Nina's High and Low Fic Corner

“Alright my dears, I got a two egg breakfast…” The waitress’ voice was sweet. This place served breakfast all day. Misa added some salt and pepper to her scrambled eggs. She looked at her boyfriend’s plate. “Excuse me,” the waitress looked at her “He wanted hashbrowns not o’brian potatoes,” Shoji looked at his girlfriend “It’s fine,” Misa shook her head “No, its not,” Fujin parroted her, Raijin looked at his plate, trying to argue with Misa was worse than getting beaten up by Todoroki.

“I’ll get this fixed for you,” Misa smiled. Once the waitress was out of earshot Shoji turned to Misa. “Babe, it was fine,” Misa almost rolled her eyes. The boy sitting next to her was a fierce fighter who could knock someone out with one punch. 

When it came to speaking to servers and store workers he became a quiet wallflower. His order could be completely wrong and he wouldn’t say anything. Misa, on the other hand, was mostly quiet and respectful but when it came to food she became loud and outspoken. 

“Misa’s right Same, you need to speak up for yourself,” Fujin had been trying to get Shoji to be more outspoken. Misa only met Shoji because she saw a barista get his coffee order wrong. From then on he defended her from other delinquents and she called out those who got his food and drink orders wrong. 

The waitress came back with a plate with hashbrowns. “Thank you so much,” Misa gave the waitress a warm smile. “Make sure to leave a good tip,” Shoji nodded and began eating his food. This place made the best breakfast, it was her favorite place to eat. 

At the end of the meal Misa made sure to leave an extra tip. She thanked the waitress again “You were the best,” the lady smiled “You are more than welcome,” Shoji put his arm around Misa’s shoulder and they left the restaurant. 

“Why are you so outspoken with servers?” Misa looked at Raijin “Because it’s important to get the right order, what if Sho was allergic to the peppers in the o’brian potatoes, or the onions,” Raijin supposed that was fair. 

Shoji kissed the side of her head. He was grateful for Misa, she both needed him and took care of him. They stopped at a boba shop, Shoji ordered for the both of them. “Order 25,” Shoji went to pick up the drinks. His was correct but he noticed Misa’s wasn’t. “Hey, this one is supposed to have pudding and a brown sugar swirl,” Misa sucked in a breath. The worker apologized and insisted they keep the wrong drink and remade the drink.

“Wow, Same, that was impressive,” Fujin slapped him on the back. Misa smiled “I’m proud of you Sho,” She happily drank her milk tea. The other drink found its way into Raijin’s hand. 

They headed to a street fair, the sun beginning to set. “I love street fairs,” Misa looked around at everything. They played some games, Shoji won a tiny stuffed bunny keychain. Misa attached the keychain to her purse, it made her smile. 

Fujin and Raijin ended up flirting with some girls, they usually struck out but these two girls seemed to like them. Shoji and Misa left them to get an evening snack. They shared some takoyaki. “So do you think Jin and Masato will get those girls’ phone numbers?” Shoji shrugged “We’ll see,” Misa hoped it would work out for them, they were always tagging along on their dates. 

When he left Lily’s house the next morning he went home to wash up before heading to Housen. The others were there, they were playing mahjong. Eimei sat at the table. “I’m leaving Housen,” the room quieted immediately. “What?” Kenzo and Yuken looked at him incredulously. “I’ve decided to become a better man, for Lily,” Sachio and Shoji were silent, they both understood. 

Sabakan and Monji were sparring until the words left Eimei’s mouth. “Are you serious?” Eimei nodded “I am, I want to be with Lily forever, in order to build a better life I need to grow, get a job, find a place for us, I want to support her,” Sachio was nodding along “You don’t have to leave in order to be with her,” Yuken looked for agreement from the others. 

“As long as I’m here, Lily could be placed in danger, I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her, she deserves a man who can be an equal partner,” he left no room for argument, they all knew someday they may all separate to continue their lives. 

“It doesn’t mean you won’t see me again, we are brothers and that won’t change,” That made Yuken feel a bit better. “Have you spoken to Lily about your plans?” Eimei shook his head “Not yet, I want to get a steady job before I talk to her, her university exams are coming up, I don’t want to distract her,” The others realized he was serious about this girl, it made them both happy and sad. They never thought Eimei would leave them. 

“Does this girl know anything about what goes on here?” Sachio shook his head “No I don’t think so, but we all need to keep an eye on her, we need to keep her safe, like we keep Yui safe,” After what happened with Redrum Sachio insisted on have Yui protected from the shadows and he would do the same for Lily, even after Eimei leaves Housen. 

Eimei’s first step was looking for a job, he had worked small part time jobs but nothing ever stuck. He knew that Fujio knew some guys who worked in construction, he reached out and soon was working at the construction site, the pay was good. He then began looking at apartments, he knew Lily lived with her family and he knew she planned on staying with them while she was in college. 

Those were the biggest changes he needed to make. He was proud of himself. He busied himself with work, wanting to make and save as much money as he could. Lily was none the wiser as she prepared for her college entrance exams. She began working a part time job in a cafe, wanting to start saving money. Her parents had been asking about her boyfriend, they heard from Mrs. Ueda about him. Lily promised her parents she would introduce him to them soon. 

She brought up meeting her parents on her next date with Eimei. He was nervous but excited, this was his chance to show Lily he can take care of her. She noticed he had been working a lot and was happy he was passionate about his job. If she knew what was going on behind the scenes he wondered what she would do. He hoped she wouldn’t be angry, he never wanted to make her angry. 

He met her parents after a few months. He got dressed in his nicest clothes and bought some flowers for Lily’s mom. He knocked on the door 15 minutes early, Lily had told him she was cooking dinner that night. 

Lily’s father opened the door “Hello, you must be Eimei,” he nodded “Yes sir,” he shook the man's hand. “Yuriko wasn’t lying about you,” that was Mrs. Ueda. “Dear who’s at the door?” the women could only be Lily’s mother. They shared the same face, and body type, he wondered if she had been a dancer when she was younger. 

Lily’s father stepped aside to let Eimei in. Eimei nodded and presented the flowers to Lily’s mom “These are for you,” Her mother smiled and took the flowers “Thank you that’s so sweet of you,” Eimei was happy with himself. “Eimei, is that you?” Lily came down the stairs in a green dress, her hair pulled back. He smiled at the girl, she looked so lovely. 

They all sat down at the table to eat dinner. Eimei made small talk with Lily’s parents. He liked this, it was easy and comfortable. Lily’s father ran a construction company and he asked to begin working for him. Her father was happy to offer him a job. Lily was happy her parents liked Eimei, she was scared that they would not approve of him. 

At the end of the party, Eimei walked the girl home, their hands intertwined. Eimei made up his mind, he was going to become a man that Lily would want to be with forever. He was going to get a job, he was going to support Lily in whatever she wanted to do. He wanted to marry her, have a life with her. He worried that the other Housen leaders may be upset with him, but Sachio would support him, they had Monji, he could take his place. 

When they got to Lily’s house she asked if he wanted to stay the night with her. Eimei accepted and they entered the home. Lily set to making some tea and putting the flowers in a vase. Eimei watched her as she moved with such grace. As the tea brewed she went to her parents room and found some clothes for Eimei to change into, her dad was a bit bigger than Eimei so it should be fine. 

He went to change in the bathroom and when he came out Lily was pouring tea. They went to her room and had their tea. Eimei and Lily sat in silence, drinking their tea. Eimei stayed the night with Lily, holding the girl and thinking about some choices he had to make. They were not easy choices but he knew his friends would understand. He’d keep that from Lily for now, he wanted to solidify his plans before he told her. 

It was time to grow up a little and that meant one thing. 

Fujio had come to her, excited. He found an old library near the housing estate they had all grown up in and he wanted to explore it. He dragged Hina out of her apartment. She had been getting ready for a Halloween party. It was 9pm when he came and got her. He was lucky she had a crush on him. 

“You are the biggest idiot I have ever met,” Hina was getting tired of being dragged through the city. “I was supposed to go to a party my friend is throwing, but no, what Fujio wants, Fujio gets,” Fujio stopped and turned to the girl, pouting. “Come on Hina, it’ll be fun, the others are already there, plus you look so cute in your witch costume,” Hina couldn’t form words after that comment. 

“You said this place is near Hope Hill?” Fujio nodded, he saw the others and waved to them. “Fujio, that place is haunted,” Hina was familiar with this place. “Tsukasa, why are you letting him do this?” The blond boy just shrugged, “He’ll tire himself out eventually, the first creak of a floorboard and he’ll be gone,” they both knew that wasn’t true, Fujio had boundless amounts of energy and zero self-preservation skills.

Hina looked at the others. Shibaman and Tsuji were both there, Shohei and Dai jumped at any chance to hang out with Fujio. Kiyoshi and Yasushi were talking quietly, that was a bad sign. Jamou was there, jumping at every noise. The one that surprised her the most was Yosuke, he had a deep scowl on his face. Hina was the only one in a costume, she was missing the hat and prop broom but the others could tell she was meant to be a witch. 

“Come on Hina, it will be fun,” Fujio was hard to resist, he was like an excited puppy. Hina sighed “If I get hurt you have to be my caretaker,” Tsuji snorted “You’ll have to wear a nurse outfit,” Hina glared at him “Mind your business skittle hair,” Yosuke and Shibama covered their laughs with coughs. Tsuji knew about her crush on the boy. 

“Come on, the sooner we go in the sooner we can leave,” Hina took the flashlight that Tsukasa handed her. Fujio made quick work of the door, he and Dai pried it open. “Ladies first,” Hina turned to Yasushi. “He said ladies first Yasushi,” The blond boy rolled his eyes as the others laughed. 

Hina was scared and she was trying not to show it. “Come on Hina, I’ll walk in with you,” Shohei was too good for this world. She nodded while walking beside him. The building smelt like an old attic, something moldy but also dry. “This place smells like my grandpa’s house,” Fujio didn’t mention his grandpa often, the others just nodded. As they walked into the lobby of the library the skies clouded over and a violent thunderstorm began. “That’s not erie at all,” Hina laughed at Dai’s dry humor. 

Once upon a time the library must have been a lively place. They walked past a children’s section, the brightly decorated area dreary and dark. The wallpaper was peeling and the bookshelves were falling apart. Books and other debris were spread out. Floorboards stuck out, just inviting someone to trip and fall. It was quiet except for their steps. That didn’t stop Jamou from jumping at everything. “Jamou calm down, there's nothing,” Hina was putting on a brave face but she was scared too. 

The eleven flashlights made the place pretty bright. Hina was a little sad to see the place desolate, she remembered once coming to this library with her dad for a storytime, she was maybe 4 or 5 years old. The library closed soon after, no one had any idea why. A lot of the furniture was gone, probably taken by locals for their own dilapidated homes. 

She frowned at the bookshelves, still full of books. She and Shohei walked down one aisle as the others separated. She ran her fingers along the spins of the books, looking at the faded titles. “Hina,” she turned to Shohei. He leaned close to her “If you leave I won’t tell anyone,” She smiled at him, he was so cute. “I want to stay,” the boy nodded and just followed her. 

She took a book off the shelves. She dusted off the cover, reading it aloud ‘Halloween Stories’ it read in blood red cursive. Hina found the others and held up the book “Look, it's perfect for tonight,” she opened the book, reading aloud from a random page. 

She read from the page for a few minutes when Jamou grabbed the book from the girl. “That’s enough,” Hina smiled “It’s just a story, right guys?” She turned to look at the others but they were gone. She turned to Jamou. “Where did they go?” Jamou stepped closer to Hina. It was just the two of them. “Fujio? Tsukasa?” “Shibaman? Tsuji?” “Yosuke?” “Sho? Dai?” “Yasushi? Kiyoshi?” there was no answer. 

It felt like the temperature was dropping rapidly. Goosebumps rose on Hina’s arms, her thin dress and stockings did nothing to keep her warm. “Is it cold in here or is it just me?” Jamou could see Hina’s breath and when he tested it himself he could see his own breath. “It’s not supposed to be this cold tonight, why did it suddenly get cold?” Hina supposed it also wasn’t supposed to rain but the storm was still raging outside. 

The hairs on her neck stood up and she felt a presence behind her. “Hina,” Jamou’s voice was almost silent. She turned and relaxed “Tsukasa, you jerk, that wasn’t funny,” Jamou knew that wasn’t Tsukasa. “Tsukasa?” his arms shot out and grabbed Hina, his mouth opened to reveal fangs. He tried to bite her neck but Hina pushed back. “What is wrong with you, this isn’t funny,” Tsukasa’s eyes glowed a dangerous red. 

“Oh my god, the book,” Jamou held onto the book tightly. “This place is really haunted,” Fujio showed up, his eyes also glowing. “Get away from us,” both boys, possessed by a vampire, stalked toward them. “Give us some blood,” Hina had to think quickly.

She pulled Jamou toward a book shelf and using all her strength pushed it. It didn’t take much for it to fall on the two vampires. “You killed them!” Hina shook her head “No I didn’t, come on, we need to hide, turn off your flashlight, if they’re possessed than the others are too,” Jamou did as Hina said and then ran deeper into the library. 

They found themselves in what had to be the computer lab, there were no computers but they found a place to crouch down out of sight. “Okay so if Tsukasa and Fujio are vampires, that means the others are the other creatures mentioned, who was next in the passage?” Jamou found the passage “Werewolves,” Hina wished she had her phone, but it was sitting on her bed back at home. 

They heard growls, and they froze. “We can smell you,” that was Shibman’s voice, at least it sounded like him. Jamou started sweating but Hina was trying to keep it together. “Just stay with me, we can make it to the next day, so will the others,” Jamou nodded. “We are going to find you, you smell so good,” Hina noticed they were only talking about one person. “I think I’m the target, since I read the passage out loud,” Jamou was scared for the girl. 

“We are going to trap them in here,” the door slammed open and they looked up. Shibaman and Tsuji were standing there. Their eyes glowed yellow and they were covered in short fur. “When I count to the three we run for the door,” Jamout nodded, clutching the book to him. Once the two werewolves were away from the door Hina used her fingers to count. They ran for the door and shut it, wedging a metal chair they found under the door. 

Jamou and Hina ventured further into the library, moving as quiet as possible. “Frankenstein’s monster is next,” Hina figured that had to be Yosuke. They sat down on the ground, trying to catch their breaths. “Okay, we can do this Jamou, we can survive the night,” Jamou nodded wildly. 

Soon enough the sound of groaning was getting closer. Yosuke came around the corner, his eyes glowing green. He zeroed in on Hina and he moved as quickly as he could. Hina spotted a storage closet, “Come on,” Jamou got up and followed her. Hina got the storage room door opened and lured Yosuke into it. They quickly shut the door and pushed a bookshelf in front of it. 

“Five down, four to go,” Hina was proud of her quick thinking. Witches were next, she wasn’t sure who that could be. Her and Jamou sat in silence for a while, they needed a plan. They didn’t know how much time had passed but they just had to make it to sunrise. 

The silence was broken by a loud cackle. They jumped up and looked around. The laugh continued. Shohei came around the corner, his eyes glowing blue, a sly smile on his face. Hina was sad that Shohei was possessed. She’d have to incapacitate him somehow. 

Jamou huddled behind Hina, he was getting scared. When Shohei got close enough to her, she punched him hard, knocking him out. He crumpled to the floor and Hina frowned at Jamou. “I didn’t want to do that,” She was sad to have to do that. Jamou understood. They knew that ghosts were next and wherever Shohei was Dai was not far behind. 

Soon enough Dai came around the corner, he was almost transparent. He floated toward them. Hina wasn’t so sure they could escape from him. “Jamou, I don’t think we can get away from him,” They braced themselves but Dai just floated past them, not sparing them a glance. They relaxed only for a moment. 

They relaxed for a moment when debris started raining down on them. As the thunder boomed outside they heard a laugh that was unmistakably Yasushi. The wild scream had to be Kiyoshi. Sure enough it was Kiyoshi and Yashushi. They were perched on top of a bookshelf and throwing books and anything they could get their hands on at Hina and Jamou. “Of course those two became ghouls, those are the last of the creatures,” Jamou opened the book to the passage one more time. “You’re right,” 

Jamou looked at his phone “It's almost morning,” it didn't feel like that much time had passed but here they were. Yasushi and Kiyoshi were laughing like maniacs, which wasn’t that strange, but they continued to pelt Hina and Jamou with books, one book hit her in the face, she was sure to have a bruise. “Help me push this over,” Jamou nodded and they got the bookcase to fall over and they ran. 

Hina was exhausted, she was tired of running and hiding and hurting her friends. She couldn’t help but cry out of frustration. Jamou tried his best to comfort her but he was tired too. They found what used to be the checkout desks and got under it, curling up into the corners. “What if they stay possessed?” Hina shook her head “Don’t say that, it won’t happen, give me the book,” Jamou handed Hina the book and she opened it to the last page. She began to read aloud again, the last passage was full of promises that the monsters of halloween were just pretend, something made up by humans for entertainment. As she read more she and Jamout fell asleep, the sound of the rain storm calming them. 

“Hina!” “Jamou!” The shouts made them jolt awake. They looked at each other as their names were called again. “What should we do?” Hina shrugged and crawled out from under the desk. She got up on her knees and peaked over the edge. She could see that the sun was out, no sign of the rain from last night. 

“Come on you two, this isn’t funny,” that was Tsukasa’s voice, he sounded like he’d been in the fight of his life. “Hina I’m gonna count to three,” That was Yosuke. “Don’t be mean to her,” that was Shohei. “Come on little one, is Jamou with you?” That's what Shibaman called her. 

“Come on,” Hina carefully stood up from behind the desk. “There you are! Is that where you were all night?” Jamou stood next to her, the book was in Hina’s hands. “What happened last night, I don’t remember anything, Tsukasa and I woke up under a bookshelf,” Fujio was rolling his shoulders. “Tsuji and I woke up in the computer lab,” Hina and Jamou shared a look as the other continued “I was in a storage room, I think I have a spider web in my hair,” “Well I woke up leaning against a bookshelf,” poor Shohei had a bruise from where Hina punched him. “What about you Dai,” the boy shrugged. “I feel like I was walking around all night, I ended up in the kids section,” Hina nodded and stepped around the desk. Yasushi and Kiyoshi had also woken up under a bookcase as well. 

Her foot caught in a loose floor tile and she tripped. She almost fell but maintained her footing. She looked at the book in her hands and at her friends. “I’m gonna put this away,” she found the book's spot and slid it into the space it belonged in. She wiped her hands on the skirt of her dress and turned to look at her friends. 

Fujio walked up to her, he pulled her into his arms. “Are you okay Hina? I was so worried when I woke up and couldn’t find you,” Hina blushed, they were surrounded by their friends. “Fujio I’m okay, everything is okay,” Fujio pulled back and took Hina’s face into his hands and in front of everyone kissed her. 

He pulled away from the kiss and hugged her again. “I thought last night would be fun but I think something bad happened, did something bad happen?” Hina pulled away from the hug and shook her head “No, nothing happened, I think we all explored until we fell asleep,” Fujio seemed to buy that excuse. He noticed her red rimmed eyes “What made you cry? You also have a bruise,” He looked at the others, his eyes analyzing them. “It’s nothing, please Fujio,” he decided not to push her anymore. 

He took her hand and they all left the library. As they left the old building Hina turned to look back at the old building. She shivered in the fall breeze. Fujio shrugged off his button up and put it around her shoulders. The costume she wore was thin and all she wanted to do was take a hot shower and wash off the grime of the night. Fujio promised to take her on a proper date at some point. He walked her home making sure she got home safely. 

Later that day she got a text from Jamou. He wanted to know what they should do. Hina told him that they can forget the events of that night. He texted her that the library building had collapsed a few hours after they left the place. That sent a chill down Hina’s spine, the collapse could have happened with them in it and then they could have really been hurt. Hina didn’t want to think of that library ever again. It was gone and it would stay gone forever. 

Later that day there was a knock on her door. She thought it might be Fujio so she happily opened the door. There was no one there. Something caught her eye and she looked down. A shiver ran down her spine. 

Jinkawa Eimei was on an errand for Sachio, it was simple, deliver some things to his mothers work. Jinkawa wasn’t expecting a dance studio and he wasn’t expecting to fall in love. When he arrived he saw Sachio’s mother, she was a kind woman who treated the Housen leaders as her own sons. She had long healed from her illness. 

“Oh Eimei,” Mrs. Ueda turned to him, smiling. The girl standing with her gave him a small smile. Jinkawa handed the bag he was holding to the women. He couldn’t take his eyes off the girl, she was wearing a leotard and tights, a skirt tied around her waist. 

“Eimei, this is Lily, one of my students. Lily, this is Jinkawa Eimei, he knows Sachio and Yui,” the girl nodded “It’s nice to meet you, I’ve known Sachio and Yui since we were kids,” Jinkawa just nodded. “I need to get back to dancing, excuse me,” she gave him one last smile and walked into the studio. 

“You can stay and watch her,” Mrs. Ueda knew what was going on, she may be an older married woman but she knew what love looked like. Jinkawa watched Lily tie her hair up in a tight bun and put on her dance shoes. He watched her warm up and then start dancing. 

She was a beautiful dancer. Jinkawa didn’t know a lot about dancing but he could just tell she was good at dancing. “Isn’t she something, one of my best dancers,” Jinkawa just watched. Once she was done he watched as she drank some water and took her dance shoes off. He watched as she packed up her bag, she slipped on a pair of black sweatpants and put the skirt in her bag. 

She stepped out of the studio. “I have to get home, I have to study for my entrance exams,” Mrs. Ueda smiled at Lily and then looked at Jinkawa. “It’s getting late, Eimei, will you walk Lily home?” Lily tried to decline but Jinkawa insisted “It can be dangerous, I don’t mind,” Lily gave in. she slipped her sneakers on and the pair left. Mrs. Ueda watched them, proud of herself. 

“Thank you for walking me home,” He looked at the girl, even the way she walked was like dancing. He nodded, he knew it could be dangerous in Taoru City, Reddrum was no longer an issue but there were hidden dangers and pretty girls were always targets. The fact that Lily also knew Sachio made Jinkawa want to protect her even more. 

When they got to her house she turned to him. “Thank you for walking me home,” Jinkawa smiled. Lily pulled her phone out of her bag “Can I have your contact information?” Jinkawa nodded and got his phone out and they exchanged LINE contacts. He watched as Lily changed his name to Ei-kun. “Have a good night Ei-kun,” she went into the house, waving once again. He stood outside her house until he saw the lights turn on. He smiled to himself, this was good, he was going to make this girl his. 

He spent the next few days texting the girl, and he walked her home a few times. The other heavenly kings were wondering why Eimei was in such a good mood. Sachio seemed to know but he kept the information to himself. Yuken and Kenzo wanted to know the secret, Shoji was indifferent. 

One Saturday in particular Kenzo and Yuken followed Eimei. They found him at a house they did not recognize. A girl stepped out of the gate, smiling at Eimei. She was a petite thing with long hair, she was wearing a dress and sandals, a brown purse hanging from her shoulder. 

“Ei-kun, thank you for accompanying me to the store,” they walked down the street and Yuken and Kenzo followed. The grocery store was small so Kenzo and Yuken struggled to stay hidden. Jinkawa was happy to push the cart while the girl shopped. She promised to make him a meal to pay him back for walking her home and indulging her texts. 

Jinkawa carried all the bags, despite Lily trying to take one or two of the bags. Yuken and Kenzo were still watching them, they thought it was cute that Jinkawa was so close to a girl. They left the two to their walk and went back to Housen to tell the others about what they saw. 

At Lily’s house Jinkawa helped the girl put the groceries away and let the girl start her cooking. Lily was a force in the kitchen, he liked watching her. Soon she set a bowl of curry udon in front of him. She got her own bowl and sat at the table. She watched him take a few bites. “This is amazing,” Lily gladly ate her food. She did her best to make a really good curry for the boy. She had grown to really like the boy. 

They cleaned up together and he asked her if she wanted to go get dessert at a local ice cream shop. Lily agreed and as they walked Jinkawa took her hand. Lily smiled up at him, a pretty blush on her cheeks. 

At the ice cream shop Jinkawa paid for what they got. They sat at a table and ate their ice cream. They didn’t talk, the silence between them was comfortable, they didn’t really feel the need to talk. After they finished their ice cream they headed back to her house. 

Yura put the finishing touches on the dinner she was making. It was her and her boyfriend’s 1st anniversary. The table was set and she was dressed up in a dress that he had bought her. She put the food on the table and took a nice bottle of wine out of the fridge and put it on the table. Ice was at work but he promised he would be home at 6 to celebrate with her. She had woken up to a bouquet of white roses and a hot breakfast. 

Yura sat at the table and waited, she checked the clock and realized he was two hours late. She tried calling him but he wasn’t picking up. She started chewing on her nails. At 10pm she got up and went to their room. The apartment they lived in was beautiful. She took the dress off and got out her duffle bag, packing some things. Ice had been late before but this just hurt, he had promised to do better. She got dressed in jeans and a sweater. She grabbed her bag and left. 

Ice stumbled into the dark apartment around 3am. He had lost track of time. He saw the table set and a cold meal. He sobered up immediately. He went to his and Yura’s room but it was empty, the dress he bought her was on the floor. He called out to her but she didn’t answer. He tried calling her but her phone was on the dining room table. He called the other members of the Mighty Warriors, no one had seen her. He feared she had been taken but Sarah quelled those thoughts.

“Yura’s with me, she’s fine, but you are in deep shit, it was your anniversary, Yura cooked you a meal and wore the dress you bought her but you didn’t even bother to text her,” Ice swallowed “Can I talk to her?” Sarah barked a laugh “No, she doesn’t want to talk to you, give her a few days to cool off, if you don’t I’ll beat you up for her,” she disconnected the call and Ice sighed. He cleaned up the kitchen and frowned when he saw all the work Yura had put into the dinner. 

Yura knew that Ice was busy, he had stood her up a few times but never like this. Yura was so forgiving, but he knew that she was going to leave him this time. He sat on his bed and looked at his phone, he saw all her calls and texts but there had been a brawl at Funk Jungle and he had to handle it. 

At Sarah’s Yura was asleep on the couch, she cried her heart out to Sarah who promised to punch Ice the next time she saw him. Sarah liked Yura, she balanced out Ice well. Before she had dated Ice she had gone to Funk Jungle a few times, Jesse had noticed her first but when she saw Ice it was love at first sight. Yura didn’t care what Ice did as a job, he took care of her. Yura was a student at culinary school and wanted to open a restaurant, Ice promised to help her with her dreams. He spoiled her with gifts when she got upset with him but this time she just wanted a sincere apology. 

Ice waited a grand total of two days before he was knocking on Sarah’s door. Sarah opened the door “Well, well, well,” Ice rolled his eyes “Can I please see my girlfriend?” Sarah looked over her shoulder “She’s cooking right now, hey bunny,” Ice had heard Sarah call Yura that “Your idiot is here,” 

There was a crash and Ice pushed past Sarah and ran into the kitchen. There was a knife on the floor, Yura had a cut on her palm. Ice turned to Sarah “Get your first aid kit,” he reached out and grabbed Yura, he pulled her into his arms, “I’m sorry Yura,” Yura buried her face in his shoulder, his cologne always made her feel better. He kissed the side of her head, murmuring apologies. “I’m so sorry Angel, this is all my fault,” She looked up at him, her eyes shiny with tears “There was a brawl that night, my phone was in my office,” He left kisses all over her face. 

Sarah watched the pair from the entrance to the dining room. “Please don't have sex in my kitchen,” Ice glared at Sarah over Yura’s head “I would never,” Sarah laughed “You’re stupid but bunny loves you,” Yura turned to smile at her best friend and then at Ice “Let’s go home,” Yura nodded. She went and got her bag and the two left. Sarah had a feeling that the rest of the Mighty Warriors were going to be hearing some good news. 

When the two got back to their apartment Ice told Yura to go take a long bath and dress pretty, he was going to order dinner for them. He gave her a long kiss and as soon as he heard her turning on the water he made a call to a local restaurant that they both liked. Once the food was ordered he used the guest bath to wash up and get dressed in some nicer clothes. He took out a box from his desk drawer.

He opened the box and admired the circle cut white gold engagement ring. He knew he wanted to marry Yura after a few months of dating but he didn’t want to scare her off. After the last few days he vowed to never hurt Yura like that. He wanted to make her his wife, he would go to the ends of the Earth for her. 

The food arrived and Ice set the table, he got out a good bottle of white wine. Yura came out of the master bedroom in a beautiful black dress, the cut complemented her figure and it showed off some tasteful cleavage. Ice wanted to show her off but he also didn’t want anyone to see her look so good. She had no makeup but she had curled her hair and it framed her face so beautifully. 

“You look so beautiful,” Yura smiled and walked up to him. He couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her. When he pulled back he couldn’t help but bask in the sweet look in her eyes. He couldn’t stop himself from dropping down to one knee and pulling out the box. Yura gasped “Please marry me,” Yura covered her mouth. “Yes I will,” Ice took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. He picked her up and kissed her. Yura wrapped her arms around his neck. 

He sat her down and pulled out a chair. “Let’s eat,” Yura nodded and sat. He poured her some wine and they ate the food. After dinner he told her to go get her shoes on, they were going to Funk Jungle to tell everyone. Once her shoes were on they left. 

The club Doubt ran was nice, it wasn’t like the one that Rocky bastard ran but it was popular. The music was playing and drinks were flowing. Ranmaru was bored, his girlfriend was supposed to be there but so far he hadn’t heard from her. He was slightly worried but the men he had following her around hadn’t alerted him to any danger so he figured she was okay. 

He stood up and looked around, something caught his eye. His girlfriend, his Hana, had a man bothering her. She was trying to get away from him, but the man had a strong grip on her wrist. Hana looked around, trying to get a Doubt member's attention. She was the boss's girl but no one seemed to be paying attention. Ranmaru would deal with that later. 

Hana finally saw him and she managed to get herself free but the man grabbed her again, this time around her waist. Hana was now truly fighting him, she knew if he got her out of view she was as good as gone. Ranmaru got to them before that could happen. The man holding his girlfriend never saw him coming. 

With his arms no longer around her Hana dropped to the ground. Finally that got someone's attention. Hirai went to grab her but she pushed him away “Don’t touch me!” Takano took over Ranmaru’s hold on the man. Ranmaru got Hana to her feet and walked her to his office. 

Once inside Hana broke down. Ranmaru pulled her into his arms, letting her cry into his neck. Ranmaru shed his red coat and draped it over Hana’s shoulders. She cried for a while more before stopping and looking up at Ranmaru. The man tucked her hair behind her ears and laid kisses all over her face. 

“I’m taking you home,” Hana nodded and Ranmaru carefully led her to his car. He sped through the streets, one hand on Hana’s leg. 

When they arrived at the place they shared, Ranmaru ushered her inside. Hana was shaking like a leaf. Ranmaru noticed her wrist was raw and she kept scratching at it. “Go take a shower, I’m going to make a call and order food,” at home Ranmaru changed from his tough gang leader persona, he was soft with Hana, his hands that were used to harm, were gentle on the women he loved. 

Hana took a long hot shower, she scrubbed her skin until it was red and raw. She got out of the shower and got dressed in a pair of loose shorts and a loose tank top. She blow dried her hair and made her way to the living room. She sank down onto the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest. She had gotten all dressed up in a new dress to surprise Ranmaru but that guy at the club wouldn’t leave her alone. 

The front door shut, it wasn’t loud but it made her jump. “Sorry baby, I got your favorite,” she turned around on the couch, getting up on her knees. She got off the couch and went to the kitchen, following her boyfriend. Ranmaru told her to start eating and that he was going to take a shower. She knew what that call was, the man bothering her was dead for sure, she knew what her boyfriend was capable of, she had seen it. But he never raised a hand to her, they had grown up together, next door neighbors. She had taken over her family's cafe and was very good at running it. 

Hana took all the food out and set it out on the table. Ranmaru came back into the kitchen, wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a black t-shirt. He sat with Hana and they ate in silence. Hana got her fill of food and Ranmaru insisted on cleaning up, he told her he would meet her in bed in a few minutes.

Hana went to the bathroom first, she brushed out her hair and went to their room. She was standing next to the bed when he came in. He sat on the bed and pulled her into his lap. “I’m sorry if I scared you,” Hana took her boyfriend’s face in her hands. “You protected me, that’s all I care about,” Ranmaru took one of her hands and kissed her palm. 

They laid down, Hana laying her head on Ranmaru’s chest. She fell asleep quickly, the steady beat of Ranmaru’s heart lulling her into dreamland, she knew she was safe with him. Ranmaru looked down at his girlfriend and as he went to put his phone away it buzzed. It was a text message. Ranmaru smiled at what it said. 

‘He’s dead boss, no one will find his body’