[ In the past, their grocery runs have been prone to stretch long, in addition to stretching the upper limits of Aki's good faith in them. It's because they have a bad habit of going off-script: deciding sometimes that maybe it's cheaper to dig for herbs, rather than buy them, or that they'd prefer marinading their eggs in a limited edition flavor of ramune that can only be found in a specific store in town over the usual soy sauce — but after yesterday, Denji's trying this thing called turning over a new leaf. Aki's not the only one who wants an easy day; his body still feels shaky, lightweight, like he's traded the bones inside of him for eggshells that could scatter with one sharp wintry wind any second now.
Honestly, he didn't think Aki would let him in on the action. Had tried hiding the perk in his expression when he'd tasked them with gathering the roastables, and then Power had skated herself under his arm, lifted him just a few centimeters off the ground, nearly throwing the muscles of her back with wild laughter, claiming that if anything happened, she could haul a billion or so Denjis over her shoulders to safety. Whether that remark was what sealed their fate, or if it was simply Aki's own calculated risk, it doesn't matter. They're shooed off.
Afterwards, Denji takes them on a beeline straight for the marketplace, Power at his side, swinging their hands back and forth. The air doesn't taste likes it's come fresh off the sea, but it's fine, he breathes in a lungful at every block, anyway, ignoring the slight wheeze echoing from the chambers of his chest. The entire time shopping, he keeps checking the group chat for any messages — people chiming in with what they're bringing, if they can or cannot make it. …Until he realizes there's no use because he can't tell which icon and phone number belongs to the girl he doesn't even know the name of. Dang it.
He returns with a dripping nose, arms crowded elbow to elbow with all the veggies Power didn't want to carry, stopping briefly near the entrance to greet his sole invite — the nice grandmother from the park who always shares her bird seeds with him to snack on. Liver-spotted hands patting at his cheeks, she tells him, gosh, he's so cold, but he laughs it off, setting their things aside at a long table; his bag tips over with most of the produce Aki recommended, along with cucumbers, napa cabbages, peppers, and sweet yams. He figured Aki would appreciate the ease with which some of their leftovers could be repurposed for other meals down the line, though he's kind of hoping that they'll be able to eat these right then for the get-together. Power's bag consists of corn and mushrooms, for the sole reason that she enjoys how it feels to tear her teeth through those the best.
His gaze sweeps over the perimeter, halting on a group of their schoolmates. Namely one person in particular…
Excusing himself, Denji ambles over — to Aki, just Aki, noticeably steering clear of the group on his way, waving off the ashen plumes rising from the grill as he approaches. Peeking out from behind him, he wipes at the back of his nose, a new drip of snot replacing the old one. Probably should have worn a scarf. ]
Hey, my friend wanted me to check on her turnips… Ah! Smells good. [ He sniffs, poking a finger at someone's carrot slice. ] But you sure ya put enough salt on that one? …Wait, uh, forget that — can you tell me that girl's name?
[When Denji returns, Aki is squatted in front of the coals, gently fanning them to stoke the fire. Two of the boys he played soccer with are seated near him as they chat quietly - about the one who got killed. How strange it all was, that they saw him just that day and the next minute he was gone. How they should have walked with him, shouldn't they have? That's what Public Safety was saying, right? But Aki reminds them that it was still the middle of the day when he left, that none of them were thinking about that. They can't blame themselves. "None of us could have fought off a devil," one of them mutters in addition, then looks at Aki with a perk in his brow. Not quite doubtful, but a little wary. "You're really going to join Public Safety?" he asks.]
[Aki opens his mouth to answer, but the sight of Denji coming through the gate with Power catches his eye before he can say anything. He realizes, maybe stupidly, that his heart had been racing during that discussion, thinking about Denji and Power by themselves. Devils don't care if it's morning or evening, after all. He shakes his head and pokes at one of the bundled sweet potatoes, coaxing it closer to the coals as he watches Denji drop the produce on the table. From habit, he assumes he's going to make his way over.]
Let's drop the topic, okay? [And just as he thought, here he comes, wiping at his nose as one of the other boys pulls out his phone, looking away. The other watches the two of them, amused by Denji's obvious intent in coming over as he starts asking after the girl.]
["You got a crush, Mini Hayakawa?" he teases, and Aki rolls his eyes. That girl can't possibly be Denji's type, he wants to argue, but... Suddenly, an idea comes to him and he pushes himself to his feet. He smells smoky and like a tuber but that's fine - He didn't get the food that girl brought anyway, and surely she brought something, so now's a good time to ask if she wants to cook it now or later. Even more importantly, however, is the idea of Denji making a friend who isn't five times his age.]
C'mon. [He reaches down to snag Denji by the wrist, heading over to the girl where she stands off to the side, rubbing her hands together and re-knotting her scarf around her neck. She looks up when she realizes Aki is coming towards her, a flush heating her face beneath her glasses and causing the bottom half of her bifocals to cloud up. He stops just a step or two away, tugging Denji right beside him.]
Komine - Did you bring anything? [He asks as he sees she truly doesn't have a bag, isn't carrying anything that could be large enough to hold even a potato. All she has is a small pochette around her shoulder which she switches to fiddling with the strap of. She shakes her head, looking down at the ground with a frown. "I didn't want to take up any extra time to cook my things," she explains, and Aki wants to point out that it's a roasting party, that multiple things can be cooked at once... But decides it's not really worth it. He sets a hand on Denji's shoulder instead, patting it once.] That's fine. He'll give you something from our stuff. This is my brother, Denji - [But she interrupts almost immediately with, "I know." Again Aki pauses. Wonders where she'd know of him, then decides she must have heard about him from the treasurer.] Well, let me know if you need anything.
[And then he turns and heads back to the fire, the boy from before watching with a wide grin of amusement. Aki only shrugs at him as he squats back down, then picks the fan up to continue stoking the flames.]
[ While Aki's friends snicker over the simmering coal pile, Denji turns in panicked ticks like a malfunctioning watch, almost on the verge of giving chase after his brother. But, casting a halting glance at the girl behind him, seeing her gaze break away and point at her shiny mary janes, he reluctantly continues his revolution, winding himself 360 degrees around to face her — Komine, that's right.
From the outside, he bears the wide-eyed flush of a boy who's never held another girl's hand outside of his family, doesn't yet know how to conduct himself in front of someone he likes; though it's hard to say if he really likes her. He likes the clear-eyed look to her every once when he actually manages to catch her gaze, but otherwise, she's quiet, like really quiet, her presence blending into the setting like a shadow with no other choice but to be there. And truthfully, his embarrassment has more to do with being hand-delivered here, as if he were a parcel being dropped off, or worse, some lonely little kid being introduced and passed on to his peers by his grade school teacher.
Ugh, that jerkwad…
Stomping down the desire to glare at Aki, he points over at the table spread. ]
Wanna go see? …My name's Hayakawa Denji, by the way.
[ "I know," she says again, nodding slowly. Her glasses sweep low down her nose with the movement.
…Ahhh, Aki told her that already, didn't he? Scratching at his scalp as they leave to apprise their options, Denji glances at the treasurer and the rest of her friends, at least who he assumes are her friends. Nobody casts them a second look in kind.
"I've seen you around school before, Denji-kun." ]
Oh. [ That catches his attention. In a good way. He cracks her a toothy grin, bright and excited. ] Oh, yeah, sure ya would! My class was the one that did the, uh, mascot cafe at the culture festival. I was the popular one — you know, floppy ears?
[ His hands move up the sides of his head, flapping to imitate said floppiness. Instead of watching him, Komine scans the layout of the produce, hands firmly clutched around her bag strap.
"I didn't have time to go to that event… I was busy with the art showcase. Um, sorry." His arms drop, lamely. Without reaching for anything on the table, she continues. "I've just seen you, that's all. When you visit the third year's floor, you're very loud. Like the last time you were going through your brother's desk."
His expression dims a watt, trying to remember what she's referring to, since it goes without saying that he liberally tends to rummage through Aki's things — oh, wait, the love letter. He scrambled to Aki's homeroom that morning, thinking he'd ask him if he left his homework in one of his textbooks. But what he found was, lo and behold, an envelope sitting on top of his pencil case. The strong fragrance of floral perfume wafting from the paper. Hayakawa Aki lovingly written in cute print on the front, a single heart drawn beside his name. Of course, he opened it. Read it, lamented, complained to himself about why a girl would like a guy with no plans of sticking around, complained again about the thought of sharing him with someone, and then sat there in his seat, reading and rereading the letter to the best of his ability. As if rewriting his reaction in his head. A good little brother would tell him, you should just go for it. Live a little. He's pretty sure that's what he told him. It feels so long ago, namely because that was the same day he met Pochita.
Was there someone else in the classroom back then?
Denji passes Komine the sweet potato she'd been inspecting for a few long seconds, asking her: ] Is that a bad thing?
[ She blinks up at him, then rests her gaze upon the offering, the corners of her lips lifting subtly. She smiles at him, pleased, graciously accepting it, accepting the other vegetables Denji promptly deposits in her arms. Accepting his kindness.
"No. I think my favorite thing about other people is when they live freely like that."
The conversation maintains its course with Denji struggling to make sense of some of things she says, but enjoying her interest, anyway. Lighting up each time her eyes brush over his face; it almost feels like he's floating on a cloud and not freezing his ass waiting for their turn to roast their pickings. She tells him about the type of paintings she displayed during this year's festival, how it gives her joy to capture the present in all its abundant sincerity. A single moment, still and unblemished. He kind of gets it, brings up the comparison of photography and how his sister has loads of photos of her cat for similar reasons, but changes the topic when he notices her expression waning — ]
Look, they're leaving.
[ Pointing out that the soccer boys have cleared from the grill, Denji rushes them both over before anyone else can steal into the opening. In contrast to Komine's much fuller arms, Denji carries with him a halved piece of eggplant and a few mushrooms. ]
[It's so obvious he's watching them that one of the other boys points it out. "You're staring, dude," they say, and Aki tears his eyes away from Denji and the girl standing near the produce. He prods at one of the eggplants and tells himself there's no actual reason to his annoyance. That, if Denji is going to make friends with someone, she's not exactly the worst choice. She's just a weirdo. Always quiet and has her head down. Draws or something, he thinks - Honestly, he doesn't really pay her any attention ever. She's not his type, after all. Or Denji's.]
["You're staring," the boy repeats, and Aki lowers his gaze again. Annoyed. "Whatever. Hey, let's go get something from the vending machine." The two of them head off as Aki is left to sulk by the fire, but no sooner are they gone when a new pair of shadows hover over him.]
Oh... Yeah. [Aki nods, reaching over to grab some of the newspaper to hand to them both.] Here, wrap them up. You remember how, right? Make sure you make it all equal, don't ball it up or anything, or it won't cook as well. Komine, you -
["I know how," she mutters, taking some of the newspaper as she squats down to begin wrapping her vegetables. Aki doesn't respond outright, mostly because he's more focused on Denji. If she knows how, then she doesn't need help. So he's good to just ignore her. Since she's kind of a weirdo, anyway. What was she even talking to Denji about? She's so quiet all the time that he can't imagine her being much for conversation...]
I'll put them on the coals, let me take them. [He reaches out toward Denji once his items are wrapped, but he frowns when he feels his hands during the trade-off.] ...You're too cold. Go inside and get a scarf or something.
[ Squinting down at his hands in concentration, he carefully folds the pages of his newspaper around the eggplant in uneven angles. His brow twitches. He opens the paper back up again, about to start over, until his fingers pause.
Even though Denji's reading ability still lags behind most kids his age, and even though he constantly mixes up the kanji for words like brain and worries, it doesn't chafe him that much. Really, he'd rather not have to wrack his brain worrying about the layers of meanings and double-meanings in this language; if he had it his way, he'd go his life just interpreting things based on pictures and instinct. But Aki rarely approves of his perspective on literacy, so sometimes he'll point out to a word or a series of phrases, or ask him for the stroke order of something, and that's probably how he's managed to grow a serviceable vocabulary. Enough to be able to scan a column of a newspaper and read that the investigation into the zombie attack is still underway, that a specially assembled team from Tokyo is expected to soon join the effort to resolve the situation. ]
Hm. [ Oh, well — Denji crimps the folds together once again, still not all symmetrical, but he holds it out to Aki, anyway, a self-satisfied grin pulling at his cheeks. ] Look, I did it! [ Thee expression doesn't last, a dumbfounded look quickly replacing it as Aki tells him to adjust his state of dress. Not exactly helping his case, Denji rubs at the wet tip of his nose. ] But I'm…
[ He looks to Komine. She's still finishing up her veggies since her pile outnumbers Denji's. Meaning, it doesn't look she'll be going anywhere anytime soon.
Denji passes on the rest of his roast to Aki, backing away while still facing him, silently mouthing to his brother: Don't let her go anywhere before I can ask for her number, a'right? And then he turns, heading for the stairs. ]
[The interruption comes just as Denji is mouthing his (to Aki) unreadable order, from Komine's spot squatted on the ground. Handing off one of the rolled up vegetables to Aki, she uses her freed hands to unravel the scarf around her neck and offers that out to Denji in turn. It's not one of their school uniform scarfs, rather a purple one with little pom poms on each end. Aki's brows crease.]
It's just upstairs. You don't need to -- ["It's fine," she interrupts, her head ducked back down as she holds out the scarf, a few inches away from the barbecue pit. "I want him to have it."]
[Aki could think to see a red flag in this, how she only just met him and already wants to give him something like this, but instead he feels a wash of annoyance pass over him. How Denji is going to be talking about this scarf for the next six weeks and asking Aki to recite exactly what she said to him when she offered it out and probably recounting the smell of her shampoo in the fabric... He makes a noncommittal sort of noise and turns his attention away, setting the poorly-covered eggplant against the coals.]
[ Numbly spinning the scarf around his neck, nearly entrapping himself in the entire length thing, leaving only a sliver left to hang over his shoulders, he bobs the puffballs resting in his palm. He hasn't blinked once since receiving it from Komine.
Honestly, it itches; it's not dense enough to truly warm his neck; it's got a too-strawberry scent stitched into its folds that overwhelms his senses upon inhale. It's also not something Denji questions. He drops his face into the scarf, scratching his blushing cheeks all over with the fabric. ]
Oh my god. It's real.
[ Crap, what type of expression should he make? Then again, he kind of already expressed himself plenty just now — but, well, Komine isn't even looking at him, so it's fine. Maybe.
Uh, thanks — that's what I meant 'ta say, [ he recovers, coolly, hardly a twitch to his mouth. ] I'll give it back to ya later… Got some snot on it, so I can give it a wash before.
[ "You don't have to. We're friends from now on, so I'd like you to keep it."
Coming from anyone else, it could have been a warmly stated response. From Komine, the same bland intonation carries forth, like she's tired that she has to continue the conversation after already saying her piece. Not sure how to take the contradictory messaging, Denji simply grins through it, nodding furiously, promising to take care of the scarf until the end of his days.
Slipping to Aki, he nudges an elbow against his arm, trying to subtly (for Denji) capture his attention, his voice lowered into a whisper: ] Aki, feel it — it's real!
[Aki watches the exchange with a growing annoyance pricking his brow.]
[From the way Denji's fingers wrap around the fabric, how he palms the pompoms and bounces them in his hands, to the way he shoves his whole face into the depths of it... That's one thing. But it's Komine, herself, who Aki doesn't trust. If this is some kind of bullying thing, or what kind of meaning this would have, otherwise. Girls don't just give stuff like this to boys. Aki would know. He learned that early on, that anything given is a desire for something in return. And Denji - Denji's just too stupid to recognize it. That, even if he doesn't give two shits about her, even if he's just caught up in the feeling of a girl paying attention to him, that it comes with a cost.]
[He sighs when Denji slips away from her and toward him, instead, loud enough to be heard far above his whispering. Feel what? he could monotone in response, annoyance in his tone, a warning like a monkey baring its teeth. But he only prods at some of the rolled-up vegetables with a stick, doing his best to show him the truth: that it shouldn't be a big deal. That the bigger of a deal he makes it out to be, the worse his eventual fall is going to hurt.]
[He never really liked Komine, he realizes. Doesn't like how she clings to the treasurer and follows her around sometimes, not catching the hint that she wasn't welcome in official meetings. Doesn't like the way she avoids looking at Aki directly, how she frowns if he mentions Public Safety or his goal after graduation. Hell, she never even talks about herself that much, just silently judges everyone else.]
[...He's being petty, he notes, but doesn't let himself see the sickly and sticky jealousy coating that feeling.]
Keep your jacket buttoned up. I don't want to hear you sneezing tonight.
[ Swiftly, the unenthused response files down Denji's broad, razor-toothed smile into a blunt line. What he says isn't any different from his typical chiding that borders on fault-finding. It's how he says it: without looking at him, happily breathing in the smoke gusting up from the grill rather than face his own brother.
Can'tcha react better than that, nearly slips past his lips, but he holds his tongue to the roof of his mouth, presses up like a blockade. But it doesn't squash down the thoughts from congesting in his head, because, seriously, is it that hard? He doesn't have to think it's anything special or worth celebrating, but he could at least play along. He could at least be happy for him. It's not as if Denji was psyched to hear about Aki's first kiss once he and his friends thought he was out of earshot, or to have to go digging through Aki's things to learn someone was crushing on him, but he was curious about it. Interested. Maybe if Aki let him in on the secret, they could have — bonded. Talked about it, laughed it off. Whatever it is that brothers do over that sort of thing. Not that he would know seeing as Aki always refuses him that experience.
His eyes shift off, landing back on the crouched girl, a little less than half of her vegetables finished evenly browning over the flames. Denji's fingers shovel underneath Komine's scarf to click his jacket buttons together. ]
…Jokes on you. Haven't sneezed once today, [ he mutters, sniffing up a drop of snot. Then, swinging his gaze back at him, his volume rises up, snippily: ] How 'bout you stop standing so close to the fire, huh. Before even joining Public Safety, you're gonna get sick and ugly with that thing smokers get. Cancer, whatever —
[ "Are you done?" Komine's voice shoots over Denji's own. Her face is half-arched over her shoulder, staring up at them both. She's a little cute like that. ]
Uh, am I? [ He looks to Aki, first, the inclination to redirect downward to inspect his food coming a second later. He did have a lesser haul than his counterpart. ] I mean — probably in a little? I got started after you, so…
[ "But you'll still finish before me," she points out. ]
…Looks like it.
[ "Maybe you should go wait over there at the table once Hayakawa-kun is finished, and then I can come to you." Denji follows along with her line of sight. The others, including the treasurer, seem to have scuttled off to another corner of the area to watch Power perform tricks with the cat. Komine's next few words come to him just as the picture of them sitting across from one another, giggling and playing footsie under the table, forms in his mind: "We can eat together." ]
Ohhh… Yeah, okay. [ Expression unstirred, Denji cups his hands together, holding them out to his brother. ] Aki, plate me up.
[It's not hard to get into a snippy argument like this with Denji over something stupid, and Aki even opens his mouth to tell him that this isn't the kind of smoke that rots your bones and gives you cancer or whatever, it's a totally different kind of smoke, but then Komine speaks up and, whether intentional or not, knocks the wind out of his sails and the words with it.]
[He's not actually mad at Denji. He didn't do anything, after all. So there's no actual reason to be annoyed with him or upset or whatever - so he tells himself, poking at one of the newspaper-wrapped potatoes and watching the steam gush out from the hole. He's still not fond of Denji getting close with someone kind of off-kilter like Komine, still thinks she isn't quite the best influence on him, but...]
[But then he thinks back to a couple days ago and how she had spoken about the guy who had died, that her seat wasn't far from him. That, maybe, she's lonely and wants someone to talk to who isn't so awkward around her, or considering her feelings so seriously. Someone who isn't going to treat her differently and, in fact, has his own reasons for people to treat him with kid gloves, as well. Maybe that's why she's decided to talk to him today, Aki thinks. Maybe she's suffering just like the rest of them.]
[So Aki doesn't respond with any more snark or cold words, simply scoops up a few of the vegetables that have the tell-tale Denji wrapping and flips them over to set the less-hot side in his palms.]
Here. Go on and eat, and tell Power to come get something, too.
[And then he waits for Denji to head off, for him to move over to the larger group, at the small picnic table set up in front of the complex. He tests Komine's next, but the thicker root vegetables take an extra minute or so, and she doesn't seem keen on moving just yet, so he speaks up.]
He had a rough day yesterday, so - I mean, I'm sure he appreciates getting his mind off things.
[She doesn't say anything in response and Aki thinks maybe she didn't hear him, or maybe she's ignoring him, but a couple minutes later when he mentions her things should be ready she puts her gloved hands out for him, her eyes fogged by the smoke and heat covering her glasses.]
["Thanks for setting this up," she says as he places them carefully into her hands. "It's nice to see everyone." Aki nods as she gets up and heads over to Denji, figuring that's about as normal as the conversations he has with her tend to be.]
[ Spine unnaturally straight, Denji's chewing halts as Komine squishes in next to him. The sweet spot of skin right above her knee high socks and right below the tuck of her skirt, pressing firmly up against his leg. Their elbows touching. Suddenly, his joints feel rusted over, and he can't even look her way as she spreads her fare out on the picnic table, the clattering seeming to attract a smattering of eyes in the vicinity.
"Koko!" Someone sings not long after, a rush of steps coming up behind his new friend.
Denji manages to muster the willpower to inch his chin sideways to catch their school's treasurer drop into the seat next to Komine, the back of her shoulders leaned against the table, legs swinging. A couple of Aki's friends join them, sitting across on the opposite bench. There's idle chatter about the amount of food Komine has selected — "I'm so jealous! Just where in that tiny body are you even packing all that away?!" — that eventually moves on to homework, and gossip, and how they couldn't be more ready for the semester to end in a few months.
"That's if we make it to next year," one of the boys scoffs, steering the conversation toward the same topic he was talking about with Aki. This, of course, earns him immediate ire from the others. Though he's loathe to agree with a guy who calls him Mini Hayakawa, Denji kind of thinks he has a point. He swallows a bite of mushroom and doesn't say anything, though.
The treasurer — Akane-chan, apparently is what Komine calls her — blows a raspberry at him. "Downer."
The taller boy of the two shakes his head. "C'mon, let's not do this…"
"What? I'm right," the boy continues, watching the direction of the grill, prompting Denji's gaze to move there as well. Under Aki's supervision, Power seems to be recklessly stabbing into the coal, as if the rocks had personally offended her in some fashion. Probably, the guy is just making sure he's not caught talking about something he's not supposed to in front of his host — there's probably something to be said about how he doesn't appear to acknowledge Denji is also there at the table. "There are cops and devil hunters everywhere in the neighborhood to 'keep us safe,' but it just puts us, the teachers, and our parents on edge — you can feel it, can't you? And it's already been this long. Doesn't it make you wonder what the hold up is? Or who's next?"
"Not really," Komine says, setting aside a neatly folded square of aluminum, before taking another roasted vegetable from her pile. "If you just keep your head down and focus on yourself, you'll be fine."
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Koko! Just enjoy the extra days off and play some video games. No one's forcing you to think about any of that…" Akane's mouth pinches. Blowing slow on her sweet potato, Komine watches her. "Horrible stuff so seriously. Ah, looks like the rest of the Hayakawa family's finally joining us."
By the time Power slams into his other side, nearly half-plunking herself into his lap, Denji's only burnt his tongue twice. A fancy new record for him. Hopefully he can keep it up. ]
Ugh, get off, you smell like smoke — [ Power's cheek valiantly fights back against the grasp Denji has on her head. He looks up at Aki, the gruffness of his tone at odds with how palpably his expression relaxes, seeing them both there. ] Man, you guys took forever. Was starting to think you couldn't put the fire out or somethin'.
[Power's attack on the coals as he tries to explain how using sand to extinguish them works is a good enough distraction that leaves Aki out of earshot of the conversation at the picnic tables - and, perhaps thankfully, the sight of Komine and Denji sitting so closely together. When Aki tells her the fire's been defeated or whatever and Power is delightfully skipping her way over to the larger group, Aki is right on her tail and the conversation lulls on his approach. Luckily (or maybe depressingly) he's never been the sort to mind that sort of thing and has his focus on Denji instead of any talk about their likelihood of imminent death, setting his hands on Denji's shoulders and squeezing them.]
All thanks to the great Power. [Or whatever it is. The dullly-stated praise still puts a confident grin on her face as she explains her method of stabbing the fire into submission to the other attendees as Aki keeps his hands on Denji's shoulders, gradually sliding them down to set his elbows on him as if he's the edge of a table or against the top of a fence. There's no actual pressure or force, though - he knows it's highly unlikely Denji could ever hope to hold him up.]
[The slight dip to his posture does give him some closer proximity to Komine, but she's caught up in a conversation with the treasurer now. Something about putting marshmallow on roasted potatoes... His attention turns toward the other topic across the table, a discussion about whether they even need to do homework when school has been shut down for this long, and Aki opens his mouth to begin saying it's better to do it sooner rather than have a repeat of the end-of-summer depression Aki witnessed them all fall into last year... Except he feels a slight nudge of a shift along Denji's body and it isn't a motion done by Denji, himself. Not him leaning over or leaning back or even being shoved by Power. Because it's in the opposite direction. When he glances down, he sees it: Komine's shoulder, lightly bumped up against Denji's, as if nothing at all is unusual about the act.]
[Were it anyone else, he'd think maybe they forgot he was there or something. But this girl...]
[He reaches up and squeezes Denji's cheeks, pinching both of them at once.]
Even this guy's done his homework. You've got no excuses. [There's a brief sense of amusement and some laughter at the sight of Denji with his cheeks pinched, the topic turning a little more positive. Even Power claims she was given a special assignment to complete that required her to travel to the Han Dynasty and Akane properly calls out that she's been reading too much Three Kingdoms, earning another good laugh from the group.]
[Except Komine, who isn't laughing at all. But Aki doesn't pay her any mind, patting Denji's cheeks as if nothing happened at all.]
[ As his siblings take up residence around him, the back of Denji's head butts into Aki, resting against his stomach. Attention receding from the disparate conversations going on at the same time, and from the cute girl to his left, he flits a questioning, if brief, look up at him. It's not like it's that out of the ordinary for him to mess with Denji, but usually Power's the monkey hanging off the nearest available surface on his body, treating his arms like a tree limb. Is he in a good mood or something?
But before he can give any true thought to the question, his attention shifts once again, spine tensing up at Komine's extra pleasant body warmth lolling into him. Oh, wow… Does she want him to put an arm around her shoulder? She totally does, right? This may only be their second time meeting, but the talking, the scarf, the touching — all signs are pointing loud and clear with flashing neon lights that she's really flirting with him! In front of everybody!
His throat bobs the way a buoy at the end of a fishing reel does when something's taken the bait. Denji's arm lifts, slowly — ]
[ But then, suddenly, his gums are stretched open. Suddenly, everyone's laughing at him. It's an ambush of the worst kind, not just due to having no time to react, but because it comes as a betrayal.
A hot swelling feeling grips his collar, his cheeks, the whole canvas of his face as Denji gapes for a horribly long moment. He doesn't even notice the conversation moving along to Power's hyperbolic account of an event that never happened 2,000 years ago, too busy trying to recover from the embarrassment. Komine's back is faced away from him.
Denji shakes off the traitor's cheek pats with a weak bat of his hand, curving away from him to sputter out to a preoccupied (and disinterested) audience: ] I… I did really well on my midterm, too. I got a 77.
[ To which, someone spares him a slightly confused, Er, not bad, Mini, but that's about the only reaction he receives. He passes a few seconds sitting there in his own bubbled silence. When he next says something, the words are a mumbled string of, Y'can take my seat, gonna get a drink, as he gets to his feet, the ends of his borrowed scarf trailing behind him. His hand's slid into a pocket, feeling around for leftover change from their grocery run. ]
[Denji offers his seat as he rushes off to buy something, and Aki starts to say that he can give him some money but shuts up when he sees the way his head is dipped and, most telling, the way his ears are glowing with warmth.]
[Maybe with anyone else, he wouldn't notice such a thing. Or maybe he'd just ignore it. But... Seriously, he's doing Denji a favor, here. This girl isn't a good match for him. She's weird, and too quiet, and - not normal. Which, sure, Denji's the furthest from normal, too. But that's exactly why Aki would prefer he get with someone normal. If he gets with anyone at all. Which he's not going to, for now.]
[Besides, they're moving after Aki graduates, and this girl's not coming.]
[He sits down in Denji's spot as the conversation continues. Komine doesn't say anything to him or at all seem to acknowledge him and after a few minutes also gets up with the excuse that she has to head home for some reason or another. The treasurer says she'll walk with her, safety in numbers and all that, and the boy who had been playfully teasing Denji wonders jokingly if they should have the Mini Hayakawa escort her, too.]
[Aki shuts this down immediately:] Like hell is he walking back on his own. [...Then winces a little when the treasurer shoots him a look.] What, you want me to go with you, too?
["You want Akane to walk back all by herself instead?" one of the boys sneers. Aki grimaces. The treasurer scoffs and says something about being more than capable of taking on a zombie by herself and Aki quickly interrupts:] Let's go, let's just go...
[Before Denji gets back. Before Denji gets any idea of joining. It'll be near dusk by the time he walks to both of their homes and back, and Aki has no desire to have any of the other students deal with that. Pointing his finger at the others, he tells them to go home in a group like Public Safety says, then follows the two girls up the street, away from the vending machines.]
[ It's in the midst of dragging himself to the vending machine, kicking fallen twigs and pebbles, feeling stupid for taking off instead of playing things cool, that an idea strikes him head-on. He almost stops in his tracks completely to look around and see if Power had stalked him, but seeing no one else on his lonely path, Denji's plodding gradually hastens into a furious galloping. ]
C'mon, nearly there, c'monnn…
[ Loose gravel bites into his knees as he feels around the inside of the dispenser for his last jammed drink, several like chilled cans of tea collected by his side. Naturally, Denji's too unemployed to be buying so many refreshments, but with a few shakes and well-aimed pounds, any wish can come true — for free — as far as he's concerned. After a few seconds of struggling, re-angling himself, his fingers stretch just the last bit of distance he needs to dislocate the can from its precarious position. ]
Yatta! Smell ya later, Lame Denji! Welcome home, Awesome and Popular Denji — owie!
[ Denji lurches back from the edge of the machine he'd rubbed up wrong against with a pointless glare, then shoots forward again to leave one last fist-sized dent into its walls. Hah! Payback's a bitch!
Cans filling his arms, he gingerly tucks his chin against the top of the pile before bounding back to their apartment at full speed ahead, a song in his step. The rubbers of his shoes surely worn down to the thinnest layer, he skids to a hot stop right as he reaches the entrance, blasting inside with a giddy expression. ]
[ Power's halfway inside the door to their apartment unit, bags of leftover vegetables hanging from her arms. However, with his arrival, she pauses to rear her head back out and gleefully look down at Denji from over the railing. "Aah, 'tis right on time~ My throat was dry! Leave your sad little offerings on my altar, Denji, gyahaha!"
With a toss of her hair, she pushes herself back inside.
Still carrying the bunch of tea, he collapses on the bench, empty of laughter and friends and his brother. Even the neighborhood bird feeder took her leave some time ago. The train rumbles in the distance. After a few, he hears the open and close of a door above him. Stomping down. If Aki were here, he'd tell her off for making such a racket and to put on some shoes; but only Denji's present, so he allows her to pluck every last one of the cans from his arms, transferring the whole lot of them into the pockets of her hoodie.
She's clearly about to skip off until she makes a sudden pivot, gracing the top of Denji's head with, not one, but two cans of tea stacked on top of each other. She departs with a singular pat to the topmost one, slightly throwing it off balance and falling into her brother's lap. ]
["You really think something bad would happen, just walking a few blocks over?" t the treasurer sks when they're far enough away from the home. Aki shrugs his shoulders. They already passed a guy in a suit that looked suspiciously padded - Public Safety, without a doubt. Everyone knows they're crawling around the city. But what does that matter? People die when Public Safety is around, too. "Better to be in a group," is all he says. Akane hums, then turns to Komine and asks, "Hey, didn't you have a scarf? Did you forget it?"
"I gave it to someone else," she replies, her eyes glancing briefly at Aki, knowing he knows. And just like that, he takes the bait.
"Why did you give it to him?" he asks, almost demanding, enough that Akane shoots him a look for his tone. Komine looks away, her brow fretting. "My brother - Denji. You gave it to him."
"Did you want it, instead?" she says quietly. Aki rolls his eyes. "He looked lonely. I thought he could use a pick-me-up. That's all..."
"You sound jealous," Akane says, a tone of humor hiding her obvious annoyance at how Aki is speaking to her friend. "Your little brother's always getting into trouble - I heard he was the one who tried to start that find-a-girlfriend club or whatever, right? So why are you mad a girl's finally talking to him? Even if it's out of pity."
"You're not even really related," Komine mutters. Aki feels his fist tighten as he pockets them both. Akane's lip twitches as if she knows it's not the best thing to say, but Aki is the enemy right now, so she doesn't scold her.
"Don't bother him if it's just out of pity," he says at last. "He gets enough of it from me."]
[Aki's at Akane's home first, waving good bye as he realizes he's now stuck alone with Komine who doesn't seem interested in talking to him at all. Thankfully, his phone buzzes, providing the perfect distraction.]
Just bag it up, you can leave the coals I can take care of them
Bah, not THAT trash. I've already squandered the time I could be giving Meowy her cuddles on transferring your detestable vegeterribles to the refrigerator!
For the record, I fully expect you to kowtow before me the moment you return. And make me a hot choccy before bedtime.
[ Because, apparently, this is what they call hot cocoa in the Hayakawa household. ]
Thanks to my kind and forgiving nature, I'll overlook your misunderstanding. But only out of pity for belonging to a species of a lesser IQ. hahahaha
[ Annnnnnnyway… ]
Stupid Denji's wallowing again. He looks like he might walk himself to the trash drop-off any second to sit there and wait to be picked up by one of those little blue trucks in the morning.
[ Which Power clearly can't have. Denji's the one who sneaks her candy after dinner and blow dries her hair. If she were to task only one servant to do the job of two, that would lead to the worst possible catastrophic end imaginable: worker burnout! Protests lining the streets! Molotov cocktails thrown through her windows, spraying glass shards all across the ground with no one to sweep them up into the rubbish!
No, she can't have that.
…And besides, Denji's been so breakable lately. She doubts he would last a single night outside without them. ]
I forbid it! Take care of your mess, Aki Hayakawa!
[Aki is very used to getting a sea of messages from Power like this when she's riding high. The constant buzz of his phone with each incoming curse against him and demand for more attention just has him staring down at his phone while he walks beside Komine, the latter staring at the houses they pass by in a definitely purposeful attempt to pay no attention to him. Aki waits through the sea until she finally mentions Denji.]
He's... [He stops himself, frowns. Komine doesn't look at him, either ignoring him or she didn't hear. "Wallowing"... If even Power can recognize it and name it wallowing, it must be heavy. But more than that -]
Why is it MY fault?
[What the hell did he do? He even introduced him to a girl. Doesn't he get some points for that? Never mind his cockblocking later, Denji got a scarf out of it. He didn't do anything wrong.]
[ Temporarily, her enthusiasm for Aki's misdeeds is disarmed due to his bland response, but also, at that exact moment, Pochita releases a row of high-pitched whines, circling in front of the door, sitting, then circling again. Waiting for Denji to come home to no avail.
She tucks up a slat to the window blinks, peering outside just to make sure her brother, the most concerning one, is still there. And sure enough, his silhouette is sitting within sight. ]
Hmph. It's totally your fault.
[ And, for once, she's not just saying so to absolve herself of all accountability. ]
Such a pity you lot have no self-awareness… It's why you fall to shameful destinies, like bankruptcy and increasing divorce rates.
For one, you played him a fool in the presence of your ugly friends. If you'd disrespected ME like that, I would have put you on the grill and had a nice meaty harvest!
[Aki blinks in shock at his phone, his posture changed enough that he actually senses Komine glance over at him. He grits his teeth, feeling his face burn up.]
I did not
I complemented him
I said he did a good job. I didn't do anything mean
[He told them he did his homework. That means he complemented him. Sure, he kind of tugged at his cheeks or whatever but he sometimes just does things like that, it's not like their classmates were laughing at him. Or - at least, not at his expense. Not in a mean way. It was just a joke. Why would Denji care so much? He doesn't even know those guys.]
[...And since when does he have to defend himself against Power?!]
He's just mad he didn't get a kiss he'll snap out of it
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no subject
Honestly, he didn't think Aki would let him in on the action. Had tried hiding the perk in his expression when he'd tasked them with gathering the roastables, and then Power had skated herself under his arm, lifted him just a few centimeters off the ground, nearly throwing the muscles of her back with wild laughter, claiming that if anything happened, she could haul a billion or so Denjis over her shoulders to safety. Whether that remark was what sealed their fate, or if it was simply Aki's own calculated risk, it doesn't matter. They're shooed off.
Afterwards, Denji takes them on a beeline straight for the marketplace, Power at his side, swinging their hands back and forth. The air doesn't taste likes it's come fresh off the sea, but it's fine, he breathes in a lungful at every block, anyway, ignoring the slight wheeze echoing from the chambers of his chest. The entire time shopping, he keeps checking the group chat for any messages — people chiming in with what they're bringing, if they can or cannot make it. …Until he realizes there's no use because he can't tell which icon and phone number belongs to the girl he doesn't even know the name of. Dang it.
He returns with a dripping nose, arms crowded elbow to elbow with all the veggies Power didn't want to carry, stopping briefly near the entrance to greet his sole invite — the nice grandmother from the park who always shares her bird seeds with him to snack on. Liver-spotted hands patting at his cheeks, she tells him, gosh, he's so cold, but he laughs it off, setting their things aside at a long table; his bag tips over with most of the produce Aki recommended, along with cucumbers, napa cabbages, peppers, and sweet yams. He figured Aki would appreciate the ease with which some of their leftovers could be repurposed for other meals down the line, though he's kind of hoping that they'll be able to eat these right then for the get-together. Power's bag consists of corn and mushrooms, for the sole reason that she enjoys how it feels to tear her teeth through those the best.
His gaze sweeps over the perimeter, halting on a group of their schoolmates. Namely one person in particular…
Excusing himself, Denji ambles over — to Aki, just Aki, noticeably steering clear of the group on his way, waving off the ashen plumes rising from the grill as he approaches. Peeking out from behind him, he wipes at the back of his nose, a new drip of snot replacing the old one. Probably should have worn a scarf. ]
Hey, my friend wanted me to check on her turnips… Ah! Smells good. [ He sniffs, poking a finger at someone's carrot slice. ] But you sure ya put enough salt on that one? …Wait, uh, forget that — can you tell me that girl's name?
[ A thumb points over his shoulder. ]
Feel like it started with a Ko-somethin', right?
no subject
[When Denji returns, Aki is squatted in front of the coals, gently fanning them to stoke the fire. Two of the boys he played soccer with are seated near him as they chat quietly - about the one who got killed. How strange it all was, that they saw him just that day and the next minute he was gone. How they should have walked with him, shouldn't they have? That's what Public Safety was saying, right? But Aki reminds them that it was still the middle of the day when he left, that none of them were thinking about that. They can't blame themselves. "None of us could have fought off a devil," one of them mutters in addition, then looks at Aki with a perk in his brow. Not quite doubtful, but a little wary. "You're really going to join Public Safety?" he asks.]
[Aki opens his mouth to answer, but the sight of Denji coming through the gate with Power catches his eye before he can say anything. He realizes, maybe stupidly, that his heart had been racing during that discussion, thinking about Denji and Power by themselves. Devils don't care if it's morning or evening, after all. He shakes his head and pokes at one of the bundled sweet potatoes, coaxing it closer to the coals as he watches Denji drop the produce on the table. From habit, he assumes he's going to make his way over.]
Let's drop the topic, okay? [And just as he thought, here he comes, wiping at his nose as one of the other boys pulls out his phone, looking away. The other watches the two of them, amused by Denji's obvious intent in coming over as he starts asking after the girl.]
["You got a crush, Mini Hayakawa?" he teases, and Aki rolls his eyes. That girl can't possibly be Denji's type, he wants to argue, but... Suddenly, an idea comes to him and he pushes himself to his feet. He smells smoky and like a tuber but that's fine - He didn't get the food that girl brought anyway, and surely she brought something, so now's a good time to ask if she wants to cook it now or later. Even more importantly, however, is the idea of Denji making a friend who isn't five times his age.]
C'mon. [He reaches down to snag Denji by the wrist, heading over to the girl where she stands off to the side, rubbing her hands together and re-knotting her scarf around her neck. She looks up when she realizes Aki is coming towards her, a flush heating her face beneath her glasses and causing the bottom half of her bifocals to cloud up. He stops just a step or two away, tugging Denji right beside him.]
Komine - Did you bring anything? [He asks as he sees she truly doesn't have a bag, isn't carrying anything that could be large enough to hold even a potato. All she has is a small pochette around her shoulder which she switches to fiddling with the strap of. She shakes her head, looking down at the ground with a frown. "I didn't want to take up any extra time to cook my things," she explains, and Aki wants to point out that it's a roasting party, that multiple things can be cooked at once... But decides it's not really worth it. He sets a hand on Denji's shoulder instead, patting it once.] That's fine. He'll give you something from our stuff. This is my brother, Denji - [But she interrupts almost immediately with, "I know." Again Aki pauses. Wonders where she'd know of him, then decides she must have heard about him from the treasurer.] Well, let me know if you need anything.
[And then he turns and heads back to the fire, the boy from before watching with a wide grin of amusement. Aki only shrugs at him as he squats back down, then picks the fan up to continue stoking the flames.]
no subject
[ While Aki's friends snicker over the simmering coal pile, Denji turns in panicked ticks like a malfunctioning watch, almost on the verge of giving chase after his brother. But, casting a halting glance at the girl behind him, seeing her gaze break away and point at her shiny mary janes, he reluctantly continues his revolution, winding himself 360 degrees around to face her — Komine, that's right.
From the outside, he bears the wide-eyed flush of a boy who's never held another girl's hand outside of his family, doesn't yet know how to conduct himself in front of someone he likes; though it's hard to say if he really likes her. He likes the clear-eyed look to her every once when he actually manages to catch her gaze, but otherwise, she's quiet, like really quiet, her presence blending into the setting like a shadow with no other choice but to be there. And truthfully, his embarrassment has more to do with being hand-delivered here, as if he were a parcel being dropped off, or worse, some lonely little kid being introduced and passed on to his peers by his grade school teacher.
Ugh, that jerkwad…
Stomping down the desire to glare at Aki, he points over at the table spread. ]
Wanna go see? …My name's Hayakawa Denji, by the way.
[ "I know," she says again, nodding slowly. Her glasses sweep low down her nose with the movement.
…Ahhh, Aki told her that already, didn't he? Scratching at his scalp as they leave to apprise their options, Denji glances at the treasurer and the rest of her friends, at least who he assumes are her friends. Nobody casts them a second look in kind.
"I've seen you around school before, Denji-kun." ]
Oh. [ That catches his attention. In a good way. He cracks her a toothy grin, bright and excited. ] Oh, yeah, sure ya would! My class was the one that did the, uh, mascot cafe at the culture festival. I was the popular one — you know, floppy ears?
[ His hands move up the sides of his head, flapping to imitate said floppiness. Instead of watching him, Komine scans the layout of the produce, hands firmly clutched around her bag strap.
"I didn't have time to go to that event… I was busy with the art showcase. Um, sorry." His arms drop, lamely. Without reaching for anything on the table, she continues. "I've just seen you, that's all. When you visit the third year's floor, you're very loud. Like the last time you were going through your brother's desk."
His expression dims a watt, trying to remember what she's referring to, since it goes without saying that he liberally tends to rummage through Aki's things — oh, wait, the love letter. He scrambled to Aki's homeroom that morning, thinking he'd ask him if he left his homework in one of his textbooks. But what he found was, lo and behold, an envelope sitting on top of his pencil case. The strong fragrance of floral perfume wafting from the paper. Hayakawa Aki lovingly written in cute print on the front, a single heart drawn beside his name. Of course, he opened it. Read it, lamented, complained to himself about why a girl would like a guy with no plans of sticking around, complained again about the thought of sharing him with someone, and then sat there in his seat, reading and rereading the letter to the best of his ability. As if rewriting his reaction in his head. A good little brother would tell him, you should just go for it. Live a little. He's pretty sure that's what he told him. It feels so long ago, namely because that was the same day he met Pochita.
Was there someone else in the classroom back then?
Denji passes Komine the sweet potato she'd been inspecting for a few long seconds, asking her: ] Is that a bad thing?
[ She blinks up at him, then rests her gaze upon the offering, the corners of her lips lifting subtly. She smiles at him, pleased, graciously accepting it, accepting the other vegetables Denji promptly deposits in her arms. Accepting his kindness.
"No. I think my favorite thing about other people is when they live freely like that."
The conversation maintains its course with Denji struggling to make sense of some of things she says, but enjoying her interest, anyway. Lighting up each time her eyes brush over his face; it almost feels like he's floating on a cloud and not freezing his ass waiting for their turn to roast their pickings. She tells him about the type of paintings she displayed during this year's festival, how it gives her joy to capture the present in all its abundant sincerity. A single moment, still and unblemished. He kind of gets it, brings up the comparison of photography and how his sister has loads of photos of her cat for similar reasons, but changes the topic when he notices her expression waning — ]
Look, they're leaving.
[ Pointing out that the soccer boys have cleared from the grill, Denji rushes them both over before anyone else can steal into the opening. In contrast to Komine's much fuller arms, Denji carries with him a halved piece of eggplant and a few mushrooms. ]
Yo. There room for us?
no subject
[It's so obvious he's watching them that one of the other boys points it out. "You're staring, dude," they say, and Aki tears his eyes away from Denji and the girl standing near the produce. He prods at one of the eggplants and tells himself there's no actual reason to his annoyance. That, if Denji is going to make friends with someone, she's not exactly the worst choice. She's just a weirdo. Always quiet and has her head down. Draws or something, he thinks - Honestly, he doesn't really pay her any attention ever. She's not his type, after all. Or Denji's.]
["You're staring," the boy repeats, and Aki lowers his gaze again. Annoyed. "Whatever. Hey, let's go get something from the vending machine." The two of them head off as Aki is left to sulk by the fire, but no sooner are they gone when a new pair of shadows hover over him.]
Oh... Yeah. [Aki nods, reaching over to grab some of the newspaper to hand to them both.] Here, wrap them up. You remember how, right? Make sure you make it all equal, don't ball it up or anything, or it won't cook as well. Komine, you -
["I know how," she mutters, taking some of the newspaper as she squats down to begin wrapping her vegetables. Aki doesn't respond outright, mostly because he's more focused on Denji. If she knows how, then she doesn't need help. So he's good to just ignore her. Since she's kind of a weirdo, anyway. What was she even talking to Denji about? She's so quiet all the time that he can't imagine her being much for conversation...]
I'll put them on the coals, let me take them. [He reaches out toward Denji once his items are wrapped, but he frowns when he feels his hands during the trade-off.] ...You're too cold. Go inside and get a scarf or something.
no subject
[ Squinting down at his hands in concentration, he carefully folds the pages of his newspaper around the eggplant in uneven angles. His brow twitches. He opens the paper back up again, about to start over, until his fingers pause.
Even though Denji's reading ability still lags behind most kids his age, and even though he constantly mixes up the kanji for words like brain and worries, it doesn't chafe him that much. Really, he'd rather not have to wrack his brain worrying about the layers of meanings and double-meanings in this language; if he had it his way, he'd go his life just interpreting things based on pictures and instinct. But Aki rarely approves of his perspective on literacy, so sometimes he'll point out to a word or a series of phrases, or ask him for the stroke order of something, and that's probably how he's managed to grow a serviceable vocabulary. Enough to be able to scan a column of a newspaper and read that the investigation into the zombie attack is still underway, that a specially assembled team from Tokyo is expected to soon join the effort to resolve the situation. ]
Hm. [ Oh, well — Denji crimps the folds together once again, still not all symmetrical, but he holds it out to Aki, anyway, a self-satisfied grin pulling at his cheeks. ] Look, I did it! [ Thee expression doesn't last, a dumbfounded look quickly replacing it as Aki tells him to adjust his state of dress. Not exactly helping his case, Denji rubs at the wet tip of his nose. ] But I'm…
[ He looks to Komine. She's still finishing up her veggies since her pile outnumbers Denji's. Meaning, it doesn't look she'll be going anywhere anytime soon.
Denji passes on the rest of his roast to Aki, backing away while still facing him, silently mouthing to his brother: Don't let her go anywhere before I can ask for her number, a'right? And then he turns, heading for the stairs. ]
no subject
["You can have mine."]
[The interruption comes just as Denji is mouthing his (to Aki) unreadable order, from Komine's spot squatted on the ground. Handing off one of the rolled up vegetables to Aki, she uses her freed hands to unravel the scarf around her neck and offers that out to Denji in turn. It's not one of their school uniform scarfs, rather a purple one with little pom poms on each end. Aki's brows crease.]
It's just upstairs. You don't need to -- ["It's fine," she interrupts, her head ducked back down as she holds out the scarf, a few inches away from the barbecue pit. "I want him to have it."]
[Aki could think to see a red flag in this, how she only just met him and already wants to give him something like this, but instead he feels a wash of annoyance pass over him. How Denji is going to be talking about this scarf for the next six weeks and asking Aki to recite exactly what she said to him when she offered it out and probably recounting the smell of her shampoo in the fabric... He makes a noncommittal sort of noise and turns his attention away, setting the poorly-covered eggplant against the coals.]
1/2
Honestly, it itches; it's not dense enough to truly warm his neck; it's got a too-strawberry scent stitched into its folds that overwhelms his senses upon inhale. It's also not something Denji questions. He drops his face into the scarf, scratching his blushing cheeks all over with the fabric. ]
Oh my god. It's real.
[ Crap, what type of expression should he make? Then again, he kind of already expressed himself plenty just now — but, well, Komine isn't even looking at him, so it's fine. Maybe.
…Wait, what did he say just now? ]
2/2
[ "You don't have to. We're friends from now on, so I'd like you to keep it."
Coming from anyone else, it could have been a warmly stated response. From Komine, the same bland intonation carries forth, like she's tired that she has to continue the conversation after already saying her piece. Not sure how to take the contradictory messaging, Denji simply grins through it, nodding furiously, promising to take care of the scarf until the end of his days.
Slipping to Aki, he nudges an elbow against his arm, trying to subtly (for Denji) capture his attention, his voice lowered into a whisper: ] Aki, feel it — it's real!
no subject
[Aki watches the exchange with a growing annoyance pricking his brow.]
[From the way Denji's fingers wrap around the fabric, how he palms the pompoms and bounces them in his hands, to the way he shoves his whole face into the depths of it... That's one thing. But it's Komine, herself, who Aki doesn't trust. If this is some kind of bullying thing, or what kind of meaning this would have, otherwise. Girls don't just give stuff like this to boys. Aki would know. He learned that early on, that anything given is a desire for something in return. And Denji - Denji's just too stupid to recognize it. That, even if he doesn't give two shits about her, even if he's just caught up in the feeling of a girl paying attention to him, that it comes with a cost.]
[He sighs when Denji slips away from her and toward him, instead, loud enough to be heard far above his whispering. Feel what? he could monotone in response, annoyance in his tone, a warning like a monkey baring its teeth. But he only prods at some of the rolled-up vegetables with a stick, doing his best to show him the truth: that it shouldn't be a big deal. That the bigger of a deal he makes it out to be, the worse his eventual fall is going to hurt.]
[He never really liked Komine, he realizes. Doesn't like how she clings to the treasurer and follows her around sometimes, not catching the hint that she wasn't welcome in official meetings. Doesn't like the way she avoids looking at Aki directly, how she frowns if he mentions Public Safety or his goal after graduation. Hell, she never even talks about herself that much, just silently judges everyone else.]
[...He's being petty, he notes, but doesn't let himself see the sickly and sticky jealousy coating that feeling.]
Keep your jacket buttoned up. I don't want to hear you sneezing tonight.
no subject
Can'tcha react better than that, nearly slips past his lips, but he holds his tongue to the roof of his mouth, presses up like a blockade. But it doesn't squash down the thoughts from congesting in his head, because, seriously, is it that hard? He doesn't have to think it's anything special or worth celebrating, but he could at least play along. He could at least be happy for him. It's not as if Denji was psyched to hear about Aki's first kiss once he and his friends thought he was out of earshot, or to have to go digging through Aki's things to learn someone was crushing on him, but he was curious about it. Interested. Maybe if Aki let him in on the secret, they could have — bonded. Talked about it, laughed it off. Whatever it is that brothers do over that sort of thing. Not that he would know seeing as Aki always refuses him that experience.
His eyes shift off, landing back on the crouched girl, a little less than half of her vegetables finished evenly browning over the flames. Denji's fingers shovel underneath Komine's scarf to click his jacket buttons together. ]
…Jokes on you. Haven't sneezed once today, [ he mutters, sniffing up a drop of snot. Then, swinging his gaze back at him, his volume rises up, snippily: ] How 'bout you stop standing so close to the fire, huh. Before even joining Public Safety, you're gonna get sick and ugly with that thing smokers get. Cancer, whatever —
[ "Are you done?" Komine's voice shoots over Denji's own. Her face is half-arched over her shoulder, staring up at them both. She's a little cute like that. ]
Uh, am I? [ He looks to Aki, first, the inclination to redirect downward to inspect his food coming a second later. He did have a lesser haul than his counterpart. ] I mean — probably in a little? I got started after you, so…
[ "But you'll still finish before me," she points out. ]
…Looks like it.
[ "Maybe you should go wait over there at the table once Hayakawa-kun is finished, and then I can come to you." Denji follows along with her line of sight. The others, including the treasurer, seem to have scuttled off to another corner of the area to watch Power perform tricks with the cat. Komine's next few words come to him just as the picture of them sitting across from one another, giggling and playing footsie under the table, forms in his mind: "We can eat together." ]
Ohhh… Yeah, okay. [ Expression unstirred, Denji cups his hands together, holding them out to his brother. ] Aki, plate me up.
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[It's not hard to get into a snippy argument like this with Denji over something stupid, and Aki even opens his mouth to tell him that this isn't the kind of smoke that rots your bones and gives you cancer or whatever, it's a totally different kind of smoke, but then Komine speaks up and, whether intentional or not, knocks the wind out of his sails and the words with it.]
[He's not actually mad at Denji. He didn't do anything, after all. So there's no actual reason to be annoyed with him or upset or whatever - so he tells himself, poking at one of the newspaper-wrapped potatoes and watching the steam gush out from the hole. He's still not fond of Denji getting close with someone kind of off-kilter like Komine, still thinks she isn't quite the best influence on him, but...]
[But then he thinks back to a couple days ago and how she had spoken about the guy who had died, that her seat wasn't far from him. That, maybe, she's lonely and wants someone to talk to who isn't so awkward around her, or considering her feelings so seriously. Someone who isn't going to treat her differently and, in fact, has his own reasons for people to treat him with kid gloves, as well. Maybe that's why she's decided to talk to him today, Aki thinks. Maybe she's suffering just like the rest of them.]
[So Aki doesn't respond with any more snark or cold words, simply scoops up a few of the vegetables that have the tell-tale Denji wrapping and flips them over to set the less-hot side in his palms.]
Here. Go on and eat, and tell Power to come get something, too.
[And then he waits for Denji to head off, for him to move over to the larger group, at the small picnic table set up in front of the complex. He tests Komine's next, but the thicker root vegetables take an extra minute or so, and she doesn't seem keen on moving just yet, so he speaks up.]
He had a rough day yesterday, so - I mean, I'm sure he appreciates getting his mind off things.
[She doesn't say anything in response and Aki thinks maybe she didn't hear him, or maybe she's ignoring him, but a couple minutes later when he mentions her things should be ready she puts her gloved hands out for him, her eyes fogged by the smoke and heat covering her glasses.]
["Thanks for setting this up," she says as he places them carefully into her hands. "It's nice to see everyone." Aki nods as she gets up and heads over to Denji, figuring that's about as normal as the conversations he has with her tend to be.]
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"Koko!" Someone sings not long after, a rush of steps coming up behind his new friend.
Denji manages to muster the willpower to inch his chin sideways to catch their school's treasurer drop into the seat next to Komine, the back of her shoulders leaned against the table, legs swinging. A couple of Aki's friends join them, sitting across on the opposite bench. There's idle chatter about the amount of food Komine has selected — "I'm so jealous! Just where in that tiny body are you even packing all that away?!" — that eventually moves on to homework, and gossip, and how they couldn't be more ready for the semester to end in a few months.
"That's if we make it to next year," one of the boys scoffs, steering the conversation toward the same topic he was talking about with Aki. This, of course, earns him immediate ire from the others. Though he's loathe to agree with a guy who calls him Mini Hayakawa, Denji kind of thinks he has a point. He swallows a bite of mushroom and doesn't say anything, though.
The treasurer — Akane-chan, apparently is what Komine calls her — blows a raspberry at him. "Downer."
The taller boy of the two shakes his head. "C'mon, let's not do this…"
"What? I'm right," the boy continues, watching the direction of the grill, prompting Denji's gaze to move there as well. Under Aki's supervision, Power seems to be recklessly stabbing into the coal, as if the rocks had personally offended her in some fashion. Probably, the guy is just making sure he's not caught talking about something he's not supposed to in front of his host — there's probably something to be said about how he doesn't appear to acknowledge Denji is also there at the table. "There are cops and devil hunters everywhere in the neighborhood to 'keep us safe,' but it just puts us, the teachers, and our parents on edge — you can feel it, can't you? And it's already been this long. Doesn't it make you wonder what the hold up is? Or who's next?"
"Not really," Komine says, setting aside a neatly folded square of aluminum, before taking another roasted vegetable from her pile. "If you just keep your head down and focus on yourself, you'll be fine."
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Koko! Just enjoy the extra days off and play some video games. No one's forcing you to think about any of that…" Akane's mouth pinches. Blowing slow on her sweet potato, Komine watches her. "Horrible stuff so seriously. Ah, looks like the rest of the Hayakawa family's finally joining us."
By the time Power slams into his other side, nearly half-plunking herself into his lap, Denji's only burnt his tongue twice. A fancy new record for him. Hopefully he can keep it up. ]
Ugh, get off, you smell like smoke — [ Power's cheek valiantly fights back against the grasp Denji has on her head. He looks up at Aki, the gruffness of his tone at odds with how palpably his expression relaxes, seeing them both there. ] Man, you guys took forever. Was starting to think you couldn't put the fire out or somethin'.
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[Power's attack on the coals as he tries to explain how using sand to extinguish them works is a good enough distraction that leaves Aki out of earshot of the conversation at the picnic tables - and, perhaps thankfully, the sight of Komine and Denji sitting so closely together. When Aki tells her the fire's been defeated or whatever and Power is delightfully skipping her way over to the larger group, Aki is right on her tail and the conversation lulls on his approach. Luckily (or maybe depressingly) he's never been the sort to mind that sort of thing and has his focus on Denji instead of any talk about their likelihood of imminent death, setting his hands on Denji's shoulders and squeezing them.]
All thanks to the great Power. [Or whatever it is. The dullly-stated praise still puts a confident grin on her face as she explains her method of stabbing the fire into submission to the other attendees as Aki keeps his hands on Denji's shoulders, gradually sliding them down to set his elbows on him as if he's the edge of a table or against the top of a fence. There's no actual pressure or force, though - he knows it's highly unlikely Denji could ever hope to hold him up.]
[The slight dip to his posture does give him some closer proximity to Komine, but she's caught up in a conversation with the treasurer now. Something about putting marshmallow on roasted potatoes... His attention turns toward the other topic across the table, a discussion about whether they even need to do homework when school has been shut down for this long, and Aki opens his mouth to begin saying it's better to do it sooner rather than have a repeat of the end-of-summer depression Aki witnessed them all fall into last year... Except he feels a slight nudge of a shift along Denji's body and it isn't a motion done by Denji, himself. Not him leaning over or leaning back or even being shoved by Power. Because it's in the opposite direction. When he glances down, he sees it: Komine's shoulder, lightly bumped up against Denji's, as if nothing at all is unusual about the act.]
[Were it anyone else, he'd think maybe they forgot he was there or something. But this girl...]
[He reaches up and squeezes Denji's cheeks, pinching both of them at once.]
Even this guy's done his homework. You've got no excuses. [There's a brief sense of amusement and some laughter at the sight of Denji with his cheeks pinched, the topic turning a little more positive. Even Power claims she was given a special assignment to complete that required her to travel to the Han Dynasty and Akane properly calls out that she's been reading too much Three Kingdoms, earning another good laugh from the group.]
[Except Komine, who isn't laughing at all. But Aki doesn't pay her any mind, patting Denji's cheeks as if nothing happened at all.]
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But before he can give any true thought to the question, his attention shifts once again, spine tensing up at Komine's extra pleasant body warmth lolling into him. Oh, wow… Does she want him to put an arm around her shoulder? She totally does, right? This may only be their second time meeting, but the talking, the scarf, the touching — all signs are pointing loud and clear with flashing neon lights that she's really flirting with him! In front of everybody!
His throat bobs the way a buoy at the end of a fishing reel does when something's taken the bait. Denji's arm lifts, slowly — ]
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A hot swelling feeling grips his collar, his cheeks, the whole canvas of his face as Denji gapes for a horribly long moment. He doesn't even notice the conversation moving along to Power's hyperbolic account of an event that never happened 2,000 years ago, too busy trying to recover from the embarrassment. Komine's back is faced away from him.
Denji shakes off the traitor's cheek pats with a weak bat of his hand, curving away from him to sputter out to a preoccupied (and disinterested) audience: ] I… I did really well on my midterm, too. I got a 77.
[ To which, someone spares him a slightly confused, Er, not bad, Mini, but that's about the only reaction he receives. He passes a few seconds sitting there in his own bubbled silence. When he next says something, the words are a mumbled string of, Y'can take my seat, gonna get a drink, as he gets to his feet, the ends of his borrowed scarf trailing behind him. His hand's slid into a pocket, feeling around for leftover change from their grocery run. ]
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[Denji offers his seat as he rushes off to buy something, and Aki starts to say that he can give him some money but shuts up when he sees the way his head is dipped and, most telling, the way his ears are glowing with warmth.]
[Maybe with anyone else, he wouldn't notice such a thing. Or maybe he'd just ignore it. But... Seriously, he's doing Denji a favor, here. This girl isn't a good match for him. She's weird, and too quiet, and - not normal. Which, sure, Denji's the furthest from normal, too. But that's exactly why Aki would prefer he get with someone normal. If he gets with anyone at all. Which he's not going to, for now.]
[Besides, they're moving after Aki graduates, and this girl's not coming.]
[He sits down in Denji's spot as the conversation continues. Komine doesn't say anything to him or at all seem to acknowledge him and after a few minutes also gets up with the excuse that she has to head home for some reason or another. The treasurer says she'll walk with her, safety in numbers and all that, and the boy who had been playfully teasing Denji wonders jokingly if they should have the Mini Hayakawa escort her, too.]
[Aki shuts this down immediately:] Like hell is he walking back on his own. [...Then winces a little when the treasurer shoots him a look.] What, you want me to go with you, too?
["You want Akane to walk back all by herself instead?" one of the boys sneers. Aki grimaces. The treasurer scoffs and says something about being more than capable of taking on a zombie by herself and Aki quickly interrupts:] Let's go, let's just go...
[Before Denji gets back. Before Denji gets any idea of joining. It'll be near dusk by the time he walks to both of their homes and back, and Aki has no desire to have any of the other students deal with that. Pointing his finger at the others, he tells them to go home in a group like Public Safety says, then follows the two girls up the street, away from the vending machines.]
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C'mon, nearly there, c'monnn…
[ Loose gravel bites into his knees as he feels around the inside of the dispenser for his last jammed drink, several like chilled cans of tea collected by his side. Naturally, Denji's too unemployed to be buying so many refreshments, but with a few shakes and well-aimed pounds, any wish can come true — for free — as far as he's concerned. After a few seconds of struggling, re-angling himself, his fingers stretch just the last bit of distance he needs to dislocate the can from its precarious position. ]
Yatta! Smell ya later, Lame Denji! Welcome home, Awesome and Popular Denji — owie!
[ Denji lurches back from the edge of the machine he'd rubbed up wrong against with a pointless glare, then shoots forward again to leave one last fist-sized dent into its walls. Hah! Payback's a bitch!
Cans filling his arms, he gingerly tucks his chin against the top of the pile before bounding back to their apartment at full speed ahead, a song in his step. The rubbers of his shoes surely worn down to the thinnest layer, he skids to a hot stop right as he reaches the entrance, blasting inside with a giddy expression. ]
H-Hey! I got drinks for everyone… Uh?
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With a toss of her hair, she pushes herself back inside.
Still carrying the bunch of tea, he collapses on the bench, empty of laughter and friends and his brother. Even the neighborhood bird feeder took her leave some time ago. The train rumbles in the distance. After a few, he hears the open and close of a door above him. Stomping down. If Aki were here, he'd tell her off for making such a racket and to put on some shoes; but only Denji's present, so he allows her to pluck every last one of the cans from his arms, transferring the whole lot of them into the pockets of her hoodie.
She's clearly about to skip off until she makes a sudden pivot, gracing the top of Denji's head with, not one, but two cans of tea stacked on top of each other. She departs with a singular pat to the topmost one, slightly throwing it off balance and falling into her brother's lap. ]
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Human! Do you think me a garbage lord? Pick up your trash on your own!
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["You really think something bad would happen, just walking a few blocks over?" t the treasurer sks when they're far enough away from the home. Aki shrugs his shoulders. They already passed a guy in a suit that looked suspiciously padded - Public Safety, without a doubt. Everyone knows they're crawling around the city. But what does that matter? People die when Public Safety is around, too. "Better to be in a group," is all he says. Akane hums, then turns to Komine and asks, "Hey, didn't you have a scarf? Did you forget it?"
"I gave it to someone else," she replies, her eyes glancing briefly at Aki, knowing he knows. And just like that, he takes the bait.
"Why did you give it to him?" he asks, almost demanding, enough that Akane shoots him a look for his tone. Komine looks away, her brow fretting. "My brother - Denji. You gave it to him."
"Did you want it, instead?" she says quietly. Aki rolls his eyes. "He looked lonely. I thought he could use a pick-me-up. That's all..."
"You sound jealous," Akane says, a tone of humor hiding her obvious annoyance at how Aki is speaking to her friend. "Your little brother's always getting into trouble - I heard he was the one who tried to start that find-a-girlfriend club or whatever, right? So why are you mad a girl's finally talking to him? Even if it's out of pity."
"You're not even really related," Komine mutters. Aki feels his fist tighten as he pockets them both. Akane's lip twitches as if she knows it's not the best thing to say, but Aki is the enemy right now, so she doesn't scold her.
"Don't bother him if it's just out of pity," he says at last. "He gets enough of it from me."]
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[Aki's at Akane's home first, waving good bye as he realizes he's now stuck alone with Komine who doesn't seem interested in talking to him at all. Thankfully, his phone buzzes, providing the perfect distraction.]
Just bag it up, you can leave the coals I can take care of them
Is Denji back?
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For the record, I fully expect you to kowtow before me the moment you return. And make me a hot choccy before bedtime.
[ Because, apparently, this is what they call hot cocoa in the Hayakawa household. ]
Thanks to my kind and forgiving nature, I'll overlook your misunderstanding. But only out of pity for belonging to a species of a lesser IQ. hahahaha
[ Annnnnnnyway… ]
Stupid Denji's wallowing again. He looks like he might walk himself to the trash drop-off any second to sit there and wait to be picked up by one of those little blue trucks in the morning.
[ Which Power clearly can't have. Denji's the one who sneaks her candy after dinner and blow dries her hair. If she were to task only one servant to do the job of two, that would lead to the worst possible catastrophic end imaginable: worker burnout! Protests lining the streets! Molotov cocktails thrown through her windows, spraying glass shards all across the ground with no one to sweep them up into the rubbish!
No, she can't have that.
…And besides, Denji's been so breakable lately. She doubts he would last a single night outside without them. ]
I forbid it! Take care of your mess, Aki Hayakawa!
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[Aki is very used to getting a sea of messages from Power like this when she's riding high. The constant buzz of his phone with each incoming curse against him and demand for more attention just has him staring down at his phone while he walks beside Komine, the latter staring at the houses they pass by in a definitely purposeful attempt to pay no attention to him. Aki waits through the sea until she finally mentions Denji.]
He's... [He stops himself, frowns. Komine doesn't look at him, either ignoring him or she didn't hear. "Wallowing"... If even Power can recognize it and name it wallowing, it must be heavy. But more than that -]
Why is it MY fault?
[What the hell did he do? He even introduced him to a girl. Doesn't he get some points for that? Never mind his cockblocking later, Denji got a scarf out of it. He didn't do anything wrong.]
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She tucks up a slat to the window blinks, peering outside just to make sure her brother, the most concerning one, is still there. And sure enough, his silhouette is sitting within sight. ]
Hmph. It's totally your fault.
[ And, for once, she's not just saying so to absolve herself of all accountability. ]
Such a pity you lot have no self-awareness… It's why you fall to shameful destinies, like bankruptcy and increasing divorce rates.
For one, you played him a fool in the presence of your ugly friends. If you'd disrespected ME like that, I would have put you on the grill and had a nice meaty harvest!
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[Aki blinks in shock at his phone, his posture changed enough that he actually senses Komine glance over at him. He grits his teeth, feeling his face burn up.]
I did not
I complemented him
I said he did a good job. I didn't do anything mean
[He told them he did his homework. That means he complemented him. Sure, he kind of tugged at his cheeks or whatever but he sometimes just does things like that, it's not like their classmates were laughing at him. Or - at least, not at his expense. Not in a mean way. It was just a joke. Why would Denji care so much? He doesn't even know those guys.]
[...And since when does he have to defend himself against Power?!]
He's just mad he didn't get a kiss he'll snap out of it
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