get off the floor and clean your room."

+ "i'll get you for sure next time," your captain curses to himself, hasegawa's voice going in one ear and straight out the other. "i will find you and beat you."

+ sighing, you get up from your spot and walk over. with a hand on your hip, you pluck narumi's phone out of his hands and store it in your pocket. "gen, let's clean your room. it's filthy."

+ "OI! GIVE THAT BACK!" he screams, lunging forward like a fish hooked onto a rod, but your instincts win as you deftly jump back onto one of his precious yamazon boxes.

+ he growls─as if a man that gives you cat energy is going to do anything to you─but you ignore him, perching yourself on the edge of the box. his phone vibrates in your pocket and when you take it out, you see that his game's returned to the checkpoint. on the top right corner, you make out that his stats are, indeed, very high and due to that, he's been placed in the first division─he would've had a fit if it was any other.

+ but one other thing that catches your eye is the obvious silver '#2' on the left and if you've known narumi for more than half your life, this is worse than losing a limb in a kaiju battle.

+ you snicker, turning his phone landscape so that it sits nicely in your hands. you start tapping the screen, making his avatar run around in circles and bumping into walls. "who'd have known that the mighty narumi gen is second place in an online kaiju game." you glance over at him. "do you want me to take over the first division?"

+ "shut up," narumi hisses, stalking over to where you're sat. he snatches his phone out of your hands, but before he stomps back, his fingers gently swipe across your cheek. "you don't even play the game."

+ "yeah, you're right. i don't even play the game."

+ oh, he's wrong. you do play the game.

+ and you're the one who holds the champion title.

+ truth be told, you started this game way later than narumi did. you saw it open on his phone and it piqued your interest, and so you thought, why not? it seems to be a harmless game and it's a good thing to do when you have free time.

+ boy, if you knew how addicting this was going to be, you wouldn't have started it, but it was too late now. you soared to the top in no time, your fingers flying across the screen, tapping, swiping and smashing the 'special' button to unleash your moves. you were allocated to the first division and wherever you moved, a golden crown always floated above your head, signalling to other players that you were the current top.

+ and secretly, your in-game relationship with narumi's character was at maximum level, so you're proud to admit that he basically considered you his right-hand. if he ever finds about you playing this game, you're not going to tell him how you waited outside character-narumi's door until he woke up just to say hello.

+ but narumi has no idea. he's so constantly occupied with trying to obliterate 'narumis_eyeball'─it's a pun you made because he uses kaiju no.1─that he fails to realise you're his greatest enemy. you're literally right in front him, peering down at his screen, watching him make futile attempts to blast your character away. much to his avail, your character absolutely incinerates him with your strongest move.

+ you've seen the many faces narumi gen makes throughout the years, yet this is your favourite.

+ you rest your chin on the palm of your hands. "gen, shouldn't you, i don't know, upgrade some of your weapons so you can beat 'narumis_eyeball'?"

+ "i've already upgraded them all to lvl.90!" he spits. "i've gone on more than 200 missions, killed two daikaijus and thirty-seven honjus!" he thrusts his phone in your face and points at his list of accomplishments. "i beat isao-san in this game!"

+ "what about in-person?" you grin.

+ "i'll beat you up."

─

+ a few hours later, after bearing narumi's complaints about narumis_eyeball this narumis_eyeball that, you're sat in the training room with your spear hastily tossed to the side. you lean back on your elbows and stare up at the ceiling, your hair strewn across your face with sweat practically pouring down your cheek and neck.

+ a knock echoes on the door and you turn your head.

+ "oh!" you quickly sit up. "kikoru!"

+ kikoru had joined your unit just a week ago and you grew to become friendly with each other. as an officer with significant trust from the majority of the important people in the defence force, you want to help kikoru feel comfortable in the first division.

+ "(name)-san, sorry, i didn't expect you to be here, i'll leave you to it." she bows and makes haste to leave, but you only laugh.

+ "hey, hey, it's ok. i was all finished. you can have the room if you need." you gather your stuff and stand up, making your way over to kikoru. you pat her shoulder. "you've improved a lot, though! it's really good to see!"

+ and for a second, her eyes seem to glimmer. she salutes with a beam on her face. "thank you so much! it means a lot to hear that from you!"

+ and with a wave, you leave for a well-deserved bath. it's like your second-home at this point, especially with the ruthless amount of kaiju-missions you get assigned, which gives you little time for personal care.

+ kikoru enters the training room, but she stops when she notices a phone, your phone on the floor. you must've forgotten it.

+ she picks it up, looks left and right to check if someone's there and turns it on. your wallpaper is a really really bad and blurry picture of narumi taking a nap. you still respect his dignity─no, you don't─so just in case someone finds your phone, you have the morals to make your wallpaper something where narumi's face is, at the very least, covered. his face is mushed into his pillow and his hair is like a bird's nest, poking out here and there, and kikoru can only imagine how difficult it must've been not to laugh while taking this.

+ she finds herself mentally grimacing at how vulnerable the captain she's currently serving looks with this picture, but she shakes her head when she realises that she's casually looking through your phone. she runs out the training room and into the hallway, but you're already long gone.

+ so, she jogs over to your office and knocks on the door, but no one answers. awkwardly, she continues to hover outside, but she's broken out of her trance when a voice she recognises calls out her name from the end of the hallway.

+ "shinomiya. what are you doing?"

+ narumi walks over with his hands in his pockets and kikoru salutes, it's like instinct at this point. "captain. i was just checking to see if (name)-san is in here."

+ "for what?"

+ kikoru shows him your phone. she makes sure its face down so your phone doesn't automatically light up and display the glorious mug of narumi. "i think she left her phone in the training room. i wanted to return it to her."

+ "(name)?" he asks. he extends his hand. "i'll give it to her, you go back."

+ "are you sure, sir? i'm sure if i wait a little longer─"

+ "that idiot's probably in the bath turning into a prune, i'll give it to her when she's finished," he says casually. kikoru blinks but hands over your phone to him all the same.

+ she leaves and narumi makes his way back to his room. he clicks the power button of your phone and instantly, your wallpaper, his face, springs up and the sound he makes─he genuinely squawks because this is the most unflattering revolting picture or angle you could ever take.

+ "(name), you little─" he seethes to himself. he's right next to his room, but he leans against the wall and like lightning, stabs the numbers of your password to unlock your phone. "i'm going to change it to your face, see how you like it."

+ but as he swipes to find settings, he pauses, his finger hovering over your screen. you have an app that he can recognise from anywhere.

+ his brows crinkle and without hesitation, he taps on it and the all too familiar loading screen launches. luckily, he's alone in the hallway since everyone else has something else to attend to. even hasegawa ditched him a few hours ago for a meeting.

+ as the loading circle fades away, he finds himself grinning to himself. he's not totally sure what to expect, but when you come to his room this evening, he's eager to gloat about how your rank is so low and how your character looks like a turnip compared to his. he'll search for your total kaiju kills and mentally laugh because it's so embarrassing. he's so looking forward to how your face will go red when he flaunts his scores. you'll both have to ignore the '#2', but still, if it's higher than yours, it's good enough blackmail material for him.

+ the game finally loads and narumi is almost giddy with the comments he already has planned to shit on you, but he takes the fattest, fattest pause once he sees your character. the character with the crazy sharp spear attached to her back, a huge hood over your head. those knee-high boots, the bracelet, the belt.

+ and that giant-ass crown. the golden one. the champion's one.

+ narumi gapes. he goes silent. it's you.

+ you're the one who's been absolutely beating his ass back to front, head to toe, cheek to cheek.

+ he doesn't know how long he's frozen for, he's so bewildered that he's actually caught off guard when a hand touches his shoulder.

+ "gen? what are you doing outside your room?"

+ narumi spins around and comes to face to face with you. your hair's slightly wet and your face glows from your lovely post-skincare. if it wasn't for how . . . ethereal─in his eyes─you looked, he would've shattered your phone on the spot right there and demanded to know whatever this was on your screen.

+ your eyes flicker down to his hands. his are glued to yours.

+ "oh," is all you can say. you look up at him and throw a small smile. "surprise?"

+ without a second, narumi grabs your hand and roughly pulls you into his room. the door slams without a moment to spare and he pins your phone to your head. his face looms above yours like he's interrogating you. honestly, you get to see this good-looking face this close when others can't. you are not complaining.

+ "you're 'narumis_eyeball'?!" he exclaims. his fingers dig into your screen. you can't see it, but you're sure there's going to be a dent there now. a repair shop might not be enough for this.

+ "what, would you have preferred it if i was 'narumis_ass'? it doesn't sound as cool," you reply, stifling a laugh because narumi looks way too serious right now. his eyes look as though they're about to pop off his face. "what?! i can't appreciate my man?!"

+ "you can appreciate me by stop beating my ass!" he snaps. he rips the phone away from your face and swipes through your character profile. you wish you have a camera because the expression he makes when he sees your stats and kills is so priceless. you could sell these and become a millionaire.

+ "you're kidding," he breathes, finger scrolling like it's on autopilot. you watch his eyes and mouth grow wider by the second. "fifty-three─"

+ "sixty-three honju kills," you add helpfully. you prop yourself up so that your chin is resting on his arm. he doesn't move. "seven daikaiju kills. gen, at this point," you chortle, tapping his cheek to get his attention, "you should give the first division control over to me. hasegawa might actually grow some hair back."

+ narumi makes a noise. "this is misconduct."

+ "hey, you're the one who always goes around screaming 'i don't care about incompetence! show me results!' i'm showing you the results!" you argue, your tone teasing and playful.

+ "results don't mean beating me and you could've chosen any other name," he says.

+ "ok, 'narumis_gf' was taken. what do you want?!"

+ he grunts and sits down with a huff. honestly. "how much yen do you have?"

+ "i'm not buying you any more stuff from yamazon─"

+ "in-game, dumbass!"

+ "oh, more than what i have in real life, i guess."

+ he taps on settings and then the small pencil icon next to your name. you shuffle over so that your chin is now on his shoulder. together, you're hunched over your phone as you watch narumi desperately tap away to change your name.

+ "narumi's . . . " you trail off, but you sneak a closer look, "wife?!"

+ "shut up, that's not the only thing i'm changing."

+ again, he goes into your character customisation and within seconds, your entire gear is swapped to everything that's associated with him. he even buys the 'narumi wig', which was surprisingly cheap much to his chagrin, and weapon. so, in two seconds, your character that you designed to be a beautiful badass is now a clumsy mess of clown-like hair, weird eyes and a weapon too big for your frame.

+ "i look ridiculous," you scoff. maybe the only thing you're satisfied with is the new name . . . but everything apart from that makes you look as pathetic as narumi's #2.

+ "shut up! this is what you deserve! i'm taking back my crown!"

+ "you never had it to begin with. it's always been mine."

+ "hah, what's yours is mine." he boots up the game on his phone and nudges you. he acts all tough, he acts like it's really bothering him, but he doesn't move when you nestle close to him. "i'll show you the real champion, you'll still never be able to beat the real me."

─

+ you sit in the car with the doors closed, seat slightly leaned back and ac on full blast. you genuinely can't bring yourself to turn it off because you fear what you will become in this devastating heat.

+ right now, rin's in a meeting with mikhail. they're both in japan due to the upcoming tournament, so they're inside the pool centre doing some last minute training.

+ you offered to pick him up, rin refused, of course, but you're deathly insistent, so he ended up saying yes after you asked, like, twice.

+ you close your eyes but they shoot open a second later when you hear the click of the car door followed by a groan of relief.

+ "it's so hot," rin complains, flapping the front of his shirt as he presses his head against the headrest. "i'm dying."

+ you wait until he closes the door. "well, stop dying because your sister promised me food today," you say, propping yourself back up. you pull the seat forward from its position and quickly put your hands on the wheel. "she won't let me in if i don't bring you home."

+ "nah, she'll let you in and close the door on me."

+ you pause. "on second thought, yeah."

+ before you can turn the car on, rin reaches out and very tenderly brushes the strands of hair away from your forehead. "you look hot."

+ you smirk. "oh, i know─"

+ "no, idiot," he chuckles. his hands rest on your shoulder. "you look like you've been sweating for days. turn the ac up."

+ you roll your eyes, but a smile flickers on your lips. "oh, shut up, you just came back from swimming, i've been outside this whole time."

+ he laughs lightly again before his expression shifts into something a little more serious. "you ok with driving? you don't think it'll strain your back or anything?"

+ the car hums to life and you start reversing from your parking spot. "too late now, but i should be fine, it's only a short drive."

+ rin creases his brows. he doesn't look too convinced, but he leans back against his seat. "alright, if you say so. i can always drive."

+ it is a short drive from the pool to rin's house. on the days he has training, you have a routine where you drop him off before heading to work and luckily, your shift tends to end around the time rin finishes, so it all works out.

+ you work as the assistant manager of a sports retail store in the middle of the town. it's a pretty popular store since you sell all the main brands that people are dying to get their hands on. today was stock-refilling day too, so it was an absolute mess. your colleagues were running around like headless chickens and you yourself were on the brink of collapsing with how painful everything was─mentally and physically.

+ it's a comfortable silence in the car. rin likes to hear about your day and you love hearing about mikhail's japanese mistakes, but there are times when you notice that rin wants his quiet time. judging by the way he looks outside the window, today might be one of those days.

+ you turn on your blinker and as you're about to enter a roundabout, a black van suddenly barges through like its got furious business to attend to, forcing you to stamp on the brakes as hard as you can before you get crushed. you jolt forward, but rin's quicker, his arm shoots across so that you don't collide nose-first with the wheel.

+ "what the hell?!" he growls, glaring at the van that's already zoomed away into the third exit. "dumb shit could've hit us!" the driver next to you seems to think the same thing as he starts spitting curses you've never heard before.

+ eyes wide, he puts his hand to your cheeks with the back of his fingers as if he's checking your temperature. "are you ok?! you didn't get hurt, did you?!"

+ you nod slowly, regaining your senses. thank god that your driving instructor drilled emergency brakes into your lessons. "i'm ok, it was just a bit of a shock."

+ "he was a piece of shit," rin hisses, looking back out at the roundabout. "we gotta move, go after that red car."

+ finally, you blend into the rhythm of a peaceful drive and before you know it, you find yourself forgetting whatever just happened. you stifle a laugh rin continues spouting threat after threat─that if he was driving, who knows what he would've done or said to the careless driver.

+ "i'd chase after him and stare into his rear mirror to flip him off, make him piss himself" he says and you snort.

+ "what a great way to end my day," you joke, throwing one hand up in the air before it lands back down on the wheel with a thump. "now i've dealt with two angry men today."

+ rin raises a brow. "two?"

+ you grumble under your breath as you think back to it. "this one guy, around our age? i don't know, he could've been a bit older. he yelled at one of my colleagues because we didn't have a specific size in stock. bear in mind that it's a really popular brand and it's so high in demand these days."

+ "must be because of the bunch of summer games going on right now," rin says. "did you do something? you did, right?"

+ you nod. "yeah, my manager was off today because she's ill, but i went over and explained that it's sold out but that we're having a restock in the afternoon, so it should be here tomorrow."

+ "yeah."

+ "but he was like, 'i need it now! bring it to me now!' and seriously, you should've seen the look on my face. i was ready to kill a man."

+ you hear him chuckle as you turn right. "yeah, i know exactly what that look is."

+ "hey, now, i don't look at you like i'm about to kill you," you say and he laughs again.

+ "yeah, you do," he pulls himself up higher in his seat, "but seriously, you should be careful with working there. it's a sports store and i know how heavy things can be."

+ "hey, hey," you tut, shooting him a playful glare, "i'm not a damsel in distress."

+ "yeah, not to anyone, but you're my damsel in distress, stupid," he grins, giving you a small poke. "i don't want you pulling anything. getting hurt isn't a joke."

+ "ok, mr swimmer."

+ "i'm serious, (name). i've seen it happen to so many times, i've seen it become a permanent thing before. i really don't want that happening to you."

+ "i know, i know and i appreciate you looking out for me," you hum. you reach out and place a hand on his knee. "if it makes you feel any better, i'm not doing anything that requires heavy lifting. i leave that to the others, i do most of the talking and customer service things."

+ "yeah, yeah, i know, i trust you. just don't do anything that's too much for your body."

+ he lifts your hand and kisses your knuckles before chucking your arm back to you like it's a toy. "can't have my beautiful taxi driver ditching me."

+ you huff. "you wet rat of a passenger─"

+ you swat at his face, but he grabs your wrist. "hey, eyes on the road, mrs."

+ you can't dismiss the tiny flip your stomach does when he calls you that. 'mrs'. it's a small nickname he started calling you ever since he returned from sydney─and boy, the things it does to you when he says that looking straight into your eyes.

+ it reminds you of the one time when rin had accidentally called you 'mrs' in front of gou, and gou, you love her to bits. she was silent, but as soon as rin left the room, she took your hands in hers and held her breath until her cheeks looked ready to burst before she exploded with a, 'please! let me be your maid of honour!'

+ "what if i don't want to become your mrs?" you say, glancing sideways to check his reaction. his eyes twitch and you know your words caught a nerve.

+ "hah?" he says it like a challenge and you can't help but want to provoke him even more.

+ "what if . . . you," you begin, biting your lip to suppress the laughter threatening to leave your mouth, "become my mrs."

+ and the look on his face is fine art, like the ones you spend hours queueing for at galleries. you can't help it, but you crack up, your voice filling the car to the brim.

+ "what?!" he exclaims, his eyebrows making a zig zag as he tries to comprehend what the hell you just suggested. "what are you saying?!"

+ "i think you being mrs (l/n) has a wonderful ring to it," you chortle, but rin snorts as if what you said is the most absurd thing in the world. "right?"

+ you work at a bookstore on a busy street where people of all ages come and go. you have children's books, magazines, comics, dictionaries, study books and even the . . . explicit stuff, but that exists upstairs and you do not dare go up there. you do not.

+ it's a repetitive but healing lifestyle. on weekdays, you have the opening shift, closing on saturdays and sunday is always a rest day. you're well-acquainted with the shop owner, who's the wisest elderly man you think you've ever met in your life. you haven't lived a very long one so far, but you genuinely believe that he's read almost every book in the continent─maybe even the world─because he speaks in such a poetic manner that you think you need to relearn japanese for this.

+ today is a tuesday and it's already half one. you've done all your morning chores, so you start feeling a little hungry.

+ "(y/n)!" the old man calls and you walk over to where he's perched on the edge of his seat, a magazine about hats in his lap. "have you eaten lunch yet?"

+ you shake your head. "no, not yet. i was just planning on getting something from a store. would you like anything?"

+ he hums in approval. he starts stroking his chin and this is literally what you mean when you think he's the smartest person on earth. not anybody strokes their chin after being asked what they want to eat. "there's a convenience store around the corner that sells very good katsu sandwiches. get us two, will you?"

+ "sure! around the corner, right?" you walk over to where your coat is draped over the back of your chair. "i'll see if there's anything else too."

+ "thank you very much, dear."

+ and so, you set off. you feel the breeze rush across your face as you walk with a swing in your step. you hope that there won't be any trouble today. yesterday, you had a foreign customer who demanded a refund because one of the pages was horribly ripped, but you were absolutely positive that the book was in perfect condition when she had bought it. it was one of those people, but you took control of the situation very calmly by offering to give her a new copy, but somehow, she took it as a huge punch to her ego that she stormed off, muttering about how foreigners like you shouldn't be allowed in japan anymore. you blinked. you were pretty sure that the lady was not from japan either.

+ from afar, you see the store that your boss mentioned. it has 'sakamoto's' written across it and it looks pretty normal with its standard size and colours. suddenly, that katsu sandwich sounds really good, so you rush over as quick as you can. maybe you'll get a drink with it too? the boss likes green tea, so you should grab that for him.

+ the automatic doors open with a ding-dong and you step inside, the cool air of a normal convenience store washing over you.

+ nevermind. this is not a normal convenience store.

+ why are you seeing a pizza delivery man being choked by another man?

+ and a very handsome one too?

+ and there's a group behind him too─oh boy. everyone's looking at you. you go blank. they grow pale. your mind goes white. you gape.

+ do you . . . walk back out? do you . . . continue looking for the katsu sandwiches? you don't actually know where it is─do you ask? should you even be here? is this even a convenience store?─why did your boss recommend this place?─most importantly, why is there a man choking another man?

+ "oh . . . my."

+ your head slowly rotates to the person who just spoke. it's the handsome one─the one doing the choking, and with the way he's gawking at you right now, you're lowkey scared he's going to start choking you too. please, all you want is a katsu sandwich and a bottle of green tea.

+ whatever situation you just walked into, you're not really sure how you're going to back out of it. there's one girl with pink hair, a blonde boy, a round man, who you assume is the store owner, the very handsome one in a long coat and finally, the pizza man.

+ and whilst your attention is on each and every person who's awkwardly staring at you as if you're the weird one for interrupting, you don't realise that the good-looking one is absolutely mesmerised.

+ "nagumo, that's enough."

+ as soon as the store owner speaks, the man─nagumo, you assume─loosens the headlock on the poor pizza guy, who goes tumbling onto the floor like a fallen jenga tower. you watch as his body practically folds as if his bones became jelly.

+ and when you look up, you find yourself locking eyes with him, and they don't leave you. the silhouettes of everyone simply fades, his dark irises seemingly shine like you're the sunlight to his darkness or the stars to his moon. his lips part just slightly, enough to assure you that you've . . . surprised him in a good way. now, you think he's not going to choke you.

+ to you, it's just a random man─a conveniently handsome but random man─who's eyeballing your very existence, but to him? wow. the order? assassin? him? wuzzat? sakamoto has a bounty on his head, really? pfft . . . he's found his woman. he's ready to melt that gold assassin's license of his into real gold to put on your finger.

+ "nagumo. stop staring at her like that."

+ but does he stop? no. his focus refuses to waver, it's like the wires in his brain are transmitting the message 'today, we are only looking at this woman and this woman only," but his stare is so strong, magnetic and so full of longing. for a bit, you find yourself falling deep into those gorgeous black eyes of his.

+ "are you my wife?"

+ you snap out of it in an instant. "huh?"

+ nagumo points at you. he starts walking over, but you're still rooted to the spot. "you, it's you. my wife." he sounds completely certain, persuaded and stubborn. the way he states it makes you compelled to agree. yes, yes. you are his wife.

+ you don’t really know what to think. you have no idea how to process any of this at all. dear japan, if this is what you’re like, you will very kindly and respectfully be returning home.

+ then, he's right in front of you and he's tall. you think he stands at around 6' 2 and compared to you─it's like having the eiffel tower and a toothpick put together. his presence feels strangely majestic as if he's oozing with the vibes of a royal prince, but then again, you take a moment to ponder about this because would a prince with a lavish background full of silk and honey brutally put a headlock around a delivery man? then again, the pizza guy was holding a pair of cutters in his hands a little menacingly.

+ a smile, a little cunning but dazzling all the same, flickers across his face. he tilts his head and his pupils scan you from head to toe. "yes. yes. perfect. i'll contact a wedding coordinator immediately."

+ "hah?! what the hell is he talking about? you can't just go around saying that to someone you just met!"

+ you believe it's the blonde boy talking because he points a finger at nagumo. "sakamoto-san! this guy's being a creep to our poor customer!"

+ "nagumo. leave her alone."

+ but nagumo ignores them. "sakamoto-kun, this is true love."

+ the blonde boy, whose name tag reads 'shin', pushes nagumo out of the way before bowing profusely. "sorry about all of this, uh, did you need anything?"

+ you wonder how you're going to go about your day now. "yeah, if that's ok. i mean, i can always come back . . . whenever this," you do a little motion with your hands, "isn't here?"

+ "no, no, everything's fine," nagumo chimes in. "it's just a normal day for us, don't mind it, don't mind it. in fact, this is the best day of my life."

+ shin glares at him and shakes his head. "ignore him. uh, this doesn't normally happen here, but um, no, you can still be here! i can help you find what you need!"

+ "then . . . just two katsu sandwiches . . . please," you manage to say and shin dashes off to the back. you take a small glimpse at nagumo, who's gaze is still fixated on you.

+ "do you perhaps work at a bookstore?"

+ you raise your brows at him, who still has that twinkle in his eyes. with the way his face is inches away from yours, you feel like he's growing closer and closer by the second, but for some reason, you don't find yourself moving. "yeah, i do."

+ "i see."

+ you don't know what he sees or why he sees.

+ "would you like to get married in one?"

+ "nagumo. she's not going to marry you."

+ "see the look in her eyes? of course she will!"

+ you don't answer because shin's already running back with two packaged sandwiches in his hands. he shoves them over and bows again. "here you go, please just take them. no need to pay, not after seeing all of this."

+ "that's going out of your pay check, shin."

+ "eh?! sakamoto-san!"

+ your feet shuffle under you as you slowly back away towards the door. "thank you for these. i hope that all of you," you nod to everyone, "have a nice day."

+ nagumo straightens his posture. "are you going back to the bookstore?"

+ you turn back around to him and he stands even closer than you remember. "yeah, i am. i have to get back to work."

+ "i see, then i will come with you!"

+ you fully spin and wave your hands in front of your face. "no! no, that's not necessary, that is not necessary. you don't have to go out of your way─"

+ "how silly of you to think that!" nagumo grins and you can feel the eagerness radiating off him. "i can't let my lovely lady walk back alone!"

+ "nagumo, she's not your lady."

+ you quickly glance outside. "it's daytime?"

+ "you never know what kind of horrors lurk out there. take this guy as an example!" he prods the pizza guy with the tip of his foot. "you never know."

─

+ what's funny is that nagumo never gave up.

+ what's even funnier is that you gave him a chance.

+ he turns up to your bookstore every. single. day. he doesn't even buy anything, he just comes in, leans on the counter, lounges around in one of the single chairs and talks your ear off for about an hour before he leaves for a mission. unsurprisingly, you've come to learn that he has a job, but you don't know much except for the fact that it's dangerous. you've also learnt that he gets severe motion sickness.

+ he takes you out on walks, to restaurants─very . . . very expensive ones─and so much more to the point where you sort of feel bad that you can't do anything to repay him.

+ "what?" he would gasp when you offered to pay. "don't be ridiculous, i'd pay the entire world for you."

+ he makes restaurant reservations under his name, but upon arriving, he'd always say, "i booked the private booth for myself and my wife." and when he orders for you, he goes, "and my wife would like this one. can you make it perfect?" you don't know what it does to you.

+ "yet." he's always cheeky about it when you helpfully remind him that you're not married. "the time will come, darling."

+ your boss is just so happy that you've found someone during your time in japan. he knows how difficult it might be as a foreigner because it isn't your country and japanese isn't your first language, but the fact that you've found─he says 'found' as if nagumo's a dog─a tall, dashingly handsome japanese man, who is so head over heels for you, your boss performs nothing but parades of applause. he'd always sigh and you swear it's one of those dreamy ones. "i was just as persistent with my wife back when i was your age. she kept telling me to go away, but i simply couldn't."

+ you laugh. you've heard his story many times. "really?"

+ "yes, really. it is true love."

+ one day, you're just going to have to admit that nagumo yoichi is smitten to the bone, to the head, to the heart, maybe even to his feet.

+ "i'll tell you what i think," your boss says, flapping a newspaper in his hands, "i think you should tie the knot already. he seems like he's already there anyway."