windfall | what i desire most, what i fear most

I thought he was but maybe I just discovered a new species of dog!

[ Canis lupis chainsawpus, or whatever. Using both hands, Denji holds the devil up to stare him straight into his glassy and barely blinking eyes. He's so cute. ]

What say you, lil' guy? You shoot beams or fire rockets on command or something?

[ In response, the dog only sticks out a slightly curled tongue and pants, his posture somewhat hunched in an appeasing manner, which doesn't really communicate anything meaningful at all, but to Denji, he gets the sense that maybe his devil companion is sheepishly telling him, No, that's not going to happen. ]

Can you do my homework, then? Take my test for me?

[ A short bark. ]

You hear that, Aki? [ He turns the devil so that its forced to look at Aki, even though it's visibly arching its neck to look at Denji instead. He moves his paw at him in an imitation of a wave. ] He said, "Hell yeah, I'm great at scientific notation!"

[...No, it's still definitely a devil. Aki takes out a cutting board and starts slicing up the fruit.]

You can't have a dog or a devil take your tests for you. That's against the rules.

[Power almost shoots forward, grabbing the fruit straight off the board as she shouts, "'Tis not a single rule in the book that says a dog cannot take a test!" Aki shoves her away and tells her to sit down before he cuts her finger off.]

He can tutor you, but you're the one who has to take the test. [So, if he wants to switch tutors, Denji is free to do so. ...Unless he agrees to it, in which Aki will step in to correct his path.] Once you pick a name, you need to get back to work.

[ At least two pairs of eyes roll at his ruling. Power skirts backward in a zig-zag to where Denji's still bent down, in case Aki decides to aim his knife between her eyes. She probably saw someone in some anime do it, too, and thought it looked cool. She leans over to whisper in his ear, mumbling something about such tyranny! and how she's sent autocrats to be trialed and executed for lesser offenses when she revolutionized France. Obviously, just loudly enough for Aki to overhear.

Denji and the devil in his arms share a puzzled look over her yammerings, and deciding that he doesn't want that kind of influence on his devil-pet, he gets up to move into the kitchen. The devil's legs swing helplessly in the air as he's carried. ]

We're competing, remember? Whoever gets him to answer to a name wins a favor! [ When he arrives near Aki, he leans sideways into the kitchen counter, his hip pressing into the edge. ] I'll start — Devilmaru!

[ The stretch of silence is deafening. ]

[Her best and worst subject really is history. Aki still remembers the essay she wrote about the Sengoku period and how she was actually the one to order Nobunaga kill himself and she only let Hideyoshi defeat her because she was bored and wanted to go home. Despite self inserting herself, Power knew every date and detail with shocking accuracy.]

[But Devilmaru... Really? Aki frowns at him and waits to see if the devil even responds. Which of course it doesn't.]

I told you, shorter is better. You can't just call a devil "Devil," anyway. [Now that it's this close however, and he can really see how small the thing is, his expression drops a little farther, almost in annoyance.] It's so... little.

[He's still not convinced it can even do anything. Does the chainsaw part even work?]

...Mijime. [His attempt. The devil just pants in Denji's arms. It seems completely unconcerned with Aki.]

[ He watches the bean-dog with bated breath for a reaction, and when there isn't so much as a sneeze, Denji sighs in relief. ]

What the hell kinda name is that?! It's like you're putting a curse on him! Make that your name instead, it fits you way more.

[ Actually, that gives him a brilliant idea. Setting the little devil down on the countertop, which prompts him to immediately press his snout to the edge of the cutting board. Denji bends his knees slightly so that he's eye-level with him. Snaps his fingers a few times to rescue the slices of fruit from the devil's attention. ]

Hey, hey. Look at me. What d'ya think about having this guy's name, huh, boy? Aki! Akiii. You're a cutie, aren't ya, Aki? High-five!

[ Aki did say shorter was better. He's just following his advice here! Behind them, Power upturns her nose. Complains at them that if they're going to be naming the devil after someone, they should call him Inferior Power or Meowy 2.

Unfortunately, those huge eyes only stare back at him — there even appears to be a wrinkle of befuddlement in his expression, his head tilting one way and then the next. Denji does not receive a high-five. ]

[The devil is too close to his cutting board. Aki pulls it away from him, scooping the cut-up strawberries into a small bowl instead. But with Power saying her own suggestions, Aki is worried they're getting off track.]

It's too confusing if he shares a name with someone. [He really is dog-like, though. It's kind of strange. It's hard not to think of dog names for him, so he starts listing some off.] There are a lot of dog names, just pick something shorter, like... Maru, Mugi, Pochi, Hachi, Hana... [He trails off with a frown.] You'll need to call him sometimes, right? You don't want something that's too long to call. And it should be easy to write, too. [Denji's handwriting is still shit. It'll have to be in kana.]

Or Chen. For Chainsaw.

[That sounds the least dog-like, though. Even the devil doesn't seem responsive to it.]

[ Denji rubs at his jaw, thoughtfully.

Open up any textbook account of where devils derive their strength, and it'll tell you the same thing: A name is a powerful weapon. Though Denji may not pay attention in class unless the teacher's flicking chalk at his forehead, he knows this much about devils. Not only is their name the culmination of human fear, but it's the vehicle for how they spread their acclaim. And that's probably a significant thing for devils. That self-identity through fear is their only assurance that they're alive, that they're meant to exist, right? He'd feel bad totally erasing the devil's connection to that, so maybe Chen really is the way to go…

The thing is that, for humans, names are oftentimes more of an embodiment of someone else's affection. Not their fear. ]

Chen, Mugi, and Pochi… [ Denji repeats his favorites from Aki's list, watching the chainsaw-dog for any reaction, just in case he didn't hear them clearly earlier. No hopping or barking — Denji's shoulders with a heavy sigh, and seeming to sense his disappointment, the devil paws at the air. Noticing the movement, Denji reaches over and the devil's paw taps at his knuckles. Like a pat. Okay, so what does that mean? To keep going?

After one long moment staring at him: ] Hey, have either of you heard of those Makita chainsaws?

[ Digging out his phone, Denji pulls up a picture to show Aki and Power. ]

It kinda looks like him. He's still a dog, so it doesn't feel right to just call him Makita, but maybe somethin' else… [ A pause. ] Mugita? [ Another pause. ] Chenta? [ And another one. ] Pochita…?

[He has to admit, this thing does look a lot like that. Aki hums in agreement that they can't just call him Makita, that would be copyright infringement. "Mugita" doesn't sound right, nor does "Chenta" - it doesn't sound like a dog name at all. "Pochita" is...]

He kind of makes a pochi sound. [He's walking across the kitchen counter as they speak, sniffing different things. If he was in a comic book, maybe the sound of his feet would be pochi.] Mugita sounds too much like mugicha. Though... The color kind of matches...

[In a vague sense, anyway. Now he wants some tea. Power speaks up and says "Pochita" is the one that sounds closest to her own name, so that must mean it's good. Aki isn't sure how that math works out, however. The devil doesn't seem that interested in the name debate, anyway.]

You want to go with Pochita?

Hell ye —

[ For a span of a second, Denji looks unsure — not because he dislikes the name. He likes it quite a bit, actually, and is already over halfway convinced that there's no other name suitable for the tawny-coated creature. That he could have found the devil somewhere else, somewhere far away on the other side of Japan, and he'd probably still draw the same straws, cut the same cards, land on the same name. No, it's just that he enjoyed this, making a silly bet out of naming a new friend and forcing Aki and Power to play along, even though neither of them really seemed to take the stakes as seriously as he did.

They're always fighting, which, perhaps, is his fault, but it'd be nice if things stayed like this for a while longer. All of them talking about nothing in particular. ]

…Are you sure? If he answers to that, I'm gonna win. That means you lose. And remember what's s'posed to happen when you lose?

[...Huh? He's hesitating because he doesn't want Aki to lose? Aki tilts his head over to the side, frowning at him before looking at the devil seated on the counter, licking his front paws.]

What - I have to do something you say? [Often enough that's their go-to. Power used to give them tickets to ask her to do things, like rubbing their backs or doing their chores, but she never actually did them when they would turn them in and instead would claim they expired. Verbal agreements became law after enough instances of that.] I don't care about that, it's your devil. I'm not going to be calling that name often.

[Well. He faces the devil again, staring it down, and the devil lowers his paws and looks at him warily.] You - Do you like the name Pochita? [He's still not really convinced the devil can understand human language, but after he says the name the thing barks, a throaty and scratchy sound like a pug with a smushed nose. Aki looks back to Denji, a sort of, Well? expression on his face. What more does he want out of this?]

[ For someone so confident that the name would fit snug into place, he looks gobsmacked that it actually did. His jaw fully slack, shoulders drooped unevenly, astonished. Then, like a child feeling the breeze for the first time, his eyes crinkle and he sucks in a swell of air. Aki's right most times, and this one is no exception. Pochita is his. ]

Pochita… Pochita!

[ He laughs, his hands sweeping the devil up by his sides as he hurls the name out again and again in a rush of giddiness. All at varying pitches: one questioning, another scolding. Like he's getting his practice in for the life ahead they'll share together. Each time he says Pochita's name, and Pochita answers or tilts his head in confusion, Denji looks at Aki and Power as if he were some kind of proud father. He's not sure actually sure what else he wants out of this when it feels like he's somehow got everything he wanted.

Still, he wouldn't be Denji if he didn't ask for more. ]

Well, since you're just gonna let me win, theeen… [ Squishing Pochita to his chest and rocking cheerily on the heels of his feet, Denji looks down at him in thought. ] The next time you go training, ya gotta take me along. [ A beat. ] Me and Pochita. If us two are gonna take care of each other, we gotta build up our endurance!

[Aki watches the way Denji twirls around with Pochita, the sight of a boy delighted with a new pet ruined by the shine of the metal sticking out of its head. He watches on without a word, his expression mixed. It's been awhile since he's seen Denji happy like this. He's an easy kid to please, but seeing him this overjoyed... It's rare.]

[So when he makes his eventual demand, Aki is a little taken off guard by the request. He wants to reject him immediately, both out of the desire to reject the devil being around and letting Denji physically exert himself too much. He hates the sound of his lungs heaving, hates when he coughs and Aki can hear the blood coating his throat from his racing heart. But his eyes travel to the devil, brow tightening. What does it mean, that he'll protect him? If only the thing could speak.]

...Fine.

[He's not pleased with the idea, but if he's around Aki, he should be okay. If worst comes to worst, he'll kill the devil. ...Or just, tell Denji to take a break before his body gets too weak. Maybe it will be good, he tells himself as he brings their after school snacks to the table where Power is waiting. Maybe it will help his endurance. Maybe he'll see how he fares.]

[What he hasn't told Denji and Power is that the Public Safety exam is less of an exam and more of a course. If he can last, he'll be kept. But it's not a day-long exam like he's been making it out to be. From what he's heard, it can last much longer. Depending on what kind of teacher he ends up with. Depending on how well he performs. And depending on how long he can stand to trust that these two will take care of themselves without him.]

Your make-up test is soon, right? Once you finish that, I'll take you to the field with me. ...You can come, too, Power. [But Power immediately rejects the offer, claiming she detests the feeling of sweat. He figured.]

[ Used to the way Aki carries himself with the same hardened exterior as a fortified wall, plus knowing of his overall reluctance to house the devil, Denji braces himself for a heated negotiation. Bargaining, begging, maybe even a change of tact to appeal to the guy's inner sap. He raises Pochita to his face, like the scruff of his neck will hide the determined set of his mouth, hide how prepared he is to go the whole distance performing their usual song and dance.

Except when the resistance never comes, and all Aki does is agree, then mosey his way toward the dining table, Denji looks down just as the devil in his arms arches his glinting head up to peer at him. Oh, okay. Cool. That was easy. ]

Yes! [ The victorious cheer, nor the fist he pumps as he takes his spot at the table, is discreet. ] Y’hear that, Pochita? We’re gonna get super strong in no time! And then not even Powy'll be able to beat us at wrestling.

[ Power scoffs, dismissing his declaration with her own as she stuffs three slices of fruit into her mouth at once. "Hubris!" A mix of the juices from the fruit and her spit spray Denji's face. "You could gain double — no, triple your body mass, and I'd still be able to nelson you into ground. But no matter. The great and all-knowing Power turns away no challenger, regardless of how diminutive and stinky!"

Denji whines that he isn't stinky, that he took a bath just last night, same as she did, but he can't argue against that jab at his stature. As he is now, his body is only good for getting batted around in the hallway by some of his more ornery peers. It doesn't happen as much as it used when he looked more the part of the half-pint runt of the litter, and also after he started playing dirty back, but it's still not good, seeing as his primary concern is keeping his new companion out of trouble. Something out there injured him last night, a small and squishy guy like Pochita. He may have more coordination than a toddler who's just learned how to put one foot in front of the other, but Denji can't help but treat the devil like one. Like something to be protected, even if he can hardly protect himself.

So he's serious about the training.

That's why, sometime after all the fruit has vacated the plate they're sharing and the study books have been put away for the night, Denji's freshly re-bandaged feet can be heard stopping outside their bedroom. The door slides open a few centimeters, just enough for him to stick his nose through the gap, as well as for Pochita's metal saw to slide through from the bottom half. He looks like a certified weirdo like this, but, to be fair, he kinda is. ]

…Aki. [ He doesn't step in. He slept outside in the hallway last night, and while Pochita didn't seem to experience any issues adjusting to the new environment, he's not really sure yet if he'll be rejoining them tonight or sleeping wherever Pochita will be again. ] Whaddya do when you workout? Is it hard?

[When everything is finished for the day, Power started complaining about feeling sick, so when Denji sticks his nose into the room Aki is on his side slowly rubbing her stomach. Power sleeps with her mouth open, drool rolling down her chin, but he's not really focused on her. He's tired. He's worried. He's thinking about how much more money this devil is going to cost them. He didn't find any signs of him scratching up the walls or leaving rips in the furniture, so at least there's that, but what does he eat? He gave him a small portion of Meowy's food, just to see what would happen, and he scarfed it up like it was nothing. (Though if Denji tried to give any food from his plate, Aki quickly put a stop to that. Denji can't eat less than he already does, especially if he wants to train with him.) He can't remember reading anything about what devils eat in his books. Only their ability to recover with blood.]

[He startles out of his thoughts, his hand stilling on Power when he hears Denji's voice. Aki sits up and Power rolls over, mumbling complaints in her sleep... So he reaches out to continue rubbing her stomach. Seriously, they're both so damn needy.]

It can be hard. [He won't lie to him, though he isn't saying this to scare him off.] I run some laps, then do some endurance work, some arm work... You know how to do push-ups and pull-ups still, right? It's that sort of stuff. [He's sort of stuck where he is due to the circular motion of his hand on Power, just looking at Denji peeking in through the small slit of the door... He looks even more like a kid than usual. He motions for him to come all the way in. With the devil or not.] If you can at least get to the point that you can run a couple kilometers without needing to stop, I think that would be good.

[When he thinks about the last time Denji must have run, he realizes it was last night. He got all the way to that playground and was there long enough to make a contract with a devil... Did he run the whole way?]

How were you, last night? Did you feel okay? [It's a little awkward to bring up, but with Power curled on her side as he rubs her tummy like she's a spoiled child, he may as well make sure Denji's internals are doing fine, as well.]

[ He doesn't bat an eyelash, the sight before him as common and necessary as needing to taking out the trash. If it's not Aki rubbing circles into her stomach, it's Denji kneading his thumbs into the tight knots in her shoulders — which, by the way, never makes sense to him when Power doesn't have anything to stress over! Ever! But whatever, she's basically as much of a household cat as Meowy and, at times, just as pampered.

Once beckoned, he pushes the door wide enough to allow himself and the chainsaw-dog to wiggle through. Pochita pochis over to an unoccupied pillow, sniffs at it, then flops over on his side. Denji, for his part, stops by Power's prone form to reach over and, well, be an annoying sibling. He pushes her bangs into her face, pink strands tickling her button nose, causing her expression to scrunch as she swats his fingers his away. When he loses interest in messing with her, he steps over her legs to lay himself down on Aki's other side. ]

I was alright… I didn't die. [ Casually lifting his shirt to expose the soft planes of his own stomach, he smooths his other hand over his belly button, skimming up his sides — Denji's clearly skinny enough that he can count his ribs — before coming back down again to feel up his organs. ] I mean, you saw it yourself. The only blood that came out was from my arm — and s'not, like, you saw me cough once when ya found me, right?

[ He just wheezed and nearly hacked up a lung on the way there. ]

Think I'll be okay. Anything you can do, I can do! Piece of cake. [ Denji turns over on his side, flashing a grin. ] Strawberry cake.

[ Hint… They should get some when he passes his exam. He he. ]

[He did look okay when he saw him... Aki turns so he can sit in a way that lets him settle in between them, his legs crossed. Denji lifts his shirt and after the way he started messing with Power, Aki misinterprets it as his jealousy and sets his other hand on his bare stomach, slowly rubbing in circles at the same speed.]

Like I said - So long as you pass your test. At least a 70.

[His eyes travel to the devil flopped over to the pillow. His pillow. He better not drool on it.]

The training I do isn't about pushing yourself to be uncomfortable. Like I said - it's to build up your endurance. So if you get to a point where something is hurting, you'd better tell me.

[This could be considered babying. Aki dismisses that. He's just being truthful. There's no point in doing something like this if Denji is going to end up getting hurt. It's not babying. Even as he thinks that while rubbing his stomach to pair the attention given to his adoptive sister.]

And... You need to be careful, with this devil. I don't think it's that strong, but you can get into trouble for keeping them. You shouldn't draw attention to yourself with him.

[ He inhales, ready to bellyache and contest those terms, tell him that his standards are too high — a 67 or 69 is passing, too, in his book! — yet not a noise sounds from his mouth the moment Aki's hand begins to coast his stomach. As if to preemptively stifle his complaints. Is this dude a psychic or something? His neck inclines to watch, shortly, before falling back to the bedding, not unlike a puppy going slack and deferential, legs raised, when confronted by a bigger and older dog. He doesn't even snark back at any point during Aki continued lecture, just pushes the hem of his shirt further up to reveal more of his midsection, tacit encouragement. ]

…Mm, fine. I won't push myself too hard and I won't let Pochita outta my backpack when I take him to school with me. Happy?

[ He's being so good, revealing his grand plans to give Aki a headache instead of springing them on him by surprise as he frequently does. Eyes drifting closed, his head turns to nudge his nose up against Aki's knee. Please rub his stomach more. ]

[Denji almost gets away with it. He says it so casually and rolls over into his leg as Aki continues rubbing them both, but then he suddenly catches the entirely of what he said.]

You can't bring a devil to school.

[Absolutely non-negotiable. But he knows he has to frame this in a specific way, to show he's safer here at home.]

What would happen if a devil attacked and he got into trouble? That thing can't protect you, so he would just get in the way. Power can't bring Meowy to school and you can't bring that, either.

[He pats both of their stomachs and pulls their respective tops down. That's enough of that. Power has totally fallen asleep. The devil is starting to drool on his pillow, so he leans over to snatch it out from under him.]

You can sleep with him in here - But no bringing him to school. Not until you know more about him. Got it?

[Giving him a false victory sometimes helps.]

[ The disappointment of having his belly rub ended when Power got a much longer one is short-lived. With the disappearance of Aki's pillow, the side of Pochita's face abruptly drops to floor, startling him awake with a sad little dog sound as his eyes blink open. On behalf of the devil, Denji glares at him, scooping him up in his arms to bring him to his side of the futon. ]

Watch it!

[ Do jerks get overtime pay or something? Geez… ]

Alright, I won't bring him to school yet. [ He's not sold on the idea that Pochita is fully useless in a devil attack. Like, what if he could communicate with the other devil and make it go away or something? Some test trials need to be run here. Plus, he's got a badass chainsaw thing coming out of his frontal lobe. His pet has to be way more useful to have at school than Meowy. ] I'll wait until we're both stronger and we can protect each other.

[ And then he won't need Aki to worry over him anymore. Won't have to feel bad about holding Aki back either. He can leave Denji, launching himself fast and far for wherever he wants to land.

Denji's chin tucks into his chest as he lays back down, arms circled around Pochita perhaps a bit too snugly. The devil-dog doesn't make a sound, though, only looks at him, then looks down at the gangly arms hugging his body tight with an expression he's never seen on an animal's face before. Something caught between surprise and an unspeakable warmth. Pochita snuggles in, drifting immediately to sleep.

He waits for the devil's breaths to even out to reach his hand over to Aki's bed, pinching at the edge of his shirt. He's not sure if he's still awake or not, but he murmurs: ] Hey. Until then… can you look after me a little while longer? I'll try to not be bad…

[By the time Denji reaches out, Aki is mostly asleep, laid on his back and breathing slowly. Like always he hums when he feels something touch him, used to being woken in the middle of the night, his eyes still closed. Power is snoring quietly, but he can still make out what Denji mumbles.]

[He rolls onto his side to face him, eyes still closed as he reaches over blindly to where he imagines Denji's head must be to pat it carefully before letting his hand settle between them. He mostly just patted his face, though.]

Not going anywhere.

[He's probably said those exact words to him countless times, and he'll probably say them again in due time. They're easy to say because he believes them, as easily as he believes devils are meant to be destroyed and laundry dries better on a clothesline than in a dryer. He falls fully asleep after that repeated promise, not thinking about the devil that separates them.]

[He thinks he's done a good enough job getting him ready for the make-up test. Promising to let him go out and take the devil for a walk in between successful practice tests seems to help, as does the repeated promise to get him a reward if he passes beyond the promise to let him come with him when he trains. Anything to keep him actually studying. He sits through classes that day staring through the blackboard, barely taking note of anything happening and trying extremely hard to make it seem like he's not worried. He'll do fine. He'll remember the formulas and he knew pi up to six digits last night. His foot keeps tapping the floor to the point that he feels his seat neighbor look at him and forces it to stop. But then his pen is tapping next.]

[It's not that it's some hugely important exam. But if Denji can't even pass this, then how is he going to be able to trust him to keep up his habits next year...?]

[When the day is over he heads downstairs to wait at the first year shoe lockers, watching the departing students and waiting for him to show up. Tense and stone still, he can tell some of the other students look at him with trepidation. An over-bearingly over-protective sort.]

[ Incentives can only spur him on so much. At different intervals leading up to his exam, Denji's motivation spikes, dips, and plateaus… It's the word problems that trip him up, having to parse out irrelevant details from the actual values he needs to use for his formulas — anything that makes you use both reading comprehension and mathematics is a party foul. His teacher might be hot, but he'd be willing to send her off with flowers or something if she ever got served with jail time. Still, they get through each study session, which Power happily asserts is thanks to her interrupting the session once in a while to remind them to take enough snack breaks (that she can enjoy the vast majority of).

The day of, he plays at cool the entire morning, stuffing his face with more food than usual. And yet throughout each passing hour, he can feel sweat gather at his pits and bleed through his uniform. He gets yelled at during P.E. for trying to run around the track while carrying his study book. Failing isn't what he's scared of; he's already failed once before, right? So there's only going up from here!

…Except he starts losing his head whenever he imagines Aki's disagreeable presence looming over his shoulder, eyes dull with premature disappointment. Is this the so-called test anxiety devil he's heard whispers of?

Come time for Denji to take his exam, he — well, he arrives in a daze. Sits down. Waits for the test material to land in front of his face, and when it does, he sets to work. He gnaws on the end of his mechanical pencil. He scratches his head, stabbing numbers into his calculator and hoping something close to the right answer appears before him. He uses his eraser enough times that the paper looks smudged and crumpled once he finishes, but he does finish. His exam enters his teacher's hands, and it takes her all of ten minutes to pass him back his grade: 77. Scribbled in all red on the front page.

Bag slung haphazardly over his shoulder, he slowly navigates through the halls with a dim look in his eyes. Forgetting the need to put away his school shoes, Denji nearly passes his adoptive brother by entirely, if it weren't for the timing of a few rambunctious guys in his grade running just short of barreling him over as they dash out the entrance. ]

Ah! [ He checks over his shoulder to make sure no one else is stampeding behind him. His eyes twinkle when he spots Aki, regaining some liveliness. ] Oh, you…! [ The fatigue from actually having to use his brain hitting him all at once, Denji sways a little on his feet as he reroutes back to him. He shakes the test, still clutched in his hands, way to close to Aki's face. ] Look, I'm a certified genius! Should I get my IQ tested next?

[Nearly, Aki calls out to him, but he stops when the two other students come rushing through. When he looks back to see Denji spotting him, what he worried was exhaustion in his features seems to be gone and instead he looks - cheery? Is he cheery? And then his test is shoved into his face and Aki blinks, trying to pull his hand back to see the number more clearly.]

[A 77... A 77? That's not a 44? It's a 77? Over a 70? Hell, over a 75? Aki openly gapes at it for a moment, his quip about getting his IQ tested completely missed.]

You - You did so well. [What the hell? Why is he so surprised by this? Why was he seriously preparing for the lecture he was going to give him? Aki tries to shake off the shock, but all it does is downgrade it slightly into overly-visible relief.] You seriously got a 77... That's great, Denji.

[He sounds like Denji just told him he won the Nobel Prize. It kind of feels like he did.]

...Oh - What was it you said? Strawberry cake? [He finally drops his shoes and slips them on. He still looks like he's in a bit of a fog from the surprise.] You still want that? Or something bigger?

Right?! I kept asking her if she was sure, since she coulda gotten whiplash all of a sudden and thrown in an extra 7 on accident! And when she said that didn't happen, I asked if she was just being nice, 'cause she's got a crush on me…

[ It goes without saying that she instantly rejected that notion, though.

Following Aki's example, he stumbles over to his cubby to remove his shoes. Once done, Denji looks at the test again, thinking over whether to shove it deep into his pocket like he would gum wadded up in its wrapper, but instead, he unzips his backpack and slips it in. Careful, for once. This one's going on the fridge. As they sedately make their way out: ]

Um, um… Whaddaya mean something bigger than strawberry cake? Like two strawberry cakes? Three?

[ He may or may not be imagining a three-tiered cake with sparklers and fruit and sprinkles and chocolate drizzle all up the wazoo. That's so big! Even if they cut it in half, he's not sure it'd fit in their refrigerator. Not to mention… ]

I thought were saving and stuff. For the move.

[ Plus, Pochita. Plus, the trip, which is still to be decided right now, seeing as they haven't raised the topic once since Denji ran away from home. He likes indulging and getting spoiled. Even feels a little entitled to it because he did so well on his exam. But that doesn't mean he's unaware of how tight their finances are. ]

[He just wants more cake...? That doesn't sound right, and when Denji reveals his worry about their savings, for once Aki shakes his head at him, even looking annoyed that he's bringing it up. Like he isn't constantly sitting over his hand-written spreadsheets with the grocery receipts.]

It's already fall. There'll be jobs for harvesting and logging again soon.

[...But there is the case for his trip, sure, and that he wanted to include Denji's trip as well. He's not about to bring that up right now, though. He may be a pain in the ass, but Aki isn't going to start that discussion again so suddenly after he just did something good.]

Just forget about that - If you could have anything, what would you want? [And interrupting him before he can think to answer with it, ] And you can't say something like "women." [He is not renting his adoptive brother a prostitute for getting a C on a test.]

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